Super Smash Quest - Story - Chapter 239: Warped Minds
Date: 6:01:10 PM, September 24th, 2005.
Charles Magellean: *Last time, the Questers had rescued over ten smashers from the radical Maxamillion and the evil SIMBER that was inside Max's mecha. They reached the Crystal City and were either convinced or decided to stay with the outcast humans, the people claiming that Kales was misusing the artifacts and declared war on the humans. They now live in crystal opaque apartments, waiting for Metal to arrive... However, their next challenge is something that is not of this world.....*
Julian Sawyer: "...Better than the guts."
Charles Magellean (GM): Soon, they will realize that one of them is not what they seem... Either by curiousity or ignorance, they will stumble upon a portal into his thoughts.... *BEGIN* You are starting to adjust to living life underground. However, a tingle goes down all of your spines. It is a very chilling feeling.
Digifanatic: "Wow... we have lived in some inter--huh?"
Aribar is looking about his apartment when a shiver is sent down his spine.
Charles Magellean (GM): It's coming from a couple floors down. Investigate it, else you'll feel the tingle again.
Digifanatic starts heading down to wherever it's coming from...
Charles Magellean (GM): Perhaps it's one of the other Questers that is in trouble. Maybe it's one of the humans that's trying to use a summon spell.
Aribar goes back to organizing his apartment a bit more until he feels the tingle again... And probably once more before the elf decides to finally exit his room and head to the manager to ask him about it.
Charles Magellean (GM): You are starting to adjust to living life underground. However, a tingle goes down all of your spines. It is a very chilling feeling.
Digifanatic: "Wow... we have lived in some inter--huh?"
Julian Sawyer was chillin' on his couch, resting when the tingle happened "Brrr... What the?"
Charles Magellean (GM): Julian feels another shiver down his spine. This one is colder than the last one.
Digifanatic is waiting downstairs...
Julian Sawyer: "...The hell? Where's that coming from?"
Charles Magellean (GM): The three of you arrive at the floor where the mysterious power is sending uncomfortable waves. The door that it is coming from apartment 5F. Charles's apartment.
Julian Sawyer: "... How'd I get here?"
Charles Magellean (GM): Whatever happened, it was a slight rift in reality that instantly transported you there.
Aribar greets Digi and Julian before walking over and knocking on Locos's door.
Charles Magellean (GM): There is no answer.
Julian Sawyer: *Opens it without any regard for Charles' privacy.*
Charles Magellean (GM): However... the door seems to fade away slowly.
Julian Sawyer: *Or he doesn't.*
Charles Magellean (GM): It fades away after being busted up, however the actions might've seemed. *shrugs* Begin playing the music if it has downloaded... if you can.
Julian Sawyer: "...Alright, I'm confused."
Aribar blinks... "Locos? You home?"
Charles Magellean (GM): The shivers now are constant.
Julian Sawyer: *Looks in.*
Charles Magellean (GM): In the apartment, all is dark. It is as if it is void of light. Inside are 8 candles on the ground.
Aribar shakes his head and barges inside, "Locos, what are you doing?"
Julian Sawyer: "...This ain't good."
Charles Magellean (GM): They form a green mist and dome around the Charles.
Julian Sawyer: *Heads in.*
Charles Magellean (GM): There he is. Levitating, cross-legged, repeating the same phrase over and over... it is silent on this side, however.
Digifanatic follows.
Charles Magellean (GM): His eyes are constantly open, but completely devoid of irises.
Julian Sawyer: "...HEY! CHARLES!"
Charles Magellean (GM): No response. Aribar, INT check.
Julian Sawyer: "Wake up!"
Aribar walks over to one of the candles and stamps it down... If possible, that is.
Julian Sawyer: *Tries kicking one of the candles.*
Charles Magellean (GM): All the candles form the basis of this dome... Aribar and Julian begin to... become translucent. They are starting to fade!
Aribar: "Gah!" *He starts to step back.*
Julian Sawyer: "The *Censored?*" *Steps back.*
Charles Magellean (GM): You step back, but no success. You are beginning to leave this realm.
Digifanatic: "What is going on?"
Charles Magellean (GM): As soon as you try to do another action, you disappear completely.
Julian Sawyer: "This is too fu-" *Poof.*
Charles Magellean (GM): Digi: What do you do?
Digifanatic tries to leave the room himself.
Charles Magellean (GM): You can, but what will you do? Leave the others to suffer their fate alone? Meanwhile....
Digifanatic: "I have no idea..."
Charles Magellean (GM): Aribar and Julian: You fade no more. There was no painful transportation to happen, but now you are in an area of... unfamiliar territory. And you are standing.......... ...on nothing.
Aribar blinks, looking about, slightly worried...
Julian Sawyer: "..." *Looks down.*
Charles Magellean (GM): To the front, to the back, up, down, left, and right, all is the same.
Aribar: "... What the heck was Locos doing!?"
Julian Sawyer: *Tries taking a step* "Maybe he's into yoga or somethin'..."
Charles Magellean (GM): There are many rows of clouds, colors of red, dark brown, and grey moving southward. Julian: You take a step back, but nothing happens.
Julian Sawyer: "...Or he's on drugs."
Aribar: "... That is possible."
Charles Magellean (GM): Back at Crystal City...
Julian Sawyer: "So now what?"
Charles Magellean (GM): Digi: Have you decided on what to do?
Digifanatic decides to walk back in... a bit closer to Charles this time...
Aribar hold his arm to his chin and tries to think about whether to call out into this abyss or not...
Charles Magellean (GM): The green mist envelops you as well. There is no pain, no fear. You, too, turn translucent and begin to fade.
Julian Sawyer: *Looks for a rock or something to throw to judge distance.*
Charles Magellean (GM): You disappear completely, and moments later, you appear in the same place as Julian and Ari.
Julian Sawyer: "...Hi Digi."
Charles Magellean (GM): Julian: There is nothing to throw. Nothing but all kinds of clouds, moving at 40 mph, going southward.
Digifanatic: "Whoa."
Charles Magellean (GM): The scenery changes in an instant. You are now... on the Second Moon.
Julian Sawyer: "...Think we should follow the clouds? ...Nevermind."
???: "Buh! Buh huh huh huh huh!"
Charles Magellean (GM): The voice comes from behind all of you.
Aribar: "..." *The elf looks about to look for Mr. Buh.*
Charles Magellean (GM): It's Lord Crump.
Julian Sawyer: *Turns around* "...dammit! I though we killed you!"
Crump: "Buh! Buh huh! I am not so easily taken care of as you thought!"
Aribar frowns, wondering what this is all about... "How did you get here?"
Julian Sawyer: "...Do you even know where we are?"
Crump: "Huh huh huh huh huh..."
Digifanatic: "Oh man..."
Charles Magellean (GM): He slowly fades away, as though he was an optical illusion.
Digifanatic: "Now that was strange."
Julian Sawyer: "... Alright, maybe WE'RE on drugs."
Aribar: "I blame Locos..."
???2: "Gack ack ack ack ack ack! Well done Questers, now you're in the same place I'm in!"
Digifanatic: .oO(Crystal... yeah, that makes sense. ALLEGEDLY!)
Aribar: "Around Door Number 2 is..." *Looks about for Mr. Gack ack.*
Julian Sawyer: "This is his fault..."
Charles Magellean (GM): Above you is a large Grodus, who is transmitting a signal to you.
Julian Sawyer: "...-CENSORED- hell!"
Aetos poofs into Charles's mind with a puff of logic.
Charles Magellean (GM): Aetos, too, was enveloped by the green mist that was in Charles's apartment.
Aribar: "And are you an optical illusion as well?"
Julian Sawyer: "...You touched the candles too?"
Aetos: "Heh..."
Grodus: "This time I'll have my revenge! GACK! GACK ACK ACK!"
Charles Magellean (GM): The transmission turns off. The scenery of the Second Moon turns all to white.
Aetos: "Who was that? Where are we?... Brief explanation please."
Charles Magellean (GM): In the distance, appears Maxamillion, and an army of 15 Cactuar.
Aribar: "If there was an explanation we would give it."
Julian Sawyer: "...Goddammit, This is a holo room or something..."
Aetos blinks at the distant squadron.
Aribar: "Right now we're just facing illusions."
Aetos: "Doesn't this remind you of somewhere?"
Charles Magellean (GM): Neither of you guys move... but now you are instantly shifted to nearby them!
Aribar shakes his head.
Charles Magellean (GM): It's as if the floor moved you to them.
Aetos: "Well isn't this something like that field we were in... with all the illusions, and cactaur? And what the hell was that?" *He waves at Max.*
Charles Magellean (GM): The Cactuar fire needles at all of you.
Digifanatic: "No idea..."
Charles Magellean (GM): Aribar and Aetos: You are hit by the barrage of needles, each taking 40 damage.
Aetos: "These sting! Some illusions!"
Charles Magellean (GM): Digi and Julian take no damage.
Digifanatic thought he didn't until he rolled for any particular move...
Charles Magellean (GM): A peck appears above the army of Maximillion and his Cactuar. It grows larger and larger.... It is a Humongous Red Emerald.
Aetos: "Woah..."
Charles Magellean (GM): It begins to spin rapidly. The entire area, as the naked eye can see, turns a blood red. Maxamillion and the Cactuar jump into the red emerald... and it explodes.
Aribar is getting more agitated now... "What the hell is Locos doing?!"
Charles Magellean (GM): Actually... it Implodes. And reforms... is Kuja Tribal.
Aetos: "Who's dat?"
Charles Magellean (GM): He has that evil smile on his face.
Aetos tilts his head. "THAT's Kuja?!"
Charles Magellean (GM): Julian: Your go.
Aribar keeps quiet, not sure what to expect at this point.
Charles Magellean (GM): He merely scoffs. He grabs your fist and pushes you back.
Aetos wonders if we are outside?
Charles Magellean (GM): The world around you is blood red... nothing but red and Kuja. He merely shakes his head and sighs. You hit... ..his after-image. He is now behind you. You swing like a madman. He disappears before you can hit him. He does appear again though.
Digifanatic: "Yeah..."
Aetos: "Where... there's nothing... just... red, and Kuja."
Charles Magellean (GM): The world around you finally turns into a serene scene. The music ends into something peaceful.
Aetos waves his hands around searching for a hidden doorway in the background.
Charles Magellean (GM): The scene around you is now clear skies. Below you is ocean. Do not fret, for you can stand on it.
Aetos: "Mmk..."
Aribar: "... This would probably be more interesting if I didn't want to tear out Locos's spine."
Charles Magellean (GM): A small island, with several palm trees, is no more than about 1/8 mile walk to the east.
Digifanatic steadily walks to the island...
Aetos follows behind them...
Charles Magellean (GM): Seagulls caw a few hundred feet off.
Aribar just stands where he is.
Aetos turns around and wills Aribar toward him, waving his finger in a 'come here' motion.
Charles Magellean (GM): Yeah, it seems that walking gets you nowhere as the island comes to YOU guys.
Aetos: "C'mon..." *He blinks.*
Charles Magellean (GM): Moments pass, and you can see two figures. Start to see them, but see two nonetheless.
Aribar just stands where he is and stays there.
Charles Magellean (GM): The island stops drifting to you. The island has about 3-5 coconut trees.
Aetos uses eagle eyes to see who it is.
Charles Magellean (GM): Both figures are into reading their books. One of them is... Magellean! He is reading the eighth book in the series of: War and Peace.
??: "He won't respond."
Charles Magellean (GM): The other figure puts down his book.
Aetos: "Why not?"
Charles Magellean (GM): It is a marvelous creature that is only seen in imaginations. It is a small figure with two eyes and a third eye above the two of them. It has a unicorn's head, it's two-legged, the legs are horses's feet, and the rest is human. It's about 4 feet tall.
Julian Sawyer: "... Who and What the hell are you?"
Aetos: "Uni-tri-taur?"
??: "This Charles is notin' but a memory."
Aribar: "... And how do we get out of this nightm---Eh?"
??: "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the guardian of Charles, ."
Julian Sawyer: "...I'm going to call you Jim."
Aetos: "Hi Jim."
??: "Oh how rude of me. You don't speak that language, do you?"
Julian Sawyer: "No we don't, Jim. I'm surprised we can understand you."
??: "My name is similar to Jim."
Mij: "The name's Mij."
Aetos: "I Speak kxaj edo."
Julian Sawyer: "...Jim backwards? That's so lame..."
Mij: "!"
Charles Magellean (GM): He whinnies as a horse and walks right up to you.
Mij: "Got a problem with that, Sawyer?"
Aribar: "... Okay, Mij... All I want to know is how to get out of this damned... Whatever this is so I can wring Locos's neck! Do you know how we can get out of here?"
Mij: "Yeah yeah yeah, I'll answer you later, Hunter."
Charles Magellean (GM): It's scary to meet something that knows your name, isn't it?
Julian Sawyer: *Looks down to Mij* "And what if I did, Jim?"
Aribar: "... How do you know our last names?"
Charles Magellean (GM): Mij laughs. "Ahhh I'm just messin' you !"
Mij: "Lemme guess..."
Charles Magellean (GM): He turns around and walks a few steps that way, scratching his leopard goatee. He raises an index finger and turns around.
Mij: "I got it. You touched some green mist, didn't you?"
Aetos whistles.
Julian Sawyer: "I kicked one of candles."
Mij: "Ya, that's about the only way here."
Charles Magellean (GM): Mij sighs.
Aetos: "Muoro."
Julian Sawyer: "Where, anyway?"
Mij: "Not a lot of Lunarians enter the Ethereal Realm anymore."
Aetos: "Ethereal..."
Mij: "I'd say... he's the only one two that enters here anymore."
Julian Sawyer: "Who's the other?"
Aetos: "I thought he was the last one..."
Mij: "You will met him in the future. Now about this place..."
Charles Magellean (GM): He begins to flutter upward about 3 feet.
Aribar mutters something and looks as if he's trying to remember something before just shaking his head.
Mij: "Occasionally, a Lunarian needs to collect his/her thoughts. They can't do it in your reality, so they do a ritual and their thoughts manifest in a part of the reality here. All their thoughts, their dreams... their hopes, joys, fears... And one of us is in charge of a certain one to make sure they are not tempered with."
Julian Sawyer: "Who's the other?"
Aribar: "Fine... Just tell us how to get out of here, how to stop his trance from effecting us, and then we'll gladly leave. ... At least I will."
Mij: "Allow me to be blunt. Due to the others not entering for a long while, Charles's mind has been getting out of hand. Which means, his personality is being intensified, which means he's not being collected, which means he could one day kill people if left unchecked! Also, you can't leave right now."
Julian Sawyer: "...So we're the cleanup crew?"
Mij: "Well, I know you Questers want nothing to do with Charles, and neither does he want to be with you."
Julian Sawyer: "Oh no. He's fine. Good for battles. It's just that he's freakin' weird."
Mij: "I can say this though; if someone doesn't intervene, he will become more unstable, blah blah blah."
Julian Sawyer: "...And that someone is us. Got it."
Mij: "There is a bonus."
Julian Sawyer: "What?"
Mij: "If travel deep enough into his mind here, you can find out what he thinks about you guys, what happened to him in the past, what may happen in the future, and ...I don't know anything beyond that. That is... if there is mental truama that he causes you. There are puzzles in this realm that do not exist in normal space, if you are into adventuring."
Julian Sawyer: "He once cost me over 10,000 coins because he wouldn't keep his damn mouth shut."
Mij: "Secretly... he's sorry about it, and wants to pay you back. Just don't bring it up now." *He winks.*
Julian Sawyer: "Sorry my ass... If he was he would have paid up by now."
Mij: "Also, stuff for identification won't work in this realm... so instead."
Aribar frowns...
Charles Magellean (GM): He raises his arm... and pours a beam into each of your pockets.
Mij: "Behold! Smash Dexes that will work for this realm only!"
Aribar: "Hey! What are you doing?!"
Julian Sawyer: "..." *Takes his Dex out of his back pocket and flips it open.*
Aetos: "Oh ... k."
Charles Magellean (GM): It activates. It is also fully operational.
Julian Sawyer: "Frickin' awesome!"
Aribar shakes his head... "I don't believe this... Tell us why we cannot leave. What is preventing us from doing so?"
Mij: "Of course... they can't reach outside the Ethereal Realm. That's because they are powered by the ethereal here. Aribar, I'll tell you this."
Julian Sawyer: "I don't' want Charles to kill me in my sleep."
Mij: "He isn't asleep. Also, to leave manually, you can't do that now. You don't possess that ability yet."
Aetos: "Mmmk... Well..."
Aribar: "... And how do we get this ability? Or leave automatically?"
Aetos: "What about locating items?"
Julian Sawyer: "You die, I guess."
Aetos pushes a button on his spear, activating the item locator."
Charles Magellean (GM): It sings to the west.
Aetos: *Diet Pepsi Music plays then...*
Julian Sawyer: "Why did you get the Diet Pepsi song installed anyway?!"
Aetos: "I like it."
Julian Sawyer: "WHY?"
Mij: "Travel westbound from here. There will be a cave that will have one of your ancient pasts and from there you will learn the ability to leave at portals with an insignia on them."
Aetos: "Ok, Julian, if you want me to change it, pay for it to be changed."
Mij: "Now leave me the hell alone and leave me to my book!"
Julian Sawyer: "I already said I would! Twice!"
Charles Magellean (GM): He grows a big boot and starts to hop on it.
Aribar: "Good." *The elf attempts to determine which direction is west and heads that way.*
Julian Sawyer: "Hate this place..." *Heads west.*
Aetos follows the sound of the item locator.
Charles Magellean (GM): You follow the sound of the item locator and it will take you there.
Julian Sawyer: "Turn it off."
Aetos: "No. I want to find the item it located first."
Julian Sawyer: "I will not hesitate to rip it off your spear and crush it under my heel. It's in a cave! How hard could it be to find?!"
Charles Magellean (GM): The soothing island music begins to fade away.
Aetos: "It might be, behind... oh nevermind. Timmo."
Charles Magellean (GM): Dark clouds begin to storm in... the sea starts to get a little rough.
Aetos turns off the item locator.
Charles Magellean (GM): A fin begins to appear...
Julian Sawyer: "..." *Keeps walking.*
Charles Magellean (GM): You begin to hear chanting as a dome begins to lower.
Aribar: "..."
Charles Magellean (GM): You are all trapped, and a Fin comes higher.
Julian Sawyer: "...-CENSORED- sharks..."
Aribar: "I am going to kill Locos..."
Aetos: "Sharks...? Are you sure?"
Julian Sawyer: "What else could it be?"
Aetos: "This is a whole other plane of existence... we were just talking to a tri-uni-taur named Mij..."
Julian Sawyer: "Jim."
Aetos: "He said his name was Mij. Anyways, for all we know, those could be swallows swimming there..."
Julian Sawyer: "Swallows don't have fins!"
Aetos: "And unicorns don't have 3 eyes."
Julian Sawyer: "Throw your spear at the fin."
Aribar attempts to rush over to the dome and bang on it, frustrated by this misadventure.
Aetos: "I can't throw this spear... What insane person would throw such a valuable weapon?! Oh..."
Julian Sawyer: "...It's a spear! It's made to be thrown!"
Aribar: "... Javelins are made to be thrown."
Aetos tries to throw the spear without the throwable upgrade nor the weapon thrower quirk... at the fin.
Digifanatic: "Well..."
Aetos might as well not throw the spear, instead.
Aribar attempts to rush over to the dome and bang on it, frustrated by this misadventure.
Charles Magellean (GM): A large insignia begins to encompass a somewhat large portion of this dome. The large 30 foot tall Fin is free to swim on the outside of this insignia. You are unable to leave the insignia. Three needles fire off from the fin... and pierce the some of the insignia when they land.
Julian Sawyer: "..."
Charles Magellean (GM): They become creatures with small wings, somewhat normal-sized(?) bite-like things, and have four needles as legs. http://bluelaguna.net/downloads/mp3s/ffx/16%20-%20Enemy%20Attack.mp3 Sin merely moves a few 10-30 yards to the right.
Aetos: "Tha-- wha... oh... ah-- oh-- SIN!?"
Julian Sawyer: "...Goddamnit." *He starts off by Dexing a Sinspawn.*
Digifanatic: "Wow... first death and now sin."
Charles Magellean (GM): Sinspawn
Aribar: "... Let's just kill these things and get out of this stupid dream... Sin?"
Charles Magellean (GM): 0%/400% STR: 35 SPD: 28 INT: 20 Attacks: Description: Spawn that have fallen off of the Fin of Sin. The Needle Spray takes one turn When one or more are killed, they will regenerate. Focus your strategy on the Fin to make this battle be as short as possible.
Aetos: "If you've ever met a kid named Tidus, he could tell you more about this whale then I can..."
Julian Sawyer: *Scans the Sin Fin next* "I missed having this..."
Charles Magellean (GM): *DING* Sin MAX HP: 2000 STR: N/A SPD: N/A INT: N/A Description: The fin of the fiend Sin, an extremely large shell of armor for the aeons who were summoned by Yu Yevon, who had lived for 1,000 years to terrorize the world Spira. For some reason, there is a barrier preventing you to move beyond the insignia, so melee attacks will not be able to reach him. Try hitting him with ranged attacks or magic. *End of Description.*
Julian Sawyer: "Ranged attacks... Got ya." *Julian removes his Fedora and pops the blade out along the brim, and throws, hitting all the Sinspawn and the FIN OF SIN with Alys' Slasher/Julian's Fedora.*
Charles Magellean (GM): It hits the large fin.
Julian Sawyer: *Catches the fedora on the return, but keeps it in his hand, ready to throw again should the need arise Like next turn.*
Digifanatic attacks the Fin with a Fire Punch...
Charles Magellean (GM): The insignia prevents you from doing your melee strikes, like it said in the dex.
Digifanatic: "Ack... overlooked that part..." *He tries to Feint it then...*
Charles Magellean (GM): Despite it being a punch, it entirely misses the moving fin. And when I mean miss, I mean the punch failed.
Digifanatic defends for a third action.
Charles Magellean (GM): Sinspawn A attacks Digi with it's claws that are attached to its mouth part. 28%
Digifanatic: "Ahh!"
Charles Magellean (GM): Meanwhile, Sinspawn B and C attack the fast hitting and dodging Julian. Both attempt claw grips as well. Both miss.
Julian Sawyer: *Spins and jukes out of the way.*
Charles Magellean (GM): The Fin moves....
Aribar frowns, not wanting to waste any of his magic energies but deciding he has no choice. The elf casts two Thundaras and a Thunder at the fin... 122% Electric times 2 followed by 30% Electric damage.
Charles Magellean (GM): Each hit the fin, despite they looking like tiny currents of electricity. 274% damage.
Julian Sawyer: "Throw the spear!"
Aetos summons a seabreeze of darkwind over to the SinFin. *Logging.*
Charles Magellean (GM): The seabreeze goes sailing along into the protection of the dome. It does hit Sin. It does *Not* hit sin. Metal... is that you? Ah bloody!...is that you? It is. Say, Aetos wants to know how long the hammer lasts.
Metal Man (GM): 3 rounds.
Charles Magellean (GM): The melee item.
Metal Man (GM): 3 rounds. I want da log, if the mission finished.
Charles Magellean (GM): How many times can a person use it per round?
Metal Man (GM): Well, technically they're forced to use it the entire round.
Charles Magellean (GM): Okay, metal is back , so l-dice is gone! Sinspawn A-D attack. Even Charles is dreaming that Aribar is always hit the most. A-B strike with Needle Spray Ari takes 81% damage, and A-B do not attack next turn unless killed. D attacks Aribar. 56% roll them bones, Ari. And hope you don't become bones.
Aribar lives.
Charles Magellean (GM): You survive. Hey Metal, is the hammer auto-hit?
Aribar defends thrice.
Charles Magellean (GM): I guess STR mod? Most likely, so roll.
Aetos bashes D thrice.
Charles Magellean (GM): Gonna keep those rolls? They all miss. Sin rises from underwater. He sails to the east .. Sin rises from underwater.
Digifanatic finally takes the opportunity to attack the Sin Fin as a part of a Super Thunderstorm.
Charles Magellean (GM): Damage per shot? B and D
Digifanatic defends once again.
Charles Magellean (GM): Both turn into pyreflies. Thank you, el' lolly. Sinspawn C strikes. Digi In retaliation for such a powerful hit, it strikes back with Needle Spray. 38 damage.
Aribar: *Thundara x 2 + Thunder = 274% Electric Damage Lives.*
Charles Magellean (GM): One Thundara does the job. The remaining Sinspawn jump back onto the Fin. The barrier that the insignia causes lowers and the dome turns into green mist and dissipates.
Aetos: "FINALLY!"
Charles Magellean (GM): Sin swims away elsewhere, probably to destroy Kilika, Zanarkand, Nintendus, or Canada.
Aribar: "I hate his place."
Aetos: "Me too..."
Charles Magellean (GM): 650 EXP to all
Aribar starts off in the same direction again.
Aetos goes toward the cave again.
Digifanatic follows the others.
Charles Magellean (GM): The clouds turn calm again, the sea no longer rough. The seas begin to turn colder.
Aetos: "Please... not another fight... I just feel a bit colder..."
Charles Magellean (GM): The cave now turns into a tall mountain, although the cave itself is still at the same elevation. http://bluelaguna.net/downloads/mp3s/ffx/75%20-%20People%20of%20the%20North%20Pole.mp3
Aetos rolls his eyes and enters the cave at last!
Aribar heads into the cave... "Finally..."
Charles Magellean (GM): It begins to snow out. The sea turns into a frozen wonderland. All of you impatiently go inside the cave to get away from the cold outside.
Digifanatic enters.
Charles Magellean (GM): Inside is a ...funeral home.
Digifanatic: "Okaaaaaaaay..."
Charles Magellean (GM): There are a lot of old people as well as young ones. They are all dressed in black, white, and veal picatta. They are all in mourning of someone who has died. There are stairs that lead to the casket.
Digifanatic: "The only question now is who." *He exhales deeply and walks up the stairs...*
Aetos: "Ten bucks it's Locos Docos."
Aribar looks about to see if there are any exits or entrances to this place.
Aetos goes up the stairs to the casket with Digi.
Digifanatic: "Hmm... last I remember he had no kids... parents are a possibility..."
Charles Magellean (GM): The casket is closed, but there are many decorations, cherishing someone who has died no more than 20 hours ago.
Digifanatic: "Of course, I didn't ask."
Charles Magellean (GM): It is written... in Lunarian.
Aetos asks someone who died.
Charles Magellean (GM): You try to ask, but no one will speak to you in non-Lunarian.
Digifanatic: "Hmm... these Dexes originally could translate."
Aribar: "Try using your dex to... Yeah. What Digi said."
Aetos looks at his Ether-Dex, and asks if it can translate his speech to Lunarian.
Charles Magellean (GM): *Beep* Unknown language. Cannot translate.
Digifanatic: "Alright then..."
Aetos: "How is... that makes no sense, does this mean... Locos doesn't know Lunarian?..."
Charles Magellean (GM): A young Charles approaches the casket... he seems to be holding back his tears.
Digifanatic: "Okay, so it isn't Charles. ..."
Charles Magellean (GM): He does not have a goatee, and his hair is silver. He wears a white cloak and speaks in English.... "I'mm... *sob*...I'm sorry I didn't spend more time with you, father... I'm sorry that I lied to you about my brother... I should've told you the truth about him as soon as he told me it! WHY DIDN'T I TELL YOU!?" " *He becomes a mess on the floor.*
Aribar: "..."
Aetos: "Mmmk... Little boy... where are we?"
Charles Magellean (GM): Another figure approaches. None can see the face, but the figure speaks in a female voice... they walk away.
Digifanatic: "Must be his mother."
Charles Magellean (GM): They are about the same height though.
Digifanatic: "Wife?"
Charles Magellean (GM): Furthermore, this Charles is only slightly younger than the one you know of.
Digifanatic: "This is weird, not beyond comparison, but close enough."
Charles Magellean (GM): You can see an exit door to the right of the casket. Clearly, that's the only exit around.
Aetos turns on his item finder first.
Aribar frowns, wondering if he should be more concerned about all of this as the elf heads to that exit.
Charles Magellean (GM): The Item finder goes towards the exit.
Aetos wonders how his item finder picks up items that are in separate rooms... and moves on.
Charles Magellean (GM): You enter a shrine. You hear chanting. http://bluelaguna.net/downloads/mp3s/ffx/76%20-%20Song%20of%20Prayer%20~%20Ronzo%20Tribe.mp3 This shrine is detailed. There are several insignias that contain a Circle with a large Z in it. The windows are entailed with signs of a slightly bluish man, dressed in a blue robe with yellow trimming on it, who is bald. His arms are extended, his palms facing downward. In the distance... ..sitting on a pedestal all in its lonesome, surrounded by green mist, is a curious item.
Aetos tries to examine the item from where he is, using his excellent eyesight if necessary
Charles Magellean (GM): It is a small shrine consisting of only the hallway, which you are standing in, and the slightly large room where the pedestal resides. It is a pill packet.
Aetos: "I don't trust that green mist... But I wish to look at that item better."
Charles Magellean (GM): You can walk up to it if you wish.
Aetos walks up to it and attempts to take the pill packet.
Charles Magellean (GM): The green mist only borders to the pill packet.
Aribar just stays back.
Charles Magellean (GM): You are repelled by the green mist.
Aetos: "Erm!..."
Charles Magellean (GM): It begins to engulf Aetos, Ari, and Digi. All of you are transported to an arena.
Digifanatic: "What in the world...?"
Aribar sighs... "Now what?"
Charles Magellean (GM): Out comes... Twist Ed? The same Twist Ed that is part of the UND, the CO of Oprybo and Kerlai, and the mushroom head that has an eyepatch, an extremely heavy ruby hammer, and red dots.
Aetos blinks. He watches glitches fly around him in the battle.
Digifanatic Fire Punches Twist.
Charles Magellean (GM): Hit
Digifanatic continues with a Celestial Fury!
Charles Magellean (GM): Miss.
Digifanatic Dexes him.
Charles Magellean (GM): *DING* Berserker Toad Twist Ed 71%/3,000 HP STR: 41 SPD: 29 INT: 22 AC: 33 Description: A toad with immense strength, a large ruby hammer, Albino boomerangs, and an immense supply of bob-ombs. He is seriously twisted and yet somehow focused on making sure the Questers are no longer fit to save Nintendus. Avoid causing vexation towards this toad, or you may be on the receiving end of his extremely beautiful, but heavy, hammer. *End of Description.*
Dex: "There may be more!"
Charles Magellean (GM): He begins to squat to gain power. After he starts glowing, he jumps HIGH into the sky.
Aetos: "...Copycat."
Charles Magellean (GM): With his hammer extended, and gravity pulling him down, he goes to attempt to squash Digi. Digi: STR Check ..60 seconds to respond/roll before the attack is chosen to hit someone else. 36% damage as you try to block with all your might. Twist Ed uses Boomerang Katang. Twist Ed throws an albino colored boomerang at Aetos. When the boomerang is thrown, it come back to Twist Ed, trying to hit Aetos a second time. Aetos: 2 spd checks DC 22 17% for the first hit. Bob-omb Fest.
Aetos gets swat by the first hit, but avoids the 2nd because he's cool like that.
Charles Magellean (GM): Twist Ed picks up a bob-omb from behind him, lights it, and throws it onto the battlefield. He repeats this 5 more times. Hold on... I don't remember the proper roll, so I'll have to reroll it. Okay, ready. Four bob-ombs are marching on. One attempts to blow up Aetos. Another one targets Ari.
Aetos slids to the side, and watches the bob-bomb march one.
Charles Magellean (GM): 30% per hit They explode regardless if they hit or not.
Aetos slides to the side, out of the explosion radius...
Aribar died.
Charles Magellean (GM): Ari, choosing not to upgrade, gets asploded as easily as a cracked wall.
Aribar revives and casts a Thundara, Aeroblast, and Whirl. 122% Lightning, 122% Wind, 30% Wind.
Charles Magellean (GM): I'll take of whirl then.
Aetos uses his ether Dex and asks for any additional info on the twist ed toad.
Charles Magellean (GM): *DING* 315%/3000% Auto-Ability: Rage. When Twist Ed’s attacks have “failed†a total amount of 8 times he will become a Berserker. Takes ½ damage from magic when berserked. Lasts until the end of battle. Immune to Confusion. High Time: STR check. 4% per number under DC of 35. *End of Description.*
Aetos wonders about this toad... and tries to drill his spear into it--him.
Charles Magellean (GM): He uses his hammer to hammer down the spear both times.
Aetos: "Woah there... No one hurts the spear man..." *He 's eyes start to brew up a storm inside them.*
Digifanatic pops a Weapon Energy Capsule first, and then fire a Hyper Beam Matrix for his second action.
Charles Magellean (GM): hit
Digifanatic finishes his turn with an Icy Bicycle Kick.
Charles Magellean (GM): Big Whoop. You froze him. The bob-ombs march on. One attacks Digi! It goes soaring of into the distance.
Aribar casts a Thundara, Aeroblast, and Whirl. 122% Lightning, 122% Wind, 30% Wind.
Aetos rolls his eyes at Charles' spelling, and sends a power kick into Twist ed's frozen form. He then uses his Sky Dive attack, he uses one action to jump clear up into the clouds and beyond, then lets gravity push him down to Frozen Toad, with spear pointing at him.
Digifanatic starts off by giving the group a Megalixir (hope everyone's been hit a few times for it).
Aribar doesn't benefit from the healing.
Aetos benefited.
Digifanatic then continues with a Fire Punch... this fire/ice stuff will make it fun. He then finishes his round with one more Celestial Fury.
Charles Magellean (GM): Twist Ed smiles menacingly... and he reaches for something behind his back. The bob-ombs are marching on. One attempts to explode Aetos.
Aetos flees to the side again He explodes.
Charles Magellean (GM): 30% damage
Dexes: "Watch out! He's up to something."
Aribar casts another Thundara, Aeroblast, and Whirl. 122% Lightning, 122% Wind, 30% Wind.
Aetos summons a wind barrier around him. He then tries to use mimic in a whole new way, by literally mimicking what Twist Ed is doing... and hopefully getting the same result as him.
Charles Magellean (GM): You mimic his High Time You squat to gain power ala SMB2, and jump high into the sky. You then use your weapon to impale them by diving downwards. The opponent makes an STR check. They take 4% for every number below 35. It can only be used once per turn, and no. You may not save your last action to perform it at the same time he may.
Digifanatic tries starting out with a HBM (-3 smash). He continues with a Fire Punch (also a smash, -3) He finished his turn by Dexing for HP.
Charles Magellean (GM): *Ding!* 1673%/3,000%
Digifanatic: "Okay..."
Charles Magellean (GM): He smiles, enjoying that he took that much punishment. For you see, he has found what he was looking for behind his back. With grrrreeeaat might, he pulls out... A VERY VERY BIG HAMMER. I'd say it's about ...1/4 the size of the arena.
Aetos blinks and whimpers.
Charles Magellean (GM): He brings it down, with all his might, and with tremendous force, you are all flattened under it. The tremors along are mighty. All of you take 172 damage.
Aribar dies... His last life.
Aetos definately dies.
Digifanatic has to roll for this one to survive. He loses his first life, and thus, his OD.
Charles Magellean (GM): The bob-ombs are marching. on We end this tonight. They stay in position.
Digifanatic revives... and then tries launching two big Fire Punches...
Charles Magellean (GM): Just reroll once The scenery changes. From an arena, you go into the desert.
Aetos: "What the?..."
Charles Magellean (GM): A Cactuar comes up to Aetos. It jumps all around, being gleeful. Twist Ed doesn't like this Cactuar.
Aetos: *X.x*
Charles Magellean (GM): He uses Boomerang Katang on the Cactuar... FOUR TIMES! It merely dodges all of them with it's jumping.
Aetos revives.
Charles Magellean (GM): Oh right... the bobomb's are marching and something One attacks Digi. 60% damage
Aetos starts glowing white with an aura of vengeance... "Your going dow-- What the heck is this?..."
Digifanatic: *Meep-meep ma-meep-meep-meep-murp-meep* *BOOM!* "Dah! Stupid things..."
Aetos: "Anyways...!" *He charges the toad with an big powerful swift Shish Kebob!*
Charles Magellean (GM): Miss.
Aetos back ups, very... upset. He yells, "You know what!? Your getting really, REALLY, annoying... and with that... I say, Au revoir." He kills himself by stabbing himself in the gut with his spear... he dies, but glows white, a stream of white light hovers from his corpse over to Toady, and connects... (Sacrifice!)
Charles Magellean (GM): When was the last 3,000 HP enemy not a boss? Oh yeah, your sacrifice was in vain. It jumps a bit... making its noises, then tilts itself down like a crank. It moves it's arms in a circle, firing needle upon needle at Twist Ed. He takes 1,000 damage. Furthermore, the needles have much force on him... and he's ...sinking. He's been pushed into a sinking area... QUICKsand sinking area. He goes down without a fight. The cactuar makes some colorful gestures to the sinking toad, then runs away. The battle is over. He goes down without a fight from the Cactuar. You wanna argue about that, too? Now then. The guardian has been defeated. You return to the hall of the artifact. The green mist dissipates.
Aetos revives on his last life.
Charles Magellean (GM): The pill packet is free for the taking.
Digifanatic carefully takes it.
Aetos: "I'm not going for it... remember what happen-- yeah."
Charles Magellean (GM): Digi takes it.
Digifanatic: "Oh, sorry."
Charles Magellean (GM): It glows and levitates from Digi's hand http://bluelaguna.net/downloads/mp3s/ffx/31%20-%20Song%20of%20Prayer%20~%20Ifrit.mp3
Aetos: "No no, I was wanting you to take it."
Digifanatic: "Ah."
Charles Magellean (GM): A voice that sounds similar to Razagal of Starcraft speaks to you.
Aetos: "What is that?... voice?..."
Packet: "For your kindness in freeing me, I shall bestow upon you my power: the power to leave the Ethereal Realm."
Aetos: "It's... talking..."
Packet: "By swallowing one of my pills, you gain the ability to use the warp insignias located throughout this realm to travel back to the place you entered."
Digifanatic: "Well, alright, then..."
Aetos: "Can... we come back?"
Digifanatic: "Dude..."
Charles Magellean (GM): "But... be warned. By taking this power, you take the oath that you will never speak to what you observe here to the person who is the gateway to this realm."
Digifanatic: "I dunno if that's a good idea. Let's just return to--you mean Charles?"
Aetos: "Well... that is kind of... weird."
Packet: "Should this oath be broken, never again will the gateway trust you... and never again will you be able to enter this realm."
Digifanatic: "Okay, that's understandable."
Packet: "Such is our sacred tradition."
Charles Magellean (GM): "This ends our words."
Aetos: "Very well..."
Charles Magellean (GM): The packet stops glowing. It returns to Digi's hand.
Digifanatic: "Might as well return to sanity, huh?"
Aetos: "...Ready to go back to our plane? Yeah..."
Digifanatic: "Alright." *Hands Aetos a pill. He takes another/the other pill.*
Aetos swallows it.
Charles Magellean (GM): You are now warped with the same mist that took you to the Ethereal Realm. Translucent, transparent, fading, warping, etc. You appear back in Magellean's room.
Aetos: "Woah... Well..."
Digifanatic: "Let's just leave."
Aetos: "Good idea."
Digifanatic: "Alright." *He starts to walk out of the room...*
Aetos follows behind Digi. *Waits for Charles to get back now.*
Charles Magellean (GM): Btw, you were standing on a insignia with the Circle with a Z in it. Perhaps it's best you leave before he finds out what happened to you guys. The candles start to disappear one by one as the mist dissipates and the light is being restored.
Aetos blinks and pushes Digi out the door, himself following quickly.
Digifanatic: "Whoa..." *He tries to quietly run back towards the elevator, stairs, etc. back up.*
Charles Magellean wakes up from the trance he was in. His irises grow back, no more silver hair, and no more levitating. He closes the door that Julian opened up and wondered who broke in. He had nothing of value since his coins are still with Metal. Finally... *END OF CHAPTER* The Questers have made their first trip into Magellean's thoughts. Challenges, unrealistic and the like, are found around every corner. With help by an unlikely ally, they were able to defeat the Twist Ed that Charles had thought to be and were allowed to exit the Ethereal Realm. However, already things proved to be difficult. What darker secrets are locked within Charles? Will the Questers be able to become strong enough to face the most ferocious mind games he has to offer? And can they hide from him what they have seen? Answers... next time!
Metal Man (GM): The Questers had just finished probing the inner depths of Charles's mind. But other more sinister things were happening in the background. Kales's Village
Metal Man: "That should be everything. Now let's get out of here before Kales wakes up."
S.I.M.B.E.R.: "Are you sure we should follow this action? Kales may not even be responsible for the attacks."
Metal Man: "Even if he's the most nice lizard guy in the world, he's an iron-clad dictator. And we don't operate under the control of dictators."
S.I.M.B.E.R.: "Very well. I just hope we can settle things out later."
Elder: "I have activated the greatest arcane energies of the warp spot. It should send everything to the city through a new spot which I found there. Unfortunately, I have never tried sending an entire building through them before. This may be dangerous."
Metal Man: "Just think of it as practice for what may happen in the future."
S.I.M.B.E.R.: "Increase in interdimensional anomaly presence at 300% and climbing."
Elder: "I might as well begin..."
Metal Man (GM): The Elder turns to the portal.
Elder: "Oom fey gwa rem. Oom fey gwa rem. Oom fey gwa rem. Doo tey Fuu!"
Metal Man (GM): The portal opens up far wider than before.
Elder: "It is time. Let us go."
Metal Man: "Very well."
Metal Man (GM): Metal and the Elder walk into the portal ..The portal begins to freak out. *BAM* The base building disappears.... Meanwhile, back at the Crystal City: Aetos would suddenly hear an urgent beeping of his dex.
Aetos pulls it out of his cape and looks at it. "Huh..." *He opens it.*
Dex: "Urgent message. Class I Priority. From Metal. Directed through SIMBER system."
Aetos blinks.
Metal Man: "This is *KZT* man. We've somehow become *BZT* in *BZT* zone. Our commi*BZZZT* unstable. We desperately *TZZZT* assistance. Go to the *BZZZT* spot near *BZZT* Mayor *BZZT* before *BZZZT*."
Aetos: "Somehow become in zone? Playing football?... Oh... they need help! I better go get a team put together and find them!"
Metal Man: "I *BZZ*, go *BZZT* warp *BZZT* house... Help *BZZY* needed *BZZT*, Metal *BZZT* signing out."
Aetos: "Mmk!"
Metal Man (GM): The message ends there with the staticy screen that sorta looks like Metal was on it.
Aetos: "Charles! Aribar! Digifanatic!" *He runs over to all of us in the Crystal city and informs them of the issue.*
Metal Man (GM): Aetos goes to the apartments of Charles, Aribar, and Digi. And they are now all gathered in front of Aetos's apartment.
Aetos: "Metal needs some help playing football guys! We have to go find him!"
Digifanatic: "Football? I don't even think he knows what it is."
Aetos: "He said something about I go warp house..."
Charles Magellean: "They're stuck somewhere in some kind of Zone and needs us to go to the Mayor for help?"
Aribar blinks... "Uhhh... Aetos, have you been eating the rocks around here or something?"
Aetos: "Well, maybe. Well nonetheless, we have to find them."
Digifanatic: "...yeah."
Charles Magellean: "Before you ask, I've been trained to translate a panicky person speaking to others for help when they receive a communication that has difficulty patching through."
Digifanatic: "Oh?"
Aetos: "I see..."
Metal Man (GM): The mayor's house can be seen down below. You could easily walk to it after going down to the ground floor.
Aetos: "Well, lets go... there..."
Charles Magellean: "When Aetos spoke about football, I'm thinking about the end zones an--- hey nevermind."
Digifanatic: "Alright..."
Charles Magellean: "We will speak about this later. For now, we must go down there."
Aribar: "... I better get my stuff." *The elf rushes to apartment to get his items before heading to the mayor's house.*
Aetos goes toward the Mayor's home.
Charles Magellean follows.
Metal Man (GM): Aribar gets his stuff. Meanwhile, Charles and Aetos take the elevator down.
Aetos: "Hey Charles, you know where the item shop is?"
Digifanatic follows Ari's lead, but now he has leave to dinner.
Metal Man (GM): Digi goes to follow Aribar but becomes lost in the hallways of the skyscraper.
Digifanatic will sell his Stone Skin badge.
Metal Man (GM): He eventually will find the item shop and sell his badge there. Meanwhile, Ari has his items. It is assumed he follows the others down the elevator, unless he has something else in mind. Charles and Aetos reach the ground floor. The mayor's house is outside, to the left of the apartment complex you guys were in.
Aetos looks around for a sign indicating an item shop around here.
Charles Magellean drinks some of the sake that the Crystallians made. He throws it away in a local garbage can and goes towards Mayor's house.
Metal Man (GM): Aribar gets down on the ground floor as well, while Charles heads towards the mayor's house and Aetos sees one of many advertisements pointing to the item shop nearby.
Aribar follows Charley.
Metal Man (GM): Aribar and Charles reach the front door of the Mayor's house. It has a doorbell, of course.
Aetos goes toward the item shop, determined to buy 400 rings, and 1 random item.
Aribar: "Hrm... Should we wait for Aetos?"
Metal Man (GM): Aetos reaches the item shop, where he buys 400 rings and a random item for the total cost of 5471 coins.
Charles Magellean nods.
Metal Man (GM): Oh, right. Well, he gets... A Weak Cube.
Aetos mutters under his breath.
Metal Man (GM): Thus wasting 1421 of the coins.
Aetos growls and buys a door opener 3000.
Metal Man (GM): 9000 coins are spent.
Aetos catches up to the others at the Mayor's home.
Metal Man (GM): Aetos reaches the front door with the others.
Aetos: "Well... shall we?"
Charles Magellean rings the doorbell.
Metal Man (GM): The door opens quickly.
Butler: "Hello, Questers. What can the office of the mayor do for you?"
Aetos blinks.
Aribar steps back to allow Aetos or Charley to answer.
Aetos: "You know... I don't even know... but I guess he could help us find Metal Man somehow."
Butler: "Metal Man? ...I believe the mayor is the only one who can answer. Right this way."
Metal Man (GM): He begins walking... the inside of the house is very ornate. He's walking up a crystal staircase.
Aetos follows him.
Charles Magellean wipes his feet before coming in. He follows the Butler.
Metal Man (GM): The staircase makes a sort of 'clink' sound with every step... and you reach the top of it, which is, incidentally, the office of the mayor. He's behind a neato desk and in a comfy chair, looking over paperwork.
Mayor: "Greetings, Questers. What can I do for you?"
Metal Man (GM): The Butler moves out of the way, keeping the door open to this room.
Aetos: "Apparently you can help us find Metal Man..."
Aribar follows the others...
Mayor: "Funny. I thought he was going to find us? If you could please tell me more about the situation..."
Aetos: "I got a message from him... he got in the zone... something like that. He said he needed help..."
Mayor: "...In... the zone? Must be some name for a place... anything else?"
Charles Magellean looks to Aetos. "Allow me."
Aetos: "Well, he said something about a warp... Ok."
Charles Magellean looks to the mayor.
Mayor: "Yes?"
Charles Magellean: "From what I can understand, our leader contacted Aetos. The transmission was breaking, he had mention that he was attempting to warp here. They seem to be in some sort of 'zone', but we cannot be sure for certain due to the transmission breaking up. It is as though they are stuck there during mid-warp."
Mayor: "A warp... a zone... a place... does that make any sense to you?"
Aribar: "Sort of."
Mayor: "It appears as if something went wrong with warping to here... but what happens then? We never dared to test the warp hole so close to my office."
Aribar: "When we were up on the surface we investigated ruins via warps... But nothing bad ever happened."
Inta: "Dimensional instability has been detected in the warp portal. An influx of energy which got out of control has opened some sort of hole."
Aribar: "... I think you should show us this warp hole."
Mayor: "Well, I might as well. You might know what it is."
Charles Magellean: "That would explain their difficulty and transmission breaking."
Metal Man (GM): He goes to walk down the stairs.
Mayor: "It is... in the basement."
Aetos follows the Mayor... "The basement? Creepy."
Aribar follows.
Metal Man (GM): You reach the ground floor. The mayor turns to a seemingly normal painting... one of a bowl of fruit. He turns it upside down... ...wow. It was intentionally being hanged upside down. It makes a lot more sense this way. Then he peels off one of the fruit... it was just a sticker??? Under it is a green surface. He sticks his fingers onto it, one at a time.
Inta: "Security authorization confirmed."
Metal Man (GM): You hear the doors lock to the building.
Mayor: "We had to keep it secure. It was very dangerous the last time I saw it."
Metal Man (GM): He then feels along the frame of the painting and finds a hidden set of four buttons, which he presses in a secret order. Finally, he pulls the painting a bit. A dusty *CLICK* is heard... and a door is revealed on the part of the wall with the painting on it. He pulls it open. The stench of stale, dusty air comes out. A very primitive basement is revealed. A few dim lightbulbs shine, and rusted iron steps lead down to the bottom... Where you see, a warp spot.
Mayor: "This is it."
Metal Man (GM): The warp spot is the normal color; yellow...
Aetos: "Uhh..."
Aribar: "For your own safety, Mayor, I suggest you get back."
Inta: "Increased instability found in warp portal. Destination has been changed to ERROR: UNDEFINED VARIABLE."
Aribar takes out the Wand of Wonder.
Mayor: "You are free to investigate it. But I will have to lock the door behind you... sorry. I'll unlock it if you come back." *Backs off* "That is, if you enter it."
Inta: "Portal has been losing stability. It has reached critical."
Metal Man (GM): The portal is now entirely black.
Aetos: "Uh. Ok then..." *He just watches, wide-eyed.*
Inta: "It is much like... a black hole, but yet it does not fully collapse. Investigation required."
Metal Man (GM): You can walk into the basement if you want. While the portal is acting strange, it doesn't seem to be doing anything else.
Aribar warily enters this basement and moves off to one side, looking into the portal...
Metal Man (GM): You see... utter darkness in the portal.
Aetos charges into the portal after letting out a big sigh.
Metal Man (GM): *FLASHBACK* For Aribar.
Charles Magellean moves into it as well.
Metal Man (GM): Aribar remembers being at Smithy's last base, Exor, where his doomsday weapon was going off. A big black portal was eating the entire world.. ..And of Yurie running into the portal. Aetos runs into the portal and disappears. Just like Yurie did.
Inta: "Unknown frequencies emitting from portal. Classified as Portal--Unstable Frequencies."
Aribar: "... I'm not sure, but I think this may lead to the X-Zone... And thus possibly Nintendus. ... I say we follow Aetos to make sure he doesn't get killed." *He rushes off into the portal.*
Metal Man (GM): *WARP.*
Mayor: "This is time for your choice, Charles. You may exit the basement if you wish."
Charles Magellean: "Make sure to unlock the basement when we return." *He enters the portal.*
Mayor: "Indeed."
Metal Man (GM): *WARRRRP* All three of you having entered..... THE X ZONE. You all fall through a seemingly endless tube of black and white energy, like falling through television static. All of you appear... ...in the basement ..But this is not the basement you left. No, there's no door blocking the way out... and the stairs lead to... a field. The land is strangely dark and distorted. The stairs themselves are brand new here. The ground is a dark green... almost jade-like. Except for the field, which has blue grass.
Charles Magellean walks up to the stairs... He gently puts one foot on it. "I remember this place." *He looks to Aribar and Aetos.*
Aribar flanks Charles... "You do?"
Charles Magellean: "You were right, Ari." *He looks back to the stairs and walks up.* "This is the X-Zone."
Aetos goes up behind Charles.
Metal Man (GM): You walk up, an eerie clanging and echoing sound with each step. You reach the field. It is here... that you see something amazing.
Aribar: "... If it is... Then maybe we can find a way to Nintendus from here?"
Metal Man (GM): On the ceiling, at least 500 feet up, you see a completely upside-down and red version of the crystal city. The sun, which is blue, shines harshly on this land, and the sky is black. The wind blows lightly... downwards. And you see... Toad Town 3. Up ahead, in the field. It has blue grass growing through it.
Aetos: "This place is very peculiar..."
Charles Magellean: "I remember being banished here by Kajidoh, who you call Smithy. There were Xs spinning in the sky." *He walks into the field and continues talking.*
Metal Man (GM): The buildings are cracked, the walls are shifted around, and there's strange street signs floating around. As you walk closer to it, you begin to hear... Bluegrass Country music.
Aribar continues following Locos, looking all about.
Metal Man (GM): Particularly bad music. It echoes across this abysmal land.
Charles Magellean: "Sephiroth was here, as well as the Master Egg, the wizard on the flying board, New York City... and the ruler of this world, Arc."
Aetos just follows along...
Charles Magellean: "Skyhigh lived here, too. It is a nightmarish place to live in. It continues to haunt me to this very day."
Metal Man (GM): You enter the village. It seems dead. Worse than dead. Buildings randomly crumble, and others phase in and out of existence. Occasionally an entire crystal building falls from the sky and destroys a building ..And... it starts raining upwards through the ground.
Aetos: "We'll have to be sure to avoid those..."
Metal Man (GM): But, it seems different... especially to Locos. Usually by now you'd be attacked by... oh no.
Charles Magellean: "In the town where I first landed, I met the man named Sephiroth, and began the search for the pages of Sardis Mongul."
Metal Man (GM): A man with spinning cheese danishes for eyes appears from nowhere.
Charles Magellean: "...The Dans."
Dan: "Hello random peiple! I am Din! ...H !on Ut's cLocos! Ahhhhhhhh!!!!"
Charles Magellean: "I remember this creature."
Aetos lets out a very big 'O.o'
Charles Magellean: "I came across one en route to Sky's red palace in the sky."
Metal Man (GM): He rips a door off of a house and fashions it into a wooden ice pick.
Aribar: "... Are you feared here by everything, Locos?"
Dan: "You can't stop me this time... I have the power of a thousand beers! Ahahahaha... .AHAHAHAAHAHA... ICE CREAM FOR FIFTY CENTS!!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!"
Metal Man (GM): He charges at you with the wooden ice pick.
Charles Magellean: "Whatever you do... do not attack it."
Aetos steps to the side.
Metal Man (GM): Charles: What do you do? He's only a few feet away from stabbing you with the ice pick of wood.
Aribar frowns but stands his ground.
Metal Man (GM): It's about the size of a real one, like a screwdriver. But it's made out of wood and the tip is studded in splinters.
Charles Magellean waits for the last possible moment. He then attempts to jump to the right.
Metal Man (GM): He attempts to stab Locos in the eye with it, but misses.
Dan: "No! It's just like ice cream! Shoe! SHOE!!!!"
Metal Man (GM): He launches one of his eyes at Charles.
Aetos: "Mmm..."
Charles Magellean blocks it with his shield.
Aetos: "I like cheese..."
Metal Man (GM): It bounces off and flies into another house, exploding like a missile.
Dan: "Gah! ...Gaaaaaahhhhahhhhhhh!!!"
Charles Magellean: "It can merely say a word and use it as an attack."
Aetos attempts to bite the danish.
Metal Man (GM): Aetos: Roll a close-range attack. You're smacked aside by Dan, who then turns to you.
Aetos: "Aw..."
Charles Magellean: "A pause... followed by one word."
Dan: "... SHOE!!!"
Aetos: "You're much too feisty."
Metal Man (GM): He fires the word 'Shoe' at Aetos. SPD check, Aetos.
Aetos: "Just settle down and let me eat you... Wah?"
Metal Man (GM): *BAM.*
Charles Magellean: "It also has a Power Word known as "Hair"."
Metal Man (GM): You take 50 damage from 'Shoe'
Charles Magellean: "Other than those two attacks, I was able to destroy it."
Aetos flips backward from the force of the word.
Dan: "Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!!"
Charles Magellean: "Aribar, fire an electric spell at it."
Metal Man (GM): His tongue comes out of his mouth, being extremely long. It then tries to lick Locos in the face.
Aetos: "..."
Metal Man (GM): 30 damage + paralysis + confuse
Aribar: "... Thunder!" *The elf zaps Dan with a bolt of lightning for 30% Lightning damage.*
Metal Man (GM): *BZAP* Dan is knocked backwards by the attack.
Dan: "... HAIR!"
Aetos blinks.
Metal Man (GM): He summons a ton of hair to stab Aribar. *STAB* 51 hair damage.
Aetos tries to bite it again. "You look so yummy..."
Metal Man (GM): He smacks you aside... he's even stronger!
Aribar is stabbinated...
Dan: "...Super attack! CHAIR!!!"
Aetos: "?! EH??"
Metal Man (GM): He suddenly summons hundreds of chairs and throws them at Aetos.
Aetos: "EEK!"
Metal Man (GM): Ouch... critical chair.
Aribar: "Leave or else you shall be in a world of pain..."
Metal Man (GM): 62 damage to Aetos.
Dan: "Pain or else you will be in a world of leave! ... Shoe."
Aetos gets bombarded with chairs.
Metal Man (GM): He fires the word 'Shoe' at Aribar.
Aetos: "That... hurts..." *He crawls out from the pile of them.*
Metal Man (GM): *BAM* 35 damage to Aribar. Yes.
Charles Magellean attempts to strike.
Dan: "I have to defend my job from my father! EIEEEEEE!!! Ztahcztrow!"
Aribar: "... Thundara!" *The elf raises the Wand of Wonder into the air calling a bolt of lightning to strike Dan da man for 122% Lightning damage.*
Charles Magellean uses a Rifle blast on himself.
Metal Man (GM): He's struck back again, but not quite hard enough...
Aetos drools, and like an untrained mouse, tries to bite the danish one last time.
Metal Man (GM): He gets up and fires a stream of letters at Aribar while dodging Aetos.
Charles Magellean is unable to attack himself. He is paralyzed.
Metal Man (GM): 70 backwards letter damage to Aribar.
Aetos: "Fine!"
Dan: "I will destroy you all, for Willy Wonka is God! Ahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Aetos: "Maybe shoving a toothpick in you and coating you with mayonnaise and wrapping you in ham would be better!"
Charles Magellean: "Aiiee annnyyaoounndayy!"
Aetos tries to impale the danish. He tries to impale the danish eyed man.
Aribar is nearly dead... He doesn't like this...
Metal Man (GM): Roll it. *IMPALE.*
Dan: "Uh-oh, Spaghetti-o!"
Metal Man (GM): *IMPLODE.*
Charles Magellean is glad to hear that... except he's under heavy status issues.
Metal Man (GM): Charles is unconfused and unparalyzed. Everyone gains 200 EXP and 1337 coins.
Charles Magellean shakes off that confusion.
Metal Man (GM): Aetos's dex beeps again.
Aetos opens it up, "What now?!"
Charles Magellean: "I hate this place."
Aetos: "I wanted to eat him... and he folded in on himself."
Metal Man: "Aetos! Aetos! Aetos! Ae Ae Ae TOS TOS TOS!!!"
Aetos: "...Yes?"
Aribar: "Same here..." *The elf takes off his Magic Coat badge, cures himself four times, and then puts it back on.*
Metal Man: "We have been lost in the X-zone! Zone! Zone! It is twisting communications!!!! Are come here to send place! Forward!!!!"
Metal Man (GM): The communication suddenly ends.
Aetos: "Um..."
Metal Man (GM): You hypothesize that it was terminated by an explosion.
Aetos: "It would have helped if he said where 'here' is."
Charles Magellean: "There is no telling what is torturing him here in the X-Zone."
Aetos closes it and puts in under his cape again.
Dex: "Communication came from area dead ahead."
Aetos: "This place is so... insane."
Aribar starts forward...
Aetos: "You know where to go Aribar?..."
Charles Magellean leads the way.
Aetos follows him.
Metal Man (GM): Digi caught up with the others, entering the X-zone and just now catching up with the others as they reach the edge of the weird Toad Town. The blue sun, black sky, and ceiling of a red crystal city are unsettling as always.
Digifanatic: "Holy... wow."
Charles Magellean: "Toad Town 3. Banished here by the evil ones on Nintendus."
Metal Man (GM): Your next destination: Well, well, well. It's the ruins... of...
Charles Magellean: "Perhaps a page of Mongul's diary is here back in the X-Zone."
Metal Man (GM): Charles: You are reminded of a thing in Sardis Mongul's diary. There's a nice sign in front of it, too.
Charles Magellean gets out his diary and checks through the pages to notice this familiarity.
Metal Man (GM): Page 5. "Smithy has taken our findings and become impressed. However, I worry for the world at large. There was no time to safety-proof it, before we tested it on a village bought in my name... the device took the entire village in, leaving a gaping crater. Immediately afterwards, it showed significant power gains. An ungodly device... I must make sure it does not malfunction."
Aetos reads the sign.
Metal Man (GM): The sign says 'Welcome to Sardis Mongul' This area looks similar to Toad Town, but is smaller and not as damaged.
Charles Magellean: "...The same village where I started. Sephiroth may be nearby."
Metal Man (GM): This village happens to be empty. It's dilapidated and seems completely boring.
Aetos: "Good?"
Charles Magellean: "We must move."
Aetos: "This place looks boring..."
Aribar: "Is this Sephiroth someone we should worry about?"
Aetos activates the item finder. "Boring places might have treasure."
Metal Man (GM): The item finder plays the theme of Team Rocket. You have no clue why.
Aetos blinks.
Digifanatic: "Oh, not that evil song..."
Charles Magellean: "We are not here to locate treasure. Let's find Metal and leave posthaste."
Digifanatic: "Eccentric weapons in sight, I guess?"
Aetos: "I'm wondering if this means there is an item, or isn't. Fine..." *He turns off the item finder.*
Metal Man (GM): Aetos: You move forward one step... and step on a book.
Aetos: "Eh?"
Metal Man (GM): A book labeled... 'PROJECT X. TOPSECRET SMITHY INFORMATION'
Charles Magellean: "What did you find?"
Aetos picks it up. "This might have been what it found... it says something about Smithy and X's..." He looks through it for anything that stands out.
Charles Magellean: "Allow me to handle the book. I am familiar about the devices that Smithy made."
Metal Man (GM): It's the most interesting book you've seen yet. You see diagrams of everything.
Charles Magellean: "That is ...once you're done with it."
Metal Man (GM): Machine made fallen Questers, Smithy's body diagram...
Charles Magellean looks as well over Ari's shoulder.
Metal Man (GM): The Doomsday Device in detail... Metal Sonic diagrams... SIMBER System information...
Aetos: "Hey I know that thing... and that."
Metal Man (GM): The Fallen Questers, Smithy's Satellites...
Digifanatic: "Heh... the evil."
Metal Man (GM): It's like a 'How to take over the world for dummies' book.
Charles Magellean: "This would most interest Metal and me."
Aetos: "Well here you go."
Metal Man (GM): With this, you could rebuild and redo everything Smithy ever did. No magitek needed!
Aetos hands it to Charles... he can take care of Smithy matters.
Charles Magellean: "Hmm..."
Metal Man (GM): It also contains designs for Robotnik's face base.
Charles Magellean reads through several of the pages... noticing formulas and such.
Metal Man (GM): And... ...well well. A page from Sardis Mongul's Diary. Page 15
Charles Magellean: "I would be able to recreate Gold---!!! A page from Sardis!?"
Metal Man (GM): SALVATION I have escaped the moon, as well as the debilitating effects of the radiation thereof. It was by a satellite which crashed here... Smithy's make, of course. Now I shall return to Nintendus and continue the work which I had left behind... It ends there. Not the journal, though. Just the page.