Avaritia Underside Log

AVARITIA DUNGEON LOG
Once the Executors have steeled themselves for the confrontation with Greta (or whatever Greta might have become now her Authority has been reclaimed) it's time to descend into the Avaritia Underside. For those Executors new to the team, this is going to seem like a terrible trecharous climb down, but don't worry! The real danger waits down on the Underside below. And going by the lights and noise drifting up to meet you, it's not going to be any more welcoming than the Layer that came before...
THE UNDERSIDE
♪♫ MagiCatz – Sakuzyo Descending into the Avaritia Underside is like willingly throwing yourself into the deepest, darkest pits of sensory hell. The Greed Layer has never been a particularly friendly looking place but with it distorted into a labyrinth of flashing neon signs, oversized casino machines and Revenants swarming the streets, it's as though everything that makes Avaritia unbearable has been turned all the way up to eleven. It's... not a fun place to be! To make matters worse, things are loud here – as well as all the noise from the casino machines, music blares from an unseen source and the Revenants laugh and chatter and babble between themselves even as they fight and kill for the grubby Nova coins that can be found scattered around. It's a deeply unpleasant place to be, but this is where Greta has ended up and if you want to proceed then you have no choice but to plunge into this neon-drenched hellscape. AREAS OF INTEREST ⚝ Main Street: There are many other clusters of activity around the Underside, but the main street that makes up the center of the Underside is certainly the biggest and the busiest. Whatever buildings might have made up this street before are long gone, some crushed and destroyed by the regular outpourings of coins from the giant slot machines and some having been ravaged and destroyed in some fight or other between Revenants. The street is lined with grubby, battered novas that have changed hands so often that the metal has worn smooth. Even so, the Revenants here fight over the money viciously, biting and scratching and killing over even a single coin. The more novas any individual Revenant is able to keep its hands (or, uh... claws?) on, the stronger it appears to be. And lurking at the mouth of main street is an absolutely enormous Revenant, lording over a horde of coins bigger than any you've ever seen before – and it doesn't seem inclined to share them with you. ⚝ Fort Nyx: The already labyrinthine layout of Fort Nyx's underground vaults has somehow managed to get even more confusing with the transition to the underside. The upper layer that once housed the bank has vanished entirely, leaving wibbly wobbly corridors that snake down deep into the depths of the vaults. You'll want to move fast as you travel through here, as the vault doors will occasionally burst open and a particularly aggressive Revenant will burst out, intent on protecting whatever meager treasures it's managed to collect and keep in the safe. Press further in and you'll eventually find yourself at the Underside's equivalent of Vault #0. Greta isn't here to greet you, unfortunately, but you do at least have another Revenant to occupy your time with! ⚝ Et Voila Casino: See for yourself. HAZARDS ⚝ Sensory Overload: Avaritia's Underside is, unbelievably, even worse than Avaritia itself in terms of apparently doing everything it can to send you running with a migraine. Lights flash, neon signs blare and the noise is almost unbearable. With all this on top of the natural distortion to the Underside's geography, this makes trying to navigate extremely difficult and can be dangerously disorienting when it comes time to fight. ⚝ Structural Damage: Many of the buildings around the city have fallen into disrepair due to the presence of the Revenants here. Most concerningly, many of the signs have some degree of damage to their wiring or electrical supply and may spark or flicker or even shock Executors who get too close. Be on your guard! ⚝ Avalanche!: Occasionally, the oversized slot machines that line the streets will hit on a prize and immediately pour an wave of novas into the streets. On top of the danger posed by the rush of Revenants that will come hurrying in to claim the coins, there's a very real chance of an unlucky Executor being crushed under the tidal wave of metal, causing horrible injury if not outright death. ⚝ Revenant Types Present: Ficino, Rigaud

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Hello! [Medic gives a cheery little wave, as though this is a totally normal way to be introduced to someone.]

[She sees what Achilles meant, they really do have the same hairstyle.]

It sounds like you were expecting someone else, though...

[Ah.... see this is precisely what Ruin was worried about. He's not entirely sure how he feels about facing off with her when he just stole the Authority from her. It seems... reckless somehow and his anxiety about messing it up somehow is definitely not helping it.

Which is why he is content to hang back a little, let Achilles do the talking. But when Medic chimes in so cheerfully Ruin's gaze flicks over to her before stepping up to make sure he is just a little ahead of her. Just in case Greta goes immediately off the rails so he can protect her if need be.]

[ As Achilles steps forward, Greta takes a step back. She's so placid usually that it's hard to read exactly what the frantic look on her face is conveying – but she's certainly not happy, at any rate. ]

You can't just leave. [ She hisses it through gritted teeth. ] I don't have anything to pay them with – and it's all thanks to you.

[ She aims that particular barb at Ruin. ]

How am I supposed to explain myself?

[ Noticing her aiming that comment at Ruin, he takes another step forward. His eyebrows furrow and his gaze and tone get icier than usual. He's the one talking to you Greta, don't be shitty to Ruin. ]

I feel quite confident that you have no one to blame but yourself, young lady. I asked you nicely before to let us pass without a need for any of-- [ gestures ] this. And I'm also just as certain that whomever you think you have to pay now - if they exist here at all - could have been easily taken care of when you had seemingly infinite amounts of money. Perhaps start by explaining that?

We are getting through now. No matter what.

[Medic very gently pats Ruin on the arm, and shakes her head briefly with a small smile. It's very sweet that he wants to protect her, but only one of them can regenerate truly terrifying amounts of damage at will, and it isn't him.]

[Besides, all her abilities are touch-range. If it comes to a fight, she's going to need to get up close and personal anyway.]

Of course, we might be able to help you, if you'll help us! We have a lot of money right now. [You know, the money that used to be yours? Specifically that money.] You could start by telling us who you owe all that money to.

Anyone who can make an ex-Authority look so nervous makes me very curious! Or... is it more of a what?

[Ruin, of course, completely misinterprets Medic's touch. He reaches across to lay his opposite hand over hers on his arm. A reassurance. He won't let anything happen to her. He... doesn't know she can regenerate and he's looking very firmly at Greta, not watching Medic's expression.

The idea of helping Greta settle whatever her debt is and getting her to stand down, though. He's grateful for Medic coming up with it. Especially after his talk with Rei.]

We don't want to have to kill you, Greta. You didn't believe we could threaten you and now you've lost the Authority. You don't want to underestimate us again.

I didn't--

[ Her voice comes out sharp and aggressive and even Greta seems surprised by the sound of it. She pulls in a shuddering breath and tries to compose herself but her mask of calm is easy to see through. She doesn't even seem able to properly focus her eyes on any of the Executors; instead, they're darting wildly around. ]

It wasn't lost. Merely... stolen. That's quite different, quite different... but because it was stolen, we all get to rot down here in this hole. Aren't you glad?

[ Well he’s said his piece and she’s clearly losing it so he’s going to let Medic and Ruin continue trying to talk to her. He’s got his harp ready though. ]

[Ruin, honey... Well, at least she feels very emotionally supported. That's always nice.]

Nope! And you seem pretty unhappy about it, too. So why not just let us fix that for you?

Just talk to us about this debt you owe, and maybe we can do something about that. [She smiles winningly.] Trust me, I'm a doctor.

[Note: legally not a doctor, she just keeps doing medicine and we can't stop her.]

[For his part Ruin just nods, gesturing vaguely in Medic's direction. Answer the damn question, Greta.]

[ Greta laughs. It's... not a nice sounds. ]

Fix it? Fix it? Forgive me, but... I find it rather difficult to trust the words of a pack of thieves. But then again...

[ Almost too quick to even see it happening, Greta's hand whips out and she seizes hold of Medic's wrist, painfully tight. ]

If I steal it back, then that would solve things quite neatly.

Oh, well then- [Medic doesn't sound alarmed. In fact, she seems distinctly, unnervingly cheerful.] -thank you for donating your body to science.

[When Greta's fingers close around her wrist, Medic reaches out with her power and takes. Where her normal healing abilities have a slight, pleasant warmth to them, gentle and soothing, this is the opposite- a hollow, numbing chill, like a limb gone weak and pale from blood loss.]

[Durability drain, two points.]

[She moves so fast it's enough to have Ruin on edge, summoning his Lance before he's even registered what Greta's doing. His first instinct is, of course, to step between them, to put Medic behind him.

But Greta already has a hand on her, he can't get between them. The Lance of Ruin is made for piercing, not slashing like Areadbhar so he doesn't exactly try to take her head off so much as he means to slam the Lance through her throat and sever her spine.]

[ DAMN ]

[ It might be made for stabbin' and not choppin', but with his enhanced Executor strength behind it, the lance is more than fit for the job. With virtually no resistance, it spears directly through Greta's throat.

Her eyes bulge and she makes a low, wet noise that bubbles up from her mouth along with a foam of blood. Her hand slides away from Medic to touch the lance as if trying to understand just what she's been struck with. But then her knees unhinge and Greta slumps to the floor.

Everything goes very quiet. ]

[ SWEET GODDESS THAT WAS A LOT

As surprised as he is though he regains himself pretty fast and moves even closer to Medic and Ruin, harp up and and fingers already on the strings he needs in case he has to put up a shield to protect the three of them soon. ]

Keep your guard up-- Esme transformed last time.

Hm! [Medic makes a thoughtful little noise of consideration, and reaches out to touch Greta's wrist with two fingers- while also reaching out with her more... esoteric senses.]

[Whether or not she can find a pulse, her sensor powers will be on full alert.]

Transformed?

[He sounds concerned but he's... hovering, keeping the Lance pinning her to the floor and moving closer to put an armored foot on her shoulder so if she is still somehow alive she still can't do much. Medic will at least have time to get away.]

[ The instant Ruin's foot sets down on her shoulder, Greta's hand snaps up and her claws close around his ankle like a vice.

... Wait a second.

Claws? ]

Thief...

[ Her other hand slides up as well, a gnarled mass of scales and claws, and grasps the lance pinning her to the ground. With an unnatural twist of her arm that's frankly pretty unpleasant to look at, she snaps it in two. The weapon dematerializes and Greta stumbles and staggers to her feet now that she's no longer pinned down.

Except... the thing that stands up isn't exactly Greta anymore. It's hard to tell just how the transformation is taking place, both with the dark and the way Greta's form just twists in ways it shouldn't seem to, swelling and growing until it towers over the Executors. ]

All of you... THIEVES...!

[ A pair of massive wings blot out what little light remains in the room and with a powerful beat of them, she takes off into the air. ]

MAMMON

Twisted into a beast befitting Greta's Sin, the Aberrant of Greed, Mammon takes flight. Her skin has been replaced with thick, leathery scales and her mouth is full of horribly cruel looking fangs. And worst of all, with her flying in the air just out of reach, it's going to be much harder for the Executors to land a clean blow on her.

Mammon doesn't have that same problem, though – she swoops down from the air, aiming to take a bite out of Ruin.

Its Movement is three. Its Durability is unknown. Its abilities are unknown.

The turn order is Mammon, Achilles, Medic, Ruin.

Edited 2021-06-05 17:21 (UTC)

[ Achilles is quick as soon as he realizes Greta-now-Mammon is coming down right for Ruin, strumming his fingers down his harp. As soon as he does a sun shaped shield appears in front of the three of them, centered at Ruin. It'll break right away but at least it'll protect them from for a few seconds. ]

Move!

[Medic is already moving as Achilles calls out, diving into a rolling dodge and pulling out her scissors.]

[She leans to one side and snakes the blades out around the edge of the shield, trying to snip and snap at the delicate-looking membranes of Mammon's wings- the better to hamper her mobility, she feels.]

[Ruin barely has time to register the shield the immediate, reckless thought in his mind flashing away as suddenly as it came. With the shield in the way the fire sparking at his fingertips dies and instead he's taking the opportunity to start running away and aside, summoning his steed as he goes. He's been practicing a lot of this mounting and dismounting during summons these last few months so it is not terribly difficulty to do just that, swiftly trying to pull her around in a tight circle to get behind the beast before she can recover or really even register where they've scattered to.

And if she follows him then it will give Medic and Achilles more time to get themselves in better positions.]

Achilles' shield is well-timed – Mammon crashes into it hard enough that the shield almost buckles right away, but it manages to hold for the precious few seconds needed to repel her initial attack. She reels back from the shield just in time to flutter away from Medic's scissors and takes off into the air again with an ear-splitting shriek.

It seems that Ruin breaking off from the group has disoriented her a little and rather than attack again, she chooses to stay hovering above them, swooping side to side as she visibly calculates what to do.

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BOSS COMBAT ENCOUNTER: MAMMON

MAMMON

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