cancry | Gula Underside Log

Gula Underside Log

GULA DUNGEON LOG
As you make the now familiar descent, the screeches and chatterings of the Underside's inhabitants swim up to meet you alongside a suffocating wall of heat. The Gula Underside unfolds itself before you in jewel colours and sweltering heat. In stark contrast to the Rusted City stripped bare and the sterile Undercity, the Gluttony Underside is bursting with life - and danger. This densely packed rainforest spills out in all directions like a natural maze and you're going to have to pull out all the stops to find Gerda before something else does - or before it finds you.
THE UNDERSIDE
♪♫ Floating -Liquidly- – Sakuzyo The jungle is thickly clustered with huge palm trees rising to form an almost impassable canopy that only opens out occasionally when branches shift or when the wind blows, revealing the dim green light of the Underside's sickly looking sky. As you look up, you occasionally see the shadows of Revenants (or at least you HOPE they're Revenants) darting around high above your head. The ground is blanketed in luscious undergrowth that feels soft underfoot - loamy moss, tangled patches of grass, leaves. Occasionally, the uneven ground gives way to puddles of water or patches of loose, sloppy mud that you're forced to wade your way through if you want to proceed. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the jungle is so dense that you're never not within reaching distance of a sturdy tree or rock you can use to steady yourself. Somewhere in this place is Gerda and your way further down into Purgatory. Let's hope you can make your way through unscathed. AREAS OF INTEREST Due to the sheer scale of this Underside, explorations will proceed slightly differently. The Executors will be split into three teams – two to explore the Underside itself and the third being the team assigned to this layer's Boss Combat. Please see below for your role assignments. ⚝ NORTHBOUND: The Executors exploring the north are Medic, Etoile, Lion, Chiron and Veil. ⚝ SOUTHBOUND: The Executors exploring the south are Rei, Genius, Mona, Achilles, Ariel and Phoenix. ⚝ THE WATERING HOLE: Boss Combat volunteers, report! HAZARDS ⚝ Dense Wood: The overgrowth of the jungle and the tightly packed trees mean there are very few wide open spaces as you make your way through. For those of you who rely on your eyeballs, this means visibility is hampered - and that Revenants could ambush you if you're not on high alert! Uneven Footing: Given how wild the terrain here is, you might find that it's a bit hard to get stable footing when you're running to and fro here. Some of this is varied elevation but a lot of it is varied textures too. Stumble too close to anywhere with running water and you'll be slipping and sliding all up and down the Underside! ⚝ Revenant Types Present: Charles, Minturno

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Prehite zips back up again, spear at the ready. He's looking down on the lake and will try to yell a warning if he sees movement. Even a fraction of a second's advance notice might help.

The fireballs plunge into the water, hot enough that instead of being immediately extinguished, a huge amount of water evaporates into a thick cloud of steam that temporarily obscures their vision. It's impossible to see what, if anything, might be going on in the water–

But then, in a blur of motion, two heads each come shooting out of the mist, mouths wide and teeth bared. One of them manages to close its jaws around Prehnite, biting down hard and the other just barely misses grabbing Wolfsbane.

As the steam dissipates, you can see that what was once a one-headed serpent has not only regrown its original head but sprouted a second one to make up for the trouble!

Oh, fu--

[The more annoyed Sword gets, the worse his mouth gets, clearly. He is swearing rather profusely as he sends another bolt at the creature to try and get it to let Prehnite go.]

How do we stop it from growing more heads?!

[When the creature nearly bites her, Wolfsbane jumps to the side, in between the heads, and lifts her weapon again. She brings it down to point a pillar of fire down between the necks, where she suspects the body should be.]

If losing a head grows two more, then just don't destroy the heads!

[ There's a story about this, Prehnite thinks woozily, through the pain. This is illuminating, as it indicates both a possible way to manage this dilemma and that in life, he was an impractical trivia repository.

Twisting in the monster's grip, he manages to groan - ]

Cauter---

[ But can't finish. This HURTS. Let - go - ]

Sword and Wolfsbanes' attacks both slam into Aguis with enough force that she's forced to release Prehnite, leaving him free to fly out of her range, at least for now. Unfortunately, this means her rage has been redirected towards the two who just struck her and Anguis has more than one new trick up her sleeve.

One of her heads makes a horrible gurgling noise and both of them rear back. Before you even know how to respond, twin jets of water, flowing at a crushingly high pressure, rush out of her mouths and target Sword and Wolfsbane. The impact hurts enough on its own but once the water sloshes over you, you'll realize it's worse than you realized – she's firing boiling water at you!

Thankfully, the Executors' natural resilience prevents them from being burned too badly, but that doesn't keep it from hurting.

Shit!

[Sword tries to get out of the way of the water, soaked and a little burned and pissed.]

We need back up! Can either of you get to your phones and call for help?

[Etoile's just going to run in, doing her best to dodge the water.]

No need, Veil and I are here. Let's see if we can't even the odds a bit.

[She's just going to get into fighting position.]

[ Etoile-san....Veil-san....

Prehnite, exhausted, dips down to rejoin his companions for the moment. He has to lean on his spear. Okay. He can. He can breathe.

He can keep fighting! ]

There's - a myth. If a head comes off - cauterize the stump. It might not grow back.....

[Something's snapped inside Wolfsbane, to the point that she laughs off the water even as it scalds her skin. She leaps to swing at Anguis, following that up with fireballs.]

You hear that? You're built to lose to someone like me! So just lay down and die all over again!

Wolfsbanes' wild swings send her fireballs flying – they don't quite hit the mark, but her axe manages to cut clean through another of Anguis' heads. She screams with rage and the water around her begins to sizzle and boil. The stump where her head was turns into a messy, writhing mass of flesh before bursting out into two more heads, giving her a total of three.

Now more Executors have joined the fight, it's time to regroup!

The turn order is Anguis, Sword, Prehnite, Wolfsbane, Anguis, Etoile, Veil. Fight on, Executors!

Wolfsbane! Goddess damn you, we have to avoid cutting of its heads!

[See this? This is why he doesn't like you! At least Lion listens!]

If you can't fucking aim, stop firing! [To the new arrivals:] That's the problem we're having. We cut off a head, two more grow in its place.

If we get her out of the water, we'll have a bigger target.

[ And he's only got a weapon.... ]

Who has ranged attacks?

Shut up!

[That's directed at Sword. She scowls at Anguis and charges up another spell.]

Do you really think you can outmaneuver me? I'm always three steps ahead of garbage like you, no matter how many heads you've got! Dodge this!

[And she fires three fireballs in a spray.]

With a head for each fireball, Anguis responds with a jet of water for each one. Two of the fireballs are extinguished before hitting their mark. The third one goes wild, though and Wolfsbanes' attack manages to strike one of the heads. It reels, screeching in pain and the other two heads surge forward in response, both aiming to take a bite out of Wolfsbane, since she's proving to be so troublesome!

Wolfsbane is thankfully quick enough to dodge them, but the chaos of avoiding the attacks means she sacrifices her Movement for the next turn.

Would you two idiots calm down before someone gets killed for the second time? We need to work together and deal with those heads. I can do a ranged attack from here if someone can follow up with fire to cauterize the heads.

[With that, she’s going to move into a position where she can get a better look at Anguis.]

[Veil, meanwhile, has work to do. It's hard to judge which of the other three is in the worst shape, but the one who clearly has the hydra's attention could probably use a Heal Order.]

Don't falter, Dame Wolfsbane! Stand strong!

Veil's Heal Order restores one point of Durability to Wolfsbane, which is enough to keep her on her feet as the battle progresses! Given what they've deduced about Anguis' nature, her magic should come in handy for finishing things off.

It's a bit hard to get a good look at Anguis what with all three of her heads writhing around now, but the most notable thing is her hesitation – or maybe even inability – to leave the lake. No matter how much they bait her, she won't leave the water. Could that be some sort of weak point?

Better think fast if it is, because Anguis, seeing the new arrivals contributing to the battle, dives back under the surface of the lake. The water begins to froth and boil with huge clouds of steam pouring off it. Is she gathering her strength, or charging some sort of attack? Either way, you should use this time to come up with a solid strategy!

[He's not even going to argue Etoile calling them both idiots, at least not right now. They have bigger fish to fry. Probably literally.

Now that things are slightly under control (very slightly), Sword stands back to try and get a look at this stupid snake thing.]

I know it doesn't like lighting. That's about all I've been able to do to it, and each time just pisses it off. Anyone else have something that can shock it?

My spear might conduct electricity.

[ It's metal, after all. But there's one big problem. ]

I can't generate the shock, though....

Edited 2022-03-16 22:23 (UTC)

[The trap she laid has long since worn off. She points her spear at where she expects Anguis will re-emerge, setting a fireball-launching trap spell not unlike a proximity mine.]

Then stab it once Sword shocks it. Etoile can attack, and my fire should do the trick after that. Veil seems to be fine doing... whatever it is she does. Simple.

Hang on a second, Wolfsbane. Let me try something. I have light magic, so Prehnite, do you think that if I aim my beam at your spear, you can get enough height to redirect the beam towards its heads to cut them off, then have Wolfsbane follow up with fire to cauterize the wounds?

If electricity is the key, I can contribute to that as well.

For those of you watching, the surface of the lake is boiling and frothing even more intensely as the seconds go by – and the ground beneath your feet is starting to tremble with the force of it as well.

Whatever it is Anguis is planning, you don't have long before it's unleashed!

...here's an idea. I have lightning, and it doesn't like that. I will distract it, the rest of you get ready to attack.

[And as soon as anyone else agrees, Sword will send another bolt into the water with his sword, going away from the group.]

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REMAINING DURABILITY | PREHNITE: 2

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REMAINING DURABILITY | SWORD: 2 | WOLFSBANE: 2.5

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cw: decapitation

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