Limbo Underside Log

[cancrymods]

LIMBO DUNGEON LOG

It's easy to lose track of time in Purgatory, but believe it or not, just over a month has passed since the initial wave of awakenings took place. There's been more since then, of course, with new Executors popping up left and right but other than that, things are mostly quiet. Until one day, you all wake up to find the fountain looks kind of... busted. Not broken precisely but something has impacted the bottom of the fountain from below, hard enough to jar it slightly out of place... and those of you who joined in the first jaunt down into Limbo's Underside can probably guess what was responsible. This seems to spook Rei. She spends most of the morning afterwards mulling this over before eventually speaking up to the group; "We can't put this off any longer... tomorrow, I think we need to go down there and fight." You have a day to prepare and ready yourselves... And then you descend into Limbo's Underside.

THE UNDERSIDE

Just as before, when Rei returns the sword to its place atop the fountain, the mechanism chugs to life and groans its way to the side, revealing the staircase underneath. Despite the battering it took, things seem to be working just fine. The steep staircase vanishes down into the darkness and as you follow it, it feels for a moment as though you're wandering blindly into the unknown... and then quite suddenly, before you're more than a few steps down the staircase, Limbo's Underside pops into view. While Limbo itself is mostly functional if a bit odd, the Underside is... a lot. The geography of the place is twisted and doubles back on itself in places and seems to warp in your vision as you observe it. From your bird's eye view as you descend the stairs, you can see that the general shape of the place mirrors that of the town above, with many of the same general landmarks. For example; The movie theater is offering a "late night fright fest" on all of its screens. If you're dumb brave enough to go and watch such a thing, you'll find that the description is accurate at least – all of the screens just show the attending Executors subjected to situations that play into their worst fears and anxieties. The coffee bar serves the same drink, no matter your order – a pitch black sludge that makes you feel violently ill when consumed. The pastries are fine, though. The hotel is even more maze-like than it was previously. Your hotel key won't work here. The windows won't break. The doors won't open. Wasn't the exit around this corner? What about the next? How many floors have you climbed again? How long have you been in here, anyway? The conbini is now a perfectly normal and functional convenience store. Somehow this is even more upsetting than having it become more weird. ... Among other oddities. You thought Limbo was already weird? That was baby shit. At least that horrible feeling of dizzy disorientation from last time doesn't seem to take hold again, but the ground is very much still moving around a bit. Mind your step! It goes without saying, of course, that the place is swimming with Revenants, too. No sight of the big punchy lad who had at you the first time around, but he's sure to be around. All you can do now is explore, investigate and do your duty as Executors. Good luck.

Comments

QUESTIONS & BOSS COMBAT SIGNUPS

[cancrymods]

Questions about the dungeon log? Let 'em rip here.

If you would like to take part in the Boss Encounter at the end of the dungeon, please also comment here. Slots are capped at three and are first come first serve!

[alcahest]

SIGN ME UP FOR THE BOSS ENCOUNTER bc we all know cardia is absolutely psyched for combat

[pioailurophobia]

Kingslayer is up for duty!

[seasharp]

PUT ME IN COACH

[mementomoritz]

Hello I would like to fight a boss please.

MANDATORY COMBAT ENCOUNTER: RIGAUD

[cancrymods]

Surprise, bitch! I bet you thought you'd seen the last of them!

With a nasty attitude and even nastier teeth, this is a dangerous Revenant even for a tough and experienced Executor. They're weak individually, but this Revenant tends to attack in swarms, clustering around their prey and doing their level best to devour anything that gets in their way. Oh, and those nasty teeth – did I mention they're poisonous? Good job you can't die again!

Riguad is a heavy, dense Revenant that floats through the air, bobbing around as if it doesn't have a care in the world. It appears to be made out of a sharp metal, but that ball at the bottom will split open when it attacks, revealing endless rows of razor-sharp teeth and a gross, undulating throat opening. Though it has no eyes, Rigaud detects movement via sound and vibrations in the air and once it realizes prey is in range, it will swarm with other Revenants of this type to try and tear everything apart.

It's quick, speedy and worst of all, it's always hungry. Trying to take down a herd of these alone is a fool's gambit. Prioritize teamwork and you'll eventually come out on top!

Win conditions:


- At least 4 characters must show up to fight.
- At least 20 comments must be posted, over at least 2 threads.

[beknights]

[ Seal is not quite dealing well with the weird topsy-turvy dream logic of the Underside and they don't so much engage a swarm of Rigauds as they do stumble into them after falling off a road.

Fortunately, their response to having something to focus on that isn't 'being incredibly on-edge and anxious about their environment' translates into sudden and immediate violence as they ram their blade through one of their enemies with brutal efficiency and a warning rumble. They might not be able to do anything about their world twisting and shaping around them, but they can attack what's in front of them.

They're quickly getting surrounded, though. Help them out? ]

[discutio]

[It wasn't the only one to realize something was in range. Several somethings, by the sound of it. Wearing his Executor gear and carrying a cane, he paused with a small sigh. Well...this was about how he expected things to go. Strange how calm he felt about the whole situation, but there was something oddly nostalgic about the situation. He drew the cane's blade from its sheath, took a few quick steps...]

[-and outright jumped into the air to land a hard slash on the one closest to him, landing easily on his feet without missing a single step.]

...Hm. Wonder where I learned to do that.

[That said, there are perhaps a few too many for one person with a sword to handle, no matter how alarmed he wasn't.]

MANDATORY COMBAT ENCOUNTER: HENRICUS

[cancrymods]

A moderately dangerous Revnant, powerful enough to engage Executors solo, rather than needing a group. Wispy and airy, Henricus is a tricksy Revenant to face, as it will flitter around the battlefield at top speed to avoid any blow that it can. Fortunately for you, it isn't smart enough to just run away either, so all you have to do is bide your time...

Despite all appearances, Henricus' body appears to be made out of cold steel, or at least a material that greatly resembles it. Its limbs are sturdy and they'll hurt quite a bit if you manage to take a blow from them. Henricus does not tend to come within melee range much, however, preferring to keep its distance and attack the Executors with fire controlled by the large staff that it wields. When about to attack, it chatters very fast and very loud, though it's impossible to work out exactly what it's trying to say...

Henricus is about six feet tall and very fast and will prioritize trying to stay out of the Executors attacking range once it realizes it's under attack. Be patient, fight smart, and you'll figure it out.

Win conditions:


- At least 2 characters must show up to fight.
- At least 15 comments must be posted, over at least 2 threads.

[schardynfreude]

[Hm...no, don't like that. This thing seems to like to keep its distance and move about. Thankfully for His Majesty, he's got a weapon with frankly ridiculous range and the ability to warp to get the drop on this thing if need be.

It's strange to him how comfortable he feels in a fight, so perhaps...he's done something like this before? Still, if he's honest, he doesn't necessarily want a fight. But one's come for him anyway.]

Yoohoo! Over here! [The Revenant makes a chittering, chattering sound, readying up its staff. But His Majesty dodges with a Warp out of the way, closer, and a swing of his scythe as a counterattack.]

Does anyone else want to have a go at it? [That's his calm way of suggesting help would not go unwanted.]

[pioailurophobia]

GYAAAAAAAAAAAAH! GET BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE BITCH! [Kingslayer roars as they chase the Revenant around, their massive sword cleaving through fireballs and ducking under swipes from the Henricus's metal claws. They casually swipe through a dumpster, a lamppost, and several other pieces of innocent set dressing as they pursue the Revenant, completely uncaring for the condition of their surroundings.

On the plus side, they're nimble enough and smart enough to not get injured by their foe's attacks so far. Less positively, Kingslayer is clearly making very little progress in actually fighting the Henricus, and it's going to wear them down eventually.

Maybe somebody should help them?]

BOSS ENCOUNTER: LUCRETIUS

[cancrymods]

Lucretius

Despite being a creature of impressive size, there's been no sign of the Revenant who attacked you all the way back during your first trip down here. At least not until some of the other Revenants have been dealt with. Quite out of nowhere. Kingslayer, Ariel and Magnum Opus will hear a horrible, gurgling roar that rattles the very ground they're standing on. And then straight through the shell of a nearby building, Lucretius comes smashing through, drunkenly swinging its arms as it goes. At first, it doesn't even seem to notice that the Executors are there... but the moment it does, it lets rip a scream that splits the air and starts pounding its fists on the floor in aggrivation. Looks like it's high time for you to defend yourselves!

Its Movement is two. Its Durability is unknown. Its abilities are partially unknown – it appears to be limited to melee attacks in close range, but there is no way to be sure.

The turn order is Lucretius, Kingslayer, Ariel, Magnum Opus.

[pioailurophobia]

[Kingslayer slings their massive sword across their shoulders as they size up Lucretius. Now this? This is a dream come true.

Time to get some revenge.]

You hear for a rematch, you pathetic, malformed orangutan?

[Despite the fact that they don't have a face, Ariel and Mona get the sense that Kingslayer's smile is sharp enough to cut glass.]

THEN I'D BE HAPPY TO OBLIGE!

[The red lightning of their Executor form crackling all around them, Kingslayer dashes towards the Lucretius, cleaving through the air with a massive swing meant to damage it and get its attention away from Ariel and Mona.]

Let's go!

[emberserker]

Limbo was bad enough. How can it make less sense?

[Wolfsbane's exploring the coffee bar, scowling at the drink in front of her before knocking it off the table and checking out the decor.]

Disgusting. Have you found anything?

[discutio]

Only that the coffee, if we can call it that, smells terrible.

[UNFORGIVABLE.]

...The food may be alright, for what it's worth, but I'd not trust it regardless.

[phantasmagorial]

Anything useful, you mean? No, of course not.

[ That'd make things much too easy, after all. ]

I didn't really get a chance to explore down here last time, but... things really are strange here, aren't they?

[daughterofthemark]

The store no longer has so many aisles. It's a bit disappointing.

[seasharp]

...Is that even coffee? Looks more like toxic waste, doesn't it?

[Ariel kind of backs up from where Wolfsbane's "drink" landed, holding her nose. Ew...]

[doofyissues]

[Iris, transformed, did actually show up to the dungeon! Her sense of guilt wouldn't let her sit this out completely.

That being said, she isn't actually going to fight unless absolutely necessary. When she sees Revenants, she turns back before they can see her. Just exploring, not fighting...

So why did you even come here, if you weren't going to fight? It's a question she asks herself over and over, but doesn't have a good answer for. Was it just so that you can pretend you helped? That you aren't a coward? Why didn't you just stay at the hotel?

One way or another, it's gonna be a bad brain day when this business is over. ]

[emberserker]

[Someone isn't passing the Revenants by, though; when Iris slips by one, Wolfsbane shoots a fireball at it, knocking it over.]

These are easy! Just watch.

Post Henricus fight. CW: mass death, trauma

[crypddyd]

[He didn't know why he was running, but he had to run. He had to find someplace safe and in this twisting always moving place nowhere felt secure enough.

Eventually, he ends up at the movie theatre, though thankfully not in any of the screenings themselves- the screaming and horror on the screens would have driven him further into madness. Instead, he's behind the counter, tucked away so that no one would see him unless they heard his low moans over the popcorn machine.]

((ooc: be warned Lion may become hostile in these threads))

[emberserker]

[Clearly, the person best suited for this is someone who's already hostile anyway!

Wolfsbane's coming down with her axe in hand, hunting Revenants. For lack of any around, she frowns, but turns to the food counter.]

What's that?

[schardynfreude]

[When His Majesty (new stand-in name to be decided) isn't fighting or perhaps even tending to wounded, should there be any and Medic isn't around, he's certainly warily taking in the sights. When the ground moves, he's hesitant for a moment, but then seems to be able to navigate the moving platforms with otherwise relative ease. And, hell, if nothing else, if he misses a step, he can always warp back to safety if he thinks fast enough. Maybe you need a hand!

At the theater, he manages to figure out at least a little of how the popcorn machine works? Mostly it's just heat and kernels, and even he can surely do that much. Plus, soda machine. He takes a whiff of what comes out of it and decides, ah, okay, he's going to stick to something...else, but he'll bring the cup along anyway because that's what you do at the movies, right? Popcorn and soda. He's that asshole who puts his feet up on the seat in front of him, but like, who's going to complain?

He doesn't seem to have any strong opinions on scary movies, but it's something to do. But this one doesn't seem like a typical horror. Some scenes turn into suspense! Drama! It seems to be someone who wakes up one day and nobody seems to know who they are--like a reverse amnesia. People ignore the character, friends and family treat them like a stranger, and all traces of their identity seem to have vanished overnight.

Really, it's rather mild as far as frights go, but His Majesty squirms in his seat until finally he sighs--huffs, really--and stands, discarding his treat.] I suppose this one isn't to my taste. [It's a tight sound out of him to join the tightness coiling through him.

He's also liable to be found grabbing bags of stuff at the conbini, actual useful stuff, normal things, edible things, drinkable things, health products. Wherever they're all staying whilst here (back to the surface, or trying to brave the new hotel, or finding the least distressing house here, wherever), he's bound to deposit some goodies.

And speaking of the hotel, His Majesty does not like this place, and he tries not to stray too far. But things seem to move on him nonetheless.

At some point he climbs several flights and just. flings himself over the railing. With the full intent to just warp into a landing on the floor, but everything shifts on him, and he ends up falling up and back onto the railing he had balanced upon.]

...So much for an easy way out.

conbini

[discutio]

You don't happen to see any coffee around, do you? The cafe's rather taken a turn for the worst.

[Dressed all in uniform black and leaning lightly on a skull-adorned cane, Phoenix couldn't have seemed calmer about the whole situation. Weird, really.]

[pioailurophobia]

[Kingslayer does not know who they are.

They do not know why they're here.

All they know is that they must kill.

The armored knight stalks the streets of the Underside, methodically sweeping every nook, cranny, and corner for Revenants. And when they find their prey, that's when the hunt begins. Kingslayer chases the monsters up and down the avenues of the Underside without any care for property damage or self-preservation. If another Executor finds themself in Kingslayer's path, they'll barrel straight through them, yelling,]

OI, OUT OF THE WAY!

[When they're not hunting down Revenants and exploring town, Kingslayer can be found on top of the conbini, relentlessly slurping ramen in under their faceplate and...

...are they reading manga?

Oh gods, they are absolutely reading manga, but they look... almost confused as they page through it, murmuring to themself and shaking their head.]

conbini

[emberserker]

[Did Wolfsbane just climb the fire escape in heels to judge Kingslayer... of course she did.]

My 10 Younger Sisters Joined a Club in the Future. What?

MIDDUNGEON EVENT (OPTIONAL)

[cancrymods]

While three of your number are getting into trouble with that big lad up there, the rest of you are also getting into some degree of trouble, of the "minor annoyance" variety. The Revenants aren't particularly smart when they've degraded this far, but they do seem to catch on infuriatingly fast that the Executors are much stronger than them when it comes to a one to one fight. So if they want to even the playing field a bit... they'll have to start playing dirty.

Maybe you happen to be patrolling the Underside when you suddenly hear a call for help – perhaps it's an unfamiliar voice or even more concerningly, one of your fellow Executors. Is it a little garbled? Sure, perhaps, but if they're in trouble – and it certainly sounds like it – you don't have time to be worrying about that! So off you go, eager to help out your friend in need... and stumble across a whole herd of Revenants, with one of them squawking away unsettling imitations of the voice you've been hearing. Uh oh. Better defend yourself quick – or failing that, run like hell!

Other Revenants are a bit more tricky. They've noticed that the Executors have weapons that they do not, and their weapons make it a lot easier for them to take down Revenants. So rather than take you on directly, a few Revenants get it into their heads to start stealing weapons from Executors instead – and you can't dispel those weapons or summon them again until you get your hands back on them! Some of the Revenants go running, some of them turn the weapons back on their Executors... either way, it's chaos. Get those things back!

And of course, there's just some plain old silliness too. Revenants locking Executors into any buildings they wander into, throwing old food from the conbini at them, purposely getting them lost in the winding streets of the Underside... it's basically an all out prank war, and the Executors are the ones getting punked. Surely you can stand up to a bunch of Revenants, right?

Win conditions:

- At least 5 characters must participate, across at least 3 threads.
- At least 20 comments must be posted, over at least 2 threads.
- Have fun and come up with some goofy and fun scenarios! The funniest shenanigans will be rewarded with a tiny morsel of Plot Tomfoolery. Have at it!

[crypddyd]

[So after his 'little' breakdown in the movie theatre, Lion is driven. Maybe not in any good way, but he's definitely driven! Which is why he went chasing after some Revenants to do a big murder on... only to have his massive bone lance stolen.

But like hell that was going to stop him- so others might find him chasing them down... and any he catches he's just tearing apart with his bare hands.

... though the one that has it is just too fast for him to catch, and his bellows of feral rage are easy to hear even over the creatures chattering. It'd be funny if it wasn't a little horrifying]

DUNGEON WRAPUP

[cancrymods]

When Lucretius finally falls to the desperate attacks of Ariel, Kingslayer and Mona, a deep rumble resonates all through the Underside. There's a very distinct feeling in the air of some sort of block or stoppage having come loose and the stagnation that was trapped there before has been flooded away. The Revenants swarming all over react with surprise and confusion, and in the chaos, it becomes significantly easier to destroy what remains of them.

At Rei's behest, the group reconvenes at the Underside's version of the fountain in Limbo, where a similar mechanism keeping the way further down closed is waiting. Once the sword has been wrestled out of Kingslayer's grip and set into the fountain, the world shudders once again as the mechanism whirs and a familiar looking staircase into darkness is revealed.

A staircase leading... to your next destination, of course.

Congratulations, Executors! You have cleared your first dungeon log with aplomb. There will be a post-dungeon feedback post on the OOC comm at some point tonight so please keep an eye out for it. Until then, some further points!

All characters who have tagged into the dungeon log as of the time of this comment will be rewarded with one Idea! You may use this for either a Memoria regain or a new power.
The next layer of Purgatory is now accessible! A log for initial arrival will be going up shortly, so feel free to familiarize yourself with the location first.

That's it for now!