2154/AWftF: The Sixth Dragon Ball

AWftF: The Sixth Dragon Ball
Date of Scene:	03 May 2015
Location:	Earth-4555 <DBZ>
Synopsis:	The Confederacy and Union once more band together to plumb the depths of a pyramid for a Dragon Ball. Joining them is a mysterious geezer from another land. Trouble ensues.
Cast of Characters:	20, 37, 83, 188, Blurr, 726, 758, 768
Tinyplot:	A Wish for the Future

---

Serori (37) has posed:
Earth-4555 is as varied in ecology as other Earths. Anything from tropical rainforests to sweeping plains to arid wastelands to vast mountain ranges can be found on the planet. The search for the Dragon Balls had thus far taken our heroes to all corners of the world and to all kinds of places, but it's only today that the Dragon Radar produces coordinates leading everyone to the heart of a barren desert.

Rain had not fallen in these parts for the better part of a decade. Hot and dry and barren of anything save for rolling dunes and the occasional train of camel-riding nomads, the desert is similar to the Sahara, and just as foreboding. The wind scrapes by in punishing gusts to sculpt the orange dunes into shifting wave-like shapes. Footprints vanish almost as soon as they're made. There are no landmarks; only the white-hot sun serves to guide any travelers.

Get stranded here, and unless you're Lawrence of Goddamn Arabia, you're probably toast.

Of course, these lands aren't all they appear to be on the surface. Long ago, ancient civilizations had made the desert their home, and the signs of these societies can still be found, if you're lucky. Among these are a trio of towering pyramids amid the desert's eastern reaches. The Dragon Radar leads here, pointing right at the centermost and biggest of the pyramids.

Serori drops out of the air to land a few dozen feet in front of the target. She'd normally just bust down the door and get to searching, but something's made her cautious!

She spotted it from above -- something curled up in the flat plaza constructed between the three pyramids. A huge creature, it looks like a lion, but there's something odd about it she can't figure out until she lands. It's a lion all right. Winged, though, and...well, that's the funniest-looking lion head Serori's ever seen. Instead of a mane, the lion is wearing a black wig. It's crowned by a golden circlet, and wearing some kind of big necklace. It also has wings.

After Serori lands, the lion sits up, stretches her wings, and cocks her very human-like head in Serori's direction.

A sphinx?

"Geez, she's almost as big as the pyramid itself..."

Naturally, the Union and Confederacy would have conferred beforehand, and done a little coordinating. Everyone should be arriving at about the same time, by whatever means.

Lute (188) has posed:
     These Dragon Ball missions are, quite simply, too important not to bring out every potential asset. And so, Lute is once again riding onto the scene on top of Mr. Crabs. The gigantic Crab Kaiju is walking across the desert sand, trudging along. Its movement is a bit slower than usual. It's definitely more of an aquatic beast rather than a desert beast. Still, though, it slowly works on making its way towards the location of the Dragon Ball.

     Lute stands atop Mr. Crabs, his labcoat waving in the wind. His arms are crossed against his chest, a pair of angular sunglasses are on his face. He's really trying for the badass look today. Honestly, he's trying a bit /too/ hard.

     Harp, in the meantime, is laying not on Mr. Crabs himself, but on a lawnchair she has placed on Mr. Crab's head. It is strapped down to the Kaiju's shell, so it doesn't move or slide around. She is also wearing shades, but is also wearing a two piece swimsuit. She has one of those tanning screens to reflect sunlight at herself. And, on occasion, she sips at some sort of fruity alcoholic drink, with a little umbrella in it.

     Once they are actually on /scene/, though, Harp puts her street clothes back on. Black leather pants, and a black halter top. She remains on the lawn chair for a moment, until Mr. Crabs reaches a claw up to his head. Lute steps on first, followed by Harp. They're set on the ground near Serori, and the rest of the group.

     Imima has also come along as well, the I-Class Destroyer being lifted off the back of Mr. Crabs after Harp and Lute are down.

Dracula Vlad Tepes (83) has posed:
    There are probably many other servants of Castlevania more suited to the scorching desert than Paranoia, but as the bizarre mirror jester has hardly had a chance to get out in recent times, it seems he's determined to make today his day outside regardless.

    It's for that reason that a remarkably ornate mirror hovers down into place beside Serori, its frame of elegantly-crafted gold and its surface a perfect reflection of the world outside. Well, except for the strange man standing inside it, dressed in a clingy red outfit with a pure white bird's mask over his face. That's definitely not in the world outside yet.

    At least not for a few more moments; Paranoia doesn't hang around in his mirror for much longer. As soon as he seems settled, the lanky jester crawls out of the mirror as if its surface were no more solid than water, tumbling out and landing on his feet with a quick flip. His gaze flits this way and that, but soon enough, he lays his eyes on the giant sphinx before them.

    "Interesting, interesting," he mutters, dancing a little on the balls of his feet. "Not a type we see in Castlevania often, no no! Oh, she'd go /wonderfully/ there, give Elgior a friend just his size and with just his legs! Hee hee!"

Cory (768) has posed:
    A few people will be able to sense or detect Cory coming long before she actually arrives. Not that there's a terrible impressive thing to sense. She arrives via flight, dressed in a bright orange martial arts gi with her tail wrapped around her waist. "Agh...pffff... deserts!"

    Cory dislikes deserts. Not only are they bright and harsh on the eyes but the sand. The SAND. Gritty and dirty and uncomfortable.

    FWOOOOOOSH! Propelled by Ki so thick that it's become a white aura she swoops down near Serori and the Sphinx - but is looking at the latter instead of the former first.

    "... Friendly, I'm hoping?"

    Although she's looking okay on the outside, Cory's still pretty sore from the other day...

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    The last time she was in a desert she nearly died. And even if her sandbending is far better this time around, Toph is still not happy being in a place with sand. Her vision is not optimal like this, and if there's a need to fight... ugh. It's not like she has a choice in the matter, so the earthbending master sets out from New York. At least they have a lead and are one step closer.

    Toph is relying on her radio for the most part into getting to the coordinates supplied by Serori. With her satchel flung over her shoulder and clad in her new bending clothes, she arrives shortly after the others, already frowning as she senses that there is indeed something big there. Hmmm. She probably /could/ bend her way into the pyramid. But still, she observes the Feds, keeping quiet for once. That big thing feels like it's watching them...

Krezentia Einjager (758) has posed:
    It's BORING, but Krezentia suddenly appears out of a beam of purple-ish light that shoots down from the sky, slams into the ground, and then forms into her body. The blonde Magi, red eyes, purple streaks under her eyes, wears her typical black jacket, purple shirt and black cargo pants attire, though it doesn't seem her fairy is with her today.

    "Deserts suck. Also that's a giant cat."

    A+ observation skills.

    "So what, it's sleeping on top of the ball? Or should I have brought a fedora and a whip because we're going pyramid divin'?" Also A+ paying attention skills. At least, she figures, with the crowd already gathered and what must still be on its way, there is no way this is going to be boring.

Walter Bernhard (726) has posed:
    There are probably many other monsters of Bernhard Castle better suited to the scorching desert than some old guy. But for some reason, a rough-but-wise-looking older man with dark skin, long white hair, and a neatly trimmed white beard and moustache, in desert-appropriate robes, is who was sent. To those who know his identity, they would have cause to question how someone opposed to the lord of Bernhard Castle was 'sent' anywhere by such. But probably no one here knows the face or name of Rinaldo Gandolfini.

    The man seems to be here at the same time as the others by sheer coincidence. There's no way he could have known the Union and Confederacy would be here at this exact place at this exact time, right? It's one of those Multiversal random events where things just happen to all fall into place at the same time. That must be it!

    ...Surely!

    However, as the robed and hooded figure approaches, with a staff of woven wood and vines in one hand to help make it through the desert wastes, and catches sight of the others ahead, he doesn't slow his pace or show outwards signs of surprise. He does, however, call out.

    "Good day, to you all. Have you come to challenge the sphinx as well?" At least he seems to know what everyone is here about. Possibly. But the sphinx is kind of RIGHT THERE so it is not hard to guess. Whether he knows of a Dragon Ball being involved is something else entirely.

Serori (37) has posed:
Serori's first order of business is to give Chikkori the hard once-over. An unknown saiyan arriving in the midst of the Neo-Saiyan conflict is something Serori finds a bit suspicious, though Cory's outfit is...it's kind of on the obnoxious side, isn't it? If a Neo-Saiyan's going to pretend to be something she isn't, she probably wouldn't choose to wear such an iconic uniform. Or maybe that's exactly why Kakarot chose it? Before she can get so caught up in what-ifs she rivals Paranoia for his namesake, Serori sighs, knuckles the spot between her eyebrows, and gives Cory a quick nod for a greeting.

It's not like the Union wouldn't have done their homework before accepting her, anyway.

The sphinx doesn't look very hostile; in fact, as more and more visitors show up, she becomes more curious, and her smile more obvious and pleasant. Wings half-mantled, the sphinx sits back on her haunches, and raises her right paw to make a beckoning motion as her tail sweeps sand from the plaza. The bracelets around her wrist catch the sun in bright flashes of gold and blue. "Please, come closer! I've not had guests in a very long time."

From her sharp accent, she's clearly speaking an unusual language.

Serori casts a dubious look to her party, and takes a few steps forward whenever everyone else does, though she doesn't yet anything. Someone else might have to take point; Serori's not too good at these diplomatic situations.

"Welcome to my pyramids. My name is Nitakret-seret-en-pi-sekhet, but you may call me Nitakret. I am the guardian of these tombs. Come, stand beneath the shade my wings offer, and tell me why you have come." Nitakret spreads her wings wide to shadow a good three quarters of the plaza.

Stepping any closer means engaging in conversation. It also means coming into range of those mighty big claws.

Serori, of course, has turned her suspicious glare to Rinaldo Gandolfi. A stranger to her eyes, he's no Confederate. Someone new to the Union? Someone unaffiliated? He doesn't seem to understand the group's purpose. That makes her wary; was he watching for their activity on the planet? Wouldn't be the first time. So, is his showing up just a hell of a coincidence, or is he here for some more opportunistic reason?

While someone else addresses the sphinx, Serori turns to take on Rinaldo. "Colonel Serori of the Confederacy. I don't know you. 'Challenge' the sphinx, you said -- you know something about her, and what she does here? If you're going to fight her, I need you to wait. We've got important business to resolve."

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute looks up at the Sphinx. He sighs a little. Well, it's sapient, and guarding the pyramids. It's unlikely it'd be willing to be his pet. He pauses, stepping forward. Since Serori is addressing Rinaldo, Lute will address the Sphinx.

     "OH GREAT NITAKRET! We're here to search for a magical artifact known as the Dragon Ball. An orange ball with some stars on it. We think it's inside your pyramid. Now hand it over to us, OR ELSE WE'LL KILL YOU--"

     Harp steps forward and places a hand over Lute's face. She groans, and then speaks, "We respectfully ask for the Dragon Ball, so that we might use it for our purposes. If it is within the tombs, we would like to ask for passage through them. We will respect the Pyramid and the tombs within, and seek to take nothing but the ball itself."

Krezentia Einjager (758) has posed:
    It IS a giant cat! And it talks.

    Though, Serori's news that the Dragon Radar isn't very precise makes the Magi frown, about as much as when the large creature speaks of challenging it. Don't these things love puzzles and riddles? Did they just stumble into some sort of mindgame contest for a wish-granting ball? Bullocks. Well, on to business.

    "Yo, Nitakret! Who's in the tombs?"

    Well, if you're about to go pyramid diving, you might as well know which angry king, pharaoh or cat-lover you're about to desecrate and probably have come back from the dead as a mummy to eat you. Or maybe your brains. Are mummies zombies?

    A debate for the ages, surely.
    ... maybe the Sphinx knows.

    "ALSO! Are mummies zombies?"

Dracula Vlad Tepes (83) has posed:
    Other arrivals are regarded with a bird-like tilt of Paranoia's head, giving each one in turn a silent once-over. His body twists in new and unusual ways so that he can look at everyone without moving his feet. A weird one, he is.

    Ah, but then Nitakret talks! Paranoia suddenly bounds forward, clearing several meters just to land in front of the sphinx and offer a bow-legged bow. "Nitakret! Wonderful name, certainly, truly. Have you ever heard of a dear old lady named Astarte? Haven't seen her in /years/ - probably because she's in a painting. HA!"

    The demonic jester stands up straight again, waving a flourishing hand toward his allies. "But yes, yes, as they say, we're here for this strange little orange ball that's /apparently/ just under your tush somewhere. Or behind it. Maybe even above it! I imagine it's difficult to notice such a small thing with your particular /grandeur/. Don't I know!" He gives a slightly disjointed giggle, letting his arms fall to his side as he sways gently in the shade like some strange fern.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    When the thing /greets/ them, Toph does look a little suspicious, but she does step closer, clearly a bit tense where she stands, one hand clutching her satchel at her side. Though Nitakret offers shade, the blind girl does seem to relax a bit, offering a nod. Warm sand isn't too nice on her feet, and this does help a bit, even if she is used to warm weather after living in Malibu for a while.

    It's a bit curious to inspect the Feds here, and the old man does draw some attention. How likely is it that somebody wanders through a freaking desert for their afternoon stroll? No, he's here for a reason. Right now she's not about to trust him. It's bad enough with all the Feds here. When Lute starts talking though, Toph frowns, and even reaches out to punch him in the arm, hissing under her breath. "Shh!" At least his wife seems smarter.

    "It... is of great importance to us that we get the Dragon Ball, Nitakret," Toph adds, her voice sincere as she raises her head and adresses the large creature towering above them.

Cory (768) has posed:
    Unaware of all the suspicions, Cory returns the nod briefly herself. Now that she's at rest her power drops down substantially and accepts the invitation, walking in close. But just as she's about to answer...

    Lute speaks up. Cory grunts. "Jerk. If she has you for lunch I'm offering the chili sauce. You probably taste awful."

    The glare she's giving him could kill if she knew how to do the eyebeam thing.

    Which she doesn't.

    But her mood swings around instantly and Nitakret's given a wave. "Chikorri of the Turtle School, Junior Time Patroller. Cory for short!"

    PAranoia's introduction gets her also glowering. "... You guys call this a friendly greeting? But yeah!"

    Another hand raised for the Sphinx's attention, briefly. "We need the Dragonball that seems to be here to bring someone back to life. What's this about a challenge?"

Blurr has posed:
    A wave of sand streaks across the desert as the tiny particles fly up in the wake of a blue hovercar traveling at the speed of sound. A sharp hissing noise can be heard as it approaches the area, finally slowing down just enough so as not to run anyone over or slame into them. Toph probably saw it coming and recognized Blurr from a long way off, anyway.

    The car suddenly unfolds, a cacophony of mechanical noises coming from the Cybertronian before Blurr stands to his full height and examines the strange creature before him. Huh, hadn't he seen something like that in some of the humans' archives? Kinda? Maybe. He never really studied other cultures too fastidiously. Hmm, there seems to be quite the gathering of people here, and one he recognizes. "Hey Toph."

Serori (37) has posed:
"An orange ball covered in stars?" Nitakret considers the question posed by Lute and his lovely and more intelligent wife, Harp. "Oh, I remember seeing something like it. One day, many years ago, I was napping in the plaza whenever a rock fell from the sky to strike my ear. Thinking it a gnat, I swatted it away, only to hear it tumble and roll across the ground. I awoke to divine what had struck me. Though no more than a plain round stone, the stars indeed appeared carved in its surface, and with no one here to either craft it or to throw it, I realized it could be but one thing: a gift from the gods!"

Nitakret's smile turns serene. "Of course, I arranged to have it taken and protected inside the tombs. Such divine gifts must be shared with our dead as well as the living. Perhaps that is the stone you seek? If so, it must be you were brought here by the gods, too. Are you heroes? Pilgrims? Warlords? Whoever you are -- be you kings and queens or soldiers or peasants -- my duty is to challenge you and judge you worthy."

Krezentia's brash question turns Nitakret's smile bright again. "The pharaohs laid to rest here were those most faithful to the gods. Each pyramid is home to three pharaohs whose piety knew no peer. Akhem, Sesonchoses, Khafs-nofru, and all their wives and priests and children, and all their concubines and highest servants. They are all laid to rest inside these tombs." And she proceeds to start listing many, many names, all from memory.

Then, at the very end: "All entombed must first be mummified. It is our way of paying respect to the dead and easing their journey."

That doesn't answer the question at all!

Walter Bernhard (726) has posed:
    Rinaldo holds up a hand as though to ward off the suggestion of fighting. "Now, don't get so excited... I'm just an old man. I just came to test my ailing wits against one renowned for her riddles, and perhaps to explore these tombs. Though I would not say no to any rewards that might be offered..." After taking a moment to look over Serori's shoulder and then around at the others, the man refocuses on the Confederate colonel as though realizing something.

    "Colonel Serori... Not THE Serori? Of the saiyan warriors?" He steps back and lowers himself into a one-armed bow, European style. "Pardon me, Colonel Serori. My name is..." He straightens slightly. "...Rinaldo Gandolfi." His eyes are sharp, even if his composure is respectful. Despite his claim of ailing wits, this is not some doddering old fool who just wandered out in the middle of the desert. His reasons for being here may be as he said, but he has the wisdom of age in his demeanor and appearance.

    "If you are also here to face the sphinx's--I am sorry. -Lady Nitakret's- riddles, then I shall wait my turn." Then Lute announces they're out here looking for a magical artifact known as a Dragon Ball.

    Rinaldo's eyes travel to him as he straightens up fully, and then back to Serori. "...My apologies, Colonel, but I will have to retract what I just said. I will be seeking this Dragon Ball as well. I regretfully must admit that if it is at all what I have heard it to be, I could make great use of it."

    Then, unless prevented, Rinaldo begins to advance into the same conversational range as the others, apparently intending to partake in this activity and conversation. And also to just plain get out of the sun. He does not seem concerned about the threat of Nitakret's huge claws.

    "That is an interesting tale, Lady Nitakret. If such a gift was bestowed upon you by the gods, then it is only right that it be gifted to one who proves himself - or herself - worthy of the acknowledgement of the gods, and by you as well. I am Rinaldo. I would like to accept your challenge, if you would permit it."

Lute (188) has posed:
     With the Sphinx answering, Harp smiles a bit. well. Seems they'll have to take the challenge. She looks up to the Sphinx, speaking again in a respectful tone, "Well. We seek to take your challenge, then. We wish to retrieve the Dragon Ball."

     Lute chimes in, "And hey, if we succeed at the challenge, can we take the other stuff inside, too? Like the other treasure, not just the ball?"

     Harp shoots Lute a glare. But only briefly. To tell the truth, she wouldn't mind some Ancient Egpytian jewelry... But, still, mission first. And ahve to worry about curses.

     Lute also takes a moment to look towards Cory, smiling, "Hey, I'm not a jerk. Besides, I'm super powerful. You're a Saiyan, right? Saiyans respect strength above all else. I bet I could take you on in a fight. Hell, let's do that sometime. One on one fight. Almost certain I'd win."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    So the Dragon Ball is here, like Serori said. Toph swallows as Cory states their purpose for being here, her expression as serious as can be. "That is the stone we seek."

    Instead of prattling about on things that do not matter, Toph jumps straight to the main question. "How do we prove ourselves worthy of the Dragon Ball? What is your challenge?" she asks. Though the moment Rinaldo states his intent on getting the Dragon Ball, Toph's eyes widen, and she raises her hand, pointing straight at him even if she isn't facing in his direction. Her words are determined, her voice cold with resolve as she delivers a simple statement. "You are /not/ getting it."

    There's no way she will let him...!

    "Whatever your challenge is, I accept it," Toph quickly adds to Nitakret.

Serori (37) has posed:
"I have known many to share the name Astarte. Do you mean the one entombed here, or a living friend of yours? No Astarte has visited me in some centuries." Nitakret sighs.

"To enter the tombs, you must answer my riddles. I will ask one of each of you. To fail means you cannot enter; to try to enter without proving your worth would not be wise. I am not a creature of violence, but I have seen whole armies smashed for trying my pyramids without my approval. The gods are with me." The sphinx has a terrifying sort of confidence about her ability to defend her turf. Sure, she's got no idea what she's really up against, but even so, she makes it sound so everyday and mundane that she'd 'smash' any army of would-be thieves.

It's Nitakret's attitude that stops Serori from doing any smashing, herself. Rinaldo's calm announcement about the Dragon Ball is infuriating news, but aside from a short-lived scowl and a hard, cold glare, the old man doesn't come to any immediate harm. Serori's tail unwinds from her waist to snap at the air. "It'll be interesting to see if you can take it with so many of us here. The odds aren't in your favor, Gandolfi." Grump.

Nitakret overlooks the exchange. Retaining her calm smile, she nods, and addresses everyone at once. "We shall begin with a test of riddles, then -- oh." Blurr's appearance startles the sphinx. For a moment, her wings retract, and the blazing sun beats down in full force on the plaza again. "Another strange sight. I don't know how to judge the soul of someone like you..." Confusion causes her tone to falter; then, she brightens, and spreads her wings back out. "I suppose like anyone else."

It's probably not so simple as that, but are you going to try and tell a giant sphinx how to do her job?

Serori lets out an irritated sound at the news of /riddles/. "I'm going to play rear guard and make sure no one else tries to horn in on the Dragon Ball hunt. Riddles aren't for me, anyway." And at that, she takes off, coming to a hovering stop about sixty feet in the air. /Grump/.

Dracula Vlad Tepes (83) has posed:
    When Rinaldo claims to want to take the ball for himself, Paranoia suddenly becomes significantly more interested in him. The jester bends backward at a very uncomfortable-looking angle to look at him. "Iiii'm not sure I'd do that if I were you, old fellow. You've got some odds stacked against you, but if you reeeeally want...just don't mind any knives at your back!"

    With that, Paranoia snaps upright again, waving his hand dismissively to Nitakret. "Oh, she's just a person I know. Passing curiosity, nothing else! In any case, we /certainly/ wouldn't want to stumble into your tombs without your approval, so, fire away! I could stand to outwit some nitwits today, hee hee!"

Krezentia Einjager (758) has posed:
    "So lots of people huh," Krezentia surmises-- none of the names ring a bell, to HER, but she turns to look at Serori and ask the obvious: "Any of those dead kings a cause for concern?"

    Unfortunately, she did not find out today if a mummy is classified as a zombie or if it's its own category. Guess she'll have to find something more straightforward than a Sphinx if she intends to know for sure.

    Also the cat has the ball!

    This begs a question.

    "How'd you even get the ball moved into one of the pyramids? You're huge. Do you have servants? Can you un-huge yourself? Did you make it float magically, teleport it, what?"

    Hey, you know you're curious about this too.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    When the autobot arrives Toph does blink, looking a little confused at first, but she nods at him, forcing a slight smile in greeting. "Heya Speedster." Her usual cheery mood is not present however. But can you blame her?

    Indeed, the sphinx does have an attitude. And who knows, if they risk anything here then the Dragon Ball might be lost to them. So while Toph would have preferred to enter the pyramid her own way, it's not something that they can chance today. Too much depends on this.

    Riddles. Great.

    Toph looks a bit surprised, though she turns towards Serori as she states riddles aren't her thing. "We'll get it." Then the blind eartbender steps forward. "Challenge me, Nitakret. I'm not scared of anything, not even riddles."

    Sure, she's not a brainiac, but she's not stupid either!

Walter Bernhard (726) has posed:
    Rinaldo is pointed at by Toph, and addressed so fiercely! He does not seem perturbed, merely lowering his head slightly in thought and saying, "If it is at all possible for it to aid you as well, I will gladly share this artifact, young lady. I am certain that all of us here have our reasons. Things we need to accomplish. People we need to keep fighting for, who might no longer be... With us." His solemn tone is set aside as Serori addresses him. He watches her go, and then faces forwards again. Indeed, it does seem as though he could be easily overpowered by all of those present. Or perhaps even just one person. It's not as though he looks terribly impressive. He has no Ki to speak of, for those who can sense such. Or at least not anymore than a healthy human being might.

    While he waits his turn, however, he sticks his staff in the sand to free up his hands, and pulls a leather pouch from his belt. From within, he withdraws what appear to be some seeds of some kind. Which he then eats. Crunchcrunch. Trekking through the desert is probably quite draining for normal folk! He is somewhat messy with his eating, but not grossly so. A seed or two falls to the desert sands at his feet. There is something else that might have been seen at Rinaldo's waist, beneath the draping robes he wears over his clothing. It looked a bit like a coil of something... Rope, perhaps?

    The arrival of the machine man and his transformation earns a raised-eyebrow inspection briefly, but Rinaldo seems content to leave Blurr be.

Serori (37) has posed:
Nitakret smiles down at Krezentia. "I have servants who will come if called, and pilgrims come to the pyramids often to pay their respects. No one seeks to challenge me, and no one stays to converse, so I do not consider them my friends, or my guests. It's only the odd ones who get my attention."

And everyone here is pretty odd, in their own endearing way.

Especially Lute. Nitakret's smile flickers. "You would rob from the dead? Please, take nothing. The gifts within are meant to comfort the souls of the deceased. To take from the tombs would be to take from the kingdom beyond. Can you imagine what it would be like? To have only a few goblets, and for them all to go missing? How then would you drink? And what of your clothing, your jewelry, your companions?" She shakes her head, and lets out a sad sigh. "Take nothing. If you do, you would no doubt be cursed."

At that question answered, Nitakret lifts her left paw to her chest, makes a gentle, throat-clearing sound, and begins to intone the first riddle. The atmosphere changes as she speaks; it seems to grow darker beneath her wings, and the temperature drops a few degrees.

The sphinx's shining eyes turn to Lute. "Glistening spears that downward thrust, sparkling swords that never rust. What are we?"

Next, to Rinaldo. "I drive men crazed for want of me. I am beaten easily, and never free. What am I?"

The next riddle goes to Toph. "What is black when you take it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?"

Next, she addresses Blurr. "What breaks, but never falls?"

Nitakret turns to Cory. "Walk on the living, they make no sound. Walk on the dead, their complaints grow loud. What are they?"

Next, she addresses Paranoia. "If someone else were to carry my burden, it would break their back. I am no rich man, but I leave silver in my track. What am I?"

To Harp: "Rain and sun reveal me, but even invisible, I wait for my prey. Something hungry waits in my eye. What am I?"

Lastly, to Krezentia: "When young, I am sweet. When middle-aged, I make men fools. When ancient, my worth is more than it ever was. What am I?"

Walter Bernhard (726) has posed:
    Despite saying he was willing to wait his turn, Rinaldo steps forward when he hears his riddle. He smiles, seemingly sure of the answer already, and says, "I am sorry to hear that you have gone without visitors or challengers in so long. Perhaps, once my goals have been completed, I shall return to speak with you again in the future. However, the answer to the riddle posed me must surely be 'Gold'."

Krezentia Einjager (758) has posed:
    "Oh. Makes sense. Sounds lonely though. Guess you must sleep a lot to pass time," Krezentia muses. No, she can't really picture what it's like sitting in a desert for god knows how long without company. She goes crazy if she sits still without anything to do for more than five minutes, so, you know.

    Riddles, though!

    She's not very good at them, but this one seems kind of obvious at least. Or she thinks it does. Maybe it isn't that simple. "Uuuh... wine? Alcohol in general? No, wait... does alcohol taste better with age? I've never heard of anyone buying old beer. I guess I'll stick to the first answer, wine. But, maybe women too... hrm."

    It could really be either.

    "Nah we'll go with wine."

    She prefers pineapple soda, though.

Dracula Vlad Tepes (83) has posed:
    Paranoia audibly cackles as his riddle is given. He bounces slightly in place, rubbing his hands together. "Ooh, interesting, interesting...now what, what could this be..."

    The jester pauses, tapping at the tip of his mask again and again and again as he tries to consider his options. Now and then he mutters the riddle again, or specific phrases, but his actual answer doesn't come for a while.

    Finally, and abruptly, his finger lifts in the air. "I'VE GOT IT! If anyone else tried to carry their home on their back, it'd snap! And the only silver it leaves in its trail is slime! It's a snail, right? RIGHT?!" Probably a little overly enthusiastic about it, but at least you can't falt him for excitement.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Oh great. Toph looks slightly annoyed. "Lute, if you mess up our chances of getting the Dragon Ball, I swear I will make you regret it!" she threatens. Seriously, grave robbing is something he can do in his spare time, not when they are here for something really important!

    "I just want the Dragon Ball!" she quickly asides to Nitakret, raising her hands. "I don't care for the gold and stuff, the dead can keep it!"

    Okay, let's get a riddle. Ask away. Though when Nitakret delivers it to Toph, the girl blinks. She blinks again.

    Somehow, Toph looks less than amused.

    A heavy sigh leaves her, and she reaches one hand up to pull on the lower eyelid of her right eye, showing off the milky green and pale pupil there. "Not to be disrespectful or anything, Nitakret... but colours isn't exactly my thing. Could I have another one?" Hey, it doesn't hurt reasoning with Nitakret, right?

    Still, it's annoying that Rinaldo seems to know his already. No, she does not like him the least. If only she had gotten Cory's, that one she knows! Or Lute's, possibly.

Serori (37) has posed:
Nitakret inclines her head in an approving nod toward Krezentia. "Your mind is clever; the gods bless you with wisdom. You may enter the tomb."

Paranoia gets the same treatment, and of course, so does Rinaldo. Their riddles have been given the correct solution, it would seem.

Toph, however, demands another riddle for...a rather good reason. Flustered by the turn of events, Nitakret considers the situation and takes Toph's blindness into account all while drumming her ivory claws against the plaza floor. "Oh...oh, another riddle, another riddle without color. What riddles know I to contain no -- ah! I have it."

Another throat-clearing precedes Toph's new riddle: "I am always in armor, but never at war. I walk in armor, sleep in armor, but though it slows me, I never lay my burden down. What am I?"

Blurr has posed:
    Blurr arches an optic ridge at the...cat thing. Blah blah 'the gods are with me' and I've smashed armies? Pfffft. Yeah she's big but not as big as they -get-. He's tempted to put her to the test and see just what the thing is made of, but there are other, smaller people here who might not agree with that approach. What is this "Dragon Ball" thing again? Must be significant if everyone's after it.

    He listens to the riddle she gave, noticing his was the shortest of all of them. Hey, didn't that mean he had the fewest clues? That wasn't fair! Still, Blurr is no Perceptor but he sure is no Blot either. Almost immediately he takes a shot at the answer: "The outer crust of the planet Earth." It has to be Earth, right? Because these pyramid structures definitely resemble the historical sites on Earth in the Earth history archives.

Cory (768) has posed:
    "One on one? None of your fancy pets? Bring it. Later." Cory answers, but her attention flickers left and right at the others who appear. Nitakret's given a hopeless 'I don't KNOW these people' shrug but then she's faced with a riddle.

    The Saiyan girl blinks wide-eyed once, twice... then folds her arms and seats herself, tail unfolding to twitch idly behind her. "Huuuuuuuuuuh. Not any kind of an animal. Something dead that crunches? Dead plants crunch. Uh... twigs, leaves... mom loved riddles, weren't my thing."

    She gives Nitakret the craziest grin, covering up a case of spotlight anxiety.

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute and Harp pause. They both glance at eachother. While both of them are good at /puzzles/, riddles is something that neither of them are all that skilled at. And so, they stare, mostly blankly at the Sphinx. They're approaching it from a bit of a different angle. What are the /standard/ answers for riddles? Things that people ask questions about all the time. And, do any of them fit the question?

     Lute just blankly stares, and finally mutters, "Uuuh. Is it teeth? Or possibly claws? Teeth are like spears or swords, but don't thrust down... I guess claws might work?"

     Lute pauses. He looks at Toph. And then he whispers towards the Sphinx in a manner that everyone can certainly hear, "...I actually have /one other idea/, but it wouldn't be appropriate to say in front of a kid."

     As Lute says that, Harp facepalms. And then she goes on to her own answer. She isn't /certain/, but she thinks it is possibly a better guess than Lute's.

     "...A spider web?"

     Her logic being that sun and water make it visible, it catches prey, and the spider is hungry.

Krezentia Einjager (758) has posed:
    Well that was... easy. Huh.

    "You should get a TV, by the way. You know, if you ever get tired of just kind of sleeping, since no one really stays to chat with ya. They have TV shows about riddles and games, y'know? You should go on Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy. It'd be hilarious." Nevermind the fact it's a giant Sphinx. Krezentia doesn't much think about that sort of stuff.

    She'll happily make her way to the tombs, likely tagging along Paranoia. "So, what's under the hood? You bald? That why you hide it?" Not that the hood and mask aren't stylish. They totally are.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Toph waits almost impatiently for Nitakret to give her another riddle, though she stands still and listens. And when she delivers it, the blind girl pays rapt attention, her expression slowly turning pensive. "Armor... huh."

    Then her face brigtens up.

    "An armored weasel!" she exclaims in an excited manner. "Those things have a tough hide, and they are among the slowest things ever! I used to catch them all the time when I practiced my earthbending back in Gaoling!" Oh yes, the blind girl looks rather pleased with herself. That one was /easy/!

Serori (37) has posed:
Nitakret cocks her head toward Blurr. "Alas, my friend, you are not correct at all. The answer I sought was 'dawn' -- dawn always breaks, but never falls. As you stand in noble company, I will let you into the tomb provided your friends agree to take responsibility for you, and if you go in knowing you lack the blessing of the gods."

Toph, too, earns a headshake. "You are not correct. You, too, may only enter at a penalty. Like the turtle, I hope you wear your armor close."

Oh, but Cory manages to lift Nitakret's spirits! "Aha! Leaves! Another clever response. You may enter the tomb."

If only such joy could last forever! Lute gets a look full of pity. "You are not correct in your answer. As the others go without blessing, so you may go. At least no icicles grow here to fall upon your head."

Fortunately, Harp is correct, so the look of pity can only last so long. "Very good. You may proceed."

Dracula Vlad Tepes (83) has posed:
    Paranoia gives an emphatic pump of his fist into the air once he's cleared by the sphinx. Yep, clearly confirmation that he's the best, at least in his own mind. The jester even gives a sort of hopping, twirling dance as he starts making his way to the tombs, at least until Krezentia speaks to him.

    "Eeeeh?" The strange man pauses, freezing in midair before he shifts to a floating, cross-legged stance in front of Krezentia. "Hah, of course not! Here, just hold on /one/ second and I'll show you, just gotta get my hand on this little..."

    Paranoia grabs the end of his mask, and the writer will spare the viewer the description of what happens when someone literally pulls their face off for a few seconds. The grisly result is swiftly covered with a brief squelch, and Paranoia crosses his arms almost with pride. "/Bald/, hah! As if I'd be so insecure-"

    Oh, right, that hurt. Paranoia's next gesture is holding his hands over his mask-face and slowly keening in quiet agony as he keeps making his way to the tombs. He'll get over it soon.

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute sighs, and he starts walking in, muttering. He almost, /almost/ holds his tongue, but he can't quite. And Harp isn't close enough to stop him in time. He yells over to the Sphinx, as he steps into the pyramid, "HEY, FAT-ASS. I GREW UP IN A DESERT. I've barely seen icicles in my /life/. Your dumb riddles are biased. Get better ones. Like, what's black and white and red all over?"

     Harp facepalms, points at Lute, and says, "THIS MAN DOES NOT REPRESENT US."

     She slowly follows in afterwards, stepping away from Lute. She loves him, but god damnit.

Walter Bernhard (726) has posed:
    Rinaldo bows to Nitakret gratefully at being permitted to enter. "Thank you for deeming me worthy, Lady Nitakret." He straightens up and moves forward, intending to seek the entrance to the tombs and go in. Though Lute gets a brief, but extremely scowly, look for some reason as Rinaldo passes him by. Maybe he disapproves of Lute's conduct. Maybe he is jealous of Lute's looks. Maybe he thinks Lute is likely to try to stab him in the back if Rinaldo goes ahead of the pokemon trainer.

    Either way, the look passes quickly, and he marches ahead only once Lute von Can't Riddle and his escort into the tomb, with Paranoia and Krezentia leading the way ahead of them.

    Rinaldo calls back over his shoulder. "Not to worry, child. I am certain that once I have the Dragon Ball, your wish can also be granted."

    Unless someone else gets it, of course.

    He seems to be dropping seeds stuck to his hand from his earlier snack every once in a while along the way.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    When Nitakret says that her answer is wrong, Toph's expression drops. "... what? Haven't you seen those things?" she begins, feeling like arguing... but she catches herself, instead muttering something about turtleducks and shoving blessings up a certain place. Ugh, this did not start well!

    For now Toph sticks close to Cory. As for Lute's comment?

    "Even I haven't seen icicles and I know what they're like." Yet, what does he means by black and white and red all over? Does she even want to know?

    Better get into the tomb. And there's enough stuff to make armor out of here for her should she need it. Like she needs to fear any stupid gods or dead or whatever. Spiritual mumbo jumbo...

Blurr has posed:
    Blurr frowns. "What, but...that totally fits the criteria!" he protests. "The crust definitely breaks all the time, but it doesn't fall because it's floating on a bunch of lava and held in place by planet's gravity fields!" He grumbles. "And what the slag do you mean dawn 'breaks'! How does dawn -break-? It's an -event-."

    Then he shrugs. "What the hell is the 'blessing' supposed to do, anyway? It's just a bunch of dead people and their really old stuff down there right?"

Serori (37) has posed:
Nitakret takes a few rumbling steps to the far left side of the plaza, where she curls up again. Revealed behind her former position is a ramp leading belowground -- the point of entry, it's safe to assume. "Go now to seek your reward. Don't hesitate to stop again on your way out, if you survive your journey! I would love to converse with you all, and to learn more about television, and from where it is you all came. What an eclectic party of blessed explorers." She sighs in satisfaction over having done her job well, and lays her chin down on her paws to watch the group move ahead.

In what's supposed to be a whisper, she asides to Harp: "Worry not. I know how to recognize a fish out of water." Wink.

The way into the pyramid is narrow and dark. As soon as the sunlight is quenched, it becomes very mild, too -- almost cool. The air turns musty and damp, and starts to smell stale by the time everyone's eyes adjust to the growing darkness. At first, there is only one way to go. One single hall proceeds into the pyramid's depths. Story-telling murals line the walls, and unlit sconces, too. Everything is painted and colorful, especially the heiroglyphs and the images depicting various animal-headed gods and other important beings.

The next challenge is faced whenever the hall comes to an abrupt end. Though it widens out into a chamber housing two guardian statues, there doesn't seem to be any way for proceeding. The far wall -- offering no egress -- is covered in yet another mural, this one depicting all the gods posed beneath a radiant sun. All their faces -- some human, some not -- are turned toward the sun, and all their arms are upraised. Multitudinous lesser figures spread out at the feet of each deity, surrounded by wheat stalks and the flowing design of a river. Within the river, ibis birds and crocodiles and fish also seem to face the sun.

There is writing above the mural. Written in the ancient heiroglyphic language of this Egyptian-like society, it's not immediately decipherable, but someone with enough literary knowledge or a magical trick or two might be able to figure out its meaning.

Dracula Vlad Tepes (83) has posed:
    By the time they reach the end of the hall, Paranoia has, in fact, gotten over the issue of tearing his face off. The jester floats in front of the mural, arms and legs crossed, head cocked in vague confusion. "The /one day/ I wish I'd asked for heiroglyphics lessons from Akmodan. Ah, well! Hindsight's such a cruel mistress."

    With that enlightening suggestion, Paranoia turns in midair to look back at the group. "I've got nothing! All I can tell is that these fellows are supremely backwards. We /all/ know they should be praising the moon, not the sun, right? Right? So /silly/."

Blurr has posed:
    Blurr sizes up the passage, finding that if he tries to walk in he will be very uncomfortable. So he folds up again, his body flipping back down into his vehicle form to make the fit much easier. He tries not to run anyone over. Ugh, normal people--so slow!

    They come upon the larger underground chamber, which appears to have no egress. He immediately starts scanning the walls, floor, and ceiling for any evidence of a hidden door, or a neighbhoring passage, or a vault or something where the object of interest could possibly be hidden. And if there are no doors or openings...well he could -make- one, right?

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute looks back at Rinaldo on occasion. He... isn't sure what this guy's deal is. But the dislike is obvious. As such, Lute does something rather subtle. Rinaldo might notice this, but as Lute steps, something is left on the ground. It looks more or less just like a hyroglyphic on the ground. It is, in fact, an Unown, sealed in the ground as a Glyph, temporarily. And, once Rinaldo is past it? It'll float up, and follow behind, at a distance. Letting Lute keep an eye on him.

     As Lute walks along, he spots the sconces. Pausing, he pulls out a Pokeball. His Castform appears, of all things. He gives a rather casual set of orders to it. Now that he let out his anger at the sphinx, he's calmed down a bit. He assumes the puzzles to come will be a bit easier.

     "Sunny Day. Then, use Weather Ball to light these."

     He motions to the sconces. And, in response, the Castform shoots up a bright ball of light. it will continue to sustain itself, filling the long hallway with some additional sunlight. It also turns the Castform into its Sunny Day form, making it a Fire Pokemon. And, it shoots out its 'weather ball' attack at each sconce, lighting them.

     Lute is assuming that lighting all of these might be important to the puzzle.

     And, at the statues, which are /not/ facing the sun, Lute and Harp just stare at eachother for a moment. Then they nod. Both of them hold up Pokeballs. Yeah, despite both of them being very different, they both think alike at times.

     "Go, Kaelin!"

     "Go, Rina!"

     Lute's starter and Harp's starter appear. A Tentacruel and a Nidoqueen. Both of these powerful Pokemon move to the statues, and start using a /lot/ of strength to try and turn them so they're facing the sun mural. Yeah, these two aren't even asking the others first.

Serori (37) has posed:
Lighting the sconces is a good idea, if only because it helps those who have trouble seeing in the dark. It also makes the interior a lot less creepy. Sure, flickering firelight means the shadows might look more mobile and menacing, but for the most part, it's a lot better than creeping through a spooky tomb in pitch blackness.

After the statues are moved to face the sun...nothing happens. Kaelin and Rina are left panting a little from exertion, but that's it.

Krezentia Einjager (758) has posed:
    "Jesus dude." is all Krezentia can manage as Paranoia demonstratively tears his own face off. And then slaps it back on. And then wails in agony. Yeah, that looked painful, no argument there. The gore doesn't bother her quite as much as it could have someone else, but the act of tearing his own face off earned a wince nonetheless.

    "Okay, yeah, yer secure alright. And crazy, probably. That a thing you actually do everytime someone asks to see?" If so it must be a hell of a hard habit to kick considering how painful it must be the fact he STILL DOES IT.

    But enough about face tearing.

    The murals earn only idle glances from Krezentia, who has lit up one of her hands with a ball of purple and green energy to act as light. She is not familiar with Egyptian mythos beyond 'animal people' and 'Sphinxes' truth told, so a lot of this is lost on her for the time being. She could Google it, sure, but that'd be boring.

    "Christ, it's some sort of RPG puzzle.

    "Can anyone actually read sunrunes?"

    Not her.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Maybe it's meant to scare off cowards," Toph offers to Blurr in a hushed whisper as they begin their descent into the tomb. Nitakret's words do earn a sigh, and Toph turns her head slightly. "I'm not sure if we have the time... though I should educate you about armored weasels sometime." Then maybe she will get that her answer was totally legit!

    The darkness does not bother Toph understandably enough. And she doesn't mind leading the group either if they are nervous about the darkness. In this building made of stone her unique way of 'seeing' is perhaps better than eyes.

    As they enter the chamber Toph passes by the two guardian statues, looking pensive for a moment even as the others spread out and inspect the chamber. Then she heads on straight ahead towards the opposite wall that ends their path, not saying a word yet as the others do whatever it is they're doing. There is a curious look on Toph's face, and she reaches a hand out to the wall, running her fingers slowly over the wall.

    Suddenly Toph reaches out with both hands in front of her, then she pulls her hands apart, earth rumbling as the wall parts in the middle, revealing that the hallway continues now that the stone there has been moved. "You guys are totally blind at times," she states calmly, then begins walking down the revealed hallway.

Cory (768) has posed:
    "I'M RIGHT?!" Well consider Cory shocked. She's gaping a bit... but soon grins. Nope, she didn't expect that. So she stretches an arm, doing little circles with it and heads on in. "Thank you! I'll keep some of the jerks here from making a mess, I hope. You hear me? Leave the place well alone, I hear tombs have nasty curses!"

    She zooms over with the others, and actually joins Lute's effort to provide illumination. A few focused ki beams ignite some torches...

Walter Bernhard (726) has posed:
    Rinaldo examines the designs and depictions on the walls, the statues, and - on the way to this hall - the shift in environment in general. Now that they have stopped moving forward, Rinaldo takes the time to remain silent and observe what others do about the obstacle.

    He does not seem to notice the Unown following him right away, given it's hanging back near the rear of the group. But the closest thing to something suspicious he's doing is getting out more of those seeds from his bag and having a snack. Not exactly cause for alarm.

    As Toph opens the passage ahead of them, it seems that decyphering the symbols isn't needed. But would an alchemist like Rinaldo, well-versed in secret texts, have been able to? He didn't seem to show any recognition of what he was seeing. "Good work, young miss." Rinaldo calls encouragingly after Toph, though at a volume where it should hopefully not be too loud to all of those in this confined space.

Serori (37) has posed:
The pyramid is an ancient construct. Hundreds if not thousands of years old, that it still stands today is a marvel of engineering. It's withstood wind, sand, and storm, and still stands strong, if worn down in places to near-fragility.

Toph's Earthbending opens the way at the cost of the aged mural. Repairing the wall to such fine detail would be impossible; it will require total reconstruction.

Something else might require total reconstruction, too...

The entire pyramid /rumbles/. Outside, pebbles are knocked loose from the exterior stones, and these rain down on the plaza in a noisy shower. One or two stones crack, and as the pyramid adjusts to its new, forced-open state, more fine cracks appear here and there as a warning.

Yes, it's possible to simply Earthbend one's way to the goal, but the cost might be pretty steep...

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute and Harp return their two starter Pokemon. But, as the /entire pyramid/ begins to shake? Lute pulls out a Pokeball. He opens it, and his Gardevoir appears. Lute and Harp stay close to it, but as things calm down a /bit/, he just shoots Toph a glare. Not that she can see it.

     They just... start walking forward, muttering. Lute has already said his piece over the radio. If they fuck this up, the Dragon Ball could be destroyed. And that means no reviving those who were lost. Lute just shakes his head. He's incredibly annoyed, because he had /just/ gotten the puzzle solution by talking to Serori, and learning what the hieroglyphs said from the Sphinx.

Serori (37) has posed:
The way continues into maze-like complexity.

It's a typical Hollywood-style pyramid, you know. There are quite a few pit traps to skip over, and a few flung darts to dodge, though nothing our intrepid heroes can't handle. Hissing cockroaches fall from the ceiling like an icky waterfall. How they're alive in this place is a complete mystery, but then again, they /are/ cockroaches -- they could survive just about anything.

Krezentia should have brought that hat and whip after all.

A few simpler puzzles slow things down, and some backtracking forces the group to waste time, too. All in all, it's a pretty frustrating journey, especially punctuated with all that bickering between Toph and Lute. The narrow halls make their voices echo to new levels, too, ensuring that nobody misses their arguing!

After another hour or so of climbing up and up, the next real challenge is finally found...

Another door.

It's a strangely simplistic door. The only ornamentation is a large scarab beetle whose wings serve as some kind of knocker. There is no writing. No clue to how to advance. The door responds to neither pushes nor pulls, however.

Serori (37) has posed:
It should also be noted that the group does in fact pass through many tombs filled with treasures and keepsakes and mummified cats and other such valuable but tarnished-with-age kinds of things.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Her seismic sense is perfect. Yet somehow, after she studied the structure, figured out the best way to bend the wall without compromising the structural stability, it still begins to rumble.

    Can you blame Toph for the look of absolute shock that crosses her face when she feels the pyramid shaking around them? "What the...?!" Instantly she slams her hands against the wall, digging her heels into the floor with a grunt as she focuses all she can. Shit, is every Dragon Ball retrieval mission going to end up with her carrying tons of earth and stone?! First a city, and now a freaking pyramid? Right now Toph looks annoyed, gritting her teeth even as she begins exerting herself on keeping the mass around them as stable as she can.

    For the most part Toph keeps quiet as they venture deeper, moving a bit slower as she has to focus on her bending. Screw what Lute says! And Toph knows perhaps better than the others just what it means if the Dragon Ball is lost. And maybe that possibility is why she's so quiet as they make their way past the traps.

    When they finally get to the next door, the blind girl is visibly strained, staying behind this time as she keeps her hands on the wall.

Dracula Vlad Tepes (83) has posed:
    Paranoia, somehow, doesn't seem to mind the fact that the pyramid's crumbling or, as they go along, that vile cockroaches tumble from the ceiling. The jester, seemingly able to make light of any situation, just keeps floating on his merry way, sometimes catching cockroaches just to poke them and make them hiss in annoyance before he hurls them over his shoulder again. Watch out, anyone who happens to be behind him.

    Of course he lends his cleverness to any simple puzzles that come along, but it's not until the scarab that he seems particularly stumped. His finger taps at his mask's nose and he ponders the situation in front of him...then finally shrugs, leaning in to grab the knocker and thunk it against the door three solid times. "Knock knock! Trick or treat! Open sesame?" Well, it's worth a shot.

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute and Harp go through most of the traps and cockroaches like old pros. And, in fact, Lute actually /is/ a bit experienced at exploring places. Granted, he hasn't encountered a place this trapped before, but. He spent a lot of time researching ancient Pokemon World civilization, before he unified. And Harp, while less experienced, is still fairly skilled and adept in her own way. So, it's really no trouble for them to get past the traps or anything.

     Lute, though, does a bit of something /extra/ that Harp doesn't. Lute pulls several things out of his pockets as they move along. Large sacks. Yes, he conveniently had these with him, don't ask why. And he is filling them to the brim. Once /full/, he hands the sack to his Gardevoir. And, as long as nothing /stops/ the Gardevoir from doing this? He uses Teleport, to warp out of the pyramid, on to the top of Mr. Crab's head. The Gardevoir would then drop the stolen loot off on Mr. Crabs, and teleport back into the pyramid.

     Also Lute was totally going to knock on the door but Paranoia beat him to it.

Blurr has posed:
    Oh, right...Toph could do -that-. Well it's a good thing she's on his team. Blurr collects whatever data he'd procured from the scan anyway and follows her down the new path. Well he could have done -that- himself, albeit with a -bit- less finesse that probably would have brought the entire structure down on top of them all instead of just shaking it up.

    Then, they come upon a door with an insectoid-looking decoration on it, though nothing more. Seeing that it does not respond to any attempts to open it the normal way, he abruptly accelerates toward it, aiming to simply -smash- it down. Hopefully it's not made of zolanium steel or anything. Yeah he isn't very good at the thinking before attacking thing.

Walter Bernhard (726) has posed:
    Did somebody say WHIP? At one point or another along the way, Rinaldo found it necessary for matters of survival to draw that thing that was coiled by his waist. It is not, infact, rope. Despite robe being CRUCIAL for exploring ancient ruins and basically everything ever. It's a whip. A whip that, to all outwards appearances, is the Vampire Killer - an anti-vampire weapon in the form of a magical whip. But to those who can sense such things, it doesn't appear to have the deadly power of the Vampire Killer. It's magical in SOME form, but not to the degree of the whip that has slain so many servants of Castlevania.

    Regardless, it is physically identical in appearance... Perhaps an earlier version or prototype? It certainly doesn't BEHAVE like a mundane whip, seemingly able to stretch out a bit further than is strictly natural, to move very swiftly when swung, and so on. Rinaldo seems able to use it expertly for fighting off roaches and swinging over pit traps. The way it bends and moves is almost as if it's alive.

    But aside from these displays and the questions that arise, Rinaldo allows the others to take point whenever possible. He stays out of Lute's and Toph's arguing, he doesn't touch any treasures and certainly doesn't touch any mummified cats (god, why would he. why would anyone). But sometimes... Sometimes a small smirk plays across his lips at the bickering. Like he's enjoying watching it. Maybe it reminds him of something? Lute's attempts at theft would be treated with much less smirking and much more annoyance and dark glares if caught.

    Once they reach the door, again, he lets others take the lead. Though perhaps that isn't so wise, if the actions of Toph and Lute are anything to go by. OH, WELL.

Krezentia Einjager (758) has posed:
    Uh, well... the door's open!
    Toph has earned respect from Krezentia for that. Getting Shit Done, now that's how you solve puzzles. Too bad she's a braggy loudmouthed brat too, or they might actually get along.

    Nonetheless, the Magi tags along until they reach another door. People attempt to knock on the door. Well, it does have a knocker, so sometimes the simplest answer is the best one. Let's see what happens.

Cory (768) has posed:
    Cory doesn't need to worry much about pressure plates because she hovers a foot off the ground, keeping an eye out for trouble herself. And it's once they enter a chamber full of anything weird that she glances exactly at the one she suspects most of trouble. It's right in the middle of Lute filling the sacks that the chamber fills with wind.

    Quicker than the eye can see, Cory's up in front of him with a palm once again spread and sizzling with Ki!

    Just enough to make a hell of a glow and look more threatening than it probably is, for anyone able to sense it.

    "You know I heard some places chop off hands as a punishment for thieving."

Serori (37) has posed:
The door starts to creak open with ease as Paranoia knocks and asks cheerfully for entry --

Blurr hits the door at top speed.

In addition to possibly smushing Paranoia, Blurr sends the stone door flying off its hinges. The door splits into a dozen chunks, the beautiful scarab beetle shatters, and a terrible, reverberating GROOOOOAN continues down the halls long after the last rumble stops its echo.

The pyramid shivers. Toph's seismic grasp of the world goes all rippled and shaky. No one else will notice the effects at first, but Toph definitely will, and without a doubt, her reaction will be warning enough that something isn't right.

The pyramid starts to shake. Dust begins to sift down from the ceiling, and thin, spiderweb cracks shoot through the floor.

The way ahead is open, though. Destruction feels like it might be imminent, but there's still a chance the Dragon Ball can be found and retrieved before the whole place collapses. Right?

...right?

Something else can be heard above the growing rumble. It's a short, sharper sound, like a scrape and then a loud thud.

The last tomb wasn't that far back. That wasn't something from the tomb, was it?

(It was totally something from the tomb.)

Dracula Vlad Tepes (83) has posed:
    "Ah, excellent! See, all you need to do is ask nicely and-"

    Whatever else Paranoia was about to say is quickly cut off by the terrible screech of tires as he's sent flying into the exposed hallway a decimated crumple of broken limbs. It takes a few minutes for him to show that he's not, in fact, dead; soon enough, he calls out, "It's fine, nothing's broken! Just every bone in my body, that's all!"

    Soon enough, joints pop back into place and bones fuse back together, righting Paranoia to his feet as if nothing happened. Does he even have bones? It's hard to tell, honestly, but it's also not really important right now.

    "Let's get to finding this ball now! Sounds like we're a little pressed for time, and it'd be a good idea to find it before we're pressed between rocks, hee hee!" The jester's laughter follows him all the way onward as he prances ahead through the tombs, on to their next puzzle.

Lute (188) has posed:
     As Cory starts to glow at Lute, Lute just smirks. Shaking his head. "You know, these missions, the Union and Confederacy are supposed to be working /together/. So, attacking me right now, in a pyramid that is so unstable, would likely end up with /all/ of us stuck inside a collapsing pyramid. Do you really want to risk fighting me and stopping me from stealing this stuff, right here, right now?"

     And then the car runs into the door that was /ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF OPENING/. Lute just stares, blankly, as the pyramid begins to collapse and shake even more. He is at a loss for words.

     Harp, for her part, actually does have some things to say about all of this.

     "ARE ALL OF YOU FUCKING MORONS?!"

     Harp starts to run through the doorway. Time is running out. Lute is running after, /still/ looting everything of value that he might come across, despite Cory's warning. He also seems to ignore the loud rumble, scape, and thud from further back. Well, it really can't be anything worse than the pyramid already being on the verge of collapsing, can it?

Blurr has posed:
    The door flies off with great force, as Blurr had suspected--that's usually what happens when he does that. He definitely doesn't pick up on the additional seismic readings though, that's for Toph to notice. He's too busy charging down the hallway beyond that door. Not that he can really help it. Yes, he can both accelerate and decelerate at incredible rates, but there is a limit to that...especially the slowing down part when you're going like several hundred miles per hour.

    Now if this were outside, it would be less of a problem, given the vast open expanse of the desert. The few things that there are to collide with out there would be easily avoidable for someone with the kind of agility the Autobot has.

    But in here? Cramped quarters, in a building made by humans and for humans? It's going to rough to avoid sideswiping walls, clipping corners, or just smashing straight into any obstacle that might be in his way. So much for respecting the dead and their belongings. Oh all those fragile, ancient artifacts! The sound of pottery smashing and tombs cracking, and whatever else there is echoes throughout the structure.

    No, he's definitely not making this easier for Toph at all. And he's likely not going to be stopping any time soon.

Krezentia Einjager (758) has posed:
    "I dunno, that was kind of hilarious. Even if things're looking like they'll fall on our head anytime," Krezentia says with a grin, as a bright purple portal sudden opens up in front of her. A second opens up as far ahead as is visible on the way forward, and the Magi casually steps through the first, coming out the second, before the wormholes close. This puts her ahead of everyone, at least, until anyone makes effort to speed past her.

    Though, for someone in a hurry, she doesn't take to a running pace so much as an accelerated but still relaxed walk. She isn't worried about a building falling on her head, not in the slightest.

    It's certainly true the Union is making a poor impression today. But Lute is here, so it balances out pretty much evenly no matter what.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    As Blurr is about to crash into the door, Toph's eyes widen and she turns her head. "No, don't do that, it...!"

    Too late.

    The blind earthbender gasps, and she digs her fingers into the wall as she braces herself with a grunt, her expression clearly showing just how much effort she is putting into whatever she is doing. "This is /bad/..." she grunts, not looking happy about this. Do the others even /know/ how close this place is to collapsing? Blurr isn't making things easier either, and Toph feels her knees shake slightly. Right now she barely dares to move! But she does do that, even if it's at a slow pace, moving her feet and keeping her hands firmly against the wall above her head and focuses all she can on keeping the place as stable as she can.

    But as she hears that sound, feels something from the tomb... Toph can't help but clench her teeth together. "Come on, guys...!" she mutters quietly. They have to do it!

Walter Bernhard (726) has posed:
    Rinaldo seems utterly disgusted with people at this point. "Your metal 'friend' needs to be shown the exit or perhaps rendered immobile. This is not a place for fools." It's kind of hard to hear anything over all the racket that Blurr is making, but the older man seems to realize they are not alone in here now. He has a whip effectively against the undead, right? Maybe he'll deal with whatever this is coming after them! "Perhaps one of you should deal with whatever is approaching us, while I run ahead to retrieve your ally. I can clear the way if there are more of them, and perhaps resolve a puzzle WITHOUT doing something incredibly foolish by the time you catch up."

    And with that, he just runs past Toph as she supports the place, and follows after Blurr as fast as his surprisingly athletic legs will take him! He's... Wow, actually kind of fast for an old man. Like, already out of sight.

    Like, so fast he might be catching up to and passing Krezentia shortly. That's not the speed of a normal human.

    ...He really MUST be some kind of Belmont or something!

    For his part, Rinaldo looks grim as he runs with his whip in hand, trailing after images from his movements. He can't let them get to the Dragon Ball first. This is too good an opportunity.

Serori (37) has posed:
More groans and rumbles and thumps chase the party along the pyramid's remaining halls. Blurr's reckless driving isn't the only thing to cause a ruckus, though...

Behind the group comes a shuffling mass of linen-wrapped limbs and toothless mouths. Burning yellow eyes and grasping fingers engage a relentless, rotting pursuit. Nothing seems to slow the mummies down. A few stumble into open pits, or falter in their stride as darts pierce their undead flesh, but even brushing up against a lit sconce only serves to turn the hapless mummy into a flaming mummy, which might be more dangerous than the normal kind of mummy.

It's kind of a mad dash. Toph's in the most danger from the mummy pack, but soon everyone's going to have to deal with it in one way or another. As more tombs are passed, more mummies emerge to join the chase!

It's like an episode of Scooby Doo in here, except kind of scary. The only thing here having any fun appears to be the Castform who's still lighting sconces with little poofs of fire.

The hall suddenly ends in a grand chamber. In the center of the chamber stands a mausoleum guarded by four sphinx statues. The symbol of Ra is proudly etched into the mausoleum's surface above each of its seven barred doors. Eight repeating glyphs are etched into the floor before each door, one glyph for each bar sealing the door. Anyone brave enough to experiment will soon learn that applying pressure to any of the glyphs produces a different effect from the bars, either raising or lowering them.

There are murals and other statues around and a number of other things, but the most interesting thing is by far the gilded mausoleum.

Through the bars, clearly visible among the many treasures decorating this pharaoh's great sarcophagus -- a Dragon Ball bearing four stars.

Krezentia Einjager (758) has posed:
    Mummies! Are mummies zombies?

    It might not really matter in the end.

    Unfortunately for Krezentia, being ahead puts her last in line to pop mummies open. This would make her sad, if she hadn't stumbled into the next puzzle room and immiedatly caught a glimpse of the starred orb they're after.

    This puzzle looks extremely complex.

    This is the sort of stuff that would make her impatient and infuriated, and likely end up completely failing once she loses her cool, which isn't too hard. Thus, Krezentia goes for Plan B.

    A purple wormhole opens to her left.

    A purple wormhole opens above the Dragon Ball.

    Krezentia reaches her hand into the first, and it comes out the second. Unless this puzzle has magical wards or shielding, this shouldn't be too difficult. Grab, done.

Cory (768) has posed:
    And then there goes Blurr.

    Cory grits her teeth. She couldn't SENSE the Transformer. If she could she would've tried to stop him. Too late now.

    Things become quite chaotic. She's getting ANGRY. Very angry. Not especially at Lute but you know what happens when Saiyans get angry?!

    They stop thinking as well. Same goes for anyone really.

    Which is why Cory's carefully regulated Ki display suddenly gets quite serious. With a weird screechy blip noise the light compresses... and HEAT emanates from it. But Lute breaks loose first.

    Only to get a horrific eyeballing of what's coming down the hallway.

    Mummies.

    JAWDROP.

    "WH-WHY ARE THE DEAD PEOPLE WALKING?! We're sorry for breaking the Pyramid, we're sorry-- ARGH!!"

    She's having none of this. Cory rises to the top of chamber above the reach of grasping arms. Freaked the HELL OUT.

    This tough as nails Saiyan girl is terrified of the living dead. "Mom was right. You really CAN wake the dead if you're too loud near graves! Aaaaahhh!!"

    But instead of fleeing she just powers down the tunnel after the group, fwooooooooosh!!

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Damnit, what are these things?! Toph looks disgusted as she 'sees' the shambling figures step closer and closer, and she is forced to let go of the wall with one hand at times to throw it aside and bend something at the mummies to keep them from reaching her. And when she does? The place shakes and rumbles around them, revealing just how much work Toph is putting into keeping the place from falling down around them.

    It's tough to keep up with the others, but stubborn as she is, Toph doesn't give up and forces herself to keep up with them as best as she can. By now she's looking rather pale however, and her breathing is a bit shallow as she seems drenched in sweat.

    Another puzzle, and the blind girl lets out a groan. "I freaking hate pyramids...!" she laments, moving from the wall to place her hands on a pillar. "Whatever you guys are going to do, do it quickly! I'm starting to feel woozy...!" Toph warns the others and does her best to keep her arms from shaking.

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute recalls his Castform. Yes, it's been happily lighting fires, but at this point, he has to be ready for evacuation. Once he and Harp /finally/ reach the final room, he looks at the group as a whole. Harp stays close to him, knowing what he is planning. She frowns, arms crossed.

     Lute motions to his Gardevoir, and then speaks, "Alright, guys, stay close to me. When we have the Dragon Ball, I'll use Gardevoir to teleport us /all/ out of here, okay? We'll land on Mr. Crabs. And I'll have Serori lure the sphinx away from us. Sound good?"

     And while waiting for everyone to gather, Lute starts moving to take everything that isn't nailed down as well.

Blurr has posed:
    Blurr probably isn't even aware of the living dead chasing the rest of the group. He's just moving way too fast. He just keeps going, and going, swerving where he can to avoid smashing into more things as much as possible but he isn't having much luck with that. If he could transform right now, stopping would be a lot easier, but given these cramped passages, that's kinda hard--! He probably should have thought about that before trying to smash down that door...

    OHWAITLOOK!

    There's another big chamber! Big enough to stand up in! So he tries to do just that, his body flying forward but converting upward and outward at the same time. It'll keep him from simply smashing right through the walls clean to the outside and probably knocking down this entire place along the way, but the area isn't large enough to provide sufficient distance for him to come to a complete stop.

    So yeah, there are glyphs, and statues, and bars, and stuff, but Blurr doesn't have time to pay attention to any of it. He just goes flying straight into the barred doors, smashing right into them. Whether they take more damage or he does is not up to him!

Walter Bernhard (726) has posed:
    Rinaldo had been hoping that people would solve the puzzles through NORMAL methods... But seems that's not going to happen. The situation is already pretty heavily messed up. And yet, somehow, when he reaches the final chamber and approaches the barred entrance into the gilded mausoleum, he doesn't seem too perturbed. Very calm, really. "Perhaps this was for the best after all."

    Then he drops a couple of those odd seeds he's been eating in front of the bars. And those seeds suddenly sprout, growing rapidly into large, powerful vines that coil around the bars and start pulling and bending them with all the strength of life itself. But not all the way. Just enough so that when he lashes out with the psuyedo-Vampire Killer, it can coil aorund the Dragon Ball and pull it through - and right into Rinaldo's grasp. However, Krezentia is going for it too! And she teleported! Who can snag it first?

    ...Also, maybe growing plants really fast is something alchemist can do too? With the chaos of the mummies and traps and such, there shouldn't be too much interference with his actions outside of Krezentia or the stupid robot.

    Maybe.

    Funny how the whip was able to twist and turn like that though.

    Speaking of the robot, Blurr attacks right as 'Rinaldo' is doing all this and... Huge vines from all the seeds that Rinaldo has been dropping the entire trip through the pyramid, suddenly burst forth and attempt to - even if they can't really stop him - at least restrain him enough to not kill the alchemist. Maybe.

Dracula Vlad Tepes (83) has posed:
    Mummies! Finally, something Paranoia's familiar with. Still, the jester's well aware that these aren't friendly neighborhood Castlevania mummies, and so he doesn't stop to try and be nice to them. Nope, gotta get to the end of the hallway - and there's the dragon ball!

    ...and there are two people trying to get it. One of whom Paranoia is decidedly aware he does /not/ want grabbing it.

    "NOT THIS TIME, YOU GANGLY OLD BAG OF BONES!" Paranoia's shout is of triumph, but his sudden scream is much more furious as he lunges toward Rinaldo. Sadly, Blurr's tumbling cascade is problematic for actually /getting/ to Rinaldo and stops the jester before he can reach him, but Paranoia still has some tricks. Most important of all is dealing with that whip, to which end Paranoia points at its body and blasts a concentrated, pure white beam right for the coiling length to try and cut right through it.

    He also doesn't seem terribly concerned with getting out of this place before it collapses.

Serori (37) has posed:
Toph suffers another trial of her endurance as the entire pyramid quakes in response to Serori's actions outside. As a neighboring pyramid is reduced to rubble, the pyramid Toph supports starts to crack in earnest. Even though her willpower continues to somehow prevent an outright collapse, should she become too weak to sustain her current level of Earthbending -- or too distracted by the antics playing out around her -- this place is doomed. Once she leaves with Lute's Gardevoir, there's no way the pyramid's going to survive.

At least Toph's seismic sense will give her the reassurances that Nitakret is in fact being led away.

The next moment seems to play out in slow motion.

Krezentia's hand reaches through the wormhole.

Rinaldo cracks his whip through the bars his vines have torn open.

Blurr's thudding footsteps advance on the next barred door, and his armored shoulder smashes the bars apart.

All three have a chance of obtaining the Dragon Ball --

Time speeds up. Chaos resumes. Snarling vines sprout out like a forest to entangle and trip up Blurr. A blinding beam of energy shoots for the whip in Rinaldo's hand, causing the whip itself to burst into flame. Fire and shrapnel whiz through the air to sting at Krezentia's arm, perhaps with enough force to deter her thievery.

But no. Krezentia's hand closes securely around the Dragon Ball. The orange orb is cool to the touch, but it seems to radiate a life of its own, powerful and unique. The four crimson stars forever imprisoned inside the fist-sized globular crystal shine with a light all their own.

The amassed mummies are still coming -- those that aren't handled by Cory, anyway. The pyramid is about to go. Lute looks like a walking advertisement for the museum of natural history's gift shop. What's next?!

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute does /one last thing/ before giving the order to finish the teleport. The teleport is completely ready to go whenever, but. He absolutely has to do this one last thing.

     His Unown fly out. Seems they were hiding under his labcoat. But, the moment the Unown fly out, they immediately merge to his body, giving him boosted strength, speed, and agility.

     And he uses it to toss all of the other treasure trapped in there into a pile, near everyone else. And, for good measure, he grabs the sarcophagus as well. He carries it above his head, on the flat of his palms.

     And, then, the moment /everyone/ is gathered, or failing that the moment the pyramid seems like it will fall?

     Teleport. Onto the top of Mr. Crabs.

Blurr has posed:
    The vines suddenly spring out of nowhere, catching Blurr off-guard. Not that he was really trying to avoid them in the first place, in fact, he was kind of glad that they appeared to keep him from bringing down the entire place on top of everyone. Poor Toph.

    Still, he lands in an unceremonious heap of tangled plant material and the remains of the doors and whatever else he knocked over. "Ugh!"

    Then Lute teleports everyone. Hopefully Mr. Crabs is big or at least very strong. Because Blurr is -heavy-. Okay not heavy by Cybertronian standards but--definitely heavy by human standards.

Serori (37) has posed:
Outside, the two smaller pyramids have been replaced by smoking craters, and the bigger pyramid has cracks running all through its surface. The plaza is also a mess. There's no sign of Nitakret OR Serori, but she did say she'd led the sphinx away.

Krezentia Einjager (758) has posed:
    Krezentia nabs the ball. It is a bit heavier than she imagined, but not unbearably so. She kind of figured it'd weight like a plastic ball or something, evidently it's a bit fancier.

    The Magi doesn't actually do anything else-- rather than help fight, whip a weapon out, anything, she just moves back to Lute, and focuses on keeping the ball safe. Can't lose that now, that'd be awful.

    And then pop, teleport!

    Onto a Kaiju.

    "I kinda feel bad for the giant cat. I mean, a bit. We should send it a giant TV."

Cory (768) has posed:
    "Grrrrr.... why that--..." Cory spots what Lute's up to just a bit too late. She's teleported before she has any clue just what the hell's going on, and then appears up atop a giant crab monster.

    As though more a reflex than a conscious decision, she simply swings a BACKHAND at Lute!

    Should it strike unchallenged, there's enough force in that blow to not only send him flying off his beast like a meteor but also probably go trenching through the sand for a few hundred meters.

    Cory's FURIOUS and scared and indignant and terrified all at once. All it takes is one look on her face and there it is: panic.

    Her mom's gonna have a FIT when she finds out!

Lute (188) has posed:
     And, as Lute is hit, he goes /flying/ off into the distance. While normally, this would only send him a few hundred meters, he's basically a twinkle in the sky now.

     Looks like Lute is blasting off again.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    It's not often the earthbender is struggling as much as she is now. Holding up a sinking library is something she's done before, and it was roughly the same size. But at that time she didn't have to keep on bending for over an hour! Just how much time has passed since they entered? It's impossible to keep track of it, especially when your focus is elsewhere. Right now the young teenager looks like she's about ready to collapse, panic starting to settle on her face where she stands with her hands on the pillar, feeling the others move to grab the Dragon Ball.

    Right now she wishes she could punch Lute. But the moment she stops concentrating, the moment she moves, this place is going to fall together. So why isn't Lute getting ready to teleport them out? A pained whine leaves Toph, and she clenches her eyes shut, biting down on her lower lip hard enough to taste the blood in her mouth.

    When they are finally teleported though, Toph lets out a startled cry, and if it wasn't for the fresh air and the sun shining down on them, she wouldn't believe they were outside. A weak laugh leaves Toph, and she closes her eyes. "I so fucking hate you right now, Lute..." she heaves for breath, not getting over how freaking exhausted she feels. Or how much her head is spinning.

Walter Bernhard (726) has posed:
    The whip catches fire from Paranoia's eye beams, and Krezentia gets the Dragon Ball! Rinaldo hisses at the sudden flames, shrinking back from them and letting out an almost bestial hiss. But he 'cracks' the whip with superhuman force, and the now-charred weapon disperses the flames from Paranoia's attack. Rinaldo turns his baleful gaze on the jester, just as they are all teleported out.

    Once they are ground-side again, Rinaldo takes the time to warn the minion of Dracula, "If you wish to face me again, then come to the Forest of Eternal Night. It is there that you will find me." The whip, previously charred, looks whole and new again. There was a bit of a distortion around it. Maybe it absorbed the flames or something? That whip IS supposed to be pretty special! But again, it doesn't FEEL as powerful as the one that has been used against the Vampire Lord in the past, despite looking very similar. It's somewhat shorter (despite its apparent ability to extend), and just doesn't have the feel of hatred against vampires within it.

    Perhaps this man is from the past or something. Either way, he coils the whip at his side, and with a very strained smile, the old man says to Toph somehow not entirely without sincerity. "I am so very glad that you will be getting your wish after all."

    And with that, he simply turns and starts heading away, without fanfare, across the desert. And hopefully without Sphinx attacks.

Dracula Vlad Tepes (83) has posed:
    The whip is burned, the ball is obtained, and everything seems to be crumbling down around them. Paranoia briefly wonders how long he's going to spend in Hell /this/ time before Death drags him out.

    And then he's on Mister Crabs, along with everyone else. He gives a sharp laugh in Rinaldo's direction, folding his arms and puffing out his chest. "HA! We'll see about that, old fellow! I bet you'll just be dragging me into a trap, but oh, clever Paranoia is too /smart/ for that! I'll just have to outwit you yet again someday!"

    The jester dusts his hands off, then gives Krezentia a good clap on the back while he addresses the others. His ornate mirror comes in to float just behind him. "Good show, all of you! Incredibly disastrous and destroying no doubt /priceless/ materials and likely ruining the afterlives of - oh, I don't know - hundreds of people, and enraging a well-meaning and good-natured guardian of eternity, likely putting her out of a job for the rest of her immortal existence, but good nonetheless!" Paranoia offers a cheery thumbs-up to the assembled group, then slips back into his mirror again, which floats off into the distance, back to Castlevania.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Right now the blind girl isn't aware of what's going on around her. Partially because Mr. Crabs isn't made of earth, but mostly because her exhaustion is catching up to her. Trailing off, Toph is unable to keep her eyes open nor retain her consciousness... and passes out from overexerting herself.