909/Land of the Ancient Lords

Land of the Ancient Lords
Date of Scene:	03 November 2014
Location:	Great Painting of Ariamis <PoA>
Synopsis:	Priscilla's search for the absent gods of Lordran takes her to the depths of Ash Lake, where she instead finds a survivor of the Age of Ancients; a living everlasting dragon.
Cast of Characters:	Priscilla, 151, 168, 183, 248, 283, 395, Riva Banari, 560, Eryl Fairfax, 570, 571, Ayako Hasekawa, 589, 608, 610

---

Priscilla has posed:
    For those making the trip to Lordran as a phantom for the first time, the process involves being guided to a specialty room set aside in Njorun, previously used during the SAO crisis (or in the case of Confederates, wherever it is that has been set aside in the Citadel), where the rather large number of Elites are meant to take rest positions after scribbling their names in Lordran's ancient language with the point of a peculiar sort of crystal; something that Priscilla has gone out of her way to teach (at least, each person's name and how to write it) beforehand with each new member. At the designated time, those reclining deep within their own teritories feel the metaphysical tug of invisible string at something deep within them, and then promptly go unconscious, waking up elsewhere after what feels like only a few seconds. The party forms one at a time in a broad circle around Priscilla; silhouettes forming out of the coalescing of an ambient fog so faint as to be invisible. Once summoned, each person is exactly as they were moments ago, feeling no different in any significant way, and still possessed of everything on their person at the time. The difference that stands out is that at the edges of each person's frame, where the usual thin shadows should be, instead glow softly with one of several colours, denoting some particular facet of the nature of that person's soul.

    Where they are summoned is a bit of an oddity. Clearly somewhere deep within the earth, the surroundings are that of a vast, vertical tunnel, vanishing well out of sight if one looks up, but levelling out not terribly far in the downwards direction. The shaft is permeated by the gargantuan roots of what must be trees from outside, twisting and winding into a thick, tangled lattice that would be fairly easy to walk up or down with creative thinking. The shaft looks natural rather than mined out, but it's questionable what could have made it.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     This is the first time that Eryl has gotten involved with magic and not simply observed it. However, he is always happy to help if he is free, so he had scrawled his name with a white piece of crystal, his motions quick and mechanical.

     As it happens, he was resting in a cave to weather out a particularly rough dust storm when he felt the summons. At the very least, his surroundings didn't change much, but Original Face was unhappy with the sudden shift. He looks down at himself, amazed at the white pallor he had taken on, wiggling his fingers and kicking his feet to make sure all was in order.

     He looks about and smiles, bowing his head to Priscilla. "Good to see you Miss Priscilla. What is your goal for today? I shall help to the best of my ability."

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    Ainsley stands up from a kneeling posture when she's summoned. Her tail uncoils behind her, and her hand rests on the hilt of the longsword on her belt. She opens her eyes last and gazes out. Her silhouette is that of a black phantom, the phantom of penance. Her mouth is drooped into a light frown as she is reminded of how terrible and bleak this place is and how little she can do to stop it.

    She looks up at Priscilla and smiles gently, pushing aside her misgivings about this place. It's only then that she looks around, her feathered brows perked at the sight around them. She has no words to give about this place.

    She looks down at herself, yet further surprised about the ominous nature of her appearance. This she has a comment about: "I guess this makes sense." She does not seem bothered by the implications.

Alexis Maaka (571) has posed:
    A black shadow forms into existence, the phantom summoned a warrior of an age more advanced but just as grim as this world. Alexis Maaka makes her arrival out of the shadows, her cloaking device deactivating to reveal a black suited figure armed for bear. A massive rail assult rifle is cluthced in her arms, and she carries both a PDW backup and her Kama 12mm as well. The cyborg stops just short of noting Priscilla for a moment as she spies Eryl.

    Her optics narrow intensely as she looks at him long enough to confirm he is indeed as heavily mecha'd out as she is. "...hn."

    Curious. Not often you find people wired up as her around here. As she looks up at PRiscilla, Alexis' helmet opens up to reveal blood-red hair, folding into her suit's collar as she slings her sizable railgun over her back. "You're the one who requested that post on the Syndicate boards, aren't ya? What are we up to this time?" She asks the crossbreed, arms folded. Her tone's all business, direct to the point.

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    KIMIKO SHINOBU is here. She is a magical girl, for those who are unaware. This means that she is wearing something that would look anachronistic anywhere, to varying degrees, and has the height of a Japanese, teenaged girl. Her phantom is GOLD, though that is presently of little importance.

    Her player is getting dinner and just wants to get this pose out before stuffing her face.

Fassad (248) has posed:
     Fassad spent a long length of time trying to convince Priscilla that yes, in fact, bringing his horse would be a good idea. Yes they're going into an underground cave system, yes it is a place completely unsuited for horses, yes it's not the best idea, but it'd still be better with a horse.

     Sadly he was unable to convince her. So, sighing, he appears where summoned.

     Of course, he barely even knows what everyone is even /doing/ today, so he smiles, looking around at everyone.

     "Well, time for us to slay whatever foul beasts exist in these caves, I assume? The hole looks deep! I assume someone dug too deep, and too greedy? Perhaps they unearthed horrible creatures such as dodongos?"

     He flourishes his sword a bit for effect.

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako stares down the tunnel... "I wonder how far down this thing goes?" She's sitting sidesaddle on her broomstick, floating in a slow circle around Priscilla. Several pale blue flames float around her to help illuminate the tunnel for everyone else-it wouldn't be a good thing for anyone to lose their footing on the roots here! She then smiles cheerfully as people begin to be summoned, waving hello cheerfully to them, and spreading her blue flames out so that people can see easier.

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan Hall arrives in the usual way here; rising out of the ground due to weird spiritual processes, rimmed with a WHITE color. He's not been here before, or at least it didn't seem this way to his recollection. What's going on here? For now, he examines the environment; where Priscilla might have come from, and where she may be going today. Anything down here of note? Doors into ancient chambers, walkways to important artifacts, that sort of thing?

    "Salutations." He says, with a direct sort of monotone, to Priscilla herself, giving her a quick nod and attentive look. He obviously expects that he'll be paying attention to a briefing shortly. The others are more than prompting it. For now he tries to not experience vertigo from looking up or down this shaft while he scours it for visual indication of where to go next.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Shirou's appearance is abrubt to say the least. he wobbles unsteadily with arms unstretched for balanc, but when he does get his bearings he looks around, spots Priscilla. "...Priscilla! Another journey through Lordran?" He asks - and simultaneously greets - with some warmth. Yet, he's not really smiling. He doesn't do that much.

    The boy's surrounded by a faint golden glow, though.... his Phantom status is quite clear enough.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    Once again to Lordran. The land that has killed Amalthea more times than any other place in her career so far. A sobering thought really, but when you can get back up after the soul-shaking feeling of dying, it's... Well actually that makes it kind of worse for an immortal creature.
    Nevertheless, once settled into her spot in the old SAO wards, and feeling the tugging call of the summoning ritual, she lets her thoughts wander as she feels herself pulled to the land of ancient Lords.
    Thus, a spirit of gold light, brilliantly gleaming and giving off a bright aura appears. Clad in the surcoat and chain of an Astora knight, shield in one hand, blade sheathed at her side, Amalthea appears, as summoned.
    "I swear to god if I fucking die agai--" She grouses to herself before realizing the ritual is complete.
    Ahem...Hem...
    "--I mean hey Priscilla, hey gang, I'm here."
    A pause as she glances around, lone eye taking in the roots and deep underground surroundings.
    "Where is here?"

Chris Rothschild (283) has posed:
    By now, the trip to Lordran has become routine for the oddball magus most folks call 'Chris'. He has helped enough with Priscilla that at this point he feels obligated to see it through, and thus it is that the white phantom form of the Rothschild line's last scion manifests as relaxed as it's possible to be, not far from Nathan at all. "Uh, hey," he greets, spying faces new and old. It's perhaps a bit awkward and underwhelming of a greeting, but he does kind of have that air.

    Now, the /place/ they've been summoned, that's new. "So, uh. ...Where are we?"

Sakina (610) has posed:
    One of the white phantoms that appears is...not like others that have shown up before. The phantom that rises from one sign in question is female, covered in fabrics of cloth and leather with a hood that almost completely hides her face in shadow, even with the white outline her phantom has taken on. Only her lips, chin, the curve of her neck, and the trailing ends of several ashen braids can be seen beneath it. At one hip is an arching shotel, while at the other is a curled up whip lined with spikes. A large, rusted shield lies on her back, too, kept safely out of the way for now.

    When the phantom straightens up, she takes a moment to stretch, rolling her shoulders and arcing her neck from side to side. Her gaze slowly moves from one point of the environment to another, then casting briefly over each new phantom that appears. Strange; so many people, all in one place?

    Her gaze finally settles on Priscilla, staring up at the pale crossbreed for several awkwardly silent moments, until, at last, she offers a slow nod. A flame appears in her gloved left hand, but she doesn't do anything with it, save for curling her fingers along its warmth. Otherwise, the strange phantom simply stands off to the back, out of the way of the rest of the group.

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva came in person the first time she did business in Lordran.

She's more than happy to stick with the Phantom methodology this time. She sketched her name out simplt enough, arriving as a brilliant (honey-like) gold with her arms outstretched.

PRAISE THE SUN.

"Oooh. Pretty." Riva says, looking herself over. She bounces on her feet a little, thinking for a moment. "Hmm!" She says to herself, but doesn't comment on what she might find unusual. At the moment, she's striding up to and giving Priscilla a bow. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Priscilla." She comments, and then looks around to see all of the others present. It's like a spiritual rainbow. She waves to everyone she sees.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    The words 'Summoning Phantom' hang suspended in the proverbial airs of the meta and transcendental for quite a bit longer than usual. Rather than having Mizuki appear instantly, there's unusual silence where her grey phantom would typically come into being. The words continue to flash without response. One may begin to feel that some form of link has been severed. Possibly even Mizuki's Internet connection.

    But, no. In her own, good time, Mizuki's phantom rises before Priscilla, brushing off her skirt and heaving a heavy sigh that would suggest that so dreaded 'fashionably late' rush. She would give equally hurried but knowing bows to Kimiko, Nathan, Ayako, Eryl, and Ainsley before stepping up to Priscilla and giving a deep, long bow in lieu of her usual curtsey.

    "Do pardon my tardiness, Priscilla. I was --" No. She'll tell her later. "-- I was otherwise occupied for a few moments."

Priscilla has posed:
    Priscilla quietly greets each face in turn, casting perhaps a slightly suspicious glance at the few faces she doesn't recognize, Sakina especially. None of them had made trouble before, but today she expected would be either deeply personal, or deeply disappointing. "I wouldst be difficult not to." She says to Ainsley. "Within Lordran lie all the mysteries of the soul, and their answers. The glimpses one sees of thine own cannot be faked." At Fassad and Ayako however, she adopts the faint traces of a curiously bemused smile. "Not for much longer. These are not any sort of caves thou wouldst knoweth of." To Amalthea "Our destination is named Ash Lake." she says simply. And then she gives the answer to the most popular question of the night. "For those of thee only now joining us, the circumstances are perhaps too lengthy to fully explain. To be concise, the city of the gods hath been found as empty as a tomb, and there are but few places where its people wouldst hath gone. If they hath not fled this country entirely, there is only this last place in which I couldst imagine to find them. It may simply be equally as deserted, but perhaps still dangerous, as all the corners of the world hath become in Lord Gwyn's absence."

    There is little to see on the trip forward, where the only points of interest are dark hollows where the branches of errant growth clasp together, and the odd sight of scurrying lizards along them, glittering oddly in the low light. The roots are indeed so thickly wound that there is rarely a point at which the route presents any danger of falling off, but there is still some way to go yet. The only sounds to listen to are the steady footsteps and breathing of those summoned, and the occasional, rasping croak from somewhere far off. Once the group nears the bottom, the tunnel slopes out at almost a 90 degree angle, and an odd, greenish light filters in through the opening.

    Stepping outside is at first, an utterly bizarre sight, and then one that hits like a freight train of sudden realization. The vertical shaft is that of the hollowed out trunk of a tree of such size that defies description. For what must be miles above, it climbs straight into the sky, where its branches spread apart to such a breadth that a modern metropolis could be easily built within its boughs. The idea that the tunnel was underground is easy to understand, as the great tree's bark looks like solid stone, with lesser plants merely growing on its surface. As if that weren't enough, there are identical trees every single way one looks. Hundreds, if not thousands of them, as far as the eye can see; splitting the skyline in rows of unfathomably massive pillars; the canopy of which is wound so tight together that only an eerie viridian twilight passes through it. The fact that there is a twilight at all implies the sun is above, but this place is bigger than an entire country at the very least, and there would be no space in Lordran's borders for it to exist. The inescapable conclusion is that Lordran itself is /up there/. The entire continent atop the trees. Perhaps even the entire world.

    The trees stand as islands in an equally vast ocean of dark, midnight coloured water, though not a single wave punctuates its endless, glassy smooth surface. Shallow banks of sand that in fact, appear to be white ash, link the roots of the trees closest to one another, forming a series of narrow, winding paths connecting each one.

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako inclines her head to the side gently. "Hmm... I wonder what kind of color I would have?" Her amber gaze goes off to the side and she frowns for a blink-and-you'll-miss it moment. She says softly, "It... might not be a nice color..."

    Ayako quickly recovers and then quietly listens to Priscilla. "Hmm... let's go then! And hope we find something!" She smiles softly and then follows after Priscilla and the group, the pale blue flames giving soft, but adequate lighting.

    "Whoa! I didn't know it was a tree! Let alone there being so many!" Ayako looks up and around as she exits the tree with the group... and then curiously glances at the water. When the group gets close to the water, she hops off her broomstick and crouches to touch it with her right hand. "Oohh... what nice water!"

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    Ainsley nods once at the remark of it showing parts of the soul. She quietly recalls the actions of her past that would have caused this and the sins of herself and others that would paint her soul. She lets out a puffing sigh, not bothering brooding about it for longer than a couple seconds. She follows the others, quietly soaking in the sights so she might paint a picture about this later.

    Amalthea is given a brief smile, though it may be hard to see what with the lizard woman's features being yet more obscured by being a Black Phantom.

    The Ash Lake is beyond anything she has ever seen. She takes in the sight with a look of overwhelmed awe. She flies up into the air, hovering above everyone so that she might get a better look. Sparks of black and white shimmer around her, briefly, as she initiates the flight spell.

    "An eldritch forest seemingly untouched over the ages," she murmurs. "It almost feels like a trespass to even be here at all."

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Eryl catches Alexis staring at him, to which he responds with a polite smile and a bow of his head. "Ma'am," he says simply. He looks up at the circling Ayako and smiles, waving to her. "Miss Ayako. Thank you for the lighting." He also returns Mizuki's nod with one of his own, rather curious as to what delayed her. Not the time to ask though.

     Listening closely to Priscilla's explanation, he juste mutely nods his head. City of the gods? Ash Lake? He doesn't really need to know to help, he supposes. He can look up any reports later. He smiles and walks alongside the party as they travel, eyes flicking around to take in the sights. He is wary of the glittering lizards, but they seem content to ignore the party. So he focuses on the roots. There are so many, and so thick... in his world, plants exist as wilted shrubs at best and those are rare. All these roots must indicate the presence of an enormous tree...

     Then he finds himself standing within that tree. He cranes his next back, looking upwards, eyes wide with astonishment. For a second, Original Face thinks he has gone mad, and Eryl actually agrees with it. He begins to calculate the dimensions of the tree, and the result is staggering. Wordlessly, he turns to Priscilla and bows deeply. "Thank you for allowing me to see this."

     He then turns his eyes to the narrow paths, made form ash and frowns slightly. "These paths look terribly unstable. I think heavier individuals like me should bring up the rear, so that if they collapse, the majority has already gone ahead."

Fassad (248) has posed:
     Fassad walks along, a bit annoyed. This be so much easier if he could of brought his horse. He really does not like walking long distances. Sure, he can if he /has/ to, but alas.

     Still, the fact it was a tree only surprises him mildly. Mostly because, well. He has heard tales of the Great Deku Tree hidden in the woods of Hyrule. He hopes to visit it one day, but he imagines that these trees pale in comparison.

     Mostly cause he's biased to his own world.

     "...So. Are we there yet?"

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan unsteadily navigates the tunnel as it levels out, taking great care with every step, and maneuvering slowly and cautiously. He'll catch up if the group gets too far ahead, you know? No need to risk tumbling down this massive shaft.

    "Oh. We were not underground, but in a tree." He says. Humans have that habit of stating the obvious, wide-eyed and still seeming to have no emotion to his voice or face. Then he looks up. "Or perhaps both underground /and/ in a tree." He says. After a moment, standing at the threshold, he says, "Well, while it is an impressive and serene sight, we need to move to search it. Priscilla, can you direct us towards Lordran? Or, rather... Where Anor Londo would access this area, I assume via these trees." He peers around.

    "Our flying team-members, try to scout around for signs of passage or life. I will try to proceed on foot to potential sites for probable locations of Anor Londo evacuations." He's hoping Priscilla gives him a hint on the ANOR LONDO direction and that she doesn't already know it's a dead end. Otherwise, he's gonna just sort of pick a direction, traversing slowly and carefully over the beaches and the root pathways...

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko was uncertain, given that this was a response to a Syndicate posting, who would be responding. She's glad that there are some recognized faces. Nathan Hall, of course. Mizuki is of repeated, if recent, acquaintance. Amalthea--it's been longer, but memorable. Chris and Shirou from that matter with the Servant. Ainsley hunted in her world, before. Priscilla herself, for that matter, is not entirely a new meeting.

    Colors. She knows little enough to make of them, even with an explanation in the Union archives.

    The scenery is amazing in its scale if nothing else, though this is her first look at the land and she therefore lacks much of the context. Aren't there supposed to be hordes of undead? Arthur's posting mentioned that.

    She moves on with the others, gravitating toward Nathan's position and focusing on suspicion of the environment to override her awe. The suspicious tend to live longer. Walking a little more slowly doesn't bother her.

Princess Paladin (589) has posed:
Princess Paladin - or rather, Miko Fujimoto - could not go back home. Well, she could, but it was just... Painful to keep dealing with the silence and the cold feeling in the air. She decided to stop being Miko for awhile. No matter the price, being a powerful magical girl was preferable to dealing with her own problems. So she became Princess Paladin, and went looking for things to fight - danger to face. And somehow that brought her here, to Lordran. After a hellish trek, she finds herself inside a hollowed out tree or cave with roots or something, deep underground. She had to navigate poisonous muck, giant insects, and just... So much weird, awful crap.

But somehow she made it through.

And then she had to stop and rest for a while, as a mere mortal again, so that she could set a new quest. The first was 'make it through this this awful place'. Now she transforms from schoolgirl to pink-haired woman once more, and makes her way down into this great hollowed out shaft. Eventually, she hears voices, and makes her way towards them, coming out just in time to catch the latter half of the explanation and to see the wide assortment of individuals present. She just adds herself onto the group at the rear. For those who can sense or see auras, pure holiness radiates from the magical girl.

Otherwise, she just remains silent for awhile, until they arrive at the incredible, vast lake, with its forest of gigantic trees, stretching upwards from an ocean BENEATH the oceans above. It is almost as though the ground has become the sky. Which makes what lies beneath this water a somewhat terrifying consideration. Princess Paladin takes it in stride, finally making herself known by announcing herself. "Greetings, all. Might I join you on this quest? I am Princess Paladin." Inside, however, where the magical maturity and sophistication being exhibited by the magical girl are not present, Miko is overwhelmed, amazed, boggling at this dream-like, incomprehensible situation.

Really, she has no idea how to cope. So she lets Paladin cope for her, by pretending this is all normal enough.

It's not.

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    Ainsley snaps out of her reverie when Nathan speaks up, and turns to begin floating over the water. She takes advantage of her keen sight and her ability to fly to keep an eye out for any signs of people having come here before the party. Here and there she lowers her flight path to check more closely, occasionally checking the ashen path for stability to help the party stay safe.

Sakina (610) has posed:
    If Sakina seemed at all bored by her new position, close listening to Priscilla's next words would wipe away any lack of interest. The name Ash Lake is enticing enough, and abruptly turns her attention back to the crossbreed, her lips wordlessly and slowly mouthing the name again for herself. Her ponderous stare lingers on Priscilla as the woman continues, speaking of 'the mysteries of the soul'. The fact that the gods have apparently abandoned the place doesn't seem quite as important to her, at least not in the face of these implications of flame and souls.

    Voicelessly, then, the shadowed woman trails along behind the group as they proceed onward, absently flexing her fingers around the flame in her hand. Once they at last reach the bottom of the column and step out into the vast expanse of Ash Lake, she suddenly stops...but not for the same reason everyone else may.

    It's not the massive scale of the sprawling ocean that attracts her, or the trees stretching above into a massive canopy, or the sense that the world itself may be perched upon that broad support of untold eons. No, it's the ash that she can be seen staring at as if in fascination. She rushes forward, then, slipping between the others in front of her to suddenly fall to her knees among the ground. Gloved hands scoop up the white substance as she stares at it, letting it pour back to the ground once more. Her suspicions confirmed, Sakina then lifts her head to glance around her, searching for any sign of what might have caused this. Eventually, though, she has to admit that there frankly /isn't/ anything. This all must be too old for the source to be here.

    Her mouth sets into a hard frown, and she rises to her feet again. Her voice comes in a distant mutter, her tone tinted by a lightly Scottish accent. "...no flame..."

    With that disappointment taken care of, the woman falls back into silence and chooses to drift along behind the group again, still gazing around in a faint hope of finding /something/ of interest.

Chris Rothschild (283) has posed:
    Most of the people here are some semblance of wordsmith. Not Chris. Chris has never been one to say an entire sentence when a single word would suffice. And looking around at the impossibly vast forest of water, ash and trees that seemingly hold up the world, there is only one wod which leaps to his mind.

    "Jesus."

    Like Kimiko, he gravitates over towards Nathan, being the sort to stick near the middle of the group; that, and the armed and armored sorts will be protecting Nathan, so it never hurts to make sure they don't have to split their strength.

Alexis Maaka (571) has posed:
    "I'll take point if nobody else has a mind of it." Alexis says. "I'm lighter than I look." Says the cyborg commando weighted down with a ridiculous amount of gear as it is. Then again, she has a knack for being unnaturally nimble, which she demonstrates by taking point during the trek with railgun raised and a flashlight mounted on the weapon's handguard shining.

    This might throw the world's physics into whack, bringing out light from a man-made construct, but whatever. WOrk first, think later.

    Alexis pauses only to look up at the massive tree, noting it considering everyone else seems to think of it as super important. Her optics go click and she files the photo away for later.

    At last it hits her like a truck as she sees hints of landmass at the top of this massive forest, practically at odds with everything she knows about geography and topography. Shit be strange in the multiverse, as this has come to show her once more. "Whoa..."

    What resembles snow and then ash turns out to be sandbanks, something that causes the redhaired cyborg to raise her eyebrow in perplexion.

    The arrival of more beings, one magical girl and another, quieter girl are noted but not thought upon.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    On their way, Mizuki adopts the reticent, almost wistful condition of observation that she has grown so fond of entering when within Lordran's borders. Though she's not entirely sure she -is- within Lordran's borders today, that doesn't make the sights she's seeing any less like something out of a painting; there are trees scattered around them. Massive, each one. They rest within a sea that expands far past what she's able to perceive with a glance, and even with the various tan, blue, black, and grey hues she's exposed to, it all seems to fade together somehow. Like some sort of multi-toned monochrome. Glancing to Priscilla, she can't help but wonder if she's ever been here before. The stagnation here lends itself rather well to reflection.

    ... though, she'll admit, it's a bit less comfortable here than it has been elsewhere. It certainly -feels- as though they've been buried beneath an entire continent. It's hard to describe what the air here is like, but it's something very well beyond stale. If 'ancient' ruins have been around for thousands of years, this place has existed since the beginning of time. It is truly timeless in ways that even she can scarce comprehend. Glancing at her hands for a few moments, she silently wonders to herself if her spectral form is comprised of that same fog that makes up the sky. A grey phantom in a grey wood where time has either paused, or has never flowed at all. Some small inkling is telling her it's more likely to be the latter.

    After some time gawking, Mizuki would step up to Priscilla's side again, now far more collected and silent save for the crunches of the sand beneath her feet. When she does eventually speak, she would turn her head to her, hands folded behind her back, and speak in a softer whisper than should be possible for her. "Is this that place you had mentioned?" She remembers the meaning of what she says only as they come rolling, as if inadvertently, out of her mouth. Her eyes widen at the recollection. Yes, there was a time when Priscilla had mentioned travelling to the most ancient place in their world. Something about a covenant, wasn't it, that was dedicated to the preservation of what artifacts the endless dragons had left behind? She had never acted on that offer before now, but now might be a golden opportunity. Idly, she wonders if one of those dragons is here, now, watching their intrusion with curiosity or apathy or both, and wonders what she may have to learn from them.

    After some time looking around, Mizuki's gaze wonders to the ground, and her arms to stationary positions at her sides. She would eventually crouch to take some of the sand into her hand, sifting through it as though she was to find some ages old treasure buried in their midst. Though in reality, this is probably just her way of being respectful.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    Ash Lake huh. Amalthea's endless gaze flits from face to face, many of whom she already knows, The new White Phantom draws a long look from the unicorn, gaze fixated upon Sakina with equal measure curiosity and confusion, and then to 'Princess Paladin', before she moves along. Some sh knows, some she doesn't. Ainsley gets a brief thumbs up, before the old knight starts striding, one elbow giving Kimiko a rough and tumble thump in greeting, and a lighter nudge for Chris.
    She trusts Lordran- and any place in Lordran about as far as she can throw a giant-- which is to say not very far at all- as she takes Nathan's suggestion to scout ahead. Already the Rocket Knight's flight pack bursts to life, carrying her in controlled leaps and bounds ahead of the group. She has to pause at the sight of the giant trees- the realization that they were IN a tree. And now among so many, does give even the old unicorn a moment of awed pause. "... Goddamn."

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "The gods hanging out in a place like this?" Shirou sounds doubtful. He can't even see much sign of footprints in the fine snands... but he's loking more at the trees. Those trees, those TREES.

    They awe him. Are they really underground? If so, just where do those trees reach to?

    "trace, on..." Running Magical energy through his eyes to Reinforce them, he enhances his vision range by several factors... and even with that, he's having serious trouble seeing much he couldn't before.

    They're just that big.

    But his awe's broken by the appearance of a very unexpected adventurer. He turns about, spots Princses Paladin... and his eyes go really wide. "Y-you!?" Yeah, seriously, what's SHE doing here?

    The redhead makes a somewhat intense face at her. Not exactly scowly.. more along the lines of, he just can't figure out how to consider her in all this.

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako scoops up her broomstick and holds it horizontally behind her head with both of her hands as she begins scouting on Nathan's suggestion. Although in her case, she takes to the water instead of the sky. Her legs below her skirt vanish into the still water and she seems to slide slowly on the water's surface without a single ripple. Although in actuality, she's keeping a careful watch on the water and spreading her pale blue flames out to give enough light.

Riva Banari has posed:
Hell yeah, exploration! Riva is down with that. Especially with the lack of dying. She clambers along the tunnel and hollows, working her way down the rootwork, making sure to carfully balance her way on the way down.

Stepping out into the rest of the area causes her to look over the area in shock and awe, considering the skyline, the tree and the shores before them in a complete whole, and then again as the sum of parts.

She naturally draws towards Ayako during the trip. sticking with the water spirit as the most familiar fact. "I know, isn't it awesome, Ayako? An entire underwater lake down here! There's amazing!" She pauses for a moment. "I wonder if the water is safe. So much ash might mean there's some unpleasant stuff out there." She pokes at the sand, not seeming to agree with Ainsley about tresspassing. Guess she has some adventurer tendencies after all. "Ains! Come check this out!" She says as she pokes at some ash and debris and stuff along the beach.

Priscilla has posed:
    "These are the archtrees, here from the beginning of the world. All mortal plants descend from them in some fashion, such that those closest to their original lineage are coveted for their powerful uses in magic. Only those within the divine court of Anor Londo knoweth the way to this place. It is the origin of everything. From whence the gods themselves arose." Priscilla says to Ayako and Ainsley. "No more unstable than the edge of a beach, but perhaps that is for the best, as disturbing the waters here is an . . . ill advised action. Not everything from the Age of Ancients didst ascend to the peak of the archtrees." She says to Eryl, pointing directly ahead in response to Nathan. "We art not so far from it now."

    Priscilla does falter in her step slightly at Sakina in particular starting to act odd, and again at the garishly coloured girl suddenly adding herself on from behind. She doesn't like the idea of letting multiversal vagrants and probable psychos wander around here, but she's surrounded by so many powerful friends, it's not as if they could exactly do much to disrupt things. At least Shirou knows one of them apparently. To Mizuki, she only gives a glance that more or less says 'everything you're thinking is true, and that's only half of it'. For Amalthea and Ainsley taking to the air, the sight isn't much different. Gaining elevation barely expands the horizon, meaning it must not curve at all, like a round earth would. It does however, put them over the rolling hills of tree roots, and thus high enough to be able to see where the path terminates at the base of another tree. This one isn't sunk entirely into the ground; instead spreading its roots out in a wide cone, much like a mangrove. Whatever is underneath those roots is impossible to see from up high, but the glance is enough to know the destination.

    The group doesn't get there. Coming around the next giant root in the path, a sort of sudden shock runs through every phantom present, like the ripples of a metaphysical quake. They aren't left with much time to contemplate it, because as soon as anyone can so much as pause for thought, a voice echoes off the water, coming from up above. Looking up towards it source, perchet atop the swell of the archtree root, one sees another group of phantoms, almost as large as Priscilla's entourage; every one of which is coloured a deep, vivid blue. None of them were there previously when the fliers scouted the area, meaning that their arrival must have been recent and precise. "Lo, heretic who has tarnished the halls of Anor Londo. No sooner have you set foot upon this land again, then have you come to defile the sacred Ash Lake as well, bringing all manner of heathens and demons with you." All of the figures are armed and armoured, and the one in the lead with a strange, finned helm, seems to be speaking directly to Priscilla. "You were warned that your transgressions would not go unpunished. In the name of the Dark Sun, recieve your judgement!" The sight is quite confusing to those who weren't present at Anor Londo itself, but when the leading figure throws their arm forward to signal a hail of arrows and bolts, the act of being fired upon is really all the context that is needed. The majority of the attack seems to be centered on Priscilla, who promptly turns invisible, only for a handful of arrows to hit before she can get away, stabbing into the empty air and hovering there.

Fassad (248) has posed:
     Fassad almost immediately goes to action. He, specifically, moves in front of Priscilla. Although Priscilla is now invisible. He sighs, looking up at the arrows.
     He lifts his shield, the Mirror Shield. An artifact shield tha can't be broken by most attacks. He is hoping that, as per his idea, everyone gets down behind him. And behind anyone else who has a shield.

     He better not be the only one who has a shield, or else this is going to get messy fast.

     "STAND DOWN, FOUL ASSAULTERS! We are allies of JUSTICE AND GOOD! We rebuke any claims of any of us being demons! All with us are noble and just warriors! If you must try and attack us, come down here, and fight us like a /true/ warrior, in honorable combat!"

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Someone will need to get Nathan's head down, or get him behind a shield. Still on the beach, if nobody else protects him, he'll wind up taking a bolt or two to the gut, brought onto his back down swiftly. Of course, if someone can shove him out of the way or get a barrier up, they'll be able to stop that.

    It doesn't matter to his orders what happens to Nathan, though. He'll be giving out his orders over the radio, of course. All in the same droning monotone as if he were giving a lecture, instead of potentially wounded and definitely under fire.

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko was most worried about a sudden attack, perhaps from below. The waters were unnaturally still, but Priscilla made it sound as if there could still be monsters beneath them. Walking on an ash beach like this put them in easy range of being taken out. An attack from above is almost welcome, at least in that it's loudly heralded. She has plenty of time to step in front of Nathan and summon a blade and shield. When she sees what's coming, she lets her sword-tip drop to the ground behind her, focusing on expanding her knight's shield into a siege shield--a man-portable defensive implement, of just the kind you'd want if approaching hostile castle ramparts on foot. There's a space in it to open a slit through which to fire a crossbow, but as she isn't carrying one, that's currently closed.

    A quick glance behind confirms that Nathan lacks the appropriate reflex to do this himself. Kimiko will heave a sigh over it later. For now, sword dropped, she grabs the general and yanks him down behind her, taking the moment after to lift her sword up again.

    Bolts and arrows will impact her shield. From a heavy enough implement, they'll pierce partway through, but with her full attention on defense, it'll take something really special to break her.

Princess Paladin (589) has posed:
Paladin nods her head to Shirou, a bow approximating that one would give to an equal, or someone familiar at least. "You, as well. I do not recall you offering your name, but I believe I was able to determine it to be... Emiya Shirou?" A vividly pink-eyed gaze is turned on Amalthea before the unirockecornknight takes off into the air. Various others are also inspected, senses sharpened by magic, taking in the details of their appearances and behaviors. She is not here to analyze them, but she is here to get away from mortal concerns. Seeing who she is travelling with is as good a way as any. "Would these gods not be detectable via their power-?" Paladin starts to ask, as though she knows anything about that. She can not even sense magic. What is she even saying? But then there is yelling, and she turns her attention on the voice. A pink scepter forms from pink sparkles, grasped in her left hand.

She waits, eyes narrowing in response to the provocative language, tone, and posture of the others - clearly seeking conflict of some kind. It is not until they attack, however, that she reacts. She leaps towards raised surface or place she can get a better look at the enemy from, and recklessly prepares to counter attack without even seeking cover. The attacks seem mostly to be focused on the towering woman in white, who has now ducked out apparently, so Paladin feels any injury she suffers will be minor as a consequence of her actions.

When you can heal almost any non-fatal wound, a bit of recklessness is perhaps expected. She aims the Sacred Scepter at those high above, and pink energy gathers on the spherical tip. The three gems along the length of the scepter light up, and then the magical girl cries out, "PENANCE BEAM!" A magical laser streaks out from the Sacred Scepter, attempting to pierce through the enemy - or perhaps their perch. Of course, as this distance, they probably have plenty of time to react, and that root is part of an 'Arch-Tree'. For all Paladin knows they are plant-gods or something and immune to damage. But she is making the effort at least. Even if she is likely about to take a few arrows to the few parts of her that are not covered by armor.

Alexis Maaka (571) has posed:
    "Oh hell." Maaka practically sees the assault coming, and her helmet folds into place, forming a death mask of sorts that gives the frostiest of glares before the cyborg disappears into invisibility. She may risk getting arrowed as well before she disappears, depending on her luck. If she is, she rips the offending projectile free from her body before sneaking off, looking for a high perch to make herself comfortable upon.

    The cyborg slings her rifle onto her back, mantling onto roots with her suit's advanced climbing gear using static cling to adhere herself. The moment Alexis sees the commander's signal in her HUD, she grins. "Atta boy, Hall." She takes that hint without missing a beat, moving to perch upon something while assaulting the flank.

    Her rifle hums to life and she scopes the target down, resting her finger on the trigger.

    Pewpewpew. Three shots are fired in rapid succession while she's based here, high-velocity magnetic slugs sent hurdling downrange.

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako smiles cheerfully at Riva, "Un. It's very nice water." She aahhs softly as she listens to Priscilla. "I won't disturb the water any."

    When the voice echoes off the water, Ayako quickly looks up at the source-and she quickly withdraws back towards the group. She inclines her head to the side gently when she listens to what they have to say... and then looks towards Priscilla upon the word 'judgement', in time to see her turn invisble-and take a few arrows.

    Ayako's hands quickly cup in front of herself and she swiftly flings a handfull of purple healing water at the floating arrows that haven't turned invisible along with Priscilla. "Healing Water!" Said water should rapidly heal the arrow wounds Priscilla took and get those annoying visible arrows out of her so she can be properly invisible!

Sakina (610) has posed:
    Strange how little attention Sakina seems to be paying the other phantoms. She acknowledges their existence, at least, as much as she needs to do so in order to linger among their number in silence, but as she stares along the shore, she barely seems to care much about the fact that they're even there.

    When the blue phantoms appear, however, her attention immediately snaps to them. Her posture straightens, and before they even finish speaking, she's already lifting the flame in her left hand in front of her as it bursts into roiling life. A moment later, that same flame is slammed into her chest...and with a steaming hiss of molten metal being dipped into water, every inch of her body, clothing included, suddenly shifts into gleaming metal.

    Even in this phantom form, her body creaks and shifts with each movement that seems like a great effort. She is, however, still not /slow/; her shotel is snatched from her waist, and without a moment's further hesitation, the iron-bodied Sakina starts forward. Slowly at first, lumbering slightly in her creaking gait, but then building into a faster and faster barreling run toward the blue phantoms. Arrows scrape at her iron form, some now and then digging into the metal and lodging into her body, but none of them seem to slow her down at all.

    The moment she reaches the blue phantoms, she sets upon them in a vicious offensive, crashing into them with her ironclad weight to unsteady a few in front before hacking and slicing at them with the curved blade clutched in her hand.

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    Ainsley marvels at the sheer volume of space this forest takes up. That it could exist at all in a spherical world, or any world without profoundly powerful supernatural rules and history, is something she immediately recognizes as impossible. She keeps having to redirect her focus back to the task at hand. One such moment of distraction is interrupted by the awful sensation of the Blue Phantoms arriving.

    She stares at them, not bothering to correct their accusation. She simply draws the longsword from its scabbard. The sword sparks once in response to the electrical field around her.

    When arrows and bolts fly, she emits a sphere of magnetic force around herself that a few of the bolts get stuck in, others piercing through and slicing one of her arms. She grunts at the obvious sensation of pain. Once she has a moment to act, she swings her sword, projecting the magnetic field back out to force the projectiles back at the Blue Phantoms, proceeding her approach at a rapid pace.

    She lets out a loud howling battlecry at them. She's trying to get to their leader, but will settle for anyone who gets in the way.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki would return Priscilla's look briefly before jolting into action the moment that the phantoms show themselves. She would summon her sword into existence and level it at them, pointing its tip toward the one who had been speaking. "Heretical are those who falsely apply that name to others. You lack the right to judge the one person who has moved to lift your world out the crucible of certain doom, yet still you chide her - her, who has endured so much due to the weakness of your own souls - so? Despicable." Mizuki narrows her eyes. "You'll not have the time to rue your actions. Judgement comes swiftly to your caustic dissonance."

    As has become her custom, Mizuki doesn't move in to attack. Rather, she would stay directly beside Priscilla, ready to parry any blows that should make it through to her as she cloaks the area nearest the phantoms themselves in a field that would speed the movements of the well-intentioned. In the meanwhile she would retrieve her revolver from her pocket as an insurance policy, glancing to the halfbreed with a miserable, mournful look. In the unspoken language of gestures that they seem to have developed, Mizuki's eyes would say: 'I am sorry that you must bear the burden of so many false accusations. Time may progress, but it seems some things never go out with its tides'.

    That's an oddly specific thing to say with a glance, isn't it?

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    With each jump not giving Amalthea a normal horizon as a point of reference, after sight the next tree and sprawling roots, she touches down. Only to have her attention suddenly snared by the squad of very impersonable blue phantoms sudenly arriving from seemingly nowhere. And proving to be very openly hostile. Demons? Dark Sun? The instant that barrage is sent Priscilla's way, the old paladin curses most foully under her breath. Shield lashed tightly to her arm, she backpedals into ranks with the others with a flourish of her cloak, suddenly thrusting herself into a position in front of Chris and...
    Sakina turns to metal and charges the lot of them.
    "... Well, I'll give her credit for being ballsy."
    Rather than draw her blade however, she pulls something else from her cloak. The sleek black frame of a KRISS Vector submachine gun; bearing a double-drum magazine, which she braces over the upper rim of her kite shield and flicks on the laser sight.
    "Hey, Chris, we've gotta find less violent ways to hang outm don't we?" He knows the drill of how this should go, as that lone blue eye lines down the sights.
    Every squeeze of the trigger is a loud DAT-DAT of a two round burst as she aims for center of mass on the nearest Blue Phantom. They initiated aggression.
    Amalthea has absolutely no qualms of ending it.

Chris Rothschild (283) has posed:
    Amalthea's protection is a godsend for Chris - his other option was a dive behind Kimiko's protective shield, and that might have led to a great big Rothcushion. So with the protection of the flying robot unicorn paladin, the magic hacker is free to do what he does best: load and dispense his signature liquid metal spell. One each goes to Kimiko and Amalthea, giving them a flowing protective armor that both ablates as it takes hits and energizes the body, improving offense and defense. In the case of both Amalthea and Kimiko, however, it also has one other added bonus. It bonds to and takes on the properties of surrounding metal when that metal is damaged, forming on-the-spot repairs.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     As they walk along the paths, Eryl chooses to take up the rear, stepping carefully. In situations like these, having heavier limbs than normal is such a liability. As he goes, he listens closely to Priscilla as she details this 'archtree.' "Hmm. A mythology I was able to recover scraps of information on mentioned a 'World Tree.' This sounds terribly similar."

     But them, a group of blue spirits appear above, condemning Priscilla. He was about to call out to them, negotiate their way past, when arrows are fired! Oh dammit. Even in a place like this, people take violence as a first option.

     He listens closely to the radio, hearing Nathan giving sound tactical advice. He and Miss Priscilla are the most vulnerable right now, so he offers his own. "We must draw fire off of Miss Priscilla and Mister Hall. I will forge ahead, firing as a go to mark myself as a larger threat."

     Thus, he breaks into a run, carefully measuring his steps so he doesn't slip into the water. Turning to look at the phantoms, he points his index fingers right at them. "Overwhelming fire is prudent eh?..." he mutters, giving a small sigh. His KOAN Core fires up, pumping power into each arm. Original Face indicates the likely trajectory of his shots, the estimated distances and placing markers over each phantom. Then, he begins to fire. With eight rounds per finger, that makes sixteen shots he fires. Each one has enough power to travel in a straight line, defeating the advantage of higher ground.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Shirou blinks at this treatment. He was not expecting anything like reasonable behavior from Princess Paladin. he half-stammers, but quickly recovers. "I didn't.. how did you learn it?" No susicion, he's just BAFFLED. He's hardly so important.

    But then, something else grabs his attention. Chills run up his spine and... ambush!

    Fearfully the boy glances about. They're surrounded!

    But the group makes one mistake. They take five seconds or so to talk. In that amount of time...

    He manages to prepare a defense. Mind moving at hyper-speed, he constructs an image of the mightiest defense he knows, throws an arm forward, and hastily Projects it!

    Filmy silvery energy flares out from his hand and forms into the slightly curved shape of a mighty Tower shield. Its form appears translucent and frayed at the edges, but the four-wings heraldry upon the front is unmistakable.

    What of that entire volley that's aimed his way slams into the shield and SHATTERS or bounces off.

    "You guys are still spouting that crap about her?!"

    Golden light flares in his hands as the shield fades away...

    And in a moment or two, he's dual-wielding Priscilla's daggers.

Cursed One (608) has posed:
    The blues picked a bad time and place to appear.

    PAn irritated-sounding shout turns a few phantasmal heads at the rear of the hostile group. Whatever was said to draw their attention is lost by the time it reaches the ears of Priscilla's crew, thanks mostly to distance and the odd ways sound can bounce around in so tangled a setting, but it must have been a challenge -- the angry heat is too obvious to miss. Afterward, an unnamed figure dressed in unfamiliar armor throws himself into the mass without any caution whatsoever. The knight -- the armor looks knightly, so this newcomer very well could be a knight -- produces matched swords from sheathes worn at either hip, gives each a twirl, and wades forward in a prowling, menacing stride.

    But why dull the edge of a good weapon whenever other, equally lethal measures are available for ending one's enemies? A good boot to the chest is all it takes to send a Darkmoon phantom falling to its death, and this 'knight' happens to be quite good at kicking.

Riva Banari has posed:
Oh man, it's a small army of Blue Phantoms. Check that out. Riva looks up at the massed group in shock at the call, and then they shoot first. "OH HELL NO YOU DID NOT JUST DO THAT." Riva yells as she pulls her guns, a pair of Ingram MAC-10s. They hum with blue-green energy flwoing through the inlays upon the weapons as she begins channeling Anima, and levels the weapons. She follows Nathan's coordination, using her guns to sweep the ranged enemies and possibly interrupt their next incoming salvo. She sees exactly what Nathan wants to do: Taking out their ranged combatants gives them aerial superiority, which will let them open breaches for their melee combatants to exploit. Rock, paper, scissors.

Priscilla has posed:
    For the most part, the stray projectiles are deflected well enough by Fassad's, Amalthea's, Shirou's and Kimiko's shields. None of the enemies present are using exceptionally heavy weaponry, but the impact of each arrow hitting home seems far stronger than a bunch of shortbows and light crossbows should be capable of. The fusillade continues for as long as it takes the group to act, with a pair of bolts aimed for Alexis as she starts to run off, and someone hurling a throwing knife straight into Pricess Paladin as she leaps into the air. A couple of phantoms raise shields to shelter themselves from the hail that Ainsley sends back at them, tagging two of them with non-fatal wounds, but they know well enough to get out of the way of obvious magic, and so they scatter immediately as the magical girl's beam and the templar's anime shots slam into the root of the archtree, which predictably enough, barely suffers superficial damage. One of them is slightly too slow, and is launched sideway from his perch in a spray of glittering blue blood, disappearing before he hits the ground as Alexis takes him out. Another is caught just as he goes to jump by a sudden kick from behind from an unknown new assailant, sending him head over heels through the air before splashing into the water. He doesn't come up.

    Rather than clumsily dive every which way however, the group descends as a cohesive formation, taking flying leaps from above and descending one those gathered below like something out of the hashashin playbook. Swords, spears and daggers, most of them fine, precision blades, are bought to bear on Mizuki, Amalthea, Kimiko, Fassad, Shirou, Riva, and especially long jumps attempt to take them over the shield line and slam into Nathan and Chris from above. The figure who drops down on Sakina finds his weapon barely penetrating her iron flesh at all, causing him to bounce off awkwardly and be cut down by her swing. Another one is taken out in midair as Amalthea's rounds manage to strike him in the head, and another is shredded by Eryl's gunfire as well, meaning none of them are wearing titanite reinforced armour, which indicates that these must be lower level mooks sent en-masse to assassinate a single target, rather than an elite corps for dealing with a large, well armed group.

    Ayako's healing proves effective on Priscilla, as the hovering arrows are forced from their wounds with little spurts of blood, perhaps accelerated by her partially draconic constitution. Unfortunately, the soft sand marks her footprints as the crossbreed starts to move, but the attacks of her allies turn everything into such a confusing melee that nobody pays attention to them. A phantom that charges directly for Ayako herself is intercepted by an invisible swing from nowhere, phantom blood exploding from his torso before he too fades into mist.

Fassad (248) has posed:
     With the enemies anow in Melee range, Fassad moves from his more defensive position, standing taller. With their blades brought in, he still works to use his shield to block them. He's rather adept at shieldplay, after all. But, despite the danger of this situation... Fassad simply /smirks./

     "You knaves don't know who you are dealing with, do you? I am Prince Fassad, heir to the land of Arcadia! Far and wide I have travelled, and never have I been bested in combat! Why, in fact, you will be but a footnote in the legend known as Fassad! Now, look at my sword, the brilliant and beautiful weapon! For it shall be your downfall! May you fall into the depths, and never return! Should you reptent, do it now, or face your maker!"

     He smirks at the end of this heroic speech.

     With his smirk, his teeth show, and they let loose a /blinding/ magical light.

     He uses this sudden burst of light to try and make a wide circular slash all around him, being careful to aim to /avoid/ hitting any allies who might still be near him. His sword glows briefly with light as well, temporarily imbued with magic.

     "HAVE AT THEE!"

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako nods her head once those annoying arrows stop giving away Priscilla's location, and quickly starts calculating in her head. Alright... that's where everyone is-Eeep! A phantom is charging! Her eyes blink quickly when an invisible swing tears apart the charging phantom. She bows her head in thanks towards the invisible Priscilla and sweeps her hands out quickly. "Water Bubble!"

    A bubble of water encloses everyone briefly and then vanishes! Despite it not being visible anymore, it's still there. Unfortunately, it's not much of a barrier. It's a soft barrier that doesn't appear to do much of anything other than very negligibly slow attacks coming in. Nonetheless, Ayako needs it in place to make her other barriers!

    Ayako then resumes watching the attacking phantoms. Carefully. Trying to figure out the right barrier for this situation!

Princess Paladin (589) has posed:
A throwing knife stabs Paladin in the leg, hindering mobility somewhat. Ordinarily it would hinder her a lot, but the magic of her transformation ensures not just supernatural grace and composure, but resilience and pain tolerance. Even if it hurts to have a blade grinding and tearing in the wound as long as she leaves it there, she can keep fighting more or less unimpaired. But she takes the time to remove it anyway, and throw it aside. Then she raises her Sacred Scepter and holds it at her side as though it were a baseball bat or a sword. A luminous glow forms upon the Sacred Scepter's tip, turning into a solid bar that then bends out and upwards until it is shaped like a crescent moon. Paladin gathers her strength and her magic, twisting as she puts her weight into the swing, even as blood squelches from her leg wound, and calls out, "CRUSADER'S CRESCENT!" She swings, and swings, and swings. And each swing launches a crescent blade of lunar magic that sweeps in from the sides, or comes down from above, or otherwise targets the enemies from indirect angles.

They cut through most things they touch, but Elites seem to be more resilient. They tend not to die quite as fast from a blade of light scything through them like someone harvesting bodies.

Regardless of if the blades are evaded or non-lethal, they should at least provide a distraction for others as they perform their own attacks.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    If the blade threatening Mizuki is one that comes in the form of a thrust rather than a slash, she would move to throw her own sword at its metal, slashing it out of her way. If it isn't a thrust, then she would hold her blade horizontally as though it were a shield, hopefully staying its course before it gets through to either the halfbreed or herself. Either way, she would then take any window of opportunity given to her to attempt a thrusting jab at the assailants torso, followed by a series of brutal, short-ranged gunshots at their face. It's fairly clear that she has every intention of making this as lethal as (in)humanly possible.

    If any more soldiers are presently headed Priscilla's way, she stay to attend to them. If there aren't, though, she would summon her wings, leaping into the sky and using her quickening field as a checkpoint between herself and the archers. Then she would attempt to cut their weapons - and possibly, their hands - to incapacitate them before attempting the same series of jabs and gunshots that she had before. She would continue in this fashion as long as she could, taking out as many archers as possible before she is harmed somehow or someone else takes care of them.

    There's an uncharacteristic fire in her eyes all the while, and a seemingly mismatched look of seriousness.

Cursed One (608) has posed:
    Priscilla no doubt collects her share of the soul energy rising into the air from these fading phantoms, but some of it is drawn toward the unnamed attacker, too. The figure pauses to enjoy an easy victory won through a single kick before dropping down in immediate pursuit of who's left, mimicking the leaps and rolls risked by the Darkmoon without paying any mind to the perilous terrain and many, many inherent pitfalls. Given that this 'knight' had just collected some souls from the fallen, it's pretty likely that he just doesn't give a fuck.

    Or is it a she? Now that the figure's come closer, the armor is fitted and molded in certain ways to suit a feminine stature. Are those leather cups at the chest supposed to represent the idealized male anatomy, or to conform to a woman's bosom? Man, who cares. What's important is that this person has drawn out two matched swords and is twirling them around in a good impression of a blender.

    One phantom smoothie, coming up.

    A forward roll into the midst of whoever's left, and the armored figure gets to work.

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    Losing sight of where their leader is, Ainsley decides to just do what any good soldier does in the middle of a chaotic mess, and she swerves about to start approaching from an angle that her enemies aren't looking. Not wanting to fight them on their own turf, she uses her flight advantage to its maximum potential by doing fly-by swipes with the longsword, taking up the most lethal part of the foodchain in Lordran that one can have without being a dragon.

    Ainsley has become the dreaded Flying Monster. Complete with annoying flight patterns that are inconvenient for someone who can't match her in the air. She's not, however, super good at avoiding reprisal while she's doing this, so a well-timed blunt smack or sword slash might ground her. She just seems to hope they don't think of doing that. Harrying the forces is her tactic, trying to keep them from remaining organized.

Sakina (610) has posed:
    The moment she hears the shout of that unknown knight, Sakina lifts her head from where she's buried her shotel in the neck of an unfortunate blue phantom. She pauses, her head cocking to one side in a birdlike fashion, before she turns her attention away to more important matters. Matters like the horde of blues still present around them.

    A quick yank tears her shotel from the phantom it was embedded in, and she once more lifts her flame above her as it flares to life. Rather than slamming it into her currently-iron body, however, she instead crouches and buries her hand in the sandy ash at her feet.

    What follows is an attack that rises from the ground. Pillars of fire erupt all around her in quick succession in a large area, consuming whoever is within range in roiling flames or sending them flying with the explosive rise of each pillar. The series of eruptions only last a few moments, but that's as long as it seems to need to last before Sakina rises to her feet again.

    She doesn't seem to care about warning anyone who just might be too close to her at the time. Not too good at communicating with allies, this one.

Chris Rothschild (283) has posed:
    With the invincible wall of angranium protecting him, Chris has a few moments to prepare himself more properly for a fight. His little bags of monetary tricks are tied to his belt, a few prepared rolls of coins in different types on call. He doesn't have long to prep something more fancy, so he reaches for a roll of pennies from the pouch right up front, and tears it enough to dump several of them into his left hand. He takes a couple into his right-

    -and that's when a spearman leaps his defender and tries to come down on him spear first.

    It would be stylish to say that Chris was ready, that as soon as the attacker came in view of the magus he was greeted with a faint smirk and a confident expression. But Chris is not stylish. He is not a cool-headed combatant. So it's more like a half-reflexive flail when he whips his hand up and flicks one of the coins before diving out of the way.

    But even a completely uncool toss like that is still enough to set off the coin, which abruptly accelerates itself to the velocity of a railgun round, right for the attacking phantom's chest.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Eryl gives a little sigh as he sees one of his targets torn apart by his shots. He dearly hopes that they work by the same principles as other phantoms. Looking back at the group, his heart falls when he sees their opponents leap down at them. In this situation, he hasn't time to reload 'One Hand Clapping.' He briefly considers rushing back to join them in melee, when Nathan advises those with ranged attacks to hang back and pick off who they can.

     That means 'Flowering Hedge.' He raises his arms so that his elbows point right at the melee, Original Face pinpointing every opponent. His KOAN Core diverts power into his upper arms. This will make for some tricky shots.

     He waits for Princess Paladin's announced attack to occur before taking aim at up to two survivors. "Firing." The sleeves of his shirt and coat suddenly shred at the elbows, two heavy slugs erupting from them, flying at the blue phantoms. Their weight, combined with velocity, should be sufficient to, at the very least, knock them off their feet, and perhaps into the water.

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko is hanging well back, seeing no reason to move forward and leave Nathan unprotected. That would be particularly bad if the enemy figures out that he's directing combat. Whether or not to advance is rendered partially mute as the enemy comes, instead, to her.

    Setting her wall of a shield down in the sand, supporting struts at the bottom hold it up and in place so that it may continue to protect one person rather well from missile fire--two if they squeeze in, but with Fassad and Amalthea here, there may be enough shields to go around. Kimiko summons a second shield, this one smaller and oval in shape, moving just to the left of her emplacement to be ready to greet whatever charges her. In her right hand, a spear shimmers into being.

    It is said that all warfare is deception. When the first blue phantom reaches her position, it would be unreasonable to complain, then, when the Puella Magi's spear quickly extends an extra two meters as she jabs it forward, curiously without slowing her retraction.

    Destroying the enemy is secondary. Keeping them off is her main goal.

Alexis Maaka (571) has posed:
    Once Alexis gives a request for a confirmation, she goes back to supporting the others with taking shots from above like an unseen reaper of souls.

    She sights down more hostiles, her scope scanning for weaknesses in their armor among other things, and the knights are targeted with a mercilessly efficient grace as Alexis methodically fires upon them with one to two railgun blasts apiece. Normally this weapon is built for engaging cyborgs, but it'll do in displaying overwhelming force necessary for a psychological victory against these chumps. If they have any brains, they'll be considering running once they find that more and more of their number are being cut down one at a time.

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    NATHAN HALL can't do much here at the moment.

    However, still behind a shield, he can use his PERFECT MEMORY combined with an observant inclination to attempt to determine if Alexis Maaka took down the apparent leader of the group. By way of tracking, through his memory, the leader specifically, and marking it on the data-feed he provides to the others. Anyone inclined to do so may find themselves able to target the LEADER with their particular attack.

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva is happy to see the bubble of water encase her for a moment. she learned how awesome Ayako's barriers were recently, and is totally down with seeing them come into play again, especially to keep Team Blue off of Priscilla. Maybe she needs to go visit that guy in the bell tower at some point.

One of the blues comes in hard for her, however, and Riva dives backwards, trying to keep from falling over into the water while not getting skwered. Mook or not, a blade in the wrong place will kill just as surely as one from a hero. She continues to fire, though the guy in her face forces her to focus her anima bullets at the guy in her face instead of focusing elsewhere.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    With the Blades of the Dark Moon drawing closer, Amalthea actually has to safety her Vector and tuck it back onto the hook at her waist, armor and shield holding steady thanks to Chris' liquid metal aid.
    It is her sword, Faith, that she draws now, ringing in a resounding song as the razor honed edge drags against the lip of the scabbard, ready to meet the onrushing assault that slams into the shield wall. With a grunt she stands firm, not budging from her spot beside Kimiko, in front of Chris.
    The leaping phantom that gets OVER her draws a snarling curse, she's turning to try and handle him- when she next realizes she should duck her head as the magus hucks a coin at sound barrier breaking speeds. "--Jesus, Chris."
    It's actually a pretty cool trick.
    But she is able to pay attention elsewhere. The roaring cry of a new figure joining the battle as the Cursed One goes to town on the blues. "Goddamn."
    She finds herself very busy though, forced to suddenly GRAB at the phantom closest to her in an attempt to THROW HIM DOWN. Up comes her boot.
    And then down with ground-cratering force aimed at the skull.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    A swordsman gets the leap-drop on Shirou! he manages to parry with both blades crossed and held rigidly in formation, but has no opportunity to counterattack! ... For several blows, anyways. No chance to talk or try to convince these assailants of htheir bad path! ... But if they're phantoms, well... he's got no reason to hold back, does he?

    Not that he can accord to, anyways!

    "Gh!" He's slashed across the side, but in exchange he drives a blow straight into the his enemy's defenses. The weapons he abandons, hopefulyl embedded in his foe as he leaps away. "What problem does Gwyndolin have with Priscilla?!"

    Princess Paladin honestly doesn't need his help. But Chris sure does. Shirou leaps sideways, taking a defensive stance in front of and slightly to Chris' side. "These guys aren't gonna back down!"

    *sizzle-FSSHCLANG!*

    The redhead arms himself again. this time, Ornstein's Dragonslayer Spear's in his grasp, and he starts launching electric bolts from it at the ambushers! If it breaks? Oh well, he'll just Project a new one!

Priscilla has posed:
    Despite the fact that pretty much every blue phantom present is wearing a helmet, a handful of them seem to react to Fassad's 'heroic' smile in about the same way one would react to accidentally staring at the sun. The ensuing spin attack manages to wound three of them at once. To their credit, the ones that aren't blinded are fairly agile and quite well trained, evading a great majority of Princess Paladin's crescents, though the one that turns to engage her is sliced in half almost immediately. Mizuki's assailant is intercepted almost immediately, but in the space between the thrust and her gunshots, he manages to lurch forward against the length of her rapier and get in one last stab against her before his helmet is perforated by point blank revolver rounds. By the time she gets into the air however, there are no archers left, and the enemy is swiftly being outnumbered and overwhelmed.

    Having come from behind, none of them notice a particular Cursed undead until she is already tearing into them, finishing off a couple of phantoms dealt heavy blows by Fassad, and the handful of survivors from Sakina's firestorm. The one with the shotel in the neck was perhaps more fortunate in not being burned alive. Chris catches his enemy with enough force to send him hurtling backwards in the opposite direction of his lunge; his spear just scraping short of his chest; who is then intercepted by a second slug from Eryl and killed pretty much on the spot, with his second target being the phantom suddenly sent sprawling back by Kimiko's spear, securing a pair of easy kills. No matter how many Alexis picks off however, they fight to the last man, safe in the knowledge that they can't be permanently killed as phantoms, and fearing not the pain of death in their devotion. Amalthea and Riva manage to blow the heads off of the penultimate two phantoms, and the very last one, still hellbent on killing Nathan judging by the angle of his charge, is skewered, lifted up into the air, and hurled into the water by Priscilla, who turns visible right as he is disposed of. The pitch black murk of the water shifts as the body disappears into its depths, and the lake rises a couple of inches on one side of the sandbar, before strangely lowering again, and leaving the water a lighter shade of dark blue.

    Priscilla doesn't look happy. Well, she never looks happy, but not usually this /un/happy. "Thou hast mine apologies. I had thought Gwyndolin more likelt to stew and scheme for some time rather than attempting so brazen an assault. If he is able to send his Blades wherever he wishes, then he is truly the only one of the court left in Anor Londo, and none remain to restrain him. He will likely attempt this again, with his elite." She looks towards Shirou. "Gwyndolin is mine mother's brother. Upholding the law and executing the will of the gods is his duty, which he enacts with his covenant, the Blades of the Darkmoon. None but the chosen were meant to enter Anor Londo on that day, and . . . asides. He was originally one of those who didst maketh the decision to . . . remove me from Anor Londo." Shaking her head, Priscilla looks towards the very end of the path, where the sand winds in a spiral around the splayed roots of Anor Londo's tree. "But not yet. Let us be swift in finding what lies at the end of this journey, if anything at all."

Princess Paladin (589) has posed:
Team work is not Paladin's strong suit. For so long, she has fought alone. Not for anyone else, just herself, and her selfish desire to see things destroyed - to ease the anger and pain of Miko Fujimoto, by spreading it to others. That has not quite changed. But her quest is set now. To defeat these enemies. One of the most viable ways of doing so is keeping her impromptu allies alive and allowing them to keep her alive. Working together is, for once, part of the 'any means necessary' that comes with her magic of law.

And despite herself, the girl inside the woman is excited. She may not be the best at coordinating attacks with others, but she is learning. The magical suggestion in her words, passively there, causes her to sound inspiring, mature, experienced, and full of determination - like she is older, wiser, and more knowledgeable than she is. But there are others here with real experience, far in excess of her own. There are REAL leaders here, coordinating and giving orders. There are people capable of flight, people who can use water to heal, to shoot with powerful guns, to strike with masterful sword strokes. There are people who can kick others at just the right time, and there are people who can turn invisible and become like the grim reaper, silent and unnoticed until she slices through all in her path. Weapons copied and wielded, defenses and healing, surprise spears, and magic bullets...

An assortment of powers, skills, and tools, all devoted to taking down an enemy on a coordinated front or - if not wholly coordinated because Paladin is not quite following most of the orders due to inexperience - at least a group who share the same objective.

It feels good to work together.

Princess Paladin remains focused on the battle at hand, keeping track of enemies, looking for an opening, or any foe she needs to chase down and beat to death if one makes the attempt to flee.

Miko Fujimoto is thinking how good it feels not to be alone. She's thinking, ((Is this what I've been looking for?))

But before she knows it, the battle is over. Which means her quest is concluded. She has to get out of here or she's going to change back. As Priscilla explains her relationship to the ones who tried to kill them, and advices they continue on... "I shall return shortly! You may proceed without me!" the magical girl announces even as she turns and runs, performing bounding, superhuman leaps, pink braid flying out behind her, before she vanishes back the way the group originally came.

She needs a moment to revert to Miko, and then transform again. And while that is happening, her joyful mood is tempered somewhat by the realization she does not belong amongst the others. Her only power is borrowed. She is fearful and weak when she is her true self. Working with and fighting alongside others... She can not truly do that until she is strong as Miko as well.

At least now she is convinced that she wants to be stronger.

Alexis Maaka (571) has posed:
    Pew pew pew. Alexis gets a good few more shots in before she eyes the chaos that the new challenger's been dishing out. "Jesus Christ," She mutters, almost in jealousy before she goes back to work. If she is jealous, she'd better pick up the pace in shooting more of these pricks to catch up with the new gal. Guy. Whatever.

    Her railgun fires until she finally begins to feel she'll need a new spot to perch, hopping from her spot as she climbs and mantles to another selection of roots. Leveling her railgun, she takes aim once more, and she begins to get more aggressive in her shots as she drops more and more of the phantoms.

    "C'mon you little bastards, just keep makin' noise..." She growls under her breath, her cloak concealing her as she claims another couple of souls for the gravelord...assuming Nito's still kickin' anyways.

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako whews softly as the battle ends and floats out of the water and onto her floating broomstick. She floats quickly over to Shirou and treats the slash on his side with a bath of healing water and glances around at everyone. "If anyone is hurt, please let me know!" She floats around the group, healing them if they let her know if they need healing.

    Ayako's head inclines to the side gently as she listens to Priscilla. "It's alright, Priscilla. You didn't know... and no one seems to have gotten rally hurt either..." She then pouts softly as she listens to Priscilla describe Gwyndolin, her cheeks puff out slightly. "A mean uncle then." She floats along with the group and nods her head slowly. "Un. Let's go then!"

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Eryl watches as the fight finally ends, breathing a sigh of relief. No one on their side was hurt, and thankfully, no one got in the way of his slugs. Touching the blade of his hands just next to the wrist causes a rectangular section of it to pop out. He pulls on them, removing the empty clips that load his 'One Hand Clapping' guns. As he waits for the group to catch up with him, he pockets those empty clips and takes out two loaded ones, slotting them back into the hole in his hands. However, he chooses not to reload 'Flowering Hedge.' The party has places to be, and can't be waiting on him to literally roll up his sleeves.

     "Is everyone okay?" he asks as the group catches up, Original Face scanning everyone for hints of injury. It notes that Princess Paladin suddenly retreats and he calls out after her. "Ma'am?! What's the matter?" Assuming he doesn't get an answer, he immediately resorts to the radio.

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko pulls back her spear, once again its original length, rather than the pike it was when it stabbed at her last assailant. A quick look to either side, and then another, turning with quick care, as she looks for more danger. None, presently. But what about the one who'd suddenly showed up behind the enemy? Not attacking them yet, at any rate. 'The enemy of mine enemy' is not always a friend, however, and her wariness remains.

    That's not the only figure she's keeping an eye on, though Princess Paladin's sudden departure has her attention primarily for other reasons. As sudden as her appearance, and as unexplained.

    She'll help Nathan up, if he needs it, and check on Amalthea and Chris nearby, giving a stoic nod before they get back to moving. Her siege wall disappears without comment. Now that danger *has* hit, her tension actually feels more manageable. Her wariness is just her usual mode, the stance in which she's most comfortable in a strange land.

Cursed One (608) has posed:
    The battle's over already?

    "Typical disappointment. Damned blues hardly ever give a good show, heh." The unknown figure's hollow-sounding voice is decidedly female, and sneering in some serious disdain; with her close-fitting helmet kept donned, however, no one is treated to actually seeing the twist of her expression. Flipping her swords around like a pair of six shooters, she returns each weapon to its sheath -- one worn at either hip -- and flicks the edge of her fur-lined mantle back over her shoulder.

    Up close, her armor's not so fine after all. It's mostly layered leather plates and the like, and it's all beat to hell by countless engagements. Even her boots are on the shabby side. The suit fits her better than a glove, though. It fits like a well-worn pair of cozy socks, or like a favorite old t-shirt. Whereas most people would need to strip down to get comfortable, this one looks like she needs to dress /up/.

    The figure takes one look at the collection of strangers, the overwhelming majority of them glowing white and gold and phantasmal, and lets out a muttering sigh before she begins to follow along uninvited. What are these people up to? And why? And furthermore, what's this stranger doing just trying to fit in?

Alexis Maaka (571) has posed:
    Pew pew pew. Alexis gets a good few more shots in before she eyes the chaos that the new challenger's been dishing out. "Jesus Christ," She mutters, almost in jealousy before she goes back to work. If she is jealous, she'd better pick up the pace in shooting more of these pricks to catch up with the new gal. Guy. Whatever.

    Her railgun fires until she finally begins to feel she'll need a new spot to perch, hopping from her spot as she climbs and mantles to another selection of roots. Leveling her railgun, she takes aim once more, and she begins to get more aggressive in her shots as she drops more and more of the phantoms.

    "C'mon you little bastards, just keep makin' noise..." She growls under her breath, her cloak concealing her as she claims another couple of souls for the gravelord...assuming Nito's still kickin' anyways.

    Just as the fight dies down, Alexis powers her railgun down and slings it across her back, climbing her way down to ground level once more with that grappling wire that's been so useful to her over the months. When she pulls it free, she retracts the wire until stuffing it on her pouch. Her helm opens up once more, folding into a compact collar-shaped thing as she dusts her hands off.

    "Go team." She says dryly, wary of the stranger but not in any hurry to try and chase off perfectly good help. "Thanks for the assist, whoever you are." She says to the newcomer, albeit a bit awkwardly. Small talk ain't her style.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Likely still wincing from the earlier blow, Mizuki lowers herself back to the ground, putting away each of her weapons and exhaling gently. She would then approach the rest of the group, offering her two cents on matters concerning Gwyndolin. "A court of one is no court at all, naturally. Even less of one when the only surviving member is clearly not entirely in their right mind." She would fold her arms behind her back now, still scowling. "Earnestly. I do not know how we could ever befoul this place any more than they had in forcing a skirmish within its bounds. Hypocritical blasphemy, that, to so disrespect their own hallowed places." Mizuki is fairly clearly not fond of these 'blue phantom' sorts.

    She would fan out her handkerchief, pressing it gently to the area of her wound, elicting another brief grimace. "... but all that aside. What was it that you called us here for before we were so rudely interrupted? I would be far more interested in knowing that than in stewing over the unsavory dredges of heaven and Earth."

Sakina (610) has posed:
    It's perhaps fortunate that Sakina's opponents are all finished in that firestorm. There's a clear hiss as her iron flesh dissolves, leaving her that cloth and leather armored woman again by the time the pillars of fire fade away and she rises to her feet.

    Again her hand flexes along the flame by her side, a moment taken to look around and ensure that everyone is truly taken care of. Once she's confident in that, she turns to the new arrival, a light smile finally curving her barely-visible lips. "Weak flames," she remarks distantly, before the group begins pushing forward again. This time, however, Sakina seems to drift around where the new armored stranger is, trailing along behind her while still not actually paying direct attention to her.

    Of course, even then, she's listening to what goes on around her. Never one to not pay attention, even as distant as she seems.

Fassad (248) has posed:
     With the enemy defeated, Fassad sheathes his blade, though he keeps his shield out. Glancing at Priscilla, he gives her a bit of a sad look.

     "I understand what it can be like to have your family against you. My father is the king, but my uncle wanted that position. It's hard, really, when you have someone who turns against your family from within."

     Okay, truth be told, he isn't royalty. The family grudge is actually about inheritence issues though, so it still works.

     "Though, should we need to stop your Uncle from continued attacks, I would be more than willing to lead the charge against him."

     He moves to pat Priscilla on the back reassuringly.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    A slow breath, and a hissssss of steam venting from the gold phantom's joints and Amalthea slowly lowers her shield. It looks like the fight's up as the last of the blues fade. "I'm fine, I'm fine." She grunts vaguely, firing, Kimiko a thumb's up gesture. She's dinged and scratched, even took a nasty slash, but Chris' spell is already patching her and her armor back together with its regenerative properties as she turns to give Chris a once-over check as well.
    Right about now, her eye turns to the armored woman that appeared out of nowhere and started wrecking Darkmoons.
    "Huh. Sup?"

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan gives a quick nod to Priscilla. He'd apparently been so focused on other parts of the battle he'd not seen the long-jumping assassins going after him. This seems fairly traditional for Nathan, at this point. So, yeah, grateful that she ran in and skewered the guy who was about to jump on him. "Thank you." He says, making a quiet, worried noise as he stares at the dissolving phantom. Then a relieved sort of noise.

    He accepts Kimiko's help up, then stares briefly at the Cursed One before nodding and seeming to accept this. He gives a quick shake of his head to Eryl Fairfax. "Whatever Princess Paladin needs, I am sure it is best handled alone for now." Then he steps forward, clearly ready to go. "Let us try not to think on the family troubles for now, since this has been dealt with. We still need to locate any potential survivors. The same as before now; seek activity, signs of life, and any probable evacuation location for Anor Londo."

    On the way, he passes a few photos to Fassad.

    He's immediately setting off over the bridges now, heading to the same destination as before, but behind anyone if they come along. He'd rather stay behind people in general.

Chris Rothschild (283) has posed:
    Amalthea and Kimiko are both subject to grateful nods - Chris is fine, but the concern is helpful all the same. With the immediate danger passed, he returns the half-empty coin roll, and all the loose coins besides, to the pouch on his belt. "Yeah, uh... don't know how to put this delicately," he says, ambling in Priscilla's direction with a slightly awkward scratch of the back of his head. "Your uncle's... he's kind of a dick." And Chris makes it a personal point to harass people of that level of douchebaggery, generally speaking. So that may be as close to a direct 'declaration of war' as the magus can actually give.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Hey, magical girls need to take bathroom breaks periodically, so what's unusual about this?

    "Agreed, Chris." Shirou grouches out. "What's his problem?"

    Since there dont' seem to be any further issues, he glances about at all of his traveling companions... and his gaze falls on Princess Paladin most of all.

    ".. Well, I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth, but what brings you all the way to Lordran?"

Cursed One (608) has posed:
    "Don't mention it." The armored woman rolls her right shoulder in a half-assed shrug, and she scoffs in bitter amusement. "It's not like I couldn't see what side to take. Cowardly creatures, coming out in a pack to assassinate one woman -- what good-hearted person would stand aside and permit that kind of injustice to play out? Why, you could say I'm sworn to stopping such things from happening."

    The ghostly little giggle that follows doesn't sound sincere, but it also doesn't sound twisted. It's hard to get a read on this woman, between her layered tone and double meanings and helmed visage.

    "You're a good and noble night, aren't you?" she continues, swiveling her helmet toward Amalthea. "Quick to draw your sword, eh?" She sounds like she might still be smiling.

    "And look, you found yourselves a firebug." The woman's gauntlets rattle as she flicks her fingers toward Sakina.

    Emiya's next to be observed; the woman's helmet swivels up and over after the land's name is mentioned. "'Lordran', is it?" The question muttered, and seemingly aimed at no one in particular.

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako floats over to Mizuki swiftly after noting her pressing her handkerchief against a wound. She smiles softly at her and quickly douses the wound with purple and white healing water. Her broomstick then floats back to the middle of the group and Ayako keeps a careful gaze around.

Alexis Maaka (571) has posed:
    Maaka's a bit slow on the details herself, but it's clear she's already looking up the page Arthur had set up on the boards beforehand just to brush up on what's going on. Despite his...weird way of speaking, the kid definitely knows how to keep these reports simple.

    The cyborg just kinda keeps pace, listening over at Amalthea and the Cursed One. "What brings you about here anyway? Just another good samaritan on her way finding danger where she goes?" She asks, turning her head to look over the knight while she keeps walking.

    Eventually she eyes Miko and Shirou, mildly curious but more bored than anything else here.

    All the while, she keeps her rifle close, just in case something else comes along to try and attack.

Priscilla has posed:
    Inwardly, Priscilla breathes a sigh of relief as Princess Paladin leaves. Sure, she'd been useful and willing to help in that battle, but for some reason she just couldn't trust her. The other new 'face' however, she regards with astonishingly little suspicion. She at least looks like she could be a wandering knight who fit in here, and is clearly used to fighting blue phantoms. Of course, that probably makes her a heretic of some sort as well, but that distinction doesn't mean much anyways with only one god left in Anor Londo. "Thine assistance is . . . welcome, knight. I know not the reason thou sought out Ash Lake, but I shall question it not, for we art meant not to be here either." She /almost/ laughs at Ayako putting things as simply as a 'mean uncle'. It sounds so harmless that way. "I do not believe Gwyndolin hath lost his sense of reason. More likely this is the result of him becoming the only authority remaining in a place that still holds such prestiege. He sees himself as the sole caretaker of Anor Londo, and the fact that I am both free and within Lordran's borders is a grave insult to Lord Gwyn's 'wisdom' in sending me away." Her mood lifts a little from talking to Mizuki, then sours slightly at Sakina acting all weird again. "A charge against Gwyndolin wouldst . . . I am not certain where even to begin. There art any number of places he couldst be within Anor Londo, and he will summon the entirety of his covenant if backed into a corner. Perhaps if there art no other option, but . . ." It sounds like decent rationalization, but anyone who is good with people can probably tell that Priscilla is just scared by the idea. She flinches at Fassad's hand on her back. She also makes no effort to correct Chris. It's doubtful she likes any of her family except for Gwynevere.

    The path continues uneventfully: a solemn, whisper quiet trudge through the shadows of the world, without the faintest hint of life or motion to disturb it. Shallow tidepools form in the sand in places, in which rest bizarre, clam-like stones bristling with crystal, and at one point, the group passes the petrified skull of some enormous, horned and fanged humanoid half buried in the ash, no doubt aeons old. As the group clears the spiral however, steadily moving inwards to the part of the great archtree where the branches part, something starts to come into view. If they were expecting to find an encampment at the base of Anor Londo's tree, they will be disappointed. Instead, the space is dominated by what appears to be a nest, woven of entire branches rather than twigs and leaves, large enough to fit a building inside of, at the center of which is what appears to be a giant egg, but any sort of scans will indicated that it is in fact, just an egg shaped block of stone.

    Right as the group arrives at the foot of the nest, where Priscilla stands motionless, palpably on the edge of letting her disappointment overflow, the ashen sand shifts. Previously invisible in the darkened hollow of the archtrees roots, a shape begins to stir, so large that it appeared to have been the base of the tree itself. The ground rumbles as it does; a fine white powder lifting into the air as the water shivers and ripples at its edges. It takes several seconds of solid staring to reconcile the shape and scale of the silhouette; the same stony grey as the tree under which it is curled. The sight is of what is unmistakably a dragon, curled around the lifeless nest, and so massive that it barely fits under the tree. Its skin appears to be made of solid metal or burnished rock rather than living scales, and stark white fur, the exact same colour as Priscilla's, runs down its neck, back and tail. As it spreads its wings, it becomes apparent that it has an entire extra set of them, numbering four in total that momentarily eclipse the twilight in their shadow. Its eyes are grey and featureless, set under its giant, swept, obsidian horns. As it opens its mouth, the strangely alien sight is that of a second set of jaws and teeth inside of its first.

    A

Priscilla has posed:
    Anyone with magical or technological extrasensory abilities suddenly begins to pick up utterly bizarre readings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enkEiD8PC5o#t=0m40s

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva looks over the aftermath of the battle with a mix of revulsion and morbid curosity, but there is, of course, no loot from phantoms. She putters along and thinks about the explanation from Priscilla for some time. The idea that she's be getting hunted by a god gives her the shivers. What could THAT discussion have been like?

She doesn't voice her opinions at this point, instead doing as bade and heading along the strand indicated, hanging near Ayako and hanging over Mizuki, quietly offering her support via presence. For some reason the chatty woman doesn't seem like she's wanting to talk a whole lot at the moment.

Maybe she senses the great being that they approach. That sense of ageless weight just bears down on her, perhaps damping her natural enthusiasm.

"Wow. Now that's a big dragon." Okay, not entirely dampened.

Fassad (248) has posed:
     Fassad /wants/ to reach for his sword, but, honestly? It's probably safer not to. If the dragon were malevolent, people would likely be going to attack it already. Instead, he just keeps an eye on it, watching for any sign of it breathing fire. His shield should be able to bounce it back. Bouncing back flames or magical attacks is basically what the Mirror Shield was made for.

     Instead, though, Fassad lifts his left hand in greeting, and addresses the dragon He actually kind of moves to the front of the group to do so.

     "'Greetings, fair and powerful Dragon. I am Fassad, Prince of the far off land of Arcadia. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Princess Paladin (589) has posed:
Pink sparkles ping-ping-ping around a Japanese schoolgirl in a winter uniform. She also has a hole in her left leg and she throws her head back and bites her lip as she staggers backwards, slamming her back into the side of one of the wooden surfaces before sliding to the floor slowly. She is trying very hard not to make any noise, but without the pain tolerance granted by her transformation, her injury is a bit more than a normal human girl can cope with while keeping a straight face. She takes the time to breathe in and out several times, before holding up a prayer rod such as would be carried by a shrine maiden, looking at it with sweat dripping down her face from the exertion she was just undergoing in a different body, and then transforming again in a flash of pink light.

She makes her quest this time more general, with a definite goal but broader scope. 'Make it to the group's destination and complete the objective there.' That means any magic used in pursuit of that mission, including healing herself or smiting enemies who get in the way of her quest, is part of the quest.

She's learning how to use loopholes in her magic's rules. Miko becomes Princess Paladin, heals the injury in her leg, and then returns to the group. When Shirou addresses her, Paladin says, "I was in the area on unrelated business, and found your mission to be deserving of my attention and aid." The group begins to move on, having apparently paused to discuss the matter of familial conflict, only after Paladin gets back. It did not take her that long after all, to check on her 'ally'.

When she gets back with the group, she follows along silently, taking in the amazing environment, the fantastical views and atmosphere of the place... And then a sleeping dragon. Inside: Terrified and amazed and in awe. Outwardly: Kind of surprised and cautious.

What else does the multiverse have in store for her?

She eyes the warrior who joined the group during battle, but has seen no reason thus far to be worried about her as a danger. No more than anyone else. The more the merrier, right?

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Eryl nods to Nathan. "Noted. I was simply concerned. She is too young to be in a place like this." He gives a little sigh. He has some issues with so many Elites being so young. As they continue on, he simply bows his head to the newly arriving Cursed One as he listens to Priscilla's tale of her uncle and her banishment from Anor Londo. He hasn't been around, so he holds his tongue on the matter.

     This Lord Gwyn sounds like a dangerous fellow, and he can't help but smile as some of the others volunteer to help her in bringing him down. But when Priscilla starts to give reasons why a frontal assault may not be practical, he can detect the slight quaver in her voice. She's afraid. But here and now is not the time and place to confront her on this.

     As such, he just continues with the group, taking in the sights and smiling at Princess Paladin when she arrives. The giant skull sends shivers though him, both from the implication that beings of such size existing, and Original Face sternly telling him that no they don't, and that he's hallucinating again.

     Finally, they arrive at their apparent destination. Original Face can read the disappointment in Priscilla's body language. But before Eryl can try to console her, something rises from the depths. Something huge, rocky. Something that throws Original Face into a right tizzy, causing Eryl to pinch the bridge of his nose as he suppresses a mounting migraine. If the dragon were to attack right now, Eryl might not make it...

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako nods her head slowly... but doesn't really comment anymore on Gwyndolin. After all, she doesn't really know the person. She just keeps floating onwards with the group.

    "Is... that an egg?" And then the shfiting and the shuddering starts! "A-umm... Something big is..." As the huge dragon suddenly gets up and then opens it's mouth, Ayako blinks her eyes quickly. "Huh? Uhm... Big Dragon?" Yes. That was said as a question.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    That blade goes back in the sheath, gauntlet-clad hand patting the pommel as she trudges along with the group. Now apparently joined.
    "I try." She admits with a blunt candor that intimates 'I don't always succeed', in regards to being good and noble. But apparently enough so to earn her golden status as a phantom.
    "Though not always too quick. It does solve more than a few problems though." She comments to the Cursed One, as her boots crunch along the path, armor clanking and rattling.
    Only when the group comes upon the massive dragon does she pause, head tilting back to peer up at the beast in somber silence. She says nothing. She does nothing.

Cursed One (608) has posed:
    "You can call me 'Cursed', and little else." A title, or a name? Complex emotion colors the introduction. Dark, brittle humor overlays a growling sort of ominous, like the stranger reveals something of great import. Priscilla's either asked a very important question, or prodded at a very important wound. Perhaps both? Like anyone who knows her way around this dreadful a world, despair is never far from the surface. "As to why I am here, it must be because I was meant to be. Fate pushes me in odd directions, even when I oppose it. It was not a journey without rewards." That chuckle again, and then a weighty silence. Don't pry, that silence says.

    The conversation comes to an abrupt end. "I see this place is significant, after all," the 'Cursed One' murmurs. "Now you are in the company of two strange beings."

    Curious and guarded, she lapses back into quiet observation, content to keep her peace. A dragon, is it? What a brutish-looking animal. All that fur is disgusting, and is that an egg? The Cursed One leans back a bit on her heels, rests her left hand on the hilt of her left sword, and wonders.

Alexis Maaka (571) has posed:
    Maaka definitely gets a look at the huge-ass dragon as they enter the nest. On a lark, she switches her eyes to IR mode, before noticing something odd. Turning her thermal sensors on and off, she notcies something. "Thing's not showin' up on thermals...that's fuckin' weird." She says warily, her steps whisper quiet as she activates her cloak.

    "Let's try not to give this thing any reason to squash us right now." She murmurs under her breath, voice soft as a pillow as she stares at the dragon. There is nothing better to do right now than stay perfectly fucking still much as possible, lest the whole party be roasted in fire.

    She frowns as her helm folds into place, just in case, and her head disappears along with the rest of her body...

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko has little to say about--anything being discussed, really. She's listening, and she'll parse the story out over time. If needed, she'll ask questions. But not right now. It can wait. They're in dangerous territory and won't leave until they've reached their destination.

    Soon, it seems they have.

    Right. Okay. That is very, very big. Kimiko's shield is not very big. She wishes she could say she's seen bigger fall, but--not really. That one time she saw a guy strong-arm a mountain (in space) doesn't really count. If this turns hostile, it'll be a quick escape back out through the comparatively narrow passages of the branches that she's looking for.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Back at Mizuki's clock tower...

    "HA!" A pink-haired girl slams down a pair of cards on a desk. "A seven of clubs and a five of clubs! That makes a straight flush! Top -THAT-, Callia!" She would fold her arms and recline in her chair, only to notice something rattling atop a pedestal behind them. It's an orb wrought in such a way that it looks like an eye, and it's glowing. The pinkette would idly comment back to her sister, "Hey, uh. Have you ever seen that thing shine before? 'Cause I sure as hell haven't." Suffice it to say, there's some chatter between them, if not some worry before they each receive a mental message from Mizuki.

    "Do you recall that strange orb that I was given by Priscilla?" A rift in space time would open before them, and in front of Mizuki back at the Ash Lake. "I would have you slip that through this portal now. Thank you." Palora would roll her eyes. "Speakin' like I already agreed to do it. Like always." Despite any annoyance, though, she acts as requested, passing the desired object through the portal and in to Mizuki's hands. Said portal would promptly close afterwards, and Mizuki would meander back over to the crossbreed.

    "This is indeed the place you had mentioned, isn't it? Your little 'gift' seems to be responding to something." Then she would look to the skies, studying it in case her inkling is correct. She had said this object is one that responds to objects of particular age and history, she thinks, so perhaps this thing it senses could be a dragon itself. She knows nothing for certain, but finally the stormy look on her face clears up to reveal a much more warm, expectant one. Finally, this day could be turning around. No more violence, far more discovery. She would nod to herself.

    "I'll try not to allow the indiscretions of fools color my outlook on this beauteous landscape." She would comment, "Rather, I'll try to remember what may be yet to come in its stead."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan approaches cautiously.

    The presence of a dragon down here gives him pause and a mild bit of distress, he's averse to approaching this. But it seems like there is little else to do in this case. They're in the basement of Anor Londo, so to speak, and yet, no lords.

    Nathan recognizes this sort of scenario, though. He lets Fassad take point, socially. This is an insane maneuver, but it gives him a chance. First, he's going to see how, if at all, it reacts to the common, direct communication. But if there's any lack of comprehension, or lack of response, Nathan intends to approach with the same solution as before, with that spider lady: An orange soapstone. The things written with this ought to be understood by ANY being, right?

    If no other communication options present themselves, he'll kneel and write: "We hoped to find the lost Lords from Anor Londo here. Will you tell us who you are? And also you know anything of the fate of the Lords from the city above?" In the clumsy, mistranslated way. It's worth a shot. Turned out great the last time, after all! But there's a glance to Mizuki, whether or not he writes. "Can that be used or activated? In what way does it react?"

Priscilla has posed:
    Despite the fact that the dragon doesn't so much as turn its head to look at anyone gathered, each member of the group in turn can feel the effects of a powerful, piercing stare through their core being, so strong that it tingles when the dragon's 'gaze' is at the person before and after them in sequence. The only place it seems to be looking at directly, is Priscilla. Either in response to Fassad, or perhaps outright ignoring him, the creature begins to speak, but it doesn't move its mouth to do so. The sound rises up from the shores of the lake, beating against the water and swirling up on the ash; permeating the grey fog that hangs in the air and entering the ear from all sides, accompanied by a reverberating pressure in one's mind. It isn't a language at all, but what could be described as the brain's attempts to process something beyond its scope as sensory feedback. It sounds like a metal bell being steadily rung in reverse, overlayed with the hissing of hundreds of voices, and a deep, resounding echo forming unintelligble syllables. The feeling is overwhelming. Not the awe of a majestic beast or the fear of a powerful predator, but the uncomfortable knowledge that one is interacting with something completely and entirely alien; only seeing a fraction of what is really there.

    ". . . another one stands before us . . . but this one does not seek the shape of the dragon . . . this one was one of us from the beginning . . ." It clearly addresses Priscilla first, before paying attention to everyone else. ". . . and it brings those of other times and other worlds . . . unbeholden to the mists, and as equally as short lived . . . though some may yet live long enough to see the truth . . ." Mizuki in particular can feel the dragon focusing on her the instant she brings out the grey orb. ". . . so be it . . . you seek a cure to the curse of life . . . and return to the Fire of old in search of answers . . . for to be alive is to be cursed to die, and to be dead is to be cursed to live again . . . the kingseeker asks something of the chosen, but he knows not the answer . . . if you desire to see it, I will show it to you . . ."

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    Ainsley is still along with the group, though she has taken sightseeing to an all-time height and has begun staring up at the great big dragon in utter bewilderment and more than a little uneasiness. She's not exactly the most well-equipped person for bravery in the face of something truly ageless and powerful.

    She looks even more worried as it speaks and solidifies an instinctual terror. She makes some distance and lands just so she doesn't wobble in the air, her concentration thoroughly ruined.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    There is nothing for Shirou to do here besides stare in awe at th (hopefully non-hostile) Dragon...

    This is not what he was expecting a Dragon to be, but the Multiverse tends to surprise him. He raises a few eyebrows while listening to Nathan's greeting. If it's just THAT EASY, right....?

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Oh good. And now the dragon is talking inside his own head. Eryl slumps to his hands and knees, taking a deep breath as he forces his implants to all reboot, cancelling all the alerts he is receiving. It will take a small while though, in which he is only slumped on the floor, face drawn and pale, eyes unfocussed.

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako glances back at the water of the lake for a moment as the dragon appears to speak. She... actually isn't disturbed by this method of speaking. Considering how she... no, but that isn't applicable right now. Her gaze then turns towards Priscilla when she's addressed, and then to Mizuki when she brings out the orb. She just simply listens... and watches.

Fassad (248) has posed:
     Fassad, curious by the fact that this dragon is both there and not, tries something. Or more accurately, two things. First, he holds his Mirror Shield up. He's seeing if the dragon has a reflection. Second, he takes out his own camera. Yes, he had Nathan take pictures earlier, but the more cameras around, the better. And he's just curious if the dragon will show up on photograph.

     And after that, he speaks. Fassad has some questions himself.

     "By what name may we call you? What information do you have that might aid us on this quest? Do you have any particular tasks you might set us upon? Also, have you heard tale of any treasures or weapons that might aid us in our quest?"

     Yes, Fassad is approaching this like a /true adventurer/.

Sakina (610) has posed:
    Cursed's choice of name draws a brief, uneven giggle from Sakina, but besides that, the strange woman is remarkably quiet on the journey. Now and then she mutters something halting and curious to herself, but it's hardly anything of importance.

    When they finally reach and see the great dragon, however, she once again freezes and simply stares up at it. Fascination, awe, fear; whatever she feels, it's impossible to really make out beneath the shadows of her hood, but she stares and stares and stares, fixated on the creature even as its speech reverberates in her mind.

    Now and then, she mouths something of particular interest. Fire of old, in particular, seems repeated over and over. This creature is talking of the Undead curse, as well; is this strange world another place that suffers from it, then?

    Strange. Sakina's hand clenches, and she steps back a little, still staring at the dragon in rapt attention, but unreadable beyond her obvious fixation.

Cursed One (608) has posed:
    The Cursed One stiffens up. Her hand comes up off her sword hilt to rest against her helmet in an awkward head-scratching gesture, like for an instant she's forgotten she's armored at all. "Hang on a moment," she stammers out, all sarcasm replaced by shock and suspicion. "The lot of you are seeking to end the Undead Curse?"

    Is that why she stumbled into this place?

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan sees where this is going.

    "The Kingseeker seeks a replacement for Lord Gwyn. Is there something more to this? Something we do not know?" He asks, eyes wide and posture suddenly urgent. "We seek all knowledge of this, if you have anything to offer we gratefully accept."

    He knows a nonhuman intelligence beyond fathoming when he hears it though. Politeness and ceremony can be dispensed with, as they are useless. Nathan, for now, focuses on simple intents easily communicated over the boundary of psychological paradigms.

Alexis Maaka (571) has posed:
    "Apparently." Maaka says without thinking to Cursed, then eyes Eryl for a moment. It's apparent that the dragon isn't a problem anymore, so she decloaks again and folds up her helm as she approaches the other cyborg.

    "Oi, you okay there?" She asks, running a scan of Eryl herself to try and diagnose the problem. "I ain't a cy-dok, but I'll see what I can do the help if I can." She offers, kneeling beside him as she raises a hand. "How many fingers am I holding up?" Maaka gestures with three fingers when Eryl can see.

Riva Banari has posed:
"Yep." Riva answers the Cursed One. "Welcome to the party. To your left you'll see a massive being of infinite awe and majesty from times long past. No photography." Looks like she's recovered some measure of her nature despite the mind-boggling communication of the Ancient Dragon. She grits her teeth for a moment and thinks. She's probably only going to get one shot at this if she wants an answer from an ancient, ineffable being. But try as she might, she can't think of anything she'd ask. Well, she can thing of one thing, but... She can't ask that.

Mizuki, however, causes Riva to boggle as she works to process what Mizuki is talking about, entirely. It's like she gets the words, but....

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    The moment that the dragon begins to speak, a glint shines behind the glass of Mizuki's eyes. She could not have been more right in her assumption that things were about to vastly improve. As the dragon speaks, a wide grin of almost childlike exuberance rises to her face, and her fists clench to hold back her excitement. There is a long pause indeed before she conjures the words to reply -- in earnest, it's as though the dragon is some sort of figure of authority or fame for her. Though she doesn't disparage them with her praise, it's clear that she respects them immensely.

    So, she bows rather deeply, not wasting the breath that would be required in an introduction. "I seek a cure to far more than that. I seek a cure to my own humanity and the strangehold a nature with no prevalence to my person still has over my thoughts. I seek a cure to the reality that plagues this world, and the a place in which all of us know may know the sweet, blissful serenity of our own imaginations for all time. But I suppose that we all must begin somewhere." Her facade of humility is outright gone. What is left behind is a wilful child who is more than likely speaking out of turn. "... though yes, indeed. I seek any knowledge you would be willing to share. Tell me, if you please, and if you know: from where did the Dark Sign originate? And what is the true nature of the dark from whence you came? My questions are broad, so answer them however you see fit. In word or in action, I do not care; so long as they receive some manner of reply."

    Mizuki would rest her tongue, now, glancing about the group with almost rosy cheeks and exuberance that might've previously seemed as impossible for her as her earlier whisper. Some pretty bizarre things set her off, it seems.

Priscilla has posed:
    The dragon 'looks' to Nathan next, though it doesn't speak to him personally. ". . . the spawn of the old Lords left this place long ago . . . they fear the oncoming Age of Dark, though it was they who coveted the Fire that begat it . . . and there is no dark without light . . . the people sired by the primeval man worship them as their gods . . . but they fled to their countries because they will soon lose their powers . . . they will not return unless another follows the acts of their Lord of sunlight. . . the kingseeker will see one more to his kiln, but one only . . ." That invisible gaze moves to Fassad. ". . . our name is a thing of the past . . . we are undeserving of it as we are now . . . the answer you seek, I will show you . . ."

    The world abruptly retreats from view, racing away on all sides as everyone is suddenly left standing in utter blackness. Despite the fact that everyone is more or less floating in space, it doesn't feel like an illusion. The temperature, the smell of the air, the ambient sounds, everything is different. Some distance before them, there is an island of light suspended in the middle of the dark, illuminating a stone dias before a gargantuan black door, and knight Oscar of Astora kneeling before the massive golden shape of the Lordvessel, secured by archtree branches. Kingseeker Frampt is behind him, serpentine body vanishing out of view, teeth clacking away as he talks. "The Great Lord Gwyn's seal will not be broken unless the Lordvessel is satiated with power commeasurate to his own soul. Scarce few possess such brilliant souls. Gravelord Nito, the Witch of Izalith, the Four Kings of New Londo, who inherited the shards of Gwyn's soul . . . and Lord Gwyn's former confidant, Seath the Scaleless . . ." Frampt's explanation fades from hearing as the scenery rapidly changes, pulsing violently and disorientingly as a flash of sights, sounds, smells and feelings overwhelm one with each change of scenery, as if being flung back and forth across the ends of the earth.

    The first flash is of petrifying blackness, even deeper than the darkness of the Lordvessel's altar; the kind that presses against the eyes and crawls into the airs, menacing, and yet strangely peaceful. Only the immediate area is illuminated in harsh monotone, showing coarse limestone in the shape of an arch, surrounded by a mountain of bones. Though there is no smell of death and decay, there are plenty of sounds echoing in the deep, and none sound friendly.

    The second flash is accompanied by a wave of blistering heat, searing the skin so badly that it feels as if hair should be catching on fire. Another arch is directly ahead, covered in twisted roots, but placed at the top of what appears to be a temple of some kind, like a ziggurat, rising from a plain of molten lava. Giant shapes can be seen picking through the field in the distance, meandering through molten ruins of a sunken city like massive scavengers picking through a battlefield.

    The third flash leads to darkness again, but more akin to the soft, dim lighting of a cave with a shred of natural sunlight eking in. Another city is visible this time, but entirely submerged under a truly immense volume of water. Despite the visual serenity, the air stinks of rot and blood, and echoing shrieks bounce around the colossal cavern, shooting through the air like arrows. Straight beneath the group's feet, lies some sort of very large and conspicuous tower, just barely rising from the water.

    The final flash resolves into Anor Londo, now cast into deep moonlight that gleams from every block of marble and inlay of gold. The group stands before the doors of a castle on the edge of the mountains that surround it, overlooking the grand cathedral of Gwyn without actually being higher than it. It looks perfectly normal, as if still in use, and the feeling of fresh mountain air is calming, but disturbing shadows move within the only visible hallway.

    As swiftly as it had began, the series of visions stops, throwing everyone back on the sand in shor

Priscilla has posed:
    As swiftly as it had began, the series of visions stops, throwing everyone back on the sand in short order. The dragon appears unmoved, as if it hadn't done anything at all. It does however, finally move on to Mizuki, and to her it seems to dedicate a great deal of interest. ". . . one of our children . . . sired by the traitor as she may be . . . has brought one bearing homage paid to us by transient beings . . ." The eye orb in Mizuki's hand flashes, and suddenly, plainly visible to everyone, the ground is covered in pages upon pages of soapstone writing, scribbled over itself to the point of being impossible to read. Masses of translucent, grey phantoms kneel in rows before the dragon, prostrate in devout prayer. ". . . time grips you by only a finger . . . many humans wish to abandon their shape . . . for the curse of life is the curse of want . . . and men fear their true shape . . . visible only in the deepest of Dark . . . the herald of which they bear in their undead flesh . . . we will speak at length once there remains one last dragon . . . I have seen all possible passages of time from this moment . . . and in some, you are worthy . . ."

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako glances over to Mizuki and smiles softly when she listens to Mizuki state what she wants like a wilful child. She then inclines her head to the side gently as she looks back up at the dragon once Mizuki asks about the Dark Sign and other things. Not that she knows what any of those things are!

    And then eeps when the world suddenly retreats from view. She quietly glances around... and then winces visibly at the wave of blistering heat. Ayako just continues to quietly watch. She starts to become uncomfortable upon hearing the words 'fear their true shape' and glances off to the side. At least for a moment.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Eryl begins to stir, glancing up at Alexis when she offers her help. He gives a dry chuckle and says, "Three fingers. I am fine Ma'am. But, thank you." He slowly rises back to his feet. Just in time to be assailed by the visions. A knight kneeling before some kind of vessel, a fell crypt, scorching heat, a submerged city, a mountain gate.

     When the visions end, Eryl slumps to his knees once more. Poor guy is not having a good day. But this time, he gets back up quickly and listens closely to the dragon's response to Mizuki. Unfortunately, he missed her question, but... worthy, hm? Interesting.

     Now, having recovered somewhat, he smiles gently up at Priscilla. "I am sorry that you did not find what you were looking for, Miss Priscilla."

Cursed One (608) has posed:
    The Cursed One picks herself up from the ashen shore. The sandy remains cling to her armor in patches, and her next breath is as dusty with old bones as it is uncertain.

    Kingseeker. Fire. The end to the curse. These themes resonate inside the Cursed One's heart, and set it beating hard and fast.

    She is reminded of the odd words once spoken by a creature possessing far too much knowledge, and a penchant for the riddling. 'Everything will crumble and waste away, so that something new may be born.' Is this what is happening here, then? The end of an era? The beginning of another?

    Why be shown any of this? The Cursed One bows her head, rests her hands on both her sword hilts, and lets out an audible /hrmmm/.

Fassad (248) has posed:
     Fassad... Has absolutely no idea what any of that just was. All he knows is they need some great power to end the undead curse. He assumes that either Priscilla, or Nathan, or maybe someone else, would know what these locations are, and what they seek there.

     finally, as the visions end, Fassad has /one/ last major question.

     "One last thing... I am a one who weilds a blade in combat. This land seems ripe with legend. Are you aware of any incredibly powerful blades of legend that might help me in the quest?"

     A pause.

     "And Sir Hall would probably like a nice book. I'm sure the others might have other things they desire as well."

Sakina (610) has posed:
    Sakina doesn't take the sudden flashes quite so well as others might. By the time the visions have ended, the woman is kneeling on the ashen ground, hunched over and clutching her head, gasping for breath and stability. Yes, it was jarring enough on principle, but something in particular there was absolutely overwhelming. It brought with it not only that vision, but memories, desires, desperations.

    That second vision. There was something in that heat, something in the fire and writhing roots that was deeply familiar and deeply striking. For a moment, Sakina was absolutely certain she was somewhere else, somewhere long ago. But...no. That's not true.

    But still, that fire...

    It's a few more moments before the woman manages to pick herself up, still breathing heavily with her head lowered. Soon she shakes herself to cast out the remnants of her distress, and, just to help more, she lifts her flame to her face, where she cradles it in her hand and stares at it as if it were the most precious thing she has right now.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki maintains her radiant excitement and attention throughout all four of the visions, and ultimately emerges from them as unscathed as the dragon himself. That --. That was a demonstration of their 'objective', yes; to recover these souls so that they may access the kiln themselves and choose to do at its precipice what they will. Still, her thoughts are far, far removed from that focus, as taken as she may be by the varied, artistic landscapes with which she is presented. It's abundantly clear that the reply she gets at the end of it all is what she was looking for, and at once the meaning behind her distraction in previous excursions to this world and others may become readily apparent to the more observant: this is what she is always looking for. Little hints and inklings at some goal she has, far beyond whatever mission the group she happens to be a part of takes upon itself at any given moment.

    In this instance, though, she simply responds with an ever growing enthusiasm that grows behind her as would the most thoroughly bizarre of flames. "I see two paths before me, yes: the abandonment of my form of desire and phantoms of need for something that more ideally fits this reality, or something far more bold. Something that would demand a large change outside of myself. Pray I not speak of that now; I should instead focus on learning what I can from your experience so that I may learn to apply it for my purposes later." Smirk~. "Yes, best to reserve all of this for another time. Be assured, though, that I will return, and by some mechanism or another I will be worthy. If not in the aperture of your future," Her eyes narrow vaguely, "then in my own."

    With that, Mizuki draws a deep, deep breath, looking back to... Riva, oddly enough. "Do you see it, Riva? A future in which people transcend in the ways in which I hope? A world in which everyone attains that immortality, but unlike in Staren's musings, in which that immortality has a purpose beyond itself? A world of true artistry, where the lives we lead are as vivid and as perfect as those of the paintings we so appreciate, and without the vulgarity of nature and need." She tilts her head back a bit and studies the grayscale sky, appearing very much a woman possessed. "I would think you to be in a good position to understand my rationale here. To grasp that learning about other worlds in this way, and uncovering the meaning of 'immortality' in the context of the many, is really only the first step in something far more grand. Far more beautiful." She sighs, folding her hands at her waist. "But I do go on. Forgive me my musings."

Priscilla has posed:
    Whatever the dragon shows Fassad is his to behold alone. The experience is about as vivid as the last one had been.

    Priscilla turns to Eryl with an oddly contented expression. "Perhaps not what I sought, but something else I was certain I wouldst never see in mine lifetime." At hearing miss Cursed and Sakina express their desire to hang around over the radio, she looks perhaps a little more reserved, but not unhappy. More people to help out was always good. She is, after all, the only one present who truly grasps the enormity of what Frampt had been talking about, using all of those names familiar to nobody else present. As Mizuki starts going out of control, she puts a hand on the girl's shoulder to get her attention. "I shalt remaineth here for a while. There art things I wish to learn about . . ." He hesitates at the strangeness of what she's about to say ". . . mine people. Anything of note, I will relay on to thee, so go calmly and with a clear conscience."