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Dr. Vahzilok     There is a vast, labyrinthine city below Paragon City. Physically abandoned, it is not empty. The dead still roam here, cut off from bodies long turned to dust. The City of Oranbega is thousands of years old, sunken beneath the earth to escape destruction at the hands of their enemies, but resulting in destroying themselves. Bargains allowed them to continue existing as spectral entities, but their true desire is to have flesh and blood once more and restore their rule over the Earth.

    The Circle of Thorns are a cult born of Oranbega's masters, via the corruption of mortals hungry for power. Modern mages who, seeking greater influence, fled to those haunted halls, and there found Things waiting for them.

    And now, riding within their bodies, the Circle of Thorns has become the vessel for the Oranbegans to walk the world once more.

    Heroes have risen to the challenge presented by their dark magics however. As the Thorns sacrifice civilians on rooftops in Kings Row and plunder magical artifacts from museums and even battle against the Banished Pantheon in Dark Astoria (to their own benefit, for how can they rule a world that has been sterilized of everything, and turned into a soulless wasteland forever?), champions come forth to confront them. And in this most recent case, it appears they may have paid the price for their bravery.

    After pursuing the Circle and a local Voodoo Master known as Cadao Kestrel into the underground ruins, all contact with the heroes was lost. Finding out what happened to them and discovering what the Circle are up to is the mission. But wandering through subterranean tunnels only to wind up in a structure this vast, with walls at unusual angles, and glowing crystals that can bring harm or healing merely by being near them, and the occasional vision of ghostly figures tearing down the halls as though clawing their way through the air in fast-forward... It's clear this is not going to be a simple task.
Princess Luna      It has been a while since Princess Luna encountered horrors such as this. Certainly, such things existed in ancient Equestria, but in modern Equestria evil spirits and killer cultists have all been banished or destroyed. Even Luna herself, once upon a time. Thanks to her being ruler of the Night in her world, she is somewhat used to dealing with darkness such as this.

     However, she is not familiar with this world or its denizens, so she is still a bit anxious. "It is truly amazing...and horrifying...what some people will do to stay 'alive'." she comments to no one in particular as she and her comrades step through the halls into this vast structure.

     With her scythe in hand, Luna starts forward. "If the information we have been given is to be believed...we may encounter the very heroes we seek. When they attack us." she says grimly.
Medusa Gorgon     Ever since the last time she had gone to Paragon City, Medusa couldn't help but be curious. The mysteries of the injured body that seemed to be walking of its own volition, the questions had overtaken Medusa as she studied in the dim lighting provided in her own lair, a place she could work in peace and quiet. And just maybe she can get more samples from this world if she just shows she's worried and concerned. While most consider this a horror filled event, for a certain witch it's an opportunity.

    So it was likewise easy to join the group of 'heroes' who have volunteered. It ought to be interesting, and getting to see what more Elites are able to pull off might just be an extra treat for the witch. For now she is content with following the instructions they were given. The alicorn she's walking with though is a new one, but luckily Medusa isn't one to discriminate against others based on differences. And somehow it appears that the pony princess' words amuses the blonde woman where she walks. Whether the heroes that have been sent out to this place before might show up again, it doesn't look like Medusa is going to worry about it. "If they do, then we will handle them," she assures Luna with a warm smile. "I trust you are able to wield that scythe...?" she inquires, glancing at the scythe that Luna carries with her.
Dr. Vahzilok     The hall ahead is a Y-shaped intersection, with paths branching off to right and left. Crystalline light sources dangle from the ceiling or are planted in the walls. A sourceless ambient light illuminates the passages for the most part, though to the right it seems darker, and the sight of dust and small rocks crumbling from the ceiling indicates it might not be the most structurally sound. The left-hand passage seems more stable, but robed and hooded figures may be spotted mid-way to its terminus, with a couple of the Circle mages carrying torches for added light as another reads from a book on a wooden pedestal that crowds the hall.
Princess Luna      Princess Luna nods at the question. "Of course. Though, I would rather not have to use it if at all possible." she says, keeping her eyes focused ahead for signs of trouble. When they reach the Y-intersection, she stops and her tail gives a light swish. "Hmm...what do you think? Left or right?" she says, then looks to the right. "I would say right. It would be advantageous to avoid confrontation if possible. We cannot know how many of these cultists there are down here." Luna says, then with a self-assured nod she starts down the right path. Though whether it is the correct path is yet to be seen.

     As the darkness closes in Luna's eyes start to glow gently, likely a night-vision spell. She keeps her scythe held forward, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Medusa Gorgon     It's good that her companion for the day isn't the type to rush into danger, Medusa notes. While they might be strong enough to handle this situation with pure violence, it could be bothersome, so it's better to observe and try to do this sneaky. Which is why she finds herself agreeing with Luna. The dark is something Medusa finds disagreeable, and she steps forward as she follows Luna, curiously inspecting their surroundings. For now she keeps her hands out of her pockets, getting ready to attack should it be necessary with just the two of them. Though still, Medusa has no visible weapons, and she looks like somebody way too at ease with the situation. Then again, perhaps Luna is able to tell that the snake witch is anything but human, with a dangerous presence as she walks.
Dr. Vahzilok     Down the darkened passage that looks like it's in danger of collapse... Well, Luna would be able to determine before they even reached the end, thanks to her night vision spell, that the hall has collapsed. It doesn't appear initially that getting through this way is viable. However, there's a lightless doorway to the side with a winding ramp leading even deeper underground. And an ominous green glow seems to be radiating from down there somewhere. Maybe there's something useful there? Hopefully, at least. Because otherwise going back the way they came and confronting those cultists may be necessary after all...
Princess Luna      Princess Luna makes an annoyed 'mmph' as she spots that collapse. "It would seem our path is..." She blinks as she notices that doorway, then moves toward it. "I have yet to meet a winding stairway such as this that did not lead into some sort of danger. But, there is danger both before us and behind us. I would prefer to move forward." she says to Medusa, then waits for her companion's response before continuing one way or ther other. "I trust thou can handle thyself if we run into trouble in this forsaken place?" she asks, gesturing toward the ominous green glow.
Medusa Gorgon     "Oh, going back would be such a waste of time," Medusa agrees rather readily at Luna's suggestion, tapping her index finger at her chin. Just what could have caused this collapse? Maybe they will learn that soon enough.

    So the witch turns towards the doorway, not bothered by the darkness as she advances, her feet making nary a sound as she walks. "It might lead to danger, but you look like you are capable of defending yourself as well, I gather?" she asks with a soft and motherly smile crossing her lips. There's no direct answer to the question she was posed, but then again Medusa doesn't look like she's worried as she steps into what they both consider to be a risky situation. At least it's better than heading back to those cultists.
Dr. Vahzilok     As Luna and Medusa descend the stairs, the green glow increases more and more. Eventually, the pair reach a relatively large chamber with glowing crystals situated on the walkways throughought, and pools of water inbetween these paths. It's not really feasible to avoid going near the crystals without going in the water. They're just crystals, though, so who cares, right?

    The green glow seems to come from green crystals, and going near them floods the body with rejuvenating magic. Healing. That's useful. Though unusual to just have lying around like this. Then there are blue crystals in fewer number, and a single red one. Passing by the blue ones restores any expended energy and seems to supply those exposed to their radiance with limitless or at least fast-replenishing stamina.

    Going near the red one...

    Well, it produces the feeling of one's skin being slowly burned off, one layer at a time, because apparently if green means healing, and blue means stamina, red means 'pain'. In short, it feels pretty freaking agonizing.

    There are two more collapsed passages in this chamber, and one open archway. But there's the sound of fire and heavy thuds growing louder and louder coming from there. Is something approaching? Before they can see what the source of the sound is, a trio of ghosts come tearing into the room, clawing their way through the air wildly at high-speed, and letting out a noise like voices in a wind tunnel as they start searching for intruders.

    Unless something is done immediately, they will see Medusa and Luna. Though perhaps defeating them would be the best option here, especially if something even bigger is coming. Divide and conquer.
Princess Luna      Luna nods lightly at Medusa's question. "Of course. At home, it is part of my duties to battle the dangers of the night." she says as they move down the stairs.

     When they reach this new room, Luna's eyes widen and her ears perk as she feels the energies coming off of the crystals. "...intriguing." she says as she nears the blue and green crystals. The red however, she recoils quickly and stays back. And she avoids the water by using her wings to hover.

     That is until the heavy thudding starts echoing through the building. She moves back to land on solid ground quickly, only to let out a small yelp of surprise when those clawing ghosts come tearing into the room. "I suppose we can both find out the other's abilities now!" the princess says, then her horn starts glowing softly. But, rather than attack, Luna uses her powers of illusion to disguise herself and Medusa. Their forms shimmer before they become invisible. Luna crouches low to try and make sure the ghosts don't accidentally hit them, and motions for Medusa to do the same before holding a finger to Medusa's lips to let her know she should stay quiet.
Medusa Gorgon     The response seems to please Medusa, who merely gives a small nod.

    And she will walk in silence until they reach the chamber, though she clearly studies the pools and their crystals. How curious... Sure, most people might not care, but after living for a very long time, Medusa has learned the importance of being perceptive and to take note of your surroundings. Strange... by passing by the blue ones it appears her magic is growing stronger? At least it feels like it. Though she takes more note of the red one.

    At first she looks slightly startled, pulling her hand back. Then she outright stares down at the red material, all before she slowly extends her hand towards it with iron will. A slight hiss escapes past her teeth, and she arches her eyebrows slightly. "How... interesting." This is worth noting, indeed. And perhaps alarming that she takes more notice of the red one than Luna does.

    While she considers a way to safely transport the thing the witch is forced to shift her attention to the trio of ghosts. This is not the right time.

    At first it appears that Medusa is about to say something, but Luna is quick. As a witch Medusa can't help but notice the magic, and she looks down at herself before she looks at Luna. Luckily for her she doesn't need to explain matters, as Medusa too quickly crouches, keeping low to the ground and being silent, holding her breath with an intense look directed at the ghosts.
Dr. Vahzilok     The ghosts quickly fly around the room, exploring all the corners, and it may seem as though they are going to come across the concealed Elites at any moment. But they eventually go up the stairs that they came down to get here, leaving them alone. With... Whatever that is approaching them. The light level in the room that is lit only by magic crystals increases, if only fitfully, alongside the sounds of flames. Eventually, a humanoid but demonic-looking creature. Heavily muscles, flesh both skin and scales, all some hue of red, ram-like horns, jagged predator teeth, hooved feet, and flames streaming from their heads like manes of hair. The air before their mouths hisses as air moisture turns to scalding steam when they breathe.

    He approaches slowly, stopping in the arch way and looking around the room, searching... Tense moments drag on and on as he squints into the darkness, smoldering eyes trying to pierce their way into the hearts of any intruders. Does he know something is wrong?

    After an agonizing half-minute, he eventually starts moving again, continuing his patrol and headed towards the stairs the ghosts went towards. It is another 30 seconds before he fully exits the room and is out of sight.

    The passage way he and the ghosts came from appears to be clear, though weirdly constructed, narrowingly steeply towards the ceiling with the walls going outwards near the floor, and then inwards again a couple feet above such. It's an extremely claustrophobia-inducing passage. But even more light can be seen beyond, and potentially a much more open area.
Princess Luna      It takes all her willpower to simply hold still and quiet as those ghosts and that demonic creature make their way past. When the fiery glow from the demon has disappeared completely, Luna finally lowers the magic invisibility field and lets out a sigh of relief. "...I have not seen creatures such as that since the early days of Equestria, either." she comments quietly before looking to Medusa. "Art thou alright? It seems our path forward is clear for the moment, so let us make haste."

     Luna stands, then heads for that passage leading downward. "If we are forced to fight, we might require some of these crystals. Should we attempt to remove a few?" she asks Medusa as she stops in front of the archway.
Medusa Gorgon     This is indeed a tense situation, but acting rash will cost them dearly. Which means that they need to be patient...

    It's not like Medusa is unused to hiding directly under the noses of those who wish her harm, far from it. Breathe slowly and carefully, not through the mouth, don't move... The serpentine witch stares intently at the ghosts as they inspect the room, and then at the demonic looking creature... now where did this creature come from? It certainly seems to be aggressive judging by the looks of it, and assuming anything else might not be wise in this sort of situation. Even after the creature has left it seems Medusa is biding her time, only rising slowly to her feet once she's certain the thing isn't coming back.

    "They certainly seemed to be the sort of things we should stay away from," Medusa agrees, looking completely calm. "And yes, I'm fine. Why shouldn't I be?" Another smile is given to Luna, all before she heads out of the room, pressing forward. It's a good thing Medusa doesn't mind tight spaces. Though she halts when Luna asks regarding the crystals. "Removing them might attract attention, which might be unwise. Stealth is the best approach in my opinion. Though I wouldn't mind coming back here later when we have the time and collect them. They do seem worthwhile..."

    And then she continues onward.
Dr. Vahzilok     After moving through the tunnel that feels almost like they're falling down a pit than walking through a hallway due to the angles employed, the two eventually exit out into a very large room with a darkened floor far below, and a mix of carved stone stairs and platforms, and rocky columns, up where they are. There are also what appear to be large, green, crystalline structures accessible by the stairs and platforms. There are metal frames on the side facing each platform and it appears that... People are inside!

    One of them is a civilian-looking man, who matches the description of Cadao Kestrel, the one who was rumored to be working with the Circle of Thorns when he disappeared. It seems clear now that's not the case. Likewise, the missing heroes are also in these magical prisons. One hero in particular, in a sleek black bodysuit, wielding a pair of blades, seems to be in the process of carving through the barrier before him from the inside, but it's a tough mystical field. It's unclear how long he's been at it. Two more heroes are just coming to. One is a slender young woman with long hair whose body is entirely covered by a lilac-hued exoskeleton or carapace. Insect-like. The other is a large, hairy, sasquatch-looking man. He notices the arrival of Medusa and Luna sooner than the others, and looks at them with clear intelligence and curiosity.

    He is no beast, appearance aside, and begins testing the barrier to see if he can punch through without damaging himself.
Princess Luna      Luna has her scythe in hand when she enters this new room. She takes a look around before blinking as she sees the magical cages. "It seems we may have found the lost heroes." she says softly to Medusa, then starts forward. She goes carefully, keeping her eyes open for traps or enemies. When she reaches the nearest cage she says, "I am Princess Luna. We are here to free thee from thy captivity. Dost thou know how these magic fields are activated?" She still speaks quietly, but loudly enough that if these cages do not block sound all the heroes should be able to hear her.

     Even as she is speaking, Luna's eyes are scanning those green structures for weaknesses or switches that will allow them to free the prisoners without causing a ruckus.
Medusa Gorgon     The new room seems promising indeed, and as Luna points out they seem to have found what they were looking for...

    The witch peers about the large room to get an overview of their situation, and she narrows her eyes slightly. Those barriers are curious indeed...

    Likewise, the people inside the barrier catch Medusa's attention easily enough as she steps forward. They are humanoid and sentient, even if two of them look rather different.

    "The cages might be soundproof," she asides to Luna. Perhaps they can read lips if that is the case. Rather than looking directly at the prisoners however, Medusa dedicates herself to looking around the room, curious about whether or not there is an easy way to spot how these barriers are kept in place. Is it science? Magic? A mix of the two? Either way she isn't inept at either of those fields, though magic would be preferable perhaps... technology can be so messy. Then again, it breaks easily at times too.

    "They might be able to fight as well if we free them..." she muses. Or perhaps they are weakened... who knows?
Dr. Vahzilok     It doesn't appear the prisons are soundproof, based on the verbal response they soon get, though the guy with the dual blades seems quite determined to just slash his way to freedom. And to be succeeding, based on how the barrier is flickering.

    Cadao, the Voodoo Master, answers, "The barrier is magical in nature. There is likely a spell for placing and removing it, but I don't know it. Physical force should be adequate, whether by blows or blasts or whatever else you may have. I'm glad to see you though. We might have been able to escape on our own--" then he pauses and looks to the other prisoners. "...Or at least they would have. But with all the guards and patrols, it would have been dangerous to make the attempt. I'm Cadao Kestrel."

    The purple-exo-skeletoned girl stands up and protrudes some kind of spine-like claws from her body as she starts to follow the example of mister-swords and try to carve through the barrier. "Lascerator!" she introduces herself.

    The sasquatch-looking man, nods his head respectfully to their rescuers and starts delivering powerful punches and raking attacks to the field imprisoning him. He calls out, "Wild One. You dropped the 'Lilac' from your name, 'Lascerator'?"

    Lascerator, annoyed, yells back, "Not the time!"

    Mister Swords doesn't offer his name, just finished slashing his way out of prison and then starts down the stairs towards the central platform. "They'll be coming back soon. Get ready to fight." It's unclear how he knows that, or that Medusa and Luna didn't take down the enemy. Either way, he seems to be quite certain as he looks towards the archway with great determination.

    Wild One says, "You were called Stigmata, correct?"

    The Dual Blades Scrapper just frowns. If Stigmata is his name or not, it doesn't appear he's interested in socializing.

    The wailing sound of ghosts approaching begins to echo down the hall towards them.
Princess Luna      Luna finds herself wondering if the jailers merely underestimated their prisoners or if they wanted the prisoners to escape at some point. But, when the escape does start happening Luna is quick to help. Her horn glows brightly, and she gives her scythe a quick twirl before throwing a hand out toward Cadao's cell. A powerful magic beam fires from her horn, slamming into the barrier of his cell.

     Once she breaks through that one she moves to the next until all the prisoners are free. "Prepare thyselves for battle! The enemy approaches!" she calls out. Stealth is forgotten as the howls of spirits closes in on them. They need to move quickly and with decisive force! "I hope thou art all as good as thy names suggest."
Medusa Gorgon     Enough force, you say?

    "Then allow us to add the additional force needed to free you," Medusa states. The guards and patrols should be okay for them to face if they're working together. Not that she knows how capable these people are, but... it should be okay.

    Such curious names they all have. Then again, the heroes of Paragon City all seem to have some strange naming conventions. It's a bit strange how they let the prisoners keep their weapons, isn't it? The one called Stigmata had nearly broken free when they arrived here...

    "Well met, Cadao, Lascerator, Wild One... Stigmata. I am Medusa Gorgon." Let's keep it simple and sweet.

    It appears it's the time to fight, and so Medusa rolls her shoulders, muttering something under her breath... "Soul Protect... release."

    There is nothing stealthy about Medusa's presence at the moment the magic concealing her soul breaks, and those sensitive to dark magic might even feel a bit unwell at the sudden explosion of energy that emanates from the woman. Luckily none of it is aimed at the people, instead it's focused on any guards or ghosts that might enter the hall, and Medusa stands ready to move and strike. As a matter of fact, she looks quite eager.