capeandcowllogs | ASTHENOA

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ASTHENOA

WHO: The imPorts trapped in a video game.
WHERE: The virtual world of Asthenoa.
WHEN: 10AM August 26th to 11PM August 31st.
WARNINGS: Violence and fighting. Alert me of anything else for updates.
SUMMARY: A comedy of errors: imPorts are trapped in a Vulcanus-made video game.
FORMAT: As you like it.

Asthenoa is a land set on lush rolling hills under a bright blue sky eternally streaked with clouds. The only celestial variance comes during the nightly setting, where an eternally yellow full moon partially hides behind those clouds. The people of Asthenoa may be human, or elven, or dwarven, or they may have animalistic features, but none of that is of great social concern. Asthenoa has always been this way. The heart of the land is a medieval town set upon one of the highest hills, and the middle of that town sits a majestic stone castle. The busiest part of the town is the center, which hosts the marketplace. There you can buy necessities, or meet the blacksmith and other artisans at their working studios. Beyond the artisanal studios are the taverns and the inns.

Beyond the cheerier inns is a place called The Shriveled Shrike. If you head to the second floor and knock on the third room door thrice and rub your knee against the handle once, it will magically open and expose to you a staircase. People of the Rogue class know this inherently.

The staircase is five flights long. It leads to a black market in a mile long, mile wide underground bunker, where gambling and other darker magicks are indulged. You might meet a necromancer or three. You might run into trouble.

If you were to step out beyond the town, you would have to cross a moat via the drawbridge. It’s always closed up at nighttime, you can only pass during the day.

Beyond the moat (where serpents might swim) is a hilly pasture. Beyond the pasture is an enchanted forest. Strange things happen in these gnarled woods – this is where mystical creatures lurk. Acres of dark wood house sparkling lights and floating orbs and very unusual flora. The fauna includes many mythical beings, including centaurs and fairies and griffins. There could be even more hidden within secret caves or pools of darkening water.

You feel the need to venture past this alluring wood. You feel it deeply.

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[ By now Rin's actually dressed which is either a disappointment or improvement depending on the kind of company normally kept. Scaled gloves, thick leather boots, and a beautiful gown... So she looks like a newbie character in mostly common gear, but now she's not running around with half her ass hanging out of her leaves.

Still, she can't help but check out the marbled white walls. They remind her of someone, no of something. ]

Geez, it feels as though I've been thrown right into an asylum. I swear I've already been by this wall once before, but hm...

[ She's more caught up in the internal conflict of marking the wall before carrying on to notice anyone or anything approaching. ]

[ The sound of her musing aloud alerts him to her presence. Briefly, he considers ignoring it, before he thinks better of the whole ordeal. He backtracks a few steps, rounding the corner, and again spots a young girl -- one who looks even more out of sorts then usual.

It really isn't his place to play rescuer, despite how misleading his appearance is, but he can't in his right conscience leave a girl that young on her own. He approaches her in armor that was once-shining but now bloody, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. ]

Lost?

[ A very pointless question, one could point out -- but as a buzzing sound slowly begins building, steadily approaching from the direction Rin came from, chiding him on asking the obvious might be put on the back-burner. ]

[ The bloodied armor ought to startle her, but she's seen enough of it to not be bothered by the sight of it. To her, it's almost familiar a scent. ]

Do I look like the type that's lost? [ Her pride tugs at her shortly after and she's quick to lower her gaze. ]

A little bit. Isn't that the purpose of... [ Perking up, she listens to the ominous sound growing louder and louder. ] Don't tell me those pixies are coming back for another round.

[ Pixies? He almost dares to ask about it, but he's cut short when the swarm hits.

He raises his sword, but it's not the right weapon to use against a group of small, speedy foes. He blocks, to shield his face from the oncoming assault, and he only identifies the beasts for what they are when one is splattered against the broad side of the blade.

Dragons. Really? ]

Keep your head down.

[ No, don't go asking about the Pixies and how Rin had to rely on someone to save her. In fact, that seems to be her MO in this world. Hide behind someone who can actually fight and try to not get mauled herself. ]

I can do that much. [ If anything, all she's done in this place is pretty much duck and hide. ] Just don't mistake me for them.

[ Within seconds, the half-naked teenager is now a wolf pup growling at his feet. Grr, so fierce! The swarm is Not Impressed nor Intimidated by her growling. In fact, she just might be adding to their aggravation. ]

[ Her response gives him pause, and before he can ask what she means, she's already changed. That was... interesting, but far from useful.

Mistaking her for the mess of miniature monsters surrounding them is far from a concern. The creatures aren't exactly harmful; it's simply irritating to have to deal with such small targets when all he has to use is a sword. ]

Can't change into something bigger, huh? [ He mutters as he slices through the swarm. ]

[ Listen, this is as good as it gets. Rin herself isn't exactly a big person on her own. Standing a little over five feet tall, she looks more like a child than the adult she claims to be.

Besides, aren't they fighting small targets? So it'll be alright for her to be this petite, thank you very much!

Nipping at any that swarm near her, she continues to prove her usefulness by wagging her tail. So she's just a little excited over her paltry attempt at combat as an animal. ]

[ If he had his usual weaponry, this swarm wouldn't be an issue. However, all he has is this sword, which isn't ideal -- but little by little, the swarm is lessening. It is clumsy, ugly work, but he makes it work. ]

Appreciate the backup. [ He mutters under his breath, his boot slamming down on one last dragon. ]

[ Hey listen, it is a lot of hard work to wag a tail and nip at the air. He should be blown away by her awesome combat expertise, but no, all she earns is his bitter sarcasm. ]

Woof! [ Dramatic pause. ] I didn't mean to say that.

[ After which she pounces on the corpse of a dragon. Take that! Such fierce. ]

[ He resists the urge to sigh. He simply sheathes his sword after he finishes peeling tiny dragonbits off of it, glancing down at her skeptically. ]

Think you can sniff your way out like that?

Sniff my way out? What do you think I am?

[ A pause, then she sniffs the air just for good measure. ]

Oh... I think I can actually! [ ~ENLIGHTENMENT~ ]

[ Natasha for her part, does not like the white wall— harder to hide against. But she does a fair job of finding the shadows, even for someone wearing black. ]

Look out.

[ Natasha feels rather sheepish saying that, though— the approaching horde is just five extremely cute bunnies. Still. She isn't one to let appearances deceive. ]

[ Compared to her, Rin sticks out like a sore thumb with her varying contrast of colors along her person. When she's instructed to watch out, she's left looking at the bunnies in surprise. ]

Really? They aren't that dangerous. [ Then she remembers attacking Bradbury as a bunny herself and suddenly she's on guard. ]

Rabbits don't travel in packs, do they?

[ She shakes her head and draws her weapon. ]

Never underestimate.

I wouldn't exactly do that here.

[ She's learned not to, but she's more interested in the why than anything else. Why were they traveling like this and why would they be a threat? ]

Everything so far has been a headache here... why not a bunch of rabbits? The weapon is a little unnecessary though, don't you think?

[ when kanaya spots her, she rather envies the gown. it looks much better than the leather and plate armor she's had to put up with for the last few days. she almost wants to ask where she could get one of her own, but they're both lost in this labyrinth, so it's rather moot. if they find a way out, they might end up home, and kanaya will have all the dresses she could ever want.

nonetheless, she wanders up to peer over rin's shoulder. ]

The walls are magic, you know. Whatever mark you make won't last. [ she's tried, she honestly isn't sure which of these walls she's already passed. ]

I could just mark it in a way that won't disappear.

[ Not that she's going to admit what exactly she means by that (spoilers it involves turning into a wolf again), but she'll huff up all the same. ]

You look like you've seen better days, you know.

I've seen worse. [ but she's downplaying it. all she really wants right now is to be home, in a proper skirt, and maybe cuddling with the girlfriend. instead she has a sword. this doesn't strike her as a terribly unique circumstance.

she pulls her pack around to see what she might have that she doesn't need. ] If you have any bread crumbs, even of the analogical variety, you might be able to leave a trail.

A trail for the beasts in this maze to come find me? No thank you.

[ So she's been attacked a little bit already judging from the experience she's trying to shove down Kanaya's throat now. ]

It won't surprise me if I close my eyes and open them to something charging right for us. Not that I'm going to do that because I'd just be proven right, but you get what I'm saying.

I find it highly likely that they'll probably find us anyway, but if you're really so apprehensive on the matter, it might do to have some company worth their bother in a fight.

[ because she;s been stuck here long enough that she doesn't know that she'll ever make it out and it might be nice not to feel so useless for a bit. ]

I could elude them a lot better if I was prepared for it. I didn't exactly think this through when I first showed up here and my experience is what I've read in books--which is nothing compared it happening in real life!

[ Her screaming might be what attracts them the most though. ]

Mm. The books I've read in settings similar to these didn't tend to focus on that part, really. Luckily I've fought enough monsters outside of them that such an education wasn't really necessary.

[ and, of course, while they were standing here discussing the possibility, a few waxen figures seem to have noticed them, approaching from behind kanaya. she has yet to register this fact. ]

... Hey Kanaya? Ummmm, hm.

[ She's trying to figure out how to describe them, but her mouth remains open in her stunned silence. What are those?

Enjoy this rare silence. ]

[ this has the opposite of the intended effect, as it leads kanaya to instead focus on rin. what could get her so quiet so quick? ]

What is it, is there a problem?

[ and then she's knocked over the head by one of them as it tries to swallow her head in its hand. so, that happened. she starts flailing immediately, trying to pull out her sword, but the face full of wax is, needless to say, a bit disorienting. ]

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ASTHENOA

open; feel free to rng if you want!

dragonflies...

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3, Souljours

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sorry my gmail filtered to spam ???

oh it's cool! I thought I sent a pm but looks like I derped on my end too.

wax men!

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