escordvi | << july open log: into the abyss >>

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<< july open log: into the abyss >>

This is our Open Log for players to have an easy opportunity to tag others and have fun with prompts that deal with current happenings that are not covered by our MANTA Board quests. Sometimes we provide extra quests at the bottom, but oftentimes we just let the MANTA Board cover it. Players are free to include MANTA Board quests in their toplevels!

ALL THREADS CAN COUNT 6PTS.

For your toplevel, please include the following: Character Name | Canon | Armada Choice.

TOPLEVEL DIRECTORY (Updated July 17)

LEVEL ONE

A strange island seemingly appearing overnight can be seen on the horizon very close to Latrommi. The island is extremely large and is surrounded by tall dangerous mountain ranges which will make it hard to dock and explore further. But if crews and explorers can make it through and over the mountains they will find a massive deep crater in the center of the island that looks so deep it looks as though they're looking into a dark endless abyss.

Mysterious as it is, adventure, vast treasures, and perhaps other important relics and information can be found, making the journey a worthwhile one. However, word will eventually spread as early explorers warn of thick, poisonous gasses that worsen the further they descend, so caution will be needed and better preparation taken as everyone learns more about the abyss.

Travelling down into level one of the abyss seems safe enough. There are old abandoned hemp ropes, wooden bridges and pathways that spiral downward towards the middle, making it easy enough to get down to the jagged ground, rocky cliffs and grassy plateaus below. This level is illuminated by strange balls of bright sun-like energy in the air that follow travellers around for hours. So despite it being a part of the abyss, it is very well-lit and almost sunny to explore. And while this level doesn’t seem dangerous, spending too much time on this level will have explorers experiencing mild dizziness, because a strange abyss sickness will start to seep into travellers…

🍃 Leafy dragonlings. This level is overrun with tiny baby dragonlings that have mastered the art of looking like tree leaves. They are hard to see and often camouflage into the surrounding trees and brush. But they are mischievous little things that want to bite and snap at travellers. Be careful dodging them or they might try and knick a finger off.

💧 Steamy waterfalls. Some beautiful waterfalls can be found that pool nice hot steamy water at the bottom of them. These waterfalls are incredibly relaxing to enjoy, although the longer someone might spend in the hot water, the hotter they will feel. The hot water tends to make people feel particularly heated or aroused. So be careful if sitting in the hot water with another person. Or enjoy!!

🕰️ Platform jumping. With all of the ropes and old wooden platforms littering the cliffs and plateaus, it might be a fun challenge to test one's climbing and jumping skills by hopping from one rickety platform to another. Just be careful because if something breaks from under them, they'll be falling for quite some time…

🔸Ruby dust. Strange pockets of fine ruby dust can be found all over the ground and embedded in the mountainous walls. The ruby dust is hard to collect since it’s so fine. Yet, it is warm to the touch and might be valuable if one can collect it somehow. Beware: if any ruby dust is inhaled, it might induce some terrible migraines.

🍄 Mushrooms. Huge mushrooms can be found all over the place. So huge that they can be climbed on or used to make giant hats. None of them are particularly tasty to eat and if they are eaten raw, they’ll more than likely give people a nasty stomach ache. With the proper preparation and cooking, these mushrooms make excellent medicinal and herbal soups. Try making camp and cooking with them. Just add the right seasonings to make it taste decent.

LEVEL TWO

Level two of the abyss doesn’t seem much like an abyss. Descend far enough down and travellers will find themselves in the thick of a giant forest heavy with massive plants, flowers, and bushes. This level is completely overrun with wild bioluminescent plant life that might make it very difficult to traverse. It is full of glowing exotic plant life including strangling figs, hanging vines, and abnormally coloured cacti. It might be handy to keep a sharp weapon to cut the plants down to size. The biggest areas to note on this level of the abyss are two very large flower fields that look frighteningly similar. Spending prolonged amounts of time on this level will induce nausea, headaches and numbness of the extremities. It seems that the abyss sickness is heavier and noticeable here… But one can still continue.

🌼 Flowers of fortitude. These delicate teal-coloured flowers are often called Life Flowers and breathing in their pollen and scent will cure people of their ailments. If anyone has any injuries or illnesses from coming this far, the flower pollen will do wonders in easing any pain or clearing any nausea. They are natural painkillers, and they might be useful to collect to ease the coming effects of the abyss sickness.

🌼 Eternal fortunes. These delicate blue-coloured flowers are often called Death Flowers, breathing in their pollen and scent will likely kill a person. They look awfully similar to healing flowers found in the area so travellers should be careful when testing each. Inhaling the pollen will aggravate and inflame current injuries as well as accelerate the effects of the abyss sickness. However, could there be a better use for such dangerous flowers?

🌿 Herb-of-grace. Another powerful herb can be found at this level that might be useful to collect. The well-sought-after “Herb-of-Grace” that can be used to cure powerful petrifaction. But the special herb is guarded by a Froghemoth, a huge amphibian-like giant with long tentacles and webbed feet, that will fight tooth and tentacle to keep the herbs all to themselves.

🌲 Upside down trees. There are many trees here that have somehow grown upside down. The leaves and branches are connected to the ground while the massive roots grow out of control and reach for the higher level of the abyss, and it’s as if the roots are reaching for the sun and sky. Try exploring the roots by climbing them or hacking some of them away to collect,and perhaps see what happens if they are planted outside of the abyss. If they are planted outside, the roots will grow rapidly towards the sun too, but no leaves or branches will sprout, and they will start growing strange glowing pear-like fruits, too…

🌸 Pretty pollen. Many of the plants down here have strange side effects if they are inhaled or consumed. One notable thing is the pretty pink pollen fluff that floats in the air. The pollen can make the nose itch, but it also makes travellers feel warm and lightheaded, and they will feel pleasantly dazed and euphoric. All their troubles will just float away…

LEVEL THREE

Deeper still, the third level proves to be a bit of an outlier to the rest of the dark abyss. A large rustic village can be found here that is surrounded by a forest and rocks. The village is made up of several small wooden homes made of roots and animal bone all interconnecting with planks and rope bridges. It's a quiet place, littered with carvings and paintings of giant whales on many walls too, hinting at a cute and deep love for them. Half the village seems empty but there are many old rooms to rest in. And there are some small, mute knee-height village folk living here that will happily provide medical care, food and washing rooms for free, and they will offer everyone hot baths in wooden tubs as well as provide dry clean clothing. This Is a nice place to call a checkpoint and a resting area.

🎁 Trinket trading. The residents here may not be able to talk, but they do offer some great trades for small trinkets and talismans that might stave off the later levels of the abyss sickness. People can trade something valuable that they own to them and they will provide a protective item in return, but there are no tradebacks! Also, everyone should be careful with what they trade because some of the village folk might try and swindle them!

🥩 Monster eats. Seeing as this is the abyss, there aren’t many conventional ways to raise food and eat typical meats here. The village folk provide charcuterie boards of strange-looking meats that have been cooked for everyone to enjoy, but the meats are all monster bits—barbequed insect legs, roasted beast paws, slices of marinated green and blue steaks, huge pieces of deep-fried tentacles, plates of multicoloured eyeballs in sauce, bowls of bizarre monster eggs and more…

🥕 Plant vegetables. Despite the plates of monster meat, people might have a chance to help the locals plant some actual normal food. They have several wooden garden boxes that have been set up in an attempt to grow fresh vegetables. Help them by planting purple carrots, pink yams, eldritch potatoes and other crops in hopes that they can flourish down here and help diversify the local cuisine. And maybe help one's stomach in the process!

🚪 Building up. The village is also extremely run down. In return for being so hospitable, travellers are encouraged to help the village by restoring old buildings, building new rooms and reinforcing the wooden structures already built down here. Perhaps they will find a dusty relic or two while helping out?

🔥 Bonfires. Has anyone noticed that there are little to no abyss sickness effects on this level? It might be because of the village and their ability to stave off the sickness using various bonfires lit all around the area. The bonfires are cozy and relaxing, and permit the village to live without fear of getting sick. Take a rest next to a bonfire, ease the abyss sickness and share stories and plans for the levels to come.

LEVEL FOUR

Once they have rested and wish to brave the deeper levels of the abyss, level four proves to be a very challenging area. This area is dim, musty and little grows here besides resilient weeds and grass. There are a few reservoirs of water to be found but the rocky and dead ground leaves little to be desired. Luckily, it is dimly lit on this level with some moon-like balls of energy that float overhead. Because of the emptiness, it leaves this level prowling with dangerous creatures that are extremely hungry and bored. Spending time on this level will induce intense pain and bleeding throughout the body. So, it is recommended that people only venture this far if they are well-equipped and prepared for the trip.

🧛 Vampires. Vampires! Humanoid creatures that stalk the darkness looking for victims with supple necks to bite into and drink from. Vampires stalk level four of the abyss as if it is their domain, confident and ready to hunt for a taste of blood. Yet… There is something very strange about these vampires. Their limbs are too long, their fingers nearly dragging across the ground and their legs are gangly and bent the wrong way… If someone is bitten or scratched by one of these creatures, they will be inflicted with vampirism. They will grow fangs, their eyes will turn red, and they will gain an insatiable thirst for blood. The only grace is they won’t grow longer limbs. Escaping the abyss and seeing the sun will be the only way to cure this vampirism, but maybe they can manage their vampirism and continue on?

👁️ Eye of the beholder. A giant floating eyeball with four fanged tentacles prowls this level of the abyss. It has a massive mouth filled with hundreds of slimy teeth and is terribly hungry. It will hunt down anything that moves, using its large sharp tentacles to grab its prey and rip it apart to eat. To slow down its potential snacks, the giant eye has the ability to turn creatures to stone with direct eye contact, as well. Anyone running or battling this creature should avoid direct eye contact with its giant void-like pupil.

🐑 Creature burrows. There are big creepy holes of all sizes that can be found all through this level. The holes are filled with dusty roots and soft materials such as bird feathers, animal fur, ripped cloth or dried grass, and it appears that some sort of creature lives inside these burrows. Those who are brave enough can try blindly sticking their hand inside one of these burrows to see what they can find. They might touch something soft? Or something scaly? Something slimy…? If they can get over whatever they feel, they might be able to pull out rare monster eggs that are both delicious and fetch a good price back on the surface.

🗳️ Boxed in. Walking along, people might suddenly find themselves falling into a random pit with whoever they are travelling with, and people will find themselves suddenly boxed into a tight space in the ground. It’s dark inside, but just light enough to be able to make out their companion’s features. No one will be sure if this is a creature that has swallowed them up whole or if this is a hallucination, but being boxed in together does do one thing. The effects of the sickness still hurt, but being tightly close to another warm body seems to ease the pain, and they will feel rested inside of this cramped space. Stay as long as one needs to, and rest and cuddle up tight with their companion. Or try to wiggle out and escape.

🧰 Treasure gacha. Finding relics and treasure on any level is possible, but level four proves to be rich for treasure farming. There are so many hidden chests and buried caches to find in the ground. Comment below in the designated toplevel for the mods to roll to see what kind of treasure they might find buried here. What they find will be entirely randomised and there are no promises if the relic or treasure found will be useful or not. But keep digging!

LEVEL FIVE

Entering the deepest parts of the Abyss will be the darkest challenge yet. This level appears to be one massive stone labyrinth-like maze that is covered with clouds of thick fog and hazy, smoky ash. The massive walls of the maze tunnels are old and cracked and bits of glowing fungus and thorny moss grow across the cracked stone, and the ground is uneven, littered with heavy dead roots and jagged stones. The darkness is so heavy and threatening here that one can almost feel it weighing on their shoulders. Like the other levels, the abyss sickness grows stronger here and prolonged time on this level will challenge explorers with hallucinations, blindness, deafness or the loss of all feeling. This level plays tricks on the mind and steals the senses everyone has always relied on… Should they keep going? Or return home?

😱 Hallucinations. A bitter white fog permeates through this level, clouding over the top of the maze and flooding through the tunnels. It is heavy and when inhaled, it burns the nose and eyes. Getting the fog inside the lungs will bring about terrible hallucinations of one's deepest fears. They will see them come to life before their very eyes, and these hallucinations will seem so real that they feel like they could reach out and touch them. Worse still, if they are with someone, they will be able to see the same hallucinations. Whatever one is scared of, they’ll see too. Beware whatever it is, be it dogs, cats, drowning, darkness, spiders, people in costumes, being naked in front of a crowd or more…

🌘 Maze tunnels. Exploring downward through the maze tunnels is tricky. As explorers move, they will find that some of their senses will start to fade or numb. The more they explore, the more their senses will fail. Eventually, they may find themselves without their sense of hearing, sight, touch, smell or taste. Maybe one sense will fail completely, or maybe a few of them. It will make escaping or exploring the maze tunnels that much more difficult, especially if they lose the sense that they rely on most.

💎 Elemental gemstones. Just like the rest of the abyss, there is great treasure to find down below. The maze is rich with elemental deposits that glitter and glow, and beautiful gemstones are embedded in the walls and ground that are ripe for harvesting: rubies, diamonds, sapphires, and all kinds of other gemstones. What makes them special is that all of these glittering gemstones seem to pulsate with some sort of elemental energy too. Travellers should do their best to harvest fire rubies, ice diamonds, water sapphires and more… They could be incredibly useful for power sources, magitech upgrades or fitting a ship with elemental components. What a find!

LEVEL SIX

The deepest and most dangerous level of the abyss. The abyss sickness is the worst here and explorers will experience a deep loss of their humanity or even death. This place is colourless and lifeless and everything seems black or in grayscale; it looks like ash or snow is falling from a “sky” that doesn’t exist. The pathways and tunnels here are barren and empty and nothing grows. Strangely enough, broken ships can be found down here as if this used to be where oceans flowed, now abandoned, broken and dry. Few people will be able to reach this level without several trips into the abyss to build up resistance to the abyss sickness. Only those with the most mental fortitude and physical strength should attempt to explore this final floor.

There will be easy to find teleporters that glow a soft purplish color and have what look like wave like squiggle lines on the stone base. Stepping onto it will let them choose to either return to the village (Level Three) or the entrance of the Abyss.

Good luck...

👻 Heliobi. Energy-sucking ghost-like parasites float around this level. They take root in a host’s nervous system and slowly feed on their emotions and energy. They will use the host’s deepest darkest desires to create wild delusions and manipulate the host like a chess piece. The host has no choice but to obey and is possessed. If left long enough, the host will no longer be who they once were and will be exhausted by the heliobi. To stop these creatures, an “evil binding matrix relic” will be needed to imprison the abominations. Perhaps they can find an old one abandoned somewhere, or maybe one of the village folk gave them one.

🍳 Mirrors. Odd floating crystal mirrors appear out of nowhere, unsuspended, and seemingly floating about like they’re alive. If someone looks into them, they will find a perfect mirror image of themselves. However, there is something uncanny about the reflection: it looks … too happy. The longer they look, the more they will feel… happy. The reflection will make promises to them about how happy they will be if they stay here, and not return to their former world, or their life on the surface. They will slowly be convinced to stay here forever, unless someone can break them away from the mirror.

💀 Undead Sharkenbear. Be careful of the massive undead creature prowling around. This creature is the size of a house and looks to be part bear and part shark. It has the huge, hulking body of a grizzly bear while sporting sharp-toothed shark heads for arms. It’s rotting, drooling, and hungry for blood and will attack if it picks up a scent. Luckily, its bear head is completely blind, but that doesn’t mean the shark arms can’t see anyone… Explorers should be careful if they pick a fight!

⬛ Ancient tablets. Scattered throughout this level are rusty ancient “tablets” that can be found buried in the ground or hidden away in or under old broken debris. These tablets appear to be made of a thin sheet of metal and have odd holes punched through them. No one knows what these thin card-like tablets are for, but they could be important. Collect them and bring them to the surface to be researched…

🪑 Bench. There is a single bench. It is abandoned and lonely. No one is sure how this bench got here, but it seems like the final destination. The end of it all. The place to sit and rest your weary feet. Congratulations. They have reached the end of the abyss. How do they feel?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I-A. Bonfire Interlude

[Miriam made several visits to this village as time went on. First out of cautious surprise, then to rest, then to store and categorize the things she'd found. Right now, she was taking a rest by one of the bonfires circling the settlement. It was a welcome place of respite, and the notion seemed to be a shared one.

There was a plate of food from the villagers propped on the log bench beside her in lieu of a table; even for her the village furniture was laughably too small. They'd done more than enough giving her a safe place to rest, by her measure. And Miriam was hardly one to turn down something to eat, even if the strange coloration took a moment to get used to. But she was careful to stick anything that looked tentacle-adjacent with her knife first, even after repeat pit stops here.

When someone approached, the Shardbinder smiled, and waved them over.]

Greetings. Are you headed somewhere?

I-B. Interlude NG+

[And sometimes, particularly the later times, she looks much more haggard. The tired lines on her face become more distinct, her armor becomes more scratched, the end of her scarf frayed. Yet her crystals remain bright as ever, impervious to the wear on its host body. There were times where she was almost too tired to eat, but knew she should, and spent far too long staring at the piece of half-eaten greyish bread in her hand.

Despite all this, Miriam nonetheless looks up when she hears someone approach, offering a soft smile. It was smaller than it usually was.]

Ah, hello. Did you...need something?

[Her voice was soft-spoken and kind as always, but there was a heaviness to it that wasn't so neatly explained by fatigue alone.]

II. Final Destination Boss Fight (cw: violence, mild body horror, temporary humanity loss)

[This place at the end of the world was grey, washed out as a sun-bleached painting—making the defiant streak of color from an interloper that much more striking. This one, Miriam, was making no attempt to hide herself, crouched on a steep hill overlooking what was now a graveyard of bleaching ships.

But something wasn't right. Her sword was drawn, but its point stuck in the ground as if it were propping up Miriam's vigil. The way she moved was stiff—puppetlike. Her eyes, normally clear blue, were clouded with uncanny teal light that left traces in the air whenever her head turned. And turn she did, facing the footfalls she'd heard approaching—and something on the back of her neck that glowed the same ghost-green disappeared under her hair.]

You've come all this way to challenge me, Zangetsu?

[Her voice was hollow, as shorn of emotion as her gaze. She looked less at who she could see, and more through them.]

[Wildcard]

[For prompts not listed, or modified versions of the above! The bonfire prompt can easily translate into visiting another level, and so on. The level 6 prompt can be as troublesome as desired; the heliobi possessing Miriam has access to the majority of her powers as a Shardbinder (though not the summons), but Miriam's still capable of resisting its influence at times. Feel free to plot with me on plurk or Discord! ]

[Canvas of white, barely a drop of color or life in this world. The previous levels, troublesome but not too much so. Here, getting a lot of doomsday and armageddon vibes. If there were any final challenges that'd push him to his absolute limit, it had to be here. Ranma hoped so anyway. Coming all the way down here, spending days nearing a week to eke out roving this unfamiliar land, he'd want something that'd make all this worth it.

Judging by the sudden crescendo his danger sense is letting off to alert of potential threats, he may very well get his wish. The teen turned to the source of stirring his ki and the voice. A woman, never seen her before during his time here. He didn't know if she was a new arrival or he just missed her during his stay here, either way, what he did know was something was off. The way she moved and spoke without fervor, the fogged lenses, and that faint hue of green...

Ranma sniffed, keeping his body posture relaxed and composed.]

Whoever this 'Zangetsu' is, you got the wrong guy.

[He didn't need his past experiences of misunderstandings or mistaken identities -- plus the woman's current state -- to know that his words matter little. Leading to his next set of words.]

If it's a challenge you want, though, I'd be happy to give you one.

[This is a win-win for both of them. The woman gets snapped back to her senses, and he gets a fight. Both of them are benefitting here!]

(OOC: Be as troublesome as you'd like!)

[If she heard him, she didn't give any sign of it. The world Miriam saw wasn't this colorless place, but something dredged out of her memories and haphazardly put together. The bleached hills were replaced with marble halls and stairways, the sky viewed through broken pillars a virulent red, and the looming full moon burned too close and too bright. The man she saw was very different than the opponent before her--in appearance, and in time. Zangetsu no longer bore her any animosity; both even respected each other as comrades. But the creature tugging at her mind didn't care for such continuity, only in weaving together a leash for its host.]

Finally going to stop holding back?

[The crystals on Miriam's body began to glow as she rose, blade grating out of the colorless ground as she stood. Her posture straightened, shoulders drawn back and feet squared; someone with training and discipline instead of a string-cut puppet. The ghost-green light clouding her vision didn't seem to inhibit her movements any.]

Why haven't you drawn your sword then?

[The black haired woman didn't give time for an answer, raising her free arm. A glowing spell circle spun into existence before her fingers. Burning stars formed in the circle and sped forth, the stars growing in size exponentially as they rained to the ground around the anomalous ghost of 'Zangetsu', behind him and in front of him. Some didn't even hit the ground, suspended in midair as they grew into colossal orbs of searing heat and flame poorly contained by their form.]

[Truly unfortunate that the one Miriam happened to stumble upon in her delirium had matching palette to the man she sees. It only made her delusions hold water. Convenient for her, inconvenient for Ranma who only grew more annoyed with the incessant ramblings.]

Lady, I just said I'm not--

[Words are cut off as his body instinctively ducked and dodged the spinning flaming projectiles shot at him. Okay, talking some sense into her isn't working. Time for the tried and true method of knocking it back in her.

Miriam may have difficulty tracking depending on how trained her eyes are, for 'Zangetsu' suddenly flashed into a red blur from where he was standing to right up in her face. Ranma lunged his fists forward, unleashing a volley of punches that hit like semis speeding down the highway!]

['Zangetsu' could move quickly when he wished--but not that quickly. The ghost-light clouding her eyes flickered a moment; that wasn't...right, that didn't match. It took a moment for the heliobi to reestablish its control--and the lapse left her wide open at first. But the first blow landed, and her muscle memory reasserted itself. She could fight who this was, demon or demon hunter. Fighting supernatural things had been her day job since she was grafted with crystal as a child, after all.

That didn't make getting hit by what felt like a boulder any nicer. Only her sword arm and shoulder on that side were armored; this foe didn't strike just there, of course, and with the speed of all those strikes her sword could only fend off so many. The parasite didn't allow its host to feel pain; her off-arm went numb at the shoulder, and just a glancing blow to her ribs made her next few breaths shallow, tense things. But numbness was all the creature let Miriam feel.

The Shardbinder returned with her own set of blows; a few quick swipes of her sword at first, to knock those fists away and reset the distance. If the edge of her blade wasn't enough, the flurry of icicles it conjured might be, firing outwards in a cloud of frozen razorblades.

Her off-arm was still hanging uselessly, but the crystals leading to it began to glow bright blue-white. Conjured iron encased and reinforced the limb, winding back to deliver a punch.

Just the one, though.

The iron reinforcements raced forwards, expanded exponentially and launched themselves forwards on spectral pistons far faster than Miriam's injured arm could manage on its own.

It's a train. Its engine block, technically, but.

She's still punching him with a train.]

[Things Ranma has been hit by:
- Boulders
- Cement rollers
- Poles
- Statues
- Chunks of a mountain
- So on and so forth.

The list is long and varying, too many to list. It's easier to list what hadn't hit him. Like a goddamn train! (Until now anyway). He's dealt with foes pulling whatever out of left field, but they've never been this cumbersome and ginormous! Even four-eyes couldn't pull this off!

Caught off guard by the unanticipated nature of such a weapon led Ranma to being walloped by the whopper of an engine. Metal clanged and echoed through the hall colliding with bone, ragdolling Ranma's body down the pathway. Ordinary people would've been splattered by such the large mass hitting them. Ranma is far from ordinary, stopping his careening to get back to his feet. He breathed out a hiss, raising his hand up to his aching jaw and face.]

That smarts... [Grumbling as he popped his jaw back in alignment, he shook off the pain and stared at the lady.] Neat trick there. You could give a featherbrained guy I know a run for his money.

[That wasn't ki. Magic, perhaps? Is she pulling it from some other astral plane, storing it away, Ranma isn't sure. All he knows is its another thing to look out for... or use to his advantage. The teen went back to it, feet speeding across the floor. Preparing himself, for the event Miriam summoned another flipping train on him, while keeping his guard up for anymore surprises.]

[If Miriam was callously disappointed when her opponent got back up, or more likely horrified at how her power was being misused, it didn't show on her emotionless face. Her arm hung down at her side again as the summoned machine vanished into light, still injured.

Miriam's energy signature as a whole was...strange, even without the heliobi's interference. Predominantly human, but whenever she used her magic something Else seemed present, demonic, divine, or otherwise--certainly supernatural, whatever it was. She didn't summon another train, needing to regather her strength. But with her arm still out of commission, she changed tactics. The Shardbinder launched herself up as her adversary approached, snapping down into a kick power behind the axe-sharp heels.

Once she landed, her sword flowed into the next movement like water, one quick slash and another, leading to a barrage of them.

The heliobi's ghost-green glow was brighter now, easier to see even through dark hair.]

[Charging forth, he studied the lady's movements and patterns. She wasn't whipping out that massive engine again. Can she only do it so many times? Does she need to replenish her magic to pull it out again? If either one's the case, then a frontal assault seemed like a sound solution. Wear her down further so she can't pull out any more tricks--

Immediately, he raised an arm instinctively to block the heel kick coming from above. He underestimated the acicular heels and the cutting edge behind them. His left red sleeve turned to darkened shrapnel that fell to the floor as Miriam's razor kick slammed down and slashed into his arm. Ranma choked down a swear or cry as blood spilt from his arm. It didn't hit hard enough to shatter his bones, thankfully, but damn it did it hurt like a motherfucker--!

No time to cry over spilt blood now. As soon as the sword came out, Ranma went back on the defensive. Not too shabby with the swordsmanship, he noted mentally, but neither is he on dodging. Avoiding and ghosting (pun unintended) around the blade at speeds matching the swing, he readied himself. Waiting for the opening, waiting for the opportunity to--

STRIKE!

Jabbing his hand forward in a praying mantis fashion, he aimed for the wrist to get her to lose her grip on her weapon. He planned on following that up with a barrage of strikes himself, though the odd ghostly green luminosity did catch his eye for a moment.

That glow... It's unnatural... Needs to be dealt with, pronto.]

[The strike to her sword arm hit her armor--denting the metal, even. Miriam's solid grasp on her sword faltered, and the weapon tumbled out of her hand before she could finish the last strike. It flew far, gouging into the colorless earth some distance away.

But losing a weapon didn't make the Shardbinder toothless. A violet glow raced from her main crystals to the ones lining her arm--and a bolt of lightning lanced from her dented gauntlet, chasing after her opponent. But it didn't stop the series of strikes from hitting her side, and they hurt. More than the heliobi could suppress. The blows left her reeling, and parasite struggled to reestablished control over her movements enough to leave her frozen as a stiffly strung puppet.]

[Getting down this far into the abyss is a feat alone. Zack has been through coughing fits, terrible nausea, painful internal bleeding, falling into deep pits and more already... He's come this far now and Zack isn't about to turn around now. He wants to see what the answer is at the bottom of this shitty abyss.

He's not expecting it to be a glossy-eyed Miriam.]

Miriam...?

[The way she looks through him almost as if she's not entirely there makes him feel incredibly uneasy. Not to mention the sword in her hand. They haven't clashed swords before so this is ... strange. Something's wrong with his crewmate.]

Are you okay? Let's get you back to the surface.

[... Who's Zangetsu?]

[When Miriam spoke, her voice was shorn of emotion. Not controlled and disciplined, not stoic in the face of battle--just gone, anything human stripped away from the words.]

I'm not going anywhere. I have a task to finish.

[To save Gebel. To find Alfred. To stop whatever it was Dominique was doing. To destroy this wretched castle. To send Bael back through the tear in reality he'd crawled out of.

To fight Zangetsu.

To avenge Zangetsu.

So many things, all at once--all dredged out of her memories and thrown together as the parasite decided which to pick at first. Its control stuttered a moment, the ghost-light covering Miriam's eyes flickering to reveal clear blue behind them. She shook her head as if to shake out the cobwebs in her mind, reaching towards the back of her neck where the heliobi hid under her hair.

The creature noticed, and added spikes to the collar it controlled its host with. Pain lanced through Miriam's spine, making her convulse yet stifle a cry in response. She fell forwards onto a knee, propping herself up on her sword with both hands now.

When she looked up again, her eyes were entirely clouded with the ghost-light once more, her motions smoother--puppetlike.]

[This is setting a rock of uneasiness into Zack's chest. This isn't anything like the first time they met and they were testing out bits of behaviour-changing coral reefs. No. This is ...]

Miriam!?

[He lunges to hear, hands come to her shoulder as he tries to support her before she can fall too hard. He's aware of that sword she's using to prop herself up but he focuses on her for now.]

Hey, look at me. We're going to get you back to the village in the least. Whatever you have to finish you can do later once we've got you back on your feet.

[Her eyes... They look cloudy and eerie.]

Miriam. You know it's me, right?

[There was something glowing the same color as the light obscuring Miriam's eyes visible on the back of her neck now that her hair was out of place. She heard a voice--a cacaphonous distortion of many that only served to confuse her.

The only warnings were in how her shoulders tensed--and her crystals beginning to glow bright blue, starting at the shards above her heart and back and flowing down her arm like a charging weapon.

But first she answered the voice she thought she could hear. One of them.]

Zangetsu.

[The glow reached the shards on her wrist.]

Get away from me!

[Miriam's hand tore away from the handle of her sword, a heavy conjured chain manifesting for her hands to grab. She swiped in an arc at Zack, the chain growing in length until it was longer than her body. A spiked ball manifested at the end, though it was unlikely to hit anything with how close they were.]

[He has a vague understanding of how her crystals work, but he's never seen them operate like this before. Zack is caught off guard and grunts as he throws himself back the moment she swipes at him. The manifesting chain and spiked ball barely miss him as he slides back on his heel and stands up.]

I don't want to do this with you, Miriam. I'm not this Zangetsu person.

[His hand reaches up for the handle of his greatsword. He doesn't draw it yet but he's prepared to defend himself. There's something wrong with Miriam and he has a feeling it has something to do with whatever is glowing and attached to the back of her neck.]

Whatever it is that's got you right now, I'll get you back.

[The chain and flail vanished soon after the spiked ball hit the ground, and Miriam stood, shoulders square and stance solid. She pulled her blade out of the ground, raising it before her in a practiced gesture.

And yet a part of her mind wavered slightly; did she just hear...? Miriam paused a moment, frozen as a marionette put on display. But instinct and muscle memory kicked in shortly afterwards when she saw her opponent reach for his blade, things much easier for the heliobi to exploit.

She charged, sweeping her sword wide in front of her. Despite the lightness of her weapon there was uncanny strength behind her blows--and speed, too.]

Damn it!

[This is what he was trying to avoid. He didn't want to fight her. They haven't even had a proper spar on the ship deck yet. This isn't how he wanted to learn how she fought firsthand.

He is barely quick enough to get his weapon unlatched just to catch her first attack with the flat side of his thick blade. He barely ricochets the attack back with a heavy push but it makes him recoil with her surprising power and he has to slide back again.]

Get a hold of yourself, Miriam!

[Time to speedrun some sparring.]

[Miriam's sword chimed like a crystalline bell when her strike was deflected; she carried through with the movement, letting its momentum flow into her next strike. She turned on a heel and launched herself forwards again, blade point up for a flurry of strikes this time.

That heavy sword would out-range her; she either needed to be closer, or farther away. Closing the distance was easier.]

[He wasn't ready to deal with some speed sparring today! And he's not interested in hurting her either! But the way she comes at him fast and furious leaves Zack with no other choice but to defend himself.

When she launches herself at him again Zack expertly tries to dislodge each blow. She's faster than him so Zack has to take every chance he can get to try and get a decent hit in without slashing her. She's getting in closer so this means he aims a punch at her gut... Sorry, Miriam. He'll make it up to you.]

[This foe was a slippery one. He always seemed to be just out of reach of where Miriam's blade was, quite nimble despite his size. Zangetsu was usually more rooted in his stance, with his sword doing the parrying--up until he used that grappling hook of his. What was this?

A bit of frustration slipped through, and one of her strikes went wider than it should have--leaving an opening Zack could capitalize on. Miriam didn't wear any armor on her torso, though there were still enough crystals beneath her clothes to be an annoyance. Not enough to impede the strike to her ribcage, though.

The parasite wouldn't allow its host to feel pain, but it couldn't do anything about the air whistling out of her lungs. Miriam's ghost-blinded eyes squeezed shut a moment as she recoiled, a flurry of sharp icicles manifesting from the crystal inlay of her sword and hurtling in wild directions in front of her.]

[For a split second he thinks he's winded her enough to get in close and grab her by the neck. Or more specifically by the thing attached to the back of her neck. All he knows is that he needs to get in close to her so he can grab it without getting stabbed through or worse. Getting too close too soon is dangerous.

The flurry of magical icicles comes so fast that Zack doesn't have enough speed to dodge out of the way this time. Not with the flurry of ice exploding in several wild and random directions.]

Damn it!

[He tries his best to move and block. Move and block. Step and dodge. Yet, time studders the moment an icicle stabs into Zack's lower torso. It stabs into him like the point of a knife.]

Ghnn.

[The pain is instant. He coughs up a splatter of blood as the pain seizes through him like a frozen knife.

He has to drop his free arm around the wound and the icicle protruding there.]

Alright, Miriam... Enough playing games...

[It took a few dizzying moments for her lungs to feel like they worked again. She heard, distantly, at least one ice projectile hitting home. Again she tried to make a go at the back of her neck--and the parasite let the pain it had been blocking through, lancing through her torso like it was a blow just weathered.

Miriam slumped forwards again like a puppet poorly held up by its strings, limbs twitching as she started wheezing for breath again.

But. It sounded like Zangetsu was taking her seriously now (again)

(...?)

(he did already)

(was that right?)

Her ribs still ached, muscle and bone. Nothing felt broken, but the Shardbinder was more cautious when she raised her sword again.]

[This is going to hurt in the morning. He can feel the blood trickling out of the wound. He hopes it's not a lethal wound. If anything he just needs to handle himself before he can get some proper healing magic done.

Right now Zack's adrenaline is taking off. He watches her slump over like a broken puppet. And just as she's moving to raise her sword again...]

Not this time!

[Zack pushes through the pain and rushes at her. This time he doesn't aim to punch her but he takes the moment to grab her by the back of the neck. Sword in her hand be damned.]

Get the hell... Off her!

[He squeezes the parasite thing attached to the back of her neck hard!]

[The parasite may have played its hand too far. Its host didn't respond in time when their opponent drew close, and fast--

At first, there didn't seem much for Zack to grasp beyond Miriam's hair. But there was still something, a dense mist of a thing. The heliobi arched and stretched away from its host's neck, trying to get away from him. But in the process, Zack also broke the parasite's control on its host, for a moment.

A moment was all the Shardbinder needed.

The incorporeal creature suddenly became solid in places, as if it had begun to freeze. Piece by piece, ice-clear crystal swarmed up from where it attached to Miriam to overtake the creature. Like a pearl covering an irritation.]

...let...go, Zack--

[Miriam's voice was a small thing, forced out of a controlled jaw. But it was a thing that sounded like her.]

[The moment is quick but it's scary to see it happen. At first, Zack doesn't move from his spot, reluctant to let go of her if that meant he'd lose her again. But that flash of growing ice-like crystals has Zack staring hard. Something is peeling away from his hand and it's a nasty-looking thing.]

Damn it. Miriam... What the hell... No.

[Zack is running on pure adrenaline right now. He's ignoring the dripping blood he's losing in favour of holding on to her. But for that instant, there's clarity in Miriam's voice and he has to take the risk and trust her. They might not have another chance.

He lets go and takes a staggering step backwards, arm over his bloody wound.]

Don't make me regret that...

<< july open log: into the abyss >>

LEVEL ONE

LEVEL TWO

LEVEL THREE

LEVEL FOUR

LEVEL FIVE

LEVEL SIX

Miriam | Bloodstained: RotN | Paladin

No Items, Cursed Peeps Only, Final Destination

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Apologies for the delay!

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Sorry for the wait!!!

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now it's my turn to apologize for the delay, aaa

ii final destination ⚔️

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