The Overseer's Challenge IC

Proto keeps sparking with power yet somehow seems to focus enough to fire at the Major Enemy here...

randomness:

status:

(OOC: Next is Maretoko, cause that's at 1 HP thanks to Item usage...)

Hussar looks around the field, all of his companions save Proto out cold or in pieces across the room. There was nothing he could do for them now save try to avenge them, and maybe defeat the foe before they all were dead.

Steeling himself for what would probably be his last charge, he yelled "Za wolność! For freedom!", and rushed at the large mushroom, clipping it with his lance before crashing into it and the smaller fungi head-on.

Spoiler:

Status:

Curunir wrote:Hussar looks around the field, all of his companions save Proto out cold or in pieces across the room. There was nothing he could do for them now save try to avenge them, and maybe defeat the foe before they all were dead.

Steeling himself for what would probably be his last charge, he yelled "Za wolność! For freedom!", and rushed at the large mushroom, clipping it with his lance before crashing into it and the smaller fungi head-on.

Spoiler:

Status:

Your attack kills some of the smaller mushrooms causing two clouds of spores to fall upon you, Proto and Maretoko.

effects:

Next up is the shrooms.

The Giant Mushroom spawns 2 more shrooms on it's turn, then falls apart from all the damage it's taken. Four little shrooms remain however. (I'll control their turn once I know what your saves were. )

Save vs. Vulnerability... 3, nope
Save vs. Weakened... 11, yep

Status
HP: 1
PIPS: 2
Status: Vulnerability 4

The 4 Sapient Shrooms make their move. One goes over and strikes at Hussar. The other three swarm Proto.

Attacks:

The world turns black...

SilentBelle wrote:The 4 Sapient Shrooms make their move. One goes over and strikes at Hussar. The world turns black...

No it doesn't! Hussar lances the shroom before it can strike him

Reaction:

Curunir wrote:

SilentBelle wrote:The 4 Sapient Shrooms make their move. One goes over and strikes at Hussar. The world turns black...

No it doesn't! Hussar lances the shroom before it can strike him

Reaction:

(Hah, nice...) In that case the remaining one is going to attack Hussar on it's turn on it's turn.

And then the world goes black as the shroom dies from it's summoned vigor fading.

Hussar surveyed the battlefield, where all of his new comrades lay, PACU in pieces. Splattered fungus remains and spore dust covered the walls, floor, and ponies. Still 27 levels to go, if the overseer could be believed... and it would just keep getting more difficult. He looked over his fallen companions, doing his best to check their condition and stabilize them, but he was no medic.

"Well, you going to fix everypony or what?" Hussar shouted up at the ceiling. "And what happens to PACU?"

Curunir wrote:Hussar surveyed the battlefield, where all of his new comrades lay, PACU in pieces. Splattered fungus remains and spore dust covered the walls, floor, and ponies. Still 27 levels to go, if the overseer could be believed... and it would just keep getting more difficult. He looked over his fallen companions, doing his best to check their condition and stabilize them, but he was no medic.

"Well, you going to fix everypony or what?" Hussar shouted up at the ceiling. "And what happens to PACU?"

"Of course, of course. The magical light shines down healing what can be healed. "Well, that certainly was a close one. Now I just need to find another suitable specimen for the test. You hear the voice sigh. "I think I'll set up a one way portal and snag a promising individual from their world. It may take some time though. Oh, such inconvenience. The things I do for science..."

Blitz slowly got to his feet. "...We won? Huh, didn't expect that. Those blasted mini-mushrooms all swarming us and their spores affecting us when they di-...PACU!" Blitz ran over to his remains. Apparently he had sustained too much damage for even the Overseer's magics to restore.

"...You will not be forgotten." Blitz then stared angrily up at the ceiling. "So, Mr. Experiment, I'm curious: what's all this for? Planning an invasion with these creatures? Playing out some twisted version of "survival of the fittest"? Or are we just risking our lives for nothing more than your amusement?"

Thank you for the upgrades... Proto says feeling repaired and improved...

Lyntermas wrote:Blitz slowly got to his feet. "...We won? Huh, didn't expect that. Those blasted mini-mushrooms all swarming us and their spores affecting us when they di-...PACU!" Blitz ran over to his remains. Apparently he had sustained too much damage for even the Overseer's magics to restore.

"...You will not be forgotten." Blitz then stared angrily up at the ceiling. "So, Mr. Experiment, I'm curious: what's all this for? Planning an invasion with these creatures? Playing out some twisted version of "survival of the fittest"? Or are we just risking our lives for nothing more than your amusement?"

"Hmm, 'survival of the fittest' does have a fine ring to it. Yes, let's go with that. Perhaps I am trying to validate my own research in the field of biology. And what better way than to measure my success than through a series of in-depth simulations?"

The ceiling suddenly begins to bulge downward as if part of it turned to liquid and it falls like a large water-drop. When it hits the ground, the strange liquid bit of ceiling splashes, and disappears, and in it's place is a certain cream-coloured unicorn with glasses is standing there.

"Ah yes, here's the newcomer now. And now the tests are free to continue on."

With that, a portion of mushrooms that were growing on a rock in the distance burst into flames. After a minute, behind the sooty remains, a new cave entrance is revealed.

[Not quite how I'd have entered the picture, but I gotta say that was way cooler than what I'd have done.]

As soon as Wandering Eye came into existence once more, he was looking about him, mouth smiling and eyes gleaming with excitement. "Yes! The ritual worked! I am... wait... where am I?" He looked around, at the room, and at his new not-quite-pony companions as his smile faded and a look of puzzlement came upon him. "I... don't think I'm where I wanted to end up. What's going on, if you don't mind my asking?"

You are here to fight, for the Overseer's tests. Text appears over a self powered Auto-Ballista.

Maretoko notices the new arrival, "Analyzing new lifeform... Analysis complete, lifeform considered non-hostile." After a few moments, "Reinstalling combative standards... reinstall complete. Welcome to the fight, I shal call you PACU-2"

Wandering Eye stared at the text over the ballista, wondering if what he was seeing was real, and if that was some form of communication. Hmm, it's like that ghost who had to communicate using placards... wait, what did he say?

"Fight? For the Overseer? Oh dear... that's not good." He frowned, then looked at the... whatever Maretoko was. "And I'm Wandering Eye... and while I've been in combat before I don't consider myself a fighter. If only Scorch was here... where is he, anyway?"

As if on cue, a shadowy portal like a cloud of ink appeared, and from it burst forth... something that definitely wasn't what he was expecting. It resembled a charcoal-black hound, except most of its head seem to consist of a bared maw of savage fangs, with no eyes or other sensory organs apparent. "BY LUNA WHAT IS THAT THING?! Stupid question, I know what it is! Why am I not dead yet?"

The thing seemed oblivius to the pony's outburst, instead merely looking around (well, rotating its head around) for a few moments before scratching its back with its hind leg, said leg bending at an unnatural angle to reach around. Not that it seemed affected - indeed, as one watched it seemed to be double-jointed everywhere.

"Eheh... well, at least it doesn't seem hostile. Just... don't make eye contact with it. Wait, too late for that. I guess it's harmless.. though why it's here I cannot say. Anyway..." He looked around and saw the pathway in the cavern wall. "This seems the only way to continue, am I correct?"

Hussar looked the new combatant up and down. At least it was another actual pony, although he didn't appear too impressive- it was a unicorn, and at least didn't look like a battlemage like Blitzkrieg. Still, apparently their host picked subjects based on ability- it would surely be less interesting if any of them were worthless. He claimed to have combat experience, but not be a fighter. What did that mean?

"I should hope you're not where you expected to end up. We're in some sort of...laboratory?.. being held prisoner by this 'overseer' Proto there speaks of, yes." He addresses their new companion. "On level 3 of 30, if we've been informed correctly. You're the replacement for our last ally."

Speaking of PACU, Hussar goes and gathers up the remains of PACU, storing them in his pack where he was keeping his heavier armor pieces. He didn't know what PACU would have wanted them to do with his 'body', or even if he had any wishes, but Hussar figured he could give him a proper burial if they escaped, or try to return him to his maker. He noticed Maretoko still seemed to be talking in 'battle mode'- they probably weren't going to see her in her original state again anytime soon, if ever.

"Captain Winged Hussar of the Commonwealth 1st Banner Husaria. Hope you fare better than your predecessor."

Hussar leapt back and drew his lance as a... thing... appeared after the newcomer. He waited through the stranger's reactions to it, since he seemed to know what it was. Not taking his eyes off the creature, he almost didn't respond to his statement.

"Hm? Yes, should be the only way forward, far as we know. What is that thing? Are you sure it's not some new horror unleashed by our captor? We could kill it just to be safe."

Hussar started taking a few steps forward, preparing to charge if asked to.

"Level... 3 of 30? And you've already had a casualty? That doesn't seem like good odds."

His concern about his and the group's fate was replaced by concern about what Winged Hussar was doing.

"Stop staring at it! It might... although since you haven't gone insane yet, it's probably harmless. Mostly. And don't bother "killing" it, it'll just come back, and it might not be in as good a mood next time. I doubt it belongs to the Overseer, though, the Watchers are... intractable."

"Hmm. Well, as it stands, it doesn't seem to be attacking us, and I would prefer not having to fight even more monsters if I don't have to." Blitz walked over and examined the newcomer. "Hmm, so you don't think yourself much in a fight, do you? Well, I hope that you're selling yourself short, because quite frankly, our "Overseer" seems to think that that's all we're good for. We've fought hellspawn, murderous cubes of acid, and a set of mushrooms that very nearly killed all of us, and I doubt things will be easier as we descend." He looked over at the hound. "Perhaps that thing is bound to you and will fight in your stead, which is why you have been summoned here."

"But where are my manners? I am Blitzkrieg, Battle Mage of Celestia's 43rd Battalion. While the circumstances that brought you here are less than fortunate, know that I will help to fight off whatever we have to face in order to reach the bottom of this blasted tower." He started to head toward the newly revealed cave entrance. "Let's be off, comrades. The sooner we move on, the sooner we'll be out of here."

Proto asked the newcomer. What are "Watchers"???

"Very well, I will stand down." Hussar stopped preparing to charge, stowing his weapon and walking towards the entrance to the next room- but he was still eyeing the creature suspiciously. "Watcher? Is that supposed to be ironic? Things got no eyes. Or..." Hussar trailed off, feeling more and more uncomfortable with looking at the creature that was apparently only a mouth of teeth with body and legs- before finally taking their new companions advice and stopped looking at it.

"It's... very complicated," Wandering Eye said, as he proceeded down the path and determinedly keeping his eyes off the hound. "They may have no eyes, but they are not blind. Not on their home plane, anyway, here - or at least in my own reality - they can navigate but don't seem able to distinguish creatures from inanimate objects. Unless you look at them... you know that feeling you get when you're being watched? They have that sense for real - and it tells them who, what, where, and more. And when you gaze at them, they gaze into you as well - into your very soul. Most ponies can't handle it. At least, with true Watchers - this one's not a true Watcher, and it doesn't seem mature, anyways."

Maretoko gestures toward the cave, "Course of action recommendation: commence entering new cave, forward is the only way out."

Within the tunnel leads you downward a fair amount until eventually you manage to make out a group of figures standing before you. There are four of them, all with crossbows in their hands.

"Kobold," one of them says.

Blitz pauses, then points to himself. "...Blitzkrieg." He then points to the others behind him. "Friends. Let us pass?"