Beyond the Beyond: Update 34: Guardians of Gaia (Gaea Island pt. 2)

[ladyabaxa]

Beyond the Beyond: Update 34: Guardians of Gaia (Gaea Island pt. 2)

Continuing from where we left off last time the team is smack dab in monster central on Gaea Island.

Well, let's go meet the cold, dark, scary floor above us.

5th floor

I think it's happy to see you, Finn.
Well I'm not happy to see it!

Begone foul statue!

The stairs up is just to the west of that tile but with the statue standing there the team can't explore the rest of the floor.

So the team goes back down and walks south through the now-open passage, ignoring the two seals on the floor.

Where did the statue go?
I can just barely see it back where we found it.
What did it hop back on its own?
That's not at all creepy or anything.
Remind me again, why are we doubling back?
Treasure! Uh, maybe.

Praa. Finn I don't think lizard people count as treasure.
They don't. There has to be something nice around here.
Trying to keep your mind off all the monsters hiding in the darkness?
...Yes.

The only thing the team finds is the fact that Lizard Warriors are fire resistant.

Finn, there's nothing here.

6th floor

Defeated, Finn heads upstairs.

Well I had to check, just to be sure.

Just to the north the gleam of something reflecting Edward's light catches Finn's eye.

Praa?
*excited gasp* Oh, is that what I think it is? Oh, come here treasure!
*starts giggling*
Wait, something is sitting on the chest.

A pair of cockatrice hop down snapping angrily at being disturbed. In most rpgss the sight of even one of these legendary creatures would be cause for panic.

Gah! Stop squawking at me you bird, lizard, thing!
Finn that's a cockatrice.
In a moment it's going to be worm food if it doesn't stop it. Ah, Annie, a little help here!
I'll get it.

Fortunately even if turning us to stone was a threat to begin with the team isn't about to show the slightest bit of mercy.

As it is one tries to scratch Tont for that whole "summon an Ice Warrior who then casts Ice 1 on me" thing, fails, and is promptly finished off.

Inside the chest is something Finn can put to immediate use: some Steel Plate. (If you've forgotten Plate is what Finn wears. Samson wears Mail.)

I knew there had to be something useful.
Not wasting any time are you?
Nope. In a monster-filled place like this I'd like to keep my internal organs right where they are and this will help.
Unless its cursed.
GAH!
Tont don't say that!
H-how would we even tell if it was?
I-I'm just messing with you, Finn. It's not cursed, probably.
But that doesn't answer my question.
It's fine, Finn. It's not cursed.
Sir Samson...?
Well can you, like, sense any magic on this, Edward?
No.
Okay then. Here's hoping...

Mere minutes later the party stumbles upon a lone snakewoman.

A naga? Here?
What's a naga?
They're a race of wise half-snake people. They live far to the east.
Maybe she's friendly.

Unfortunately she isn't friendly and survives long enough to cast Ice 2. It does enough damage to groggy Annie and Samson and send Tont and Edward to critical VP.

The team spends a turn healing to let Annie and Samson recover. The odds of getting Ice 2ed twice in a row are about 50/50 but we can soak a second casting if we have to.

Enough of this. I don't care where she's from. She made a huge mistake coming here!

Then Samson cut her in half. That 20 damage was not a critical hit.

Turning south the team eventually stumbles into the south wall and finds a passage leading east.

What's an elf doing in here?
I was just about to ask the same question.
Lost maybe?
I don't know. Doesn't seem very friendly.

Why yes High Elves can cast Wind 2 on the player. At least we had some advance warning on this one. That and the damage rolls were minimal.

I take that back. Definitely not friendly.
Everything really is out to kill us!

Fortunately the elf dies immediately after that one nuke although repairing the damage they did is going to drain the reserves. (Though if I were a lone monster who knew they were about to die I'd totally cast my strongest spell too out of sheer spite if nothing else.)

Another dead end.
There's a path on the other side.
It's like whoever designed this place wanted visitors to have to take the longest, most annoying route possible.
You know, Finn, that's probably true.
So is the shrine protecting something or is this all a trap?
It's too convoluted for a trap.
What makes you say that, Sir Samson?
If the designer just wanted to kill they would have done it already. There wouldn't be a path. Paths have to go somewhere.
Ugh, some sort of trial...
So does that mean the monsters and demi-humans are just lost?

Maaaybe, Finn.
You know, that's not exactly all that comforting now that I think about it.
Well what's the alternative?

That they've been deliberately sent out to kill intruders!
Ugh...
Too enthusiastic?
That and there's another yeti in front of us.

Whatever, yeti, leave us alone!

What were we talking about again?
If the monsters are lost or if they're looking to kill people.
Oh yes. So anyone else besides Steiner and Tont want to chime in?
I don't know what to think, Finn.
Everything's been trying to kill us for months now. As sad as it is to admit it, I'm actually kind of getting used to it.
To think, Finn was so freaked out in the Cave of Spirits by a couple of bats.
@#&% BATS!
...
What? I hate bats! *pauses* You just don't understand.
Pryaa. You mean like that bat over there?
AHHH! *hides behind Annie*
Steiner, you know better.
*laughing riotously*
Are you trying to give me a heart attack, Steiner?
No but if it makes you feel any better there are some naga wandering closer to us.

Two Naga and a Living Armor approach threateningly.

I'm not in any particular mood to have my extremities frozen off. Edward, Tont, you with me?

No worries. This is what my magic is for!
That wasn't all that spectacular.
Hmm, yes, it does seem they resisted part of the spell. I suppose that is to be expected from such legendary beings.
It killed the one Finn slashed in his panic so I guess it was effective in that sense.

Deep breaths, Finn, deep breaths. Remember the mantra?
I won't be so worked up if you hadn't scared me!

Hmm, my firedrake will show you how it's done, Edward!
I... wasn't aware this was a competition.

Not about to eat more Ice 2's the team opened up a volley of nukes (Holy Light 1, Fire 2, and Firedrake 1) to kill those pesky nagas. However the Living Armor survived the onslaught, badly injured by Firedrake but still conscious.

Finn, look out!
What?

Before Finn or anyone else could react the Living Armor's sleep powder put half the team under. Somehow I find it rather amusing that it didn't affect Samson when the gas obviously only comes up to his waist. I would love to say that Samson then promptly killed the Living Armor but alas, no, the curse kicked in.

He did it next round instead.

7th floor

Why did it put us to sleep? How rude!
Don't worry about it, Finn. Everything's been taken care of.
If you say so. Hey...
Another statue. We just got to this floor too. Don't these things have anything better to do with their time?
Praa. It's not like they have hands or limbs for that matter.
Well they should still try to find a hobby.
It appears we are in a chamber with a great many statues.
Maybe the enchanted ones just get lonely because they have nobody to talk to.
Then can you summon something to keep them company?
Uh, I don't think my spells work that way.

Well then we'd better go find some place to dump this thing. Finn, if you would.
Why certainly!

Heading east the group wraps around a winding path already boxed in by statues made even more constricted by rocks. If you look carefully to the bottom left you can see a pit and in the screenshot above a ground seal was visible south of Finn. Oh goody lots of hazards in a dark area!

Eventually we reach this point where they only way we can go is across a glowing ground seal.

This isn't going to blow up or something, is it? Edward?
Hmm, no. There's a drain sigil here.
Oh good it's just going to suck the life out of us.
Would that be more or less painful?
There's only one way to find out.
You seem awfully enthusiastic about this.
We've been seeing these seals all over the shrine. I really want to know what they do!
Well you're about to get your chance. Is everybody ready?
Yup. Let's get it over with.

GRAAAAAHHH!
What happened? I didn't feel anything.
Oh, ugh, it still burns. Let us... let us never do that again.
*weak voice* I'm ok with that.

What the seal did was drain 5 MP from each party member. Hitting one isn't a big deal because I've been conserving my MP and getting lucky on enemy encounters. (Trust me, it could be much, much worse.) Any more of that and we're going to be in some serious trouble.

Eventually they find a spot where the statue can rest, just a little farther southwest of where they got the MP drain.

Free at last!
Until another one comes to life.
*sighs* I know, I know.

Making their way to the western half of the chamber the team finds more of what they've already seen. It's dark. Thankfully there are no grues.

So that pit doesn't go anywhere new either.
Nope.
At least we don't have to fall down them to find out.
Down is bad, up is good?
Assuming you can find your way up, that is.

There's a yeti growling at us. That's new.
That's not new. That's an annoyance.

Surprisingly the Yeti withstood Annie's 21 damage critical hit and Finn's follow up attack for 14 damage to die to Edward's meager 6 damage hit. Some enemies can now actually take a fair amount of damage before dying.

Finding the chamber's southern wall the team follows it west. There they find a magic-draining seal, a pit, and a statue pad adjacent to one another within a 6 tile horizontal block. Foreshadowing!

Wandering around the western side a gleam catches Finn's eye.

Well whaddya know? This time there are no lizard-bird-things to peck at me either.
It's... a dress.
Huh? Annie I guess this is for you then.

Wait here. I'll be back in a few minutes.

As if I'm going to turn down better armor even if it's just 3 more defense than the Journey Dress she was already wearing.

Ok. All set. Let's go.

How is it?
Light, surprisingly light actually. I don't care for the colors though.
There's the statue we were expecting.
Well at least we know where this one goes. Let's get this over with.

With the stairs up just barely in sight the team is forced to turn around and backtrack.

Why don't the monsters and demi-humans have to do any of this?
Maybe they do and we just don't see them?
There's something peculiar about the enchantment but I can't quite put my finger on it.
Yeah the enchantment is specifically "annoy Finn."
No, not that.
I-I wasn't being serious, Edward.
I know.
If I didn't know better I'd say they don't respond to monsters because the monsters are here to eat people who get tripped up on the statues.
Eep!
What?
That makes it sound like we're in the middle of a lion's den or something. Aaaugh. I could have spent the rest of this trip not going back down that line of thinking.
But the shrine was supposedly peaceful before the pirates showed up.
I know! That's what scares me!

This place is something of a deathtrap.
*makes various pitiful whining noises*
Praaa! Finn's brain broke!
Well no more statue. That's good, right?

We just traded it in for a pair of elves. That's all.
Elves are something we can handle. Come on, Finn, get it together!
*slaps self in the face* Ok. I'm ready.

As long as they refuse to listen to reason I suppose we have no choice but to strike first.

OUCH!
They're not shy about striking back I'll give them that.

Do you ever think we'll run into some elves who won't try to murder us on sight?
I hope so.
*chanting a spell*
Better now?
Yes. Miss Annie is quite skilled.
Well I try.

Finn you're not moving.
*continues to stare at the staircase*
You're still not moving.
We broke him again!
I'm not broken. I-I just...
There's still no sign of the captain.
Well we did kind of ignore part of the shrine below us.
Yeah... let's go search for Domino, somewhere else.
Finn are you ok? You're not just being weird are you?
Nope! I'm going to go search for Domino. You coming, sis?
*shrugs* Sure, why snot. He might be dead in a dark corner somewhere below.

Thanks to all the pits getting back down to the fifth floor is quick although painful for the team's knees. The juncture they passed earlier had another branch but to take it they have to step onto another MP-draining seal.

AAAAHHH!

Goodbye another 5 MP from everyone in the party.

Treasure!
We walked right by it too. *opens the chest* An axe? Umph! I can barely lift it.
I'll take that.

I thought I remembered a new weapon for Samson was somewhere in the shrine and it turns out I was right ( and I laughed maniacally as I equipped it). The Battle Axe has a full 10 more attack power over the Tomahawk the team bought back in Luna. Equipping it pushes Samson's attack power to an intimidating 96. He is definitely on his way to breaching 100 by level 20.

If we had turned into this path with a statue following us we would have been forced into this pit.

We're going down?
Everyone looks beat. I think we've pressed our luck enough for one day.
Also, this gives you an excuse to leave the scary shrine?
*shrugs*

A few minutes (and some sore legs) later the team is in front of the monument on the ground floor to re-open the channel.

As they make their way south Steiner's sharp baby dragon eyes spot something on the coast.

Is that Domino's ship?
Probably. Looks about the right design for a pirate vessel.
There's a specific design for them?
It's more like Bandore has a specific secret design for its ships.
Hey the townsfolk said Domino's ship left the island!
Actually I don't think there was any agreement on that point. I guess some of them just didn't or couldn't see the ship where it is moored.
That makes sense.
It doesn't look like anyone's on board. Should we swim out there and see?
Just because we don't see anyone on deck doesn't mean the ship is deserted. We should leave it be.
If the ship is still here then Domino must be on the island somewhere.
If he's still alive that is.
Maybe he went to Jonowan?
Why?
'Cause he doesn't have a crew anymore. One person can't sail a ship that big on their own, right?
We're going back to the village anyway. If he's turned up that will save us a lot of trouble.

During the walk back to Jonowan the team ambushed another High Elf and two Assassins. While the Assassins weren't a threat I wasn't keen on potentially eating another Wind 2. Yeah we ambushed them but with the game's block rate it was still dicey whether we could kill the elf in time.

Thankfully Tont had just enough MP left for a Firedrake 1 spell which made for a quick, painless battle.

I'm never going to get used to doing this.
Doing what?
Flagrantly violating the laws of nature just to make it easy to walk to and from an island.
Oh, that. I'm sure it's not that big a deal.

Next time on Beyond the Beyond - still no sign of Domino. I guess we push forward without him.

Update Thirty-Three | Index | Update Thirty-Five