[X] Stay. You can't leave on this note
-[X] Insist Quelana goes to see Quelaan
-[X] Insist Quelana goes to see Quelaan
Last edited:
Accursed Citrine - Yet another Dark Soul/Madoka Magica Crossover
- Thread starter AClassyBunny
- Start date
- Fantasy Action
[X] Stay. You can't leave on this note
-[X] Insist Quelana goes to see Quelaan
Do not give the Chaos Witch who has exiled herself just to keep a lid on her current level of Chaos Firepower more Chaos Firepower. Look at what that stuff did to all of her siblings, giving her more of that is a bad idea!
-[X] Insist Quelana goes to see Quelaan
Do not give the Chaos Witch who has exiled herself just to keep a lid on her current level of Chaos Firepower more Chaos Firepower. Look at what that stuff did to all of her siblings, giving her more of that is a bad idea!
[X] Stay. You can't leave on this note
-[X] Insist Quelana goes to see Quelaan
Yeah, while I do think Quelana should at least go see her sister, nooooot so big on handing her the chaos-imbued soul of her other sister. Even if it doesn't risk corrupting her somehow, not sure she's gonna want to carry around that reminder.
-[X] Insist Quelana goes to see Quelaan
Yeah, while I do think Quelana should at least go see her sister, nooooot so big on handing her the chaos-imbued soul of her other sister. Even if it doesn't risk corrupting her somehow, not sure she's gonna want to carry around that reminder.
Part 127: Blighttown XXIV
- Location
- The Land of Giant Bush Bunnies
[X] Stay. You can't leave on this note
-[X] Insist Quelana goes to see Quelaan
"You… you really aren't going to go see her?"
"I will not." Quelana replies flatly. "She must suffer in the bed she has made for herself, same as the rest of us."
"But-!"
"Kirika." Oscar murmurs your name behind you, but you ignore him.
"She's your sister!" You exclaim. "I don't understand! Why don't you want to help her? Why do you want her to suffer?" You press your palm to your forehead, trying to wrap your mind around her reasoning. "And why are you just sitting out here?"
"Kirika!" You continue to ignore Oscar, once again getting caught up in your own words.
"What's the point of staying out here in a swamp, just a little bit away from your sisters? You keep talking about your family being punished for something, but why does that mean you have to… to…"
You trail off as the words catch in your throat. It's not that you can't bring yourself to say them. More literally, your voice simply struggles to produce the words. Your chest hurts, and you finally realise the temperature around you has sharply risen again.
"K-Kirika…!" Oscar wheezes, grabbing you by the arm. The metal of his armour feels hot to the touch, and you flinch out of his grip. "Kirika, stop…!"
The mud boiling around you turns into a roar, and gasses erupt from giant bubbles like puss bursting from infected pimples. Tiny sparks flicker in the air, and the gas ignites into towering pillars of scorching red-white fire.
You try to suck in air into your aching lungs, but all it does is cause your throat to burn and your chest to hurt even more. You stagger and keel over, barely even feeling yourself hit the ground amidst your brain's desperate need for oxygen. Oscar seems to be fairing only slightly better, but he grabs you with both hands and wraps himself over you, shielding you from the shower of embers falling from the pillars.
And then, as suddenly as the inferno began, it dies down.
You and Oscar gasp as air fills your lungs again, and he collapses to the ground beside you. You both lay writhing, your bodies still recovering from the hellish heat and suffocation.
It's only once you're able to steady your breathing and calm your shaking body that Quelana finally speaks again in a low, bitter voice.
"Why do you care so much about our affairs, child?"
"Because-" You try to reply, but the words send you into a barking coughing fit. Quelana offers no help, and Oscar's in about the same state.
"Because," you finally manage after almost a full minute, "I… I failed someone important to me. I wasn't able to help when she needed it the most."
You stagger to your feet and rub your burning throat. "I'm not the best with… people, but it's pretty clear your sister needs someone to be there for her. She can't talk to anyone around her, and I've killed the only one who was able to look after her!"
You think back to all the times you messed things up by not understanding Oriko's instructions. How her power's drain on her magic meant she couldn't hunt her own witches. The way she'd get so gloomy or start to break down whenever she was alone for too long. You'd always tried to ignore or brush off that last one. Oriko was perfect. She couldn't have worries like that. She was above it. She was trying to save the world.
The thought sends an unpleasant shudder through your body, but maybe… maybe Oriko needed you just as much as you needed her…
"I… I got the one I care about killed." You admit, swallowing hard despite the pain in your throat. Your hand slips into your pocket, and you grip the shard of Oriko's soul gem tightly. "If there's even the slightest chance that she's still out there somewhere… if there's even a chance that I could find her again…"
You trail off as tears threaten to blur your vision. They feel even hotter than the air, and they burn your eyes.
Quelana, who's been silent through all of this, leans back against her stone pillar and purses her lips.
"Go." She says, entirely void of any emotion. "Go, and do not come back."
Despite her quiet, empty tone, her words broke no more argument. You and Oscar limp away from her little island, gasping and coughing the whole way.
"T-That was insane, Kirika!" Oscar hisses, grabbing your shoulder tightly. "We could've died!"
"It… could've gone better." You admit, shifting on the spot.
"You could've said… quite literally anything else." He retorts. "Gods, what is that invisible woman of yours…?"
[] Try to climb back up Blighttown
[] There's another structure nearby…
[] Stop at the bonfire on the way
[] Crawl back to Quelaan to recover
[] Write In
-[X] Insist Quelana goes to see Quelaan
"You… you really aren't going to go see her?"
"I will not." Quelana replies flatly. "She must suffer in the bed she has made for herself, same as the rest of us."
"But-!"
"Kirika." Oscar murmurs your name behind you, but you ignore him.
"She's your sister!" You exclaim. "I don't understand! Why don't you want to help her? Why do you want her to suffer?" You press your palm to your forehead, trying to wrap your mind around her reasoning. "And why are you just sitting out here?"
"Kirika!" You continue to ignore Oscar, once again getting caught up in your own words.
"What's the point of staying out here in a swamp, just a little bit away from your sisters? You keep talking about your family being punished for something, but why does that mean you have to… to…"
You trail off as the words catch in your throat. It's not that you can't bring yourself to say them. More literally, your voice simply struggles to produce the words. Your chest hurts, and you finally realise the temperature around you has sharply risen again.
"K-Kirika…!" Oscar wheezes, grabbing you by the arm. The metal of his armour feels hot to the touch, and you flinch out of his grip. "Kirika, stop…!"
The mud boiling around you turns into a roar, and gasses erupt from giant bubbles like puss bursting from infected pimples. Tiny sparks flicker in the air, and the gas ignites into towering pillars of scorching red-white fire.
You try to suck in air into your aching lungs, but all it does is cause your throat to burn and your chest to hurt even more. You stagger and keel over, barely even feeling yourself hit the ground amidst your brain's desperate need for oxygen. Oscar seems to be fairing only slightly better, but he grabs you with both hands and wraps himself over you, shielding you from the shower of embers falling from the pillars.
And then, as suddenly as the inferno began, it dies down.
You and Oscar gasp as air fills your lungs again, and he collapses to the ground beside you. You both lay writhing, your bodies still recovering from the hellish heat and suffocation.
It's only once you're able to steady your breathing and calm your shaking body that Quelana finally speaks again in a low, bitter voice.
"Why do you care so much about our affairs, child?"
"Because-" You try to reply, but the words send you into a barking coughing fit. Quelana offers no help, and Oscar's in about the same state.
"Because," you finally manage after almost a full minute, "I… I failed someone important to me. I wasn't able to help when she needed it the most."
You stagger to your feet and rub your burning throat. "I'm not the best with… people, but it's pretty clear your sister needs someone to be there for her. She can't talk to anyone around her, and I've killed the only one who was able to look after her!"
You think back to all the times you messed things up by not understanding Oriko's instructions. How her power's drain on her magic meant she couldn't hunt her own witches. The way she'd get so gloomy or start to break down whenever she was alone for too long. You'd always tried to ignore or brush off that last one. Oriko was perfect. She couldn't have worries like that. She was above it. She was trying to save the world.
The thought sends an unpleasant shudder through your body, but maybe… maybe Oriko needed you just as much as you needed her…
"I… I got the one I care about killed." You admit, swallowing hard despite the pain in your throat. Your hand slips into your pocket, and you grip the shard of Oriko's soul gem tightly. "If there's even the slightest chance that she's still out there somewhere… if there's even a chance that I could find her again…"
You trail off as tears threaten to blur your vision. They feel even hotter than the air, and they burn your eyes.
Quelana, who's been silent through all of this, leans back against her stone pillar and purses her lips.
"Go." She says, entirely void of any emotion. "Go, and do not come back."
Despite her quiet, empty tone, her words broke no more argument. You and Oscar limp away from her little island, gasping and coughing the whole way.
"T-That was insane, Kirika!" Oscar hisses, grabbing your shoulder tightly. "We could've died!"
"It… could've gone better." You admit, shifting on the spot.
"You could've said… quite literally anything else." He retorts. "Gods, what is that invisible woman of yours…?"
[] Try to climb back up Blighttown
[] There's another structure nearby…
[] Stop at the bonfire on the way
[] Crawl back to Quelaan to recover
[] Write In
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Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
Good character development for Kirika, possibly didn't fix anything, and definitely hurt our ability to improve pyromancy down the line. Unfortunate, but nothing to be done about it for now.
[X] Stop at the bonfire on the way
Kirika and Oscar are currently slightly underdone, let's hit the bonfire and ironically get back to raw.
[X] Stop at the bonfire on the way
Kirika and Oscar are currently slightly underdone, let's hit the bonfire and ironically get back to raw.
- Location
- Not the asylum anymore
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Stop at the bonfire on the way
-[X] Elaborate on who that invisible woman of yours is
-[X] Elaborate on who that invisible woman of yours is
- Pronouns
- Human/Form/Keyblade
[X] Stop at the bonfire on the way
-[X] Elaborate on who that invisible woman of yours is
-[X] Elaborate on who that invisible woman of yours is
[X] Stop at the bonfire on the way
-[X] Elaborate on who that invisible woman of yours is
-[X] Elaborate on who that invisible woman of yours is
Part 128: Blighttown XXV
- Location
- The Land of Giant Bush Bunnies
[X] Stop at the bonfire on the way
-[X] Elaborate on who that invisible woman of yours is
"She's… I don't know. I-" You trail off as your boot sinks into the mud, letting grimy water pour into your boot. You make a face and pull it out with some effort. "How about we go somewhere dry, first?" You suggest, removing your boot and pouring out the gunk.
You could've gone back to Quelaan's bonfire in the nest, but returning after only just leaving feels kind of pathetic, with how much you boasted about bringing back a ton of humanity. Instead, you head for the bonfire in the tunnel at the edge of the swamp. That way, you're still moving in the right direction, too.
It doesn't take long to reach the bonfire, and you're already relieved to be back on solid ground again. The sticky web of the spider nest was firm, but the short slog through the soft dirt and swamp water is enough. You were already disgruntled by your argument with (and scolding by) Quelana, anyway. As a result, you plop down by the bonfire with an exaggerated sigh. Oscar follows suit, a bit less dramatically, and the two of you sit in silence for a while.
While you're warming up, you remove your boots and lay them with the openings facing the bonfire. You could just dispel and resummon your outfit to dry them off, but you'll probably be here long enough to dry them naturally. The same goes for your feet, which you stretch out almost touching the flame.
"So…" Oscar says after some time has passed. He leans forward, causing the fire of bonfire to cast dark shadows through his visor. "This… invisible woman of yours."
"Ah, right." You scratch your cheek as you try to remember what exactly you know about her. Not much, you realise. "She wears thick dusty robes that cover most of her, so I don't know what she looks like, but she knows a lot about pyromancy."
"You mentioned her being the spider demons' sister, I believe."
You nod. "Right, but I doubt she's been hiding a giant spider body under those robes." You realise she's never stood up, and picture a giant spider half buried in the ground beneath her. "Er, probably."
Oscar thumbs his chin and stares into the fire. "The question is, who is she? She's clearly powerful, and being related to those demons…"
"She kept mentioning having to atone for something bad her family did." You add. "Well, I think. There was something about hubris, punishments and her 'Mother's follies.'"
"Hubris… Mother…" He murmurs, a frown audible in his voice. "Could it be…? No, surely not…"
"Got an idea?"
He shakes his head. "No, I… I'm not well-versed in the lore and history of pyromancy, so I may be wrong. God's, I hope I'm wrong."
"Are you going to spit it out, or do you want to build up the suspense some more?" You ask, rolling your eyes.
"I think it'd be best to wait until we return to Firelink Shrine. We can see if your pyromancer friend is still there. He would know better than I do."
"Really? You're just going to leave it hanging like that?"
"I don't want to bring down any bad luck. I've found fate has a poor sense of humour if you invoke foul things." He replies, climbing to his feet. "Gods, I hope I'm wrong. The thought of you antagonising… that…"
The cliffhanger grinds your gears to no end, but it seems you have no choice but to wait for the big reveal. Surely, it can't be that bad, right? Oscar's probably just overreacting. Nothing to do about it, though. You'll just have to get moving and hope Laurentius is still at the shrine when you get back.
Unfortunately, you find your things haven't dried nearly as well as you'd hoped, and you end up having to resummon them anyway. Wet boots are bad enough, but you're not walking around with wet socks. Then again, there's still water to cross no matter which direction you go in this damned place, so maybe it was a waste of time worrying about it anyway.
[] Try to climb back up through Blighttown
[] There was that other structure near the nest…
[] Write in
-[X] Elaborate on who that invisible woman of yours is
"She's… I don't know. I-" You trail off as your boot sinks into the mud, letting grimy water pour into your boot. You make a face and pull it out with some effort. "How about we go somewhere dry, first?" You suggest, removing your boot and pouring out the gunk.
You could've gone back to Quelaan's bonfire in the nest, but returning after only just leaving feels kind of pathetic, with how much you boasted about bringing back a ton of humanity. Instead, you head for the bonfire in the tunnel at the edge of the swamp. That way, you're still moving in the right direction, too.
It doesn't take long to reach the bonfire, and you're already relieved to be back on solid ground again. The sticky web of the spider nest was firm, but the short slog through the soft dirt and swamp water is enough. You were already disgruntled by your argument with (and scolding by) Quelana, anyway. As a result, you plop down by the bonfire with an exaggerated sigh. Oscar follows suit, a bit less dramatically, and the two of you sit in silence for a while.
While you're warming up, you remove your boots and lay them with the openings facing the bonfire. You could just dispel and resummon your outfit to dry them off, but you'll probably be here long enough to dry them naturally. The same goes for your feet, which you stretch out almost touching the flame.
"So…" Oscar says after some time has passed. He leans forward, causing the fire of bonfire to cast dark shadows through his visor. "This… invisible woman of yours."
"Ah, right." You scratch your cheek as you try to remember what exactly you know about her. Not much, you realise. "She wears thick dusty robes that cover most of her, so I don't know what she looks like, but she knows a lot about pyromancy."
"You mentioned her being the spider demons' sister, I believe."
You nod. "Right, but I doubt she's been hiding a giant spider body under those robes." You realise she's never stood up, and picture a giant spider half buried in the ground beneath her. "Er, probably."
Oscar thumbs his chin and stares into the fire. "The question is, who is she? She's clearly powerful, and being related to those demons…"
"She kept mentioning having to atone for something bad her family did." You add. "Well, I think. There was something about hubris, punishments and her 'Mother's follies.'"
"Hubris… Mother…" He murmurs, a frown audible in his voice. "Could it be…? No, surely not…"
"Got an idea?"
He shakes his head. "No, I… I'm not well-versed in the lore and history of pyromancy, so I may be wrong. God's, I hope I'm wrong."
"Are you going to spit it out, or do you want to build up the suspense some more?" You ask, rolling your eyes.
"I think it'd be best to wait until we return to Firelink Shrine. We can see if your pyromancer friend is still there. He would know better than I do."
"Really? You're just going to leave it hanging like that?"
"I don't want to bring down any bad luck. I've found fate has a poor sense of humour if you invoke foul things." He replies, climbing to his feet. "Gods, I hope I'm wrong. The thought of you antagonising… that…"
The cliffhanger grinds your gears to no end, but it seems you have no choice but to wait for the big reveal. Surely, it can't be that bad, right? Oscar's probably just overreacting. Nothing to do about it, though. You'll just have to get moving and hope Laurentius is still at the shrine when you get back.
Unfortunately, you find your things haven't dried nearly as well as you'd hoped, and you end up having to resummon them anyway. Wet boots are bad enough, but you're not walking around with wet socks. Then again, there's still water to cross no matter which direction you go in this damned place, so maybe it was a waste of time worrying about it anyway.
[] Try to climb back up through Blighttown
[] There was that other structure near the nest…
[] Write in
[X] There was that other structure near the nest…
Screw Blighttown, all my homies hate Blighttown
Screw Blighttown, all my homies hate Blighttown
Oscar
Oscar I know this is of the best intentions but please no, I would prefer we not accidentally send Laurentius off to his death in Blighttown
[X] There was that other structure near the nest…
Anyways it's time to get the hell out of dodge, back up to Firelink. ...I genuinely forget what's been going on with Lautrec, if he's free and about and hanging out there or not, so this may or may not be a "fun" return.
Technically Laurentius doesn't die in Blighttown, he reaches the bottom, Quelana dies for reasons unknown, and goes Hollow also for reasons unknown - not necessarily in that order, either.
Possible sequences of events:
- Laurentius falls to his death while attempting to navigate Blighttown, goes Hollow because of this, kills Quelana because Hollows tend not to like non-Hollows
- Laurentius reaches the bottom relatively intact, meets Quelana, has a mental breakdown, goes Hollow, then kills her
- Laurentius reaches the bottom, meets Quelana, kills her for some reason, then goes Hollow after realizing he just murdered the creator of all Pyromancy
- Laurentius reaches the bottom, finds Quelana already dead or does something which results in her killing herself, he goes Hollow
Since as far as I recall Hollow Laurentius lacks any dialogue, we don't know enough to determine which of these is the case.
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
We can probably head him off by pointing out she's probably also invisible to him, so he should probably wait for us if he tries to head down immediately, and we really pissed in her cornflakes so it's really in his best interests to wait until she's had a chance to calm down and rethink her... whole sitting in a swamp waiting for the end of everything. What with her sister being dead and other sister really needing some help.
I'd say we could advise him to try gathering Humanity to at least get in Quelana's good graces, but we've seen how well him exploring on his own has gone.
[X] There was that other structure near the nest…
Let's blow this scene.
I'd say we could advise him to try gathering Humanity to at least get in Quelana's good graces, but we've seen how well him exploring on his own has gone.
[X] There was that other structure near the nest…
Let's blow this scene.
[X] There was that other structure near the nest…
Part 129: Blighttown XXVI
- Location
- The Land of Giant Bush Bunnies
[X] There was that other structure near the nest…
"So, I guess we're going to have to climb all the way back up through that mess, then." You grumble as the two of you step out from the bonfire's tunnel. The rickety hodgepodge of planks and beams high above you is still visible even from down here. The idea of going through all the trouble you had getting down here a second time makes your head spin.
"We may not have to." Oscar replies. "I noticed what looked like a makeshift elevator back when you were learning pyromancy with your invisible woman. It might be a way up to the surface."
"Worth a look, I guess." You say with a shrug. "Lead the way."
Skirting along the edge of the water, Oscar leads you to a shoddy-looking ramp that looks rotted to the point of collapsing under the lightest step. Thankfully, it's actually sturdier than it seems, and the only response to your weight is a series of loud groans from the boards. Tall torches light the path up, and the side pressed up against the cliff has a shoulder-high wall so you don't stumble into the thin gap between the planks and the rock (because the drop on the other side is the lesser issue here.)
The ramp levels out after a few metres and ends at a ladder built against a makeshift structure. A giant wheel clunks away to your immediate left as you head up. A small platform falls past on a creaking belt connecting the wheel to something far above.
The two of you stop when you reach the end of the platform at the top of the ladder. The path ends on the other end of the wheel, where the previously falling platforms have come around and are rising back up into the darkness above.
"This isn't meant for people, right?" You ask, watching a platform go up.
"It's more akin to something for transporting water, but…" Oscar peaks over the edge. "The paddles don't reach all the way down, and they're not shaped to pick up the water."
"So, it really is a…" You trail off as you lean over the edge beside Oscar. You have to rub your eyes to make sure you're not seeing things.
"Is that a dog?"
One of the orange-skinned dogs from Blighttown is trotting away inside the wheel, presumably turning it. It's panting pretty heavily, so it's a safe bet to say it's been there for a while.
"Surely it's not turning the whole thing." Oscar says. "There's no way it'd be strong enough. The wheel's moving too fast."
Dog aside, the lift can't be running on just this wheel alone. There must be another one further up. Maybe with another dog inside.
"Well, we're not getting anywhere by just standing around wondering about it."
With the promise of getting out of this damp place, you take the risk of stepping out onto a platform as it goes past. The boards creak and the whole thing rocks under the added weight, but it holds firm.
As you expected, there's a second wheel at the top, pulling up the platforms and sending them back down. Out of curiosity, you glance down into this second wheel once you've hopped off onto the semi-solid ground of a larger platform. Yep, another dog. The idea itself isn't that silly. Hamsters turn wheels, so why not dogs? The silly thing is how tiny the dogs are compared to the massive wheels.
You hear a pained grunt and a loud thump, and the rickety wood shakes beneath you. You look back over to where you jumped off and see Oscar pulling himself to his feet.
"Rough landing?" You ask, offering him a hand.
"Let's never do that again." He replies as you help him up. "Why wouldn't someone just build stairs? Or more ladders. They seem awfully fond of them in this place."
"Maybe the water came up higher at some point?" You suggest, glancing down at the swamp. "It's probably not great water down there, but they'd need to drink something, right? You could've been right about it being a water wheel."
Oscar stares down at you. "I can never tell if when you're going to say something genuinely smart."
"Hey, I-!"
"Come on." He interrupts, heading over to the ladder up on the far end of the platform.
You start grumbling to yourself as you follow him up, but your mood switches when you hear him shouting at the top of the ladder.
"Oscar? What's wrong?" You call out, scrambling up the ladder. You leap the last few rungs and land with your claws summoned for trouble. Trouble is indeed waiting, as Oscar is pinned to the floor by one of those big, horrible demon bug things.
"Shit, hold on!"
You leap over the bug spider, swiping your claws through its back as you go. You shred its wings and magma oozes from the deep gashes. It shrieks and its legs flail about for a few seconds, then it goes limp.
"Phew. You alright?" You ask, dispelling your claws and crouching down beside Oscar.
"I've been better." He replies. He tries to shove the limp bug off, but his arms are pressed down at an awkward position and he struggles to lift it on his own. "A little help, please?"
You grab two of the thing's legs and together manage to free Oscar from beneath the bug's corpse. You push it off the edge afterwards and watch it drop down into the water below.
"What was that thing doing up here?" You ask, looking around. There's another ladder directly across from the first, but also a path leading around to the side. The ladder presumably takes you closer to the surface, but maybe there's something worth looking around for while you're here.
[] Keep heading up. The quicker you get out of here the better
[] Take a look around. Maybe the bug was guarding something?
[] Write in
"So, I guess we're going to have to climb all the way back up through that mess, then." You grumble as the two of you step out from the bonfire's tunnel. The rickety hodgepodge of planks and beams high above you is still visible even from down here. The idea of going through all the trouble you had getting down here a second time makes your head spin.
"We may not have to." Oscar replies. "I noticed what looked like a makeshift elevator back when you were learning pyromancy with your invisible woman. It might be a way up to the surface."
"Worth a look, I guess." You say with a shrug. "Lead the way."
Skirting along the edge of the water, Oscar leads you to a shoddy-looking ramp that looks rotted to the point of collapsing under the lightest step. Thankfully, it's actually sturdier than it seems, and the only response to your weight is a series of loud groans from the boards. Tall torches light the path up, and the side pressed up against the cliff has a shoulder-high wall so you don't stumble into the thin gap between the planks and the rock (because the drop on the other side is the lesser issue here.)
The ramp levels out after a few metres and ends at a ladder built against a makeshift structure. A giant wheel clunks away to your immediate left as you head up. A small platform falls past on a creaking belt connecting the wheel to something far above.
The two of you stop when you reach the end of the platform at the top of the ladder. The path ends on the other end of the wheel, where the previously falling platforms have come around and are rising back up into the darkness above.
"This isn't meant for people, right?" You ask, watching a platform go up.
"It's more akin to something for transporting water, but…" Oscar peaks over the edge. "The paddles don't reach all the way down, and they're not shaped to pick up the water."
"So, it really is a…" You trail off as you lean over the edge beside Oscar. You have to rub your eyes to make sure you're not seeing things.
"Is that a dog?"
One of the orange-skinned dogs from Blighttown is trotting away inside the wheel, presumably turning it. It's panting pretty heavily, so it's a safe bet to say it's been there for a while.
"Surely it's not turning the whole thing." Oscar says. "There's no way it'd be strong enough. The wheel's moving too fast."
Dog aside, the lift can't be running on just this wheel alone. There must be another one further up. Maybe with another dog inside.
"Well, we're not getting anywhere by just standing around wondering about it."
With the promise of getting out of this damp place, you take the risk of stepping out onto a platform as it goes past. The boards creak and the whole thing rocks under the added weight, but it holds firm.
As you expected, there's a second wheel at the top, pulling up the platforms and sending them back down. Out of curiosity, you glance down into this second wheel once you've hopped off onto the semi-solid ground of a larger platform. Yep, another dog. The idea itself isn't that silly. Hamsters turn wheels, so why not dogs? The silly thing is how tiny the dogs are compared to the massive wheels.
You hear a pained grunt and a loud thump, and the rickety wood shakes beneath you. You look back over to where you jumped off and see Oscar pulling himself to his feet.
"Rough landing?" You ask, offering him a hand.
"Let's never do that again." He replies as you help him up. "Why wouldn't someone just build stairs? Or more ladders. They seem awfully fond of them in this place."
"Maybe the water came up higher at some point?" You suggest, glancing down at the swamp. "It's probably not great water down there, but they'd need to drink something, right? You could've been right about it being a water wheel."
Oscar stares down at you. "I can never tell if when you're going to say something genuinely smart."
"Hey, I-!"
"Come on." He interrupts, heading over to the ladder up on the far end of the platform.
You start grumbling to yourself as you follow him up, but your mood switches when you hear him shouting at the top of the ladder.
"Oscar? What's wrong?" You call out, scrambling up the ladder. You leap the last few rungs and land with your claws summoned for trouble. Trouble is indeed waiting, as Oscar is pinned to the floor by one of those big, horrible demon bug things.
"Shit, hold on!"
You leap over the bug spider, swiping your claws through its back as you go. You shred its wings and magma oozes from the deep gashes. It shrieks and its legs flail about for a few seconds, then it goes limp.
"Phew. You alright?" You ask, dispelling your claws and crouching down beside Oscar.
"I've been better." He replies. He tries to shove the limp bug off, but his arms are pressed down at an awkward position and he struggles to lift it on his own. "A little help, please?"
You grab two of the thing's legs and together manage to free Oscar from beneath the bug's corpse. You push it off the edge afterwards and watch it drop down into the water below.
"What was that thing doing up here?" You ask, looking around. There's another ladder directly across from the first, but also a path leading around to the side. The ladder presumably takes you closer to the surface, but maybe there's something worth looking around for while you're here.
[] Keep heading up. The quicker you get out of here the better
[] Take a look around. Maybe the bug was guarding something?
[] Write in
Rude, Oscar, Rude.
I mean, also accurate, Kirika is like 90% intrusive thoughts and maybe 10% actual thinking with occasionally smart ideas.
As for whether to just get the heck out of dodge, or go search for loot (read: Fire Keeper Soul), well, loot does sound nice, but also that's Toxic Blowdart Alley and iirc Toxic was an absolute bitch to deal with earlier in Blighttown, and our inventory doesn't list any Blooming Purple Moss only the standard kind.
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
Dog powered water wheel elevators. That's a new one.
[X] Keep heading up. The quicker you get out of here the better
Honestly, I just want to get out of this place.
[X] Keep heading up. The quicker you get out of here the better
Honestly, I just want to get out of this place.
Damn it Oscar stop jobbing
[X] Keep heading up. The quicker you get out of here the better
[X] Keep heading up. The quicker you get out of here the better
Yeah, it ain't worth it to play in Toxic Blowdart Alley, let's just head back up to Firelink. Besides, we might find ourselves a random Fire Keeper Soul when we get to the shrine anyways, for totally unexpected reasons!
Yeah, it ain't worth it to play in Toxic Blowdart Alley, let's just head back up to Firelink. Besides, we might find ourselves a random Fire Keeper Soul when we get to the shrine anyways, for totally unexpected reasons!
Part 130: Blighttown XXVII
- Location
- The Land of Giant Bush Bunnies
[X] Keep heading up. The quicker you get out of here the better
Whatever's lying around here, it can't be worth taking the time to look. You've had enough of this place, and the faster you're out of here the better. After making sure Oscar's okay, you step onto the first rung of the next ladder and nudge your head up towards the top.
"Come on, let's get out of here."
"Agreed." Oscar replies, following you up as you ascend the ladder.
A line of torches lights up the next level of the makeshift structure. The way leads up against the rock, where a set of ladders goes further up and another path around into a section built into the cliff. See above, you ignore the way around. Up is right. Up leads out. Probably.
After three shorter ladders immediately after one another (why not just make another long ladder?), you reach a more structure-y structure. It's still pretty open, but there's at least some walling, and even a few rusted pots lying around. Maybe someone's actually living here.
As it turns out, someone is. Unfortunately, that someone is one of the big demon spiders. It jumps out at you as you're rounding one of the rickety walls. You avoid its grabbing arms and large body, but the act forces you back towards the edge of the platform. Oscar double-hand plunged his sword into the thing's back, causing it to scream and writhe. It lashes its long lava tongue at him, but he lets go of his sword and ducks back. The spider turns towards him, but the movement causes Oscar's sword to move within it, and it suddenly goes limp.
"W-What happened?" You ask as Oscar retrieves his sword from the spider.
He pulls it out and checks the blade, which is coated in the dripping fire-blood. "Maybe it caught something vital? I didn't aim for anything in particular, but the anatomy of these creatures is probably shifted about by the mutations."
"So, you hit its heart or something?"
Oscar merely shrugs. Returning his sword to its sheath, he starts climbing the next ladder. How the hell is he so casual about these freaky things? With a grumble, you follow after him.
Heading up through the half-building, you reach a more open platform, with a path leading across the gap to a cave. Unlike the earlier paths into the cliff, there's no alternative up. Looking out over the valley, you spot the top of Blighttown further down the way. A cavern ceiling curves above you, giving you nowhere further to ascend to. Either you've found the way out, or this whole trip has been a waste of time.
The way running along the cliff is lit by more torches, but that ends once you reach the cave. While there are a few torches on either side, they're all long dead. Beams and planks have been left in messy piles, some with wagon wheels nailed to them like signs of some kind. The light from the earlier torches quickly fades, and the tunnel is a deep dark.
Not wanting to trip over any random plank lying across the ground, you reach back and unclip your soul gem. Its form morphs into its egg shape and the glow illuminates a small area around you. A low groan echoes in from the darkness as a response.
"Kirika, put out the light…" Oscar whispers, stepping close to you. His warning is too late, however. A set of red dots gazes at you from the black. A big ugly brute steps into the edge of the light.
You funnel your magic around him and step to the side. A massive wooden club slams into the ground between you and Oscar, kicking up dirt and loose chips of wood. Thinking fast, you summon a set of claws and slash down at the brute's arm. The flesh and bone are cleaved through with ease, and the limb is severed at the elbow.
The big brute stumbles back with a cry of pain, gripping the fresh stump with his other hand. More groaned growls echo in from further behind him, and four more red eyes appear in the black.
Oscar hadn't wasted any time drawing his sword when the first big guy made himself known, and he thrusts it through the guy's throat now that the threat of being crushed by him is removed. The big guy gargles, then tumbles back to the ground with an echoing thud. The growls further within the tunnel grow angry, and two sets of footsteps begin booming towards you.
Two more brutes charge out of the darkness at roughly the same time. The first, holding a giant pickaxe in one hand, comes straight for you. You back up a few steps and duck under the wide swing he makes at your head, before cleaving through his legs with both of your claws. The brute grunts in pain and topples to the ground. You finish him off by thrusting your claws through his face.
Meanwhile, Oscar's facing a second brute with a makeshift club. Similar to how you dealt with the first brute, he sidesteps an overhead swing and plunges his sword into the big guy's elbow. It grunts as Oscar twists the blade, but grabs him by the throat with his free hand and lifts him up. Oscar struggles to break free, but quickly realises the futility of it. Instead, he lets go of his sword and draws the shortsword he'd been using as a backup, still hanging from his hip, and plunges it through the brute's throat. It immediately releases him and attempts to pull the sword free, but Oscar yanks his straight sword out of its arm and splits the brute's skull with an overhead swing.
You each finish at about the same time, and you catch sight of Oscar's final blow with a newfound respect. You let out an impressed whistle.
"That was pretty cool." You say as he pulls out his shortsword and returns it to his side.
"I've been fighting for a while." He replies, still catching his breath after being picked up by the neck. "Let's just keep moving. I'd like to leave this place."
You find no reason to refuse and take the lead with your soul gem lighting the way.
The tunnel is fairly long, but you aren't attacked again, so you reach the end without much trouble. The cave opens to a narrow canyon, with thin grassy paths along either side of the cliff faces. There's a thin plank bridge across the gap, leading to a stone tower with an iron bar door. You automatically go to cross the bridge, but stop when you hear a loud, wet roar from somewhere down the canyon. Another, unfamiliar sound follows, and you share a look with Oscar.
[] You've got better things to do. Head over to the gate
[] Maybe someone needs help. Go investigate the sounds
[] Write in
Whatever's lying around here, it can't be worth taking the time to look. You've had enough of this place, and the faster you're out of here the better. After making sure Oscar's okay, you step onto the first rung of the next ladder and nudge your head up towards the top.
"Come on, let's get out of here."
"Agreed." Oscar replies, following you up as you ascend the ladder.
A line of torches lights up the next level of the makeshift structure. The way leads up against the rock, where a set of ladders goes further up and another path around into a section built into the cliff. See above, you ignore the way around. Up is right. Up leads out. Probably.
After three shorter ladders immediately after one another (why not just make another long ladder?), you reach a more structure-y structure. It's still pretty open, but there's at least some walling, and even a few rusted pots lying around. Maybe someone's actually living here.
As it turns out, someone is. Unfortunately, that someone is one of the big demon spiders. It jumps out at you as you're rounding one of the rickety walls. You avoid its grabbing arms and large body, but the act forces you back towards the edge of the platform. Oscar double-hand plunged his sword into the thing's back, causing it to scream and writhe. It lashes its long lava tongue at him, but he lets go of his sword and ducks back. The spider turns towards him, but the movement causes Oscar's sword to move within it, and it suddenly goes limp.
"W-What happened?" You ask as Oscar retrieves his sword from the spider.
He pulls it out and checks the blade, which is coated in the dripping fire-blood. "Maybe it caught something vital? I didn't aim for anything in particular, but the anatomy of these creatures is probably shifted about by the mutations."
"So, you hit its heart or something?"
Oscar merely shrugs. Returning his sword to its sheath, he starts climbing the next ladder. How the hell is he so casual about these freaky things? With a grumble, you follow after him.
Heading up through the half-building, you reach a more open platform, with a path leading across the gap to a cave. Unlike the earlier paths into the cliff, there's no alternative up. Looking out over the valley, you spot the top of Blighttown further down the way. A cavern ceiling curves above you, giving you nowhere further to ascend to. Either you've found the way out, or this whole trip has been a waste of time.
The way running along the cliff is lit by more torches, but that ends once you reach the cave. While there are a few torches on either side, they're all long dead. Beams and planks have been left in messy piles, some with wagon wheels nailed to them like signs of some kind. The light from the earlier torches quickly fades, and the tunnel is a deep dark.
Not wanting to trip over any random plank lying across the ground, you reach back and unclip your soul gem. Its form morphs into its egg shape and the glow illuminates a small area around you. A low groan echoes in from the darkness as a response.
"Kirika, put out the light…" Oscar whispers, stepping close to you. His warning is too late, however. A set of red dots gazes at you from the black. A big ugly brute steps into the edge of the light.
You funnel your magic around him and step to the side. A massive wooden club slams into the ground between you and Oscar, kicking up dirt and loose chips of wood. Thinking fast, you summon a set of claws and slash down at the brute's arm. The flesh and bone are cleaved through with ease, and the limb is severed at the elbow.
The big brute stumbles back with a cry of pain, gripping the fresh stump with his other hand. More groaned growls echo in from further behind him, and four more red eyes appear in the black.
Oscar hadn't wasted any time drawing his sword when the first big guy made himself known, and he thrusts it through the guy's throat now that the threat of being crushed by him is removed. The big guy gargles, then tumbles back to the ground with an echoing thud. The growls further within the tunnel grow angry, and two sets of footsteps begin booming towards you.
Two more brutes charge out of the darkness at roughly the same time. The first, holding a giant pickaxe in one hand, comes straight for you. You back up a few steps and duck under the wide swing he makes at your head, before cleaving through his legs with both of your claws. The brute grunts in pain and topples to the ground. You finish him off by thrusting your claws through his face.
Meanwhile, Oscar's facing a second brute with a makeshift club. Similar to how you dealt with the first brute, he sidesteps an overhead swing and plunges his sword into the big guy's elbow. It grunts as Oscar twists the blade, but grabs him by the throat with his free hand and lifts him up. Oscar struggles to break free, but quickly realises the futility of it. Instead, he lets go of his sword and draws the shortsword he'd been using as a backup, still hanging from his hip, and plunges it through the brute's throat. It immediately releases him and attempts to pull the sword free, but Oscar yanks his straight sword out of its arm and splits the brute's skull with an overhead swing.
You each finish at about the same time, and you catch sight of Oscar's final blow with a newfound respect. You let out an impressed whistle.
"That was pretty cool." You say as he pulls out his shortsword and returns it to his side.
"I've been fighting for a while." He replies, still catching his breath after being picked up by the neck. "Let's just keep moving. I'd like to leave this place."
You find no reason to refuse and take the lead with your soul gem lighting the way.
The tunnel is fairly long, but you aren't attacked again, so you reach the end without much trouble. The cave opens to a narrow canyon, with thin grassy paths along either side of the cliff faces. There's a thin plank bridge across the gap, leading to a stone tower with an iron bar door. You automatically go to cross the bridge, but stop when you hear a loud, wet roar from somewhere down the canyon. Another, unfamiliar sound follows, and you share a look with Oscar.
[] You've got better things to do. Head over to the gate
[] Maybe someone needs help. Go investigate the sounds
[] Write in
Nottheunmaker
Altman be praised
- Location
- USG Ishimura
[X] Maybe someone needs help. Go investigate the sounds
Huh. That might be something worth checking out.
Huh. That might be something worth checking out.
[X] Maybe someone needs help. Go investigate the sounds
I think it has been pretty established that this version of Kirika cannot leave others' problems alone. Also yay, Oscar! You're back to killing things on your own, that's wonderful. Can't measure up to the Basilwitch/GD double kill, of course, but if we ever let you overtake Kirika something very strange is going on.
I think it has been pretty established that this version of Kirika cannot leave others' problems alone. Also yay, Oscar! You're back to killing things on your own, that's wonderful. Can't measure up to the Basilwitch/GD double kill, of course, but if we ever let you overtake Kirika something very strange is going on.