Aoi Azul's Story

“Mind the, ah,” Casren picked his way over a dash of vomit, feeling a strange tingle throughout his body. On inspection, his veins would be showing black through his skin. The vampires features had become gaunt. His sandy gold hair almost seemed to bristle.

“Are you faring well? My deepest apologies, I didn’t mean to disregard you.”

His voice was higher pitched, too. Casren waved to the one in the hoodie.

A small bipedal feline, standing with a humanlike posture, walked up to the door behind everyone else. Its fur was predominantly white, with an accentuation of dark brown, including entirely white ears, noticeable for their curled tips. The tuft of fur between the ears was dark brown and curled up. The collar of fur around its neck was also dark brown, and had a curl that rose to the face. Its eyes are were light blue, with blue-green pupils. The two tails it had were dark brown at the base, and ended in white, fluffy curls. Its arms ended in dark brown patches, and its legs were mostly dark brown in a fashion resembling stockings. Hidden inside its ears, safely tucked away, were colored organs used to emit psychic energy. It was wearing a small traveling outfit that consisted of a small blue coat with pockets, a blue-green shawl, no doubt with pockets, and a red-orange flower pin.

So, it's a door. Terra is an odd place. Well, this is where I was told a treasure was sleeping. Seems a lot of other hopefuls are here, though. Humans are annoyingly organizational.

It walked forward, intent on passing through the entrance, disregarding the presence of the others at the moment. The sensation that awaited was unexpected, however. It's expression never changed.

My strength fades... Is it Gastro Acid? Not quite... Definitely not Paralysis, and definitely not Confusion.

Throwing a few air punches while staying behind most of the main group, it looked at its arms.

I can still use some of my Moves. This shouldn't be too big an issue, and my movement feels unhindered. My eyesight feels less sharp than normal, but my senses are intact. This is... No. It's a Seal Trap? Have I been Sealed? ...That must be it. A Seal Trap that also applies the effect of Gastro Acid. It isn't a PP-Zero Trap, since I can still use some of my moves.

The feline would then fish around in her bag, as if looking for something, unless she was interrupted.

"How fascinating" An old, wizened man placed his hand on the door, rubbing it and gazing at it with old curious eyes. How he had come to be there was inexplicable, none would have seen him enter, none would have seen anything that suggested he had arrived. One moment he wasn't, and the next, he was just there.

"I wonder how long ago this was made, and the hands that must have made it... perhaps the descendants yet live? This light is curious, I wonder what it's purpose is."

The oddity of this man was perhaps compounded by the fact that whatever seemed to be effecting the others had no hold over. The curiosity of the door however did cause a very strange sort of mirage to shift in and out of visibility.

At once there was two figures. The old wizened man with his robes and curious eyes, and the ungodly massive body of a dragon larger than the whole of the planet.

Dorant Magthulia, that was his name, and there were perhaps a handful of people that might recongnize him, for he the beast for which Dorant Valley Was named. He was the great and ancient dragon that had nearly destroyed the world merely through the act of being present upon it's surface.

He peered at Akio and said suddenly "My dear fellow, you seem to be surrounded by ghosts, and some of them seem quite old." The blue eyed Dorant carefully walked over to Akio, or rather to a space on his left, peering at something that wasn't there. "Hmm, interesting. They look like you. I figure your related? So very curious, you little things."

As the various adventurers progressed towards the end of the passage beyond The Impervious Door, which disabled most technology and damply muted all magical, supernatural, mutant, or otherwise superb abilities, a jumbled figure slowly emerged from the darkness. At first it looked like a pile of rocks. The Aschen flashlights revealed its true form.



By this time, Casren Bistreo was exhausted. Bristly clumps of hair emerged from random spots on his body. His ears had grown to points. His suit hung on him, and his pupils were far too large. The adult male, who had been of fair complexion, was now gray skinned and dark haired.

He gave a weak smile back at Cryoface, gesturing towards the Gollum. The two kinda looked alike.

Selene hung back a bit as the others made their way into the hall. She began to whisper in a demonic language and a small portal opened up. From the portal a a wolf like creature stepped out. It was covered in red fur with a row of curved spikes along it's back. Its tail was covered in quills like that of a porcupine. A green acidic poison covered them. It's eyes glowed green and a fel green fire burned within it's mouth.

Selene looks to the hall and the hellhound dashed into the hall. It let out a howl and it could be seen that the fire with it's mouth had died down. Selene didn't like this but she followed her hellhound into the hall. She felt a drain on her power and frowned she hoped this was only temporary... She hoped this even more as she reached the end of the hall and saw the gollum.

The Man in the Hoodie continued to ignore the advances of the others and continued on at a brisk pace. Havasikaji looked to Casren and gave an apologetic shrug. But she was very cold. The strange effects of the door had caused her magic to become weaker, and her breath came out in puffs.
When the golem suddenly formed, Havasikaji started a fire spell, but then saw it appeared to be friendly, so she left her powers on standby. The Man in the Hoodie, however, continued to walk forwards, attempting to bypass it and continue on his/her/it's/their way.

The Gollum’s eyes lit up, bathing everyone present in a green glow. He would prove completely impassable to the man in the gray hoodie, as well as any others who simply tried to press on.

“It’s... alive?” Casren panted out, maintaining his human form a labored task.

The Man in the Hoodie stood there, looking up at the massive yet peaceful golem, which would not let them pass. Casually, they lifted a gloved hand and attempted to bash the golem out of the way with an unnatural and crushing force.

As Aoi started to recover, somewhat, from the unfavorable feeling the Dungeon had just given him, it seemed to try and go further and further...before it let up, if only a little. As if the Dungeon seemed to understand that the further his powers were dampened in that manner, the worse he would be physically. If it wasn't for Aoi's headphones, he would probably be dead from that already.

"Well, that was...is...unpleasant. And, just dont keep forgetting me okay...old man? Sorry, dont think I got your name. Or, the vomit impulse is screwing with my memory a little" Aoi told him as they entered the main room, looking upon a huge golem with its arm in a weird way.

Curiosity took over Aoi a little, as he began to circle the statue. At least he could move himself just fine, and he had his mind and his ears. Not that his hearing could do much here, but...it was still something. At the very least, he was able to tell that this statue was strong, sturdy, and possibly invincible. It made him wonder if it was made from the same materials as his headphones, but he decided to not attack it in fear it would react...poorly...

Actually, as he circled it, and he looked at the position, a thought occured to him...however...

"No way...it can't be that. That would be ridiculous".

The only reason he even thought of it was because of that friend he had who did that all the time, but in a dungeon? He dismissed the idea entirely as being foolish...

"...well, maybe?"

Not entirely dismissed it though, but he still didn't bring it up because he didn't want to be seen as someone crazy or foolish on the likely chance he was wrong. At the very least, he decided to wait and see what all of the others thought up first before making the suggestion...if someone else considered it, then he might mention it as well. Or if they ran out of more plausible ideas.

Southpaw sentry was unable to be crushed, or moved with physical force. The man in the gray hoodie would find his powers weakened along with all else who traversed down the hall.

Southpaw Sentry frowned from his crouched position, hand extended forward and open. Slowly the Gollum’s mouth widened. In a low rumble, he spoke:

Dorant started at the golems voice and, Akio and his ghosts forgotten, The old man immediatly approached and began to appraise the golem "Absolutely fascinating.... So that's what that strange itch is, I was wondering about that."

He tapped the golem in several places with his walking stick, testing it's firmness and solidity. He gave it a slight kick in one of it's legs and, seeming satisfied by the impact he made, or rather the lack thereof, he came to circle in front of it, seemingly oblivious to the others in the room.

"I do so love riddles... Let's see now.. Power brought is power lost obviously refers to the studious drain on magic this place causes... I haven't the foggiest about the greatest tools, but Grip in numbers... perhaps that refers to cooperation among multiple members...." He turned and gestured widely at the group "I think the way it's offering it's hand is some sort of symbol, a gesture of unity."

Dorant then turned back and placed his hand in the golems own, looking up at it expectantly.

"Power brought is power lost? Well, that certainly explains why I feel like something's pushing against me," Cryoface grumbled with a voice that sounded more human than his usual timbre of a shifting ice sheet. "But I can push back. And if I have to arm-wrestle this golem to get through, then that's what I'm gonna do!"

A gigantic mitt reached up, but even he couldn't properly grasp the statue's outstretched hand. So he settled for leaning on it near the elbow. "I can hold a couple of you on my shoulders, we can push against him that way."

There was a mighty rumble. Southpaw Sentry's frown leveled into a neutral expression. The green light cast from the eyes, while still bright, was slightly less green. The shift was subtle, but those touching it would notice the great hand of the gollum sink ever so slightly towards the ground.

Casren wheezed out a chuckle, reaching to rest his own hand on the thumb of the gollum. As he did, the remainder of his vitality snapped, and he promptly assumed his bat form. Aggravated chirps echoed around the passageway. A sleek cell phone and an engraved pocketknife clattered to the palm of Southpaw Sentry. Casren, now a bat, landed on the great thumb and took his rest. The hand shifted again, slightly, down.

"Well that seems to be doing something..." Said Selene as she and her hellhound stepped closer to the gollum.

Selene spoke a command in demon to the hellhound and the creature jumped up onto the gollum's hand.

"Well here goes nothing..." Selene said placing her hand on the gollum's hand.

Akio ventured forward at a slow, steady pace. He seemed surprisingly calm with the scenery around him, the dark and damp walls of the cavern that felt so vast yet so claustrophobic. He was unperturbed with the change in the atmosphere as it seemed to affect him, all three types of magic that brewed inside himself was suppressed if not negated entirely. He could not sense the shadows anymore, nor could he pull from their energy. The recently acquired Myrkul's Essence was also cut off and he could no longer feel the entity of Myrkul within himself, but he was okay, so long as he didn't suddenly morph into a giant dragon while in this cavern. The only energy he could feel was his bloodline, his ancestors and his heritage that remained by his side and within the blade he carried. The blood connection remained intact.

As he looked around him, he saw the effects of the cavern getting to them, some more so than others. The young one that couldn't be older than ten threw up from the feeling of it all, he noticed. The five colorful beings that had shown up right around when he arrived were improvising to the effects, attempting to use a varied form of technology to try and bypass the cavern's effects. Unfortunately, he watched as their lights died upon entry, regardless of the material they were crafted from or powered by. Their rifles were still a question to be factored in, but he wasn't sure whether the air would affect them or not. But if his assumption on this energy's existence was correct, they probably wouldn't fire either. This was meant to neutralize any advantage one person could have over the other. This was meant to bring them all down to the same level.

But why?

He figured the answer would be revealed later. Right now, there was nothing to worry about except walking down the hall.

He caught the words of the old wizard that appeared by his side, questioning the ancestors that were always by his side. To which he was not shy about talking about.

"Indeed," he responded in turn, "They show me the way, teaching me the lessons they've learned while giving me a little clairvoyance." He would be shocked about the fact that this man could see ghosts, except he knew one other...well, being...that could do the same.

Captain Ean Falcor...

He had understood when his ancestors had shared with him this path that he should take, one that involved many sacrifices, but many opportunities to take along the way. And so, he had let him travel on this journey, appointing an interim first mate while he was away and resuming business as planned. He knew they would be fine.

Eventually, he reached the end of the corridor, where the Gollum awaited, extending his hand forward and proclaiming his riddle. Akio thought along the same lines as the many around him did...until the wizard and the one named Casren made their move towards the Gollum and clasped it's hand. He watched as the effect the Gollum had on Casren took a sudden turn, transforming the once pale, slender man into the flying bat, revealing his vampiric ways. In that moment, he had the epiphany, understanding the riddle in full.

But was he willing to pay the cost?

We are...he very faintly heard his ancestors echo in the back of his mind. Trust us...

He looked at his blade, forged from steel, yet empowered by an unbreakable bond that seemed to transcend all material. He understood what taking this action would do. But his ancestors understood what would happen as well, and they were willing to do what was necessary to proceed. He nodded understandingly.

Neutralize the advantages...bring them all to equality...

He walked up, grasping the Gollum's hand. Immediately, he felt the effect rush through his body. The whispering voices in his ear were suddenly blanketed. The formerly suppressed powers were now gone altogether, including the one he deemed unbreakable. He glanced at his katana as he let go, knowing full well that his ancestors were trapped inside. To test the theory, he touched the hilt of the blade. But no energy seeped through into his being upon doing so. He was cut off from his bloodline. He was all alone.

And he knew the same effect either had washed over or would wash over anyone who touched this statue. They would be separated from their advantages, any and all of them. At least it was painless. Immortal beings would become mortal, inhuman strengths would become human. They would all be relegated to simple man, woman, and child...or whatever base form they would initialize. Thankfully for Akio, that wasn't his dragon form, as Myrkul's vein had been cut for the time being, in a similar fashion to how he lost connection with his ancestors. But he wondered what everyone would be like when they were stripped from their specialties and made normal. He wondered what normal looked like for everyone else when they touched the statue.

The Gollum's arm shifted lower.

Havasikaji reached out and touched the statue, and immediately let loose an unearthly scream. The golem's power was trying to rip away her inhuman abilities - to make her normal again. Thing is, she relied upon her inhuman abilities. As a half-demon, to destroy her inhuman abilities would be to destroy her.
With a shout, she pulled her hand back from the Gollum. This time, it's hand did not lower as she had not completed the form. She knelt on the ground. Smoke rose from her body, and she looked different; half of her body suddenly became demonic, with brick-red skin, glowing yellow eyes, sharp fangs and a curved horn. The other half of her body - the right side - remained human.
"That hurt," she gasped, "like hell." She slowly rose. "I... I don't think I can make it through here, guys. The power... if I were to let it fully course through me, it would kill me. It returns us to our natural forms; well, this is my natural form. To destroy it would be to destroy me."

Finding the item she wanted, a small seed that seemed to have unique properties, she consumed the item to no real effect.

This is... This effect is persistent. Well, with some of my power still available, I'll need to plan carefully.

Her small allowed her to mostly avoid getting too involved with those around her, but as they all moved forward and began interacting with the golem like entity, she thought for a moment.

A riddle. Original. Well, while they grasp for ideas, I'll see if my own can work.

Moving forward, the small feline walked forward up to the right side of the golem (its right), and attempted to use acrobatic maneuvers to get around it, through whatever small openings existed. It was during this attempt that Temperance's inherent physical abilities would be tested as to their effectiveness in this area.



Regardless of the outcome, Temperance would dust herself off and once more reach into her bag to fetch another item, albeit with some annoyed noises if it was a failure.

As Aoi watched and watched as others interacted with it, as people interacted with it, and specifically the arm, while others flapped about trying to circumvent the challange, Aoi became more and more sure his answer that he thought was ridiculous was actually correct. And because of that...

"Haha! Ahahahahahahahahaha!"

He ended up laughing over the silliness of it. He was pretty sure he had all the pieces now, though it was only thanks to Casren and a few others he put it all together....at least, he thought. There was still a chance he was wrong, but since it seemed like most people were trying to bypass the challange rather then face it, he decided he could wait any longer.

Waving off those who tried to bypass it, he just said what came to his mind.

"No no, dont try to skip any of the challenges. Dungeons with power like these, if you try to bypass it you will only likely forfeit any reward you could hope to get. No, in order to actually win and succeed, you need to complete the challenge...although I must say, I was not expecting a literal challenge like this...but I think I know what it is now. Well, Casren and the others did help me figure it out".

He walked over to the center of the room, near Southpaw, and then lay on the ground on his stomach and he put his arm out to mimic Southpaw.

"Now, I was not certain at first, but now I am. Look familiar? This position, the same one that Southpaw is using, is an Arm Wrestling Position. Oh, right. As for the riddle, I dont think this thing will kill us. It seems to only take enough power to make us equals sure....but maybe I am overthinking it, but that might not be the real objective. It only took our power so none of us could cheat, but left anything vital for living. After all, my powers are also tied to my physical body. If it was completely negated, it would require my DNA being rewritten, and that would have probably killed me. Anyways, I think I understand the riddle now too...I think multiple of us need to do this arm wrestling thing, work together to achieve divine power? Could be a reward, or could be what people consider to be the most divine of all...teamwork, cooperation, friendship".

Aoi stood up, and proceeded to push on the stone statue.

"That's just my guess though. And there is always a possibility this will still end up triggering a trap that causes this whole room to flood and kill us, so you should only proceed if your confident with my deduction and reasoning".

That said, Aoi was fairly confident he was right, at least this time. But this was a serious out of the box type challenge, so he had no certainty or guarantee on how helpful he could be with the next one.

He also ignored the fact that in terms of pure physical strength, the short fourteen year old might not do much. His skillset was less powerhouse, more tactical. He knew how to deal with a variety of trouble, and could show some power...but his specialty was logic and tactics, and producing sonic waves.

Two of the five Aschen, specifically Duram, and Michael moved carefully among the group as Marlene issued her next set of orders. Several of them kept their flashlights on the golem, while Michael, and Duram stepped up to the Golem itself, then they produced high-yield satchel charges taken from the armory that Marlene procured the guns.

"Put the charges around the legs, and see if we can find a weak spot, maybe a stone door, or something else." Marlene said, thumbing her chin.

Several clicks, and beeps followed as the men set the charges, and the three women moved about the walls of the chamber, looking for any discernible writing.

They would ignore the others, unless interfered with.

Southpaw Sentry's arm was significantly lower to the ground than when it started, but not all the way. It would seem the party was on to something with the arm wrestling bit. It lowered with each member of the party- even so when a hellhound landed on the outstretched hand.



On the walls inscribed, over and over and over again, were the same words that had previously echoed through the chamber. Unfortunately for the small feline Temperance, there would be no way to slip beyond Southpaw Sentry.

As the charges were braced around the Gollum's legs by the Aschen his mouth deepened back into a frown. Not because he feared at all for himself: Southpaw Sentry would prove as impervious and indestructible as the door which came before him.

There was a low rumble. It was a familiar sound to most. The rumble stopped abruptly. After a moment's pause, a strange scent would be sensed by those with noses. It was methane based, absolutely horrible, and caused Casren to faint for a moment from where he perched.

When he regained consciousness, the vampire in bat form would look down and see Havasikaji crumbling under the effects of the Gollum. He flopped forward and glided down, landing on her and chirping comfort. They had to continue!

"Would my venom help?" Casren asked Havasikaji, hoping he could understand her as they both shared veins of darkness.

He sent chirps around the cavern again, realizing that something about the charges had changed- in that they had unhinged and fallen to the ground. In the Gollum's palm, his pocketknife had clattered to pieces.

It would appear the fart of the Gollum served to further deweaponize the party -and oh was it gross.