Adventure On: Finale and Conclusion

[voidtreckermods]

Blue

The Mountain

Once they get close enough everything is storm, ice swirls around them, stabbing them like knives. Winds seem to be actively pushing them away, no matter what direction they approach from. Still the crystal wolves walk on, heads down, paws silent, climbing upwards.

The higher they climb the colder it becomes. So cold that ice forms on eyelashes, that air seems to freeze as it leaves their mouths. So cold their chests hurt. They would not be wrong to assume that the only reason they can withstand this at all is because of the SCA around their wrist.

Ice tumbles down around them often, shaking the ground. The crystal wolves know the way and they keep going, steady on the path. They have spaced themselves out, to be in sight of all those who follow.

The Summit

As they finally reach the top of the mountain they reach a calm space, outside of the swirling storm. Domed across the summit is a fire cage, larger by far than any they have seen before. In the middle of the giant fire cage sits a dragon. White and blue, scales that look as if they were made of ice themselves. Their head was bowed, eyes closed but they are breathing, breath escaping in clouds of freezing mist that evaporated in the heat of the cage.

Around the cage itself are ice elementals, outside the storm these can be seen by the snow they whirl around inside them, each is about three feet tall but fly in a whirlwind as they attack. Like those in the storm they try and push people around and attack with shards of ice. These corrupted spirits seem to have no reason to their attacks, they are just as likely to push a combatant closer to the cage then they are towards the raging storm.

They can be fought, fire works well against them just as ice and cold magic works well against the fire cage itself.

A Sovereign Freed

Eventually the cage stops fighting, fading away into the snow before them. The crystal wolves spring forth, nuzzling at the dragon until they raise their head. Piercing blue eyes look over the group and the dragon bows their head once. They take a deep breath and breathe out over those assembled, cold fire washes over them, healing any hurts that they have, easing their fatigue som

The crystal wolves bow their heads too, a thank you. Aerlie flaps their wings, rising high into the air. Another breath of cold fire flies out around the area, clashing with the storm for a moment before overtaking it. Around the mountain the storm calms, the ice elementals stop and seem to sink into the snow or fade into the air. The mountain descends into a calmness.

The crystal wolves will approach all those who helped free them, nuzzling into their hands, a personal thank you before a shimmering gate opens for the adventurers to step through.

Red

Final Siege

It’s been a tiring three days of protecting the crystals from the creatures that sought their power. But now, as their power is fully recharged it is time to return them to the border. That is going to be a tougher job than getting them to the volcano’s heart in the first place!

They thrum with power and that power is a siren call to the creatures of the area, fire dogs, lizards, fire sprites. Just as the mountain attacked inside the heart, here the spirtes join with the rivers of lava to flood pathways, block routes, making it harder to cross already treacherous territory, or even driving them into traps of waiting fire dogs.

The heat is oppressive, heat from around them, heat from the crystals seems to sap the energy from those carrying them and so the duty is best shared.

Eventually though they arrive at the border, a mess of melted ice and frozen lava. Each of the crystals need to be replaced.

Restoring the Border

Replacing the crystals is a little more complicated than taking them was. Each one needs to fuse with the holder it sits in. It doesn’t take any skill, just someone to hold it in place for a moment whilst the two fuse together and the magic is channelled into the ground.

Holding a crystal in place is a little more difficult when being attacked by the creatures. The fire creatures keep up the attack until all of the crystals have been replaced.

The Land Repaired

When the last crystal is in place there is a ripple across the land. An invisible line, an ancient magic, connects the crystals, seperating the two lands. Ice recedes from lava and the melted snow refreezes. The borderlands of slush undergo transformation as the two elements separate from each other once more. A land of fire and a land of ice, with a pulsing magic separating the two.

The firedogs and lizards retreat, fire elementals calm and join with the lava streams once more. A shimmering gate opens.

Orange

An Important Message

The Huma birds have been carrying crystals and helping the harvesters, protecting them from the blighted birds and encouraging them to work hard.

But those returning to the floating islands on the afternoon of the eleventh day of Horseshoe come bearing black cloth bags in their talons, each has a scroll attached. The Huma birds will make it very clear they are to read the scroll first.

DO NOT OPEN THE BAG UNTIL NIGHT FALLS

Inside this bag are rare crystals. When they are exposed to the light of the sun they will cause the islands to sink back to the ground. After the sun has set tonight please distribute these evenly around the islands and then depart back down to the land below before sunrise. The lands natural magic will do the rest but we do not recommend being on the islands when they fall.

Thank you for your hard work.

The Adventurers Guild

With a long night ahead they may wish to rest for the remainder of the day.

Distributing the Crystals

If they do as they are asked then it will be a long night, there are many chunks of islands and a lot of crystals to distribute. The darkness makes it harder and the blighted birds seem even grumpier in the cover of darkness.

The wind sprites also are not resting and indeed seem delighted that playtime has been extended into the hours of night. Placing crystals is difficult when the Voidtreckers find themselves swept up into the air to dance around the trees.

Getting down by sunrise may be a little trickier than placing the crystals, especially if they have used up their flight potions, but hopefully there are enough people to help everyone get to safety.

Islands Fall

The sun rises, as the first rays of light hit the island they begin to vibrate, shudder. Then one by one they begin to fall, rapidly and chaotically. It is perhaps wise to not be anywhere near the crater as they do so.

They land in a crash of dust, which obscures the area. When the dust clears however they will see a perfect undamaged land. The pieces have fit back together, exactly where they should be, despite the chaos. The land is repaired and whole once more. Huma birds call excitedly as they dart through the air, their land restored.

A gate opens, for them to step through if they wish.

Purple

A Cure

It is day ten of Horseshoe when the first Huma birds fly into the village, they carry crystals either in bags in their talons or in their beaks.

The villagers clearly know what is going on for they welcome the birds and take the crystals thankfully. Anyone not currently fighting or purifying crystals is brought in to help distribute cures.

Actually curing someone is easy, it just requires the crystal to be touch an affected person or creature. The crystals are only good for one cure so those curing the blighted will be required to carry a few and run them to the villages.

Others can take crystals out into the woodland, looking for blighted animals to help.

A Final Fight

All but one of the golems have been found, defeated and restored. The final one has been elusive, not approaching the village or even the nearby woodlands.

The restored golems are back to standing vigil in each village, ready to deal with any attack that may occur.

But when an attack comes, it is not on a village, but on the shrine in the centre. A golem, three trolls and a host of animals, some blighted, some just angry. They attack in the early morning, the villages awoken by shouts and sounds of battle.

Luckily the blighted creatures can be healed, angry animals can perhaps be soothed. The trolls cannot be soothed though and will indeed try to rile up the animals again, to cause as much chaos as they can.

Peace Once More

Once the final golem is taken down, the crystal restored and the trolls defeated there is a quiet comes across the villages. Those who were blighted are cured, the golems are back in their place as guardians of the village and thanks to the adventurers the villages have gotten through this time with minimal damage.

The villagers thank the adventurers, tell them to come and visit whenever they are in the area. A gate opens, for any voidtreckers who wish to return to Royal Lake Hill.

Royal Lake Hill: All Teams!

They return to the tavern, each to the inn that they set off from. The town is a little busier now, more areas have recovered from the blight and it has brought more trade into the town. Everyone is still relatively elderly or young, non fighters. But the market is bustling, there is even a puppet show going on in the square.

Around midday a beeping of their SCA will show a dot on their map where the Voidtrecker Express has landed, not far out of town, and a message. You may remain here until sunset.

It is up to them whether they wish to return to the train or spend the rest of the day in the town. For those staying in town they will find word of their deeds have preceded them and they will find no end of young, wide eyed, budding adventurers ready to buy them a drink or two in exchange for stories.

Comments

[10billionpercent]

Orange Team

With the mission wrapping up it was probably the last chance for them to look for parsnips as the optional quest, and Senku was definitely open to doing that, to pass the time between getting the bag. Thanks to his disagreement with the huma bird, he wouldn't do the tagging mission.

When the sun went down, he began spreading the crystals around as requested.

Then, he would definitely leave the island, he wasn't going down with the ground.

Royal Lake Hill

Senku could be found hitting the markets, eager to get the rest of the supplies he could want for the trip, and not wanting to have carried them that whole time.

He could also be talked into having a drink if someone wanted the company at the bar, nothing wrong with one at least. He wasn't a heavy drinker. Or, perhaps a meal.

He intended to spend all the time in town he could before they had to return to the train.

Royal Lake Hill

[knifewithnoname]

"You do be buying a lot."

She was not far away, leaning against a market stalls post. She likes this market. Or more, she liked being in a market such as this dressed in clothes that marked her as someone who was allowed to be here. Not a street thief who should be chased away from any valuable goods.

More fool them, but she hadn't stolen anything important, just a couple of trinkets that were probably not that valuable considering they were displayed right in thieving range, and a sweet bun that she was munching now, far from the place she had swiped it from.

She grins at him over the treat.

[10billionpercent]

He smiled at Little One, remembering her from the island. He would've offered to buy her a treat, but she already had one.

"Yeah, it's a good opportunity." Senku informed her. "To get some supplies. Especially some spices I've been missing. There aren't really many that I wanted, but it's better than nothing. My friend and I pooled our money together."

[knifewithnoname]

"Spices? For cooking?" She tilted her head, "Did you be finding all the ones you did be needing?"

She had seen a few spice stalls on her wanderings, so she was sure she could show him the way if he still needed some.

[10billionpercent]

"That's right. I'm hoping to find some things I might like more to my tastes, but I haven't been very successful in finding some of what I was looking for." He hummed a bit, thinking.

"I'm looking partly, for something with a little heat to it."

[knifewithnoname]

"I will be keeping my eye out, and if I do be seeing any I do be knowing I will be letting you know."

She wasn't sure she would, she didn't know that many spices and those she did know were not that hot.

[10billionpercent]

"That would help. Anything with chili in it is bound to have some heat if nothing at all. I'd really like wasabi, but honestly, it's not looking good for that. Something about supply lines." Senku complained a little, the train didn't seem willing to stock things to his preferences.

Royal Lake Hill

[adregem]

Roland's already by the bar, nursing a tankard but isn't actively making much eye contact with anybody walking in. He doesn't seem to be drinking from it, either, though the innkeep he had spoken to before is quite eager to give him a free refill for stories on what had happened when they left.

His silence and stares break only when he feels a familiar presence sit next to him. When he sees who it is, with a plate of food and drink in hand, he remains still though acknowledges Senku by lifting his mug to him in gesture. It is then that he remembers to take a sip from it, hearty and warm in his belly. But he's still exhausted.

"So, first real mission." He says casually, after a short pause. "How're you holding up?"

[10billionpercent]

"It was fine. Not that terrible. A little physical, with wandering around a bit, but nothing too bad. I only got attacked by a bird once, and wind sprites once." Senku reluctantly had to leave them alone after that.

He settled in, taking a bite. He was hungry, but that wasn't that strange after he'd been wandering around for a few days. "...Yours go alright?"

[adregem]

"You got attacked by a bird?" He thinks about it for a moment. "Part of the mission?" Senku went with Orange, he recalls quickly, connecting the dots. He takes another sip.

"Hm. No major casualties. I consider that a win."

But between trolls, blighted animals, and golems on patrol - and there were so many golems - he knows people who stayed with Purple earned their fair share of physical ails. Himself included, but he wasn't about to say that out loud, or even admit it to himself.

[10billionpercent]

"Yeah, apparently they have something against scientific study of those lilies." Senku commented a little dryly. "I tried to collect one and one of them came to discourage me."

"I haven't heard anyone getting hurt on Orange, so that's probably good."

[adregem]

He stifles an amused chortle, hiding part of his smile against the rim of the tankard. "Not probably good, Senku. That's definitely good." Roland drinks again, and then he remembers something, sitting straight and turning to face Senku, mid-bite in his meal.

"Speaking of collecting, I've got something for you again." He materializes a duffel bag from the train in his right hand, appearing in a glimmer of gold sparkle out of nowhere. The handle rests heavily against his palm, weighed down by the contents of the bag.

"Wasn't sure what you could find useful or not, but it's yours nevertheless. Discard what you want, keep what's interesting." Not forgetting his promise to Senku to continue to help him scavenge, he will find a variety of leaves, various rocks, pieces of bark and wood, even small jars of unknown, probably inedible and native flora from the woodsland surrounding all six villages. Various skinned pieces of animal furs and hides, troll scales and skins, and even some wolf pelts from excursions, but not enough to make anything out of the raw materials. All just collected samples.

[10billionpercent]

He brightened when the bag materialized. "You found some interesting things? So did I."

Senku would have to share his notes with Roland, but he very eagerly took a look in the bag. He wasn't going to discard anything outright, probably, because he would try to find a use for things as much as possible.

"Very interesting. I didn't see some of these things." He murmured as he dug through it and then realized there was no way he could carry this bag, and his back. "Do you think you could give this back to me on the train?"

Orange Team

[deage]

As the crystals are all scattered around, it's finally time for good boys and girls to head back down to the ground.

Which is when Haibara makes her grand reappearance. Was she waiting for this moment? Or is it simply good timing?

"Ishigami-san!" She's trying to wave him down, and approaching as she does. Once she's a little closer, "Give me a ride back down. You're still planning on using your second potion, right?"

If he gives her a lift, then she can hold onto her second potion. Mission accomplished.

[10billionpercent]

He was a bit surprised to be called to, partly because he almost forgot to answer to his last name, he so rarely used it anymore.

"Ah, Haibara. Well..." He nodded, he was planning on using his second potion. She didn't look too heavy, but really if anyone was going to carry someone like Suika, it would be Gen and not him, but Gen's not with him at the moment.

"I don't mind." Senku decided, because he was going to decide that anyway. He recalled coming up he was able to tug Gen along without a problem, so hopefully the potion would do the work for him. He took his bag off of his shoulder and crouched down. "On my back work for you?"

[deage]

She's not heavy at all. She's probably small even for seven (because the artist who draws her has no idea how big seven year olds are and draws her like she's four.)

She pauses a moment though. Hmm. She hadn't given too much thought on how to be carried, but she supposed riding on his back would be better than being carried in his arms. "Yes, that should work."

And then she will clamor onto his back with all the grace of a nerd.

[10billionpercent]

Small children typically weren't heavy, certainly, for most people, but Senku was not most people. She weighed more than a small bundle of wood, and so she could expect a reaction until he drank the potion.

He grunted, but didn't complain as she got on his back and looped his arms under her knees, settling her in place. He groaned a little bit as he straightened up, the bag in one hand and the potion in another.

"Ready?" Senku asked, already breathing a little heavier than usual. He was fine, his body was just very uncooperative.

[deage]

"Are you having trouble, Ishigami-san? Even other seven-year-olds usually don't have trouble lifting me." Haibara is, as ever, observant. And Haibara.

Although, to be fair, Haibara has her own bag as well, which does have some meager supplies and some collected plantlife. Not much, but more than the kids in her friend group would have lifted along with her at least.

"But I'm ready."

[10billionpercent]

Senku chuckled lightly. "Yeah. But that's not your fault. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed. Just ignore it, I do."

His stamina was so terrible, but he was stubborn. He would never drop her either.

"Alright." He drank his potion, and after a moment he was able to lift them off the ground which did, as he suspected, help a little bit with her weight.

Royal Lake Hill

[fun_thementalist]

Gen was doing a bit of window-shopping (could you do that without windows?), appreciating their last moments of freedom before they had to go back to the train. Confined. Claustrophobic. Boring.

Not boring, though? Spotting his friend down the path. He grinned, and waved.

"Hello, my dear Senku-chan!"

[10billionpercent]

"Ah, Mentalist, just who I wanted to see." Senku said with a smile that suggested he had a task for him, but then again, that probably wasn't that strange.

"Give me your bag." He said, holding out his hand for it.

[fun_thementalist]

Though he felt like he was going to get roped into more work, Gen still handed over his bag.

"This won't be anything that's apt to explode, will it?" Gen just thought it worth checking.

[10billionpercent]

"I wouldn't give you something that dangerous without telling you." Senku responded.

He pulled out whatever was inside, digging through his bag to make sure that aside from some herbs he'd collected, there was nothing else that could be damaged.

Senku dropped his own bag and started putting one pound iron ingots inside Gen's bag, giving him ten pounds of weight and then topped it with a lilac coloured blanket, then he put the herbs back on top so they didn't get damaged.

"Here, you can help me carry this stuff." He added, after he'd already repacked Gen's bag.

[fun_thementalist]

"I appreciate the consideration," Gen said lightly, and then.

His eyes went wide. Just how much was he going to make him carry? ... Ten ingots. Well. It could be worse. Still, it's in Gen's contract, he had to sigh a little, as if put upon.

"Senku-chan," Gen groaned a little, "I have no need to loose any weight, you needn't make me do all of this exercise."

He still picked up the bag and put it on his back. "And here I thought we'd be done with work for the day."

[10billionpercent]

"You'll live, because I was carrying it." Senku drawled a bit sarcastically. "And if I can do it, you'll do it better." He didn't want to point out he'd found it too heavy for him, he had a lot more in his bag.

"That's just what I bought, at least some of it. We are done with work for the day."

He sighed softly and then reached out to nudge him slightly. "Come on, we should get a good meal." A reward for helping him.