Test Your Might

by **Narrator** » Wed May 21, 2014 9:50 pm

Good eyes, Victoria! Each of 'gates' did, in fact, have markings on it!

Engraved elegantly in the coffin was "雲"
The tombstone over the grave did not match the markings on the coffin; it instead was marked "火山". Two characters--could that mean something?
The crypt had yet a different set: "円柱"

by **Mizuki Hino** » Wed May 21, 2014 9:55 pm

"That one means 'Cloud'!" Mizuki says, looking over Victoria's shoulder and pointing at the symbol on the coffin.

"And 'Volcano' on the tombstone and the crypt says... Cylinder? Or column? Something like that."

by **Victoria Valentine** » Thu May 22, 2014 1:12 am

"Okay, I'm going to personally veto the grave, then. Not sure what 'column' means for our future, but 'volcano' doesn't sound promising."

by **Rowena Mohsen** » Thu May 22, 2014 8:51 am

"Well, we're looking for a tetsubo. It's basically a column of iron or wood. I mean, it's a not a great connection, but it's a better connection than 'cloud'."

by **John Hino** » Thu May 22, 2014 10:45 am

"This one's some kind of special stone material, but yeah 'Column' seems most likely. 'Volcano' probably leads into the heart of the mountain since it's a dormant one."

by **Victoria Valentine** » Thu May 22, 2014 12:39 pm

"Well, then lead on, Chosen One," Victoria smirked.

by **John Hino** » Thu May 22, 2014 2:12 pm

"Ugh. I really don't like that trope," John sighed as he moved to open the crypt.

by **Narrator** » Thu May 22, 2014 3:09 pm

Walking down the crypt passageway, the X-Team would find themselves emerging onto a wind-swept plain--impossible indoors, though no less so than the graveyard they just had left.

It was bitterly cold here, despite being inside the mountain. Numerous thick stone columns reached up towards the 'sky', with great shimmering auroras flitting through the sky above. Quite pretty, actually. The wind carried a faint smell of rotting fruit along with it.

by **Mizuki Hino** » Thu May 22, 2014 3:31 pm

"Eww. Something smells."

by **John Hino** » Thu May 22, 2014 3:46 pm

"I have a bad feeling about that smell, keep moving," John said, continuing.

by **Narrator** » Thu May 22, 2014 4:40 pm

As they approached the pillars, they could begin to make out details.

The column's dark stone had red veins running up and down, carved with images of human...or humanoid bodies, headless.

by **Mizuki Hino** » Thu May 22, 2014 8:06 pm

"This place is creepy... And how comes there's no ceiling?" she says, looking at the pillars and letting her gaze wander upwards.

by **Byrna Cooper** » Thu May 22, 2014 8:08 pm

Bear sucked in her breath.

Creepy..

by **Victoria Valentine** » Thu May 22, 2014 8:09 pm

Victoria, meanwhile, stepped closer to the pillars to examine them, rather sure that they weren't just made of stone.

by **Rowena Mohsen** » Thu May 22, 2014 8:16 pm

"Allah preserve us," Rowena muttered, keeping well away from the creepy pillars.

by **Narrator** » Thu May 22, 2014 8:22 pm

Victoria Valentine wrote:Victoria, meanwhile, stepped closer to the pillars to examine them, rather sure that they weren't just made of stone.

They were made of just stone! However, as Victoria looked, it almost gave the impression that the figures were moving...

A small scraping sound could be heard from a bit further down.

by **John Hino** » Thu May 22, 2014 9:02 pm

John curiously followed Victoria's inspection. She was the magic expert after all. Best he could do was break it.

by **Victoria Valentine** » Thu May 22, 2014 9:06 pm

Victoria, however, was ready to reserve judgement until they'd seen everything. "Everyone keep close and someone keep an eye behind us. This could get... weird." She kept an eye on the figures as she moved toward the scraping sound.

by **Byrna Cooper** » Thu May 22, 2014 9:27 pm

Bear took up the eyes at the rear, checking around the space continuously.

by **Narrator** » Thu May 22, 2014 9:40 pm

Something moving at the edge of their vision! Darting from pillar to pillar!

by **Melody Martens** » Thu May 22, 2014 9:46 pm

"Incoming," Melody warned, her eyes narrowing at the darting shape.

by **Narrator** » Thu May 22, 2014 10:18 pm

The creature...or whatever it was...was visible as it darted from one pillar to the next, but vanished after that, only to reappear darting between ANOTHER pillar later.

It seemed to be circling in on them.

by **Byrna Cooper** » Thu May 22, 2014 10:20 pm

Bear pulled out a ball, taking careful aim, waiting for the perfect moment to throw..

by **Rowena Mohsen** » Fri May 23, 2014 8:16 am

Rowena moved behind Mizuki, ready to phase the younger girl out if things got messy.

by **Victoria Valentine** » Fri May 23, 2014 8:26 am

Victoria quietly mapped out the area around them in her mind. Then she closed her eyes, focusing on the area as she murmured a spell in a low voice. Floating eyes appeared around her, then went spiraling out around the columns, trying to get one clear look at what was darting around them

by **John Hino** » Fri May 23, 2014 9:43 am

John armored up and followed the darting shape with his eyes as best he could.

by **Narrator** » Fri May 23, 2014 12:39 pm

The shape was too fast to see or predict with normal eyes!

Victoria, on the other hand, managed to do better with her floating eye things.

It was some sort of lizard monster, at least at base. At the end of it's tail, however, was a cluster of inhuman eyes.

Oh, and where it's head should be was simply a large mouth with row after row of sharp, metal teeth. Probably should have started with that one.

Victoria could possibly predict it's movements so John and/or Bear could get a good shot at the thing.

by **Victoria Valentine** » Fri May 23, 2014 3:19 pm

"Oh merciful goddess... be glad you can't see this thing," Victoria said. "Aim at three o'clock when... I... say... just... have... to time it... NOW!"

by **Byrna Cooper** » Sat May 24, 2014 8:10 pm

Bear let loose with a bright sphere bearing a toothy smile. It shot out in a bright halo towards Victoria's intended target.

by **Narrator** » Sat May 24, 2014 8:19 pm

Bear's ball smashed into the gut of the creature, knocking it from it's pattern! It was now CLEARLY visible to the X-Team Members.

by **John Hino** » Sat May 24, 2014 8:58 pm

"Well we were glad we couldn't see this thing."

by **Narrator** » Sat May 24, 2014 9:03 pm

Hearing that comment, the creature lunged for John!

by **Byrna Cooper** » Sat May 24, 2014 9:08 pm

Bear responded, whipping out a ball that streaked out before splintering into several blades, headed towards the eye-tail thing.

by **John Hino** » Sun May 25, 2014 9:36 am

John waited until the right time to move aside and throw a mighty punch at the beast that would hopefully send it flying into a nearby pillar. Let's see who's the better lizard.

by **Narrator** » Sun May 25, 2014 12:36 pm

Bear's ball smashed into the tail of the lizard thing, blinding it in a blast of light and also pain.

That left him wide open for John's body-check, knocking him into a pillar and apparently down for the count.

by **John Hino** » Sun May 25, 2014 7:38 pm

John approached it cautiously, ready to strike again if it moved.

"God damn this thing's ugly."

by **Narrator** » Sun May 25, 2014 8:17 pm

It didn't seem to be moving anymore.

Around it's neck was a collar, with the following enscribed on it:

二

by **Mizuki Hino** » Sun May 25, 2014 8:19 pm

"That's two! We're doing good!" Mizuki cheers.

by **Victoria Valentine** » Sun May 25, 2014 8:26 pm

"Let's hope the next ones are just as possible to pass," Victoria said, eying the lizard thing.

by **Narrator** » Sun May 25, 2014 8:35 pm

The lizard thing continued to insist in it's lack of movement.

Now that they weren't being actively hunted, they could see two more doors on the pillars ahead, each again labeled.

A round door, marked 三角 was on the left.
A square door, marked 酒 was on the right.

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