Venet's mind is full of spiral thoughts as they continue, with the groups addition not doing much to lighten them. She's not glad they changed their mind, more.. upset they even wanted to ditch them in the first place. 

She lets out a sigh as the cable explodes. Of course it would, why wouldnt it? Why could anything be simple? 

"I don't have any rope.. or really anything that can help in this situation.."

Mira

"It's fine if you don't have any rope, lady. I didn't remember to bring any either. If you can help us tighten the knots though that would be most appreciated. I mean, you guys are on the same team right? I hope?" The rabbit calls out to Venet

"Yeah, I can help with that. I'm Venet by the way."

Venet walks over, her hands moving over the ropes to check them and make sure they're more secure. Retying them properly if too loose. 
----------
Sleight of hand: 16

"Ugh... that hurts." Danils shakes his head, he rubs his injured wound. "I might need some extra protection from you guys, by the way, I fight with a longbow, so I'll stay in the backline." He says.

"Come on, guys, did you fail your PE class or something?" Elsa crosses her arms, frowning at Renar and Maya fumbling to tie a basic fisherman's knot. She does smile at Venet, who successfully ties the knot with no effort at all. "See? All we need to do is hook it to a stone and we're good to go!"

And that's what you do, Simo's party combine their ropes and hooks it on a nearby amethyst crystal.

You and Simo's party slowly rappel down the rope, and by slowly, everyone is going at a snail's pace. Danils is hovering at the bottom, ready to catch someone if they fall, while Kazimieras is at the top, checking if the rope is stable or not. There is no hook, so can't just slide down to the bottom.

You climb in silence for a while, there is no sound but the flapping of the wings and the soft hum in the background getting stronger the deeper you approach the bottom. It's... strange.

Kazimieras is the first one to break the silence. "So... uh... how much has the world changed when I was sealed?"

"A lot, actually." Liega replies, the tip of her tail twitching slightly. "When were you born?"

"-3C 3877 CY." The vampire flies down to be closer to the tiefling's eyesight.

"18,404 years old, sounds right for a vampire." She smirks, then frowns, then sighs. "The world used to be more advanced than what we have right now. The planet was united under one government called the United States of Lancea, one day, they decided to commit genocide and destroy the cultures and histories of those they viewed as inferior. People got so angry they decided to form their own nation and wage war against the USL, they almost won, but the USL dropped a miniature sun on the planet, poisoning the air and burning everything in its path. All technologies got reset back to zero, stone tools and all, but we quickly picked ourselves up and finally defeated USL for good. We did a major cultural reform, be more pacifist, and that's where we are today."

Kazimieras looks away, he is quiet for a moment, and then he mutters a single word. "Damn..." It's pretty much everyone's reaction when they study the history of Lancea.

Back to Simo, he seems to be contemplating something, he rubs his chin and speaks his mind. "Cezars is an Oathbreaker, but you can't break an oath without swearing to another Oath first. If we want to defeat him, we need to learn more about which oath he swore before he broke it, then maybe we can contact his mentor and tell them how much of a disappointment he is."

His tail swishes from side to side, "There is no way he swore an Oath of Devotion, Valijs would already be after him if that's the case, and we don't see him during our training either. Ancients is also crossed out because he just punched that wolf in the face. Open Sea, Glory, Watcher, and Redemption are also crossed out... that left us with Vengeance and Conquest."

He turns his face away from the group, but it's clear he's visibly angry, he's bearing his fang and his tail is fluffing up. "Of course, he definitely was a Vengeance Paladin... their core belief encourages them to beat up anyone who stands in their way, all for the pursuit of their selfish goals. It's a mockery of our faith, God taught us to be kind, to forgive the wrongdoers, and to spread His love to the world, their existence itself defiles His holy words... but again, Adelaide has his back, he's pretty much immune to any consequences unless we somehow arrest her first."

He goes quiet for a while... again, then he turns to Alex and asks. "What's your theory? What type of tragic backstory do you think we'll hear from him?"

After Alex gives his answer, Simo continues. "There is another way to break an oath, though. No matter which path you take, you are not allowed to take the life of anyone except for animals that can be a food source. I doubt Cezars has actually killed anyone because if he does, even a heartless duchess like Adelaide would turn against him

"However, you can also break the no-killing rule by protecting or helping a murderer. We all know it, you all know it, helping a murderer still makes you a murderer, even if you don't have blood on your hands. If he really broke the rules this way, he would be an Oathbreaker for the rest of his life, there will never be a second chance for him no matter how hard he tries to beg for forgiveness." He sneers.

For Renar and Maya:

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he was Oath of Vengeance," Alex says slowly, thinking back to the last time his party had a conversation about this. "Though I'm not sure what he would have done to break that Oath, considering... well, it seems to fit his personality well. So... I honestly don't know what sort of tragedy happened to him. I mean... in order for him to break that oath he'd have to go against his own nature it seems... in which case I don't think he would be acting the way he does now. It... just doesn't make sense."

He grimaces as Simo brings up the other oathbreaking option, which had admittedly been floating around in his head this whole time, "I mean... I honestly wouldn't put it past him. That would make the most sense considering he doesn't really seem to have veered off the path of vengeance, but he has literally threatened to kill us before." He hesitates, "I... well, I don't want to judge but... based on what I've heard about Adelaide, what she does isn't any better than killing someone..." He stops himself from saying that he wouldn't put it past her to turn a blind eye, reminding himself that he's not supposed to make assumptions about people. No one should judge based on what they see, there is always something going on that only God knows about. But... still, putting people in a vegetative state in order to torture them without actually dirtying her hands with murder? Doesn't sound much different to him. He sighs, "I won't say I think Cezars deserves redemption, but, judgement is for God to make not us. Forgiveness is for God to give, so we don't really have any right to say he's beyond that... besides..." He hesitates, "There is something going on with Cezars aside from being an oathbreaker. I... sensed some extreme darkness coming from him, so..." He shakes his head, "Well, based on what the other guards said, I'm wondering if there is some evil hand at work here. But... I guess we'll have to find out." Sometimes, Alex wonders if he should have chosen the Oath of Redemption instead of Devotion... not that he regrets his choice, but... well both align with his believes pretty well. Does he believe Cezars will be redeemed? Well, he's not sure. But he does know that it isn't up to mortals to decide if someone can be redeemed or not. Still, he understands Simo's reaction, and can't help but feel... well sorry for Cezars. Just like he felt when they first found out about the genasi. How could someone fall so far? Does he regret his actions? 

Alex's hand momentarily strays to the bloodstained holy emblem emblazoned on the front of his tabard. 

Elsa had better be thankful Maya couldn't even understand her language, otherwise she may have ripped out parts of her stomach with her sharp claws over this minor insult. She actully doesn't know how to tie knots herself, hence why she was struggling. Yeah, even her son is in disbelief after realizing this. "Arigato... (ありがと)" She smiles at the girl who she thinks is another kitsune. As everyone begins the descent, Maya goes last, not wanting to repeat her earlier mistake on the bridge. She again remains silent like her son unlike the plethora of social butterflies that make up the majority of the group. Hearing some more jargon, the kitsune woman felt increasingly stressed out by the chatter as her single tail stiffens and she punches Renar in the shoulder for translations for that plus his proposed strategy when they meet the fire genasi and his...

Wait... her son told her what?! 

Maya stares at her son in disbelief after the translation. So Oath of Vengeance Paladins are forbidden in this world?! No rather... you can break your oath for helping a murderer?! But... then... she realises that the only Wildland Shifter who actually hasn't killed anyone is their leader, Rixi. Everyone else counts as a murder in a way... Does that mean... no. One of them should send a message to Rixian and Yurime, telling them that they're better off staying in the Sword Coast to deal with the ongoing crisis. This world seems clearly messed up...

Part 1 - Mira

"Oi! I was only asking for help! Or are you directing this toward those two? Ugh whatever. Thanks nonetheless. Especially you, Venet." Mira smiles at the pretty triton. "I'm Mira Laurits, of Platone. It's a pleasure to meet you too. And- Oh wow! I love this fancy sea outfit of yours! And... Is that a lyre behind you? I love the sound they make when played! I wish I could learn how to play one myself!" Already she has taken a liking to not just Alex, but Venet as well as she paces around her shimmering dress. Seeing that everyone also has thing under control after the minor mishap, Mira was the first to volunteer to climb down, jumping off when she reaches three quarters down and landing expertly on her two feet. She keeps her eyes peeled on Renar and the kitsune though. These two are a super odd pair. How is the group even tolerating with their unusual behaviours? Eh. Whatever. They don't seem like potential threats to her status or her family... she hopes.

Mid conversation about the Planetary War Genocide and the discussion about Cezars down below, Mira whips her head in all directions every 5 minutes or so as if she's sensing for danger, or perhaps a potential ambusher waiting to strike. And then she turns back to the other person she's fond of. (Perception: 18) (Previous roll: 20)

"So if I heard clearly, this fire guy you're trying to hunt down is an oathbreaker, am I right?" Mira clarifies as her northern accent become ever more distinct as she converses with the others. She doesn't know much about paladins, let alone the fact that they even have more than one sacred oath, so this feels like big news to her.

 Part 2 - Renar

I wasn't even fazed by the fake kitsune's insults, especially considering that I was more concerned about Okaa-san ripping her to pieces just for insulting her in the face. I'm glad she cannot understand her for the time being. I've seen her react like that to even a light insult that wasn't even directed at her. Anyways... I'm glad this went a lot faster than I was expecting. That means w can get down there, maybe find the portal to Paulis and prevent a major disaster from shredding this realm to pieces. "Whatever. Let's get down there. Two to three at a time. I'll head down first if you don't mind."

Deep down as I reached the cold, unnerving floor below, I felt my feral instincts shifting in and out of my current soul. The way I stare at my white paws as my fingernails slowly sharpen, my visions predict that- *He feels the brunt of Maya's punch and staggers forward* OW! Okaa-san?! What was that for?! "OW! ITTAI IMANANI GA SHITAI NODESU KA?! (一体今何がしたいのですか？!, WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANT NOW?!)" What?! You- Oh my... Just because you can't understand them doesn't mean you take me for granted and- Argh! Whatever! I'll do my best to recall what they just... said... *He freezes and widens his eyes when they mention that Oath of Vengeance paladins are amongst the others to break oaths, especially when they help murderers*

Wait... Come again? What did you... just...?!

I swear I must be hearing things... If that's the case, then the only person amongst us shapeshifters who hasn't killed a single person, is Rixi. And yet, he helped people who killed others in the past, which is... basically all of us! What the heck! If did came here... then... *He stares back at his mother in disbelief after the translation* I'm actually glad Rixian isn't here. Then that means... *He envisions his friend going on a rampage where he kills everyone in his path* If he was here... No... he'd be forced to become the monster he fears he would be one day... No... he needs to stay. I'm thankful he sent me first, rather, I'm now thankful that the portal ceased... I should send a message to Rixi saying that he's better off staying in the Sword Coast whilst me and Okaa-san resolve the mess here. Let's keep thing as it is for now. Other than that...

"Uh... ok... that aside... um..." At this point, I don't even know if should proceed with my defensive plan when combat begins. Seems like everyone doesn't want to hear me say it though, judging by the hostile glares me and Okaa-san are getting... "Um... nothing. What? What are you staring at me for? I've got nothing to say that you all need to hear!"

This world... I don't even know what to say at this point. *He clutches his katana; He wants to activate his defences without letting the others know but not yet.* It seems that everything me and Okaa-san do or say, without killing ironically, is also pissing them off... what was the real reason we came here for again? Other than the lost relics we need to find? Also, I need to find out first... "Hm... how long has it been since you guys had a major world war?"

Quote from PyromaniIsDeadThankGod >>

 

"So if I heard clearly, this fire guy you're trying to hunt down is an oathbreaker, am I right?" Mira clarifies as her northern accent become ever more distinct as she converses with the others. She doesn't know much about paladins, let alone the fact that they even have sacred oaths themselves, so this feels like big news to her.

"Yeah, us Paladins train under a mentor and swear sacred oaths, which must be followed until the day we are relieved of our duty. Whoever breaks it will lose their divine powers and turn into Oathbreaker—they typically have powers based on fiendish magic and necromancy." Simo replies, looking at the Harengon, "We wear heavy armour and fight in the frontline, so stay far from any Paladin opponents and engage at range."

Eventually, everyone descends to the bottom, it takes you another thirty minutes or so.

You step on the ruined platform that fell down earlier, behind you is a cave wall, and in front of you is a giant, metallic wall. As tall as a five-storey building and as wide as a small stable. Its reflective, iridescent surface shows almost no sign of wear and tear at all, either it's well-maintained or it's hidden so well that no one has touched it before.

"It's not steel... it's tungsten, these things have the highest melting point of all of the elements, and not only that, it's so hard that explosives wouldn't even scratch its surface." Simo says, rubbing the wall with his hand, "Whoever built this must be hiding something behind it. Find a lever, it might activate the door."

"Yes, sir!" Elsa smiles and salutes.

"Kaz, fly up and retrieve the ropes, maybe grab some stone too so you can make yourself a weapon."

"Uh-huh." He nods and flies up the way you came from.

Elsa traces her hand along the wall just like her brother did earlier, two minutes pass, and you hear a thud of a rope and Kazimieras flying back down. 

"So..." The sound of rumbling interrupts Danils' speech, the ground begins to shake as the giant metal wall slowly lifts itself up. Elsa jumps back and hides behind Alex with a yelp.

From the gaps below, you can see a kneeling figure, and as the wall rises higher, his blue skin becomes more apparent. His hand is tied in front of him, but his right arm is different. It's that of a lobster, as if someone saw his humanoid arm off and replaced it with this. There is a word LIAR carved into his flesh on the chest, and his face slumps down, dead. Behind him is a hallway, the floors are made out of metal, and the ceiling has a long rod which gives off light, there are two doors on the hallway, and at the end of it is another wall similar to this one.

This is a Simic hybrid, a rare and elusive race, resembling humanoids with parts of animals (usually aquatic) fused into their body.

Elsa is hyperventilating and tearing up, Simo grits his teeth and places his hand on his sword, Liega slowly pulls out her dagger, and Danils is frozen in place. 

Mira: Perception Check Passed.

 OOC Note:

Mira

Quote from ACNSuphalak>>

"Yeah, us Paladins train under a mentor and swear sacred oaths, which must be followed until the day we are relieved of our duty. Whoever breaks it will lose their divine powers and turn into Oathbreaker—they typically have powers based on fiendish magic and necromancy." Simo replies, looking at the Harengon, "We wear heavy armour and fight in the frontline, so stay far from any Paladin opponents and engage at range."

"I see. I mean as a Clockwork Sorcerer myself I naturally have to fight long range. Melee was never my thing ever since I found out my affinity." Mira replies as she illuminates with a forest green spirit shaped like a clock behind her back. And then she spots something that could've costed her teammates a life. "Wait stop! Hold on!" She bounces back slightly before she holds up her tiny hands and points to what she saw.

"You guys see these strings?" She points to the two, almost invisible as she hops close to the trap. "This must be a trap. It can be disarmed but I don't really know how to do so. Any volunteers?" She then investigates the dead body a little further, though she's unsure about when he died or if the painted liar thing on his chest was a recent thing. "Thing is... I can't tell if this poor man's death is just recent or late. That Liar vandalism looks pretty fresh to me... That poor Simic. Doesn't his right look a little like your kind, Venet?"

But then she notices Renar acting really awkward, judging by the fact that she heard him repelling him comrades using his language. Also, when he spoke, that really didn't sound like Lancean at all. What language is that? Thing is... she's doesn't know if he's actually going to strike someone... his body language and sour expression are super hard to read.

Alex looks at Mira, "Yeah... yeah Oathbreakers aren't something we really like to talk about..." he trails off, then brightens as he changes the subject. "Oh! I don't think I ever introduced myself," he chuckles, feeling a little embarrassed about that. "I'm Aleksandteri, but you can call me Alexander or Alex."  

To Renar he says, "Huh? World war?" He stumbles, finding it odd that the 'Changeling' doesn't know, considering if it was a world war his country would have been caught up in it too... most likely. This confusion prevents him from actually answering the question as they continue forward. 

When they reach the bottom and find the metal wall Alex looks up at it with wide eyes. What could possibly be behind it? What is this place anyways? He watches silently as Simo directs his team... knowing better than to interrupt him, and content to let his friends do what they do best.

Then the door opens, and Alex sucks in a breath as Elsa leaps behind him. His eyes widen with shock, and he has to take a moment to process what they are looking at. This... this simic... Someone did this to him. He swallows, forcing himself to remain calm as his expression goes firm. He places a hand on Elsa's shoulder, doing his best to silently comfort her as his other hand strays to his own sword. 

"If this was Cezars..." he says through clenched teeth, using an angered tone that no one has heard from him yet. It sounds odd coming from the usually cheerful paladin. 

Mira's warning pulls him back to his usual self--well, mostly. His face still holds a solemn expression as he turns his attention to the sorceress. Then he looks to his companions (including Simo's team) and says, "Anyone here comfortable disarming traps? If not, I'll volunteer. Maybe my armor can provide some protection if things go wrong." His voice, though it doesn't hold the same anger as it had before, still sounds unusually solemn and monotone compared to his usual tone. He gently squeezes Elsa's shoulder, still in attempt to comfort her as she shakes and tears up. 

Since no one responded to his question of why they are descending rather than moving towards the surface, Shugo simply shrugs and follows along with the party. After descending the rope, he hangs towards the back of the group. He still has a lot on his mind so he's a bit distracted. He mostly tunes out the conversation about Cezars as he couldn't care less what oath that jerk follows or didn't follow. Either way he's a criminal who should be behind bars.

He gasps audibly at the sight of the dead body. Seeing it finally makes him take actually register what the others were previously talking about. Geeze he needs to start paying attention again. Shaking himself he makes his way towards Alex and Mira. "Well I don't have any thieves tools, but I can give it a shot. ...If anyone does have tools though it would make it way easier especially if there are more down the line. Not that I'm actually proficient with them though." He smiles at Mira, "I'm Shugo by the way. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier." He gives the small rabitfolk a slight bow then looks around the group to see if anyone has thieves tools.

If someone does he'll use them, if not he proceeds to get to work without them.

(I'm assuming the check is the same as with tools which would be a strait dex check. He would not have proficiency in thieves tools so the roll would be the same either way.)

Dex check 19

Quote from PyromaniIsDeadThankGod >>

Part 1 - Mira

"Oi! I was only asking for help! Or are you directing this toward those two? Ugh whatever. Thanks nonetheless. Especially you, Venet." Mira smiles at the pretty triton. "I'm Mira Laurits, of Platone. It's a pleasure to meet you too. And- Oh wow! I love this fancy sea outfit of yours! And... Is that a lyre behind you? I love the sound they make when played! I wish I could learn how to play one myself!" Already she has taken a liking to not just Alex, but Venet as well as she paces around her shimmering dress. Seeing that everyone also has thing under control after the minor mishap, Mira was the first to volunteer to climb down, jumping off when she reaches three quarters down and landing expertly on her two feet. She keeps her eyes peeled on Renar and the kitsune though. These two are a super odd pair. How is the group even tolerating with their unusual behaviours? Eh. Whatever. They don't seem like potential threats to her status or her family... she hopes.

 
Venet smiles back, "Course, we all have to help out however we can." Her smile gets a tad wider at the compliment. "Oh- Thank you. Yes, it is a Lyre. When we settle down to rest I could teach you some cords, if you'd like?"

She doesnt have much to add about Cezars, she really hates that someone like that is just roaming around.

Quote from ACNSuphalak >>

 

From the gaps below, you can see a kneeling figure, and as the wall rises higher, his blue skin becomes more apparent. His hand is tied in front of him, but his right arm is different. It's that of a lobster, as if someone saw his humanoid arm off and replaced it with this. There is a word LIAR carved into his flesh on the chest, and his face slumps down, dead. Behind him is a hallway, the floors are made out of metal, and the ceiling has a long rod which gives off light, there are two doors on the hallway, and at the end of it is another wall similar to this one.

This is a Simic hybrid, a rare and elusive race, resembling humanoids with parts of animals (usually aquatic) fused into their body.

Quote from PyromaniIsDeadThankGod >>

 

"You guys see these strings?" She points to the two, almost invisible as she hops close to the trap. "This must be a trap. It can be disarmed but I don't really know how to do so. Any volunteers?" She then investigates the dead body a little further, though she's unsure about when he died or if the painted liar thing on his chest was a recent thing. "Thing is... I can't tell if this poor man's death is just recent or late. That Liar vandalism looks pretty fresh to me... That poor Simic. Doesn't his right look a little like your kind, Venet?"

But then she notices Renar acting really awkward, judging by the fact that she heard him repelling him comrades using his language. Also, when he spoke, that really didn't sound like Lancean at all. What language is that? Thing is... she's doesn't know if he's actually going to strike someone... his body language and sour expression are super hard to read.

 
"Not really... Even if they were a liar, they couldnt have deserved this..." She shakes her head then turns to Shugo. "I don't have any tools like that."

Maya just stands there in place next to her son. Even as Shugo proceeds to disarm the trap she kind of feels helpless; In a way that she's unable to ease tensions or provide even the tiniest help for anyone at the moment. And now, hearing that all of their kind isn't allowed on this planet, maybe it's better off if she remained to guard the Neverwinter province for the remainder of the war or until she has to pass her title to her son. She then gazes her closed eyes towards the only person she trusts right now. "Watashitachi wa... nani o subeki ka? (私たちは... 何をすべきか, What should we do?)" She asks in a sweet, but fearful tone as her stiffened tail flicks the surface. At least, until Mira introduces herself again as she refocuses her short attention span on her...

"Mi...ra? (ミラ)" She again repeats.

Mira

Quote from Aroc_of_Eaf >>

Alex looks at Mira, "Yeah... yeah Oathbreakers aren't something we really like to talk about..." he trails off, then brightens as he changes the subject. "Oh! I don't think I ever introduced myself," he chuckles, feeling a little embarrassed about that. "I'm Aleksandteri, but you can call me Alexander or Alex."  

Quote from Rynn_Elocin >>

He gasps audibly at the sight of the dead body. Seeing it finally makes him take actually register what the others were previously talking about. Geeze he needs to start paying attention again. Shaking himself he makes his way towards Alex and Mira. "Well I don't have any thieves tools, but I can give it a shot. ...If anyone does have tools though it would make it way easier especially if there are more down the line. Not that I'm actually proficient with them though." He smiles at Mira, "I'm Shugo by the way. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier." He gives the small rabbitfolk a slight bow then looks around the group to see if anyone has thieves tools.

"Very noble names of you boys heehee. I'm Mira Laurits of Platone." She responds to their intros with a courtesy. And then she notices the latter heading over to disarm the traps himself. "That was quick. But... uh... thank you. If only had your level of expertise with this. I'm kinda jealous- Hm?"

Quote from MrsAnjou >> 

Venet smiles back, "Course, we all have to help out however we can." Her smile gets a tad wider at the compliment. "Oh- Thank you. Yes, it is a Lyre. When we settle down to rest I could teach you some cords, if you'd like?"

As soon as Venet says she could teach the rabbit woman some chords on her lyre, her fluffy ears perk up and she bounces up and down in excitement. "Oh my gosh yes! Thank you so much, Venet my dear lady! I'll repay you in any way you want if you do so! My mother would be so jealous!" Man she's already getting some good vibes from three group members; She at the moment the comfortable with Alex and Venet due to their warm, outgoing natures. For Shugo she knows less about him, but overall his first impressions have caught her fancy for the time being. He's a nice guy it seems, despite his rather blunt way of speaking. As for the other two that she hasn't befriended, let alone introduced themselves yet, she can already sense some tension between her and those two. Even though she knows the fox lady saved her, the two of them haven't really been getting along much. In fact she's a lot quieter than Mira thought. Can she even speak? She hasn't even said a word ever since Mira herself yelled at the goons that captured her. And why are her eyes shut? The hoodie boy also seems the least friendly out of the five. What is he thinking exactly? She settles in between Alex and Venet and eyes the two that she's very suspicious of, but doesn't say another word. In fact, what world war was the boy talking about? Did he mean the Planetary Wars? Cause if that's so... "Um..." She mutters, hoping that Renar won't lash out at her for this. "Alex... I think the world war your uh... friend...? I think... Um... If I'm not wrong he referring to the Planetary Wars."

 Renar

Quote from Aroc_of_Eaf >>

To Renar he says, "Huh? World war?" He stumbles, finding it odd that the 'Changeling' doesn't know, considering if it was a world war his country would have been caught up in it too... most likely. This confusion prevents him from actually answering the question as they continue forward. 

I widen my eyes over my choice of language. Damn it! Planetary War! Not World War! Different worlds mean different-! Ugh whatever! Either way I also have another thing unnerving me and my stiff tail: The bunny girl somehow understood what I was thinking. Scarily enough. But how? "Uh-! Um... yeah. The... um... Planetary War I meant. I mean... if it's that... um, United Lancea or whatever vs everyone else opposing it, doesn't it technically count as a world war... in a way?" I hope I haven't caused any confusion nonetheless. That new bunny girl has been staring at me and Okaa-san ever since she joined us. What does she want from us two specifically?! It's not like we can provide the two groups with the stuff you all need!

Oh right... introductions. I see. *He closes his eyes and breathes* "Pardon us two but... I'm... Renar. And... this lady to my left, her name is... Maya. She says she's a another type of fox shifter. Um... She trusts that we can protect her in search for her son. She's not very talkative though, so please excuse her." Rather the last of OUR kind. I'm more worried about my safety as much as Okaa-san's. I'm just amazed that our covers haven't been blown yet...

I then turn to Okaa-san who's now worried sick. Just by looking at her precious red lips she wants to get out of here and report to Rixi that they couldn't do it. Thing is, Rixi gave us strict order to do so within a time limit, and he doesn't accept failure. So... we can't just back out now. I then gently stroke my hand on her soft shoulder and edge away from Alex, hoping no one would be able to hear my unwanted foreign language. "Ganbaranakereba narimasen. Watashitachi no okage de daremoga anzen ni narimasu. Ryōhō no sekai no minasan. Daijōbudayo, Okāa-san. (頑張らなければなりません。私たちのおかげで誰もが安全になります。両方の世界の皆さん。大丈夫だよ、お母さん。Hang in there. Everyone will be safe because of us. Everyone in both worlds. We'll both be fine, mother.)"

 Mira

Another type of fox shifter? What does she... mean... OH! Mira's jaws then dropped in awe as she realises the so called 'fox woman' that Maya is. "A... kit... sune?! What?! I thought they went extinct years ago when... how...? I-I didn't know there was a survivor! You sure she's... Oh no..." She stutters as she clasps her mouth especially when she realises that Maya might end up as a sitting duck for the rest of Lancea, should she find herself back out in the open world. Her kind has been long hated for some time, so she needs to be safe. "Sorry. I uh... I got too excited. Don't worry, madam. If you really are one, we'll make sure you're well protect from us as much as we can. And... you're looking for your son too? I'm so sorry miss. I don't know where he is but... If we can we'll help you reunite with him once this is over." And then she hears her first word... her name.

"Yes! That's my name! " Mira confirms as she gives her a thumbs up. So she can speak. But only when she needs to; The strong, silent type huh? Heh. Hopefully she and that woman could make a good friendship while it lasts. Four down, only one to go. And that's Renar. The less cheerful one it seems.

Quote from PyromaniIsDeadThankGod>>

 

Mira

Another type of fox shifter? What does she... mean... OH! Mira's jaws then dropped in awe as she realises the so called 'fox woman' that Maya is. "A... kit... sune?! What?! I thought they went extinct years ago when... how...? I-I didn't know there was a survivor! You sure she's... Oh no..." She stutters as she clasps her mouth especially when she realises that Maya might end up as a sitting duck for the rest of Lancea, should she find herself back out in the open world. Her kind has been long hated for some time, so she needs to be safe. "Sorry. I uh... I got too excited. Don't worry, madam. If you really are one, we'll make sure you're well protect from us as much as we can. And... you're looking for your son too? I'm so sorry miss. I don't know where he is but... If we can we'll help you reunite with him once this is over." And then she hears her first word... her name.

"I don't think that's a kitsune, Mira." Simo turns around and sighs, breaking the silence. "Sure, they can live for a ridiculously long amount of time, 90 centuries, in fact. But we all know United States of Lancea killed each and every single one of them, they've been delcared extinct and supported by multiple sources and witnesses."

Simo, again, leaves the sentence with a long pause. Shugo cut the wires, and it was a success, the strings are severed and the trap won't be triggered anymore. Elsa wipes away her tears, walks to Mira's right, and maintains a standby position—Danils does the same too, walking to Mira's left and readies his arrow.

They're getting into their battle formation, because from the looks of this facility, there is defnintely someone or something waiting for them.

Kaz picks up a sharp rock on the ground and the string, all he needs is a shaft and he can craft his makeshift weapon.

Simo continues, looking behind him as he positions himself in front of everyone else. "She doesn't act like kitsune either, they're mostly in their fox-head humanoid form, not humanoid form with fox ears." He points to Maya's feet, "Kitsune walk on their toe, but fox Shifters like us walk on our sole like other humanoids do. You know what digitigrade and platigrade is, right?"

"If there is an animal-like humanoid race, expect them to be digitigrade. Us birdfolks are also digitigrade, but Harengons are one of the few exceptions." Danils adds, crossing his arms.

Well, back to the 'Liar' man, "I also don't think Cezars did this either," Simo walks in circle around the dead man, "No trace of slashing or bruises, he must be poisoned and forced to sit in this position." He picks him up and sets him to the side. "We'll get him later, he deserves a proper burial."

He looks behind him at the rest of the group again. There are 11 people, or 10 if you don't count Kazimieras (who is an undead) as a person. This facility encounter is starting to look less like a dungeon crawl and morel like an MMO raid session. If there is anything inside this facility, they should be more scared of you than you are of them.

You and Simo's group immediatly head for the big, shiny wall at the end of the hallway, and just like the first one, it's made out of tungsten. But unlike the first one, there is a number carved in the centre of the wall, 0 to 9, with four rectangles on top of it. This one definitely has a secret passageway inside, but you need to find the passcode first.

Looking back on the hallway, there are four doors, all of then are undecorated and uninteresting—four rectangles, four doors... each room might have a hint of what the password to another section of the facility is like, but you have to decide which one to explore first.

You can also try to guess the passcode right away, but with ten thousands of combinations, you'd be here for a while, assuming whoever implemented this system doesn't have a way to prevent intruders from brute-forcing the password.

Renar

Quote from ACNSuphalak>>

"I don't think that's a kitsune, Mira." Simo turns around and sighs, breaking the silence. "Sure, they can live for a ridiculously long amount of time, 90 centuries, in fact. But we all know United States of Lancea killed each and every single one of them, they've been delcared extinct and supported by multiple sources and witnesses."

I couldn't help but eavesdrop on what those two are chatting about. I know. She isn't the kitsune you guys know. I'd leave it at that if I were you guys. It's better than having our covers blown this early. I then notice the fake kitsunes surrounding the bunny girl, Mira was it? Um... well, they're not acting like her bodyguards or something. Kinda looks ridiculous but it was kind of my initial plan anyways so I won't criticize.

But... there was this uneasy feeling growing in my stomach. As I tentatively scan my surroundings and sniff the air, I gesture the rest to go ahead whilst we stay in the backlines. "Um... You guys move ahead. We'll catch up from behind." As soon as everyone moves a considerable distance away from me and Okaa-san, I feel her hands run smoothly through the top of my hoodie and near my sensitive fox ears. She must be worried for me. I mean, I am tense. I think that's what she's picking up from me but, it's not like she's thinking that I might just make one mistake that would surely cost me my life... right? I wouldn't dare do that... right? 

Quote from ACNSuphalak>> 

 

Well, back to the 'Liar' man, "I also don't think Cezars did this either," Simo walks in circle around the dead man, "No trace of slashing or bruises, he must be poisoned and forced to sit in this position." He picks him up and sets him to the side. "We'll get him later, he deserves a proper burial."

*He then stares at the Simic Hybrid's strange lobster arm before he convulses suddenly in panic* Wait... This dead man... I feel like I've seen him... Wait... Is that a Simic Hybrid?! Ethan... he's one of them isn't he?! No wait... Why am I suddenly thinking of him being murdered by Stupid RIxi like- Oh no... And then, before my brain can even process it, I instantly scramble to the front again to shut out those horrific memories of my Simic friend being butchered,. What the hell is going on?! Damn it... And... where even is this place? Is this some kind of escape room or something? Because... Well, those guys must eyeing me suspicious after seeing me dash through them like I've gone insane. Crap... Better resolve this fast... "S... sorry. Got too carried away with what I saw at the back. Don't mind me..." 

Anyways... I glance over at this new area that we somehow wound up in before glancing back at the rest of the pack. I then count the number of doors there are present; There's four doors, plus a passcode. This place looks like an escape room that me and Okaa-san went to in Japan. Except maybe worse. The hint to the passcode must be kept secret within all four of these doors, but I have a gut feeling at least one of them might be a trap instead. And I don't want to risk losing any of our members lives, let alone my own and Okaa-san's...

"Going through each of these doors one at a time as a full group might slow us down even more, especially considering that I notice that fox lady impatiently scurrying towards one of the doors." Yikes that was fast. Didn't think curiosity wouldn't have gotten the better of her this quick. "I'd say we split into four groups, one take on each door, then once we've gathered the required h info in our areas we regroup back here and try and figure out the passcode. There's eleven of us; One of the four groups will have to go as a pair rather than a trio." Pfft. What am I saying? I already know who the pair might be; It wouldn't even take genius to figure out who'd look more suspicious other than us. I kinda feel like they think we're a couple of spies trying to ruin their business... Whatever. I then head over to Okaa-san to join her, as if no one else seemed to care about us pairing alone. "I'll follow her and we'll take the second door as one group, unless if anyone wants to joins us. Other than that you guys decide on who you're gonna go with."

Mira

When Maya explains that Renar is just shy, Mira nods. "Oh I see. You two must e the shy ones huh? I understand. I'm kinda shy myself too. I won't bite... unless you bite me first." She replies, though deep inside her own heart she doesn't fully believe everything that Maya said; Maybe they might be hiding something else underneath that facade of theirs... 

Mira's bunny ears droop as Simo better explains what their own kind of a kitsune is and she deflates a little. "Oh. I see. Sorry I must have mistaken then. My mother always reads me these books about this mystical and the first thing that came into mind when I saw her fox ears was that; I got a little excited for a moment. You're right. That woman doesn't look like a kitsune even one bit." At least she makes a swift emotional recovery. Bother, though. She was hoping they'd kinda be back from the dead. Whatever. And then she notices Elsa and Danils assuming their positions besides her, well, not before she notices Renar and Maya acting weird again. "We're gonna head off. What are you two doing? Huh? You're staying behind? I thought you said we're falling behind though? Ugh whatever. You better not lose sight of us ok you two?" She then marches inside, smiling occasionally at Venet and Alex every once in a while.

"A passcode... Four doors and- WHAT THE?!" Mira gasps as Renar whizzes past her in a panic. Geez what is wrong with him?! He looked so cool and collected a few minutes ago, and now he's acting like he just saw a ghost! And where did the fox lady go?! Did he abandon her?! Yikes... "You really are a strange one you know that? Where's the other lady that was by your side a moment ago?" She chastises him. However her question remains unanswered even as Renar apologizes for his weird behaviour. So he was inspecting the dead Simic Liar. So what? And... now he's explaining what the group should do with the four doors and the splitting into groups thing. Well, at least everything he said does sound efficient and reasonable, that's a plus. She also agrees that going through the doors as one would almost certainly be a waste of time and doing it in smal, intelligent clusters would be the better option. But still, she has to make sure...

"I really hope he hasn't gone insane... Has either him or that lady even talked to you yet? I notice the hoodie boy hasn't made eye contact with either of you! And is that fox lady blind or something? Why are her eyes shut?!" She whispers to both Venet and Alex with absolute suspicion as Renar proceeds to explain what the group needs to do figure out the passcode. Before she could even ask a question however, she suddenly notices Renar and Maya regrouping. "What- hey! Don't just decide your own group by yourself! Shouldn't we at least discuss who would be pair with who and all that?! What if the rooms are rigged with more traps?!"

Unlike the mysterious Renar, Mira doesn't really ask if she can form a group with anyone else yet. Instead, she waits to see who's thinking of pairing with who, then she'll ask. She's more of a go with the flow kind of lady.

"Ah! Kawaii! My name, Maya! Datu one... Renar! He nice. Just... shy. Riku me." She squeals with delight as Mira confirms Maya with a thumbs up; Her face lets out a wide smile and she giggles as she pats Mira and ruffles her bunny ears playfully. But this moment of ease was interrupted when Simo talks to the latter about... something. Again. She's not gonna bother asking her grouchy son for any translations this time otherwise she'd risk getting herself in a physical fight with him. Maya just gives off a blank stare especially when Simo points at her feet. What on earth is he getting onto now? Even as the rest of the group move on and she and her son are now positioned at the back, the fact that her son is getting all the more tense upon hearing whatever he can understand isn't helping her nerves either. Is he okay at this point? Does mama kitsune perhaps . She places her hands on the edges of his sensitive fox ears that are hidden under his hood in hopes he will cool down a little. And he does. At least, until she sees her son shudder violently again as he eyes the Simic Hybrid. "Eh?! Nani Kotore, Renar-kun?! (なに 事レ, What's the matter?!)" She exclaims before he suddenly whizzes past her and towards the front of the group. What on earth was that reaction about?! Did the weird man remind him of something or someone? Cannot be Rixian or Yurime can it? Not even halfway through reaching the final boss and she's now hallucinating about him making one small mistake that could lead to his premature death. Wait... no. She cannot think of that. He's stronger than he looks. Must stay calm. She then heads over, not bothering to run in case she trips on her own skirt, but she does continue to stay at the back of the pack, hoping her son might have calmed down a few minutes later and rejoin her... Or not.

Just in case though, the nine tailed fox inspects the body one last time up close. Maybe there's something that anyone else hasn't seen that she might see. (Medicine: Nat 1; Nothing)

Upon reaching the four doors, Maya just stares blankly at the passcode system. This must be something that her son would is thinking Aha! This must be like some kind of some escape room that Rixian took her to in Japan, except for real this time. Four doors... she swivels her head. "Koko wa dokko...? (ここはどこ, Where are we?)" She mumbles to herself as she eyes the four doors. Glancing at her son again, she figures just by looking at his stern look that he'll probably split the party into four temporary groups, one into each door, so she just temporarily assigns herself to the seconds door and feels the edge of its cold surface until further instructions are made. Or at least, until her son declares that he'll go along with her bluntly. He definitely doesn't sound or look enthusiastic though. Sheesh. Maybe when time is perfect she should squeeze his sensitive tail and make him embrace his flushed, embarrassed side again in front of everyone...

Then she hears the bunny girl yelling at her and her son. If only she could understand why she is so angry right now...

Venet's warm demeanor cools once more as she looks around at the area around them, listening to Renar's words but flashing a concerned look at his reaction to the body. "You doing okay Ren?" 

"I really hope he hasn't gone insane... Has either him or that lady even talked to you yet? I notice the hoodie boy hasn't made eye contact with either of you! And is that fox lady blind or something? Why are her eyes shut?!" She whispers to both Venet and Alex with absolute suspicion as Renar proceeds to explain what the group needs to do figure out the passcode. Before she could even ask a question however, she suddenly notices Renar and Maya regrouping. "What- hey! Don't just decide your own group by yourself! Shouldn't we at least discuss who would be pair with who and all that?! What if the rooms are rigged with more traps?!"

Unlike the mysterious Renar, Mira doesn't really ask if she can form a group with anyone else yet. Instead, she waits to see who's thinking of pairing with who, then she'll ask. She's more of a go with the flow kind of lady.

 
"Renar is kind of.. odd? I think he's in his own head a lot, and a little shy around women, or at least that's what I think. He doesn't like being touched either even if it's to heal him, he flinches every time. I don't know much about Maya, but she seems nice. Her and Renar know each other. They look close, but I don't know specifics." She shrugs.

Searching the rooms shouldnt be too hard since there's so many other them down here. She moves over to stand with Shugo.

Mira

"He's in his own head? Really? And a little shy around girls?" Mira responds with a grimace. Being in his head can have multiple um... suspicions... she assumes. And most of them probably don't seem that positive to her at a glance. "What has he not seen a lady before either? Weird... If anything though he sounded fine to me when I tried to talk to him. And... he doesn't like being touched either? I swear I thought I saw Maya stroke his head a while ago without him reacting much before he dashed passed us did she not...?" 

Thing is Renar suggested a max of three in each group, with one group left as a pair. She's tempted to scooch over with Venet and Shugo, but at the same time, she's way of the young Alex being isolated from them, unless if he's going with his goons instead.

"Well uh... unless if they're going somewhere else... um... I guess it's just you and me Alex. Unless if you're going with those guys... I mean, I don't want to see you go alone for sure." She points to his companions.

Quote from PyromaniIsDeadThankGod >>

Mira

"He's in his own head? Really? And a little shy around girls?" Mira responds with a grimace. Being in his head can have multiple um... suspicions... she assumes. And most of them  "What has he not seen a lady before? Weird... If anything though he sounded fine to me when I tried to talk to him. And... he doesn't like being touched either? I swear I thought I saw Maya stroke his head a while ago without him reacting much before he dashed passed us did she not...?" 

 

 
"Maybe he just thinks I'm cute," she says with a laugh, then shrugs. "They're close, I guess that's fine for them. She dotes on him, kind of like a mom."