Active Mad Mage's Tower of Azdrukhal

[saxon]

This Rp happens following the events of
***
Setting:
Location(s): Ryke
Time of Day: 9:00 AM
Weather: warm, damn due to the unnatural rain and thunderstorms that plague the region around the tower
Goal: Retrieve the Mad Mage's journal for a benefactor.

---

Eiru

F Grade Character

Titles: Monster, Human, Mundane, Student of Mount Cleartunt Academy E, Magic Graduate of Mount Cleartunt Academy F, Abomination

mentions: Slowpokie Gaius Danius Griinia

Abilities/Actions:

The request had been put up at the adventurer's guild, though the man who posted it was shrouded in mystery; the letter G was at the bottom of the note with instructions on what to do if someone took the request and someone retrieved the book which was to bring it to the Royal Plaza in Ryken. At this point, someone will be there to retrieve the item in question. The whole thing was very cryptic like the benefactor didn't want to be known. This raised a few questions in the mind of at least one group member who had decided to take the request.

Having moved through the portal and walked for a day, they finally entered the region commonly referred to as the Hinterland Wilds, a region sparsely populated due to the rumors of the region involving the Mad Mage's Tower, which had been thought to be a myth until only recently when the location of the tower was found. As soon as they crossed into the region, there was a drastic change in the color of the grass from a bright green to a dull, almost brown, like it was on the verge of dying.

Eiru paused momentarily as she looked at the ground with curiosity, unsure if it was dying naturally or if there was some unknown presence causing all of this. As the group pressed on, they walked into a wall of rain that had an exact start, like a line had been cut, devising the two areas. The grass on the rain side was green and the loud sound of thunder rumbled in the distance. Upon looking closely, one could see the top of the tower, though the lightning and the rain seemed to be far stronger.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that the last resident of the tower put this spell up to deter anyone from getting close," Eiru spoke as she stepped into the rain, starting to get drenched; however, the rain was warm to the touch and not cold. As the group reached the tower's base, it was a complete downpour; puddles had formed everywhere, some more profound than they seemed. The rumbling of the thunder shook the ground, and the lighting flashed only a few seconds of darkness before the next flash and rumble.

Now that they were close, they could see the tower better. The lights were still one, and at the base was a doorway of light, which could be the way into the tower. The tower and subsequent towers around it reached far into the sky, with the tip of the tallest tower sitting just below the clouds. The stonework looked untouched, and the weather didn't seem to have any effect on the building, at least by looks.

 

[Slowpokie]

Rain... Oh, how he hated rain. Made the clothes soggy and his fire magic hard to conjure. That, paired with the humid weather? Also made his skin crawl, just thinking of the possibility this sort of humidity would do to his hair. He prayed to the Black Sheep it wouldn't frizz.

As they stood at the base of the daunting towers, Carmel Davour couldn't help but awe. Despite his distaste of the conditions placed around the area, he had to admit. "What stunning buildings! He may of been mad, but the mage had taste."

As the rain and thunder continued its dance around them with even more might, Carmel gripped the brim of his hat and stretched it out to try and prevent anymore water from touching him. "Could we please go inside already? I hate the rain, and my feet are killing me!"

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

Izuru
Mentions: saxon Slowpoke

Izuru felt the warm rain fall over his body and soak into his clothes. No doubt he'd have to clean these clothes later. As for why he was here, it had been a matter of curiosity. After his previous adventure in the Caelia Barony. He had gone to huff mushroom extracts with the Fae. Huffing said mushrooms had given him a real hankering for another adventure. The dragonkin literally took the first magic related quest he saw and ran with it. Now he was in the rain with two other people who he would be working with for this adventure. His guess was the both of them were rookie mages. Izuru himself had only JUST escaped such a designation himself. Although this implied he had a degree of responsibility in ensuring they didn't DIE. It was also important he let the pair figure stuff out on their own. Half of magic was in figuring out the mystery. The other half was making sure the mystery didn't up and eat you.

"Well it would be a bit much for them to just up and roll out a red carpet for us" said Izuru while removing a leaf that had gotten stuck on his horn. Looking up at the imposing structure. Wonder and curiosity welled up within the dragonkin in equal measure. No doubt this would be one of the most magically demanding adventures he had ever gone on. One that would be filled with perilous pitfalls, ridiculous riddles and fearsome foes. Personally he hoped not to encounter anything resembling a puzzle. Izuru was VERY BAD at puzzles, which was funny considering how figuring things out is part of a mages shtick. He hadn't set out to become a mage but now it was seeming more and more unreasonable to just call himself a poet.

 

[saxon]

Eiru

F Grade Character

Titles: Monster, Human, Mundane, Student of Mount Cleartunt Academy E, Magic Graduate of Mount Cleartunt Academy F, Abomination

mentions: Slowpokie Gaius Danius Griinia

Abilities/Actions:

The rain continued to pour down from the sky, and even Eiru had to admit that whatever magic was here was impressive. The thunder and lighting were a nice touch, and I could only imagine the power behind the spell if someone were to get struck by this. Hearing the other two speak she looked back over her shoulder. "Well I doubt getting out of the rain will do much for your aching feet but, we should head toward the doorway or at least what I think is a doorway," She pointed out before starting to walk toward the tower in question. "But the Red Carpet implies that someone is still here, the place was recently only rediscovered," She pointed out.

As the group moved closer to the tower the rain picked up even more as if it was reacting to the presence of people who were not supposed to be here. A few moments later the area around them was completely covered by the amount of rain falling blocking their sight of the tower. "Well now this is unexpected, I guess the spell does a bit more than just cause rain and thunder to cover an area." She stated looking back at the other members of the group.

It looked like the group was going to face the first challenge already before even reaching the tower in question. However, there still was the question as to why he was called the mad mage and what exactly was hidden. As it currently stood, they could continue to go forward, but with the water blocking their view, they could wander around or potentially get turned around and end up back where they started.

 

[Slowpokie]

Carmel shivered even more and groaned with just as much distaste. Feeling the rain grow more intense the closer they got to the tower, until it became a blinding downpour, had the little pyromantic wishing he paid more attention to the contract he took instead of just going for it.

Now, stuck in place for the time being, the trio are left to think of what to do next. Carmel hums in thought, thinking of what to do next. "W-well, we could always look around. Perhaps there's a hidden entrance, or some kind of trigger to stop the rain? Or somewhere to hide under.... This constant downpour is ruining my mood." Whined the mage in brown colours, shaking like a leaf.

His obscured eyes try to pierce through the thick rain, hoping to find... Anything, really. Should he not, well... He wasn't totally against wandering off.

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

Izuru
Mentions: saxon Slowpokie

Izuru's tail straightened out the moment the rain began to pelt the group as they neared the tower. The first of their obstacles had presented itself. No doubt this ancient magic was powered by something. If the caster wasn't present to supply it with mana then it had to draw energy from some alternate source given how intense the downpour was getting. This made Izuru wonder if the Mad Mage had gone all ghosty goo to prolong his life. Hauntings usually required the aid of an exorcist or someone possessing holy magic. Izuru kept shaking his head around with all the variables he couldn't grasp. Instead he would focus on the problem at hand. "To find a path forward, we must first understand the wall blocking us" said the dragonkin before tightening his grip around his cane. He then combined a few components in order to create a makeshift spell. His goal was to analyze how the rain reacted to external magic. His efforts took the form of an ominous black mist that would no doubt be swallowed by the rain. Immediately following his spell. Izuru would pay close attention to the movement of magic in the air.

---

Actions
.Makeshift Analysis Spell = Control Environment F + Magic E + Darkness Affinity E + Range F + Appraisal E + Arcana E

 

[Elijay]

John

saxon Slowpokie Gaius Danius Griinia​

John strode over to the party. “Sorry, I’m late! Ugh, what’s with all this rain anyway? Just so you know, I don’t got an umbrella on me,” he groaned in despair. Great. He just took on a new quest from the adventurer's board and gets drenched right in the first few moments of the adventure. Off to a great start already, that was for sure.

Taking a good look at who he was dealing with today, there was a smug looking white-haired woman, alongside a guy with horns and another guy who was probably a wizard from his appearance. This seemed like a strong enough party already! That was good, because John was just your average villager without much strength to boot. He didn't even have any cool equipment or anything, just a plain old black gi. In fact, he even died helplessly in his previous adventure due to how weak he was, and it was only by a miracle that he got resurrected. (And John was certain they only revived him so that they could use him like a mere tool later on... I mean, they even labelled him a champion out of nowhere!) Sometimes, he still wondered why he'd gone down the line of adventuring when he was this much of a weakling.

As such, today's goal was to get stronger with more adventuring, and in the worst case scenario his strong teammates should be able to protect him, right???

As the team were brainstorming ideas to get past the wall of rain, John’s face lit up as he suddenly thought of a brilliant plan himself.

"Hey, I've got an idea! If the rain is this heavy, maybe we won’t even need to walk past it,” he exclaimed, eyeing the downpour ahead. “Might as well swim our way through, right?” With a playful smirk, he took a dive straight into the wall of rain, attempting to swim through it.

 

[saxon]

Eiru

F Grade Character

Titles: Monster, Human, Mundane, Student of Mount Cleartunt Academy E, Magic Graduate of Mount Cleartunt Academy F, Abomination

mentions: Slowpokie Gaius Danius Griinia Elijay

Abilities/Actions:

Carmel tried to pierce through the rain, but the downpour was heavy enough to obscure his vision. While he could see shapes, he couldn't see more than 5 feet around him. The rain, no doubt, was a defense for those who approached the tower, and the fact that it got worse the closer they got was concerning. "We can try to find cover, though we are going to have to wander probably to find some unless someone can make some cover," Eiru pointed out as she looked around. She didn't have anything that could be used to create a cover, and in this downpour, she was certain if she used magic, she would shock everyone.

Eiru turned to Izuru as he started to form the black mist; it would move out 5 ft from him as it made waves from the natural wind, indicating that the magic from the rain was not canceling out his magic immediately. After a few moments, the mist was captured by the rain coming down and brought to the ground. However, there was a new scent in the air the smell of fudge was coming from the north the direction in which the wind was blowing.

"Does anyone else smell fudge, or am I just going crazy?" Eiru inquired as she looked at the other two. That meant that someone had to be around, right? But that also didn't make much sense with the current situation. Then, there was the sound of something approaching. As she looked in the direction they came, a figure slowly started to appear. She readied herself, and then John caught up with the group. Though she had to admit the man was a bit strange by appearance. Who would be coming all the way out here this late to join them after all?

When John decided to attempt to swim through it at which point he should have realized wasn't possible since he ran up jumped toward it and landed chin first in the dirt. To which got a small chuckle out of Eiru. "I think our new arrival that you cannot swim through this or else we would all be swimming right now, I suggest we follow the smell unless someone has any other ideas?" She inquired.

 

[Slowpokie]

Carmel could only watch John attempt to swim through the rain in both awe and surprise at this new arriver. It was entertaining at least!

The delicious scent of fudge in the air catches his attention immediately. Eiru's suggestion to follow after it is agreed with by Carmel, who's the first to start chasing after the smell. "If there's fresh fudge, then that means someone's just made it - that means there's a roof to hide under, that means no more water!!" He said to his fellows behind him, but didn't take a time to look back.

Anything to escape this growing rainstorm was appreciated at this point. "Please be a roof, please be a roof- for the love of the gods, please!!"

 

[Elijay]

John

saxon Slowpokie Gaius Danius Griinia​

John’s grand dive into the wall of rain had, admittedly, gone about as well as diving onto solid ground could go. Face-first in the mud, he groaned as he pushed himself up, wiping a messy mixture of dirt and rain off his face. Eiru’s chuckle reached his ears, and he managed a sheepish grin in response.

“Oww… okay, so maybe the whole ‘swimming through rain’ thing wasn’t as genius as it sounded in my head,” he muttered, trying to shake the mud from his hands. A faint sting reminded him that face-planting wasn’t quite the heroic move he’d been aiming for, but hey, at least he didn’t break any bones in the process.

As he clambered back to his feet, a rich, sweet scent wafted through the thick rain. He sniffed the air, eyes narrowing as he tried to identify it. Was that… fudge? He sniffed again, and there was no mistaking it. The smell was definitely fudge!

Carmel, noticing it too, seemed almost as thrilled as John by the discovery. "Fudge, huh?" John mumbled to himself, practically licking his lips as the aroma intensified. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn’t had anything more than a quick snack before setting off on this adventure. A taste of fudge to kick things off would definitely make this trip worthwhile, he thought.

“Well, sounds good to me,” he said with a nod of agreement, glancing over at the others. “Let’s follow the scent and go get that fudge! I mean,” he continued, laughing off the possibility, “it’s probably not a trap or anything, right?? Just some random fudge in a spooky, magical rainstorm. No big deal!”

With a hopeful glance, he gave his gi a final brush-off, even though the rain was doing a thorough job of keeping him drenched. He threw a quick thumbs-up to Carmel as he fell in line behind him, trotting a little to keep pace. Thoughts of a warm, delicious fudge cheered him up as he imagined the sweet taste cutting through the dreary, muddy adventure so far. Perhaps they’d chance upon a hidden cozy cottage, maybe even a little fireplace and some chairs even!

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

Izuru
Mentions: saxon Slowpokie Elijay

Izuru's little experiment to see how the rain would react to external magic proved very fruitful. The rain had pushed down his dark mist. He wasn't sure how everything fit together yet but decided that further investigation was always a good thing. It was the wafting scent of fudge that made him incredibly confused. Scents normally get pushed down in heavy downpours so the fact everyone could so clearly smell the same thing coming from the same direction was obviously a trap. "We'll be out of the rain and into the clutches of whatever trap this is!" said the dragonkin with a big smile on his face. Izuru then used his magic on the head of his cane to cover it in an octagonal canopy of darkness akin to an umbrella. Happily stomping his feet into the puddles and dancing around his new umbrella. It was obvious the mage had decided to make a game of this situation despite how serious it was. However Izuru didn't care as worrying too much had caused his last adventure to become incredibly disappointing. This time he'd just take things as they came. "Singing in the rain, I'm singing in the rain.... Out of downpour into pain. I'm just singing... in the rain" chirped Izuru as if his singing voice wasn't mid as all hell. He was a spoken word artist not a singer. These days it was even harder to justify calling him a poet given how it was his MAGIC that was improving rather than his poems.

 

[saxon]

Eiru

F Grade Character

Titles: Monster, Human, Mundane, Student of Mount Cleartunt Academy E, Magic Graduate of Mount Cleartunt Academy F, Abomination

mentions: Slowpokie Gaius Danius Griinia Elijay

Abilities/Actions:

1. Uses Railgun Magic: biri-biri
2/3. Used Lightning Magic: Taser

Lightning Magic: Taser - Magic School Mount Cleartunt Academy - Lightning Magic F, Componentless Magic F, Lightning Affinity F, Magic F, Energized F, Magic Range F (Meta)- Eiru reached out with her arm and lighting leaps from her fingertips, hitting a target within 30 ft of her. - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown

Railgun Magic: biri-biri - Magic School Mount Cleartunt Academy - Lightning Magic E, Domain Magic F: Railgun Magic, Componentless Magic E, Lightning Affinity E, Magic E, Magic Range E, Magic Target E (Meta)Telekinesis F, Accurate F, Incurable F, Indirect F, Blight F (Shock) - Eiru uses her Telekinesis to pick up a small rock, focusing her lighting magic around the rock and launching it at a target within 100ft of her. Speed of target is reduced by one grade of effectiveness for 1 round. Shocking the target for one round - Grade E - 1 Post Cooldown

Notes: Combat has begun! 3 Action economy is now in effect.

As the group pushed further into the rain, occasional golf ball-sized hail would land next to them. Though it never got close enough to hit anyone, after some time, there was a light that showed an open doorway, and the smell of fudge was now super strong. Eiru stopped for a moment as she approached the threshold of the doorway. She looked at the stone archway that led into the tower.

Nothing was blocking the way in; the floor was well-kept stone that was not weathered from the rain, and there were some barrels and crates tucked against the walls. There were stone braziers on the wall to give light. The strange part was that the fire in the brazier was several inches above the stone, and you could see the gap. Much like the other areas this was more than likely fueled by magic. "Well, if I get zapped, it's probably not safe to enter," Eiru smirked as she stepped past the archy way.

She flinched, expecting something to happen, but nothing did. She took a few more steps, but still nothing came out. She turned to the rest of the group and gave them a thumbs-up. Then something dropped from the ceiling hard, sending a small shockwave and knocking everyone to the ground. A set of armor armed with a shield and a spear now stood up from its crouched position. The armor and weapons were guided as images of dragons and deer were etched into the armor. There were no eyes or any source of light where the eyes would be only darkness.

Eiru got up to her feet and didn't waste any time, as she hadn't expected the armor to drop. She cursed under her breath as a stone started to levitate next to her. Lightning started to gather around the rock, and she launched it toward the magic armor. She quickly followed up by using her Taser two times as lightning shot from her fingertips toward the magic armor set that was now standing in their way.

 

[Slowpokie]

Carmel Davour
Ability: Flora Inferna - Magic E, Magic Range F, AOE F, Targets F, [Flora] Affinity F & [Fire] Affinity F - Causes a surface to blossom with red flowers that release blazing petals within an area that set anything they land on aflame. - Grade E - 30ft range- 15ft radius AOE- 5 targets- Post Cooldown 1

Although the heil never came close to harming him, Carmel still jumped and backed away whenever those chunks of ice fell near them.

Then, the doorframe came into view; out of nowhere, really. And as expected of magic. Carmel watched as Eiru tested the waters, watching as she dived headfirst into the doorway and taking a few steps forward to see if it was safe. When she proved it was, Carmel was the first go right in.

And he's among the first to be launched backwards as a suit of armour falls down and knocks everyone to the ground. He gathers up his bearings, looking in shock at the sudden attack. "Living armour?!" He said in alarm, before attempting to assist in the retaliation.

Standing tall, he spins counterclockwise, causing a growth of red blossoms to appear beneath his heels. He gracefully glides off of the flowerbed and launches their petals towards the suit of armour. The moment they grace the armour, the petals burst into flame.

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

Izuru
Mentions: saxon Slowpokie Elijay

Izuru was happy to be out of the rain but knew better than to assume the trap they were walking into wouldn't get sprung soon. Looking on as their party leader Eiru valiantly led the way forward, using her own body as a shield against any obstacles that stood in their path. The dragonkin was pleased to see that she went on to NOT get eviscerated by spikes from the floor, falling blocks or wall darts. "Maybe don't jinx the whole lightning thing" was Izuru's only response to Eiru's jokes. Maybe she had some kind of plan, more likely Eiru was just winging it like the rest of them. Unfortunately the expected trap was finally sprung when an animated suit of armor fell from the ceiling, ready to dash their brains against the stone floor. It seemed from a cursory glance they were dealing with a vanguard type with heavy defense.

Izuru worried they were dealing with a Tank, which would necessitate cutting through some rather chunky defenses before they could deal any real damage. Noticing the pair of Eiru and Carmel were going for long range attacks to start off. It was on Izuru to try figuring some stuff out.
First he utilized his dark magic to conjure a cluster of vines beneath the armors feet in hopes of impeding it. He also added an additional life leech to try and injure whatever was animating the armor. After that he took a quick breather since forcing himself to utilize that kind of magic when he still hadn't perfected it. Next he applied his knowledge of the arcane to study the armor in order to probe it for any weaknesses. The other two mages in this group was at the level of an apprentice so it was on him to make sure they wouldn't get snuffed out here due to his own incompetence.

---

Actions:
1. Life Leeching Vines = Magic E + Darkness Affinity + Range F + Tangle F + Vampiric F
2: Energize F on Magic E
3: Appraisal E + Arcane E + Investigation F on Armor

 

[Elijay]

John

saxon Slowpokie Gaius Danius Griinia​

John stared at Izuru, his brow furrowing in utter confusion. The dragonkin was stomping through puddles, spinning around in the rain, and singing—singing—as he babbled about walking straight into a trap. John squinted, trying to make sense of it. Was he just that happy to march into a dangerous setup, or was this some kind of weird mage thing? “Who’d actually be excited about a trap? And in this weather?” John mumbled to himself. Honestly, he figured there was a good chance that this “mad mage” just had a cozy cabin full of free fudge waiting for them. No need for all this doom and gloom.

A sudden thud snapped him back to reality as a golf-ball-sized hailstone landed near his feet, startling him. “Hail? Are you serious right now?” he muttered, glancing nervously up at the sky. But the rich scent of fudge cut through his worry, pulling him forward until he finally spotted Eiru at a strange stone doorway up ahead. She examined it cautiously, then gave the group a thumbs-up.

John let out a sigh of relief, grinning. Finally, he thought, stepping toward the archway and eager to escape the cold, messy rain. Just as he took a step forward, something enormous dropped from above, slamming down with a force that sent him sprawling to the ground.

“What the—?!” he yelped, scrambling backward, his eyes going wide as he took in the figure towering above them. It was a massive suit of armor, etched with dragons and deer, with a spear and shield clutched in its hands. Completely empty yet radiating an eerie energy, the armor looked less like an object and more like an obstacle.

“Something tells me the mad mage doesn’t want anyone stealing his fudge…” he muttered, glaring at the silent metal giant. He raised his fists, bracing himself. “Hand over the fudge, ya big piece of junk!”

He watched on as Eiru fired off a lightning-charged rock, Carmel sent a wave of flaming petals, and Izuru conjured a twisting snare of dark vines around the armor’s feet. It was pretty clear that he was greatly outmatched in the magic department, but he wasn’t about to sit back and do nothing.

Straightening up, he struck a dramatic pose, pointing a finger at the armor. “Believe it or not, I can use magic too!” He gave an exaggerated flourish, taking a few steps back to prepare.

Squaring his stance, he focused on the armor, clenching his fist with a grin. Then, with all his strength, he threw a punch right in the air in front of him. "Wind magic blast!" His fist cut through the air so hard it generated a blast of wind that shot toward the living armor, using [Windy punch+]. "And another one!" Saying this, he threw a second punch blasting wind towards the armor yet again using [Windy punch-].

Actions:
[Windy punch+] - fighting style C, ranged C, athletics F, bolster (str) F [Limiter: backlash rank2, charges rank1] - user punches hard enough to hit a target 1000ft away with air pressure, with stat effectiveness of this ability boosted by 4. Failure of the move results in 3 damage to health. Only can be used 4 times per rp, 3 uses left. - Grade C - 3 Post Cooldown
[Windy punch-] - fighting style E, ranged E, energized E, athletics F - user punches hard enough to hit a target 30ft away with air pressure - Grade E - 0 Post Cooldown

 

[saxon]

Eiru

F Grade Character

Titles: Monster, Human, Mundane, Student of Mount Cleartunt Academy E, Magic Graduate of Mount Cleartunt Academy F, Abomination

mentions: Slowpokie Gaius Danius Griinia Elijay

Abilities/Actions:


Cooldowns:
F: 0/0
E1/1
D: 0/2
C: 0/3
B: 0/4
A: 0/5
Notes: Pachi is to use energize on anything in the E grade; energize needs to be equivalent to the grade. Combat has ended. Rebalancing of encounters and challenges will happen XD

Eiru's rock slammed against the armor, leaving a crack in the armor, which was then quickly followed up by being developed in lighting as it left her fingertips. There was no sound coming from the armor, nor did it seem like it was stopping as it started to charge forward. Carmel's petals floated in the air as they were sent toward the magical armor. Upon contact, the petals ignited, turning the armor red from the attack as it continued to take steps forward.

Izuru's vines shot up from the ground and quickly latched onto the armor, causing it to fall forward face-first. Upon impact, the whole room shook, and a few of the crates on the sides of the room fell over. The armor slowly tried to get back up, fighting with the vines wrapped around its limbs. Then Jay's attacks came. As the first strike made contact with the armor, it punched a hole straight through it and sent cracks running up and down it. However, there was an unintended effect. As the wind punched through the armor, it went past and struck the wall behind, creating a large opening where the door had been exposing the next room. The second strike then shattered the armor into pieces as it crumbled to the ground in chunks.

Izuru's inspection of the armor revealed nothing special besides its several hundred years of age. But there was lingering enchantment on the very old armor, probably some kind of forgotten magic, as he didn't recognize any symbols left with the residual mana. Eiru let out a small sigh, with the armor defeated as she looked up. She didn't see any more suits of armor hanging there. "Well, I think it's safe to say that our presence will not go unnoticed here by the defenses, so we should probably be careful going forward." Eiru pointed out as she walked past the armor into their current room.

Further, inside the room, the group would see large carvings of dragons and deer, much like they were on the armor itself. However, these images on the walls depicted battles of some kind, and a man with a book stood at the center. The staff he held seemed to release some magic as waves came from him in the carvings on the wall. The crates that fell over showed food; however, they didn't appear to be spoiled, hinting that there was a series of enchantments on this place probably to keep things from going bad or weathering away from the rain outside. This could explain why everything was so clean despite no one being here for years.

Moving past that, she entered the next room, which seemed more like an entryway; the room was 30x50 ft, and a staircase that led further below was in the center. Along the sides was a staircase that went up to the next level. Everything was made of gold as it shined untarnished by the years. Paintings of various figures sat along the walls of the room. Most of them appeared to be mages, and a few seemed to be family portraits that were once again untouched by time. If any guests had been here, they would have seen this first. Eiru let out a low whistle at the sight.

"Things are getting interesting, though. I'd imagine this book is probably at the top of the main tower in a study of some kind," She theorized as she looked back over her shoulder at the group.

 

[Slowpokie]

Carmel Davour
Mentions: saxon Elijay Gaius Danius Griinia
Watching the armour fall apart from the finishing attacks was satisfying to Carmel, but the real delight from this battle was the aftermath; a whole in the wall the armour was thrown towards opens up, leading to a room. Finally, shelter!

Once inside, Carmel takes off his hat and squeezes out any water that it soaked up. Upon noticing the carvings depicting some sort of battle, with a mage in the center, the pyromancer awes at the sight. "Do you think that's the Mad Mage in the center? Had quite an ego if he is, depicting himself like this..." Carmel commented on the image, knowing deep down he'd do the same tenfold if he had the wealth for it.

Carmel lingers behind the group, wandering the room for a moment, soaking in the dryer atmosphere. Upon noticing the crates full of unspoiled food, he reaches down to grab an apple, wiping off any potential grime with his shall until it shined. "Don't mind if I do!" He muttered to himself, taking a bite into the apple. Carmel had been hungry after smelling fudge in the air.
Perhaps it wasn't the best idea, but the temptation was just too great for him.

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

Izuru
Mentions: saxon Slowpokie Elijay

Looking on as the suit of magical armor was defeated rather anticlimactically. Izuru wondered if maybe the old tower was playing pranks on them rather than sincerely trying to do them harm. He and John were a bit more experienced as adventurers but for such a construct to simply flop over after taking only THAT much damage made Izuru suspicious. The dragonkins investigation of the armor proved fruitless as he was unable to find anything other than the more mysterious magic he didn't quite understand. Following behind Eiru while doing his best to put things together. Izuru admired the fancy murals the place had going on, wondering if the Mad Mage's staff was somewhere in this tower. A find like that would do wonders for his research on eldritch abominations. Noticing Carmel going for and eating one of the apples that fell from the crates spilled during their battle. Izuru understood all too well the temptation of free apples. Hence why he himself decided to pick up one of the fruits in order to perform some analysis. Hopefully by figuring out how the anti-degradation magic worked. He could find a way to apply it to his research. Materials tended to spoil after all.

---

Actions:
.Appraisal E + Arcane E on fruit

 

[Elijay]

John

saxon Slowpokie Gaius Danius Griinia​

Seeing his first strike punch clean through the armor, leaving a hole in the distant doorway, and his second strike shattering the armor into pieces, John’s mouth dropped open in shock. Wait, what? Did he really just do all that? He blinked a few times, then shook his head quickly. Nah, it couldn’t have been him alone. That armor had to be old and worn down, weakened by years of rust and decay—not to mention all the hits it had taken from the others. Yeah, that made way more sense. No way he was actually that strong… He convinced himself with a chuckle, deciding the armor had just fallen apart at the right time.

John watched Carmel squeeze water from his hat, then practically beam at the carvings like a kid in a candy store. Seeing the pyromancer’s reaction to the mage’s self-glorifying artwork, John nodded in agreement. “Right? This guy really went all out. If this is the Mad Mage, he’s definitely got a bit of a… flair for drama,” he said with a grin, tracing his fingers along the carved dragons and deer.

When Carmel wandered over to the crates and grabbed an apple, John raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Hmm… that food’s been sitting here who knows how long. Safe or not, I’m not taking any chances,” he said, crossing his arms with a smirk as Carmel took a big bite anyway.

But when they stepped into the next room, John’s jaw nearly dropped. Gold-lined walls gleamed back at him, casting warm reflections in the light, while immaculate paintings and untouched portraits filled the room, all leading up to a grand staircase. “This guy wasn’t kidding around,” he muttered, torn between awe and disbelief. All this just hidden away, like it’s been waiting for us or something, he thought, looking over a nearby family portrait with narrowed eyes, trying to pick out any details that might hint at the mage’s identity. But finding nothing familiar, he shrugged, more amazed by the sheer splendor of it all than anything else.

Hearing Eiru’s theory about the book being at the top of the tower, John gave a quick nod, only half-paying attention. “Makes sense,” he replied, glancing up the staircase. “But can we talk about the gold? Just how rich was this guy anyway?” he asked, eyes wide with curiosity. Whoever this mage was, he clearly had more than a few secrets tucked away in this strange, opulent tower.

 

[saxon]

Eiru

F Grade Character

Titles: Monster, Human, Mundane, Student of Mount Cleartunt Academy E, Magic Graduate of Mount Cleartunt Academy F, Abomination

mentions: Slowpokie Gaius Danius Griinia Elijay

Abilities/Actions:


Cooldowns:
F: 0/0
E: 0/1
D: 0/2
C: 0/3
B: 0/4
A: 0/5
Notes:

Eiru examined the carvings a bit more. "Well, he did earn the title of the mad mage, so it wouldn't be too far out of the realm of possibility to think they were eccentric." As Carmel wrung out his hat, the water, upon hitting the floor, evaporated instantly. There were no drips on the water from any of the groups anywhere that there should have been. As John ran his fingers along the carves, he noticed the smooth, deep cuts into the stone that felt smooth. As for the two that went over to the apples, upon taking a bite, nothing happened. The food tasted normal; however, a strange feeling is brewing in their gut.

Izuru and Carmel started to chuckle uncontrollably, and in a few seconds, it escalated to full-blown, tear-inducing belly laughs. Any attempts at speak would come out as gibberish. Upon hearing this Eiru turned around to look at the two seeing the apples that were in their hands. "Guys magical armor dropped from the ceiling, you really think that even the food probably wouldn't have a spell on it?" She sighed and turned back around not sure if she should be concerned yet.

"Well, now that we got to jesters back there, we should probably tread carefully, though you are right; he did seem to spend a lot of money to make all of this unless it was made of magic." Eiru theorized as she tapped on the gold wall with one of her nails. The sound didn't sound hollow and felt real to the touch, though there was a lack of coldness that one would find with metal, meaning that the tower's environment was also controlled. She moved from portrait to portrait some of the faces remained the same and others were new. Then there was a picture at the top of the grand staircase where the two stairs came together to form a platform and then split left and right to the next level.

The portrait contained a single individual and the plate below simply said, "Kyoki" The Mad Mage. The individual had black hair, brown eyes, and wore clothes many would consider strange. Though he was in a sweatshirt and some sweat pants. "Well I think this is a portrait of the mad mage if the plate is correct but why is he the only one here? There were portraits filled with others before this," She spoke brining her hand to her chin.

"But I think we should continue up. Who knows what else will attack us here and what else lies above us? " She suggested, unsure of when their companions' laughing would stop. At least for the moment,, they were still able to move about.

 

[Slowpokie]

Carmel Davour
Mentions: saxon Elijay Gaius Danius Griinia

Carmel couldn't contain the laughter that ripped through his throat, tears running down his face that grew several shades redder. He crawled along the floor, doing his best to follow after the rest. But it was at a snail's pace, and there were times he couldn't move at all, just laying down on the floor and laughing uncontrollably.

At first, it wasn't entirely bad. But soon the laughter began to feel painful.

He crawled up the stairs, his face then planting into the floor. He tried his best to speak, using a lot of effort to utter a broken sentence, “How… tew… STOP IT!!!” He shouted, before bursting into even more laughter.
Carmel kicks his feet in the air, rolling from side
to side.

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

Izuru
Mentions: saxon Slowpokie Elijay

Izuru instantly knew that he had made a rather minor error in consuming the apple that had come from a crate within the tower of a reputed MAD MAGE. However it also seemed really interesting to sample the apple so he couldn't really muster the emotion to fault himself much. His body had felt a strange kind of warm sensation before he began laughing like some kind of madman. Carmel had also suffered the same fate which Izuru hoped would clear up soon. As for him, despite how his body was now heaving a little from laughing so much. He made sure to hold on to just enough situational awareness to keep an eye out for anything strange. Looking upon what appeared to be a portrait of the Mad Mage. Izuru was surprised at how casually he dressed. Although one might have some kind of exaggerated mental image when it came to mages. Sometimes they really were just guys in their loungewear who just so happened to cast the occasional spell that torches a city or two. The rumors Izuru heard about the Mad Mage when he took the quest didn't mention this kind of thing. Noticing their group leader Eiru looking at them with concern. Izuru wanted to reassure her that he himself was still good to go. Unfortunately he was incapable of speaking proper people words so it would just come out as garbled gibberish. Instead he tried to think of the most unfunny things in the world. Sold out food wagons, chemical warfare and soup.

 

[Elijay]

John

saxon Slowpokie Gaius Danius Griinia​

John ran his fingers along the intricate carvings, feeling the smooth, deep cuts in the stone. “Looks like our guy’s a bit of an art connoisseur or something,” he muttered, admiring the detail. As he traced the lines, he glanced back at Carmel and Izuru, who were both busy munching on apples they’d plucked from the crates. Well, they seem fine, he thought, shrugging. “Guess the food’s not cursed after all—”

But before he could finish his thought, both Carmel and Izuru doubled over, laughter erupting from them uncontrollably. John’s eyes widened, and he took a step back, watching with growing concern. “Uh… you two alright?” he asked, but their laughter only grew louder and more desperate, echoing through the chamber.

When Eiru commented on the enchantment, John sighed and shook his head. “So the food was a trap. Figures.” Watching Carmel and Izuru writhing with laughter, John bit back a chuckle of his own. “Whoever this Mad Mage is, he sure loves pranking intruders. Guess we should be more careful from here on out —who knows what other surprises he’s got in store for us?”

But soon Carmel’s laughter turned strained, his face contorted between laughing and grimacing as he fought to get words out. “How… tew… STOP IT!!!” he managed to shout, before collapsing into another helpless fit of laughter.

“Hey, don’t sweat it! Laughing’s good for your health, right?” John said, trying to sound reassuring, though he could see that neither of them was finding this funny anymore. He gave Carmel an encouraging pat on the shoulder. Hope this curse wears off soon, he thought.

Then, as they moved farther into the room, Eiru pointed out a portrait at the top of the grand staircase. The plate beneath it read, Kyoki, The Mad Mage. John squinted at the figure in the image, surprised to see a man with black hair, dressed in casual clothes that looked way too ordinary for someone with this much magic. “Wait, that’s the Mad Mage?” he asked, scratching his head. “So he’s the prankster who’s trying to turn us all into clowns. Well, joke’s on him, ‘cause he’s in for a whole lotta pain when we’re through with him,” he said, clapping his fist into his palm.

Hearing Eiru suggest they keep moving, John nodded, throwing a worried look at Carmel and Izuru, who were still caught in fits of laughter. “Alright, up the stairs it is. And let’s hope this laughing curse wears off sooner rather than later.”

 

[saxon]

Eiru

F Grade Character

Titles: Monster, Human, Mundane, Student of Mount Cleartunt Academy E, Magic Graduate of Mount Cleartunt Academy F, Abomination

mentions: Slowpokie Gaius Danius Griinia Elijay

Abilities/Actions:


Cooldowns:
F: 0/0
E: 0/1
D: 0/2
C: 0/3
B: 0/4
A: 0/5
Notes:

Eiru watched as two of her comrades laughed uncontrollably after eating the apples. She shrugged as Carmel asked, "Well, I don't know the answer to that question, though it might stop on its own or there might be a clue further in." She hoped that was going to be the case. If not well, it could be the death of the two. Potentially, after all, one couldn't drink and laugh simultaneously, let alone eat any sort of food. She turned back to look at the painting again, bringing her hand to her chin. She was unsure of what exactly they were dealing with here, if the individual was a mad mage, or if there was something more to it.

As for Izuru, the attempts at thinking of the most unfunny things didn't seem to work and made no difference. The two continued to laugh and, for the moment, didn't seem like it would end any time soon. "Well, John, I doubt you will find the Mad Mage alive; this place was only recently rediscovered. Despite its looks, this place is several hundred years old." She explained before heading up the set of stairs to the next level. As the group arrived on the next level, they saw a hallway of doors; six doors on each side of the hall led into a large open room down the hall 40 ft away.

The hallway walls were wood, and green and gold paint was applied to vines along the walls. Several paintings decorated the walls of various places in Ryken, including the royal castle. However there was a subtle vibration felt through the wooden floor. As the group was fully on the level, Izuru's and Carmel's laughing started to slow down and, after another moment, stopped. However, their ab muscles were now sore, but there was a warm feeling in their stomach.

A moment later the hallway started to rearrange itself as it pulled apart like a block and changed. Now the hallway was a dark blue with silver stars painted, the six doors had completely disappeared, and the room at the far end of the hallway now looked like a library of sorts; however, it was still a fair way down the hallway. "Everyone saw the room change, right?" Eiru inquired as she blinked several times dumbfounded at what she had just saw. The whole place seemed to be full of all sorts of magic, then the place shook violently for a moment then stopped.

 

[Slowpokie]

Carmel Davour
Mentions: saxon Elijay Gaius Danius Griinia

Eventually, the laughter died down, but Carmel was left feeling sore in both the abdomen and the cheeks... But there was also a warm feeling on the inside. "I am... N-NOT eating anything weird ever again..." He vowed to himself, holding his stomach as he tried to regain his footing.

Watching the hallway change so dramatically caught Carmel off guard, and he blinked several times as he tried to process what exactly just happened. He could only nod at Eiru's question, dumbfounded for a moment.

As he walked down the hallway, his obscured eyes lingering over the new scenery, Carmel speaks up, his voice now tired and a bit weak "This place almost reminds me of a pop-up book..."