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What are these--

[None of them are really equipped for crowd control!

But that's okay. Sinclair is a tank, and he's also a tiny bit vicious sometimes with how he fights. He uses a brandish to draw the aggro to help Michel pick off the stragglers and then focuses on normal attacks to pick off the goblins one by one]

[ Hopefully not too much aggro. Michel settles into a divide-and-conquer, targeting one after another. Though they're more strategic than most...

One goblin lands a hit on his upper arm while he's tangling with another, and he startles, almost dropping his own weapon as he lets out a hiss of surprise. It's not that such a weak hit hurts all that much. But he'd forgotten -- he always has that disabled. ]

[That has Sinclair moving in automatically to drive through a goblin with a critical hit from a Thorn Dance. He has pain sensors on too. But it doesn't seem to phase him as the Goblins basically plink off his armor]

Are you okay?

[ Michel gives a quiet grunt of embarrassment and shakes his arm minutely, renewing the attack and spamming Sword Flash to cover his lapse. ]

It's nothing. I forgot that I adjusted my settings.

...ah.

[Checking his settings, which can't be adjusted mid-run. He'll just keep sweeping through all these goblins, one by one]

We'll have to be careful then.

[But they're almost to the end point of the dungeon, what other monsters will they be hit by?]

At this level, they won't be a problem...

[ Actually. Maybe it wouldn't be terrible to let Sinclair focus on being careful. As long as he doesn't go overboard tanking.

To Michel's relief, the last wave of enemies on the roster are distinctly less humanoid. ]

[Humanoid or not, Sinclair has no qualms about fighting any monsters. Drawing out a brandish again--time to smash his way through some rocks!!]

--it seems like that.

That doesn't mean you need to pull all of the aggro!

[ But from the pattern of dungeons so far, there's no reason for Michel not to exhaust his SP here. He launches into a flurry of attacks, not particularly concerned about drawing attention back from Sinclair. ]

But my HP and defense are higher than yours--

[Just. Going to town on these rock-things with a triple wield. Then a thorn dance. Repeatedly]

I can take a hit or two.

[ With Blade Brandier's stats, arguably not much more than that. But this isn't about logic. Sword Flash and Ogre Sword all the way down, and Sinclair can have any aggro he manages to wrest from him -- before the rock monsters disintegrate, that is. ]

Still--

[And they're done! Phew. They've made it to the end of the dungeon, what blessing shall they get this time? At least it isn't a tear trap]

[ At least! But when Michel hears the voice start in on "Welcome, weary traveler. Allow me to bless you before you depart," his whole expression darkens abruptly. ]

Not again, you don't—!

[ There is no dodging a blessing or a curse. All he can do is lift his sword futilely at the unseen voice. But when he doesn't immediately poof into a grunty he lowers it again a little. ]

Hm...?

... we didn't get anything...?

[ Hm. Interesting. What could this dungeon possibly have done but

dial up sounds intensify]

[ Oh, that's slightly painful. Michel jerks his head around, trying to scope out where it's coming from...

And now there's dial-up in stereo. He winces doubly. ]

Is it going to do that constantly?!

[ BOOP BOOP BOOP

SCREEEWWEEEWWWEEECH]

Ugh. L-lets get out of here...

Maybe... it will stop back in the Root Town.

[ Maybe the dungeon itself is glitching? Time to head back, with Vogel's loot.

He was going to suggest another dungeon after this, but if that noise keeps going... ]

[This continues to be a pain so eventually the party has to be disbanded. rip their heads]

[ A few days later, the two of them will receive a strange email sent from a user simply named "Anonymous" with the keywords Θ Hidden Forbidden Dragonbein and a message encouraging them to go investigate it.

Should they choose to go, when they gate in, they'll find themselves standing on a bridge in the middle of a mountain range. The bridge is tall, sitting above a thick mist that lies below. ]

[ At least this is a few days later, when they're no longer hearing the dialup sounds. Should they know better than to get into this anyway? Probably. And yet, here they are. To Sinclair: ]

Mist again... watch your feet.

[ Just how sturdy isthe bridge they're on? Michel takes a moment to do a good look around the area, too. He's not counting on all of these being free of enemies. ]

I have an idea--

[Is there any way to check for the sturdiness of the bridge? Otherwise, once again Sinclair's trusty walking stick - the lance - is coming out to help them check for any holes]

I can use my lance. I'll go first.

[ When Sinclair pokes at the bridge with his lance, he'll see that it's pretty sturdy. It's fine to make their way over.

The Dragonbein Range is an area that has been carved out of the bones of a dragon that has long since passed. The two will find themselves along a stone walkway that looks like it served as a military keep, high up in the mountains and marked by various checkpoints. With time wearing everything away, it’s impossible to tell if these were once military checkpoints of some sort or if they were simply for supplies and rest. Below, the air is thick with mist, making it impossible to see the ground.

Long pointed bones decorate the stone path through the mountains, serving as a reminder of its supposed origins. In various spots, the bones have been chipped at or cracked away, either by battle or by age. ]

It seems safe enough.

[ Looks like there's no reason not to proceed here just yet... since the path seems sturdy enough, Michel will fall into step alongside Sinclair again. He's not sending him ahead to take point.

He glances down at the bones as they walk, sizing them up curiously. Do they look draconic too, or like other of the game monsters? ]

This is the first reference to dragons we've heard since the song, isn't it?

Yeah.

[ Sinclair will study the checkpoints a little more - what kind are they? Any flags left over? Any writing?]

Swallow and I were saying... it's funny how we haven't seen any dragons as boss battles in dungeons.

[ The bones are mostly for decoration used to line up the path with a single curved bone like a smile on each side, sticking up. Definitely dragon bones for its size.

On top of the checkpoint building lies a huge stone dragon that seems to be hugging the roof, draped over it it's some sort of sleeping cuddle buddy as it watches over the scenery before it. You might feel like the dragon is watching you, but you will never see the dragon actually move.

The inside of the checkpoint building is nothing remarkable apart from a plaque with a riddle that sits in the center. It reads as follows:

What clings to you? Bear it you cannot, accept it you cannot, but hidden it is from you. Recite its name.

They have 3 attempts. ]

Edited 2023-09-05 21:28 (UTC)

[ Well... it could be worse. The goth in Michel — all — can't even disapprove, actually.

He engages in a staring contest with the dragon for a short time before reading the plaque over several times, frowning slightly in thought. Riddles... ]

I would have said, "regret." But that's... far from hidden. What do you think? Literature is your strength, not mine.

[ He's conferring with his partner and not submitting that as an answer yet! Leaving the actual decisions up to Sinclair; godspeed, Sinclair. ]

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