The Path to Cleyra

The Path to Cleyra
Date of Scene:	25 October 2012
Location:	Bare Desert
Synopsis:	After the tribulation of the sandstorm, the adventurers found their way into the heart of Cleyra. It was a large tree to explore that was filled with monsters. Could the city be here?
Cast of Characters:	Reize Seatlan, Lily, Avira, Lenn

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Reize Seatlan has posed:
The howling wind is pretty strong. It is a beating force that gives out a cry into the air.

How long have the adventurers been out? A couple of hours? Half a day? A day? It has been a while since the incident. Everyone who were caught up in the sandstorm had managed to find themselves out in what was part of a large tree.

The adventures finall arrived to the city that rests in the top branches of a massive tree. It ascends so far into the sky that all what can be seen are roots.

Yet, here is the city.

The City of Illusion, Cleyra.

The young adventurer, Reize, is lying flat on his back. Of course, this is not one of the best points to be. For some reason, as he slowly squints his eyes, or at least, his eyes twitch, he can't help but feel like a bit of weight is on him as the eyes flutter open.

Lenn has posed:
Lenn is draped across Reize, exhaustedly. She's been scratched up pretty good by the storm, herself. Loose white dresses: great for letting breeze in. Bad for keeping sandstorms out. Ouch. As such, she lays atop Reize.... but she, too, can't help but feel weight pressing down on her.

Avira has posed:
Fortunately Avira was perfectly equipped for dealing with a sandstorm! That is to say, she had a pair of goggles on so she was able to "see" through the whole ordeal. That didn't really help much since the sand was everywhere. The most she caught was a snatch of tree branch or leaves here and there so it's quite a surprise when she feels herself no longer moving.

She can tell she's fallen and lies face-down. Fortunately, there are two people underneath her that have more or less broken her fall! "Uggh man, that sandstorm must've done something to my back..." she starts to say, feeling pressure upon it.

Only...seconds later she realizes that feeling comes from something pushing down on her back.

Lily has posed:
Completing this totem pole of travelers is...

The only person who doesn't feel anything on her back. In fact, right about when Reize, Lenn, and Avira have opened their eyes, they were just a few seconds later than Lily, who is sitting neatly atop the pile with her legs dangling and a very confused look on her face. Eyes cloudily glazed over, lips slightly parted and her hair and clothes a bit of a mess... "Where... is this...?"

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Oooh, that's why everything feels heavy. Given that Lenn is lying on top of the boy, Reize is unaware as to why he is feeling a bit weight on him. However, when he lifts his head up to try to push himself up...
%tHis head bumps against Lenn. Well, it bumps itself between Lenn's assets. The boy essentially gets a face full of the 'melons'.

 !!!!!!

His arms flail about, trying to get up.

"Mfffhwhnnnnn!!!"

Lenn has posed:
Lenn blushes. Deeply. Reize's face is *RIGHT THERE*. And with the people atop her, she, too, is powerless to rectify the situation. "U... um... could you.... get off of us? Quickly, if you could...

Avira has posed:
Face down, Avira gets a really good view of Reize and his shenanigans. Though not explicitly involved, just watching makes Avira feel embarassed. "Oh, I would be delighted to, let me tell you-"

Avira doesn't even wait for Lily to stand up, she just wiggles and squirms he way out of that people sandwich. Lily's going to have to move or risk getting bucked off by the wild huntress.

"I have no idea where this is. I've /never/ seen a tree this huge in the desert."

Lily has posed:
Bucked is a good way to put it. Lily's the LAST of the girlpile to really get to her senses, and she lets out a bubbly yelp of surprise when, quite suddenly, she's knocked half a foot in the air and comes back DOWN, this time on Lenn, with a bit more force. "Oof..."

...and then rolls OFF of Lenn, unable to quite stop, and quite probably bumps into Avira before landing next to Reize, face-down.

"Uh-o... oooh... owww.. I'm awake!"

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Reize flails. He keeps flailing and his head flops back onto the ground. Comical tears roll along his cheeks as he whimpers.

"Cooties... Why...?" Poor Reize. Still not use to girls. "This is quite the day." He looks over towards everyone. "Is everyone alright?" You know, despite the fact that Reize got a face full of melons, he is still worried about everyone.

As he gets his eyes drawn up to a verrry large tree. The massive tree seems to have an effect of giving an indication of something great up ahead.
"Wow... that is a large tree." The strangest thing about the location, especially with the trees about, is that there are rings of ancient symbols about. They give some sort of indication, but it is hard to tell what.

Avira has posed:
"Fine, perfectly fine now." Avira stretches out her back and pulls her goggles down to around her neck. "Maybe this is it...?" Avira asks cautiously, straightening and staring waaaaay up at the tree. "I was expecting more of an actual city though but maybe there's more to it." Like any good hunter, she immediately starts exploring.

The symbol rings look promising since that's at least some indication of civilization.

Lily has posed:
That odd word again. "Coo...ties...?" Lily's lips twist about perplexedly but she stands up on her own and glnaces about at the others, cracking a warm smile with each fine face she spots! "I'm glad everyone's alright. I remember getting caught in really powerful winds and then... nothing! But we're all together!"

She then turns to look at the aforementioned tree along with Reize, and tilts her head. "Um... made it where, Reize?"

Lenn has posed:
Lenn nods, and produces a crystal from her pouch, releasing healing energies among the group, battered bruised and scratched as they are by the storm. "There... that should help us out."

Reize Seatlan has posed:
"So did I..." Reize looks over toward Avira. He is glancing up towards one of the branches, then he looks along the tree.

Sand continues to pour down along the branches. The presence of life seem to be very small. At least, there does seem to be large blue bird creatures flapping their wings around the top part of the trees.

He looks up and up and up.

"Uhhh...." He looks back at the ladies. "I think it may be all the way up there..." The tree thankfully has some flooring for the group that they can walk along it. It seems to lead to another passage.

A huge ring-shaped ceramic has the entrance to the next area.

"It looks like we will have to go along this tree." He walks along the path. "They said that they had to brave through the path around here to find the city. Or at least, that was part of the rumor."

Avira has posed:
Birds! "...interesting, they must be adapted to surviving in the sandstorm..." Avira muses as she observes the creatures far up in the top of the tree. "...wait, all the way up in that tree? That high up?"

She pauses, immediately brightening, "That's awesome, let's go!!!"

She will gladly lead the way, apparently not afraid of heights whatsoever. Avira struts through the ring-shaped entranceway, especially invigorated now that Lenn has kindly healed everyone from the sandstorm chafing.

Lily has posed:
The healing energies do help! Lily lets out a sound rather like a cheer when it hits her without really thinking much, arms raising like a bird stretching its wings out. "ooooh!"

Not at all sure what's going on, she falls in behind Reize and glances over at Avira, who seems similarly excited but hekc if Lilyk nows why! "Adapted?"

Lenn has posed:
Lenn nods. "So, shall we get going, then? We've got quite a bit of travel ahead of us, I think, to get to the top.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
After being healed by Lenn, Reize turns to face her with a smile, "Thanks Lenn!" He waits for her to catch up with the rest of the group, then he turns ahead towards the trees about.

With Avira leading the way...

The travel along the large tree is quite a feat. As they continue to go up, the elevation rises and the air becomes dense.

Climb the vines, it'll get you to the next part of the truck. Despite the sands pouring down and rolling downhill, the air is a bit more fresh thanks to the large tree.

The pouring sand does, however, linger and fill the forest-like terrain.

However...

"GRREAAARRRRRRGGGGHHH!!!!!"

Exploding to life from the sands is a gargantuan Sand Golem. The core iluminates. It shudders to life and it slams a massive fist on the ground nearby Avira.

Lenn has posed:
Lenn gasps as the group is attacked by a sand golem. "Well, I wasn't expecting THIS." oO(I hope I have enough crystals to make it through to the top...) She tightens her grip on her staff, before bracing for the fight.

Avira has posed:
With this terrain, Avira is certainly enjoying herself. She's straight-up fascinated, "I've never seen anything like this..." she murmurs, pausing as she's caught off guard by Lily's question. She actually glances over her shoulder to make sure it was asked seriously. That happened quite a bit around this girl, come to think of it. "Adapt. Change to fit the circumstances-here, watch this."

Avira actually stops and turns around to face Lily. "So right now it's really light out, right? Even with the sandstorm. See my eyes? See how my pupils are all small?" Avira covers her eyes with a hand for a few seconds.

When she takes them away, her pupils are larger, having adapted to the darkness. They quickly accomodate to the light again and dialate. "They get big in the dark so you can see better. Eyes adapt to the light level-"

SCIENCE TIME is rudely interrupted by a sand golem emerging from the sand and smashing his fist down a little too close to where Avira is standing. Unintentionally, Avira yelps from surprise and takes a few steps backwards before frantically fishing out her weapon, the Spine. Once it is in her hands, there is no more hesitation on her part, the blade swung sideways as she tries to "sever" that fist at the wrist.

Lily has posed:
Well, who knows where they are or why they're here. Lily certainly doesn't, but she's happily following along with Reize wherever it is he seems to have wanted to go for whatever reason!

... having Lenn around is also fun, so she has NOTHING to complain about.

"...oh... that's neat! Eyes change?" She sounds pretty amazed at Avira's demonstration, and shines a childishly happy smile at her, delighted to learn this.

...Oh wait... Nothing, that is, except that giant THING that just burst out of nowhere like godzilla from the depths. "Aaaaah!" Lily almost tumbles onto her tush, but she does keep balnace this time when she backpedals and takes a combat stance of sorts-- mostly just stagginer her legs a little...

"Why is everything always SO ANGRY?!"

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Prior to the presence of the golem, Reize was in the back of the group, taking the rear to ensure everyone was able to catch up. He looks over towards Lenn, the smile growing her way.

While watching Lily and Avira interact, Reize had been glad for Lily. He leaned, watching the look on Lily's face.

"...I'm glad for Lily.." It's like an older brother looking at a younger sister, seeing her interact and engage in the other people. Though, he inwardly has to wonder how Shiki and Ivo are handling things back at the HQ.

Aren't there a lot of puppies...?

Back to now...

The Golem is a threat.

"Crap! Looks like this thing doesn't like us here!" The boy brings the boomerang out to launch out towards the golem's other hand.

The Sand Golem, the defender of the great sands from such outsiders, is looming before the travelers. When Avira takes out the spine to sever the fist, it grows back and it seeks to smack her aside.

The boomerang merely smacks against it, but it is ineffective.

Instead....

A giant hand lunges from the ground to wrap around Reize.

"GAH!"

Squeeze.

"GNGGH!!" Ribs, hurting...

Lenn has posed:
Lenn frowns, and produces another crystal. "I've got an idea..." She calls on the crystal's power, to aim a ball of flame at the sand golem's arm... With luck, she'll be able to turn it to glass. "If this works, SHATTER IT!"

Avira has posed:
"Yep, human eyes, animal eyes..." Avira hasn't watched the eyes of other races too carefully so she cannot vouch for them. Fortunately, Lily seems like she's getting the picture. She'd love to go into dialation and that sort of thing but it'll have to wait until there are less angry sand golems!

Speaking of...the optimistic part of Avira had hoped that "severed" sand would go back to being inanimate. Of course, even if it did, the golem's quite capable of growing back a new fist, which slaps her aside seconds later. Being a bit on the small side, this actually sends Avira flying to the back of the group. Hitting the ground on her back, she bounces once and slides a little before pushing off the ground and forcing herself back up. "Physical attacks are ineffective! We need...ooh! That's a great idea! Got this!"

Avira patiently waits for Lenn's fire magic to do it's thing, flanking the creature in the meantime. Should the arm really turn to glass, Avira strikes! ...she just makes sure to strike at an angle that isn't head-on.

Lily has posed:
"What about water--" Lily was just asking this when Lenn launched her fireball. Now that she wasn't quite expecting. But, seeing some merit in this idea, and spurned on by how Reize was so quickly grabbed, Lily stretches her arms out and opens her palms. Her robes whip about from the mystical flames and the heated winds they kick up that rush around her and gather into a massive plume that launches out to join Lenn's fireball!

Reize Seatlan has posed:
The ball of fire, launched by Lenn, scorches along the sandy beast, turning its hand into glass. This keeps it from moving for a few moments. That is enough time for Avira to strike at the arm. The glass shatters, leaving the arm unable to regenerate itself due to the stump still glass-like.r
This also thankfully frees Reize. He coughs and gasps, trying to catch his breath.

Something at the very center is wiggling. It's a red gem at the center of its chest. It wiggles once in a while as the large golem lurches over the group.

"Guys! Something is wiggling at its chest!"

That wiggling gem starts to glow. Suddenly, flames ignite into an explosion towards Avira, Lily, Lenn, and Reize.

Reize winces, already caught in the flames against him. He places his ahnd along. He winds back, then he tightens his fist. "Guh.... I'll show you...!" Reize is running towards the sand creature, then he looks a the group. "Okay! Cover me! We got to get to that gem!" He looks towards Avira as he charges, "Let's move forward! We gotta strike that!"

Lenn has posed:
Lenn nods, "Lily, I can handle defense, can you handle their attack?" She switches her crystal for another pair of jewels, after a moment of searching, before releasing the energy to cover Avira and Reize like armor, helping to protect them from the flames.

Avira has posed:
The glassing method certainly seems to work very well. Avira can easily see this time the golem is unable to reform its arm. Now if they turned the whole thing into glass...?

To make herself a more difficult target, Avira keeps moving and eventually circles back around to Reize. "Wiggling?" Avira spots the gem, then sees the glow. Already she is diving out of the way, apparently recognizing charging magic when she sees it. "That gem, huh?!"

Nice looking gem, that, Avira realizes. Probably sells for a lot, especially if it's MAGIC. "Right!" She easily catches up to Reize, charging with him, but not too close to him. Not close enough that the golem's going to be able to smack them both away with an arm. It'll have to decide on a target!

Once close enough, Avira tries to wedge her blade between the gem and sandiness that makes this creature.

Lily has posed:
"I'll try!" Lily replies with a gasp of surprise. She'd not though muhc about coordinating with this thing in front of them all, just.. helping whoever it was assaulting.

"The gem..." She's not quite sure HOW to help the two, but... an idea strikes when she sees Reize's boomerangs. With a gesture, Lily directs some of her magic, focusing the power of water smmoothly and coldly. A spike of ice forms in the air, and flies in for the gem!

Reize Seatlan has posed:
The Sand Golem is gazing at the intruders. The massive guardian sneers towards the presence of the surroundings. With Reize and Avira coming its way, it is preparing to strike out towards the two. However...

As Reize charges into the battle distance, he leaps up into the air and he winds his boomerangs back. "HYAAAAAA!!!" The boy slams his boomerang out towards the core at the same time that Avira strikes.

The core twitches and shudders, the golem seeks to slam its fist towards Reize. The impact sends the young boy flying across the sandy ground, yelping as he nearly falls off of the ledge. He's gripping onto edge. "Eeeeeeee!!!" He looks down, and then he brings his other hand up to hold on.

It's Lily's ice spike, however, that pierces the shard.

The creature releases a howl, its arms raising before it shatters... That 'gem' withers into dust.. along with the creature.

Lenn has posed:
Lenn hurries over toward Reize, to help him back up if she can. She's not the strongest person, however, and if he's too far over, she may find herself starting to slip, as well. "Hang on!"

Avira has posed:
This charge, Avira seems to be in a slightly better position to dodge whatever incoming smack the golem might have planned. Sadly, she never gets the opportunity to pull off the dodging herself as the monster completely focuses on Reize.

Still she charges, but just as the very tip of the spine is going to penetrate the sandy exterior, Lily hammers the core with an ice spike and shatters it! Avira lets out a small pout, having planned on keeping that nice big gem. She can't complain though, the monster is gone, "That was goo-ack, Reize!" Avira quickly sticks the Spine point first into the walkway and rushes to the dangling youth.

"Here, I'll help-" she offers quickly before grabbing ahold of his arms and pulling back.

Lily has posed:
"Phew.." Lily wobbles a little- before realizing... hey wait, REIZE IS IN TROUBLE. "Aaaah!!" WHOOOSH. She's off like a bolt herself just like Avira, and grabs onto the girl to give what strength she can to the effort in a hurry! "Don't falldon't fall don't fall!"

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Crap. Going to fall.

The young adventurer can feel his grip on the ledge loosening. Slip. The boy tries to use his strength. It's not the lack of strength that is the underlying issue. It's the fact that the spilling sand is making it more difficult for Reize to even hang on. His eyes widen as he slowly slips.

As Avira and Lenn arrive to help the leader of the Shard Seekers. Thankfully, not just that, but Lily is joining in on it as well.

"Oh man, not looking to become a splat on the ground!" That fear is catching on. However, through his friends, his life is spared from such a fate.

Finally, he is up to solid ground again. He smile towards the gathered group. "Thanks everyone." He brightens, almost a chuckle. But when he lifts his head up, his eyes widen.

If the group would look up, they can see signs of the city itself not too far.

This is the City of Illusion, Cleyra.

Avira has posed:
"No you're-" Avira starts, tugging him up. The size difference almost makes this a tradgedy. Weight-wize, Reize wins in that category due to Avira's build. Fortunately, it's Lily to the resky. Even just a little strength is a help as she and Lily pull the squirming Reize to safety. Their rescuee points up, way up, and she turns to see.

"..ahhh, there they are. Let's go, no stopping us now!"

Lily has posed:
Lily's not very strong, but being really determined can help a lot. When Reize and the others are admiring the view, she's trembling - for a few moments. Relieved. But then she joins in, taking up a spot on the other side of Reize and grabbing his arm TIGHTLY as if afraid he might fall off the edge again if she doesn't. "There's a city.. inside the sandstorm...?"

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Well, Reize isn't going to fight against her hand moving towards his. At frist, Reize isn't making a big fuss out of it. His hand is slowly entwining with her own.

And Lily holds onto the other arm. He sweatdrops, already feeling the fear in Lily. He sighs, giving the girl a faint smile. "Don't worry, Lily, I'm safe now, thanks to you all."

The city is a long way.

Granted, the city is more of a settlement.

When they arrive, they will see burmecians dressed in a green priestly robe. They seem rather friendly, nevertheless.

"Wow! There are people like Faruja here!" Then, looks at Lily, "Yeah, it looks like it. ....I wonder why though."

Avira has posed:
Once up, Avira hazards a small peek over the edge. It wasn't the absolute highest they could have gone on this path, but it was still high enough to be fatal if someone fell off.

What surprises, and perhaps slightly disappoints, Avira is that this place has plenty of real people living here. Some people appear to be of a race that she's never met, "So there are people here...lots of people. Darn, can't really take the tresure of an already-existing society." Grinning, she shakes her head, "Oh well...at least people are friendly here?"

Reize Seatlan has posed:
When the group finally arrive at the entrance of the settlement, they are greeted by one of the rodent-like individuals. The person looks pretty friendly, dressed in a green priestly robe. The bermucian ofers a bow, and then he smiles. A soft voice is carried:
"Welcome, it is not often that we receive travelers who brave through the storm." A smile, "Shall I be your guide?"