<ROUND ONE-HUNDRED AND TEN>
Echoss and Chloe continue their chat. Chloe's eyes squint as she gives Echoss a good look-over.

CHLOE: Twelve-thousand, huh?
CHLOE: Well, for a twelve-thousand year old, you're looking remarkably good...
CHLOE: I'd ask more about the void, but... w-well, if I really was up to it, I'd ask you questions for days...

Chloe is then given the news about something dangerous to the south. She freezes up, grip tightening even more on Maria. It's probably a bit painful at this point, so Chloe promptly lets go, unsheathing her sword.

CHLOE: T-THERE'S A WHAT!?
CHLOE: W-What do I do? I-I don't have any special means of contacting e-everyone, a-and i-if Maria gets h-hurt...
CHLOE: I-I d-don't...
CHAOS: oh wai[t] [t]he jukebox was evil?
CHAOS: weird
CHAOS: man i should be [t]aking no[t]es
CHLOE: S-Stop fantasizing over the jukebox!
CHLOE: ...Wait, a jukebox? A jukebox is going to kill us?
CHAOS: yeah
CHLOE: If I get killed by a jukebox of all things, my soul is going to be absolutely freaking pissed.
CHLOE: A-Anyway!

Chloe turns towards Hemlock, who has been made alarmed by the conversation.

CHLOE: H-Hi! H-Hemlock? Quick question!
CHLOE: I-Is there anywhere we can run around here? W-We're apparently going to get ganked b-
HEMLOCK: Yes, yes, I've been LISTENING!
HEMLOCK: Ugh, of course I had to be nice and do the tour!
HEMLOCK: And what do I get for it? An ambush by a...
HEMLOCK: ...By a what now?
CHLOE: Jukebox.
HEMLOCK: By a JUKEBOX!
HEMLOCK: Really?
CHLOE: Yeah. Really.
HEMLOCK: Well. Isn't life strange?
HEMLOCK: Anyway, while there's no way through the gardens surrounding Yggdrasil, we can always try to, say... loop around the tree.
HEMLOCK: Alternatively, we can take shelter at the back. From the sound of things, it seems like your friend has a bit of backup planned...
CHLOE: R-Right!
CHLOE: A-Anyway, come on everyone! Behind the tree! W-We can p-plan from there!

The group does a tactical rollout to the north, ending up at the north end of Scale Yggdrasil. Tensions are high as the group takes watch, waiting for a rampant jukebox to come and attack them.

Elsewhere, Echoss decides to do some mining, firing a drill that destroys (S80) and (T80), beating 40 total Cobblestone out of them. Gold almost reached! He then creates another Searing Bomb, lobs together 3 Coblestone and 1 Clay to create and standardize a Throwing Rock. He then opts to standardize a Fragapple Grenade, using 1 Fragapple, 3 Refined Wood, 3 Iron, and 1 Gunpowder.

---

Mustache Girl does some crafting. She combines the Ashen Reap with a Turbulence Crafting Charge, a Durasteel Ingot, a Mortar Shell, 3 Joltwire, 2 Megabark, and then 120 credits worth of other material to create the Razorwind Reaver! It gets some serious number tuning- basically all positive!

She then promptly blasts through to the Gold Ore, residual crafting power being channeled into an instant kill on the vein! 15 Gold Ingots and 20 Cobblestone obtained! Some supports are then summoned using 10 Uniform Logs.

---

Auth comforts Nana. While this was originally going to be covered in the battle, there's a lot of text, so... yeah. Auth helps Nana up, offering her a handkerchief. She accepts it, and wipes a bit of the carnage off of her face before handing it back. There's a noticeably high amount of sap and dirt on it.

NANA: T-Thanks, b-but I think we're gonna need a bit more than a tiny little hankie...

He talks to her about how she was possessed.

NANA: I-I was... possessed...?
NANA: I-I... w-what?

She swallows.

NANA: I-It'd make... s-sense.
NANA: D-Does that mean... w-whatever got Larix, a-almost got me...?
NANA: ...O-Oh H-Helix, I-I didn't k-kill anyone, d-did I? Please, PLEASE tell me I-I didn't butcher a-anyone...
NANA: At least, it looks like y-you managed to wrench it o-out of me before anything bad happened...

Nana sighs, but lightens up as she receives the news about Lutea.

NANA: A-Ah, she's doing alright?
NANA: T-Thank goodness...
NANA: I-It makes me sick, imagining my possessed self going home to her a-and doing... u-unspeakable deeds t-to her...
NANA: The thing that possessed Larix, i-it could spray people across walls, s-somehow...

He then points out that the thing that possessed her is actually only a few dozen meters away from her.

NANA: ...
NANA: I-IT'S STILL ALIVE!?

If the Author wasn't right beside her right now, she'd probably be running for her life. She is however, left shaking and shivering in the presence of the beast.

NANA: H-Hold o-on, I-I can do this, I-I can do this...
NANA: I-I can, w-we can... k-kill it! W-We need to!
NANA: F-For those it butchered! For those it fooled!

Nana goes under a small mood shift. Angrier. More confident.

NANA: W-We are not letting it get away!
NANA: We're killing it right here, right now!
NANA: For Larix! For everyone!

Before she can do much else, Auth gives her his coat, explaining she looks like hot trash at the moment.

NANA: Hm?
NANA: O-Oh. I guess I do look like a bit of a wreck, don't I?
NANA: Thank you! Sorry if you need to wash it afterwards...

---

The universe's gears tick forward. A few things happen.

-Nia finishes crafting x? Bottled Bottled Paradoxium.
-Chloe resets her harvesting forms.
-The Electro Tie is added to the Trinkets section of the inventory.

---

...Back at Yggdrasil's Approach, a bunch of Cultists burst out of the trees. They appear to be trying to rap... something.

CULTIST 1: AH YO YO, YO YO, YO!
CULTIST 1: WHAT TIME IS IT?
CULTIST 2: SHOWTIME!
CULTIST 3: ...

Cultist 3 gets a death-stare from the group. He nervously scratches his head, before singing something.

CULTIST 3: ...b-because I-I'm waving through a window?
CULTIST 1: WE'RE NOT DOING THAT MUSICAL YET YOU DIP
CULTIST 3: hey man i wasn't part of your original lineup
CULTIST 3: i didn't get any chance to practice this
CULTIST 1: Fair, fair.

The group promptly thanks the artist for the jukebox, then rolls up to the North. To Scale Yggdrasil. A Rose Cultist kill squadron. The ability to engage them becomes available. While you have time to kill before engaging them, if they catch up with Chloe's group in Scale Yggdrasil, it might trigger before anyone's ready to battle there. It might be worth trying to buy her some time!

---

<THE PRESERVE, ROUND SEVEN>
Couple of deaths and downs here and there- getting eaten or hit by a rocket fist isn't the greatest way to go. Anyway, you're likely pretty close to a victory- the Yaga is low on HP, and Maxim is out of its shell! Pulverize them! Or don't! Either is fine!

Auth seems very relieved as the massive wound on Nana's back heals up. Like it was never there to begin with. Auth gives a heavy sigh of relief as Nana wakes up again, he seemed to have been worried about her well-being for the entire battle.

uA: Hey, hey... take it easy. You're going to be alright now. Give yourself a few minutes to stabilise.

Auth helps Nana up when she reaches up to use him to get up. He clearly doesn't mind Nana leaning on him, despite looking like a mess of sap and Thyme.

uA: You were possessed by an Iti. We found you a fair ways back, but we managed to free you from the Iti's control. We're glad that you're okay now, Nana.

Auth smiles, then offers a handkerchief to Nana to help her clean herself up somewhat. He's doing his best to help her, but the torn outfit she's wearing does not look good at all. Auth is trying to think about how to help her right now, when Nana seems to be worried about her sister.

uA: Ah, yeah. We met Lutea already. She's okay, there's nothing to worry about. She was more worried about you, considering the state we found you in. Y-you're here now because you came with us while you were possessed. I understand why you may struggle to remember anything...

Auth seems to be doing his best to explain everything to Nana, while avoiding stating anything that may be outwardly distressing. He doesn't want her to freak out or anything, but she may need to know.

uA: The Iti that possessed you... see that Carrion?

Auth points to where Maxim is possessing the Carrion.

uA: It's being possessed by the thing that possessed you. I think it's probably a good idea if you move a little and shoot it.

Before Auth and Nana move, Auth takes off his coat and offers it to Nana.

uA: Um, your outfit doesn't look so good. Here, you can wear this... and we can fix it all up after this. Sound okay?

Auth isn't going to sugar-coat that. The wings from the coat stay attached to Auth, though, getting into the white shirt he wears under that heavy-looking coat.

Afterwards, Auth moves to D12, and helps Nana onto E11. Then, he revives Boshi onto D13.

/todo

Echoss talks with Chloe. "Haha, yes. Being immortal has its perks.
Well, feel free to ask questions any time you like, my holograms aren't really doing anything else important for the most part. If you want we could even see about some way to stay in touch after this 'Iti' problem has been dealt with."
Echoss's hologram makes a motion probably meant to be calming. "Relax Miss Elem, you DO have special means of contacting everyone. Me. I am currently with everyone else, and as such am alerting them to the need for reinforcements with your group. You will not be facing this threat without support, I promise you."


Elsewhere, in Yggdrasil's Approach just out of sight of the various Rose Cultists in fact, one of the butterflies lands, and grows to full size. The hologram Echoss straightens itself out, then lets out a deep breath, becoming more and more solid until it fully resembles Echoss himself, full color and everything. He looks down, and hums to himself, before making a sort of swiping gesture over his clothing, which changes to a sort of red color, with a small number of what he thinks is close enough to Rose Cult paraphernelia to make himself appear sympathetic, but not so close as to potentially be blasphemous.
He then moves his hand across his face, which shifts, which simultaneously ages and de-ages, going from looking "timeless" to looking young.

Satisfied with himself, he quickly moves forward to the group of Rose Cultists, shouting out towards them, trying to get their attention.
"Hey! Wait! Are you... Are you members of the Rose Cult? Please tell me you guys are part of the Rose Cult!"


A mysterious figure appears to Nia, and slips her the requisite credits for upgrading the entire stack of Bottled Bottled Paradoxium. I cannot stress enough that it is not Echoss attempting to upgrade these, weird and eccentric fits him quite well, insane and potentially mentally handicapped does not.


Crafting:
First I codify a new Manabloom Tea consumable, which will either give immediate mana, or (more likely) just grant some decent energized. Echoss does this by taking a teacup (which are apparently easy to find around here) and the teapot from earlier. He takes the teapot, some fresh water, and boils the manabloom, along with a couple of psychoid seeds for their mental health benefits, allowing the manabloom's magic-enhancing properties to take root more efficiently. The tea thus brewed, Echoss pours it into the tea cup, and sets it as a standard crafting procedure.

Next, Echoss decides we need some special buffs. So he grabs a bit of Yggcrawler Exoskeleton, and then some Titanium Ingots. He takes the Yggcrawler Exoskeleton, and with careful application of a sledgehammer, morphs them into a more usable shape, then takes the various scraps and arc-welds them into one, solid, coherent mass.
Except that's not actually what he does because that's not how you craft with biological materials. He uses magic. Because that's the answer for everything apparently. Anyways, he melts down the titanium ingots, also using magic, and reforms them into sort of braces for the yggcrawler exoskeleton shells, and finally, a handle.
He stands back and appreciates his handiwork, several Yggcrawler Shields have been created. These suckers give Guardian to the person who uses them for 2 or 3 rounds. Probably not very much though.
This is not a codified recipe.


Echoss looks about and realizes that the battle is mostly decided, and that the folks at Yggdrasil need his help more. He takes a piece of paper, writes a message on it, and folds it into a paper airplane, which he throwss. It loops through the air until it reaches Omorika.
In a flowery, but still very neat handwriting, the note reads: "Apologies for this, I know I said we would talk more after the battle but it seems some of our allies have been cornered near Scale Yggdrasil, and my assistance is needed there. It really is quite hectic around here right now, isn't it? Best regards -Echoss"

For last round, if possible (sorry my posting schedule has been terrible, I've been a little busy)

Wyvern dashes through the forest to U4 and unfortunately can't do much else.

The Man moves a few meters to H14, and McShoots™ the Yaga with specialized McBullets™.

___________________________

Packo sprints to O11, moves after Venia!

The Battle of the Preserve
I iz dead, Skirmisher avenge me!

Both Skirmishers moves to I14 and I15 and attacks Yaga

Maria's Wonderful Garden Trip

Maria stares at Echoss's rendition of the Jukebox. "Ooooh! I wanna see it for real!"

Chloe's immediate reaction drains all of her excitement at seeing the 'Mon-Stro-City' for real as she's yanked to the back of the garden, Hemlock and others aiming weapons behind roots. She grows quiet and shaky, doubly so in the face of Chloe's obvious worry. Venny never got this worried about anything-what could be happening that would get a superhero for work worried? She holds the relatively stoic Piggo for comfort.

"Miss Chloe, what's going on? You sound really scared, and... I'm getting ascared, too!" Maria says, clutching onto Piggo's head.

Then, the metaphorical lightbulb flicks on in Maria's brain as she realizes what she's grabbing. "Wait wait wait wait, I just had an idea! I just had an idea," Maria says as she moves around to Piggo's side and jumps up onto Piggo's back (Piggo looks remarkably willing to allow this despite her lack of grace), eventually managing to sit herself upright. Piggo, fit for an adult Chairian to ride (if the Codex Monstrum is any indication), easily supports Maria's mimimal weight, enabling Maria to look at Chloe in the face without looking up.

"I'm riding a piggy!" Maria shouts, triumphant. Piggo wanders around Chloe's legs. "I'm riding a piggy. It's awesome. And if anything bad happens, I'mma joust that mon-stro-city!" Maria adds, suddenly confident. "With mah' stick." She adds, pointing her spider-webbed stick in the air.

A pause.

"Miss Chloe, what's a monster? And why is it a jukebox?"

RP: The Preserve

Venia's 'face,' which previously had very little other than a cluster of mask-spiders indicating that it was anything like a head at all, cracks into some kind of horrific grin, not at all helped by a rather intimidating fang-lined maw, eagerly awaiting the death of the relatively tiny bug right next to her.

Then that relatively tiny bug blitzes away. "REDIPISCOR HERE!" Venia screams, almost ready to blitz after it, until another child illusion pops up in her face.

And then she stops. You can't really hear her breathe-you don't think eldritch spiders need to breathe, in fact-but Venia abruptly seems paused by the image of the child, even if said child is creepy as hell. It appears her extreme wrath has worn off. She looks around her, and briefly reconsiders her options, and then lays eyes around the nearby Nana as well as Nia, neither of whom likely knew about this particular form before and likely didn't get a good look at it from within the woods, but have a pretty clear view now she's in the open.

"... I assure you I am fine and stable! Everything's OK, uh, with me! I'm... I'm OK! I'm OK! I'm not crazy. It's OK." Venia shouts, her voice now tinted in several shades of embarrassment. "I just... I really just hate Maxim, OK?!" she adds. "... Let's end this, together!

RP: Temmie Shop

In the immaterial plane of NPC shopping and assignments, Venia, as her usual self and not an eldritch spider mass, approaches Marron and Ette. "Hi! Uh. So, Nia finished some stuff, and, uh. Here," Venia says, handing Marron over Therma. "Therma! Works good as new, I think... The Rifle's also working as normal, too."

"Uh, in any case, to, to cut to the other point, uh, well. I need three things on behalf of other people, including yourself. Uh, upgrades to stuff they have, basically. There's Omorika's Birch Clogs... Chloe's Blade Charm... And, well, your own Needlebound Cloak. I'd like to see, uh, see Tier 4 versions of each. Also, uh, you are, you are not allowed to put anything rude on Blade Charm, please. That'll be 120 Credits as there'll be only one of, uh, one of each," Venia says, handing over the cash.

Battle: The Preserve

"...Oh wait, wait, wait, DON'T LET MAXIM ESCAPE!" Venia yells, suddenly realizing Maxim's pretty close to just booking it outright from its current position. Even if it actually can't leave the battle.

Venia grabs a Searing Bomb and hands it over to Nana. "Come on, with me, Nana! Sprint ahead-I'll catch up!"

Nana is asked to Sprint to M13 and chuck a Searing Bomb at Maxim, hopefully qualifying us for the achievement. Venia will move to I12 and channel Purge. "Omorika, Ette, help!" Venia yells, hoping to have Omorika use Null Somnum on her, then have Ette Guiding Hand her up 2 spaces East. Once that's done, she rushes to O11 and unleashes Purge upon Maxim properly, before retreating to N12.

"MAXIM! I WARNED YOU!"

Destiny runs up to J10, stabs Yaga, and retreats to J12. Destiny then glances at Venia.

Do not worry. I think most of us can be considered unstable at times, depending on the situation, such as getting cheated on, or having a statue made in your honor detonated.

--------------------

Crya gets a little bored and decides to ice skate her way to Maria and friends.

Hello there! I'm getting bored sitting around, and so I thought I'd join you guys here!
...can anyone fill me in on those suspicious lookin' hooded dudes and their jukebox?

Boshi gets revived by Auth. "(Thanks, doc.)" From a fair distance away, Hat Kid breathes a sigh of relief...

Boshi runs along to (H10) and whaps the Yaga.

Hat Kid runs to (O9) and fires off a Phial Burst (Electric) at Maxim. She retreats to (N7).

----

Mustache Girl gathers up her spoils. She then marks (Q81) and (Q82) for mining.

Though, frankly, she was exhausted from all the mining and crafting... so she leaves a number of sturdy vines and an iron ingot down there. The vines to act as a rope down the mine, and the iron to act as an anchor. She forms the iron into a stake, and ties one end of the vines to it. She then ties about 5 more vines to the other vine, making a rope that would extend about 5 tiles down from (Q81) once that's dug out.

Now, to get this done. Mustache girl takes her copy of the Razorwind Reaver and... traces a circle around the part where she wants to dig. Okay?

She takes a piece of durasteel, and forms it into a large, hollow drill thing. She places it on the center of the circle, point down.

She then leaps up to the ceiling of the shaft, and hangs there for a bit. She then lets go and starts spinning. Just as she is about to hit the drill bit, she activates the Razorwind Reaver. Through the sheer impact of Mustache Girl (who is somehow no worse for wear other than the minor explosion damage) and her spinning motion, the drill bit is forced down the marked area, and spins like a drill should to get the dirt out.

Thankfully, it seems like the vine rope was just balancing on the edge of the hole, and falls down the hole shortly after Mustache Girl finishes drilling.

Nidra casts Last Dream on the Yaga.

Before Brutishace acts this round, Simeon notices the Apocalypse Rune to his right.
"OH SHOOT RUN RUN RUN GET CLEAR"
He moves to N16, and shoots Tiny Maxim.
"You seem... smaller than before. New diet? Anyhow, pew."

Hex prances over to H11, then turns to face the Yaga.
He holds out his blade, and flames swirl around to the edge of it. Fire swirls around him, forming a a huge storm of ember and ash. He points forward, draws his blade, and lunges all the way to J10, tearing through the Yaga, slashing across its hide and sending fire arcing all across it. He finishes it off with a stab at the Yaga from behind, then rests .((Move to H11, Pyrolunge to J10, lungeattacking the Yaga))

EN would be focused on the foes ahead of her, if nothing was happening. However, something is indeed happening. Maxim is trying to get away. EN's noticed, moving to get a slightly better lineup at R9 and turning her aspis shield to the... east(?), then grinning as she turns to Maxim.

"Y'ain't gettin' away. Ah'll break ya in 'alf right 'ere! HUTTAH!"

She proceeds to somehow reach across the cover with the power of Galahad's Shield modifier, then demolishing punches Maxim about as hard as possible from here. Probably. This is gonna be awkward if it glances, let alone misses.

Toast tosses yet another volley of cards at the Yaga, before hopping to L5 with the bonus retreat from not moving. Also, she takes a sippy from Yggdrasil's Vessel.

Zed moves to T19 and whacks Petal11.

Keiko moves to F9, revives Pope where he is, then places cover at G9.

Rusher 1 moves to T2, and Rusher 2 moves up to U3.

Nezira moves to S5 and once again allows the knowledge-light to surround her for Transcendent Analysis, this time copying Terry's Skeletal Toss and yanking the Pinati to T3, where it takes damage from the Toss.

Pope, newly revived, moves over to P4 and attacks the Pinati with his Cardboard Box.

Nezira then retreats to Pope's vacated space.

Both Rushers attack the Pinati.

Terry wakes up from his standing-up nap, moves to K11, then tosses a Hidden Flow at Yaga.

A smile forms on Wyvern's face, tired from running, which shows off his shark-like fangs. Either that, or he's snarling at an enemy who'd been evading him for a while, ready to relieve his bloodlust. Wyvern circles around the Pinati, searching for a weak point, and ends at U2. There's a gleam in his eye as he buries his claws into the creature.