World Tree MUSH

    As the group passes back into Boulder Town's limits, the air seems to heat up suddenly. A sticky wind grasping at the ankles. An intuitive discomfort falling across them all.

    "Equilibrium". states a low, emotionless voice. Another whisper follows, as if an echo from the ceiling high above. "The universe should be in... Equilibrium"

    Stelle stops dead in her tracks, looking around. "Who's talking?" she asks the open air, gaining some odd glances from the locals nearby... they apparently didn't hear anything."

    "The Arbitrators of the Equilibrium are giving you a trial." the echo continues, "For the Equilibrium of all worlds, you must demonstrate your strength. The strong will be given greater opportunities, the weak, a chance to breathe. Passing the trial will prove that your strength has shaken the scales of power." it continues, "Worlds will changed, and thus... Equilibrium. You will encounter stronger enemies, harder puzzles... and greater rewards."

    "After Equilibrium..." the voice continues to echo. "You will go on to face yet more trials..."

    Stelle blinks owlishly, then glances around at the others. "Is this the so-called 'Dynamic Difficulty'?" she asks, earning a facepalm from both March and Dan Heng. "Not how I would word it, but, yes. Hooh, the Equilibrium, is all about keeping things in balance... we have apparently pushed things out of balance, so must now step up the ladder, so to speak." explains Dan Heng.

    The muggy air catches Talia's attention. The voices make the hairs on her neck stand on end briefly as she looks around with brief alarm. There's a disturbance in the Force a presence felt if not seen, and heard.

    "We're ready to face any task you have for us." She says confidently. Perhaps a bit arrogantly, even. But she doesn't fear the trials ahead.

    "Oh um... I don't know," Jessica mumbles nervously. "I'm not ready for a test. Shouldn't we have a chance to study?" It is a nonsensical comment to some, but it's also kind of serious. Jessica isn't dumb, she knows it's not a written test, but she would have liked to have a chance to prepare and plan! "I guess we'll have to go in blind, but if we have to make an excuse, let's all make sure we answer the same tire!"

    "Mm, best that there be a test than simply allowing anyone in," Bi De murmurs. He clucks softly to himself, "Let us hope it is a test that cannot simply be that of brute force, for that is hardly the way to determine a leader in this place." In this place...?

    Clara is with the group!
    And... The sudden warm is is very different from what she's used to in the cold underbelly of the Underworld of Jarilo-VI.
    "Huh?" The silver-haired girl also blinks.
    "... Should we take the test?" Pause.
    "... What's Dynamic Difficulty?"
    Dammit, Stelle.

    The voice doesn't react to Stelle. To Jessica it states. "That is your choice to make. But in the end. Equilibrium will be upheld."

    As Talia and others give affirmations, Stelle speaks up. "Fine then. For 'Equilibrium'." she says.

    "Equilibrium" the voice echos, a hint of approval in the otherwise emotionless tone. "It is for this that all worlds change."

    The group is then quickly whisked away to somewhere that looks like the lower section of the Robot Settlement... where they just came from. A floating 'portal' hangs in the air before them. "Step through, to face Equilibrium." states the voice.

    On entry, the group come face to face with two monsters. A floating monster made of ice, similar to the one outside of the orphanage in Rivet Town. And another creature made of solidified flames, like the elemental opposite of the ice monster.

    "It would appear our Equilibrium will give us something else to face." Talia muses as she steps through the portal.

    Fire and ice, just like the orphanage. Talia grabs her lightsaber and activates it with a brief twirl, and she gets prepared for fighting the two elementals.

    "I'll take the ice." She says calmly.

    Bi De strokes his wattles. "I see. If this is equilibrium... perhaps we need to not leave an imbalance? We shall experiment." He fluffs his feathers. "Some of us should attempt to drive the two of them together, then perhaps we will not need to fight."

    Fire and ice...
    "Huh this looks like back home..." Clara murmurs thoughtfully, before she looks at the two monsters.
    Talia says she'll take on the ice monster but, Clara... Starts cautiously approaching the fire creature.
    She points at the ice monster as she does.
    "He said a mean thing about you."

>> SUMMARY[Clara] >> Yo that guy talkin' mad shit about you.

    That's a good idea, Bi De! "I guess I'll work on the fire one!" Jessica hops to the side, figuring you fight fire with fire. She doesn't have fire, but she has firepower, so that should be fine, right? Time to start herding then, instead! So she...

    Takes out some of the ammunition that Rebecca gave her ages ago and starts fiddling with it, hurriedly twisting it open and gathering the powder within...

    As the two elementals mill around, almost pointedly staying far apart, the group get a chance to take in the disposition and come up with a plan.

    That plan, however loose, doesn't work out as Clara attempts to turn the Fire elemental on the Ice, and flubs the persuasion check. It turns on her, lifting an arm and forming a barrage of flame bolts that fire at the girl.

    Talia gets the drop on the Ice elemental though, it's not taking any notice. While Jessica does her, improvized explosive idea in the background.

    Well, Bi De isn't certain which to handle, but it seems people are taking his advice to heart. "Lady Clara, please get back," he intones, as his Qi flares up and the chicken once again splits into two, one inky black and the other shining silver. The twinned roosters split apart, each heading to one of the creatures to run interference and distract while the others do their plans.

    It would seem there's a plan cooking. Talia uses her lightsaber to cut up chunks of the floor, then she begins to use the Force to levitate them. Bi De just gave her an idea, and Talia hurls the chunks at the ice elemental as she whistles at it and tries to get its attention.

    Jessica pours the bulk of the gunpowder into one hand, hurriedly working on her makeshift... explosive? Except she isn't putting it under any pressure or whatever. Instead, she gathers up that wad of gunpowder and... throws it.

    On the ice-creature.

    "Looks nummy, doesn't it?" she asks. "Did you want a snack?!" She's making it a LOT harder for the fire one to resist by using the remaining powder to rush toward it... trailing the powder in a line behind her leading to the ice creature.

>> SUMMARY[Jessica] >> Snax are the best!

>> GAME >> Jessica spends an Edge for: Create a gunpowder trail to lead the fire creature into the ice!

    Oh. That... That didn't work...
    "A-ah..." Clara is made to regret her decisions and life choices as the fire elemental starts shooting fire at her.
    Oh BOY look at that small girl run, flailing and squeaking.

    Talia starts coralling the ice elemental in. Bi De's clones interrupt the Fire elemental's concentration, and onto the combustables that Jessica throws on the Ice monster, and leaves as a very tempting trail. It bellows like a furnace exploding, tags the 'fuse' of gunpowder with its firebolts, then chases the flame along until it collides with the Ice monster.

    Both creatures emit pained sounds... then a combined Boiler explosion belch, before they implode into one another.

    Then... the group are back outside the portal, but the portal is now a Calyx, like the one encountered in the ice fields outside of Belobog. The air turns hot one again without warning, and the breeze itches one again at the ankles. "Equilibrium." the voice whispers once more. "The worlds are already changing, for Equilibrium reigns supreme. Rest assured, the Trial of the Equilibrium will find you again."

    The voice echos, and as it fades away, everything returns to normal.

    The Calyx looks odd though. Instead of a pale golden light amongst its curled up 'petals' this one is a deep red.

    Jessica's plan seems to work wonders, as Talia ends up inadvertently leading the ice elemental right into the path of the powder left on the ground, leading towards...well...

    Talia is quick to rush and tackle Clara to the ground, protecting her from the blast with her body if need be. But now, the trial is over and the Equilibrium releasing them is reason enough for Talia to call this a good day.

    "Are you alright?" She asks Clara, helping her up. "Mister Svarog wouldn't let us hear the end of it if you got hurt, after all." SHe says gently, patting Clara on the head with a smile.

    Jessica phews, "Glad that worked!" She has a little cloth she's wiping the grime from her hands with, and beams lightly, "Snacks save the day! See? They're the universal language!" Bah weep nana weep ninni bong.

    The catgirl can now focus on... what else is going on. Talia's checking on Clara, so Jessica looks at the result. "Is it supposed to look like that?"

    "Umph!"
    That is the sound of Clara getting tackled down. And it's all well and good that Talia does so to protect her from the blast as she keeps her head down and covers her hair with her hands when the fire and ice elementals collide.
    One scarlet eye peeks open.
    "Is it over?"
    It seems to be over, so she sits up. "Oh, yes, Mister Svarog really wouldn't like that at all." She says before looking to the Calyx. "Huh."

    Stelle snaps a picture of the Calyx, and sends it to Welt. <Hey Mister Yang, is this also a Calyx?> she types.
    Welt replies quickly. <Yes. Remember I mentioned there are many different types and the data may vary? Just remember to be thoroughly prepared. They are still dangerous.>

    She reads the response off for everyone, then shrugs. "Well, that's something for later then I guess."

    The group, on turning to head back up the path and out of the Robot Settlement... find themselves stepping back once more into Boulder Town, as if they'd never left.

    March pipes up then. "Aaahhh... now we're done with the Underworld situation, we can finally start looking for the Stellaron." she sighs softly, looking at Clara, "I still feel a bit bad, we promised you our talks with Svarog would be peaceful."

    Stelle puts her hands on her hips. "Svarog attacked first. At least things turned out well in the end... just one last thing to figure out though... where /is/ the Stellaron."

    Jessica blinks, "I assumed people knew where it was! Actually I kind of imagined it was like, a long journey down to the core of the planet..." Her ears twitch as she rubs the back of her head. "But I guess that's really silly of me. It'd be really hot there, wouldn't it? Or is this one of those hollow world things?"

    Talia pats Clara's hair gently and keeps a hand on the girl's hand. "We won't stop keeping you safe." She promises, squeezing Clara's hand protectively. But now, yes, they need to figure out the Stellaron. "It's time to settle our affairs here."