Worthy Core

It takes the team of Challengers a moment to figure out exactly what it is they're looking at. After fighting Yulia, they're certainly familiar with arachne, not to mention driders like Weaver Pizola herself. But driders have a large spider-like abdomen, with an attached humanoid torso with two arms. The figure standing before them now meanwhile is still clearly arachnid in form but with a very different body plan. She stands on two legs, balancing on one of the three ropes ahead without any signs of difficulty. She also bears two arms, also in a human-like manner. But four additional legs appear to be growing out of the costumed woman's back, each as long as she is tall and moving independently. Some probe at the other two ropes, while others seem to beckon the Challengers forward.

Paladin Balrond clears his throat. "Well...they certainly look a little different from this close up. She's quite colorful, don't you think? And I don't just mean her fashion." He gestures at her waving legs, and sure enough they seem to be striped in neon blue and green. On top of that, as they look closer they realize that there's actually strips and windows cut out of her harlequin style outfit, but that her natural coloring underneath is so bright it nearly blended in with the costume. Patches of yellow, green, and red nearly shimmer in the light from the magical crystals hanging overhead.

Pizola lets out an admiring whistle. "This dungeon master seems to have acquired a taste for fashion as well as for showmanship, she's quite fetching indeed." She pauses before asking a followup question. "...Should we be killing her, now?"

The elf shakes his head. "It's risky...well, I suppose you could say we have a choice of two different risks. Our first option is to try to get across without fighting her. She'll try to get in our way, play with the ropes a bit, but nothing too serious. Our second option is to try and kill her, or at least knock her off of the ropes. But if we do that, she'll try to cut through them before she goes. They're apparently quite good at that, from what I've seen. Anyhow, if she manages to take out all three ropes, I imagine we'll be forced to give up and go back, seeing as none of us can fly or teleport."

Raylin's hand twitches towards his bow, currently stowed away, but he stops himself. "At this range I believe I'd be the quickest to strike her, but not so quick that I'd be able to stop her from moving. Weaver Pizola, I don't suppose your illusion magic could be useful here? Trick her into falling, or hide our actions?"

The drider taps her lips twice before responding. "Possibly...but I won't."

"...No?"

"I want to see how this plays out. If it helps, I'll go first - and then perhaps I'll be able to provide assistance if the rest of you require it."

The nobleman's expression is clearly one of doubt, but after a moment he gestures for the elderly drider to go on ahead. "If this is what you desire. Our aim is to show you the dungeon, after all."

"Thank you, young man." Pizola begins walking across, and if one rope was a simple challenge for her, using two or three is none at all. She doesn't go far however before calling out to the performer. "I don't suppose you can talk, my dear?"

The eight-limbed woman tilts her masked face back and forth, before bowing with her arms out to invite Pizola to continue. Seeing the display, Pizola sighs. "Gods - mimes. Perhaps this dungeon has its downsides after all." She then continues moving forward, but perhaps the spider-mime took that comment as an offense, as she begins to move into action as soon as Pizola takes her next step. Several of her long legs reach out and begin to pluck at the other ropes as if they were a stringed instrument, sending them swaying.

Chuckling, Pizola moves over to the rope where the performer herself is standing. "I don't suppose I could just shove my way through, now could I?" She continues forward once again, and again the performer's long legs reach out. This time however instead of interfering with the ropes, they begin prodding at Pizola's own legs - almost as if she was engaging in a fencing match, batting away Pizola's feet every time they attempt to find purchase on the rope ahead. While Pizola does have the advantage in the number of limbs involved, and is still able to make small steps forward, the maneuver mostly manages to bring her advance to a halt. Seeing this, Pizola sighs.

"Perhaps a little trickery will be required..." With that said the woman casts a spell, and in a flash her arms superiority - or rather, legs superiority - has increased five-fold. Dozens of legs now appear to be reaching out from Pizola's abdomen, in some cases passing directly through each other in a dizzying display, and the spell has its desired effect almost immediately. Pizola again begins to advance, her body adjusting to show that she's again moving on two or three ropes at once, but the performer seems to be at a loss to determine which legs she's actually standing on. Her swipes begin to turn rather frantic, but every time they hit nothing but illusions, and after a few moments Pizola is passing the harlequin by.

"Better luck next time, dear." She blows the woman a kiss, and receives a slap in return - or would if the performer's palm didn't simply pass through Pizola's face as if it was so much mist. Dejected, the mime's legs simply droop in defeat as she watches the drider make it the rest of the way across the ropes. Back on a solid wooden platform, Pizola smiles at the rest of her team.

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"Well, that was fun! Do you all believe you can follow?"

Sweet does a brief stretch. "I shall follow next. This shall be quick." Her words are put into action immediately, as the gnoll begins charging down the ropes at almost full speed. The performer prepares her limbs in an attempt to block or tackle the bodyguard - only to be caught by surprise as Sweet leaps entirely over her head. A few of her legs do swipe upwards at Sweet as she goes, but it's far too late, and Sweet lands nearly upon the opposite platform. Another step or two brings her next to Pizola, and the woman waves back to the rest of the party. "I am safe!"

The three men of the group, unfortunately, all need a little magical assistance on their own attempts. Raylin and Balrond both have above-average flexibility and agility, but it's nothing in comparison to the eight-limbed acrobat, and it's only with the help of multiple illusions that they're able to sneak on by. Taylim meanwhile nearly falls off of the ropes due to his own clumsiness alone, and a quick rescue by Sweet is required to bring him back to his feet.

The lights then turn on for the passage to the final platform, this one connected by four ropes but with two acrobats standing in the way. Their coloring is quite different than that of the first spider-woman's, but both as equally colorful, with bright patterns of red, yellow, green, and blue gracing their bodies. With two of them guarding the path even Sweet finds herself unable to simply leap on by, and it's only with a heavy use of Pizola's illusion magic that any of the party are able to cross. A variety of tricks do the job, including false Challengers, blindness spells, and even a round where the pair briefly mistake each other for Barlond and nearly knock each other off of the ropes.

Eventually though Taylim falls to his knees on the last platform, nearly kissing the 'solid ground', and the man is relieved to see a ladder leading the way down. "Ah, praise the gods, we're through the ropes. I daresay that's the worst experience in this dungeon I've ever had."

Raylin offers a hand to help his bodyguard to his feet. "And I daresay that's the most shaken I've ever seen you act, Taylim. Chin up, though! If I'm not mistaken, our next challenge should be a proper fight!" He grins, but that smile weakens somewhat as Barlond starts to laugh.

It's a rather long climb down the ladder - a safe one, at least, but one that crosses nearly fifty meters of height, passing down through the first circus chamber and then onward to the floor of the second. Eventually though all of them find their feet on sandy ground, and begin watching for their next challenge. Raylin is a little surprised to see that the audience has followed them all down here, and more quickly than they moved themselves, but then again there does appear to be an actual stairwell in the non-combatant section for them to use.

It does appear that there's another slight delay for observers to place a second round of bets though, and so the group takes a brief moment to rest and relax. That moment comes to a sudden end when a set of lights come on which illuminate the center of the floor, revealing another spider-like performer. Unlike the monsters above however this one appears to be male, and a muscular specimen at that. His costume is also notably different - he still possesses a white mask but his outfit is more along the lines of a snazzy suit, with tailoring to allow his extra legs to extend from his back. Raylin also notices an enchanted necklace around the monster's neck, which begins to light up as the arachnid speaks in a booming voice.

"Welcome to the center ring of Worthy Circus, one and all! Our latest Challengers have survived the death-defying climbs and leaps of the Acrobat's Web! But has their luck run out? Has yours, if you've placed your bets on Lord Highbranch and his loyal retainers? I know where my money is! For on the east side we have Lord Highbranch and his mistress of illusions, but on the west side we have your returning favorites! The one, the only - The Miserables!"

There's cheers and shouts from the audience as another set of lights activates to reveal the dungeon's personal team of mercenaries, all of whom seem quite comfortable in front of an audience after so many months. In fact, not only do the quartet smile and wave to the crowd as if they were born to it, but their bodies literally glisten in the lights thanks to the full set of dungeon-made gear they all now possess. With an...unusual styling for adventurer gear.

Bank, the Vanguard, shines the most in his full plate armor. But it's light reflected in reds and greens as the man's brightly-colored armor dazzles the crowd, with literal charisma-enchanted magics attracting their attention. Slinz, the team's own drider, does much the same in her radiant white robes. While the enchantments do serve to increase their natural attractiveness, another layer of the spell almost seems to literally enchant those who stare at them for too long, their eyes beginning to glaze over.

The Thunder Priest, Nalaff Greengrass, has attention-grabbing robes of his own in a blue and silver motif. He almost seems to fade from view however as time goes on, thanks to the mists that slowly encompass his body, building up a cloud that gathers around him. Meanwhile his Rogue sister, Nalaney, bucks the trend with a black and gray set of leather armor that quickly begins to vanish into the arena's shadows. This effect is doubled when the half-elf begins to step out of the spotlights, and moments later the woman is nearly invisible.

Facing the new arrivals, Bank speaks for his party. "I bid you welcome, Lord Highbranch and associates. We've not met before on this field, are you aware of the dungeon's rules for this match?"

Raylin shakes his head as he shouts back. "I've heard a bit about your team working here, but I may be vague on the details. What are the conditions?"

"Lethal strikes are to be avoided, as is dismemberment. If you don't believe yourselves capable of holding back, a monster team shall substitute in for us - but neither will they hold back against you. The match shall continue until all members of one party have yielded, been disabled, or thrown out of the ring. Do you agree to these terms?"

The lord can't help but smile a little at the younger man's confidence. While he's heard of the little advantage the Miserables possess in this dungeon, they are still only Experts. Meanwhile everyone in his party is at least a Master, and he suspects Pizola would qualify as a Supreme-tier talent herself. Not to mention the coming fight will be five on four. "We agree!"

The spokespider again activates his sound-enhancing necklace. "Then the fight is on! May the best Challengers win, in three...two...one..."

"BATTLE!"