Meeting of Destiny? (Nascent)

[nascent]

"An offer I'm not likely to turn down." The shadowmage replied. "What kind of training is available there? Not the live-fire kind I imagine, otherwise you wouldn't have come this far out seeking a challenge."

[prythian]

"Mostly against each other with sparring... however, we have environmental training like no other. You see, Neo Arcadia is really five domes connected to each other in a compass-like formation. These domes respond to the thoughts of their respective crestbearer, reshaping into differing environments that follow only the laws that the crestbearer sets down. I myself have created a 'simulation' environment that allows people to inflict wounds on each other without actually doing harm to their bodies." Prythian explained. "However, creature creations are rather... limited, at least for my dome."

[nascent]

"Impressive." Magus remarked. Such control over an environment... even the highest forms of magic he had studied only speculated about such a thing. He would be eager to see these domes for himself.

"I'm afraid we don't have anything quite as advanced as that here... but what we have might still be of interest to your group."

"The training here is largely done with three challenges I've crafted, each of significantly greater difficulty than what proceeded it. The first, and possibly most favored, is the Serpent's Gauntlet..."

They came to one of the castle's exterior windows and Magus gestured out, pointing to what looked to be a spiral trench cut into the cave's rocky floor. "The path is laced with randomized magical triggers capable of generating random phenomena. Even I, who forged and placed the runes, am often surprised by what hazards the Gauntlet spews forth sometimes. It is the ultimate exercise in thinking on one's feet and adapting to the changing circumstances of battle."

They resumed walking. "The next challenge for those who pursue training here is to fight a shadow-duplicate of themselves, one that thinks and learns as the battle wears on. Once a warrior has overcome those two challenges, I give them the option to learn under or challenge any other person in the castle. Dante, as you can imagine, opted first to learn more about Darkness from me -- said he needed to overcome a foe who had superior mastery of it than he."

"The final challenge..." Magus hesitated here. "... is something I could never have come up with -- rather, I found it, sealed away in a cave not far from here." The mage seemed unsettled even to mention the trial, as though it brough unpleasant memories to mind.

[prythian]

"I will certainly be interested in both of the trials you mentioned so far... however, I am very curious about this third trial. It unsettles you, I notice." Prythian said, raising an eyebrow. "If it doesn't disturb you too much... what, precisely, is this third trial? Someone of your magical skills shouldn't be disturbed by very much..."

[nascent]

Magus stopped in mid-step, a pensive look on his face.

" . . . I call it the Valley of Nightmares."

He went on to explain. "When I discovered my castle had ended up in this cave I proceeded to explore several adjoining tunnels and passages, to make sure these surroundings were safe to use for a base of operations. But what I found... was a pocket of distorted reality in one of the nearby caves. I've since sealed it with numerous magical wards to prevent any chance of its spread."

"When I entered it the first time I couldn't believe my eyes. It seemed an underground paradise, filled with fruiting plants, cascading waterfalls, and radiant crystal growths." Magus expression gradually soured. "But as I explored it, I realized that what I saw wasn't real. The longer I stayed, the more it gradually changed into a place of dread and terror. Even I, a Nobody, supposedly incapable of experiencing emotions, was not unaffected."

"Yet more unsettling... it didn't simply become a nightmare. It became my nightmare. That place exploited my every weakness, my every hope and fear, all of who I am and who I once was..."

He looked away, losing composure momentarily. "It's the greatest challenge anyone can endure, I'm convinced of that. I spent half a day trying to find my way out, and by the time I did I'd been forced to confront things I never wanted to see, never wanted to experience. It was all illusion... but there were times it was impossible to tell deception from reality."

"That's why I will only let anyone enter there for three hours -- long enough to confront their inner demons and get out without risking their sanity. Even then, it isn't something that's embarked upon lightly. I returned, once, to confront the nightmare within me, determined to defeat it with sheer willpower..."

"... but it isn't a place you get used to. Rather, it gets used to you."

[prythian]

Prythian shuddered. "I... I will not try it yet. My spirit is iron; yet your words are powerful. I will test my mettle on the other tests first. The Serpent's Gauntlet, you called it. I would gladly test out my abilities on this trial... and perhaps soon I'll bring you to Neo Arcadia to try out our testing. All I need is for you to lead me to the place I may enter it. Oh, and Dante may be happy to see you again on our world, perhaps."

[nascent]

"Very well then." Magus nodded, then lead Prythian down an adjoining hallway. It was several minutes before they arrived at a small backdoor exit from the castle, and a few more before they arrived at the Serpent's Gauntlet.

It was in a part of the cavern that seemed like a large flat-bottomed crater... and cut into the stone floor of that crater was a long, winding trench in the shape of a large flat-edged coil. Nearby was a ramp leading down into the trench, and a second ramp at the trench's end led up to a flat area at the center of the coil. Next to each ramp stood a small stone podium with a radiant blue crystal embedded in the top. Magus laid his hand upon the one next to the entrance ramp, causing it to glow briefly, then turned to Prythian.

"The course is now active. I'll remain here to deactivate it in case of emergency, though given your skills I doubt that will be necessary." He gestured towards the coiling trench. "One must simply make it to the end and touch the crystal in the center to succeed. The magic runes buried into the ground and walls will generate randomized hazards along the path -- everything from a simple eruption of flame to the summoning of various inhuman foes. It is your choice whether to stop and confront these hazards or to simply avoid them... though some may prove more difficult to escape than others."

"At your leisure, Prythian."





(OOC: If you want to see how I run this as a training activity, just [CLICK HERE] and scroll to the bottom of the post. Still, feel free to handle this however you see fit.)

[prythian]

((Hmm... I think it will work better for me if you actually come up with the obstacles while I'm on the course. After all, I can easily come up with creative obstacles and things to counter them with, but they'd be tailored so that I COULD counter them with some thought. It's far better training for me if you do it so that I, and not just my character, have to think about it.))

Prythian chuckled, moving onto the ramp. "I'll see you when I'm finished, then. Won't take too long." Prythian said, moving down the ramp into the trench. He grinned, ready for whatever happened next, and then shot forwards.

[nascent]

(OOC: As you wish it!)



Almost immediately after Prythian shot forward, several things happened in rapid succession. One: the ground ahead of him suddenly became coated with a layer of ice. Two: a flurry of small stone spikes shot towards him from directly ahead, flying like arrows shot in his direction from the trench's other end. Three: a half dozen Shadow Heartless appeared at the trench's entrance, giving chase to Prythian.

The Serpent's Gauntlet, it seemed, wasn't holding back today.

[prythian]

Prythian moved forwards over the ice at his top speed, about twice as fast as he could've run; it did not affect his movement, seeing as he was floating above the ground. "Burning Field Dash!" He cried out, and the ring on his back began spinning, sending out flames to form a cone of fire, with Prythian at the tip. He began moving forwards twice as fast again, and the flames touched the ice behind him, melting it. The water/ice combination would make it harder for the Shadows to reach him.

Meanwhile, the spikes were getting nearer. He jumped, using the boost from the flame to prolong his air time, letting the spikes pass below him right at the peak of his jump. He landed and continued forwards, letting the spikes shoot past him and hopefully hit the Shadows.

[nascent]

Four of the Shadows were hit directly by the stone spikes, vanishing in puffs of black vapor. The remaining two flattened to the ground and continued, although it wasn't likely they'd catch up to Prythian anytime soon.

As he moved forward, new hazards appeared to challenge the flame-shrouded warrior. Several he passed without so much as any effort: hovering over a deep pitfall, sprinting passed walls that began to close in, bypassing eruptions of flame... for a short while he seemed virtually unstoppable. But Magus knew it would only last so long.

The first sign that things were turning against the fiery warrior was when half a dozen orbs of ball lightning appeared ahead of him. These thing's were nature's version of a taser mixed with a landmine -- get too close, and the high-energy plasma would not only deliver a fierce jolt but potentially explode as well.

[prythian]

Prythian merely went faster... and then angled his body so that the jet of flame was aimed downwards. The force of the boost pushed himself up into the air, actually flying above the plasma balls and out of the gorge for a bit before pushing himself back down, essentially skipping the entire section with the balls in it. He actually seemed to be going faster now, as if he'd fully grown into the power of his ability already.

[nascent]

It seemed like nothing could stop him...

... until a big, rocky fist burst out of the ground about twenty feet ahead of him. It seemed that the Serpent's Gauntlet wasn't quite ready to throw in the towel yet. Carved from the very rock itself, a ten foot tall rock golem appeared in Prythian's path, its girth wide enough to effectively block off the trench. As Prythian got close the massive elemental reeled back and threw its hulking fist straight at him.

[prythian]

Prythian held up his hand as he neared the golem. "This hand of mine is burning red!" He cried out, the crest shining with red light. "Its loud roar tells me to defeat you!" He pulled his hand back to his side. "Erupting... Burning... FINGER!" Prythian seemed unable to slow down, but he managed to just barely avoid the punch by moving to the side. He held out his glowing-red hand in front of him. Hopefully the combination of the heat, the increased power of the physical strike, and the sheer speed he was moving would combine into a massive attack.

[nascent]

That it did. The attack struck home, sending the stone golem falling backwards into the trench. It wasn't one-hit KO'd, but the path was clear again for the moment.

With his speed Prythian was almost halfway through the course at this point. The course was having trouble finding ways to challenge him. He sped past poison clouds before they could form, powered through magical eruptions and lesser Heartless... with this new ability it seemed there was hardly anything that could even make him slow down! It would only be moments before he crossed the finish line.