[Rina]

Several pillars line the great hall, still holding on, despite having been worn down to time. A couple have collapsed, but the castle still stands in spite of it. The hall is connected by stairways as well; The one leading up led to the throne room, the one down led to the two-tier foyer, connected to the dining room and study. The side rooms also lead to smaller hallways, but the castle is winding as it is. Strangely, the castle halls were empty... No infected, nothing of the sort lurked the hallways. Perhaps the lack of activity of the halls warranted less watch from the hostiles. However, there was one lone golem patrolling the main hallway, reanimated as if it sensed an intruder wandering the castle.

[HP 120/120]

Suspicion: Normal

It was black and violet, wielding a trident in its left hand, and a shield for a right hand. Lights emanated from two triangular slots, indicating that those are its "eyes." The guardian slowly shifted about the hall, stopping periodically to survey the surroundings. Despite its pointed appendages, its steps were heavy, letting a mild stomp echo. It would normally be on standby, but something...or rather, someone caused it to grow wary.

Hiding behind a fallen pillar was the one that sent out the distress call: Schezo. While he has patches of bruises he's still capable of movement. Grasping his sword, he peered from the side of a pillar to survey his surroundings.

PERCEPTION CHECK: O2fOOfqRp_1d20+4

The guardian, thankfully, was nowhere near him, and is about five pillars away in relative distance. Its back was turned too. From its rather rigid movement, he can make a logical guess that the golem's movement is a fixed pattern at its current state. He should be able to safely move down three without being caught. It'll likely turn if he advances four, but it's best to be safe. After advancing down the pillars, he took cover again, wondering if he'll have to escape on his own...1d20+4

[Deleted]

Klug was walking around the ruins of the castle trying to thing rationally, rambling to himself so fast that barely any words could be made out.

"Why are we in the ruins of an ancient European castle." Klug asked feverishly "And why does that guard look more familiar than this scenery?" Klug shuddered, trying to make heads or tails of the situation at hand. "What should I do?" Klug looked around and noticed an armor stand. He looked at the suit of armor with a mischievous grin and decided to put it on.

Donning this suit of armor, the young magician decided to walk back and forth across the single hall he was in hopes of tricking the guard into thinking he is one of them.

[Mari]

"Aaaand off he goes!"

Palutena took a deeb breath and proceeded to sigh gently. She supposed she was alone on this mission, by the looks of it. Couldn't be helped. That fool was about to get turned into a magician in a can and there was--Oh brother. Now she was apparently in charge of babysitting this hapless nerd. Palutena sent her halo out after Klug, grabbing him with her ethereal grasp and hauling him back to her side--and to safety. She was just going to hold him there in the air over her shoulder too, if he didn't find the strength to break free.

50z7xtuap_1d20+4 (Palutena's Ethereal Dominion; Klug is grappled unless he can roll 23+ on a strength roll)

After dragging Klug back to safety, Palutena pouted at him.

"That's a golem, not a knight. Do you want to get yourself hurt?"

1d20+4

[Rina]

Thump, thump, thump...The golem continues its course down the hall, but then it freezes in place. The lights from its "eyes"brightened, attempting to scan the area...

Guardian Golem's RECON ROLL: VLN9Bcw6p_1d20

...However, by unforseen circumstances, its lights began to flicker erratically, gradually dimming out before collapsing and losing power temporarily. After a moment, it reboots itself, scanning the area again, only to mistake a fallen pillar across the hall as an intruder. Its walking pace picked up, attempting to charge at the debris to "exterminate" it. Well, that was unexpected. Perhaps the long period of stasis has taken a toll on its systems. Whatever the reason, now is the opportune time to run past the Golem.

STATUS CHANGE

Suspicion: Malfunctioning
(Guardian Golem will suffer -5 to next Recon roll)

{A DEX roll surpassing the Golem's Recon roll is required to sneak past it.}

Schezo's SNEAK ROLL: p_1d20

Without much thought, Schezo ran past the third and second pillar, passing the golem. The injuries, however, made it somewhat difficult to move, causing him to stumble now and then. He did fall flat, tripping on his own feet, but he'd have to be the absolute clumsiest person to get caught by a malfunctioning golem. He sat down behind the pillar, catching his breath before he tries to do that again. It was considerably sloppier than his last move, and the uneasiness is causing his heart to race a bit.

Hah...Seems whatever god is watching over me has granted this easy evasion.

Schezo's PERCEPTION ROLL: p_1d20+4

Funny that he thought about a god, as a goddess was one of two that took up the mission. The debris formation is making it hard to peek over, leaving him with blind spots to survey the area. However, at the right angle, someone might be able to take notice and find him. A rescuer, perhaps?

{To find Schezo, a Wisdom roll must surpass Schezo's Perception roll.}

1d20·1d20·1d20+4

[Deleted]

H8R29e4Vp_1d20-1 Klug was grappled by Palutena's Ethereal Dominion.

Klug's pupils dilated once he laid his eyes on the goddess, sweating. "N-no, ma'am." The magician blurted out nervously. "I was just testing something." He looked at the guard. "I wasn't sure of what manner of beast lied within that suit of armor." His glasses got foggier as he began to breathe heavily. "Forgive me, O divine goddess!" Klug shouted in a more feminine voice, his hands put together in prayer. "I will do anything to correct my wrongdoings!"1d20-1

[Mari]

"...What was it you called me right now? Before 'O Divine Goddess'? Ma'am, was it?" Palutena asked, the light leaving her eyes as she watched Klug. You just dun' goofed, son. YOU JUST DUN GOOFED! "Do I seem like a ma'am to you??" she went on to demand, leaning forward and gazing into Klug's soul. Her tone of voice suggested that the choice to call her ma'am had deeply offended her for some reason. After a moment, however, she turned away, tearing her gaze from Klug and giving him the cold shoulder.

"Why don't you just hang around up there for a while and think about what you said?"

Boy, she was mad! Palutena returned her attention back to the mission at hand, carrying Klug behind her suspended in the air. She was going to teach him a lesson about respect. For now, she settled for humiliating him by treating him like a bad child and carrying him around while she got work done.

NwCzfTTqp_1d20+4 (Palutena's Critical Perception Roll)

It was then that Palutena noticed Schezo hiding out! She almost seemed to know where she was hiding before even looking at him. Just goddess things, I suppose. Seeing as the golem was distracted and running off, Palutena promptly rushed over to Schezo, floating along at a luxurious pace. She came to a stop right next to him and turned to acknowledge Schezo with a smile, decidedly ignoring the boy she was lugging around for now.

"Oh, well hello there~ I'm here to help you escape this place."

1d20+4

[Rina]

"Ah-!?"

Schezo flinched, jerking his head to Palutena's sudden appearance. Understandable, considering she didn't make a single footstep upon approaching him. He took another deep breath to calm himself, feeling a little peace of mind that someone has showed up to rescue him. Where do we start with the introductions...? With the golem malfunctioning, there should be some time for that.

"Ahem...I thank you for coming to my aid. I suppose you know of my name from the distress call I sent out."

Schezo attempted to right himself, putting his hand on the debris as support. It's pretty evident that he's not in great condition, but still capable of standing on his own two feet. Dust covered his cape and clothes, presumably from tripping on himself earlier. As soon as got his footing, he noticed a certain bespectacled kid that he's met before. He recognizes him, but purely from his appearance. He doesn't even know his name because he never bothered (or cared) to introduce himself. He can only describe who he is by a two-word description: "arrogant brat". His expression soured a bit.

"And I presume this fool is here to assist too?"

But the introductions have to be cut short now. Heavy steps echo through out the hall as the golem has mobilized again. It's preparing to prompt a scan, despite its currently faulty programming.

Schezo's PERCEPTION ROLL: 76rXdX_dp_1d20+4

"!?"

Schezo heard the noises, but couldn't quite make out how far or close the golem is. He knows the golem's pattern, but without knowing the distance between himself and it, he's forced to lean on his intuition on whether to make a run or play the patience game. If his allies can survey for him, it'd help him quite well.1d20+4

[Deleted]

Klug tossed and turned, trying to escape Palutena's hold. "What's wrong with ma'am!?" Klug shouted. "Is it not the proper way to address a lady!?"

Klug glared at Schezo, adjusting his glasses. "Oh, it's the pervert..." He groaned. "Are you after another girl my age again?" The boy chuckled lightly at his own comment, then went back to squirming, his limbs tossing and turning, trying to find a way out of Palutena's holy grapple.

[Mari]

Palutena seemed to ignore Klug's existance as he struggled, but much like Palutena herself it was perfect and without flaws. ...Riiight.

"That's correct, Schezo Wegey, though I've known you a bit longer than that~!"

There were quite a few things wrong with this statement. For starters, had Schezo given her his last name? Perhaps he had, but how did she know him exactly? It was obviously the first time they were meeting... Before Schezo could question this out loud however, Palutena turned to snap at her captive. "The proper way to address a 'lady' is 'Lady'." Palutena corrected testily, sparing just a glance at Klug before returning her gaze to Schezo.

"As in, Lady Palutena; Goddess of Light. That title is more appropriate for a woman of my ...age."

And just like that, she had introduced herself to Schezo without missing a beat. Palutena then proceeded to turn to Klug and acknowledge him fully.

"Need I remind you that you are in time out~? You're probably safer up there anyway~" Palutena teased, glancing over her shoulder and beckoning to Schezo. "It seems we have a movement to flee. Would you rather talk elsewhere?"

[Rina]

Wuh-oh. Someone said that word. Someone just pushed the wrong button.

"You do NOT LABEL ME A PERVERT!"

Schezo got incredibly vocal about it, and it ended up echoing within the castle. At least the golem doesn't have ears... With a deep sigh, he shifted his attention to Palutena, who addressed him by name.

"Yes, that is my-"

Hold up...how did she know his full name? He didn't put his name on the message, and this is the first time they've met. He gives Palutena the most bewildered and concerned look, wondering how she could do that.

"...you are no ordinary being, are you, Lady Palutena?"

But now isn't the time to ask questions, as they've gotta get a move on and progress further. The golem has begun its scan, lights filling its line of sight...but still flickering.

Golem's SCAN ROLL: y16gL1c8p_1d20-5

To continue to curse of its faulty programming, the lights dimmed out with no warning, shutting itself down. It retracted its appendages, and its colors dulled to a rocky gray, rendering itself inactive to repair the systems. Seems passing through the golem would be a breeze! But the opportunity must be taken now, as it'll likely be back to regular programming once it reboots.

STATUS CHANGE NEXT TURN

Suspicion: Normal 

(No modifiers applied to its rolls)

{A DEX roll must surpass the golem's SCAN ROLL to pass.}

Schezo's STEALTH ROLL: p_1d20

To say that it is easy is an understatement. Schezo could simply walk past it casually and he wouldn't get caught. At least now he has a chance to inform Palutena something important. Important to him, at least.

"Ah, ahem. If I must inform you, do not buy into that brat's lies. I am far from being a pervert. Quite the contrary."1d20-5·1d20

[Deleted]

Klug groaned and adjusted his tie. "Pure emotional trite..." He said in his head in order to not muddy the waters any further. Then, an he had an idea. A wonderfully naughty idea. Klug faced away from Palutena and Schezo while still in the former's grasp. The young magician then made his voice more high and feminine, turning his head towards the hallway and putting his hands on the sides of his mouth in order to make his voice sounds farther away. "Schezo!" Klug said in a near-perfect impression of the swordsman's companion, Arle Nadja. "Are you in there!?"

Klug then returned back to his original voice and position. "Lady Palutena" He shouted. "Someone's coming!"

[Mari]

"...Of course you aren't." Palutena replied in response to Schezo's assertion that he was not, in fact, a pervert. She couldn't help but seem a bit distant however, almost as if she were distracted by something...

l4rqe36Op_1d20+2 (Palutena's Know-It-All'...ness)

On cue, Klug attempted to trick them. However, he'd made a very unfortunate mistake. How could he have possibly known that Palutena would see straight through his trickery? It was a solid effort, but she knew something that he didn't... Not that she was going to reveal her hand. No, she was going to have a bit of fun with him first. Rising into the air, Palutena began to levitate off the ground.

"Oh, is that Arle? Well then, we better head back outside and meet her~"

Palutena turned and began to float silently across the ground back the way she'd come, beckoning Schezo to follow her.

p_1d20+0 (Palutena's sneakiness)

And, as expected, she was pretty stealthy when you didn't have eyes to observe her tall, glittering form casually floating past you. The goddess continued to carry Klug behind her, content to humiliate him by treating him like a helpless child... for now. She had some plans for him once they were safe, however. After a bit of retreating, Paulenta would spin around to face Klug as she floated, giving him a knowing look.

"Y'know, it's funny. I can't hear Arley anymore. I certainly hope she's alright." Palutena went on to remark in an ever so innocent tone of voice, though the expression on her face spoke of something else.

Palutena
Damage: 0%
Shield Damage: 0%
Status: Lightweight

1d20+2·1d20+0

[Rina]

"............"

...He's kidding, right? Klug, trying to screw with both a goddess and a Dark Wizard that just said "don't buy into the brat's lies" mere seconds ago? Boy, you're not earning any trust points with Schezo. In fact, he's making him drop points faster than playing a round of Puyo on Mach 24. Schezo's absolutely seeping with deadpan. After breathing an exasperated sigh from wanting none of Klug's foolishness, he followed Palutena, watching her take to the skies. At least watching her mess around with Klug is entertaining enough to make the escape less of a slog. He can't help but sneak a chuckle at the sight. Mild shadefreude, yes, but it was warranted.

Schezo's OBSERVATION ROLL: Xfgfx_Pop_1d20+4

He looked forward trying to see if the exit is in sight, but it is very unclear to him. Nothing but grayness and debris, and it seems like it's a long way to go before he makes it out. He also paid no mind to the golem that is rebooting back to its original state. Though, considering how faulty it actually is in practice, taking it seriously was rather difficult for the Dark Wizard.

The golem has awoken once more, returning to its duties of surveying the area...

1d20+4

[Deleted]

Klug groaned in annoyance, looking into the book he always holds. "Don't mind me..." He said, flipping through the pages. "I don't amount to anything in this instance."

The young magician began to read out loud from his book. "Though none know of the whereabouts of the red and blue demon, some say that it split in half." He then angrily mumbled. "I wish this holy thing could split in half."

[Mari]

Palutena giggled slightly at Klug's expense. "What's the matter, Klug? Aren't you looking forward to seeing Aaaarley~" she teased in a honey sweet tone, bringing Klug closer to her side as she hovered along.

She was, of course, just egging Klug on and giving him false hope for his plan to work--Assuming he hadn't realized it was futile already. Either way, she was having some fun at his expense. After a moment, her gaze shifted to Schezo."What about you, Schezo? Do you have an opinion on Arle?" Palutena then went on ask in a curious tone, though the context of what she was saying and when she was saying it seemed to indicate something more to her question than initially perceived. Either she was inviting Schezo to tease Klug with her, or she was mining for information. ...It was really a toss up, honestly.