Challenge Tower

"We're explorers! Looking for Myrrh! We heard you might have one here, so we came to look." Daniel stands in front, speaking to the lioness.

"WE WANT HAM, NOT MYRRH. HAAAAAAMMM! Prosciutto would be preferable." Hope kicks Nogeko to get him to shut up.

"You are simply travelers? We have been wary of caravans coming in and making messes of our home. They call us monsters, but they are the real monsters. Destroying our home, killing our pets, trespassing on our land..." The lion looks pretty mad about the topic.

The lioness looks worried. "Dear, perhaps we shouldn't be so trusting of them. Some ruffian broke my window earlier while I was speaking with one of the chefs..." The two of them look skeptically at your party...

What will you say?

Seiberg steps up. "We apologize deeply for what we have done. It was a misunderstanding. We thought this was an abandoned manor. Simply another dungeon. We had no idea that you lived here. Could you find it in your hearts to forgive us...?" He bows to them.

(Time to roll the RNG)

"Thank you, sugar. Is there anything we can do to repay your kindness?" Flurrie asks this of the Lioness.

"No, I simply ask that you leave and tell others not to come to this place. We have had enough explorers. It is best we live secluded..."

Each of those on the crystal caravan write out a heartfelt letter to their families and attach gifts of 200 Gil. Meanwhile, Flurrie writes an apology to the lions, attaching a Striped Apple and sealing the letter with a kiss. The Mail Moogle runs off with the letters and everyone gathers their belongings, heading off onward towards Shella, town of the Yukes.

While the caravan moves along, Hope looks slightly concerned. "We're headed toward Shella, but isn't that town forbidden to enter for any races other than the Yuke tribe?"

"Do not worry, Ell Hope. I have an uncle that lives in Shella. Surely they can make an exception for family."

"Maybe they'll let YOU in, but I doubt we'll get in there."

"Even if only I am allowed in, I can simply buy the supplies for everyone myself and carry it back out."

"I guess so. But it would be nice to sleep in actual beds. Not everyone can sleep just anywhere like La Rena." Rena can be heard snoring inside the wagon.

The caravan moves onward until reaching a mysterious, foggy area. A small hut can be seen nearby. As the caravan approaches, a strange Yuke pops up from behind the hut's counter. "HALTTTT! This is the great city of Shella! Only those of the Yukes may enter. Very few exceptions are made otherwise! This is for the safety of the city and its people. Only those seeking knowledge may enter! So...care to tell me why you are here? I won't just open the bridge to anybody."

How will you respond?

Seiberg approaches the studious Selkie. "How did you enter this place when only the Yukes are allowed? I have some friends I would like to have enter as well."

"Ah, so you noticed me! I'm here to study up on the Miasma, but that's not why I was allowed in here. Take a look at this." He takes out a mysterious rune from his pocket. "This is what we call the Mark of Shella. You can find them in the sluice nearby. It's where the water runs from. With this mark, they'll let you in. I went there to fix the water flow since the river has been low recently, but I only got so far into the dungeon until I had to fall back! Lucky for me, I found this mark before I left. Otherwise I might not have made it all the way back to Alfitaria. Even with the mark, I still needed to give them my word I was only here for knowledge. The security is tight in this place. Especially as a Selkie. But I'm not a thief like the others. I much rather would like to pursue my research in the miasma and the Myrrh and the crystals!"

"Well, thank you for the information. I will keep it in mind." Seiberg bows to the studious Selkie before leaving him. He then heads over to his uncle's house.

It's a fairly decent sized home. Pretty large for only a single person to be living in. He always has mysterious, magical objects around as well. For instance, the fountain in the front yard. The water shifts into the form of a dragon. The kids in Shella always enjoy playing with it as the water dragon sprays them. Seiberg walks up to the door, knocking on it carefully. A moment later, the doors open to reveal his uncle standing there. "Seiberg! It's been so long!" He holds him in a big hug. "Look how much you've grown since last I saw you! You were just a little one, this tall." He makes a motion with his hand to show how short Seiberg was. "I can't believe you've already grown so fast that you're in the crystal caravan! I remember when your father and I were in it. Ah, good times. Come on inside!" Seiberg is led into the house and sits in a chair opposite his uncle. An enchanted kettle pours both of them tea while they sit there. "So what are you doing here in Shella?"

"Well, as you know, I am in the crystal caravan. We are searching for Myrrh. But I also wanted to look into changing the water levels at the sluice. The river levels have been low. Perhaps I can help not only our small village of Tipa, but the rest of the villages and towns as well."

"I remember going to the sluice. My very first dungeon."

"Do you think you could give me some help with the dungeon? Anything important you remember about it?"

"Of course! Let me think. It was a long time ago. Hmm...I do remember a few things. There are a lot of frog monsters there. You should be very careful. They can eat you in a single gulp. Their tongue is their weakpoint though. If you can dodge it and then attack the tongue, you'll take them out quickly. There's also switches in the ground. If you stand on them, they cause geysers with something important in them. But you have to stay standing on them to get it. I wish I could remember what was in those geysers. I also remember a griffin nest. There was something shiny inside of it, but when your father went to get it, the beast came swooping in. We had no choice but to flee. I still am curious what that thing was. Finally, I remember...a golem. It was incredibly powerful and resistant to magic. We could only defeat it by using Poison and waiting out the battle. It was long and difficult, and I doubt we would have survived without combining our spells together to make them stronger. Remember to be using that as well. It's an important strategy used in most caravans. Make sure to combine your spells together. I believe that is all I remember."

"Thank you, uncle. I will remember what you have told me and use it well. I must be going, however. My fellow caravaners are waiting and I still have to buy our supplies."

"Best of luck to you, Seiberg. Take the tea that is left as well. It will help to calm your mind and make your magic stronger." Seiberg heads out with a thermos of hot tea.

He heads over to the various shops, looking for useful supplies. "I should only buy what is necessary..." He gathers some food and water to buy for the party and his eye catches an interesting looking magic scroll. "That scroll is for Poison. Maybe I should buy it..." He buys a Poison Scroll as well and then heads on his way out of Shella.

Meanwhile, outside of Shella, the party waits around and slowly takes turns to talk about how much of a meanie the guard is. Daniel walks past casually with Hope as they talk. "Wow, that guard sure is rude. Not letting us in just because we're not Yukes."

"Yeah, right? What a racist jerk."

Flurrie and La Rena sit nearby talking about him as well. "That no good guard just is too mean. He hurt the feelings of my dear friends."

"Yeah, he's a meanie."

Nogeko then jumps up in front of the guard, thinking he's being discreet. "YOU ARE SUCH A JERK FACE HOW DARE YOU NOT LET US IN. WANT TO LOOK AT SOME PORN?" Nogeko is blasted off from the hut with a fire spell. Waite then slowly raises up in front of the guard with a red, glowing eye staring into his soul. The guard looks unamused. Before Waite starts to beat up the guard, however, Seiberg returns from Shella with all the goods he bought. He shares with the others the information he learned from his uncle also. Getting their stuff together, the party then heads off in the direction of Veo Lu Sluice.



The caravan shows up at the sluice. Water is flowing all over the place. In fact, some areas are completely flooded with water and cannot be accessed. But there is one clear path forward that the party follows. Walking along, it doesn't take long before giant frog beasts come leaping out of the water. Two on each side. With Seiberg, Daniel, Hope, and Flurrie in the front, La Rena, Nogeko, and Waite have to protect the back from the other frog monster.

What will you do?

Hope throws a piece of meat into the water and three Sahagins jump out immediately. Seiberg and Daniel immediately cast Thunder together as it combines into a Thundara. A large blast of electricity takes out all three of them, conducting through the Sahagins easily since they are made mostly of water and are covered in water. One of them drops some Gil and Hope picks it up. The gate is still closed with the mechanism and strange switch.

Flurrie blows a powerful wind at the geyser, knocking a moon shaped stone out of it. Daniel picks up the stone and places it into the ancient mechanism with the gate opening. The party moves onward, noticing the road split. One way leads toward a dead end with some ancient structure and the other is the clear path forward with another gate blocking up ahead.

Which path will you take?