Ilphyl Palace Run

[spacetogrow]

Content Warning

Parts of Ilphyl’s past deal with religiously motivated child abuse, sexism (albeit fantasy sexism as it is against male drow), transphobia and fantasy racism. If you want to engage with Ilphyl’s Palace, but not this content, let me know and I can make sure you stay on an alternate route. I’ll also put warnings on particular rooms if it seems likely to come up, and use the subject lines of threads to add in warnings if it comes up unexpectedly.

Goal
Find and return Ilphyl's consciousness to prominence. You know it will take the form of a small bat, but aren't sure how you know this.

Comments

(Crap, forgot the content warning!)

[spacetogrow]

"He needed to learn his proper place. Anyone other than family would have done worse unless they feared me too much to touch him."

[terribletwos]

What does that even mean? Proper place?

[spacetogrow]

He is male. He cannot be my daughter, and it would be blasphemous of the first order if he tried to be a priestess. The Goddess would be merciful if she simply killed him for his presumption, and did not remove the entire House.

[terribletwos]

Your Goddess sounds like a horrible person if they want to kill someone just for wanting to be something important to them. What does it matter if they're a priestess?

[spacetogrow]

[that sound you hear behind you is your guide trying to figure out if they should be applauding or diving for cover in abject terror of the collateral damage]

[meanwhile, it seems you have pissed the woman off]

Impudent fool!

[there are some very large spiders crawling out from the rafters]

[meanwhile, the child has returned, and is trying to stay out of sight, while making urgent 'get out of there' gestures]

[terribletwos]

[TIME TO SUMMON KEYBLADES]

[spacetogrow]

[there is definitely a roll initiative joke here]

[one spider advances, mandibles aiming for a bite, and the other draws out some web from its spinnerets, tossing it at Nikkou in an attempt to restrain him]

[terribletwos]

[Dodge rolls from the web since that's the most immediate threat]

[spacetogrow]

[thankfully, this also takes you out of biting range for now, causing the spiders to have to regroup]

[on the other hand, the woman is summoning a swarm of spiders to go with the two big ones]

[terribletwos]

What is with you and spiders?

[Going to point his weapon at them and unleash and Aero (wind) spell]

[spacetogrow]

"They are sacred creatures."

[Thankfully, area effetc magic are good against swarms of small bitey things, but the two big spiders aren't terribly impressed. They back off a bit to avoid the sword, but one starts to circle around]

[The guide seems to have come to some sort of equilibrium and calls out: "You're in a mindscape! You can't win by magic or sword alone!"]

[terribletwos]

If they're important, you shouldn't use them against people. They'll get hurt in a fight.

[Turns to the guide]

How else do you fight monsters?

[spacetogrow]

How do you fight someone else's fears when you can't literally stab them?

[terribletwos]

[THIS IS A THING???]

Uh, try to make them less scary?

[LOOK I USUALLY JUST HIT THINGS OKAY]

[spacetogrow]

Oh, for fucks sake...

As long as we [gestures to self, and the child] believe that no one could overpower our mother, you won't be able to do it here. As long as we're afraid, you can either retreat, or you'll die.

[terribletwos]

So how do I help you believe it?

[spacetogrow]

I don't know.

[terribletwos]

[Going to just cast Gravity on the spiders for the time being so he can try to reach the kid again]

[spacetogrow]

[IT works, though a few of the smaller spiders mgiht get a bite or two in if you don't circle around htem]

[terribletwos]

[Will tank those bites to each kid]

Hey, want to get out of here?

[spacetogrow]

[they are poisonous, so this will probably sting for a few hours]

Yes.

Why did you fight her?

[terribletwos]

[Cry, he hasn't dealt with a poison effect in a while. Winces but also grabbing the kid's wrist so he can lead them away from the lady and her mega-spiders.]

Because she was being horrible to you.

[spacetogrow]

She was allowed to be horrible to me. Anyone who might have wanted to stop her would be too afraid to be punished too.

[the kid is okay with being grabbed, but is still holding something to their chest with their other hand, mostly concealed by a shirt]

[terribletwos]

Well, she shouldn't be allowed. Nobody should be allowed to tell someone what they can be.

[Notices that...]

Did you rescue something?

[spacetogrow]

I'm protecting them. She didn't see.

[present -- one black and white bat, which blinks drowsily at Nikkou]