Etrian VS: Black Bird Edition

A glayer is what it sounds like a slayer but we do it with glays. We even have a cute little design for it too show them Glacieon and be like tadaa......

What no takers fine the Neo Blitzwings

*realizes that one of those guilds is the Miasma Dogs*

(But not really, its a different person, but the joke is I have to do it and didn't yet.)

You roll out of bed as the first bell tolls.  Bleh...  You're still exhausted from training last night.  Merrick's still so sloppily slow getting his shield up, Darian kept throwing potions wide, Urvan was as enthusiastic as a wet sponge, and Yvan refuses to hold back even in training...  At least Wulf was professional about it.  Today's... going to suck, isn't it?

The sun's already up.  You head to each of your party members' rooms and knock on the door.  Unsurprisingly, Wulf's already up and about.  So are Merrick and Darian.  Urvan tells you to come in when you knock.  You open the door to find he's also ready to go, just dragging his heels heading downstairs.  You remind him that you need to be there in an hour.  He sighs and joins you.  When you go to knock on Yvan's door, it flies open and she runs out, barreling over you and Urvan both as she rushes down the stairs, half-dressed.  Oh, wait, she's... always half-dressed, so that makes her fully dressed?

After a rushed breakfast, you all head to the labyrinth entrance.  There's a huge number of guilds here today - Muan wasn't exaggerating when she said she had 10 more rookie guilds to enlist.  You notice several of the recruits you interviewed.  There's Pako, waving her little butterfly fan and issuing orders to that ninja and the dancer who didn't understand the concept of personal space.  Alice is petting that dog and seems to be teasing that cute, barefoot troubadour.  The monk and imperial are meditating together, with the crown-wearing brat becoming increasingly frustrated as she stands between them, being ignored.  Several experienced-looking guilds are also present.

The mayor arrives with Muan and a white-haired woman in tow.  He walks up onto a short podium and a hush falls over the crowd.  "Ladies and gentlemen, explorers and wanderers.  You come here today to join Zharton in celebrating a long-standing tradition.  One of the new guilds here today will represent the town in a race to the guardian's chambers.  Remember, the winning town will receive the guardian's blessing, while the losing town... must offer their defeated guild as a blood sacrifice to appease the old ones!"

What.  You don't remember reading that.  Or hearing that.  Or... what.  The rest of the crowd is in as much of a state of confusion as you are - until you notice the smirk on the white-haired woman's face.  A few of the experienced guilds are openly laughing.  The mayor signals for silence, and it comes after a few minutes.  "I jest, I just.  Well, kind of.  We used to do that.  Centuries ago.  But we're more civilized now.  The losing guild just gets laughed at a bit, then we buy them a round of drinks to cheer them up.  And then we sacrifice them."

The white-haired woman elbows him.  "Ignore this old coot.  Alright, alright.  It is worth noting that whichever guild we pick... does need to be aware they could very well die.  They'll be proceeding through the forest much faster than most guilds do.  Even on the trial this morning, you must all be on your guard.  Some of the more experienced guilds will be on patrol, as will my daughter and I.  If you get in over your head, just start screaming and someone will come running.  But even with that, don't let your guards down."

Muan's next to speak.  "We'll be proceeding into the Root Dungeon.  This is Zharton's worst-kept secret... though you're all expected to keep it quiet.  Most of the Yggdrisal Labyrinth links our two towns, but we each have a small area that is exclusive to us.  The mission... is to be the first to the center area of the first floor, retrieve the Glyph of Zharton, and bring it to the mayor waiting at the entrance."

"Are there any questions before we begin?" the mayor calls to the crowd.

(A) Yes!
(B) No!
(C) What color's your underwear?

"What color is your underwear!?" you call to the mayor.  Several chuckles ring out through the crowd, but an equal number of groans.

Merrick is among the group laughing openly.  Yvan and Urvan place hands over their faces.  Darian just stands with his mouth agape.  Wulf groans.

The mayor scratches his mustache.  He opens his mouth, when Muan grabs his shoulder.  "Don't answer that..."  She glares in your direction.  You get the feeling you may have just made her ****list.

After a few seconds of no one asking any serious questions, everyone is directed towards a small, somewhat-hidden entrance near the main labyrinth's gate.  Rather than slanting a bit upwards into the tree, it heads downwards along a dark staircase.  After an uncomfortably long time walking down in a long line, you form a crowd at the bottom of the stairs.

This place is... wow.  You can't even see the ceiling in the blackness, yet it's lit up as if the sun is shining down.  The walls are covered in - no, made of thick, gnarled roots.  The ground is dark, thickly-packed clay.  It smells so... musty, but oddly refreshing.

The mayor waits until everyone finishes filing down the staircase, while some of the more experienced guilds - as well as the sweet old lady in the hat - proceed past him and deeper into the dungeon.  You can hear the sounds of quickly-resolved combat around the bends of the next corners.

"Well...  This is it..." Yvan says.  She flexes her clawed hand.  "Let's make it good!"

Urvan sighs.  "Let's go."

Darian punches his gauntlets together.  "Time for some field work!  Let's get some good data for our Compendium."

Wulf checks his rifle one last time.  "All set.  Let's move out!"

Merrick prances in place excitedly.  "Aaaaaaahhhhhh this is it this is really it we're really in Yggdrasil let's go let's go let's go!"

They all look at you expectantly.

(A) "Let's do this!"
(B) "Be careful, everyone!"
(C) "We can do this."
(D) "We're gonna win!  Grind these other wannabe guilds into the dirt!  Now go, my children!  Mwahahaha!"

(Also pick who's in which line)

"We're gonna win!" you promise.

"Yeah!" Merrick cheers.

"Grind these other wannabe guilds into the dirt!"

"Yeah!" Merrick cheers, a bit less enthusiastically.

"Now go, my children!"

"Y-yeah...?"

"Mwahahaha!"  You throw your head back and pose dramatically as you cackle.

"Haha... ha... ha?" Merrick answers.

Darian smiles nervously.

Urvan grimaces.  "The other guilds are watching us..."

"Let them watch!  Allow them to bask in our radiant glory!  AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Wulf sighs.  "At least our leader's confident."

Yvan snorts with laughter.  The others all whirl to look at her.  She immediately plays it off and tries to resume her tough demeanor.  "W-what?  I was just... Er...  Let's go, dammit!"

"ONWARD, MINIONS!" you yell.  "...Oh, hang on.  Let me get the map ready."  You pull out a map and some drawing tools you received as part of a package given to all new guilds - as well as three Medica potions.  "NOW, ONWARD TO VICTORY, MINIONS!"

"This is going to be a long... ugh... hopefully just a day or two..." Urvan groans.

You advance to the next room.  It's a large rectangle.  You came in from the south.  It looks like there's just two other paths out - east and west.  The other rookie guilds seem to be splitting between the two fairly equally.

(A) East
(B) West
(C) South
(D) North
(E) Spin in a circle indecisively

E then A

C make Urvan do it.

SOMEBODY STOP ME I AM MAKING ALL THE BAD DECISIONS.

Call him a chicken if he doesn't want to do it.

"Urvan! Pick some of those flowers for us!" you command

"...Really?"

"Yes."

Urvan groans. "Guess it's better than fighting, at least..." He walks off to pick some of the flowers.

Gained Tiny Flower x2!

"Now try eating one," you tell him.

"What?" he asks.

"Just do it."

"I'm pretty sure this type of flower's poisonous..."

"It's fine," you promise. "Don't be a chicken."

"Better chicken than dead."

"A small does won't kill you, and it could provide valuable data," Darian says. He holds the compendium ready.

Urvan rolls his eyes and takes a bite of one of the flowers. He grimaces, then spits it out. "Yeah, it tastes like a flower."

"Tastes... like... a flower..." Darian mutters as he makes a note of it. He watches Urvan for a bit, but nothing seems to happen. "Well, guess that's that. Maybe someone in town can make something of them, though."

Lost Tiny Flower x1!

"Can we get back to it?" Yvan asks. "Some of the other guilds are pulling ahead."  She seems to be a bit annoyed.

You double back and head through the west path. You come out in another small room.  You came in through the east door.  Through the west door, you can see the path stretching out straight for a good ways.  The south path quickly turns to the west.  The north wall looks solid.

(A) North
(B) South
(C) East
(D) West