thenearshore | 014 | A Whole New World

Entry tags:

014 | A Whole New World

Who: Everyone!
What: Exploring the world
When: All day June 26
Where: The Near Shore (All Over)
Summary: So many shrines have popped up! Go visit your homelands!

The Heavens have received reports of many shrines to the "new gods" they are harboring appearing all over the world. These shrines seem to be additional, new shrines to those gods. Older shrines to those gods still exist, but these ones are shiny, new, and way more compatible with the "new gods". God characters, as well, will have felt the sudden pull towards their homelands and be compelled to travel to them. But the Heavens have taken it a step farther, offering the Meeting Hall as a place for gods and shinki to group up and go out for the day to the various places that are now calling out to them.

Please ignore the fact that they are mostly doing this so that you all will collect information for them without their begging for it or having to reward you.

Meeting Hall

The Meeting Hall is being used as a sort of hub right now. Any groups that are planning to meet up and travel together can meet here, but you might also find someone who's going somewhere you'd like to and tag along with them. Additionally, the Heavens have provided packed lunches for everyone to take with them, should they desire to. This also serves as a meeting place for all of the new gods and shinki.

Locals

Local pantheons have been alerted to the impending visitors. They are happy to welcome their brethren home and are likely to make a big fuss about their brothers and sisters staying with them. Local gods are welcome to be interpreted however you would like, just be sure not to NPC any god that is already taken by a god player. Also, you may find yourself running into some local spirits during your sight-seeing - including local ayakashi and various folklore spirits.

Flyers

They may not stick out at first, but those who are paying attention will notice that there are a large number of flyers being left around at their new shrines. Heck, even walking through the human towns, you will find flyers scattered on the ground and pinned to cork boards and nailed to telephone poles. All bear the same message: "Down with the Heavens. Down with Amaterasu." The locals gods are well versed in the flyers, saying that there have been some strange characters around throwing these flyers at anyone who will give them the time of day. Even humans will note that some shady-looking people have been putting up these strange posters.

Destruction

Note:

Who will discover Amaterasu will be decided randomly on 3/20/17 OOC. At that point, a follow-up post will be made by Amaterasu herself.

In Summary:

Explore the world
Get to know your homelands
Investigate insurgents
Deal with a riot
Save Amaterasu
Have fun~

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's not particularly reassuring, though if it's dead bodies they're supposed to be dealing with here, Shun already knows he can handle that. While he doesn't put away his dagger, he does bring it down to his side, instead leading his combative posture with an open, empty hand as if prepared to grab at something.

"If someone had said before I came to this place I was going to have this much experience fighting dead people, I would've thought they were insane."

"They are established foes of the heavens," Lenneth said matter-of-factly -- even as the stone lids tilted to the side or clattered to the ground in a deafening clangor. Mummies pulled themselves free, their hands withered and their bodies wrapped in decaying bandages as the ayakashi-animated undead loomed outwards.

"So I've noticed." There's something dry about Shun's tone there, like he feels that's a bit of a statement of the obvious, but with the undead already making their way out of the sarcophagi, he lapses into focused silence quickly. He doesn't strike first, instead readying himself and keeping his eye on every motion of the enemies that he can - the behaviour of someone more used to being the retaliatory party than the one to instigate the fight.

The mummies that emerged from the side sarcophogi are simple creatures, clinging to form and shape by the power of the supernatural, but just barely. Not so the one that rose from the great central encasement, who bore a jeweled scepter in one hand, with its body festooned with raiment of kingship in gold and brass. "What is this, to trouble my innocent slumber?"

"You blight this world," the Valkyrie snapped, lifting her sword to point it at the creature.

"If it's such an innocent slumber, then go back to it before we need to put you down."

Shun's own remark on the matter is blunt and rather harsh, and he readies both his dagger and his free hand that little bit more. Given the state these things are in already, he doubts he'll have much trouble handling them with his power, but the main one could be a different matter entirely.

"You come into my home, awaken me, and threaten me?" The mummy seemed more amused than irritated, shaking its scepter at the pair in remonstration. "You need me, gods -- you who are light require the shadow. Otherwise, what purpose have you? Light means nothing without darkness. Battling me here means nothing to you."

Some might banter with the creature at this point, the better to prove their wit and gain a moral victory as well as a physical one. Lenneth merely said, "You shall die here, creature."

"There's plenty of darkness in this world already. One less corpse isn't going to tip the balance."

While Shun isn't particularly interested in banter either, he at least gives a few more words about it than Lenneth does. The general message is the same, though - that the mummy doesn't have much longer for this world. The words might mean something different to someone like the valkyrie, who was already a god, but Shun couldn't really care less about that sort of thing if it means getting rid of a malicious party.

"Then let us show you why light cannot defeat darkness!"

Banter never led to solutions, after all. The mummy stepped forward, lifting its scepter, as its lesser brethren fell into line.

Lenneth rose slightly off the ground, crossing her arms as energy streamed out of her back. When she spread her arms, that energy coalesced into wings, which gave one powerful flap.

"Come to me, dark warriors. Battle awaits us."

The shards of energy cast off from her wings became three warriors, or at least would-be warriors, bearing swords and lances with determination but not the greatest proficiency. The Valkyrie dropped back down to the ground, her own sword in her hands.

This guy sounds about as reasonable as the average powerful person Shun has to deal with in his world. In his world, though, Shun hadn't been able to deal with them quite as easily as he can here, so he's nothing but absolutely ready for the inevitable attack.

For the moment, though, that continues to be all he is - ready. Retaliatory combat is what he prefers, since it gives him a gauge of his opponent before things truly begin, and given his godly power could quite possibly run through these mummies with ease, he doesn't want to show his hand too early.

While he glances over at the somewhat suboptimal summoned soldiers, he turns his attention back to front and center before long. He'd make the point that they could all stop talking and start fighting, but that'd make him just as guilty of doing it.

The mummies erupted into a flurry of motion, and suddenly all around them was chaos. A pair of them lunged for the Valkyrie, who dodged backwards and then drove her sword around to knock one back, while a third leaped into her Einherjar and batted one to the ground. The fourth went for Shun.

About time, though that's admittedly all Shun really has time to think before having to smoothly sidestep the creature's attack. As he does, his free hand comes around to catch the undead creature's arm in a tight grip, and he focuses his power down that arm. It doesn't take long for the bandages under his hand to begin decaying - and anything underneath them, once it gets that far. The necrosis only gets faster and spreads further the longer he holds on, and he doesn't plan to be shaken easily.

The greater of the mummies found himself abruptly reconsidering: that withering power was dangerous. While the Valkyrie and her Einherjar dueled with the other undead, their leader lifted his scepter, then gestured dramatically with it.

"Icicle Barrage!"

Jagged ice crystals appeared out of nowhere, striking down at Shun.

That figures; Shun wasn't expecting it to be that easy. While he leaves it as late as he can, to the point of the necrosis having come very close to completely biting through the affected arm, he releases it and dives out of the way as the icicles stab down.

With a neat roll, he comes back up onto his feet before leaping back towards the creature he'd been driven away from, this time opening with his dagger and aiming for the withered arm in hopes of severing it completely.

That mummy dropped, the withering crawling through its form, and a moment later another hit the ground behind it as the combined attacks of Valkyrie and Einherjar cut it down.

Leaving the lesser mummies to their fate, the leader lifted his scepter, then drew it down as magical runes formed in circles around him.

"Hark! It is an omen! As hymns resound, thou shalt be offered as a sacrifice upon the feasts of madness!"

From the aether of the spirit world, a torrent of lava crashed down towards the battlefield. "Carnage Anthem!"

The Einherjar were simply extensions of the Valkyrie's power, materialized with her will. Shun -- was not. She all but threw herself in front of him, her forward shield lifted as if it alone could absorb the might of the spell. It was magic more than true magma, though; her taking its brunt would spare him.

Shun leaves the one he'd decayed to its fate, turning his attention back to the leader as he begins that spell. He remains wary, prepared for attack - but when the torrent of lava bursts into the field, all he can think is an option is to teleport somewhere out of its range.

When Lenneth throws herself in front of him, he's not entirely surprised, but he does look a little frustrated that this is all he can do, standing behind her as her shield takes the hit. Even as she does it, though, his focus is all over the mummy's movements, the way the scepter is balanced...

"We need to get that thing out of his hand. Or his hand off his body. Whichever one is easier." It's murmured, but urgent, because as far as Shun can see, the magical item is the mummy's prime source of combat strength.

"We strike as one," Lenneth said. The pain didn't affect her, this body was not hers but only so much materialized energy, but anger and conviction had burned out all the coldness in her voice, leaving it harsh and fiery. "We will all rush him, overwhelm his guard, and then I will finish him."

There's a short nod from Shun at that, because attacking together does seem like the most likely way to succeed without resorting to a sneak attack. His suggestion would have been teleporting up to try and deliver an attack hard enough to knock the weapon from his hand, but that would've relied on getting a definite hit in.

While Shun prefers not to defer command to other people, Lenneth is the one in control of the other warriors, and seems to have more experience with fighting forces like this. So after a moment or two, he steps into line behind her. "On your command, then."

Her command was action -- the important thing was to strike the mummy in succession, to energize their souls. The Valkyrie and her warriors exploded into motion, and though the Einherjar did not strike with the speed or skill their goddess possessed, each of them in turn landed a strike. The swift succession of blows nearly bowled the sorcerer-mummy over.

That's not a command Shun has any trouble following - he lets the valkyrie and her Einherjar lead, to give the less experienced warriors the higher chance to get a hit following each other's stride. When they're done, Shun follows up immediately, taking advantage of the sorcerer's skewed balance to drive a merciless kick into where the other hits had landed, seemingly intending to finish the job of knocking him to the ground.

[At the strike of the final blow, power gathers around the Valkyrie, the excess radiating off her in waves.]

It shall be engraved upon your soul! Divine Assault--

[The power focuses in her hand, and the Valkyrie crashes into the mummy in a dazzling flurry of blows that ultimately flings it into midair -- and then a lance of radiant energy explodes upwards from the ground, impaling it. Two more slam down into the creature at angles, leaving it transfixed in midair.]

[Lenneth leaps backwards, then rises into the air some two stories or so as the cold blue light of her wings streams out of her back. Sparkles of light rush out from it, then stream into her hand to form into a massive spear twice her height. As she spins it in her hand to bring it into position for a throw, more light gathers around it, forming into the shape of a great dragon with a roar.]

Nibelung Valesti!

[She hurls the spear. It slams into the mummy, bright enough to blind, but when the glow clears the purifying energy has not yet dissipated. Instead, it gathers around the mummy, wrapping it from all sides. The final detonation, with all the fury of a goddess and her shinki behind it, leaves nothing behind. The mummy is gone as if it never was, as Lenneth drops back down to the ground.]

Such is your fate.

[As soon as his hit lands, Shun flips neatly out of the way so as not to block the final attack. Even if he's not one to stand down to powers greater than his own, an attack like that isn't one he wants to pointlessly put himself in the way of, or even in the near vicinity of.

As Lenneth's attack decimates the creature as completely as any could hope to do, Shun watches with a certain dispassion born of having seen combat and destruction over and over before this. However, by the end of it all, he turns his attention from the now non-existent body back to Lenneth with a note to his expression that may be respect or just plain interest. It's difficult to tell when he generally elects not to be overt about it.]

It seems like you could have handled that thing on your own. [He doesn't sound annoyed with being brought along, merely slightly curious as to why she needed the backup.]

[The Einherjar dissolve into light as their materialization ends, and the Valkyrie pays them little heed as she turns to face Shun.]

That is not true. Only with a coordinated attack such as we launched can I or my Einherjar gather strength enough to perform such an assault... and my Einherjar are not yet skilled enough to do so on their own, without my shinki's aid.

[The disappearance into light makes Shun stiffen and recoil very slightly, the lines of his eyes tensing for a moment, but he recovers himself after a moment. It seems to be part of the summoning, so he reminds himself of that to push his thoughts away from the comparisons it strikes for him.

Lenneth's explanation helps, because it seems a little strange to him and definitely requires some thought.] So you get stronger the more you fight, or at least that's what it sounds like. Usually it's the other way around in the short term.

[Obviously fighting over a long period strengthens someone, but in a standard fight, exhaustion sets in after a while for most people.]

It is not simply duration. The blows must be struck together, or shortly in sequence. That is the only way to properly resonate the energy necessary.

[The Einherjar have physical bodies only at the Valkyrie's behest; otherwise, their souls dwell within hers, awaiting their call once more.]

I suppose that makes more sense as a matter of skill. I'll take your word for it, since magic never existed in my world.

[To his knowledge, at least. The closest he's seen is just advanced technology. In any case, it sounds like an annoyingly specific way to gather power, even if sequenced blows is at least more productive than having to recite a spell or something.]

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