godsoffortune: (Default)
The Far Shore Mods ([personal profile] godsoffortune) wrote in [community profile] thenearshore2018-05-03 07:07 pm

28 - The Hungry Forest (Final Battle)

Who: Everyone!
What: At the heart of the mysterious forest lies a magical trap.
When: Nov 14, evening
Where: Within the forest
Summary: Working together, and with the (reluctant) help of some menaced cultists, the rescuers have pierced the wooden wall into the heart of the forest.






The sky is clearly visible here, but it’s an evening one – it’s taken the day to work their way through this far. Those with some astronomy knowledge will also be able to tell it’s a sky on Earth, and anyone who can climb up above the treeline will see a vast, mountainous and wooded area, with the lights of roads, train tracks and small towns glittering here and there. They're clearly not in the Heavens anymore. Somehow, in their journey through the forest, the rescuers have emerged onto the Near Shore.

An icy breeze is blowing, and although the vegetation is unseasonably green and lush in this clearing, there are patches of snow visible at the foot of some of the trees, hinting that they're fairly far up the mountain.

Rescues

The clearing here at the heart of the forest is vast, and five colossal sigils are etched into the earth, each one holding an incredible amount of power. It’s on these sigils, North, South, East, West, and Center, that the trapped gods and shinki can be found. Those unlucky enough to be at the Center sigil are bound by hypnosis, each staring at a firefly spirit that hovers before their unblinking eyes. These victims are still and unresponsive, and the spirits will need to be destroyed to free them. The firefly spirits can be harmed by both physical and magical attack, though they likely won’t stay still to let themselves be easily extinguished.

The captives trapped on each of the other sigils are around the edges of the clearing, entangled in vines, brambles or whatever other limbs the trees could provide to bind them to this place. Some may also be under the effects of the hypnotic fireflies if they’ve been particularly troublesome, while others who have fought less might have only those bindings needed to prevent them fleeing. Regardless of how tightly they're restrained, all of the kidnapped gods and shinki on all of the sigils look drained, the severity depending on how long they’ve been there. Some are merely tired-looking, whereas others are barely clinging to consciousness. Whether their power is being used to feed the spell or being stored for something else to come, one thing is clear – those trapped need to be freed before anything more can be done.

Sigils

Those sigils beneath each group of trapped gods and shinki are powerful constructs, brimming with energy and meticulously maintained by the cultists up to now. It’s the same power as what blankets the entire forest, but it's focused on each of those five points. They must be the source of the spell that's caused all of this.

If the spell is to be broken, the sigils need to be broken as well, but it’s going to take more than just scuffing out the etched lines to break the magic. Attacking with shinki in their vessel forms or using blessed water to wash away the magic will be most effective, but for those who didn't bring blessed water or don't have the energy left to transform, there's one other option. The clearing is lit by traditional paper lanterns hanging from the trees all around, and any object set aflame with these lanterns can be used to burn the spell out of the ground bit by bit.

The trees and any remaining soulless shinki are still furiously opposing the rescue efforts, the surviving cultists are continuing to work on maintaining the spell, and it will take time to fully destroy the sigils. However, as the sigils deteriorate, the effects of the spell will begin to fade, and characters will find it easier to access their supernatural powers to speed the process along. Gods' and shinki's powers (that is to say, the special power they gained as a god or shinki, rather than canon powers) will be as effective as a shinki or blessed water against the sigils.

But be careful. As each sigil breaks, some of the magic escapes, but some is captured by the remaining sigils. For the spell to fully disappear, all five must be destroyed – and quickly, because there’s only a matter of time before this power becomes unstable.

hellskitchen: (pic#8046624)

Rin | OTA

[personal profile] hellskitchen 2018-05-06 02:06 am (UTC)(link)
[ There's branches and vines holding Rin down on the ground, close to the southern sigil. The brambles wrap around his legs, and the vines pin his arms down along his body. Though Rin's body has many scratches and bruises on it. It looks as if at one point, Rin had fought against his restraints and captors. Pieces of broken vines and splintering wood from branches surround the teenage boy. There's even scratch marks on the surface of them. The shinki had enough strength to break the vines that bound him, but eventually he was overpowered.

It's only be a couple of days since he's disappeared, so he isn't completely drained of energy. Though his eyes are open,red and swollen, showing signs of fatigue. Still his focus is on the firefly fluttering in front of him. His gaze unwavering as if he's in a trance. If you come across him, he might not answer you until the firefly goes away.]
subtract: you lose your mind (I-0065)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-05-06 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
[It's been exhausting, making it this far. It's frustrating how little he can do without his machines, but when he sees the state of the captives his chest tightens. There are familiar faces among the trees, some looking worse than others, and tied up near the southern sigil is...

Add grits his teeth into a tight scowl, hissing out a swear before rushing to Rin's side. He fumbles inside his jacket for Zelda's knife along the way, using the other hand to direct his dynamos. He's severely weakened by the sigil's magic, but he can still muster up a weak electrical shock—more than enough to zap a firefly out of the air.

With the bug taken care of, he lets his machines drop to the ground and starts sawing into one of the branches. It's going to take awhile like this, but he's determined.]


You idiot, how stupid can you be to fall into such an obvious trap?! Are you trying to give me a bad reputation here? You're supposed to be my exemplar, there's no way in hell I'm going to lose a shinki to some stupid forest!
hellskitchen: (pic#8046642)

[personal profile] hellskitchen 2018-05-06 03:45 am (UTC)(link)
[ Once the firefly buzzes off, Rin regains himself. His surroundings become more clear, especially the sound of Add's voice. He remembers how he got into the forest and even how he got to this. He could feel the saw cutting into the vines.Though, he turns his tired eyes toward his master as he rebukes him. Still Rin manages to smile a little.]

Who cares about any of that. I'm just glad you came for me.

[ The simple things are important. He's still kicking and no one has to be disgraced. People can say a lot of things about Add, but Rin knows he's a good person. Just the fact that he went after him into the forest is proof of that. Since he's fine,Rin wants to know if Add came across Heru.]

What about Heru? I was tryna look for him, but I couldn't find him.
subtract: you lose your mind (I-0070)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-05-06 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
[The fact that Rin is able to reply at all puts some of Add's worries at ease. It doesn't make the situation any better, but at least Rin is lucid. He sighs, cathartically stabbing his knife into the vine a few times.

He's too tired to argue, but he does bring up his other hand to tap at something metal covering his ear—some sort of headset, connected by a thin metal band that wraps behind his head.]


It's a good thing you didn't. He's under some sort of spell, tried to kill me before I was able to subdue him. We'll worry about it later.

[Freeing Rin comes first. One thing at a time.]
cloak: (thought)

[personal profile] cloak 2018-05-06 05:12 am (UTC)(link)
[When they spot a familiar face, Roxas hangs back a little. He remembers the advice that Rin gave him, and while Add rushes to help, Roxas invests a few moments to he can reposition himself to most easily come into Rin's line of sight. That is, as best he can given the present circumstances. Once he's satisfied that he won't surprise him though, he waves a gloved hand as he approaches]

Hey, Rin.

[Nailed it.

He casts a glance around in case any of those errant soulless shinki are around to accost them, but it seems so far they're safe. Hopefully it remains that way, because their capabilities are hampered here.

Once he reaches Rin's side, Roxas does his best to help, although his idea of helping is manually prying at the vines]


Add was worried.

[Direct as ever. Not that Roxas hadn't tried to go on his own to locate Rin himself, but attributing words like worry to himself still sits oddly with him]
hellskitchen: (pic#7887326)

[personal profile] hellskitchen 2018-05-06 06:09 am (UTC)(link)
Huh?!

[ Rin eyes widens a bit at Add's statement. Heru attacked him? If he's under a spell, i guess they couldn't do anything about it at the moment. Still Rin wonders what they could do to break the spell.

He breaks out of his reverie when Roxas approaches. He's here too. Then everyone really must have been concerned.]


Hey, man! No one has to worry now. I'm okay. I'll be even better when I get out this shit.

[ Rin is a little weak, so he can't muster his full strength enough to break the vines himself. Though he does try to move a little to help make the vines weaker. He tries to move his legs enough to pull and tug at them. Stretching their limits and diminishing their hold on him. No wonder they firefly was there to hypnotize him.]
subtract: you lose your mind (I-0092)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-05-07 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
[Add bites his lip, making no comment on how worried he was. He's not going to argue it, but... it's a little embarrassing. Rescuing Rin was a certainty, right? So there's no reason for Add to have been that worried, since he's so capable...

Or he would be, if he could use his machines. He finally manages to break through his first branch, and already Rin's struggles are starting to do most of the work. Add sighs, catching his breath for a moment.]


We need to get rid of this damn dampening spell. [cutting through a few trees would be a snap if he could use his distortions, but alas] Roxas, can you summon your weapon?
abgrund: (で消える) (この後の夜を越えるのは誰)

[personal profile] abgrund 2018-05-07 04:01 am (UTC)(link)
[ ain is a little late, having dissolved half his body into a mass of tendrils to wrestle and block off any soulless shinki trying to come this way. now that he's satisfied that there won't be any interruptions, he can return - by floating above the trees like some sort of manta ray. the lower half of his body trails out behind him, a shower of ribbons.

he hears only the second half of what add said, so he will alight behind his god like an oversized bird. ]


Weapon....?

[ use him? ]
Edited 2018-05-07 04:03 (UTC)
cloak: (say)

[personal profile] cloak 2018-05-07 05:26 am (UTC)(link)
[Roxas pauses in his efforts to pry vines away from Rin to glance at Add. Had he ever mentioned his weapon before? That weird thing he'd summoned? He searches his memory, but he only recalls Ain having been there to see it, and the two of them puzzling over what in the world it was. Since then, he's been more focused on spells and getting borderlines right.

Maybe deities know what their shinki can do, without being told. It would certainly be most efficient that way]


I don't know...should I try?

[He knows he can't teleport, or they might've gotten here sooner. After all, Add can do the same, and Ain seems capable of being anywhere, like a living shadow]
hellskitchen: (pic#8046662)

Sorry for the delay!

[personal profile] hellskitchen 2018-05-18 04:24 am (UTC)(link)
Weapon?

[Rin raises an eyebrow, out of the loop on this one. Though if it could help him get out of this, then Rin's all for it. He continues to struggle, but it doesn't seem like he's getting anywhere. He turns to Roxas.]

Just go for it! I'm sure you can do it.

[ Rin can still be pretty encouraging, even in his predicament. Though, he can't really have any doubt since everyone is here to help him.]

subtract: you lose your mind (I-0131)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-05-19 05:40 am (UTC)(link)
[Add looks up when he hears Ain... and then promptly looks back down again, because staring at a mess of shadowy tentacles floating in the air is a bit too creepy for him right now. At least they've all regrouped now...]

Try it. If it works, it'd be better than prying with your hands. I'd rather not spend more time in this place than necessary. [the sooner they can get out, the better.

He steals another brief glance at Ain, unsure if calling on his vessel right now is the best idea. If using their powers here is tiring, would something like that count...? But then again, he's not exactly trying to restrain himself in this place, either. Perhaps it would be better for Ain to stay in his vessel for awhile so he can't wear himself out. Add nods up at him, stepping away from the tree for a moment to hold out a hand.]


Kekki!
abgrund: (帝國交響楽団 - 燃え落ちる誇り -Counter raid Another D- ) (Default)

[personal profile] abgrund 2018-05-23 12:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[ it's always been tiring for him, in some ways - the very fabric of the world resists his manifestation, a fact that he attributes his exhaustion to. perhaps it speaks volumes about his persistence, the way that he still moves despite trudging through what seems like sluggish water - but a respite is welcome nevertheless, if only so that he may serve better later.

so he says nothing, trusting roxas and add to handle things in the material world. his form vanishes, and a scythe appears in add's hands ]
cloak: (thought)

[personal profile] cloak 2018-05-25 09:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[Roxas extends a hand and concentrates, and he waits.

And waits.

He hums in thought, examining his hand before he shakes his head]


I don't think it'll work here.
hellskitchen: (pic#8046591)

[personal profile] hellskitchen 2018-05-30 04:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ He was expecting Roxas to change into his vessel form, but instead Ain does. Rin's never seen him change before, so he's really surprised to see that he changes into a scythe. That's really cool!

Unfortunately, Roxas couldn't quite summon his weapon. That's too bad, Rin really wanted to see it.]


Next time! Next time!

[But wait...if Ain became a scythe...were they gonna use Ain to get him free?]

H-hey! Watch you aim, okay? I already died once, I don't want to die again.
subtract: you lose your mind (I-0092)

[personal profile] subtract 2018-05-30 06:37 am (UTC)(link)
[For a weapon taller than he is, its surprisingly light. Add tests the weight of it in his hands before turning back to Rin, levelling the blade of the scythe carefully at one of the larger roots.]

What are you so nervous about? I can hit a stationary target, so relax. We'll have you out of there in no time.

[But it'll still be awfully slow to cut Rin free using the scythe like a saw blade... so, after picking out the spot he wants to aim for, he reels the weapon back over his shoulder and swings it at the tree like an axe. This is definitely how you're supposed to use a scythe. It stabs into the wood a few inches off course, severing only part of the offending root. Maybe just a little too close to Rin's arm for comfort...]

(no subject)

[personal profile] cloak - 2018-06-17 20:10 (UTC) - Expand
trademark_skull: (Inner Demon)

[personal profile] trademark_skull 2018-05-06 08:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[Emizel had been exhausted by now too. However, seeing what sort of horrors the humans have done was enough to keep him going.]

...RIN!

[At long last, he found one captor he had been looking for, though in not the greatest of shape. The little demon felt so queasy.]

[And that was about roughly when he realized the firefly. Just like what Kotori had described.]


Get away from him!! [He blew the firefly away with a sharp slash of wind, possibly taking out a few smaller branches and leaves binding Rin in the process. It was about inches away from Rin's face after all.]
hellskitchen: (pic#11941641)

[personal profile] hellskitchen 2018-05-07 04:45 am (UTC)(link)
[ At first Rin doesn't respond since he's still under the hypnosis of the firefly. Though once Emizel blow always the insect, and the gush of air wakes him up, he regains himself. He starts looking around. Not recognizing his surroundings. Then his blue eyes falls on the small death god.]

Emi?

[Then he realizes it's a little more easier to move. He starts shuffling trying to see if he can get completely free. Though, Rin is lacking his normal strength in order to bust out of his bindings.]

What's going on?
trademark_skull: (Out of the fire)

[personal profile] trademark_skull 2018-05-09 04:29 am (UTC)(link)
[--He snapped out of it pretty quick. That's good. Don't really want to try to carry him out.]

We came here to rescue you guys!

[As for the foliage itself, conveniently enough Emizel does have the an actual gardening tool for that. Better than having Rin struggle more.]

H-hold still. [Once Emizel had a good enough position, after climbing over all the vines and brambles, he dug the scythe blade into whatever opening he could find to cut through it.]
hellskitchen: (pic#8046661)

[personal profile] hellskitchen 2018-05-18 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
Rescue?

[ Rin realizes he is in a weird predicament. All he remembers is running after Heru, and then BAM! He's here. Despite how confused Rin is, he listens to Emi when he advises him to hold still. He watches as Emi cuts into his bindings with his blade. He could feel the blade dig in, tearing into the vines.]

But what's going on? I must be still in the forest, then.
trademark_skull: (What's this?)

[personal profile] trademark_skull 2018-05-19 03:31 am (UTC)(link)
[He almost has Rin free. Trying really hard not to cut him in the process. Reaper scythes are pretty dang sharp yanno.]

I still don't really know what's going on, but there's humans using this forest to capture gods.

[And well, shinki too. Whether or not that was part of the plan.]

[Okay, he got most of the vines and such loose now.]
hellskitchen: (pic#8046706)

[personal profile] hellskitchen 2018-05-23 03:54 am (UTC)(link)
[Humans trying to capture gods? Rin doesn't really understand it, but he doesn't think Emizel has it wrong.]

Huh? But that doesn't make sense? How can they...?

[Rin is really puzzled by this or maybe he's still woozy from the butterflies hypnotism. Still he can feel that he's almost free. Just a little more. He starts to struggle a bit more, just to help the process along.]
trademark_skull: (Serious Business)

[personal profile] trademark_skull 2018-05-24 06:53 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't really know... [There is some sadness in his voice, but for the most part, it's hate.]

[Don't squirm too much or else he might cut you too. But it looks like he's got it mostly cleared.]
hellskitchen: (pic#8046588)

[personal profile] hellskitchen 2018-05-30 04:16 am (UTC)(link)
[Well that doesn't sound good. If Emizel doesn't know, then the situation must be bad. All he do is hope to get free soon, so they could figure it out together. A bit more, and the vines start to loosen. When they grow slack, Rin can pretty much shake them off and sit up now.]

That's much better. Thanks Emi!

[He smiles at the other, before taking looking around once more to get a feel of the situation. Now what?]

Guess we should get out of here?
trademark_skull: (No touchy)

[personal profile] trademark_skull 2018-06-02 03:18 am (UTC)(link)
There's gotta be even more trapped. [Not to mention the sigils.]

[Reluctant, but.]
We should probably help them.
hellskitchen: (strangeprogam @ lj)

[personal profile] hellskitchen 2018-06-04 03:35 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I'm okay with that!

[ If someone really does need the help, Rin is not against helping them. Just in case no one comes for them, they don't deserve to be left behind. Rin spots another person with vines and branches holding them down.]

Let's help them over there.

[Rin slowly stands, still a bit weak from the vines drawing his strength. Though he pushes through to go over to the next person. Getting down on his knees, and starting to pull at the branches with his hands.]