thenearshore | 37 - A Call To Arms

Edited 2019-02-02 03:34 (UTC)

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Edited 2019-02-11 04:51 (UTC)

I. Battle annoucement

So their den has been found? [ They are being asked to "descend", that's some apt wording there. There were many of the new gods and shinki doing the hard work with the investigation, Caster can name a few deeply involved in those plots. His Exemplar among them. This kind of thing, pointing at the enemy, and saying go, is much more understandable to a being like Servant. ] A divine wrath incoming, huh...

[ Like in the old times you could say. But with so many of new gods being simply-put, just humans, dragged from somewhere else- how will it sit with everyone here? Which is why he asks a person passing him with just a hint of curiosity ]

You going?

II. High Walls - planning stage
｢ ooc note: Caster has a plotted out route of getting into the compound already, but he can provide some help for breaching the compound gates for your character should you want it! ｣

[ Caster skulks around the compound, mostly using high perches nearby as his main route. Lampposts, trees, other buildings, you name it. He can be found doing various things. At once time he flings small stones over the wall. Sometimes they go through, sometimes they disintegrate in the air (depends on the type of rune spell written on them, though even those who do go through land on the side just as normal stones). Other time he tries to get close enough to investigate the spells, but has to eventually walk away with gritted teeth and unamused expression on his face. Not only do they have annoying effects, they’re also set in plenty of obnoxious places, so he can’t even attempt a removal without getting hit with the effect. Ain’t that great? (Not that the knows he wouldn't be able to remove them)

Eventually he finds a vantage point with good view of the gate. Should any other Far Shorer come nearby (noticing him or not) he might comment ]

No matter how you look at it. This is the only way in.

III. Booby traps A

[ Picture this: a compound, guards at the corners, people just going by in their day. And a bunch of supernatural/divine beings crawling around trying to sneak their way around. They're mostly unseen but why to tempt fate?

The traps were to be expected. The magical traps are actually the ones easier to spot, at least to Caster. While the magical energy isn’t the type he is used to, he can go and try and counter it with his own spells. Set a field around the trap to make it non-react, stuff like that.

But does it really works? Is their magic powers trully finally unhindered when within the compound? If someone is around he will just gesture at the obstacle before him lightly. ]

Eh, don’t worry about it. You’ll be fine. [ Probably. There’s in an unspoken “probably” At least, should anything happen, he will provide support. Promise! ]

IV. Booby traps B

[ The traps that are made of pure technology are another deal whatsoever. There is no real warning at them, and they are pretty well hidden. Especially if you're expecting magic traps and looking for this kind of obstacles. So in one moment, when Caster leads the way into another room something goes off- a mist of weird aroma shoots right around the height of an adult’s human face. ]

Shit-- [ He pulls down his hood to guard his face, and tries to push away however might be behind him- ] Hold your breath!

[ The vapors into the air that can cause uncontrollable emotional responses such as sorrow, terror, anger, confusion, or sorrow. It’s brief, it’s sudden, it’s easy to make it into a huge disaster, no? ]

High Walls

[Romeo knew that the reason the heavens had asked them lots of questions at the last training was to prepare them for a war, that's what Joss had said and so he wasn't too surprised when they were all asked to go and get information about the place where the bad cultists lived.

He doesn't really understand much about the cult or anything. Just that they wanted to hurt heaven but that they probably thought heaven was bad, just like Sotero had.

But now they were here and they had to get through, because going near the walls made you feel sick. Romeo watched the people going in and out, wondering how he could sneak through.]

People go in all the time so maybe we can just run through really fast!

Booby Traps

[So far so good! Once in Romeo did his best to be sneaky, the humans mostly couldn't see them but it was good to be quiet. Being small helped and so did being fast. He wasn't really sure what he was looking for! Where all these people cultists? What did cultists even look like? He had no idea but he kept his eye out for anything that looked bad.

Unfortunately even being sneaky didn't save him when he stood on a trap.] Ow! [He pulled his sleeve up to see what had hurt and stood staring confused at the blotches of blight on his arms. What was it? He poked it and blinked as the redness spread onto his finger.]

Battle One!: Closed to Elfnein

[When the bell started ringing Romeo jumped. They had been caught! That wasn't good and it got worse when a tentacle appeared right in front of him!] Elfnein! [He wasn't too far away from her, but now he ran towards where he had last seen her. If bad ayakashi were attacking they needed to stick together!]

Battle One: Around the battle OTA

[Romeo runs around as much as he can, he's a weasel and he's small but he can be very fast! Elfnein is right they are probably better helping everyone else fight and they know that when he is near people as his weasel they feel better. It helps them keep their spirits up when bad ayakashi try and ruin things.

So anyone who looks like they need help will get a weasel clambering up them, making them feel better.]

((OOC: This isn't really a fight thread but is happening during the battle for anyone who needs a moment to regroup and be bolstered. Power info.

preparations
Alright. It looks like we're in for a long day.

[ Honestly, Shiro is glad they're able to tackle this whole thing. He's been concerned ever since he was told about the cultists. Not doing anything... it had bothered him more than he'd let on. He's relieved, and honestly, Shiro has no doubt they'll be able to see this through.

The people here are strong. And his team is capable. Before he starts, though, if he happens to come across someone else-- ]

Ready for this?

[ Man, he says it with a pretty confident smile, too. ]

high walls
[ Shiro's staking out the entrance, and it's not hard to figure out they need to be sneaky. ]

How to go about this... Slip inside? Avoiding the effects of those symbols is impossible.

[ He frowns as he looks to whoever's nearby. ]

... Are you alright? It's not exactly pleasant.

booby traps
We have to be smart about this.

[ Shiro speaks in a low voice, but he's in his element, here. Leading an important mission--prayers excluded--is something he hasn't done in a very long time, but it's like he never stopped. There's a commanding presence about him, the air of a natural leader.

He looks to his side, to whoever is there. ]

Any ideas?

High Walls

[Walls? When did walls ever keep a cat out? Never was the answer and so Da Qing was pretty confident that these ones would hold no challenge for him! He was in cat form, better for jumping and so he ran towards the wall, planning to leap up them and over.

Except that didn't happen. Moments later he was sprawled on the ground nearby feeling like he wanted to throw up.] Urgh. [Clearly this place was cat proofed. But cats are clever and so Da Qing was not about to give up. So he was close to the gates, eyeing up the humans entering and leaving. He could sneak in, or he could approach and convince one of them to let them in. People liked cats. But it would depend how wary they were. So for now he is in the shadows, watching. There are others from the heavens here too, working together might be a good idea.] Miaow! [He tries to attract the attention of one of them, without alerting any of the cultists.]

Booby Traps I

Once he's in things go well. Cats are fast and he makes good progress sneaking through the grounds. At least that is until he gets stuck. All of a sudden his paws are stuck to the ground. He can't move them at all, it was like someone had spilled quick drying glue there!

After a few moments of tugging Da Qing shifted forms, to see if the transformation would help unstick him. It didn't work and so Da Qing crouched, hands and feet stuck to the floor trying to free himself.] Cats are not meant to get stuck to floors! [This is not how this was meant to go!]

Battle One: Closed to Shen Wei

[The bells rang and tentacles rose from the ground. Da Qing was still in his human form, it had proven a little easier for helping free people from traps but he knew that even in this form he had claws. As the tentacle snapped towards him he lashed out, instantly regretting it as blight spread up his arm. He had forgotten about that!

A moment later the tentacle lashed out itself and knocked Da Qing clean off his feat. He struggled wildly as the tentacle wrapped around him and started dragging him out of the room.] Get off! Help! Argh! [Claws and teeth were proving futile, all they were doing were spreading blight!]

high walls
[ walking close to the walls is a bad idea, and pyrrha finds out the hard way. she's attempting to be sneaky, to get closer to the entrance, but she brushes against the wall and immediately feels ill. she lets out a gasp as her head starts to spin, and she stumbles forward, away from the compound. but as soon as she's away from it, the feeling of sickness starts to leave; still, pyrrha falls onto her knees and hands as she tries to gather her composure again. ]

Sorry--I'm fine. I just...need a moment. [ she takes in a few deep breaths to steady herself before she starts to stand back onto her feet. ] The walls are dangerous. Be careful not to get too close.

booby traps
[ when pyrrha enters the compound, she surveys her surroundings, first and foremost. she knows it wouldn't be easy to gain access to the compound, and it sure as hell shouldn't be any easier to figure out its secrets. she can already see from the entrance something glimmering a few feet ahead on the main walkway. it could be anything, but...it seems suspicious. ]

I see something up ahead. [ she points in its direction. ] There--do you see that? It doesn't seem very safe.

High Walls
[If there is something Pidge is good at, it's infiltration. What she didn't figure into the plans is the fact that these walls seem to make people sick. That throws a variable into the plan she needs to adjust for. Especially since there's others with the same idea. So she looks to whoever happens to be with her.]

A distraction might be easier than straight up slipping in. I might have an idea on how to do it.

Booby Traps
[Figuring the cultists would find a way to keep outsiders out, Pidge is more than prepared for booby traps. This means she's on rescue mode for anyone she comes across that might need it.

Just call out quietly, or don't get scare if a tiny girl comes up to you to attempt to save you.]

[Booby Traps]
The moment Ginia notices the broadcasting towers and dishes dotting the compound, her target becomes clear. Take out their communication system, maybe take out their power and security system in the process. The traps are an expected, though frustrating, complication. Ginia hunches behind a wall, a cobbled together radio tower twenty feet in front. The ground looks clear, but a few visible sigils and seals are burned into the ground. Sure, she can bystep the ones she can see, but what about the ones she can't?

Spotting company nearby, Ginia cautiously motions at them to come over. Typing a message on her phone (or signing to people she knows understand sign language), Ginia asks, "Want to help me take down this tower?"

High Walls

[So this was where the cultists were holed up? Suzaku had arrived with the rest of those from the heavens and was stood just out of line of sight watching the walls.] So it seems the only way is through the front gates. [But could they risk going through and relying on not being noticed, the cult were against the heavens, they might have ways to notice them. They definitely had ways to repel them.

The other option would be to fight their way through, but that would attract a lot of attention.]

Booby Traps

[Of course getting in was only half the battle. Suzaku made his way through the grounds, heading towards the house. He was almost there when all of a sudden the air around him seemed to shimmer. He froze, looking around for any threats. They soon became apparent, four cultists nearby all looking directly at him.

It was clear straight away that they had noticed him and that was about all he had time for before they were heading towards him, drawing weapons. Four on one were not great odds, he readied himself for a hard fight.]

Battle One: Closed to Edge and Saber

[Suzaku had managed to get into the house proper before the bell started to ring. It was a clear warning bell and Suzaku prepared himself for more of the cultists, instead a tentacle burst up through the floor in front of him. Suzaku threw out a borderline wordlessly almost instantly. Another had appeared behind him, he threw a slashing borderline at it and left the room quickly. It was clear these ayakashi were everywhere. He had to find Saber and Edge quickly. Mostly Saber, he trusted Edge to look after himself.]

A. Air drop
[Iskandar is no stranger to sieges though in most battle conditions he usually had his corps of engineers to deal with fortifications, impenetrable walls and other inconveniences of a similar kind.
He doesn't have them at his disposal now but then why bother with scaling the walls if you have a flying chariot? That must work, right? Unless it doesn't. The spells reinforcing the wall surrounding the compound works not only on gods and shinki but apparently on divine animals too.
As soon as Iskandar approaches even the vicinity of the wall in his chariot both of his bulls fly into a full-blown panic. It takes him a moment to finally force the animals into obedience but the landing is far from satisfactory. More a crash than a proper landing. Far from offending wall but he can't shake the feeling that someone was there just a minute ago.]

Hello? I didn't land on you or harm you in any way? Please say I didn't?

B. Booby traps [CW: pretty GROSS]

[Getting in was just part of the fun as the place is littered with traps. All the residents seem to be quite accustomed to them as they navigate the space without hindrance. So Iskandar is carefully noting which particular areas they avoid. As well as keeping a watchful eye to ensure that none of the cultists tries to approach the black van marked with a pizza chain logo parked conveniently out of the way.
People are working there.
Unfortunately, he's a warrior, not a scout and eventually, he does find a trap he didn't notice. There is a dim flash of sickly green light and an awful slurping sound.
Iskandar has to grapple the closest vertical object, most probably a nearby tree, to steady himself as he’s hit by a wave of nausea followed by a burning sensation of something rising from his stomach.
That’s the nature of the trap. It makes its victims violently vomit snails. And not any kind of snails. The black, slimy slugs without shells. The worst kind. Truly the author of this trap must have a twisted sense of humour.
The trap is a simple circle made of string soaked with black, foul-smelling liquid and secured in place with metal pins stuck in the ground with only a few magical symbols to power the hex. Nothing fancy. Pure, cruel simplicity. It seems to have several charges.
Iskandar attempts to destroy it as much as his current state would allow him.

Will you help him dismantle the trap before someone else falls for it?
Or maybe you already did and now you just share his misery?
Or are you a terrible person and will just revel in the sight of mighty King of Conquerors throwing up slugs?

Either way, once the trap is gone he still has to make his way back to the car so that one competent spellcaster can help him with his problem. Or at least try to alleviate the symptoms.]

High Walls
[With the particular wards in place, Soleil has to stop and think for a moment on how to get past this first obstacle.]

If Berserker were here, she'd probably just be able to plow through the wall. [She sighs slightly, partially wistful and partially in thought. There's really not much she can do about someone who isn't here, so another way in it will have to be, then.]

I bet sneaking in wouldn't be too hard, it's not like people notice us easily anyway.

Booby Traps
[Not that sneaking is exactly Soleil's forte. She's not a ninja, nor a tactician, just a mercenary used to storming the front of wherever her assistance is needed. With the compound itself being as tricky to get in as it is, there's no real surprise when the area inside is also laden with hazards, though the kinds of hazards are pretty unexpected.]

Tch-! [How they managed to set something up to blight gods and shinki is beyond her. She's doing her best to keep from being too obvious or suspicious, but seeing so many of the people milling around the compound being unaffected does make her drop her guard, perhaps a little more than is really safe.] I'll have to take care of that later, huh? [Huff-! This is really frustrating!]

I. Preparations

[Battle briefings never change, Angela thinks. It's always the who, what, where, and when, and usually never the 'why'. With any luck, the why will become evident.

Either way, she's glad for the clinic that is at the back of her temple. It's stocked well enough, with basic medicines, wound care supplies, and the like. She'll load up as much as she can into cases, then head out. She may not be completely prepared to fight in the form that she's in now, but her medical skills never faltered.

Once they arrive, she'll get to work on the sidelines, directly outside the compound for now.]

If anyone needs medical assistance, I'll be here.

II. Battle One, outside the main fight]

[This has been a thing, all right. At least Mercy has her soulless shinki with her; it's taken the form of a staff, and she's been doing her best to keep them at bay. It's a bit of a losing fight, but there's no sense in giving up now.]

Ugh, there's no end of these...

Edited 2019-02-04 04:19 (UTC)

[A - High Walls]

[Getting over a wall should be a piece of cake, but of course it isn't that simple. After several failed attempts to break through the spell or teleport around it, Add is forced to accept that this isn't something he can just bullshit his way around—irritating, but still not impossible. He'll just have to think more creatively.

But in the meantime, there are other things he can try... and, if this cult is going to continue to be a nuisance, it's not a bad idea to test their spellwork while he has the chance. It's a rare opportunity that doesn't involve anything trying to murder him, so he might as well take his time.

Approaching the wall is still uncomfortable, so Add has himself positioned a fair distance away, sitting atop his drones with a screen of incomprehensible readings projected in front of him. A glowing purple cube floats next to him, flickering attentively whenever a new person enters its range. Add lifts his head just enough to see who's there before turning back to stare at his screen, face hidden under his oversized hood.

Being out public like this still feels... weird. But if it's for the sake of gathering information...]

Have you discovered anything useful?

[B - OPERATION: CLEAN ENTRY]

[Later on, a jagged portal cracks open above the compound. This by itself isn't remarkable—it was the first thing Add tried, and he was thorough with it, so such a sight shouldn't be a surprise to many gods and shinki at this point. This time is different, though, because something falls out of it: a small, disc-shaped object drops from the gap, floating gently down on a parachute to land within the walls of the base.

It's... a Roomba.

A slightly-bulkier-than-average Roomba, but it's still obviously a Roomba. It has a cute pink colour scheme and a tiny shark painted onto its top. A red light flickers on with a beep as it activates, rolling awkwardly across the ground as it begins its incredibly serious mission of espionage.

Somewhere on the outside, Add is standing close to the wall and staring intently at a small and extremely blurry holoscreen, mumbling and chuckling under his breath about this amazing breakthrough.]

[C - Booby Traps]

[Once he's found his own way inside, navigating the compound isn't any easier. At least he has use of his technology, and being able to see ahead with his clairvoyance continues to be a blessing, but knowing what's in front of him isn't enough to negate the traps. It's only a matter of time before he runs into something he can't just walk around.

Luckily, this time he's not the only one trying to follow this path. He glances at the other person, then at the suspicious hallway ahead of them.]

... It's safe, so you go first. [actually its setting off several warnings on his Dynamo's scanners, but that's such a minor detail.]

[D - First Fight (Closed to Data-Roxas & Jakob)]

[The alarms are a bad sign. It's not enough to dissuade Add from pressing on, but something else makes him pause. A foreboding feeling, the sound of yelling and chaos coming from nearby...

And then a tentacle bursts out of the floor.

Add just barely avoids getting snatched up in that first attack, stumbling backwards with a hiss as the limb swings back down. His dynamos pull close to his body, crackling with electricity.]

Shit, get back! [The tentacle isn't the most threatening thing he's faced, but in a tight space like this? There's not a lot he can do, and there's probably more to that thing than just what's in front of them.]

High Wall
[ Alex wasn’t much of a fighter, or a spy, or anything particularly useful for these types of things. But she could at least offer some support, which was why she was hanging around outside. She’d looked over the area, taking note of the effects of the walls and checking out security. Her knowledge was limited, but it was certainly well guarded. The only way in looked to be through the front door.

Which was why she decided to wait there. She figured that’s where most may try to get in. If they needed help with anything, she wanted to be able to offer that. ]

Have you figured out a way in?

Booty trap
[ Getting in might have gone smoothly, but Alex still wasn't someone accustomed to stealth missions. She knew to keep an eye out, but not exactly for what. So when she trips a wire, and a figure suddenly pops up from the ground, she immediately takes a step back. At least she doesn't scream, but she does trip over a stick that certainly wasn't there earlier, and down she goes. Her fall seems to stop short, and it feels like she's sitting on something. A...barrel? Not just any ordinary barrel though, as it tightens around her, effectively keeping her stuck. She tries to pull and push herself out, kicking her legs in an attempt to fall onto her side or get up, but nothing worked. That was one sturdy ass barrel.

Even the thing that jumped out was just a cardboard cutout with an mocking expression scribbled on it. Was this set up by cartoon characters? The urge to punch it was so strong.

She can't even be scared with how embarrassed she's feeling right now. Did she even want to be helped in this situation? Did she deserve it after falling for something so stupid?

If you're a good samaritan that intends to help her out, watch out, there are other wires all around. Who knows what other looney things could happen. ]

First Fight (Closed to Hibiki, Wendy, and D2)

[ She's seen different kinds of ayakashi, but it was still never enough to prepare her for new kids. A giant octopus wasn't a common sight, especially not on land. Her first reaction would be to use her god power, but with just the tentacles exposed, she doubted it'd be any use. Even the cultists didn't seem particularly prepared as they scrambled to get away.

There was no way to fight this alone, let alone defend herself. It was during times like these that not having a shinki of your own was a definite disadvantage. ]

Edited 2019-02-04 08:37 (UTC)

[ High Walls ]

[ The reconnaissance forces enter one at a time.

First comes a purple butterfly, fluttering in behind a cultist returning from a convenience store with bentos for everyone. Next comes a handful of small purple goat robots, one of which a god or shinki might notice as they make their own entrance. Don't mind them. Just taking advantage of this opening that's been created.

Time passes. More gods and shinki infiltrate. One by one, the goats become...indisposed (see below). And a figure standing in the shadows several blocks from the compound sighs the sigh of someone resigning themselves to the inevitable, adjusts the mask upon their face, steps out onto the road -

and disappears.

They're leaking a trail of sparkles and red rose petals in their wake, however. This may or may not be on purpose. ]

[ Booby Traps I ]

[ Anyone exploring this wing of the compound will find a peculiar sight: a wall dotted with purple goat robots, dangling helplessly from the side. The only spygoats that'd managed to infiltrate were very basic models with only one command inputted: EXPLORE THE ENTIRE AREA. As, one by one, each goat rolled down this hall, vacuum pressure from the wall sucked it up and onto it like some kind of ruminant flypaper. This meant the rest of the hall went unexplored, so sooner or later another goat showed up to EXPLORE THE ENTIRE AREA and met the same fate.

These are exceptionally limited goats. ]

[ Booby Traps II ]

[ Well done on managing to enter the cultists' compound! Less well done, however, at stumbling into this trap, which takes the form of an invisible fence demarcated by little flags with charms on them. It has the unfortunate effect of making you drop to all fours and pretend you are a dog.

As you (potentially) slobber and roll and sniff places you probably shouldn't sniff, however, a small white piece of cardboard comes fluttering down to you. Should you fetch it, you'll find it's got an engraving of a mask on one side and elegant black script next to a red lily pattern on the other. ]

Presently, I will come to steal your captivity.

Do sit and stay.

[ This is, doubtless, reassuring. But the sender forgot to inquire:

do you bark, or do you end all your human sentences with "woof"? ]

OPERATION JPOP;
["We found the cult's hideout," the Heavens said. "Go check it out," the Heavens said. Did they offer any instruction as to how to go about doing that? Of course not. And that's how this whole thing has turned into a goddess-damned assault on the premises with only the faintest of thoughts given to stealth. It would give her a migraine if she wasn't preoccupied with considering her own method for getting through the front gate.]

I-- I am not exactly certain what I should do...

[Zelda murmurs to no one immediately obvious as she stands before the compound's entrance, a golden microphone in hand and wearing... an odd outfit for assaulting an enemy base. Her long ears are already burning red with embarrassment. She'd be much more comfortable finding some other, sneakier approach to finding a way inside, but... if this works, it should leave the doors virtually unguarded...]

And you are sure about this? This will really get their attention? [...] Very well, then.

[And so, the Princess of Hyrule, acting as the ancient Greek titan of cunning wisdom, takes a deep, steeling breath, and begins to sing...]

... ♫ Say yeah! Open the door of dreams--
Baby! Open it on your own! Miracle!
Say yeah! Trust your dreams and advance!
Fire! Gonna get closer to you...! ♪

[For what it's worth, she's not necessarily bad, even if she's not really giving her voice the kind of breath support a big "look at me!" kind of song needs. She's not Hibiki, alright. But far more importantly... one by one, the guards patrolling the complex turn in her direction and start to walk away from their posts, looking for all the world to be completely enthralled by this nervous girl's cheesy 90's jpop. The large doors to the compound itself even open, revealing a few more alarmed and curious faces before they too are enraptured by her song. Zelda takes one step back, then another, and another, and gradually leads them away.

She'll have to figure out what to do with them at some point after they're lead significantly away from their headquarters. They probably won't be happy with her. But for now the plan seems to be working well enough.

Goodbye, dignity. You're probably dying for a good cause here.]

booby traps;
[With the doors open, Zelda quickly sheds the jpop idol persona in favor of a much more practical tunic and boots combo. Which she quickly comes to regret, of course, as while she's adept at maneuvering around the more conventional traps and tripwires, she does not expect the laces of her boots to suddenly tie themselves together, causing her to ungracefully faceplant just as she's trying to climb a stairwell into the building proper.]

... I am truly beginning to hate these people, I think. [She observes, dryly, as she slowly pulls herself up. She dearly hopes they can burn this place to the ground when they're done.]

wildcard;
[pm this account or hit me up on plurk at

jamizoid if you wanna plot out something else with the princess!]

[ It's pretty tough, making your way across the compound with the traps being absolutely everywhere, right? Spy movies sure make it look easy, but it's pretty easy to accidentally trigger a trap when they're all over the place. Maybe you're not even being careful, or maybe you're being real careful and there's just a trap in the exact spot you just headed to avoid a different trap--

Either way, there's suddenly a call from behind you. ]

Crescent Beam!

[ A beam of light rushes only barely past your head a split second later, hitting a wall and destroying a trap on it. And maybe it accidentally cut off just a few split ends of your hair as well in the process. Whoops. ]

Ahh, sorry, sorry! There was a trap over there, you know..! [ That's definitely Minako's voice, but if you turn to look at her, she's definitely wearing a very different outfit than usually.. (She's also putting on more of a destructive laser show here than usually, yes.) ]

Edited 2019-02-04 19:38 (UTC)

[ 1. High Walls ]

[ Berserkers are not known for their subtlety and this one is no exception. Stealth is not something he's good at and he has no patience for attempting to sneak in. No, he prefers the direct route. The "direct route" in this case, is straight through another part of the wall. Berserker takes a step back before barreling shoulder first into the structure with all of the strength he can muster. ~~OH YEAH!~~

Needless to say, it draws a considerable amount of attention. Berserker doesn't seem to care, though, as Gae Bolg appears in his hand. ]

Make yourself useful or stay out of my way.

[ 2. Booby Traps ]

[ Berserker is on a mission, traps be damned. There's no concern for his safety or well-being as he makes his way through the compound. He only stops because he's forced to stop, snared around the ankle by a trap. He doesn't realize he's trapped at first, judging by the fact he doesn't stop. It's only when he falls forward that he realizes. It's weakening him to the point he can't break free from it on his own, a fact that irritates him. With a snarl, he turns to whoever is closest. ]

Free me from this. I can't break it.

[ An annoying admission to make. ]

[ Wildcard ]

[ Got an idea? Hit me up on Discord at glitzkrieg#0673! ]

Edited 2019-02-05 03:53 (UTC)

[A: High Walls]

[Shun's done break-ins and escapes often enough in his life to be suspicious of getting in really being as easy as just climbing over the walls, so he takes some time to scope out the outside of the compound. Sure enough, it's definitely not just as simple as that, and though he could try to break the seals from out here, he's got a sneaking suspicion that it'd be a losing battle on this side of the spell.

It's pretty clear there has to be some way in, though, and the most obvious one is the gate out the front that opens every so often to allow members of the cult through. Shun's experienced enough in shadowing people that he's fine with taking that route, but just before the gate actually opens, as a group is approaching, he glances over to whoever looks like they're planning to enter with this round of cultists as well to murmur a quick and direct question.]

What are you planning to do when you get inside? [It might be worth helping out with certain plans rather than trying to do them alone here - there's probably more to be done within the walls than just finding an easier way to get people in.]

--

[B: Booby Traps]

[Unfortunately another thing Shun has prior experience with, the booby traps are a definite annoyance in trying to navigate through the temple. Ones that are clear seals or images on the wall, he'll attempt to use his decay powers on from a distance to scrub the surface of whatever they're on clean of the marking, but others he's reduced to tossing a rock down a hallway to try and trip a laser trigger before he accidentally tags it himself.]

(i.)

[Tripwires are certainly a much easier matter, at least, and it might be possible to hear some bizarre, monstrous sounding groan and sounds of something firing from a tripwire trap as the wire is snapped from a distance by Shun's powers. From any point nearby, though, it might just sound like someone got caught in a rather nasty trap - or maybe not that nasty. Anyone who enters the corridor is first going to see a huge spray of paint across one side, as if someone played a game of paintball there recently. There's still a couple of them left going off, though, so anyone coming to investigate is liable to have a paintball soaring for them that they might need to dodge...]

(ii.)

[While he's not really going out of his way to do it, Shun's not opposed to getting people out of booby traps they've already sprung, especially if they seem like the type that's able to go off again. The seals in particular he's likely to focus on to a point, but if he comes across anyone already caught by them even while he's keeping a bit of a distance, he'll let out a faint sigh of irritation.]

Anything I should know about that one before I try getting rid of it?

--

[C: First Fight (closed to Chinatsu)]

[Somehow, the giant ayakashi in the basement thing isn't much of a surprise to Shun either. He's been here for a while now, after all, and sometimes it just seems safer to assume that a giant ayakashi is going to find its way out from inside anything it can.

There's a very real risk that they're going to lose people to it in this tight a space and with this massive an ayakashi, though, so Shun focuses first on what he needs to do to get rid of it. Which means tracking down Chinatsu, because while he has a few more soulless shinki now, he's not quite comfortable enough with them yet to have started bringing them into fights.

In any case, he's slashing through tentacles on the main floor until he catches sight of her, at which point he'll be making a beeline in that direction, sword still out in case any tentacles want to have a go at him or her in that time.]

--

[D: Wildcard]

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High Walls

[Not far from the wall, Dust kneels with one hand pressed to the ground to hold himself upright. He might not need to breathe, but that isn't stopping him from taking deep, heavy breaths as he braces himself against the shuddering of his own body.]

[When someone comes near, he swallows hard, then musters up his voice as the hand on the ground tightens its grip.]

...Definitely can't go over it. Borderlines didn't work.

[But he'd managed to push it pretty far, all things considered.]

Booby Traps

...Yeah, this isn't good.

[Dust holds out his arm to block the way, keeping anyone else from hurrying around the corner and into what he's seeing. Ahead of him. a long and seemingly blank corridor stretches out about thirty feet. No doors, no signs of anything special. It has to be some sort of trap.]

If I go ahead, will you watch my back?

First Fight (for Ovelia and Agrias)

[The moment the first tentacle breaks free, Dust almost pushes the two girls aside as he lunges forward to catch its first lashing blow on his blade. (Sorry, Agrias; no offense meant.) The force of his parry knocks both him and it back, pressure rippling through the air from the point of contact, but Dust is the first to recover as he charges towards it to deal another blow.]

We've got to stop this quick! If it wraps around any of us, blight is the least of our problems!

High Walls

[Not far from the gates of the cult compound like a book. A remarkably large book, somewhat fancy.]

[See, Zetta has a plan, which is to convince a curious or foolish cultist to pick him up and bring him into the compound. For him, it's actually a genius plan! After all, what could possibly go wrong?!]

[...yeah, he hasn't accounted for the rest of the Far Shore.]

Booby Traps

[The scene: A book hanging upside-down from the ceiling, a snare tight around its middle. Said book is quivering and saying numerous words that shouldn't be said in even in a T for Teens game. Beneath him, a sign reads "Free Pie", and a delicious-looking apple pie offers to seal the deal.]

[His falling for this trap is totally understandable, right?]

H-hey! You! Get me down from here!

First Fight (for any kids that want in)

Get ahead! Form a line!

[Minions crash from the sky with thunderous force, immediately rushing ahead to form a line between Zetta and his ~~wards~~ loyal vassals and pawns and the tentacles that lash up out of a hole in the ground.]

Damn it! This thing's huge!

NPC Request

Event Bonuses: High Walls or Booby Trap

Event Bonuses/Signup: First Fight

Signup: Second Fight

Event Bonus: Second Fight