Graded [Fallen Blossom Shrine] Falling to Rise, Part 2 (aka No Rest for the Weary)

[Shadow Dancer]

Indicus wordlessly joined one of two spear units greeting them and letting them know he would be there to act as quick reaction support. As Indicus and the unit he was tagging along with got into formation he felt the oppressive aura from the portal as he moved with the unit Indicus remembered all the times mental tricks were used on him the silver liquid like he carried now, the small creature that Whiteclaw killed, the flashes of inspiration from the very tree they were invading and Indicus used these experiences to center himself and harden his mind (Intelligence E). This along with the canine priest magic as Indicus' unit passed to take their formations helped to alleviate some of the pressure.

(OOC)
Using past experiences of being under mental manipulation Indicus hardens his mind against the influence of 'nightmare' (Intelligence E) and Indicus briefly comes under Ceylan's (soothing aura F)
Indicus moves with chosen unit (melee spear) and gets into formation following the formation set by Yukan or other commanders

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Paru
​

How long had she been here, lost in this never ending hellish mire? It must have been years at this point. Her exhausted legs moved of their own volition across the fleshy ground, barely carrying her forward, but still she walked. Why was she walking? Was she supposed to be going somewhere? Her thoughts were hazy as she trudged on through the waste. Something somewhere in the distance wailed, inciting fear in her heart, but her placid expression remained unchanged. She was past the point of comprehending her own emotions, the ability to feel anything beaten down by the overwhelming pressure this place constantly exuded. As she lifted her foot to take the next step it got caught on a vein like protrusion. Losing her balance, she plummeted to the ground, not even attempting to catch herself as she fell. She lay there, still and uncaring for a moment, before lifting herself up and looking around.

How long had she been here, lost in this swamp of torment? Moments ago she had been walking through a dense woods, hadn't she? Now she was here. Did something happen? She couldn't remember. What was she supposed to be doing right now? She began to walk, not sure where she was going and with no clear destination in mind. Maybe if she kept walking she could remember how she got here. Maybe, eventually, she would make it out of this landscape. In the distance something shrieked. It was a sound she was familiar with. It was a sound unlike anything she had ever heard. She was calm. She was frightened. She had always been here. She had just arrived. Her eyes stared blankly as she trudged forward through the never ending nightmare.

“Please stay calm and focus not on where you want to go or what you want to do, but merely on the process of going and doing it!"

A voice pierced through the murk and brought a hint of recognition to her eyes. She wasn't alone. Someone else was here. Her legs began to move faster toward the sound, though it felt like she was moving through sand. But she had to make it to the other. She didn't know why, but something deep inside told her she didn't belong here. That she was an outsider... or more like, she belonged and this place didn't. Ahead of her, she saw a cluster of figures. A large group of wretched monsters spilling forth from a huge dead tree, heading toward a group of people. The source of the voice. She picked her pace up yet again, fighting against the very air that surrounded her. This isn't where she needed to be. She would reach them. She drew her sword off her back and pushed on, pushing toward the group.

 

[Orikanyo]

Ko




This land was a nightmare.

But, wasn't that obvious? Call a spade a spade for sute but he'd be damned if this wasn't pretty horrible just in general. A genuine horrible place full of horrible monsters and who knows what else. At least he wasn't being tricked to deal eith all this alone, half thought he was going to get a boot to his back, send him through the hole then watch them somehow shut it. But nope, surrounded by people, he was now admist a group of slowly sepperating people...

It was like they were setting up as pieces on a gameboard or something...? Well, hopefully he was a good piece and not one to be tossed away without care.

"...Well.. I expected it to die and thats that, not open up a hole into it's own nightmare dream place or what have you." The swordsman spoke out loud, eyeing the world and ascertaining it's oppressive atmosphere... Breathing... movements... All felt like they came moments after ordered by the body. His heart was beating quickly, but the world around him felt heavy and languid...

He moved his sword hand... Yes... It still worked. He will compensate for incoming foibles, this would not stop him.

"Focus on the act, not the finished product of it... Hmm..." his ears twitched, tail lowered and kept close... He took a step forward, then another... Keeping his mind on approach...

...Eh?

"...She looks out of place." He spotted a white haired woman looking very much more alive than anything else in here. He decided to approach that one, unless of course she was an enemy.. He would cut her down if so, it was no issue.

"I hope your alive and here to help cause if not this is gonna get real awkward quick."

StarPrincessVal

 

[gmimperfecti]

"As Stated, our primary objective should be to get Ceylan through to the core so that he can purify this great darkness that has blighted this land. Commander Riku, if it is agreeable to you, I believe our best course of action is to use our forces to assume a Gyorin (fish scales) battle formation. ( A more defensive blunted 'arrow head' shape formation traditionally used when forces were outnumbered) We should place two of our healers parallel on the farthest side of the 'arrow head' so that they can recieve protection from the units there and easily provide healing to either side of the formation. Behind the 'arrow head' of our melee units, our ranged units should provide suppressive fire to thin our enemies numbers. "As for me I have no issue staying near the "tip" of the formation. Yukan reaffirming that he had no issues helping to fight on the frontlines and in addition it would let him quickly see if they needed to readjust.

Rizo frowned looking at the zombies rushing towards them and shook his head. "Gyorin could work." He tilted his head from side to side, "With the mounted units as the tip, Hoshi could work straight through the zombies." He turned, peering towards the portal, "But maybe their goal isn't us." He bit his lip, raising his yari. Either my calvary roams the perimeter or we sit at the tip. No offense," Rizo looked Yukan up and down, "I've read your training reports. You'd be a liability in the tip, but your leadership and strategy skills are decent."

He looked to his other riders, "Let's go boys." Rizo spurred his dire boar forward, slicking back his hair with his off hand before lowering his yari like a lance.

There was one thing that Ceylan could attempt to remedy some of the nightmare's effects. “Please stay calm and focus not on where you want to go or what you want to do, but merely on the process of going and doing it! Focus on your orders with as little conscious thought as possible.” He spoke, using [Soothing Aura F] to all those he could reach with it. He wasn't sure how this landscape worked, but it felt like it was somehow tied into their conscious thought, which meant they had to eliminate that as much as possible. He also just hoped to prevent everyone from panicking and instead follow along with Yukan's plans. The only other option was to directly oppose the nightmare with stronger magic, but he'd rather try to go through this without giving up what remained of his cover just yet, still unsure what the reason for having it was meant to be to begin with and therefore still unsure about breaking it further or not.

Ceylan's words held a soothing simplicity, like a mantra it focused and diffused the minds of all around. Units cohered back as they should, forming up into squads near each other. It worked! Nightmare had their own rules, but there was always a certain internal consistency within dreams and nightmares. Many Tanuki gave a little prayer in Ceylan's name and most continued to chant his mantra silently to themselves. It picked up amongst each other and it turned into a chant, stomping their feet on each syllable. "Focus not on where you want to go." Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. "Focus on your orders with as little conscious thought as possible." Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

"Once we are in formation we should begin our advance as quickly as possible collectively and forge a pathway through their ranks to the core. The sooner we can leave this realm the better." He reaffirmed. Assuming that Riku was agreeable to the formation, Yukan would get into position with his Yari at the ready toward the front of the formation, otherwise he'd be on the ready to give follow up orders if need be to adjust the plan if RIku wasn't cooperative.

The Gyorin took form with Yukan's leadership and Riku's boar riders at the tip. Yari units formed on either side with the scout units and the healers and others in the middle. The blunt arrow made its way forward one chanted syllable at a time. Opposed to the coordinated force was almost three times their number in zombies in loose groups. They moved randomly and incoherently but inevitably forward. The zombies picked up speed, stomping through the swampy water. Wet sloppy sounds overlapped and formed a kind of static, picking up with intensity as Yukan's joint strike force approached.

Indicus wordlessly joined one of two spear units greeting them and letting them know he would be there to act as quick reaction support. As Indicus and the unit he was tagging along with got into formation he felt the oppressive aura from the portal as he moved with the unit Indicus remembered all the times mental tricks were used on him the silver liquid like he carried now, the small creature that Whiteclaw killed, the flashes of inspiration from the very tree they were invading and Indicus used these experiences to center himself and harden his mind (Intelligence E). This along with the canine priest magic as Indicus' unit passed to take their formations helped to alleviate some of the pressure.

Indicus felt less pressure, and those around him did as well. The area around Indicus appeared more solid and coherent. The water wasn't as hostile; the muck beneath was less clingy. A wane light more silver than iron gleamed far above from within the overhead haze. There was a tug like the gravity pull of low tide that made some of the madness recede from the mind and eased the tension to a small degree.

Ahead of her, she saw a cluster of figures. A large group of wretched monsters spilling forth from a huge dead tree, heading toward a group of people. The source of the voice. She picked her pace up yet again, fighting against the very air that surrounded her. This isn't where she needed to be. She would reach them. She drew her sword off her back and pushed on, pushing toward the group.

She ran through the terrible night and gloom, finally with the voice and light of these creatures she found a way out. However, between her and freedom was five zombies who turned as she emerged from the woods and ran at her! Their slathering mouths and broken clawed fingers opening greedily to get any morsel of her that they could! Indeed with their approach the water grew thick like syrup and the muck clung to her boots and legs like desperate children fearful of letting their momma go! [Tangle 1 (1 action, 1hp to free), Accurate 1 (-1 Speed)]

"...She looks out of place." He spotted a white haired woman looking very much more alive than anything else in here. He decided to approach that one, unless of course she was an enemy.. He would cut her down if so, it was no issue.

"I hope your alive and here to help cause if not this is gonna get real awkward quick."

Ko broke ranks, leaving the safety of the strike force to try and save a wayward soul. As the group of five zombies were more focused on her and Ko had severed himself from this place and doubled down upon it, for him the terrain wasn't bothersome. The oppression of the atmosphere, the depressing gloom and murky depths were there but they were not. Much like the lucid dreamer does not suffer from the illusion of the dream, Ko was distant from the situation in a way that could not be put into words. However, it didn't make the three zombies who turned and lunged for him instead any less of a threat! The three zombies lunged at him, punching and scratching with the desperation of a cornered animal!

The main force under Yukan's leadership and with Riku's dire boar riders at the tip, pierce into the on coming horde! The zombies rush and crash into the assembled unit. The mantra and Yukan's leadership holds them together under the initial contact with the enemy. The melee is frenzied and back and forth. Yari and arrows rain out, felling some zombies and damaging others, but still more press on. As the zombies strike the unmovable force, many of them flow AROUND and keep running for the portal! Thus, the army finds itself surrounded on three sides but the overflow of zombies stream onward towards the portal.

OOC:
1) Ko gets three attacks on him from a criss-cross teamup: Attack 1 @ 6, Attack2 @ 5, Attack3 @ 4. If successful, suffer Continuing F, 1 hp for 1 round.
2) Paru gets two attacks on her: Attack 1 @ 5, Attack 2 @ 4. If successful, suffer Continuing F, 1 hp for 1 round.
3) Everyone else finds themselves facing off against 1 unit of zombies who attack 3 times: +10, +8, +6 with Continuing F [1hp additional damage next round] and Linked F [1hp addition this round if they hit] thus 7 units are going against 7 units (more or less)
4) The remaining 13 units of zombies continue onward towards the portal, which they will reach in 2 rounds.

 

[Orikanyo]

Ko


"Hmm?"

Ah... strange... Perhaps it was this illusion still. A severed connection between him and... It... Was still enacting in odd ways. His severing his connection with it, and then the strike that rung throughout the beating heart of blacked murk... Perhaps, in a way, he cut down it's ability to reach him even if he was here?

What would be a good way to describe it?

He didn't quite know, there was alot of this metaphysical stuff he didn't know of... That word itself is abit new as well. Such words made him feel abit smarter... Wait, more smart? More intelligent yes thats it.

Speaking of things he didn't know, why was this woman here? Maybe shes a part of this nightmare? Maybe shes evil? Why does she look like somebody who wanted to draw a deerfolk but forgot what deer look like?

.....

...Oh he was under attack!

Defiant Edge, Weapon Mastery F, Deflect F, Flare F (Hearing), Drain Strength F, Penetrating F, Accurate F A aggressive defense, the sound of which sends the opponent's ears ringing and damage their ongoing strength. Grade F Actions 2

Blooming Lily, Weapon Mastery E, Blight(Razor Sharp) E, Continueing (Bleed) E, Contact E, Area E, Selective E, Knockback E, Penetrating E, Accurate E. For use when surrounded the user strikes swiftly in all directions with one sound strike. Sign of true mastery, is to cut solely and only what is intended, so that a friend may stand within without no much as feeling a scratch. Grade E Action 1

He struck with purpose, following each step in his defense and counter attack after his thoughts, the purposful motioned calculated as per the other canine man said. He felt his words held some meaning, why would another of his kind steer him wrong? Also he looked smart, so, yea...

...Ah yes he hoped the strike worked.

Action 1/2 effectiveness 6
Action 3 effectiveness 7

 

[TheTimePiece]

Yukan Koyake
​

gmimperfecti Orikanyo StarPrincessVal Shadow Dancer Elvario

While some beasts could have easily made a big deal of out being told that based on what their training results had shown they were a liability in combat particularly from a Republic of Kuridan stand point, in this case Riku was more experienced than Yukan, and he did say no offense, in addition Yukan was fully aware that as much as he did not want to admit it, Riku's judgement call there was correct, even if it was honorable in principle, Yukan was not skilled enough in combat yet to effectively face off against a group right at the front like that in this type of scenario more than likely. He did not have a ton of training fighting in a group unit after all.

Yukan nodded, "Understood." He would join up with Riku in the position which he thought was better suited for Yukan for the time being based on his skillset. Yukan most definitely wanted to change that, the sooner he became more proficient at melee combat, the better.

The very next thing Yukan noticed was how Ceylan greatly assisted the group get into formation calmly and focus on the task at hand. Yukan remained focused during the initial clash, and knew that this was different than training, if they messed up, people's lives were at stake, and of course ideally he did not want to lose anyone but if they did he doubly knew for sure that they had to make it worth it, this was a true supernatural threat, hopefully the healers would be able to keep everyone intact until the purification process.

He noticed Ko had broken ranks and it looked like he was going off to assist someone who was in need of assistance, and as much as Yukan would have liked to go over and assist himself he knew that he needed to focus on getting their main priority done, since the sooner they did that the sooner they could stop these undead threats from being a threat to begin with no doubt.


He also took notice that several zombies were running toward the portal, suggesting to him that Riku had been right that perhaps they were not the primary objective, they only had so many options here, and the most reasonable one to him was to push forward harder to carve a pathway.

Yukan spoke loud and clear once more this time with Leadership F

"The enemy is attempting to reach the portal, we must complete our primary objective before they breach the portal. Scouts, focus your fire on the clusters closest to the tip of the formation, we need to thin their ranks to break through, healers be vigilant after contact, there is a high chance of injuries being sustained with this many enemies. Those who are in a position to do so focus your attacks on clearing that path to the core, we must not split our firepower to the undead who are running by if they are not actively attacking us. The faster we meet our primary objective the sooner we can stop them." Yukan proclaimed. While this was not fool proof reasoning, Yukan had learned from his training what a split front could mean, he also reckoned that if they killed the tree, the undead would also fall.

If Yukan was close enough to be hit he'd first try to counter strike the nearest undead with his Yari, before blocking if necessary, otherwise he would hunker down and focus on keeping group cohesion and move forward when possible with the rest of the group.

Actions:
1. Leadership F speech for group to focus on breaking through undead lines with the reasoning the faster they purify the tree with Ceylan the faster they win the battle.
2. If Yukan is within range of undead, basic attack closest undead to him with Yari.
3. If Yukan is within range of undead, attempt to block attempted strikes on him with Yari.

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Yukan TheTimePiece | gmimperfecti

Hearing his words become a mantra was odd, but whatever worked worked. He couldn't deny the results. That said, he was completely out of his water with battle-formations and joining combat like this. He had to be careful to figure out what in the world was expected of him, yet not fall to the nightmare's trap of overthinking what he wanted and achieving the opposite. If anything, he needed his own words the most, in that regard.

Like a fish out of the water, when the unit got into the fray of things, he had no clue what to do. He couldn't fight for the life of him, after all. Thankfully, this time around, Yukan's words backed him up, rather than having his own words back up others. All he had to do was to use Curse Cleanse/healing on those that got injured in his part of the unit. That much he could do. Learning from his own words, he focused not on the wanting to heal them, but on the mere aspect of doing so. See someone get hit by a zombie? Head over, lay on hands to heal them. Done. Move to the next. Hoping to get into that pattern of things, Ceylan hoped to keep up with this process, regardless of how out-of-the-water he felt.

E Grade CD's (duration active)

Curse Cleanse F - Magic Affinity F, Sixth Sense F, Healing F, Religion F, Energised F - Uses divine senses to detect curses and combines religious knowledge with healing magic to cleanse them. - Grade F - 0 post Cooldown

 

[Shadow Dancer]

Indicus's group found themselves face to face with a small group of zombies who relentlessly attacked the group Indicus and the spearmen braced themselves as Yukan's speech roused the spearmen's fighting spirit Indicus [reflexive dodge F] jumped out of the way of one swipe that came a bit too close for comfort his danger sense the only warning he received the lessened pressure from the oppressive aura helping the group's movements be smoother and flow better then what would normally be possible in the realm. During the attack Indicus was able to leverage his keen (perception F) and (danger sense F) to warn the group of any unnoticed attacks. The spearmen managed to only just fend off the first attack by bunching together and throwing the zombies back.

With the Zombies on the backfoot and unable to immediately respond the spearmen rallied and started attacking the zombies while Indicus used the distraction to slip around behind the zombies (Sneak F, Undetected sound F) and lash at them from behind before rejoining the group and moving closer to the other units so they could assist each other better


OOC:
1:{defensive action} Reflexive Dodge F (EFT 1) + base EFT 4 + bonus EFT 1+ Yukan's leadership F (Effectiveness 1) + lightened pressure (EFT 1) + Perception F (EFT 1) + Danger Sense F (EFT 1)
2: {offensive action} base 3+ bonus 1 + rear flanking attack from Indicus while the spearmen distract them
3: move closer to other units

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Paru

Mentions: Orikanyo gmimperfecti
​

Paru's focus and will begin to come back the closer she got to the group. A scruffy looking man mutt was approaching her. "I-I think I'm alive... I'm not here to make things worse..." The murk around her begin to thicken, clinging to her as she made her way through. Gripping her sword she swung in a low arc at the muck sending it flying in different directions and freeing up her ability to move. A group of the monsters pouring out of the tree suddenly broke off and begin to run at her and the dog. The group split as it approached, but she still had two coming her way. She swung her sword at the head of one as it got close, aiming for it's open mouth, and spun in place to try to dodge the second, the thick terrain no longer hindering her movements.

Action 1 - Attack the tangling terrain.
Action 2 - Attack - Base Effectiveness 4 (N/A Ability - Nodachi F - Strength 3) = Total Effectiveness 4
Action 3 - Defensive Action - Base Effectiveness 4 (Evasive Dodge F - N/A Item - Speed 3) = Total Effectiveness 4

 

[gmimperfecti]

Zombies streamed out and at first they were fast, charing through the muck and filth of the swamp. They had mad, gleaming white eyes devoid of color. Their faces and bodies were broken and emaciated almost like a mummy more than a zombie. The bodies were all intact. Their cause of death was non-obvious other than being trapped within the tree. A few of them were too mangled to do much but hobble along, trailing further behind the main mob.

Riku's Boar Calvary met the onslaught as the tip of the spear. Although they were supposed to be blunt and defense, Riku urged his riders on. The charged out, riding through two units of zombies before returning. The zombies took some damage as the spears, tusks, and hoofs ripped into their rotting equipment. Still the zombies rushed onward. However the further they got from the tree the slower they became. Thus when Riku finished his charge, he had enough time to get back into position and tangle with the zombies. They fought back and forth, the cavaliers taking hits but lashing out with their spears. Over and over they clashed back and forth, Riku's riders cutting and stabbing the zombies until the first unit fell to the ground.

However, Riku had over committed the first unit of zombies, opening themselves up. Seeing an opportunity to stall the second unit of zombies from counter attacking, Long Feather takes his scouts into a jump forty feet into the air, unleashing a volley of arrows. The zombies rear back under the volley, swatting and hitting the arrows flying at them. It opened up some opportunities for Riku's cavalries to position themselves. The second unit rushed the Boar Calvary, tearing into them, ripping bits of flesh from the tanuki and boars, shoveling it into their mouths. Riku's healer waves her wand, glittering golden light descends upon them, coating them like a flurry of snow. The wounds mostly heal. They take more wounds as the fighting continues to go back and forth. However, Riku's healer continued to send the golden light to counter the increasing wounds Riku was taking.

On his left flank, Aurichal joined the unit of spears, lending his aid as motes of light descended and the unit gained more vitality. Reinforced, Aurichal roared out in pure joy, "Onward into the breach. Charge and killed and slaughter those dark souls who would come upon us on our noble quest. Forth! Ever forth!" And the unit's spears shot out, catching the third zombie unit before they could close. Holy light shone from the spear tips for a moment, Aurichal lifting his sword high, hacking away at the distracted zombies, cleaving off arms and legs like he was pruning a bush. After the overwhelming first wave of attacks, it only took several more before all the zombies had been put down. So fast did they work through the zombies that they finished killing them before even Riku had! However, two units had slipped by them and threatened to bear down on the left flank archers.

"To me and glory!" Aurichal roared, running and leaping towards the archers, creating enough distraction so that the archers could swap positions.

With the pressure taken off, the left unit of archers unleashed a volley into the fifth unit of zombies. The arrows rained death upon the distracted zombies, driving into faces and bursting skulls. Two zombies dropped to the ground, thrashing about headless. Others were peppered with arrows, slowing them down even further. Weakened and slowing down, more volleys of arrows rained down until the last zombie splashed into the turgid waters, white cilia emerging to pull them down even further until the corpses were lost in the muck.

That still left one more unit pressing on Aurichal's spear unit. This time real roots, earthy and brown emerged from the swampy waters, rising up and binding the zombies. The zombies were forced to redouble their efforts, going berserk as they sought to free themselves from the roots.

"Guess they don't like going back into trees!" Gyoubu laughed, raising her wand from having cast an entangling spell upon that unit.

As those zombies freed themselves and set upon Aurichal's unit, he used his sword and celestial endurance to hold on and rally his men. Over and over the zombies came, ripping and tearing into flesh, but Gyoubu cast her spring breeze and blooming flower based healing spells, restoring the cuts and scratches.

On the right flank, Indicus joined the spear unit adding his flame breath to supplement the spear's long reach. Indicus's flame breath helped to distract and burn the zombies, whose bodies didn't catch on fire but the skin smoldered in the damp air. Distracted, the spear unit caught the advancing zombies and pierced their bodies over and over again.

"Swap!" Whiteclaw shouted, "Reposition Indicus." Calling out, Whiteclaw's unit leaped once more high into the air moving towards Indicus's spear units. As they reached the top of their arc, they lose a volley down on Indicus's zombie. The arrows pierced the zombie's bodies, going through eyes and mouths to stab at their brains. Under the onslaught, the zombies joined so many others, pulled down into the muck of the swamp.

Whiteclaw's unit made a splash upon landing where Indicus' spear unit had been. Repositioned, the scouts sent two more volleys, weakening the zombies surrounding Indicus' new position. So weakened, the spear unit and Indicus were able to finish the job, taking down another unit of zombies.

With Yukan's instructions and maneuvering, the expeditionary force remained in their formation, even as they shifted about. Ceylan's soothing aura settled about the units, helping to calm their minds and refocus their effort for what else came their way.

---

Closer to the tree, Ko and Paru fought their own personal battle.

Gripping her sword she swung in a low arc at the muck sending it flying in different directions and freeing up her ability to move. A group of the monsters pouring out of the tree suddenly broke off and begin to run at her and the dog. The group split as it approached, but she still had two coming her way. She swung her sword at the head of one as it got close, aiming for it's open mouth, and spun in place to try to dodge the second, the thick terrain no longer hindering her movements.

Paru met the zombies coming towards her, sword first ripping through the roots and cilia clinging to her feet from beneath the muck. Freed, she brought her sword up just in time to catch the first zombie rushing her. She tried to slash into the exposed mouth, but the zombie caught the blade on its forearm, following up with a long rake of its claws, tearing clothing and flesh. She felt pain worm through her body as it followed up with more claws. She back peddled, dodging the second zombie before it could take full advantage of her. The first zombie grew distracted, licking at the bits of Paru on its claws. Then it looked up at her with its dead white eyes and its slack jaw drooled. [Paru -1HP, continues for -1hp in round 2]

Defiant Edge, Weapon Mastery F, Deflect F, Flare F (Hearing), Drain Strength F, Penetrating F, Accurate F A aggressive defense, the sound of which sends the opponent's ears ringing and damage their ongoing strength. Grade F Actions 2

Blooming Lily, Weapon Mastery E, Blight(Razor Sharp) E, Continueing (Bleed) E, Contact E, Area E, Selective E, Knockback E, Penetrating E, Accurate E. For use when surrounded the user strikes swiftly in all directions with one sound strike. Sign of true mastery, is to cut solely and only what is intended, so that a friend may stand within without no much as feeling a scratch. Grade E Action 1

He struck with purpose, following each step in his defense and counter attack after his thoughts, the purposful motioned calculated as per the other canine man said. He felt his words held some meaning, why would another of his kind steer him wrong? Also he looked smart, so, yea...

...Ah yes he hoped the strike worked.

Action 1/2 effectiveness 6
Action 3 effectiveness 7

Ko arrived before the remaining three zombies could surround and devour Paru. They were enraged at the intrusion, turning to leap upon him. Defiant Edge deflected their attacks back in a ringing fury they burst the zombies ear drums. Black sludge leaked from their ruined ears. Already weakened, Ko took advantage of their surprise slicing a two of their heads off like he was cutting two sheets of paper. As the bodies crumpled to the ground, the last zombie leapt up. Without pause, Ko transitioned into Blooming Lily. The petals of his blade formed contrails of steel, lashing out and cutting not only the zombie upon him but one of the zombies that had attacked Paru. As his severed body parts, they landed with loud splashes like pales of chum being tossed out to the ocean. The body parts all sunk or were drawn down into the muck, it was hard to see exactly what was happening.

---

Kai Asakura arrival had been very unusual. Like waking up into a nightmare, he'd found himself not in the bright world of monsters and heroes, but this murky, damp, lost and forbidden swamp. For days and maybe months he'd wandered through the muck and swarmed of mosquitos. He learned quickly never to stop, and so he hadn't had much sleep. That was until he found the Fair Folk Caraphract.

They were elegant in their every move. The pair of soldiers encase their lithe bodies in armor of obsidian and jade with intricate patterns of embossed and etched mithril adorn their breast plates, shields, helms and high-neck collars. Their cloaks moved, flowing in an unseen breeze, woven of gossamer fabrics saturated with the deepest color of red like fresh blood. They were Fair Folk who had dreamed themselves to be warriors of inhuman skill. Their blades appeared to be made of glass light as feathers, yet able to sever limbs and cut armor as though they were the heaviest axe.

At first they had hunted him for sport; however, in time they had grown tired of the game and perhaps moved on to a different narrative. However, it soon became

apparent that they had found the dregs of a quest. At first even they couldn't give voice to it, but each day they grew in eagerness. They were vassals of the Prince of Blades, who had come to embody Nishkriya, The Sword and Glory. The Prince's grace had been forged to manifest as Modaki the god-killer, a sword of terrible killing potential. As loyal retains, they had partial in the fruit of their lords knowledge. As days turned into weeks, it became apparent that Kai had a role to play. They taught him hints of their inhuman art and of sword craft their understanding was deep and vast, which made the prospect of their lord the Prince of Blades all the more terrifying.

In this way after months, Kai found himself almost a native of the terrible nightmare, watching more often than night as the two Caraphract slaughtered all sorts of unformed dreams and terrible leftovers from nightmare. Sleep was impossible in this land and so a fugue state like insomnia settled in. They were always on the move. They had no word for rest or relaxation. These two were driven ever by the prospect of glory and knowledge of the sword.

And then after what could have have been lifetimes or maybe it was just one night as time had no meaning in this place, the pair lead Kai through one last tangle of twisted, gnarled tree and hungry plants to an opening. A lone tree, shattered with zombies spilling out, stood alone before the onslaught of a single blade. The nightmare itself was severed and a wound opened in. From it poured a host of beast-kin the types of demihumans one would see in anime or manga. The Tanuki were thankfully safe for work, and the doggos were adorable and fierce in all the right ways.

The pair of Caraphract had eyes only for the original swordsman, even as a host of tanuki and others formed a small army fighting through the portal and the swamp and eventually taking up against the zombies pouring out the tree.

"Him," the large male Caraphract said, gesturing with a plate mail finger. "You'll need a blade." Looking around, he spied the pale sphere of the moon casting a pitiful light through the grey metallic clouds. Reaching up, somehow, the male Caraphract snatched the sphere! Which became a pale white circle that he placed upon Kai's left palm. "We have tasted your hunger for the sword. This is a small shaping of your sword grace, grotesque really, but we would see how it fairs against the Inheritor. Go challenge him to a duel so we might see what our story holds."

Kai's left palm burned were the pale white circle now rested like a living tattoo.

[Gained: Moon Blade F, 1st Gen; Drawn from the nearly forgotten memory of the moon, a Fair Folk Caraphract forged gossamer and grace into an embodiment of the idea of a sword representing Mohana, thief of minds. Dreams rarely come true how we might hope. (Usable only during Falling to Rise adventures or you pay points).]

• Flare F (Lunar Blindness)
• Reflecting F (Reflect Celestial Light)

---

Spoiler: Unit Compositions

Zombies 20x [Regular Melee F4: 10HP; 10/8/6, plus Continuing F]; HP 10

• Attack: +10, +8, +6
• Note: Attack if successful adds Continuing +1dmg next round.
• Note: Fast F Charge then slowing down, only move 1 box every other round now.

Riku's Boar Calvary [Elite Calvary F5: 20HP; 11/9/7/5, plus Charge AOE 10']

• Note: Unit is 1x Spear + 1x Dire Boars
• Note: Calvary gets an extra attack, because it’s double units.
• Note: Calvary gets +10 HP because its double units.
• Note: Calvary gets Initial Charge 10’ AOE first round or if they can get at least 10’ space between self and unit.
• Note: Calvary moves 2 boxes (60’ per round).

Riku's 2x Unit Spear [Spear F4: 10HP; 8/8/8 plus 10’ reach]

• Note: Reach 10’ grants 1 free max attack on the first round.
• Note: With proper formation could gain Deflect F vs a Charge AOE.
• Note: Defaults to defensive 8/8/8 approach vs more aggressive 10/8/6

Riku's 1x Unit Archers [Archers F4: 10HP; 10/8/6 plus Ranged Attacks]

• Note: Ranged Attack results in -1 effectiveness in melee, +1 effectiveness at range
• Note: Ranged grants 1 free max attack on the first round if opponent is 2-5 boxes away

Riku's 1x Healer E

• Note: Heal F grants +2 HP to a unit.
• Note: Heal E grants +4 HP to a unit.

Yukan's 1x Unit Scouts [Regular Scouts E7: 15HP; 13/11/9 plus Ranged Attacks + Jump E]

• Note: Ranged Attack F results in -1 effectiveness in melee, +1 effectiveness at range 2-5 boxes
• Note: Ranged grants 1 free max attack on the first round if opponent is 2-5 boxes away
• Note: Hero Unit Whiteclaw Grants Jump E either +2 move (1 –> 3 boxes) OR +2 defense if standing still unless the opponent has bonus against it like spear unit Reach.

Yukan's 1x Healer E (Gyoubu)

• Note: Heal F grants +2 HP to a unit.
• Note: Heal E grants +4 HP to a unit.
• Note: Tangle E prevents movement and takes away lowest effective attack for a round.

OOC:
Riku's Boar Riders (AOE Charge +1 Penetration vs 2 Zombie Units). [Calvary: 20HP; 12/10/8/6, plus Charge AOE 10']

1. Charge: Z1 takes -9 damage (loses 3 effectiveness).
2. Defend: Z2 counter attacks (10-5=5; 8-5=3; 6-5=1; +4+4 AOE Heal; -1 dmg to Boar Riders. Since Boar Riders out of active actions, only passive defense of 5 effectiveness due to Riku. Riku loses Formation Bonus of +1 Defense for going on the offensive and charging.)

Spear 1 (defend +1 formation) + Aurichal [Aid F: Mote of Vitality +1HP] + [Holy Attack E: +1 Piercing +1 Blight vs undead/demons]

1. Defend: Z3 (10-9; 8-9; 6-9). Spear 9/10HP; Z3 6/10HP

Spear 2 (defend +1 formation) + Indicus [Fire Breath F: +1 Fire damage]

1. Defend: Z4 (10-9; 8-9; 6-9). Spear 9/10HP; Z4 4/10HP

Archers (defend +1 formation)

1. Archers finish off Z1 with 6-4=2 --> 2 HP kills Z1.
2. Archer finish of Z2 with 10-4=6 & 8-4=4 --> 10HP kills Z2.
3. Defend: Z5 (10-9; 8-9; 6-9). Spear 9/10HP; Z4 4/10HP

Scouts (Defend +1 formation and +1 from Jump )

Healers

1. Ceylan
   1. Soothing Aura F – Magic Affinity F, Healing F, Religion F, Empathy F, Energised F, Persuasion F – Character has a soothing aura that calms and heals those around them. - Grade F – 0 Post Cooldown.
   2. Curse Cleanse F - Magic Affinity F, Sixth Sense F, Healing F, Religion F, Energised F - Uses divine senses to detect curses and combines religious knowledge with healing magic to cleanse them. - Grade F - 0 post Cooldown
2. Byouku: F+1; F+1; E+2x2 AOE
3. Healer:
   1. F+1; Archers
   2. F+1; Archers
   3. E+2x2 AOE: Riku's Board Riders

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
Ceylan (Event) - Granblue Fantasy Wiki

Languages: Common | <Beastial>
Mentions: Paru StarPrincessVal | Ko Orikanyo

He felt like a fish out of water with all that was going on. He'd seen some skirmishes, but this was on a whole new level. If he hadn't asked to help folk get him to that tree, he wasn't sure if he'd be inclined to keeping standing in the fray of things like he was doing currently. Even then, he barely kept going with how terrifying and gruesome those zombies were.

He watched as the boar cavalry ahead of him clashed with zombies. He tried to follow along with the patterns of battle, if anything, just to see where he'd be needed. Was Riku going too far out? No, because Long Feather joined in, right? He watched them rain down arrows whilst Riku's healer backed them up. It looked like that part of the battle was going well, or at least not going bad? He assumed as much, having no better idea on how to estimate the tides of war.

He watched Aurichal join a spear unit and intercept more zombies. Honestly, Ceylan was meant to be the summoner and Aurichal the summoned, yet hearing him speak, Ceylan himself felt like the latter displayed more leadership and encouragement than he ever could. Well, perhaps that was wrong, perhaps he just needed to try? He knew his words held power... Perhaps he should learn from his summoned ally. At the very least, he felt encouraged by the latter's words, an encouragement he wished to spread, share and amplify.

He was impressed by Gyoubu's magic. This, Ceylan realised, was the difference between him and most other 'priests' from the Republic. Ceylan was a [Wandering Saint], but not a battle-hardened healer. He knew little else to help out here, his talents only being of use when the harm had already been done. He should definitely look into ways to aid people more, before such a thing could happen... but later, as right now, all he could do was what he'd learned thus far. Surely, some of it might be of use. He just needed to spot a 'when and where' he was needed...

Inducus joining another spear unit and later swapping out with Whiteclaw seemed to be a battle going well as well. With Yukan's instructions added on top, it seemed like the entire battle was going well enough, at least from what he could feel.

There was only one thing he noticed, which might be going wrong in the distance. His fellow canine had found someone, who seemed to have been injured. Furthermore, he realised how the formations they were fighting in were aiding them a lot in keeping these Zombies at bay. Those two in the distance didn't have such formation... on the other side, Ko being right here might help them keep formation, as Ko seemed to be able to move through this nightmare surprisingly well. He'd made up his mind. He needed those two here instead of over there.

There was only one problem. If he'd attempt to summon them over, he'd need to send back Aurichal, who was doing a lot of heavy lifting in the other group. Having him vanish all of a sudden might cause too much of a disturbance. Yet if he only tried summoning them with a weak spell, it'd likely not work... He sighed. Fine, this was it, then. Not like much of his 'cover' was left to begin with. Besides, was this even within the original scope of reasons for which he needed to keep a cover? Possibly, but likely not, right? He might just be trying to talk himself into it with no solid leads, but in the end, he'd convinced himself. He used [Summon Targets D] on Ko and Paru, in order to summon them to the rest of the group.

He'd immediately use [Healing Prayer F] and [Curse Cleanse F] on Paru afterwards, “Are you alright, ma'am?” He'd ask, hoping that he'd made the right call to try summoning them over. He hadn't really tried summoning people from the same realm before, let alone people in sight... but there was a first time for everything, right? Hopefully it'd been the right call.

With some luck, Yukan could take care of Ko, assigning him to a group or something. That part wasn't exactly Ceylan's talent or area of expertise. He just hoped his fellow canine wouldn't be mad at him for pretty much being fetched by a spell. On the topic of that... “Sorry if I inconvenienced you.” Ceylan quickly told Ko.

D Grade CD's (0/1)
Summon Targets D – Summon Creature E, Magic Affinity D, Magic Duration E, Magic Targets E, Energised D – Character summons a specific creature or a specific group of creatures from the same plane of existence (within a 100 feet search range), Grade D – 1 Post Cooldown
E Grade CD's (duration active)
F Grade CD's (0/0)
Healing Prayer – Healing B, Religion B, Energised B, Persuasion F – Character asks the gods for their aid when healing someone. - Grade F – 0 Post Cooldown.
Curse Cleanse - Magic Affinity F, Sixth Sense F, Healing F, Religion F, Energised F - Uses divine senses to detect curses and combines religious knowledge with healing magic to cleanse them. - Grade F - 0 post Cooldown

 

[Shiyonichi]

Kai, had spent the last few whatever time has passed fucking around with his less than pleasant company. He honestly kind of preferred their original interactions, cause then he knew that his spooky knight friends would also be suffering trying to catch him, because God Almighty decided to give him superpowers based off the world’s best tag player.

“Oh hey, ya got a cheeseball.” Kai responded with sarcasm towards the fae, he never shown them any sort of fear and when they decided to give him the magic moon tattoo, he didn’t even flinch much less show any signs of pain. He just opened and closed his hand at what they did, inspecting the new mark on his hands.

‘Hunger for the sword huh?’ Kai thought back to it, it has been a while since he picked up a real blade, after he and his old man had their falling out, he didn’t really practice on a regular basis and the Boss was more of a pacifist at least it came to Yakuza bosses. Honestly, while Kai was considered a prodigy in his youth, currently he was rather rusty to admit.

“Grotesque? Hmph, a blade’s a blade, if it cuts, it cuts. Nothing more to it than that.” Kai gave his blunt option on swords, in direct contrast to the cryptic words of the fae.

“Right, right. But this is being done my way not yers.” Kai looked at his so called opponent, while he wasn’t really a fan of these two, this was an opportunity to get out of here. If he was going to fight a Tanuki to do it, eh why not. Though while it would have been smarter to just wait and let the zombies soften him up, but Kai wasn’t going to do that. He didn’t really have a vendetta against these people and quite frankly, he didn’t like his current company, so an underhanded method like that against people who did him no wrong or without any benefit for himself was against his own personal values. Besides the two were clearly more interested in watching a duel and not a straight up assassination.

“Well then, seeya.” Kai said as he just decided to leave by leaping through the opening.

Kai popped out of the portal, for the moment he could see that the team was doing pretty well and that they had it all under control, so he really didn’t need to do much when it came to this, so rather than making a hasty move Kai activated his new trick, [Precognition] - F and saw into the future. The former Yakuza using the future sight positioned himself accordingly to the best position for the situation to help defend the Portal for the next attacks, before preparing his blade to counter attack and Zombies that came close, choosing to go with the training he remembered, he would prepare to cut the head off any zombies.

Action 1: [Precognition F]
Action 2: Repositioned to join the defense
Action 3: Prepared to counterattack any zombie within range.

gmimperfecti

 

[TheTimePiece]

Yukan Koyake
​

Mentions: gmimperfecti StarPrincessVal Elvario Shadow Dancer Orikanyo Shiyonichi

Yukan followed the developments of the battle carefully. At the moment he was relatively safe with the units between him and the undead horde it seemed so far due to Riku's insistence that he sat back in the formation. The healers also seemed to be doing well where they were placed. It was good to see the boar calvary cut through the undead at first, as well as the Summon Ceylan brought forth continue to cut through the impure hostiles, but it didn't take long for Yukan to see thanks to his knowledge on warfare that there was a potential issue of overextending, as he watched the battle go on, but then Long Feather, made a tactical decision to help make up for that move's downside.
It was very good to see Riku's healer cover a great deal of the blows that were being taken, Yukan could leave Riku with the credit he seemed to desire if it meant they could stop what had been attacking people and purge it from the land. It sounded like even people like him could be reasoned with, which left Yukan feeling a bit optimistic. This was because deep down Yukan knew that he had many greater goals in mind for the future. This was far more important than the hunt was to him. Even if he was unsuccessful in that as hard as he was going to try when this was said and done, being successful in this would quite literally save lives in the future.

He was also pleased to see Gyoubu assist in the way she did. Of course Ceylan's difference hadn't been lost on Yukan, he seemed almost too kind to have come from Kuridan given the state that it was in. Kuridan was a relatively poorer country compared to their neighbors in many places, life was hard where the strong thrived, yet there was Ceylan, not showing signs to him of battle hardship. Perhaps it was a good thing to have people like him who were left, Ceylan left an impression from what he could tell ata. surface level where he was likely the sort who could understand the injustice in the world, even if he thought that the military had started to soften.

Of course Yukan once again had noticed the strays in the distance but there wasn't much he could do about that without risking the integrity of their formation. This problem was quickly solved however presuming that Ceylan's summoning targeting ability worked on them, Yukan had a look of surprise on his face briefly.


"You continue to bring surprises Ceylan Thank you." Yukan then looked to Ko. "Matasu, and whoever you are, are you okay?" He'd ask quickly to both the familar and the stranger but thankfully it looked like Ceylan. was treating them very swiftly after.


"What I witnessed was very commendable " He said once more to Ko.


" But unfortunately now is not the time to linger on pleasantries, If you feel well enough to continue, we could use your expertise to continue to take the pressure off and assist in clearing a path for Ceylan."

Yukan did not order him since once again, Ko was not someone who was formally under him, but he did make it known that was how he could further assist if he desired.

Yukan then looked to Ceylan,

"How close do you need to be to properly fulfill this cleansing process? If it isn't too much farther as the hostile's numbers dwindle enough we could always send you forward with some to finish this evil off sooner It seems like their primary objective is the portal anyway."


He inquired and then stated very much business like, managing to keep a fairly level head despite all the fighting ongoing around them, of course it helped that they were currently winning the combat.

Yukan was a bit surprised by the new comer who seemed to pop up, he wasn't really sure what to make of them but as long as they didn't get in their way, they had to complete the objective at hand, so unless they started actively hindering them in battle they were a secondary concern.

Regardless of how those around him responded ,Yukan them piped up with the ability Follow the Leader to those who were in range to hear him in the general group.

"Maintain formation, Sustain this aggression! rotate where necessary, we'll all get through this together! The enemy is trying to get to the portal, with this knowledge press onward, do not allow any unnecessary evil to leave this tree! "


Actions:
1. Use ability:Follow the Leader
Follow the Leader - Leadership F, Warfare F, Republic of Kuridan Etiquette F Grade F Post Cooldown 0
Yukan uses his leadership skills and Knowledge on warfare to make informed dialogue.

2. Move with rest of formation if any ground was gained/was applicable.

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Paru
​

Mentions: Orikanyo Elvario TheTimePiece

Fuck... Things weren't going well so far. She touched her hand to the spot the zombie had clawed and it came back bloody. Not good. She lifted her sword as best she could. If she was going to die it would be with sword in hand, trying to return to her sister. The air around her erupted with motion as the man mutt eviscerated one of the zombies next to her. Maybe she could make it out of this after all. Or at the very least, take the last foe with her to hell. But it seemed she was already there. Suddenly, the world seemed to fold in on itself and she found herself surrounded by beastfolk. Another dog, this one more refined looking than the first, seemed to be in prayer next to her. As he finished, the pain in her torso subsided and she felt revitalized. She nodded her head to him as he spoke. "I am fine. Thank you, hijiri." She turned to the man mutt in red and nodded to him as well. "Coming after me was reckless of you. I did not ask for your assistance. But... thank you. You are a skilled swords man. I shall lend my blade as best I can."

Action 1 - Move with group
Action 2 - Assist Ko in Attacking

 

[Orikanyo]

Ko



"Return to death!" He was a man of action, and while foes still stood, he must answer their pitiful flailing with his blade. He lunged once more forwards, arms abit still weary from earlier exertion, he opted for a smaller strike, aiming to catch the remaining undead.

Sword of Descernment, Weapon Mastery F, Continueing (Bleed) F, Blight F (Razor sharp), Contact F, Penetrating F, Accurate F, a practiced strike of the blade, from whence the rest come. Grade F, Action 1

Though he may or may not have filled it, he was... suddenly yoinked back.

In a blink, he was admist...!

His... allies?

...Okay, so, the instant urge to cut around him in a fury was a bad idea, good.

The others spoke to him, and he wasn't certain what to say to them. It was abit embaressing in truth... Commend him? Sure... Okay... Thanks!? He hadn't really been thanked much... Usually people just yell at him. He didn't really see her befote, he just heard somebody in trouble and went to help again... Without much thinking really...

"...Your welcome..." he spoke softly, facing away from the others, looking towards the incoming enemies.

"I'mfoingforwarddon'tstopme!!" He yelped out quickly before moving on up to join an active formation of soldiers, anywhere in the front, he just wanted to be away from the cu- WIERD ELKSNAKECAT girl and the people here! Their crowding him thats it!!!

How can a master work in these conditions!?


Action 1, move
Action 2, ability
Action 3, move and join infantry units.

 

[Shadow Dancer]

Indicus' group had successfully fended off the zombies with the help of another unit. The zombie group before them was heavily weakened with one of the five dead while his own group made it out with minor injuries though the necrotic energy in the zombies was running rampant in the cuts their foe did make. Once more bolstered by Yukan's words the group aggressively attacked the zombies with Indicus using his {Fire breath} once more. They had to kill their current foe before the rest of the zombies got too close. Though after this attack they would make an attempt to help out an nearby group with their own zombie problem.

1:Agressive attack Indicus uses fire breath
2 Moves to help the closest unit.

 

[gmimperfecti]

"Maintain formation, Sustain this aggression! rotate where necessary, we'll all get through this together! The enemy is trying to get to the portal, with this knowledge press onward, do not allow any unnecessary evil to leave this tree! "

Riku roared over the fray of battle, waving his spear in acknowledgement before sweeping forward, but they didn't have the room to charge this time. Focusing instead on taking on the brunt of the first two units on the northern front of the group. With the pressure taken off the left flank, the archers were able to send several volleys at the zombies Riku had just swept through, compounding with their arrows the damage he had done. However, another unit of zombie came in from the right and threatened to overwhelm Riku, even as Indicus' spear unit pushed into the zombies coming from the far right. With the lines set, there wasn't much free attacks available so much as holding the line with their spears. Indicus' fire breath helped at crucial moments, catching a zombie on fire or distracting them. In the flow of battle, even heroes sometimes struggle to make a huge impact.

On the left flank, "Now is the moment of our ascension, fight and fight, ye Tanuki! Rise up!" Aurichal roared, running and leaping once more towards the last zombie unit on the left flank. The Yari charged pushing out of Yukan's formation like the flexing of a scale. Spears caught rotting flesh and broken bone, holding them while the left flank archers turned and fired a volley into the zombies dropping a few with arrows to the head and back. As the zombie unit began to give way, Aurichal's unit pressed their advantage. Aurichal's holy attacks burnt the remains of the zombies into smoldering bits that the swamp reclaimed beneath its dark muck. Scoring the first victory in the scrum; however, also meant the rest of the force could turn their full attention against the four units of zombies on their northern front.

Ko and Paru appeared, summoned by Ceylan, patched up and allowed to march and join up with Riku's group. Although mixing melee with calvary was tricky, both Ko and Paru were fast and able to help take the pressure off. Without large abilities at play, they weren't able to have a huge impact but their presence made it possible to leap and lung forward with sword to disentangle a zombie that threatened to pull a rider off their boar. A few times Ko's sword launched out and took an arm or half a face off.

With a reprieve, Gyoubu raised her arms high and shouted, "Anchor spread beneath, holds the secret origin, of the withered tree!" Like a damn had been broken, her springtime essence poured like a geyser from her chest as she swayed and belted out her haiku. The essence disappeared into the water and massive roots emerged! Not one unit but both of the middle units found themselves entangled in white cilia like webbing it crawled and pulled at the zombies. The zombies seemed to lose several inches in height as they sunk into the muck beneath the turgid waters of the swamp. They staggered and their momentum was wasted. It was a great opening for Whiteclaw whose unit rose up and fired several volleys at them.

With Ko and Paru's help, Riku tossed Paru on his boar's back and another ride picked up Ko. The calvary charged towards the left most zombie unit and trampled them.

Indicus and his unit pressed on, whittling away with spear and flames. A few heals landed about the various units abating the damage zombie claws and maws had. Minutes stretched by as the army continued to press their advantage. Gyoubu held the two middle units fast, her arms raised high and spearmint green essence oozing from every pour, falling from her like a water fountain until the water around the every cleared and purified. Of course this just revealed the horror of what lay beneath the dark waters. There were no rocks, just the partially digested bodies of thousands, held down by the white cilia that had been worming and tangling anything that lingered too long.

With the push, Ceylan's healing magics washed over again, healing those and as HIS words carried divine, celestial essence, the ears of the zombies burned and sizzled further distracting the remaining zombies near Yukan's forces. It was enough to turn the tide and after a battle stretching many minutes the last zombie nearby fell beneath the muck and white cilia.

"I..." Gyoubu began muttering, "I...I...ca...nnn....ttt..." Bright green essence leaked from eyes like tears and now that all the zombies had been brought beneath the waters the hunger roots of the Corpse Tree sought for more! Everyone found themselves tangled as the white cilia tried to crawl up their legs.

And just like that things went from triumphant to shit show. And it only got worse!

The portal home clouded over! The color drained from it like watercolors that had a glass of water poured on it. As the colors literally rain down the scene of the rolling green hills and rocky craigs, the copse of trees in the distance and the rice paddies beyond muddied. The colors blurred and mixed. Darker, starker colors formed of gleaming silvers, moody purples, and angry reds. This new tricolored picture was vicious and cruel and certainly not a depiction of home!

The zombies were the first to react. Indeed, much of the combat with those that had attacked Yukan's group was due to the split attention of the zombies. They wanted tasty human flesh but they also just wanted to get the portal. Now however, those zombies that had come so close to escaping had that taken away from them! They seemed to react immediate, perhaps even more terrified of what the portal had become than the tree itself! The zombies started to flee back towards Yukan's army! Nine units of zombies turned and rushed towards the comfort of warm bodies and beating hearts!

Kai popped out of the portal, for the moment he could see that the team was doing pretty well and that they had it all under control, so he really didn’t need to do much when it came to this, so rather than making a hasty move Kai activated his new trick, [Precognition] - F and saw into the future. The former Yakuza using the future sight positioned himself accordingly to the best position for the situation to help defend the Portal for the next attacks, before preparing his blade to counter attack and Zombies that came close, choosing to go with the training he remembered, he would prepare to cut the head off any zombies.

Kai had no problem with zombies rushing him. Indeed! The zombies were running AWAY from him towards the army of beastkin. A moment later, the two cataphract emerged.

"Can you believe, he called a blade a blade?" The male one said from behind his vicious looking full face helmet. Somehow his voice still came out in a deep and resonate bass.

"I can, having watched his pitiful dreams these past years. Truly, we have found a rabbit to bait a young lion, but a skinny sickly one, me thinks." The female cataphract responded with a sigh. Her voice also kept its lyrical, musical perfection despite the armor caked about her head and body. She moved with grace in a way that shouldn't be possible with such heavy looking armor.

"Go Kai, and learn if a blade is a blade." The male laughed, then paused, looking down at the water splashing all about. "Oh I hate these little places." He reached towards the back of Kai's head, pulling forth a dream of gossamer silver and blood red. To this the male added his deep purple and blood reds of his own. Then he shaped the terrain about them, causing a beautiful, fantasy gate house to rise up around them. A few tall, dark oak trees drawn from an ancient forest ringed the old, forgotten looking gate as if drawn from the pages of a fantasy book. A few other trees ringed the area and faded cobble stones formed a path from the edge of the archway framing the portal towards where Yukan's army was.

OOC:
1) Zombies in immediate area are all gone.
2) Gyoubu is "stuck" channeling her spell. As a result, there is now a Tangle F hazard in the area. This round you need to spend 1 of your 3 actions to unstick yourself, it takes an action generating at least 1hp of damage.
3) 9 units of zombies are inbound from your SOUTHERN flank (those that were trying to escape through the portal)
4) Kai and the 2 Fair Folk Cataphract have emerged from what was once your portal home! The portal is apparently an INTERCHANGE, Ko must have cut quite deep and Aurichal poured much holy salt in that wound! And now the Fair Folk have manipulated it with their mad dreams.

Here's the map

 

[Orikanyo]

Ko


"...Eh? What!? WHOAAA!" The canid man began to struggle hard against the binds the tried to take him, of all the things he experience today being dragged under by hell roots was not one that he desired!

"Gaaaah your lucky your cute tanuki or i'd let you have it!!" He shouted out above all else, his eyes narrowed once more, his ear twitched... Voices...? Yes... The portal? Wait... Gods the way home...

Wait people were here? Some sort of armored folk!?

And...

"By the spirits were atop a mass fucking grave!" To stand upon a mountain of the dead, to think... It would happen so soon?! He was no manslayer yet, but to stand atop the work of another was immoral! Not to mention disgusting! Seriously who the damn hell thought it would be a good idea to use a tangling roots spell when they were litterally in a hellscape within a blood evil pus tree?

When he puts it that way it really seems like somebody missed a few events here. Was she ordered? Did she do this on her own!?

Wait a minute why was he fussing all he had to do was counter it!

Sword raised once more he eyed the moving people around him, taking a deep breath, and went for it... If they didn't twitch or make any sudden movements they would be fine... The worst he's managed in training is ruining his master's pony tail...

He was quite angry with him that day...

Blooming Lily, Weapon Mastery E, Blight(Razor Sharp) E, Continueing (Bleed) E, Contact E, Area E, Selective E, Knockback E, Penetrating E, Accurate E. For use when surrounded the user strikes swiftly in all directions with one sound strike. Sign of true mastery, is to cut solely and only what is intended, so that a friend may stand within without no much as feeling a scratch. Grade E Action 1

After such, he moved into the midst of another group, performing the same series of strikes again, his hands grew weary, but it would free them.

Blooming Lily, Weapon Mastery F, Blight(Razor Sharp) F, Continueing (Bleed) F, Contact F, Area F, Selective F, Knockback F, Penetrating F, Accurate F. For use when surrounded the user strikes swiftly in all directions with one sound strike. Sign of true mastery, is to cut solely and only what is intended, so that a friend may stand within without no much as feeling a scratch. Grade F Action 1

And... Hopefully... He wouldn't give anyone a hair cut...

...At most a shave.

Some of these men had terrible facial hair really...

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
Ceylan (Event) - Granblue Fantasy Wiki

Languages: Common | <Beastial>
Mentions: Yukan TheTimePiece | Ko Orikanyo | Paru StarPrincessVal

He wasn't sure what to reply to Yukan, so he decided to err on the side of caution. “The closer the better.” He wasn't sure what he was dealing with, after all. “That could work.” He replied to Yukan's suggestion, although sounding hesitant. He wasn't a fighter, so if there were more enemies lying in wait near that tree, he'd be in a tough spot if he was alone or in a small group.

He was glad to be able to bring over Ko and Paru, also being able to treat the latter. However, he was a bit confused. What in the world was a hijiri? Had he spent so much time outside his home country that he'd forgotten his own country's insults? Possibly. He'd been travelling through Ryke for a long time, after all. Either way, her gratitude made it likelier it wasn't one, but what else it was, he wasn't sure of. Ko ran off before Ceylan could good and well talk to him. These two were strange for sure.

The battle went well, far more so than Ceylan had even expected. Eventually, the zombies were all discarded around them. He was about to head towards the tree again, when the next set of issues arose. Those started with Gyoubu going weird? He had no clue what was going on, but it looked bad. “Hold on, I'll be right with you!” He called out, wanting to head over to her, only to be tangled before he could reach her.

He instinctively let out yelp when he suddenly saw Ko getting ready to slash them all in half. He braced for being cut... yet (hopefully) wasn't? That was a pretty big relief. With the vines (hopefully) being cut instead, he quickly headed for Gyoubu (action 1; move) where he was quick to lay his hands on her and offer a [Action 2: Healing Prayer F] to see if it could get her to snap out of her spell-trance.

Hopefully succeeding, he'd know what to do next. Namely what Yukan said. “Aurichal, let's go bring that tree down!” He'd call out to the summoned one, as he started heading to the tree himself (action 3; move). Yukan would likely need his forced focussed on the zombies, but with the tree getting more aggressive, Ceylan felt it best not to waste more time. With Aurichal aiding him, he could surely get there, right?

Still, having to wade through what was effectively as mass grave was making his heart beat in his chest. He definitely wasn't made for nightmares like this. Then again... don't think on what you want. Just focus on doing it. He tried keeping himself calm, hoping not to let the panic or nightmare get to him as he headed for the source of it all.

D Grade CD's (1/1)
E Grade CD's (duration active)
F Grade CD's (0/0)
Healing Prayer – Healing F, Religion F, Energised B, Persuasion F – Character asks the gods for their aid when healing someone. - Grade F – 0 Post Cooldown.

 

[Shiyonichi]

“Ya two are truly a bunch of failures. Can’t think beyond a blade can ya? Blade’s a blade, for people who speak in so cryptic messages, ya really can’t understand when people shoot them back at ya, can ya?” Kai mocked both them as he ran forwards. This is why he held no respect for either of them, for the confusing wisemen they made themselves to be, they didn’t have much practical wisdom.

Kai drew the sword, which manifests as a simple white katana with no real distinguishing characteristics except the guard being in the shape of interlocking crescent moons. Kai didn’t need a weapon that had aesthetics and nothing else, just one that works. It was a blade.

Kai dashed forwards with his [ Fast F ] allowing him to outpace the zombies while using to avoid the hordes using [ Sixth Sense - Danger Sense F ] to keep track of the zombies and find a path where he wouldn’t be attacked. His abilities were a blade.

Action 1

Kai activated [ Precognition F] used [ Leap F ] to slash at heavy tree branches as he ran using the information from the future to drop them on a path that a horde of zombies would take to slow some of them down. The branches were a blade.

Action 2.

Kai made his way towards the group and took position to support the others around. “Here to help ya guys, save the questions for later.” The people were blades of their own.

Action 3.

‘The world is a blade.’ Kai remembered the words of his boss. ‘Sometimes it’s a blade of legends, sometimes it’s dull and rusty, but both can still cut a path up the mountain. The only difference between those who can make the climb with a dull and rusty and those who can’t…’

Kai understood that the Moon Blade was made from his own desires and that it wasn’t a legendary weapon that could cut down the mountain. It was nothing more than a simple sword of below average quality. After all, he had already lost the person he wanted to protect. He was basically a ronin, no master to serve, nor a grander purpose. It was no surprise that the blade wasn’t very strong, but that didn’t matter.

‘The difference between them are those who do nothing and complain about the blade given to them and those who choose to wield that blade to refine it into a blade that walks the path of heaven.’

Kai didn’t care, that was life. Life didn’t give out equal opportunities to everyone, you just had to make due with what you had. He lost his father figure and mentor, then was gunned down, and then thrown into whatever the hell this was. He got a blade that was rusty and dull, but that didn’t matter. Kai wasn’t going to complain. All he had to do was, refine his rusty blade and use it to cut his way to the path of heaven.

 

[Shadow Dancer]

Indicus felt the cilia climb up his body one moment and saw Ko swinging his sword and freeing them the next as what Indicus could only call sword intent or something close to it washed over him destroying his bindings. Free Indicus and his group made their way to the zombies making sure they did not stray far from the other units. Indicus ignored the archway and the figures standing around it he was concerned only with killing the zombies and letting the cleric get to the tree mostly unharmed.

 

[TheTimePiece]

Yukan Koyake
​

gmimperfecti Orikanyo Elvario Shadow Dancer StarPrincessVal Shiyonichi

Yukan watched this scene unfold on high alert for the duration. He heard Ceylan and thought perhaps he hadn't dealt with something like this before, after all it sounded like this tree had been an enigma to all of them. but he did not question the lack of a definitive answer , giving Ceylan an affirmative nod.

At first the Shrine maiden's assist struck Yukan as a good thing as he saw the other units decimate the undead. From the well placed Riku calvary strike to the divine celestial being as well as the formation and teamwork they had used with the healers. But it wasn't long until suddenly he felt the tree gripping him too, and Gyoubu looked like she was in distress. Perhaps it had gone haywire with the addition of Gyoubu's nature magic and she had lost control of what was going on in it's presence. At a moment's notice it felt like the tide of battle was already shifting in an unfavorable position, but before Yukan could even properly react to being restrained Ko was swift to jump into action cutting what was holding many of them to bits including Yukan.

Everything felt like it was happening very fast, as even before Yukan could give the order after being freed for one of the healers to assist Gyoubu, Ceylan was already on it and heading toward the tree presumably with the summon himself. This meant that Yukan would need to act quickly and precisely in what he conveyed next to the group so that things didn't fall apart.

Of course that was when he noticed all the activity going on at the portal, which was far from good, it looked like it was shifting to something else entirely, and the undead were starting to come back toward them! Not only that but those figures, he was unclear why they were there, or who that other person with the blade was but thankfully it looked like he was starting to engage the undead, the bad news for him was that it was unclear how many of them were now going to be attracted to the stranger once he started his assault. Of course Yukan had no idea how powerful this guy was, but having that many undead around you when you attacked was risky business given the number game he knew that much.

It couldn't be helped however, Yukan was going to ensure that Ceylan could get to that tree and he was going to try to maximize their chance of surviving this hell picture scroll that was unfolding before their eyes.


He turned to face the undead flank before proclaiming with the ablity: To Arms!

"Foreigners and undead to our flank, be wary, We should shift formation to face the onslaught and get ready for potential impact, we need to hold them off long enough for Ceylan to complete the purification process. Whiteclaw, have some of your scouts keep an eye on Ceylan incase they need immediate ranged support." He'd call out now thanks to the freedom of mobility that Ko had provided during that rapid development of events. The last line he said just incase the tree decided to spawn more hostiles in the other direction, after all who knew what it was capable of. Yukan's use of language was very much deliberate, he was not going to directly command units under Riku's jurisdiction, instead it was a suggestion to them, thus he only called out Whiteclaw by name. All he could do was hope that Ceylan's healing of Gyoubu was enough to stave off whatever had happened back there. He also did not command Ko, because Ko was not one of his men, he was someone who was helping so as far as Yukan was concerned Ko had the autonomy to do what he thought best, whether it was staying back, going on the offensive or helping Ceylan.

As for Riku he did not want to usurp Riku's authority as he had no intention of challenging it, Thus he phrased it as a suggestion to be heard to anyone who wasn't directly under Yukan's command.

Actions:
1. Turn around to face onslaught into position.
2. To Arms! - Leadership E, Warfare F, Republic of Kuridan Etiquette F Grade E- Post Cooldown 1
Yukan uses his leadership skills and knowledge on warfare to give warfare related orders.

 

[StarPrincessVal]

Paru

Mentions: Orikanyo gmimperfecti​

Paru puffed out her cheeks as the dark haired mutt muttered something, had an outburst, and then leaped away. Mannerless savage. She had been trying to thank him. Oh well, no point in dwelling on it now, there were bigger things to worry about. She let out a sigh and turned to aide in the defense against the zombies, accepting an arm that pulled her onto the back of a boar. She hardly knew how to fight from boar back, but she could swing her large sword real hard, so that should be something. As she readied herself to charge with her co-rider, the ground erupted in white strands of fiber like substance, constraining everyone in place. Whatever this was it was different from the grasping muck she had experienced earlier, though the meaning was the same. This place wasn't ready to let the intruders go. She prepared to swing at the protrusions grasping the boars legs, when suddenly she felt the familiar eruption of air with steel. The clawing tendrils fell away in tatters. She glanced once more at the mutt and smiled. Maybe he wasn't completely hopeless after all. The larger tanuki shouted out strategy as they regrouped and formed up. Tapping the tanuki on the boar with her, she gripped her sword tightly with one hand and wrapped her other around him. "Ready. I'll catch any that survive your spear."

Action 1 - Assist Riku with Attacks

 

[gmimperfecti]

In the heart of the Nightmare Swamp, a place where the sun dared not shine, a malevolent loss reigned supreme. The sky overhead was a tumultuous sea of dark, roiling clouds, casting a suffocating gloom over the murky waters. The air hung heavy with the stench of decay, an ever-present reminder of the twisted abominations that lay entombied beneath the stagnant depths.

The twisted, gnarled trees that bordered the swamp stood like ancient, maleficent guardians, their skeletal limbs adorned with drooping tendrils of sickly green moss. Each branch reached out as if to snare an unwary traveler, and every knot and gnarl seemed to contort into the visage of a tormented soul, trapped for eternity within the cursed bark.

From the inky waters of the swamp, the undead sloshed. Their decayed forms slowly went back towards the living, making a sickening, guttural gurgle. Their flesh, rotted and discolored, clung to their skeletal frames, barely held together by sinew and rot. Their once human eyes were now hollow, bottomless pools of hunger and malice, reflecting only the darkness that had consumed them.

These shambling horrors lumbered through the waters, their movements slow but inexorable, drawn to the small army of beastkin who stood resolute in a patch of crystal clear water. The beastkin army stood in a defensive formation, their faces a mixture of fear and determination as they prepared to face the second half of the undead horde.

As the zombies closed in, the beastkin warriors raised their spears, their eyes darting between the grotesque, shambling creatures and the dark, foreboding trees that surrounded them. The air was thick with tension, as though the very swamp itself held its breath, waiting for the inevitable clash of life and death.

The silence was broken by a low growl, a primal warning from one of the beastkin as the first zombie drew near. Aurichal's celestial light flashed once, illuminating the terrifying scene for an instant before the thunderous crash shook the swamp. The battle began, the clash of spears and the tearing of flesh echoing through the oppressive darkness.

In the Nightmare Swamp, where evil held dominion and the line between life and death was blurred, the fates of the brave beastkin and the relentless zombies would be decided in a terrifying dance of violence and despair, as the clouds overhead continued to churn, indifferent to the struggle that unfolded below.

------

Behind the valiant army of beastkin, in the distance, there stood a dying, old tree, a monolithic sentinel that seemed to defy the passage of time. Its gargantuan form loomed over the battlefield, towering above the canopy like a once-mighty king, now reduced to a tragic, decaying remnant of its former glory. Its bark, once as resilient as a sequoia, was now marred by the ravages of time, disease, and the ever-present corruption of the Nightmare Swamp.

The tree's colossal trunk was split down the middle, cleaved by some ancient, unspeakable force, revealing a gaping maw that plunged into the very heart of the swamp. This dark, foreboding hole seemed to exude an aura of malevolence, as if it were the very mouth of the abyss itself, ready to swallow all that dared to venture too close.

Despite the chaos unfolding on the battlefield, the tree remained eerily still, untouched by the winds that howled through the twisted branches of its brethren. The hole seemed to draw in the darkness that permeated the swamp, its inky depths hungry for the light and life that dared to exist within its domain.

From the shadows of the tree's immense cavity, faint whispers and ghostly wails could be heard, carried on the fetid breeze. These were the echoes of the souls who had been lost to the Nightmare Swamp, their torment resonating from the depths of the abyss, a chilling reminder of the fate that awaited those who succumbed to the swamp's insidious grasp.

As the beastkin fought their undead adversaries, they could not help but steal anxious glances at the immense, dying tree and the ominous hole that lay behind them. It was as if the tree stood in silent judgment, a testament to the darkness that enveloped the swamp and a harbinger of the doom that seemed to loom over them all.

On the eve of the second battle, the tree and its gaping hole stood as a sinister symbol, a malevolent presence that could not be ignored. It was a constant reminder of the malefic forces that pervaded the Nightmare Swamp, and the unknown horrors that awaited the brave souls who dared to venture too close to the darkness.

-------

The air hung heavy with a foul, putrid stench, as the sky was shrouded by the dark, ominous clouds looming above the Nightmare Swamp. The twisted, gnarled trees reached out with their jagged branches like the skeletal hands of the damned, eager to ensnare any who dared to venture through the murky waters. Shadows stretched and danced across the swamp, as if the very darkness itself was alive and thirsty for blood.

The stillness was shattered by the guttural groans and chilling whispers of the undead, their waterlogged bodies dragging through the murky depths as they approached the small, valiant army of beastkin that stood ready to defend. The tanuki boar-riding cavalry stamped their hooves impatiently, their riders gripping their spears tightly, eyes flitting back and forth, searching for the enemy. Two units of spearmen formed a solid line of defense, their determined faces betraying no fear. A unit of keen-eyed archers adjusted their bows, arrows nocked and ready to fly. The agile scouts moved quietly through the waters, their senses heightened by the adrenaline coursing through their veins.

The magical healers, their catalysts emanating a faint, reassuring glow, whispered sacred incantations to fortify their comrades. Among the beastkin stood the fierce samurai sword fighters, their katanas glistening with deadly intent, their eyes set in a piercing gaze, as they prepared to unleash their fury upon the encroaching horde.

As the first wave of zombies reached the beastkin's defenses, a cacophony of snarls, shrieks, and the clash of steel against rotting flesh filled the air. The tanuki boar cavalry charged forward, their riders' spears finding their marks with brutal efficiency, felling the undead monstrosities with each deadly thrust. The spearmen held their ground, their weapons impaling the wretched creatures and driving them back into the murky depths, while the archers rained down a lethal shower of arrows, piercing the skulls of the advancing horde.

The samurai sword fighters moved like whirlwinds of steel and death, their katanas slicing through the air with lethal precision, severing limbs and heads with each graceful, deadly arc. The scouts circled the battlefield, striking at the zombies from unexpected angles and disappearing back into the shadows before the enemy could react.

Through the din of battle, the magical healers continued their incantations, their voices ringing clear and true above the cacophony of war. Their healing magic coursed through the beastkin, mending wounds and bolstering the warriors' strength.

For several long, agonizing minutes, the Nightmare Swamp was consumed by the gruesome battle between the living and the dead. The beastkin fought with ferocity and tenacity, their courage unwavering even in the face of the relentless onslaught of the undead. The dark waters of the swamp churned with the gore and detritus of the fallen, a testament to the harrowing struggle that would forever scar their minds.

----------

The relentless tide of the undead showed no sign of ebbing, and the beastkin's defenses began to falter. One by one, the spearmen were overwhelmed, their once-impenetrable line crumbling under the sheer weight of the ravenous horde. Desperation crept into the hearts of the warriors, as they began to wonder if their valiant stand was in vain.

Just as all hope seemed lost, the scouts led by the wise owl kin Whiteclaw and the fiery Indicus swooped in, their eyes burning with determination. Whiteclaw's talons tore through the zombies, his wings stirring up powerful gusts of wind that sent the undead sprawling across the swamp. Indicus unleashed a torrent of fire from his maw, the intense flames engulfing the zombies and reducing them to ashes. Together, they stemmed the tide of undead, buying precious time for their beleaguered comrades.

The healers, their faces etched with exhaustion, struggled to keep pace with the mounting injuries sustained by the warriors. Their once-bright magical auras dimmed, flickering like dying embers as their energy reserves dwindled. Some of the spearmen, their skin pallid and their eyes sunken, teetered on the brink of death, their bodies succumbing to the necrotic infection inflicted by the zombies' tainted claws and teeth.

Despite the overwhelming odds, the remaining beastkin fought on, their hearts galvanized by the timely intervention of Whiteclaw and Indicus. The tanuki boar cavalry charged once more into the fray, their riders' spears thrusting with renewed vigor. The archers' arrows continued to find their marks, thinning the undead ranks with each deadly volley. Ko and Paru, their blades flashing in a symphony of steel, cut down the wretched creatures by the dozens.

The battle raged on, a desperate struggle for survival waged within the shadowed depths of the Nightmare Swamp. With every passing moment, the beastkin's reserves of strength and hope waned, but their indomitable spirit refused to be extinguished. As the fight drew on, they steeled themselves for the final, decisive clash that would determine the fate of their lives and their minds.

----------

As the tide of battle surged and ebbed, an eerie change came over the swamp. Emerging from behind the endless waves of zombies, a brick road materialized, its once vibrant grey hue rapidly yellowing as though it had aged a thousand years in mere moments. This sinister incarnation of the yellow brick road from the Wizard of Oz seemed to twist and contort, evoking a deep sense of foreboding and unease.

With a grace and speed that belied the treacherous terrain, Kai, the fleet-footed warrior, sprinted along the darkened path, his moon blade gleaming ominously in the dim light. As he raced towards the embattled beastkin forces, he deftly took pot shots at the zombies, his sword artfully whistling through the air as it sliced through rotting flesh.

Noticing the lone warrior, a few of the zombies broke away from the main horde, their grotesque forms shambling towards Kai with a hunger that could never be sated. Undaunted, Kai stood his ground, his eyes narrowing as he readied himself for the oncoming onslaught. With a fluidity and precision that could only come from years of disciplined training, he danced through the ranks of the undead, his moon blade carving a deadly path through his foes.

As Kai cut down the last of his attackers, he glanced up, his gaze meeting the eyes of the beleaguered beastkin forces. The sight of someone else, alive and fighting, reignited a spark of hope within their hearts. They redoubled their efforts, their weapons finding renewed strength as they continued to hold back the relentless tide of the undead.

With a final, determined sprint, Kai joined the main force of beastkin, his moon blade adding its lethal song to the symphony of battle. The warriors, inspired by their reunited comrade, fought with every ounce of their remaining strength, their indomitable wills refusing to yield even as the dark road behind them threatened to consume all that they held dear.

----------

As Kai melded into the ranks of the beastkin warriors, Yukan, the seasoned Tanuki commander, saw the opportunity to seize the momentum. With his fur bristling and his eyes ablaze with determination, he leaped onto a small, elevated mound of earth, his commanding presence drawing the attention of his weary comrades.

Raising his weapon high, Yukan's voice boomed across the battlefield, cutting through the cacophony of battle with the authority of a true leader.

"Foreigners and undead are at our flank, be wary," he roared, "Shift formation to face the onslaught. We need to hold them off long enough for Ceylan to complete the purification process."

As the commander's words resonated through the hearts of the beleaguered army, their spirits began to rise, and a renewed sense of purpose filled their weary bodies. Yukan continued again, his voice unwavering, "We need to hold them off long enough for Ceylan to complete the purification process!"

A resounding battle cry erupted from the army, their voices joining together in a thunderous chorus that shook the very foundations of the Nightmare Swamp. Their eyes, once clouded with despair, now burned with the fierce light of determination and defiance.

The battle took on a new intensity, as the beastkin warriors charged once more into the fray, their spirits buoyed by their commander's stirring speech. The tanuki boar cavalry crashed through the zombie hordes with renewed ferocity. Ko and Paru, now with Kai flashed to fill any gap that had opened. While the spearmen accompanied by Indicus cut and burned down their foes with a renewed sense of purpose. The archers rained down a hailstorm of arrows, their aim unerring, and Whiteclaw's scouts continued to strike from the shadows with lethal precision.

The Riku's healer and Gyoubu, inspired by Yukan's rallying cry, found a hidden wellspring of strength deep within their souls. Their magical auras flared to life, the glow of their catalysts casting a warm, physical light across the battlefield as they mended wounds and restored their comrades back to fighting form.

United in their resolve, the beastkin army surged forward, a tide of fierce determination that would not be broken. The Nightmare Swamp, once a place of darkness and despair, was now the stage for a heroic stand that would be remembered for generations to come.

----------

Within the depths of the Nightmare Swamp, two figures moved with purpose through the treacherous landscape. Ceylan, a holy priest clad in robes adorned with sacred symbols, and Aurichal, a powerful Hound Archon with a fierce, canine visage, were driven by a mission that would test their courage and determination.

As the duo pressed on, their path led them towards the dying, old tree, a monolithic sentinel that seemed to defy the passage of time. Its gnarled limbs stretched into the sky, casting eerie shadows over the swamp's murky waters. The tree's once-mighty form was now ravaged by decay, a testament to the insidious corruption that had taken hold of the Nightmare Swamp.

The two companions approached the ancient sentinel, their eyes drawn to the gaping maw that opened before them, a dark portal that seemed to swallow all light and hope. The entrance beckoned, a siren's call that promised secrets and danger in equal measure. With a shared nod, Ceylan and Aurichal steeled themselves and entered the maw, plunging into the very heart of the swamp.

As they descended into the darkness, the air grew colder and more oppressive, and the putrid stench of decay hung thick in the air. The tree's twisted interior was a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers, each more foreboding than the last. Ceylan's holy symbol glowed faintly, casting a soft light that pierced the gloom and guided their path. Aurichal, his senses keen and his muscles tense, remained vigilant, prepared to defend his companion from any hidden dangers that lurked within the tree's depths.

Deeper and deeper they ventured, the weight of the darkness pressing down upon them like a heavy shroud. Each step they took seemed to echo through the endless chambers, a haunting reminder of their isolation within the heart of the Nightmare Swamp. Yet, the two companions pressed on, their resolve unwavering, for they knew that the fate of the swamp and its inhabitants rested upon their shoulders.

----------

Ceylan and Aurichal delved deeper into the bowels of the ancient tree, the darkness growing ever more oppressive with each step they took. As they ventured further into the inky blackness, they became aware of a malevolent presence that seemed to slither through the air, wrapping its tendrils around their very souls.

This dark nightmare, an embodiment of all the pain and suffering that the tree had partially digested over its long existence, seemed to take on a life of its own. The twisted amalgamation of misery and despair had manifested into a sinister entity, its sole purpose to feed on the light that Ceylan and Aurichal carried within them.

As the duo pressed on, the nightmare grew ever stronger, its insatiable hunger clawing at the edges of their consciousness. Shadows writhed and danced along the walls of the tree's interior, taking on grotesque forms that seemed to mock the very idea of life itself. The air grew thick with the palpable sense of dread, a miasma of darkness that sought to suffocate the holy beings.

Aurichal, his canine features set in a snarl, stood protectively in front of Ceylan as the nightmare's presence coalesced into a tangible form, its monstrous visage a twisted mockery of life. The Hound Archon's eyes burned with righteous fury, and his entire being radiated a fierce, celestial energy that seemed to defy the darkness itself.

---------------

Above the sky still hung heavily, dark and foreboding, as if the heavens themselves dared not look upon what had happened in the Nightmare Swamp.
The gnarled, twisted trees surrounding the battlefield seemed to writhe in discomfort, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers, as though trying to grasp the fleeting remnants of hope that lingered in the air. The sickly sweet scent of decay hung heavily in the air, a testament to the brutal combat that had just taken place.

On the other side of this macabre scene in the direction that had once lead home, the portal had been shaped into the entrance to a deeper layer of nightmares. Guarding this passage stood two impossibly perfect Fair Folk, their lithe forms encased in armor of jade and dreams. They bickered with each other, their voices like silver bells, discussing the nature of fighting and swords. They paid little heed to the ongoing battle between the undead and the beastkin, their interest piqued only when the beastkin emerged victorious.

"Curious, don't you think?" one of the Fair Folk mused, a smile playing upon their ethereal lips. "How something so savage can overcome the relentless force of the undead."

"Yes," the other replied, a hint of disdain in their melodious voice. "But such victories are fleeting in this realm."

As they spoke, the deeper nightmare began to take root around the portal, the swamp's fetid waters continuing to recede, replaced by a dense, old-growth forest reminiscent of the eerie woods from ancient fairy tales. Shadows danced across the trunks of timeless trees, as though concealing unknowable secrets.

From the darkness between the timeless trees, a cacophony of cackles filled the air, heralding the shaping of flying monkeys from Kai's dreams. These abhorrent creatures, once the whimsical guardians of a far-off land, now bore grotesque visages, their twisted forms a mockery of their former selves. Their malevolent eyes gleamed with malice as they occasionally swooped down from the gnarled branches, eager to inflict chaos and suffering upon all who dared to venture into this realm of nightmares.

The Fair Folk continued on in their conversation ignoring the growing number of flying monkeys that formed to guard the portal.

OOC: And with that the battle against the zombie horde is over and Ceylan may or may not prevail. And now to figure out if and how you will get home.

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan

Spoiler: Full Image & Source

From:
Ceylan (Event) - Granblue Fantasy Wiki

Languages: Common | <Beastial>

He had to fight a lot of things to get himself to keep moving towards the tree. The nightmare. His fear of all the death and decay surrounding him. His fear of more zombies coming back to 'life' to try and stop him. His stomach trying to throw out its contents at the stench of it all. Oddly enough, the tree reminded him of Aegrizora. Another tree that'd been cursed, which he'd managed to cleanse. That gave him courage. After all, if he succeeded once before, he might do so again. No, he would do so again.

Even so, how could he not shiver upon hearing the whispers of lost souls? Upon seeing the light-consuming darkness within the tree? Yet shiver as he might, tail clenched between his legs, he moved onwards. Being afraid wasn't a sin. Letting the fear guide you was. Thus he wouldn't. He'd not succumb to it. After a nod between him and Aurichal, he entered the darkness. The even thicker stench of decay made him fail his attempts at keeping his stomach in check, but even so, it was a momentary set-back. He'd continue onwards.

The deeper they got, the the heavier it felt to keep moving onwards. He was glad he wasn't alone in this. Outside, they might still be fighting. Inside, Aurichal was with him. Both were enough reason for him to continue onwards with conviction.

At some point, he didn't even need his [Sixth Sense] to sense the evil hanging thickly in the air, like a cloud of smoke that filled your lungs and made them burn and shrivel up. The more he felt it wrap its tendrils around his soul, the stronger his conviction grew. How could it not? If he was truly a [Wandering Saint], then this was where he'd need to wander towards. A place he was needed most.

Finally, Ceylan found it. A tangible form of this nightmare. The root of all of this. “Do not be afraid.” He spoke, his voice having found an odd sort of peace amidst this nightmare. “For as truly as the heavens have blessed me a [Holy Child], I shall cleanse all this corruption and allow the good to return.”

The time for holding back was long behind him. He touched the [Medallion of Aegrizora] he obtained, recalling the deity and bringing forth some of his strength, either in spirit or literally, depending on if his call would be answered. Regardless, he'd reach out towards the tangible parts of the nightmare, unafraid due to having faith in that his [Action 1: Blessed Fortune (D)] would be guiding him to where he needed to be. After, he tapped into his full potential, using every bit of the power the gods had gifted him to cleanse this place with [Action 2: Curse Cleanse (B)]. He'd target this corruption from all possible angles, using up to fifty streams of cleansing energy of his own to pierce through it and rid this world and realm of its cursed energy and powers. Strengthened by the presence of the radiant Hound Archon, he felt like they were unbeatable right now.

Finally, he calmed down. This turmoil, this curse, it didn't just need cleansing. It needed curing, recovering. It needed to be soothed. Thus he used [Action 3: Soothing Aura (C)] to calm any volatile energies that remind and sooth them, allowing the tree to recover and calm itself, after the many years of torture it'd suffered underneath the crushing weight of the curse it'd fallen too. “In the name of all that is good and sacred, in the name of the deities that granted me strength, please, be at peace.” He prayed, as his aura spread across this realm.

Wandering Saint - Character is a wanderer that brings healing and well-being wherever they go. While the stories told by the people generally exceed reality, the faithful aware of who the character is consider them truth and are more hospitable to the character in hopes of being blessed.

Holy Child - Character has been blessed by the heavens multiple times to work things in their favour. Celestial beings or holy folk are more likely to cooperate with character.

Medallion of Aegrizora - A medallion gifted by Aegrizora that may or may not summon the deity.

B Grade CD's (0/3)
Curse Cleanse - Magic Affinity B, Magic Range C, Magic Targets C, Sixth Sense D, Healing B, Religion B, Energised B - Uses divine senses to detect curses and combines religious knowledge with healing magic to cleanse them. - Grade B - 3 post Cooldown

C Grade CD's (0/2)
Soothing Aura – Magic Affinity C, Healing C, Magic Range D, Magic Targets D, Magic Duration D, Religion C, Empathy D, Energised C, Persuasion F – Character has a soothing aura that calms and heals those around them. - Grade C – 3 Post Cooldown.

D Grade CD's (0/1)
Blessed Fortune – Religion D, Lucky F, Energised D – Character's actions are blessed (twice per roleplay) with good fortune. - Grade D – 1 Post Cooldown.

E Grade CD's (duration active)
F Grade CD's (0/0)