Fantasy The Divine Conquerors Ⅱ - Main / Ravenscourt

[StaidFoal]

=MEIRA AARLE=
Interactions: Kaihaku (Voorjaar)
Mentions: GrieveWriter (Poma)​

Meira bit her lip as Frostfire leaped away. The plans must have changed beyond her knowledge. That was the only explanation for her appearance, flameless as it may have been. She turned to the veteran, now smiling confidently. "All of it is thanks to Her Highness. She's already constructed a plan to turn the tides of war." Meira glanced back at the towering palace. "She's bound to be queen after this." She withheld the frown as she thought of Frostfire; her tone was notably directed with some intent at Meira, likely because he explained things poorly. "Now, you'll have to excuse—" The beastwoman was cut off by a blaring announcement from afar. She came to recognize the voice as the flying construct who held her above the city. "NOXCO, huh?" she muttered, leaving a mental note for herself.

She politely nodded to the veteran before jumping after Frostfire. She awkwardly waved as she neared, eyeing the massive emblem she engraved on the wall. With a nervous smile, she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry," she began. "What Athena did was out of line and against our standards; The Constant was very unhappy when he learned of the incident." She stepped beside Frostfire, staring lost into the sky. "Truly, it's strange... your fire magic shouldn't have gone away like that," she remarked, though not giving too much thought on the matter. Meira always felt anxious around Nortestra's living myth; there was something about standing next to a heroic figure of genuine virtue, knowing well that she herself was far from an innocent bystander.

Meira sighed, deciding to pry on the details of this sudden change in plans. "I assume The Constant explained almost everything to you? About me, Meira, how I saved your life, and about the Coelacanth?" She spoke in an unusual, hushed tone, as if concerned for possible eavesdroppers. Her gleeful look had morphed to a more serious, cautious countenance... which quickly fell apart in a quieter, uneasy sigh. "Ah, I'm so unprepared for this... You see, he told me he'd keep me updated, but here you are... Honestly, what's that guy's alternative plan, sending you out so early? Or is it that Mikhail and Rama know, and I'm too low a rank for that knowledge?" She ran a hand over her face, realizing how much she went on rambling. At this point, she just wanted to get back to Naia, but work was work. "So, what's the plan, Felicia?"

 

[EccentricFantasy]

Alice Everlast

​

Sitting atop the massive coin that circles her city, Alice was going through the paperwork that had been finished. This specific paperwork offering options to deal with the lack of populace and the weak economic state. She sighed as she read through the few options they had. The populace was now at 2,500 people. 500 of them were adventurers that came for the expansive dungeon beneath the city. It was a good way to make money and be close to medical help. However, the original 2,000 people including Alice herself, were bound to the city limits. This meant that going outside to bring others in was not an option. So, the best ways to get people to the city was to use the tourist lure. Problem with that was how much it cost to use it effectively. So, she had no real solution.

As she flipped through the papers, a man appeared behind her. It was one of her Peacekeepers. The man knelt to her and spoke "Guardian, a large force is approaching the city."

Alice stopped and stood. Her residence got tense and toxic. She turned to him and opened her fan to cover her face. She wouldn't show it, but if they were attacked right now, she had no real defense's to keep them safe. Her territory was far to small and her economy was not fully developed just yet. Her fear of attack was great, but she refused to show it. Taking a moment to take a breath, composing herself long enough to keep her graceful persona in tact. Closing her fan with a sharp smacking sound "Take me now."

The Peacekeeper gave a nod and put his hand on her shoulder. In an instant they were teleported to the open gate. There, civilians watched from the open gate in fear. Peacekeepers and adventurers prepared to fight for their city. Alice appeared behind the crowd. Her regal movements moved her through the crowd. People parted and bowed to their Guardian as she passed. With a composed smile she waved and gingerly stroked the hair of each childs hair. She got to the gate to one of the walls bordering her city, and looked out to the approaching crowd. Her heart beat as a telescope was brought to her. A million thought filled her head. How would she protect her people if it was an army? Could she do anything? The thought terrified her.

Taking a look through the telescope she looked at the people approaching her city. To her surprise, the mass of people were not soldiers. Rather, they were people. People carrying many things and looking so defeated. From what she could guess, they seemed like refugees.

Her eyes lit up. This was a great thing. Those people clearly need help. Setting them up in the city would make for wonderful economic growth. The fact that she could help all these people was a bonus. This was how she would keep her people safe. It would take some time to acclimate all these refugees to the way her city ran, but it was worth it in the long run.

Immediately she turned to the people "Fear not my people. Those are not soldiers. They are merely citizens that need help." She clapped her hands to silence the cheer and sighs of relief "All those who are capable of leaving the city, please go help them in. Once they are in, let's find them a home in the housing district and jobs for those who can work."

Immediately her orders were followed. Thousands of refugees were brought in. Alice took the time to meet them all and start the process of offering sanctuary. All of them were shown about the city. They were told of the jobs and positions open and many were filled. Blacksmiths, farmers, craftsman and many others were happy to find work here. They all seemed baffled by the technology available here and were taken aback by the homes they were offered. Hours passed and the streets were filled with refugees still roaming about the streets that they now called home.

Alice watched the people scattering about, looking for good paying work, learning about the economy and how things worked. If all the counting was correct, they were now at 8,500 in population. With a confident smile she gazed upon her cities salvation. Yes, there would be much time before the economic status fully reflected these new citizen's, but that was unavoidable. The point was that now they were on the right track. With a smile she turned and walked down the wall towards the courthouse. They would need help with supplying papers and identification for their new citizen's.

 

[Kaihaku]

Frostf̷̥̥̖̤̮̝̯̥͉̼́͊̃͌̒͆͗͘͠ḯ̷̧͂̐̔͌̈́͠ŗ̴̰̬̟̬̯̰͚͉͗̊͝é̵̙̖̾̊̊
(Mother Voorjaar)
Location: Castellan, Nortestra. Second Wall
Interactions: StaidFoal (Meira) Mentions: StaidFoal (Athena, Frostfire) Solirus (Dirk, Rojy)​

"I'm glad that you decided to join me." Frostf̶͍̋ĩ̶̻r̸͇̈ĕ̵̺ says kindly as the young beastwoman lands on the ice platform. Her demeanor is noticeably more relaxed than it had been around the soldiers above. She immediately ceases her work on the icy magic circle and instead conjures up two thrones of ice, positioned to look out on the battlefield. "I was hoping that we'd get to have a heart to heart."

Frostf̶͍̋ĩ̶̻r̸͇̈ĕ̵̺ glides over to one of the thrones and takes a seat eloquently. She gestures for Meira to take a seat as well, but is otherwise silent as she listens intently to the young beastwoman's words. So this was Egg Tart's older sister, the advisor to the Princess. That was why the young woman had seemed familiar. It was no surprise that there were hidden power dynamics at play here beyond the obvious. Conflicts rarely reached this caliber if they were simply one dimensional. It was not clear why this conflict had been allowed to reach this point but that would be easier to piece together after this battle. This new authority figure, the Constant, was an even greater point of interest. It was striking that he seemed to hold some kind of power over Athena and Meira. Time. She needed more time but she didn't have it so she'd have to improvise.

She listens attentively until a powerful soundwave explodes from the front lines. At this, she turns to look at the battlefield and a pained expression crosses her face. The pain was not due to the soundwave but from the sight of the electrical blast being transformed into a gigantic wad of noodles. Someone had used an extremely powerful transmutation effect to... It was enough to give even her a headache.

"Please be more discrete. I only put up basic safeguards." Frostf̶͍̋ĩ̶̻r̸͇̈ĕ̵̺ chides softly, forcing herself to stop staring at the noodles and to turn her attention back to the young beastwoman. She couldn't let the chaos below distract her. No matter how maddening it became. Instead she fell back on old instincts. She sighs, as if she were about to share a burden, then speaks lowly, "I understand your confusion but I am not here as part of that. I'm on a special assignment. There's a... Let's call it a lack of confidence in Athena's judgement. Her role is too prominent for her to..." She doesn't finish the sentence, instead shaking her head with mild disapproval.

"Only a select few know that I'm here. You were not meant to be one of them but I've always liked you. You remind me of my daughter." A sad wistful smile crosses her lips. "So I decided to warn you. Especially since you have family to think after."

"I know that you're sharper than you let on. So take this advice to heart - do not yoke yourself too closely to Athena." Frostf̶͍̋ĩ̶̻r̸͇̈ĕ̵̺ whispers almost silently, magic carrying her soft words to the young beastwoman's ears where they can be easily heard despite the distance between them and the battle unfolding below. There's a quiet urgency to them, a need to be understood quickly. "I was going to stop with that warning but..."

"I will tell you my part in this. I was given this form and sent here at this critical moment to bring Lady Frostfire back from the dead. It is a sign to Athena. She cannot well deny a figure who all believe was crippled in her defense, secretly nursed back to health by her, and then sent out as her champion. It's theatrical but effective, not unlike that incident in Xact." She leans back in her throne, tenting her fingers together as she continues. This reveals that her crippled arm is quite well. It's clear from the relieved way she looks at Meira as she does it that it's not an accidental slip but like more like taking off a mask in the presence of a trusted accomplice, "Someone higher up than you or I will have...a private chat with Athena about it later."

"I'm not privy to more than my role in this but I surmise that this also checks her... It sets the stage for the real Felicia to reappear in this land, undergo a sacred rite, and then miraculously her flames are restored as a sign of..." She trails off, leaving the words to hang in the air meaningfully, then adds simply, "Maybe that's not what they have in mind. It seems like too much effort to me but, still, you should be prepared. There are further unpleasantries to come and you are near the center of them. Tread carefully."

"I wish we had more time to talk, but I do need to finish this magic circle and I'm sure that you're quite occupied with the...ahhh..." Frostf̶͍̋ĩ̶̻r̸͇̈ĕ̵̺ says, speaking at a normal volume again, only to hesitate as she gestures at the gigantic wad of noodles, "...present circumstances."

"When I finish this circle it unleash a thick protective coating of ice marked, here and there, with one of Frostfire's symbols over a large stretch of the walls." Frostf̶͍̋ĩ̶̻r̸͇̈ĕ̵̺ then peeks up at the half-finished magical circle on the wall above them. There's an appraising look in her good eye as she explains, "It's not enough to interfere with what's in motion but should be just dramatic enough to make the point." She then looks at Meira and tilts her head thoughtfully, "Do you think that would be sufficient? I need to travel to Mollug to meet with 'the man of three minds' after this but I was hoping to make a stop to get back to my normal appearance. Still, I don't want to shirk my responsibilities here. Do you think I should do a bit more before leaving?"

 

[Snackofthefuture]

SAKUJO HONOMURA​

Sakujo looked at Kotori and the group that had assembled to head in the direction of the anomaly. Then he looked at Greymourne and the Nortestan defence. It was a pitiful sight, Sakujo realized he was needed here, on the frontline where he belonged. The samurai looked at Greymourne in the eyes before slamming his fist against his chest, rain splattering off his armour as he moved. “I, Sakujo Honomura, will assist you in this most honorable defence of your home! Allow me to help in whatever way I can. I was a king among generals in my old world, allow me command of your troops and I will prove myself and help lead your men to victory!” Sakujo’s eyes blazed with the fervor of an ancient hero, brought once again to life to battle evil. The samurai was no hero however, and this battle would only assist in that claim, by the end, if he had his way he would be a demon.

Sakujo placed his hand on his sword as he watched Kotori and her group depart. He was now alone with the other new summoned and commander Greymourne. He turned to face a group of nearby soldiers and immediately went into commander mode. He sized up all their weaponry on claims of working for Commander Sulric and sent them off in tip top shape. They were rallied and ready by the time Sakujo was done with them. They went towards the frontline with enthusiasm and glee. Sakujo knew it was a little thing, but if Sakujo could show he understood command, at the very least in its more marginal forms, perhaps Greymourne would find him acceptable. Sakujo knew he was already exceptional, but you often had to prove yourself regardless of the reality.

As Greymourne finished speaking, and sent off her metal construct, Sakujo went to her side and said, “I'll just follow after you to this designated spot haha! I don't really know this city well to be honest! So it only makes sense to follow after you.”

Juju

 

[Judge_Vulxray]

Midyiel; The Divine Cleric
Castellan Cathedral
Interactions: Kaihaku (Caedmon)

​

Midyiel glanced around her, her senses coming back to her as she takes grasp of the current situation. The walls rumbled and crumbled with debris from the surrounding conflict. Her eyes eventually laid focus upon a strange man who approached her, his message replaying in her mind as a loud rumble echoes throughout the Cathedral. The shockwave that followed almost knocked her off her feet. Her wings wrapped around her as though to help her maintain her balance until the rumbles passed. After regaining the sense of panic that had brief taken over her, Midyiel extended her wings and flew up into the sky, following the direction the strange person had gone moments before.

From here, Midyiel traced her eyes over the image below her. The Cathedral below her was now... targeted by some strange... large meat substance... but that wasn't what had taken her attention the most. The surrounding city was engulfed in flames, roaring high into the sky. The sight almost made her cry again, but she steeled her nerves, approaching the flying man in the sky.

"You seem to understand and have a grasp of the situation that is happening here... Caedmon? You said your name was? My name is ArchAngel Midyiel, devoted servant of God and the Divine Cleric. Is there any form of assistance that I may be able to help with in these... trying times?"

She was trying to ignore the strange situation now below her as she glanced around looking for any one that she may help.

 

[Lazaro1505]

Lexis, The Red Baron’s Titan
&
Yamcha

Location: The Cathedral, about to be hit with a large ball of... spaghetti?

The Ion Titan couldn’t believe it’s multiple eyes... well, it could, considering it harbors of not only the smartest AI systems known to the galaxy of the moment, but also one main camera as well with three other mini cameras on its person... all watching the same events unfold, so a highly inaccurate study of the environment is unlikely. And Yamcha was nearly in the same case, wondering at disbelief at something that appears so ludicrous to him, even when his world holds many things people wouldn’t consider ‘normal’. The first of which was that loudening boom that echoed from the distance, possibly from some sort of large weapon, with Yamcha covering his ears at the loud noise, while the Ion Titan merely reduced the amount of noise reaching its processors in a attempt to not get them damaged... and now Lexis’s many eyes were looking around herself to see what may have caused it to happen... only to see a large mass of Biological matter she assumed... heading straight for the cathedral.

Yamcha was still too busy to handle this threat with his eardrums and all... but seeing this as a possibly risk to the Pilot’s health... even if it was just some large mass of biomatter that wouldn’t get past her hull.... it was best that the Baron wouldn’t have to be angrily scrubbing away at the hull of the Titan in order to get it clean once again. So, using its superior height, it was the first target to be hit by this... mass of noddles, raising out her left arm in a sort of attempt to stop it... and whatever was happening, it didn’t seem to work, as it got closer and closer to hitting the cathedral. It then heard something near her, relating to that of a unconscious man within a ‘robot’... which may be related to her due to the Titan seemingly being the only one for many feet away, but it did not deter its concentration away from its action... as it still held its arm out towards the biomass. And before it could hit the cathedral completely... is when the Titian’s patience have finally paid off, as a blue vortex like shield as formed from its left hand, suspending the ‘Spaghetti’ in mid-air, all of its kinetic energy coming to a sudden halt... as it laid floating within the vortex in front of the mech. The Ion Titan then turned to face the individual that would later be known as ‘Caedmon’... and responded with “I am not classified as a ‘Robot’ that you refer to... instead, my name is IO-746, or known by my ‘Pilot’... “Lexis”. As for the evacuation order... highly unlikely, my combat and defense systems are one of the best for the Titan’s of my class, and I’m more than capable of handling my own when a combat situation arises.... but I will still think up on that offer...” the “Titan” continued speaking... the vortex shield turning from a dark bluish color slowly into a more lighter and eventually... redder color, as Lexis remembered what she was accomplishing here.

“Sorry for my lack of concentration... this conversation has distracted me about the current Vortex shield I have deployed in order to stop this biological based ball of ‘noodles’ from hitting this building... now to safely dispose of the attack.” as it then aimed its left arm towards the robotic creature within the sky... now analyzing the trajectory it needs to take in order to hit it as well as the kinetic energy it had before using the Vortex Shield, which would be multiplied to go much faster thanks to the upgraded systems of the energy Shield. Now, it finally let ‘go’, as it launched the mass back towards its supposed ‘sender’, the ball soaring through the air with a even more kinetic energy backing up its ‘destructive power’. To the robot, it looked like a large mass heading at even higher speeds than the original speed of the attack heading straight for the robot.... probably wouldn’t be good if it didn’t react in time to stop the ball before it landed. Back on the ground however, Lexis then turned to face Caedmon once more... all four of its camera like eyes looking upon the individual and scanning his physical features and unique outside attributes.... which wasn’t much other than style of clothing.

“I have officially dealt with the current situation.. but I advise evacuation if the counter-attack gets deflected or stopped, best to get a move on now in order to maximize the amount of time we were given and move now...” Lexis said to the Psychic, as well as the many others nearby within the cathedral.... it was cautious about another attempt and doesn’t want to be caught up in another situation where they are stuck completely on the defensive. Meanwhile Yamcha finally recovered, and now looked confused around at his environment... saying out loud “Huh...? What happened here?” he said to no one in particular.

Kaihaku StaidFoal @ To whomst it may concern within the cathedral​

 

[Kaihaku]

Caedmon
Location: Castellan, Nortestra. Above Cathedral Neighborhood. Theme: Astral Plane (Combat Mode)
Interactions: Lazaro1505 (Professor Membrane, Red Baron) Juju (Gloop, Kotori, Wakinyan) Snackofthefuture (Ivan) Judge_Vulxray (Midyiel)
Mention: Solirus (Dirk) Pseudo-nim (Spaghetti)
​

Caedmon hesitated as the powerful blast of energy was transformed into a gigantic wad of some kind of carbohydrate. What a dastardly attack! Gloop... Please. This is something only you can do... You can absorb this attack. He sighs. I believe in you, even if you don't believe in yourself. His new sibling was the only one powerful enough to take this attack head on and turn it to their advantage, but Gloop was still stuck in its goth phase and was refusing to help.

Seconds before the powerful burst of sound hit, Caedmon sensed that his eardrums were in danger and shoved his fingers into them. He also raised a short lived telekinetic barrier around himself to further shield against the blast. The expended concentration would mean that his psibeam would be a bit weaker but it was better than a ruptured eardrum.

Caedmon turned his attention to the bird woman who had flown up to him and nodded in affirmation at her words. So she was an Archangel class. She didn't look like the battleship carrier hybrids that he'd fought alongside in the past but he could sense that she held great power. It reminded him of the rhinoceros though she wasn't quite as powerful. He had heard the regulars talk about God but most of the time that was only part of an appeal or some profanity. He had assumed that God was some kind of moral abstract but if Midyiel was his subordinate... Then there was the Divine Cleric? Was that God's second-in-command?

"Yes, I am Caedmon. It is good to meet you Midyiel." Caedmon answers with the same scowl as usual, his emerald eyes shining as he looks at the winged woman. The ESPer has a powerful spiritual presence that is unmarred by sin, though his aura is unusual. Not that of a mortal, fiend, or angel. "We are attempting to protect the civilians taking shelter behind that wall from the invading army there. I suspect that if we destroy the siege machine the invading army will withdraw." He sighs as he shares a bit of troubling information, "The mission briefing was very vague but I've been informed that...not all units at the insertion point are allies." This CO was not only the worst that Caedmon had ever had, it was the worst CO that Caedmon had ever heard of.

"If you are willing to accept this defense mission, please take this psicrystal so that you can join our astral netwo..." Caedmon begins as he pulls a small emerald stone from a pouch and sends it levitating over to Midyiel. If she takes the psicrystal, she finds that offers a similar effect to a holy communion - permitting individuals to pool their spiritual and mental defenses, share mental skills, communicate over great distances, share senses, switch locations using teleportation, and manifest their supernatural powers from other participants' location. However, unlike a holy communion, there is no infusion of divine power and most of the participants are certainly mortal. There is, however, an echo of a holy divine presence coming from one of the mortal participants.

Caedmon's words are interrupted as the 'robot' begins to speak. He seems caught off guard by this and turns his attention to the mechanical entity with a flicker of surprise. "Oh, so you are IO-746... I didn't realize you were intelligent." It was a strange thing to talk to an intelligent entity that had no psyche. He could sense nothing from it but it not unlike the assault class battle suits that the regulars used. Those autopilots were much less talkative but still quite capable.

Caedmon's eyes widen slightly as IO-746 channels kinetic force and sends the carbohydrate back at the siege machine. He takes a moment to warn Ivan, who is near the siege machine, that carbohydrates are inbound. "Ivan... Be careful, a large amount of carbohydrates are coming your way."

 

[Lazaro1505]

Professor Membrane

Location: On top of a random building’s rooftop

“Oh... so it appears to be one of those dreams again... you know, I was kinda expecting this ever since the beginning of this dream considering how ludicrous it would seem, but it seems my expectations have come true. Ah Membrane, you have done it once again...” Membrane said to himself... as he was sitting down upon a... comfortable looking Wing Chair, drinking from a cup of tea, what the? Where did he even get the tea or chair from:


Never mind that... it was the fact that he had enough time to recharge his arms fully for the next and more powerful volley, but had been too busy reading the local news and drinking some tea, as well as watching the nearby battle going on the ground floor was, in his eyes, a bit ludicrous and scientifically impossible. And to think that all it took for the his dream to begin going downhill into insane levels of dreams was seeing that.... ahem.... ‘Rhino’ close up and personal now with his two eyes. Well, his dream eyes, but he doesn’t mind which context he uses for this dream... cause there clearly isn’t much explaining a few things he had seen here.

First was this... ‘Rhino’ thing... which he was sure looked more like a Pony that someone tapped a white horn onto the front of of its head and called it a ‘Rhino’ from there, then, there was that loudening boom he heard a couple of minutes ago, and to be honest, he was too busy reading the newspaper and drinking his tea to take his full attention towards. And finally... was not only the large ball of carbohydrates known as ‘spaghetti’ flying down towards a specific building, but something else also launching it back towards into the air and the large robotic creature hovering mid-air. Pretty weird if he said so himself, even for being a dream... considering his dreams never seem to take a path towards this amount of chaos unlike that one time with that copy of his.

It was then the Professor remembered something over the psychic link that he had almost forgotten about... the combination beam attack they were about to use... as he said out loud to himself “Oh right... mustn't forget to do that now...” as Membrane gotten off from his chair, setting the tea cup down gently onto the seat, before turning to face the robotic creature in the sky, talking over to the comms “Beginning the countdown for the combination attack... prepare your attacks wisely fellas, and make sure to also drink some tea later today to refresh your minds....” he said, as he then outstretched his arms once more, but instead of being the casual normal beam he uses, he is gonna go higher.. he is increasing the intensity of the beam attack... to be significantly more devastating than the last one he attempted and have a higher chance of taking this thing out with the rest.

“Countdown starting now... 30, 29, 28, 27, 26....” Membrane started, counting down from 30, a good enough number, as the light emanating from his arms began to glow with intensity, as multiple other, albeit smaller cannons harboring the same light popped out from within his arm and now ready to aid in his final beam attack. Perhaps something special would happen if he destroyed that robot... like waking up and having a new plan in store, or attending some sort do award ceremony before waking up from his dream... well, whatever lies ahead of him, he is sure ready for it, well... ready for the ones he believes are true.

Kaihaku Snackofthefuture @ Beam Team​

 

[Snackofthefuture]

IVAN FEDERICO​

Ivan watched as Zasha leaped into the fray, watching her summon a strange three barreled autocannon and begin blasting into the enemy lines. Ivan had to admit he did admire her method, she was definitely his type of fighter. Ivan continued to fire round after round into the enemy advance, blue explosions of fire and heat carving through the Mollug soldiers with the precision of a laser pointer. Whatever Ivan’s shots touched on the battlefield, it melted. Enemy combatants died in droves, falling over with limbs and body parts missing, torsos and arms severed and carved apart. Ivan grimaced and continued to launch shots at enemy combatants. Enemy mage fire did the same as Ivan, lancing into Nortestran infantry with gusto. The Nortestrans returned fire with vigor, their melee troops engaging in vicious close quarters combat with spells and blades and rudimentary guns. Eventually Ivan had to move from the wall, running back and forth and popping from cover point to cover point.

The gunslinger fired shot after shot in rapid fire staccato, only pausing occasionally to transform the weapon into a rocket launcher for the larger and more well defended targets. Enemies within the Mollug advance were at times shielded and covered in rudimentary magic wards. The magic shields of the wards combined with ancient tech and other such items, produced energy shields that could withstand mage fire. Ivan’s gun usually killed the moment it swiveled to face an enemy, but sometimes the infantry magi-shields would hold out and the soldier would have time to dodge out of the path of the laser. The return fire on Ivan intensified as he lanced shot after shot into advancing ranks of the Mollug army. Ivan mostly singled out larger targets and those with more advanced shield tech, hoping through that their unique equipment or attributes would make them more important targets.

Eventually Zasha and Ivan returned to the same roof and looked at each other for moments before Zasha spoke. Both were doing fairly well as opposed to the Mollugs they had encountered.

"You try being calm after being summoned into some god's little chuckle fest about world domination then having some chick with a unicorn blast you to kingdom come less than an hour arriving here." Another two missiles flew past the both of them. "But seeing as you haven't decided to shoot me with that fancy looking gun of yours, I won't do the same. After all, we've got a plenty of targets." The heiress had a much more carefree grin in her face as she swung her legs back and forth, watching the Soldier-class mech alternating between its gun and flamethrower. "Pleasure to meet you, Zasha's the name. Hope we don't end up trying to kill each other once this is over."

Ivan looked at her with a tired face and responded with a tone that matched his face. It was also possible Ivan was high. “I got summoned into a battlefield too, and with the armaments you have, you must know friendly fire can happen at times. Maybe Wakinyan, that unicorn, mistook you for an enemy, I mean he definitely could have hit you more than once.” Ivan dodged a crackle of electricity, a lightning bolt flashing past his face. The gunslinger swiveled around away from the shot into a relaxed pose and then pulled out a THC pen and smiled knowingly at Zasha. She had her cigarette, he had his weed, there were explosions going off in the background, this wasn't so bad. Ivan took a hit off his pen before firing off several fist sized bolts from the gun.

“Plenty of targets indeeeeed. Alright I'm glad we’re on not shooting each other terms. Nice to meet you too Zasha, that would be quite nice wouldn't it?” Ivan said before firing again, killing several larger armored figures charging towards retreating Nortestrans. Ivan noticed that the Nortestran 1st line was beginning to crumble and retreat towards the 2nd. He saw the figure Professor Membrane and Ivan’s new pal Caedmon further back away from the front line. It seemed they wanted Ivan for a sort of combination attack on the Colecanth. This information was relayed to Ivan rather quickly through Caedmon’s psicrystal and Ivan turned fully around to join the two other summoned. Before Ivan left however, he said to Zasha, “Might wanna get out of our firing line Zasha, we're about to light this motherfucker up!”

Ivan then dropped from the house to the street, before speeding off at inhuman speeds towards Caedmon and Professor Membrane. He reached them in several minutes, dodging through explosions and projectiles and fleeing Nortestran soldiers. There seemed to be these sort of masks floating about molesting people’s faces. They were turning Nortestrans against Nortestrans and Mollugs into junkies. It was crazy what their governments allowed in the armed forces. Ivan wished this universe had a geneva convention. Things would be so much easier if that were the case, hell, if he was gonna wish for the geneva convention he might as well wish for drone strikes back as well. Then he noticed something was falling from the sky. Pasta? Meat sauce? Something was terribly terribly wrong with today. Ivan could tell this was not a good sign. He made it back to the pair of summoned preparing for the linked energy blast. Professor Membrane weas already preparing for the blast, so Ivan simply got within his vicinity and joined him. They began to charge the energy mass they were forming with in between them. Ivan couldnt speak for what Membrane was doing, but the gunslinger willed it to contain the energy within the plane it was on. To put it bluntly, Ivan’s gun with Professor Membrane held the energy shot in place using the powers of science or something.


Pseudo-nim StaidFoal Kaihaku Lazaro1505

 

[Kaihaku]

Caedmon
Location: Castellan, Nortestra. Above Cathedral Neighborhood. Theme: Astral Plane (Combat Mode)
Interactions: Lazaro1505 (Professor Membrane, Red Baron) Juju (Gloop, Kotori, Wakinyan) Snackofthefuture (Ivan) Judge_Vulxray (Midyiel)
​

"I'm going to join the combination beam attack on the siege machine. Midyiel, if you wish to assist us in defending this city, destroying that machine will be the fastest tactic to ending this conflict." Caedmon says as he gestures towards the colossal mechanical monster floating over the battlefield. Through his empathy he could sense the arcangel's sorrow and confusion, but at the same time the ESPer wasn't one to dwell on such things. What was important now was accomplishing the mission objective. As he flew through the air towards the Professor, Caedmon thought back to the last war and wondered about the nature of this battle. It was strange to be fighting regulars. It wasn't his first time, of course, but those he had fought in the last war had been traitors or corrupted. He could sense that some of the regulars here had been corrupted but most of them seemed like regular regulars... Were they traitors and he just couldn't sense it? Caedmon thought back to the daemon known as the Deceiver of Fools and the sinister ability it had to turn regulars into traitors. Then any surviving traitors would, inevitably, gain daemonic powers themselves becoming the corrupted. There was another class of traitors of course, siblings of his who willingly turned traitors. The most bitter battles had been with them, not the daemon or the turned regulars.

"I am ready to fire on your mark." Caedmon says as he joins the others. He holds a finger to his forehead and a glowing mote of green light begins to pulsate from it. It grows in intensity until it's a tiny star of swirling green psionic power. His concentration was sapped by maintaining the astral network, diminishing his power output, but it was still within acceptable perimeters.

When the Professor gave the command to fire, Caedmon unleashes his beam in perfect synchronicity with the others in the network. Psychic power cascades out from the combination beam, striking not only the siege machine but also surging over the hostile regular soldiers below it. The weak willed of them flee in terror as their morale is crushed or collapse unconscious as their minds are overwhelmed. The stronger willed resist but find their resolve and willpower sapped from the attack. Caedmon had carefully adjusted the power and angle of his attack to avoid unnecessary brain death. He didn't want to kill regulars unnecessarily until it was confirmed that they were traitors or corrupted. Incapacitating them or forcing a withdrawal was sufficient use of force for the current mission perimeters. Still, he wouldn't hesitate to kill an enemy regular if there were no other viable options.

 

[Judge_Vulxray]

Midyiel; The Divine Cleric
Castellan Cathedral
Interactions: Kaihaku (Caedmon) @ the others unifying to create a beam

​

Midyiel accepted the strange crystal with gratitude, hearing the explanation she makes a mental note that it's similar to how she and her Sisters communicated when they were still... No. She couldn't think about them right now, she had to focus on the manner at hand, and according to Caedmon, it appeared as though the... Machine? Was the biggest threat to the city. Upon hearing the word Beam a soft glow of light appeared and she clutched at her spear with both hands, ready to provide any assistance that she may be able to. She flew over the city, feeling the pain and struggles of the war below her, remembering how she had felt only moments before... But she was following the emotions that Caedmon was giving off to follow him to the location that he seemed to be heading in. She tried to close out how loud it was crying inside her mind, trying not to feel anything that may be sensitive information to him or anyone else. Until other feelings filled her mind and she realised that she was coming up to her destination.

Upon her arrival just after Caedmon, her wings folded up behind her as she offered a slight Bow;

"Greetings, My name is Archangel Midyiel, The Divine Cleric and devotee of God. I have heard that you seem to require some assistance in removing this... Machine... Fortunately, I was bestowed upon this Beam enchantment so that I may help you"

She noted how people were already in position to fire, and took up stance, aiming at the Monster, the tip of her spear angled directly where its heart should be, if It indeed had one. she closed her eyes and focused. Soft bright light emanated around her and flowed down her arms and into the spear, the tip glowing with a bright yellow/white light. Upon hearing the command, she opened her eyes and released her power. A powerful beam entangled itself with the others fired, offering a golden glow that lightly hung around the beam. If there were any Demons that perchance happened to be in its path, not that she could sense as of yet, would feel even more pain and a searing burn wash over them. She pushed any thoughts of demons to the back of her mind and concentrated on the beam, her spear glowing brighter as her grip tightened. She only had one mission as of this moment, Protect those who couldn't protect themselves, even at the cost of her life.

 

[StaidFoal]

=THE COELACANTH=
6 MILES FROM THE SECOND WALL
GrieveWriter Solirus @Beam_Team @AnyoneElse
​

Without batting an eye, the Coelacanth whipped its serrated tentacle at the Aegis Tower... only to have the tentacle torn apart by the high-velocity building, and having it smack the bottom of the massive construct. The force of the tower jolted the entire serpent up and disoriented its systems for a few seconds. Rama was sent into the air once more, helplessly flailing as he and his clones landed back on the mech. "Blasted idiots!" he spouted, clenching his bruised hip. "If only these summoned knew of the plan, they wouldn't be fighting so ferociously..."

For Rook, he would find a nearby tentacle with ease; flying rapidly at his face to pierce through the metal head. Alongside the colossal tendrils, the arc cannons underneath the Coelacanth revved up and took aim and fired constricting bolts of electricity.

Rama glanced around at the Mollug army; there was new disorder among the ranks, no doubt planted by the unexpected summoned and their abnormal bombardments. Where was this uncertainty when I almost overthrew your damned empire? He clicked his tongue. "If the lot of you withstood the vehemence of Desh Daalwijk's great revolt, you can push through the chaotic mess of the summoned! If anything, the current Nortestran army poses no threat to you!"

When Rama looked back to the frontlines, the blue hue from the sky was gone. The Coelacanth's arc bomb was now... noodles?

Before he could comprehend any more, something smacked into the Coelacanth's head, jolting it to the side and shutting up its bellow. Rama looked towards the direction of the bullet to see nothing but waves of dust carried by the impending shock wave. Then blurriness, followed by dizziness, and impact.

The Coelacanth itself let loose a crackling hiss, dissipating in volume. The immense wave had ruptured the inner circuitry and flickered the inner blue lights from within the machinery. Starting from its head, it fell and crashed into the ground; the rest of its serpentine body slowly followed suit. Unfortunate Mollug and Nortestran soldiers underneath were crushed, while others suffered fire from the now unrestrained arc cannons unleashing their charged shots. "Interior damage detected. Initiating self-repair mechanism. Stand by," echoed the recorded voice of a loudspeaker, sourced from the Coelacanth.

If that wasn't enough, after orienting themselves from the shock wave, the Mollugs witnessed a convergence of beams sourced from the cathedral. Its target: the Coelacanth. It being stunned, there was little anyone could do as a flash of sparks and heat erupted high into the sky. The Coelacanth twitched as the attacked surged through it for a second. After the flash cleared up, there was a noticeable gash in the mech's side, revealing the inner wiring and blue gas-like energy that filled the construct. It leaked out into the atmosphere like a fog, and everyone could see the occasional sparks from inside the Coelacanth.

The dense mass of noodles was also deflected back at the construct, though falling short of blanketing the monstrosity and squirming right in front of the large gash. The thickness of the ball of dough managed to seal off the energy and other innards from exposure. If any further damage had to be done, it had to be up close.

=GENERAL RAMA=
THROWN OFF THE COELACANTH; PAST NORTESTRAN RANKS
​

God, my head... Rama swept off the rubble over him, crawling out of his daze and back on his two feet. He was far from the rest of the Mollug forces and further in Castellan territory than any of them. If help had to arrive, it would be late. Every part of his body stung as he moved, but there was a job to do. After this battle, his spiteful nation would be eradicated once and for all. The Coelacanth just had to breach Castellan... Rama clenched his fist and bow, spewing out 12 other clones beside him.

"I can see it all from here, Rama," his earpiece rung. "Just give the word and I'll make it go berserk."

"Nice of you to take note, Mikhail," he huffed. "The hell's with these new summoned? Meira said nothing about this in her reports."

"It appears she's been sidetracked. As usual, she is neglecting to use the earpieces and not even I know where she is."

Of course. Just what you'd expect of a typical beastwoman. Rama sighed, leaning on his knees. "About the Overclock; hold off, for now. If my connection cuts off, then do it."

With a "Roger that," silence quickly took over. Rama turned to a small group of Nortestran soldiers dispatched to investigate the disruption, who immediately drew their weapons. They were promptly met with a barrage of golden arrows between the slits of their helms. "Come and get me you oblivious dogs!"

 

[StaidFoal]

=TOBIAS AND MII=
400 METERS ADJACENT FROM THE SUMMONED ON THE WALL
Nearby: Pseudo-nim (Ashe, Auron) nighttimecatplayer (Carmen) Snackofthefuture (Bastion) YsFanatic (Yunica) @AnyoneElseMissed
​

"Goodness gravy, what was that?" Tobias checked on Mii—who simply wobbled from the shock wave—before observing his own suit for potential damages. The blast sent him barreling into the wall, only spared by his slime companion cushioning the impact. Systems are green; suit is operational. Note to self: shock waves while in zero gravity can be deadly. Finally, he looked to the source of the wave, his mouth forced agape. Mii dropped off of Tobias, bouncing along the ground to feast.

Miles away, Mollug's gigantic contraption fell stunned. Tobias scowled at the sight, disheartened at the Coelacanth hitting the ground and the barrage of attacks that followed. "Why are these new summoned so foolish?" he asked to Mii. "They are actively impeding on justice and retribution!" He shook his head, irritated at the decreasing chance of vengeance and righteousness. Brainwashed, he figured. They're brainwashed into thinking they're fighting a good cause, much like we once were.

"PUUuuukh?" it squelched back. Mii was now as big as a one-story house, thanks to Tobias hording civilian cadavers over to his pet to grow it. Its voice was no longer clear and high-pitch, but a contorted growl clogged with slime.

"You're right, Mii. Perhaps it is time." Tobias descended a few feet, nearing the base of the wall segment. Mii squirmed around the block restlessly. "It is truly a shame for there to be an opposition against virtuousness. So they could have avoided much of this." Tobias took a breath, holding his arms out diagonally from himself. He clenched his fists, and all background noise fell to silence as he focused. The base of the wall cracked slightly, knocking off a few pebbles here and there. It was a slight tremor at first; nothing for any Nortestran to be concerned about.

Tobias twisted his hands, releasing his fists and pointing his fingers upward. It was then that something in the structure crumbled and broke. Large cracks grew along the segment and throughout the base. Behind it, Nortestran soldiers yelled orders and panicked. Noisy snakes. The entire segment let loose a fracture heard throughout all of Castellan. It split from the segments beside it, and tore itself from the ground. The wall drifted up above, and guards trapped inside could only watch in horror as they too lost gravity.

It wouldn't be long before the entire segment was above the wall, visible to all in the city. Soldiers began to flood towards the scene, stopping within the safety of the city, afraid to head out to Tobias and the enormous slime engulfing the land beneath him. A colossal architectural achievement... made weightless. The traitorous dogs are afraid. Perhaps they're not used to the people they betray suddenly turning against them. "For your crimes.." Tobias muttered.

"Here's your RETRIBUTION!"

Tobias clenched his fists again, applying tenfold the normal force of gravity to the floating wall. The soldiers gathered around barely had time to scream. Mass clouds of dust flew into the air, high above the wall and throughout several blocks in the ward. The segment was nothing but brick and pebbles.

One knight coughed as he crawled out from the rubble, bloodied from head to toe. He squinted through the dust, then feeling his ankle encroached with a cold liquid. He tried turning his head, but it hurt too much to move. The liquid spread from his ankle to his legs. Then to his waist, up to his torso. He felt the skin and tissue of his lower body be ripped apart as he steadily lost sensation. His last act was to shed tears as Mii devoured him whole.

Tobias floated through the new entrance, intruding into Castellan's untouched 2nd ward with Mii following below. The slime grew with every corpse it ate, now two-thirds the size it was in the first siege. Mii flooded around the buildings, encroaching the grounds for people and food. "PUUuuukh!" it bellowed in joy. A curious pair of teenagers turned the corner of the street, realizing far too late what they had stumbled upon. As they ran back, Mii shot out two tendrils for each of them, pulling the pair back to its body for consumption.

Tobias floated above the monstrous slime, glaring over the city. "You snakes will all regret betraying my friends."

 

[Kaihaku]

Merchants of Castellan's Second Ward
Location: Castellan, Nortestra. Second Ward. Theme: Crisis, Xenoblade

​

The alarm bells had warned most civilians to evacuate the immediate area near the walls yet some had lingered, either completing tasks related to the war effort or confident in the wall's defenses.

Three merchants were delivering supplies to the soldiers stationed at the wall when it the impossible happened.... The entire section of the wall was lifted into the air and then came crashing down. The immense force hit like an earthquake. The crates of foodstuffs and provisions were scattered as the streets shock with unnatural fury. There was no chance to recover from the shock before a colossal figure surged through the space where the wall had stood sturdy a moment before. Through the air thick with dust and debris shot oozy tendrils - pulling the living and the dead towards its bulk.

Pirika was a baker of mixed ancestry. She was a veteran who left the army after a crippling injury, yet her heart was still as devoted to Nortestra as ever. Nils was a local folk figure, an eccentric construct who had 'inherited' a dry goods stand from it's owners. They had 'adopted' the construct as their son after their two children were killed in the war. Markus was a leatherworker known for his gruff demeanor and generous spirit. He had volunteered to come along to deliver supplies after Ichabod, another merchant, had backed out complaining about his bad back. His sick wife and clumsy apprentice were waiting for him back home, while his adult children were busy with their own livelihoods.

"Would you put me dooowwnnnn...." Nils cried in indignation as the colossal slime latched onto it with a tendril and pulled it towards its ever growing bulk. His fingers dug into the cobblestones of the street with inhuman strength and for a moment held his own. Then another tendril latched onto him and began to drag him back towards the ooze. "This is...not proper behavior! Please! You are embarrassing yourself and me!"

Thrown to the ground by the eruption, Pirika is stunned for a moment - her eyes ringing as her mind is overwhelmed with intense memories of battle. Spells crashing down on troops ill equipped to weather them. The almost forgotten mental daze overwhelmed her. Then she fought her way out of it and stumbled back to her feet. She wouldn't be caught laying on the ground by the Mollug. She'd take a few to Marde with her. If only she'd brought her sword. But there were no Mollug? What the devil was that? It had Nils!

"Hold up, Nils!" Pirika shouted as she limped after the construct - damn this old injury - and clasped onto the construct. She didn't know that thing was but she'd be dead before she let it take the construct.

A third tendril latched onto to Nils, ripping him free and sending Pirika tumbling. She never recovers as a tendril catches her and pulls herself into the core mass of the slime. It is intensely painful at first before she mercifully blacks out from the pain and is spared the experience of being digested alive.

"Come noooooowwwww....." Nils continues to protest as, despite it's great strength, it is pulled into the core of the slime. It struggles against the slime, still animate, but it's wood components begin to slowly break down.

Move. Act. Do something. Markus stares in horror from where he had been thrown to the ground as the colossal form surged through the thick air and takes his two friends. He was just a craftsman, he had never gone to war. His breaths were coming in short bursts. His vision blurred. Head still ringing. Run. Run! Finally he stirs to action, scrambling back and to his feet. He needed to escape that thing. It all was basic instinct. He couldn't even think of what came after that. He almost made it to an alleyway when a tendril latched onto his feet, throwing him to the street, and began to drag him back to the core of the slime. His fingers clawed piteously at the cobblestones as he gasps and screams in pain as the acidic ooze began to eat into his legs.

 

[Kaihaku]

Frostf̷̥̥̖̤̮̝̯̥͉̼́͊̃͌̒͆͗͘͠ḯ̷̧͂̐̔͌̈́͠ŗ̴̰̬̟̬̯̰͚͉͗̊͝é̵̙̖̾̊̊
(Mother Voorjaar)
Location: Castellan, Nortestra. Second Wall
Interactions: StaidFoal (Meira) Mentions: StaidFoal (Mii, Tobias)​

Frostf̶͍̋ĩ̶̻r̸͇̈ĕ̵̺ blinks as a large section of the wall unexpectedly lifts into the air and then comes crashing down with immense force. Her good eye narrowed as she stared pass the young beastwoman into the distance where a colossal blue form surged through the collapsed wall. Was this part of the plan? Or just more of the all consuming chaos?

Frostf̶͍̋ĩ̶̻r̸͇̈ĕ̵̺ recalled Virtue's words about a 'man with gravity-bending powers' and his tamed creature of 'blue and shifting shape'. It made sense that the SIN summoned were responsible for this but... She wished that the deity had used precise rather than flowery language. Call a slime a slime. She was familiar with slimes, though not this one specifically, and unleashing one on a city could be catastrophic. If this slime was a variant that would divide and spread virulently then... Did they mean to render the city uninhabitable? Well, if that was the plan, she would be better served by deviating from it now.

Frostf̶͍̋ĩ̶̻r̸͇̈ĕ̵̺ stands to her feet and turns her good eye to Meira, arching her only eyebrow, "Sooooo... Was that part of the plan? I knew that they only told me what I needed to know but... That seems like a noteworthy exclusion."

 

[YsFanatic]

The sound shockwave had been bad enough, almost causing Yunica to lose her grip and plummet to the ground. But she held on, and for a moment she breathed easy, a mistake the clone soon paid for as she was completely caught off guard by the attack Tobias did against the wall. As the structure unexpectedly shook, the poor grip Yunica on the wall came loose and with a startled gasp of surprise she found herself falling. She realized that she was not wearing the advanced piloting gear most would wear when operating an Assault Armor, gear that would help protect the pilot in this situation. Thankfully her Armor's cockpit was built with her in mind and had the benefit of magitech.

First Yunica felt the interior of the cockpit suddenly become more padded as the cushions were inflated by shock absorbing gel before it pressed down upon her, holding her in place. Then she felt the peculiar sensations of gravity magic washing over her as the magitech systems added to the precautions for her safety. Finally a dose of medical nanobots was injected to help bolster her body's ability to deal with the impact and heal any damage. All of this happened in a matter of moments, so that when the AA slammed into the ground the clone was dazed and confused, but unharmed. As Yunica recovered her bearings and slowly got the Armor to extract itself from the crater it had made and stand up, its sensors noticed the presence of a giant slime pursuing and consuming the people of the city. Bile rose to her throat as she realized that many, many lives were now at risk. The issue of the necromancer needed to be dealt with, but this had to be taken care of now.

Racing through the streets and at times through abandoned buildings, it did not take long for her to catch up. Leaping up onto a building a short distance behind Mii, Yunica drew her sword with a fire cartridge loaded while extending her left hand towards the monster. For a moment she couldn't decide what to cast, her fire and ice abilities affected too small of an area for a target of this size and she didn't think that the wind based Hewn would be a great choice, which didn't leave her many options. Finally she chose the spell she would cast, one that would hopefully work at least to some degree. "Tandle!" A number of lightning bolts rained from the sky upon the slime before the spell was cast for a second time. "Tandle!!"

Spoiler: Interactions and Mentions

StaidFoal Juju

 

[Kaihaku]

Lukas Nephus
Location: Castellan, Nortestra. Demolished Shop in Third Ward Ruins -> Third Ward Ruins
Interaction(s): Juju (Goodest Boi) Mentions: Solirus (Jason, Dirk)
​

Lukas was stirring the leeks and onions when a blast of sound struck the half demolished shop that he was cooking in. It sent another round of dust and debris raining down from the ruined ceiling. There was also a loud crack from the pantry as a couple of frail glass bottles shattered. From this distance it was nowhere near as painful as when Lukas' eardrums had been ruptured earlier but the pain was still enough to make him wince. He managed to quickly cover the stewing vegetables but bits of wood and dirt now floated in the noodles.

"Guess I'll have to start a fresh pot." Lukas said to no one in particular. He tries hard to focus on the disappointment of losing a pot of fresh noodles rather than feelings of concern and impotency that came with wondering what that blast might have been...and who might have been hurt in it. He only knew a few people in this world. Of them, only two - and the dog - had been friendly to him. Meira and Jason. He found that his thoughts kept going to them. What was happening in this battle? Were they caught up in it? His chest was tightening with anxiety. They could be hurt. Eardrums ruptured and bleeding. They could dying. Lying in the mud hoping someone would help. They could be dead. Reanimated by cruel magic as undead. He didn't know where they were. He could help them if he knew, well he could heal them at least but what good would that do? He'd just be delaying the inevitable. Enabling more pain and abuse. Why was he so useless? No matter what he did he couldn't stop it. He couldn't stop the suffering. Not back home and not here.

Lukas gasped as he thrust his hand into the boiling water. The sharp physical pain was a balm for the emotional turmoil he couldn't control. As the pain cleared his head and his breathing calmed, he pulled his hand out of the scalding water and dried it on a towel. There was no sign of burns. Cooking. He needed to get a fresh pot going. There was still good dough for noodles. He could still make more than enough noodles out of it for him and Jason. If Jason even came back... Lukas quickly lifted the boiling pot and dumped it. The wasted noodles lay there limp and steaming.

Filling the pot with fresh water, Lukas sets it back on the stovetop and checks on the leeks. They were cooking down nicely. He added some more water and gave them a stir. Now it was time to make more noodles. Lukas enjoyed the immediacy of making noodles by hand. When yeast and an oven transformed dough into bread there was a mystery to it. It felt like it had gone through some kind of rite of passage. Ancient magic from the dawn of civilization. But noodles? The mysterious transformation was personal. It was his hands that could change a lump of dough into noodles just by folding and twirling it. That sense of agency was what he needed right now.

After cleaning the table yet again, Lukas repeats the same process as before - taking a third of the dough and rolling it out into a long round shape. Then he stretches it from both ends, bringing them together with a neat twirl. Then he takes the folded end and repeats. Clockwise once, counterclockwise the next, with the occasional cut. By the time the fresh water is boiling he had another set of noodles ready. He remembered to say a quick thank you in Ignan to the fire elemental.

"I forgot the salt and oil..." Lukas hesitates before dropping the noodles into the boiling water and almost visits the pantry. He decides against it and tosses the noodles in as is. The sight of the noodles dancing in the boiling water always made him feel good. They were undergoing a transformation in that dance. It was amazing what a little heat could do.

A moment later, an earthquake - or what feels like one - hits the half collapsed shop. The pot of boiling water and noodles goes flying as most of the ceiling caves in. The pantry, surprisingly, remains intact but the table and oven are completely crushed. Lukas drags himself out from the kitchen and pulls out a long jagged piece of wood that had impaled him in the side.

"Pathetic... I'm pathetic..." Lukas whispers to himself as he pulls a few pieces of glass from his hands and crawls out of the now mostly collapsed shop. This was a warzone. A battlefield. Of course he couldn't just pretend like nothing was happening and focus on cooking. What was wrong with him. He was so worthless. He didn't know what to do. He had tried to make things better before, back home, but... He couldn't. He failed. He could heal people with a touch and he still failed to change anything. What had the ones before him done differently? Why was he the only failure? The pathetic one who kept on running away. What had they known that he didn't. What had they done that he didn't try?

Reaching the outside, Lukas stands to his feet dully and dusts himself off. The tears wouldn't come this time. He just felt empty. Then, in the distance, he saw it. A massive breach in the city wall. His breath began to come in short gasps. This is what he had been most afraid of. Terrible things happened when an army sacked a city. It was happening again. It was happening here. It was happening now. And he was just a piece of shit...a divine shit that couldn't do a damn thing to stop it. Why had he been brought here? Why couldn't that deity have left him dead?

 

[YsFanatic]

While she didn't have a great view of what was going on, by the sounds alone Kana could tell things were getting worse. She had split up from the scouts a while ago, each of them going their own way, and while she hoped they stayed with their original mission, the goddess knew that with the way things were going that it may be better if she helped hold the line. She had to imagine that morale has to be low for the native troops, but perhaps she could help with that. First she needed to find an officer or someone else of importance that she could show up with, if she went there alone she knew that odds were that the troops would not pay her much mind. Especially when she couldn't hold her goddess form for long.

But there was a bit of good luck, Kana could see a woman in armor riding down the street on a horse made out of metal. Either this was someone of importance, or a Summoned she hadn't met. In either case, making their acquaintance would be good. Stepping fully out into the street she raised a hand in greeting before calling out to her. "Greetings! Are you perhaps a Nortestran officer?"

Juju

 

[Kaihaku]

​

Merchants of Castellan's Second Ward​

​

​

Location: Castellan, Nortestra. Second Ward. Theme: Crisis, Xenoblade
​

"Help! Someone.... Hel..." Markus gasps as the tendril drug him closer to the colossal slime. His piteous cries are cut short as lightning twice arcs down from the heavens and strikes the slime. The powerful electricity surges through the water slime, coursing into Markus who screams in agony and then goes silent. His corpse is soon absorbed into the core bulk of the slime.

Nils continues to struggle within the slime but his efforts are beginning to grow clumsy and slow as his wooden components dissolve.

 

[Juju]

Captain GreymourneInteraction: Snackofthefuture YsFanatic
​

"Alright, 'King Among Generals' you live up to that title and maybe a knight or two will decide to listen." Greymourne said gruffly, her eyes narrowed and seemingly unimpressed. He claimed to be eager to help, but summoned were all cut from the same cloth. They didn't give a single afterthought about the lasting damage they would cause this world, only the mark they would leave. In a way, she wondered if it was some sick competition as to who could cause the most damage. Glory seekers and destroyers, all of them.

She gave Sakujo a strange glance as he ran up beside her metallic construct, following her. Rain slid off of the broken metal plates and bent swords, catching the dull bronze glow inside the horse-like construct. "You had best keep up. I don't want to be slowed down by another knight dressed in an armor of titles."

The two of them almost caught up to Enzio and the rest of the troops whenever a woman stepped out into the streets. Greymourne had half the mind to charge right past her, but her words were too suspicious. New summoned? Mollug soldier? Greymourne's construct skidded to a halt, scraping the cobbled street in a thin shriek. Her gauntlets unfolded from her shoulders and opened loosely, claws bared and ready to tear apart this woman should she need to.

"You speak to Knight Captain Greymourne, who are you soldier?" she said sharply, "Make it quick, I need to return to the front."

 

[YsFanatic]

Kana gives the knight a nod and opens her mouth to speak, only to freeze as she looked past Greymourne at where a piece of the wall was being lifted into the air and then promptly dropped. The impact caused the ground to shake, even with the distance they had from it, and the cloud of dust that was kicked up almost hid the sight of something large and blue making its way through the gap. It was not a good change of events by any means, but the barrage of lightning bolts striking the creature moments later told the goddess that at least one of the Summoned, or perhaps some native mages, were already working on the problem.

"Captain! Don't be distracted!" Kana's voice was full of authority, the kind of authority normally found in ruling nobility... or divinity. "At least one person is already addressing the monster that is near the breach and I have no doubt that other Summoned won't pass up a chance to fight a creature of that size!" That last bit was speculation based on what little she had heard about some of the others as well as many thousands of years of watching mortals, but it was speculation that she was confidant that would be true. "The line needs to be held if the monster's destruction is to mean anything. My name is Kana and I will aid with what power is left to me after being brought to this world."

As she spoke her guardian came into the street by her, its cloak long gone and thus allowing the jumbled mass of blades that made up its body to be easily seen. Reaching up, the goddess easily climbed up onto its back and grabbed some of the blades on its shoulders to hold herself in place, the blades doing nothing to her clothes or flesh. One might thing that they were dull, until the looked down and saw the grooves being left in the ground by its feet.

Juju Snackofthefuture

 

[YsFanatic]

Other than having to dodge a trio of tentacle strikes shortly after landing, well more like dodging two and getting smashed into the ground by the third, Charon had managed to carve quite a bloody path through the Mollug forces, devouring an incredible number of souls. The android would have been content on staying on this course of action to build up an even larger stockpile of eaten souls, except for one little thing. When the giant, flying warmachine had been knocked from the sky he had spotted a humanoid figure being tossed away from it, back towards Castellan. Naturally he assumed it was either a pilot, a commander, or someone else that was linked to the thing.

Regardless of what the person was, the soul eater figured that it was a high priority target and its death needed to be confirmed ASAP even if it meant reversing course and leaving easy-to-kill fleshies behind. With having plenty of soul energy to use for enhancing his speed, Charon was able to make good time back towards the city, often making slight detours so he could swipe at more Mollugs with his Partisan, adding their souls to his collection. When he reached the front line it was a simple matter to just leap over the mess of Mollug and Nortestran troops and keep going towards the estimated landing zone. As it turns out however he was slightly off course, something he only figured out when he caught a glimpse of a Castellan defender falling over with a golden arrow through his head amidst a sizable number of other corpses through an alleyway.

Ceasing the use of soul energy and slowing down, the android carefully adjusted his course and moved closer until his sensors picked up the reading of a single soul. With his target located, Charon moved over to a store building and took advantage of his height to climb it, letting the Partisan vanish in the process. Once on the roof Red Energy covered his limbs as he used a small burst of soul energy for a speed burst in conjunction with the thrusters on his back as he did a running leap off the building towards Rama, one of his fists poised to deliver a devastating blow as soon as he got in range. In addition, as he expected the enemy to try to shoot him out of the air, especially once Charon became aware of supernatural clones also all armed with bows, he directed soul power to reinforce his defenses. Perhaps they would knock him down, but he would keep going. He had been denied Synthia's soul last time, but this one wouldn't get away.

StaidFoal

 

[Kaihaku]

Mollug Masks
Location: Castellan, Nortestra. Behind the Nortestra Lines, Third Ward Ruins. Theme: Lord of a Dead Empire
​

As columns of soldiers fell to devastating attacks behind them, the masked soldiers continued to press forward deeper and deeper into the Nortestra lines. Their inhuman strength and durability, supported by the Mask Maker's twisted magic and the masks turning loyal comrades into enemies, crushed any opposition they faced until they suddenly found none of note. The fearsome summoned, focused on easier or grander prey, had let this shadowy troop break through the Nortestra line.

On the other side of the line they hesitated for a few seconds, waiting for orders while a few chopped down the few surviving Nortestra soldiers in the immediate area.

Far away, a woman chained to a wall bit her lip as she considered what to do. The 'right' tactic was to flank the enemy line and attempt to cause a wider collapse. It might even turn into a rout if one or two summoned were to fall. The Nortestra troops were in bad shape and their morale was even worse. It wouldn't take more than a surprise flank attack and death of a champion to send them into chaos. Especially with their Generals far from the front lines. Yes. That was the 'right' tactic to serve Mollug. But the woman was more interested in serving her own aims. This would all be worth it if she could capture a summoned or two.

The Mask Maker waited only a few seconds before it received orders. Advance to the cathedral ruins. Kill any Nortestra soldiers en route. Specifically target Commanders and Summoned.

The masked soldiers immediately broke into a charge as they received the orders. The Nortestra soldiers who had been captured by the lesser masks were still only mortal. They were quickly left behind by the Mollug soldiers who ran at ten times mortal speed. The Mask Maker floated along with them just as rapidly, keeping the shadow clinging over the soldiers to keep their advance hidden from distant eyes.

Mask Squad VI
Location: Castellan, Nortestra. Far behind the Nortestra Lines, Third Ward Ruins.
​

All of the Nortestra soldiers in the area had been slaughtered. Now the three masked soldiers made their way deeper into enemy territory, moving quickly and carefully through the ruins.

Then, an unexpected boon, the wall fell. A few seconds later new orders came. Abandoning stealth, the three begin to sprint at speeds far exceeding what was humanly possible. Their destination the gapping hole in the Nortestra city wall.

 

[Kaihaku]

Caedmon
Location: Castellan, Nortestra. Skies over the front line. Theme: Astral Plane (Combat Mode)
Interactions: Lazaro1505 (Professor Membrane) Juju (Gloop, Kotori, Wakinyan) Snackofthefuture (Ivan) Judge_Vulxray (Midyiel)
​

​

Caedmon quickly reevaluated the battlefield. In a surprise attack, the enemy had breached the defensive perimeter and were now launching an attack on the civilians with some kind of biological weapon. The enemy would no longer withdraw if the siege machine was destroyed.

"The siege machine is no longer the highest priority target." Caedmon processes over the astral network, turning his attention to the shifting battle lines below. One unit of Mollug troops had broken through the line and was moving towards the cathedral. He expected them to flank the line or head for the breach in the wall. Their tactical mistake was a turn of good fortune. In general, the enemy forces seemed to be pushing back the defenders except for where one of the summoned were on the field. The Professor, new Ivan, the Bunny, and Hug Lord of Doom 3000 had wiped out large sways of the enemy forces. However...they had focused their attacks on regulars and he could sense corrupted among the enemy. They could not leave the battle line unsupported. "We need to stop the enemy line here so that they cannot advance to the breach in the civilian defenses." His ever present scowl deepened. The strategy of obstructing the terrain would no longer work due to the intermingling of allied and enemy troops. They had the advantage in firepower so flanking the enemy would actually limit them, once again, due to the presence of allied troops. "Let's proceed with direct fire support for now."

He thinks to his new sibling for a brief moment. Then he shakes his head, it seemed that Gloop was not going to assist in this battle. He continues to include the sugary slime in the astral network but stops sending it tactical updates.

"Kotori and rhinoceros. We are unable to provide you with further assistance against the biological weapon or the lich at this time." Caedmon communicates to the leaders of the anti-lich taskforce, as he floats higher above the battlefield and removes his glasses with a cool snap of his wrist. "Please proceed with caution and we will provide support as soon as possible."

Caedmon observes the enemy forces carefully, attempting to pinpoint the locations of any units with demonic, undead, cursed, or otherwise 'evil' power sources.

 

[Juju]

Kotori, Wakinyan & Csilla(plus guest wolves)

Interaction: StaidFoal Kaihaku | Mention: Solirus nighttimecatplayer YsFanatic​

Csilla frowned as her hand drifted through their new canine friends as she attempted to pet their fur. She glanced up at Kotori in confusion, the girl having pet the furry beasts. She was drawn out of her childish thoughts quickly as she heard strange music coming from the top of the wall. Shaking off the momentary happiness she quickly changed her weapon, a starry symbol appearing in front of her closed eyes before fading away as they opened. A glimmering bardiche sat gently in her hands as she reached out one of her hands and let out a breath. Closing her open hand she slowly lifted her arm up, concentration hard on her face. The ground shook under them as she heaved a final breath before it gave in and the ground began to lift up.

Letting out a shaky breath she looked up at Kotori, offering a small smile as they continued their ascent. In return, the pale girl gave her a worried look, "Csilla, you should conserve your strength. Perhaps... perhaps I can help you…"

Summoning as much of Wakinyan's power as she could muster, Kotori called gusts of winds to buffet the rock from below. It wasn't much, her weakened state glaringly obvious, but at least it would make things easier on Csilla. Wakinyan rumbled in his chest, the sound of his disapproval ringing in her mind. Still, she did feel a stiff breeze rise up, joining her own.

Thanking the beast silently, Kotori glanced sideways at Csilla. "Will you be alright? I never seem to have the chance to ask you… it seems all I do is drag you into my own battles."

Kotori tried to return Csilla's smile but it became to too painful. Csilia never hesitated when called for action, not in face of dragons nor undead. After her death the world had been nothing but chaos, but this celestial had been there. Did she dare call her a friend? She had saved her life during the battle with Hodir, and the fear of never returning that favour, to be helpless to defend her.. or Susan.. or Hitori… or Ivan. Not for the first time since her rebirth, she thought back to the dying husk of Hakan, and of the rain soaked temple where she had seen the last light of Wakinyan’s eyes. It made her chest fill with ice.

Csilla frowned at the other girl, “Of course I will be alright, because you are always there to help me. You and Wakinyan both. I would not be able to do half the stuff I do without you.” she offered her an even wider smile to try and reassure her.

Kotori tore her eyes away from Csilla, instead looking to the carnage below. Screams clung to the wind and blood sunk into the smoke. It all began to blur into one grey painting as the distance grew between her and the world. Somewhere, the Coelacanth snuffed out the lives of countless Nortestrans. Did she make the right decision? If I look back I am lost, she told herself again, clutching onto the words. She took a steadying breath.

"Csilla, whatever happens up there, I want you to know I am grateful you were with me." Her words broke the silence, ushering in a numb peace within the rush of wind and stone. In that moment she felt the two powers merge again, as the did in the cathedral. For a time, the pull of her power was gentle as the stars filled the sky.

“Nothing will happen, we have each other.” she spoke warmly to the other girl, attempting to reassure Kotori. She received a soft nod, but nothing else.

It was not long before they reached the top of the wall. Wakinyan stepped off, the two illusionary wolves following. The dark sorcerer was close now. Only a short ride along this tower. Kotori could see them in the distance, the shimmer of trapped souls almost blinding to her eyes. The wind grew wild, the rain heavier. Thunder rippled through the skies. It was soon time.

As everyone got off the rock, Csilla let it go, letting out a sigh of relief as it crashed down to the ground.

Through the storm, a sonic blast pierced through the fog of war. Even from this distance, it was nothing short of a roar in her ears. She knew exactly who made it. Dirk? He was alive? Her heart filled with hope as the shot pummeled the Coelacanth. Fate seemed to be kind as some other force deflected the mass of white worms away from the Cathedral. Yet this fragile sense of relief did not last long.

She spotted him just as the wall began to rise, nothing more than a blot of green against an enormous goliath of stone and mortar. Rocks fell, crumbling like dry leaves. This same power had been used on the night of the first attack, to lift up the roof of the mansion to check on her and Ivan after the assassins had struck.

"Tobias?" Kotori uttered in disbelief, her eyes wide, equal parts confusion and dread "No. No, how is this happening?!"

In a crackle like an avalanche, Kotori was helpless but to watch as the last Nortestran wall was crumbled beneath the might of Tobias. Slime slithered in like blood through a wound, hungry and seeking. The earthquake did little to shake Wakinyan's balance, but below them, Yunica was torn off the wall. Kotori peered over the edge of the wall, holding a hand out as if she could catch the shrinking form of the warrior, “Yunica!”

She watched the armor for a few moments, until finally she saw it stir. She let out a breath, but Wakinyan was growing impatient. They needed to focus, but how could she when Tobias had turned on them? Would she have to fight him too? As Wakinyan broke into a sprint, heading towards the necromancer, Kotori tested out the old SIN link. Wakinyan growled, but she had to know. With a voice weighted by sadness, she pleaded for answers. 'Tobias? Why? Why are you destroying this city we fought so hard to defend? What of the sacrifices? What of the innocents?'

Her face only darkened further when Caedmon's words flowed into her mind, "Understood, Caedmon. Please keep yourself the others safe."

Susan StaidFoal​

Meanwhile, Susan was taking her time rejoining Kotori and the others. Holding her umbrella to keep off the rain, she walked among sprinting zombies towards the hole in the wall, barely batting an eye. Even when a tendril of slime shot towards her, the bland expression on her face didn't change. With a flick of her wrist she sent a sliver of void energy to consume the slimy appendage, severing it cleanly from the main body. In fact, the only thing that changed her expression was a wad of forlorn spaghetti noodles laying in the middle of the road. She squatted down, picking up the slimy noodles between her fingers.

"That's rad." she said flatly, though for a second she almost looked excited, or curious, but it faded.

Leaving the noodles, she kept walking until she found the incline in the wall. Like somebody taking a relaxing stroll through the park, Susan hopped between chunks of the wall, using the broken mound like a stair. As she meandered her way back to Kotori, she made sure to give Tobias a small, nonchalant wave. "Welp, he isn't gonna last long."