[F29-EV] The Final Stand | <<Fatal Error ACT: 2>>

[Telrenya 0]

She wasn’t accustomed to this kind of down-and-dirty, rough ingenuity. Her eyes were sifting through the muck, simply trying to pick out anything that could be of use. Unaccustomed, but unafraid. Telrenya engulfed herself in the task she’d laid out before them, giving all of herself to tossing aside rotted wood and fashioning head rests from old hay piled under frayed linen. Anything short of her full focus would allow uncertainties to creep in. She couldn’t spare them a moment of her time.

When Edict voiced his return, his news formed a nugget of weight in her chest. She had hoped organization was what had been lacking, like a puzzle piece she could neatly fill in, but it seemed the reality was a bit more grim. They could do all the herding they liked, but more sheep were not simply going to appear for them. ”That’s…unfortunate.” She had to settle on the word, a small smile betraying her nerves but plucky nonetheless.

Quote

”You’ll have your hands full soon enough.”

As a patient arrived, Telrenya was quick to attend them. She looked the player over with a tentativeness that came with weighing her options. She had done her best to study all of the information the game had presented her with when she learned all of these healing skills, but she was so incredibly loathe to accept that this was her first time “out in the field” with them…save for that huge tournament.

A memory resurfaced, and just as suddenly those options narrowed into a single decision. ”No, that’s perfect.” She remarked somewhat vaguely. Telrenya placed a hand firmly to her own chest and something activated at her will. A quick pulse, almost buzzing, seemed to recycle itself back into her. Hyperactive would pay for its own energy cost after a short time, and then some. She’d learned that from watching Lessa’s matches back then.

She then scooted forward, sitting propped up on her feet, and reached out to gingerly administer a healing effect. The glow of her hands shimmered a brilliant white this time. ”Purify uses a lot less energy than the other healing or shielding abilities.” She explained briefly. She nearly held her breath waiting to see if it had done the trick. To her relief, the injured player let out a breathy laugh of exhausted joy. “It’s gone! My HP stopped draining!” Telrenya sat up straight and faced Edict with a triumphant smile. A small victory worth celebrating.

”If it was just clearing conditions, this would be a lot easier, but…” She regarded his question carefully, rummaging through her inventory with a few hurried flicks of her index finger. ”Let’s see. I’ve got eleven potions and five crystals.” She almost chided herself for not stocking up beforehand, but quickly held her mental tongue. ”Only three antidotes, but those may not be so helpful anyway.” She chewed on her lip in troubled thought. They needed healing, and healing was costlier than she’d expected. At least by the volume that this nightmare was demanding.

“Look out!”

Someone was shouting from down the road. Someone was running their way, spear in hand. Someone was chasing after a monster that was barreling toward them. If they weren’t going to be able to catch up to it, the least they could do was call out their desperate warning.

“The northern barricade is down!”

@Edict

Quote

Action - Tending to the Wounded...
ID#: 251217 | LD: 5+5 = 10
Running Total = 113+10 = 123

 

Edited August 21 by Telrenya

[Plot Master 0]

Final Total for Round 7: 123-3-19=101

Raid participants will receive | Reinforcements | +2 Base Damage {DPS}, +50 Mitigation {Tank}, +25 EN {Support}, +1 Disable Activation Range {Scout}

Sword Delivery Word Count: 9608/27000

Round 8 has begun
Players will have 72 hours to make a post
[Countdown Timer]

Edited Sunday at 01:15 PM by Wulfrin

[Warren 0]

Make sure the good doctor makes it home safe.

Oh yeah, he could do that. Totally. When she didn’t do stupid shit. Like going all the way up to the highest unlocked floor to “help out.” What the fuck was she even thinking? What were any of them thinking? He tried to light his smoke, but the torrential downpour drenched the paper tube. He pulled the item from his lips, examining it in the weak light. The simple motion of him twisting his hand caused it to break, parting at the filter and hanging limply before falling away completely.

Great.

He heard footfalls rapidly approaching his direction. And he saw a familiar head of red hair. Abellio skidded to a halt in front of him. He bent at the waist, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. In the distance, Warren could see the stage. Lysette obfuscated by identical yellow silhouettes. Were they putting on a concert? Now? Here? 

And he saw the Shamblers. Of course no one would think to call him until things got out of hand. And if it was this bad here, then -

“Abellio,” he said tightly. “Read me in.”

Orange vibrant eyes peeked out from beneath soaked hair. He wasn’t smiling. This wasn’t good.

“I don’t know man. There’s Shamblers everywhere and that weirdo on the stage. Lysette thought a concert might be a good idea for morale and -”

Warren held up his hand. To the right was the stage. And he could see the swarm. To the left was the raid. He couldn’t make out what was exactly going on, but he could guess. Didn’t matter. They just needed to stem the tide. He could do that. 

“Alright. Fix the barricades, I’ll push them back,” Warren said. Queen’s Guard appeared in his hand as he stepped forward, opposite hand in his pocket. “And Abellio?”

He looked back, locking eyes with the young man.

“Next time, call me before it goes to shit. Not after.”

—

It was certainly chaos. And Warren had absolutely no idea how this was all going to work out. He’d not really tried to fight anything since he’d requisitioned this gear. His cool demeanor wouldn’t get him very far if he couldn’t deal with the damage the mobs did. But then again, what good was cool demeanor if everyone died? So he stepped into the midst of the chaos. Now or never.

“Alright guys, let’s go.”

Red energy rippled out from his feet, washing over the Shamblers as they reached for their victims. They stopped. Turned. And they rushed him. The first blow caught him on the shoulder. Or it would have. Finned hand grappled with invisible force, the shield that Aurora kept present around him. Warren countered, spiking the Shambler in the chest with Queen’s Guard. He looked at his health. A small amount of damage. Quickly regenerated.

Aurora shielded him from more blows. His health dropped. Refilled. He had their attention. The flow was beginning to set in. Muscle memory was taking over. Foot work, precise and fast. He was beginning to dodge more attacks, slowly guiding them back out of the perimeter. But it wasn’t fast enough. Every time he moved, he found himself hemmed in. He needed to be more proactive.

So he slashed the air. In its wake, gunpowder trailed from the tip of Queen’s Guard. His finger coiled around the trigger embedded in the weapon. A click of the firing pin. A spark.

Flames roared to life, gunpowder igniting in the reverse direction. Warren felt the heat from the explosion, the force blowing back his hair as he bathed the Shamblers in fire. Several shattered. Many turned to run. They hated the flames apparently.

“No.”

Another pulse of red. He would compel their attention. Force them to take their lumps. He slashed again - another trail, another click, another explosion. More fell, more tried to flee. Yet another pulse of red.

Those that Howl did not compel ran for the perimeter. Past the broken fencing and into the night. Those whose attention he commanded died in a baptism of fire. Warren had not been so locked in in recent memory. But he had a job to do.

Deal with the Shamblers.

Make sure his friends were okay.

Get the good doctor home safe.

 

Slaughtering Mobs | ID: 251735
LD: 15+5 | Running Total: 20

Spoiler

"Name: Warren
True Tier: 3
Level: 22
Paragon Level: 0
HP: 440/440
EN: 62/62

Stats:
Damage: 19
Mitigation: 119
Accuracy: 4
Stealth Rating: -5
TAUNT
REGEN: 18

Equipped Gear:
Weapon/Armor/Trinket: 
  - <<Queen's Guard>> T1 Perfect OHSS | ACC III
Armor/Trinket: 
  - <<Heavy Overcoat>> T3 Perfect Heavy Armor | MIT III
Shield/Armor/Trinket: 
  - <<Nebula>> T1 Perfect Shield | Taunt, Regen II

Combat Mastery:
  - Combat Mastery: Damage R3

Combat Shift:
  - 

Familiar Skill:
  - 

Custom Skill:
  - 

Skills:
  - Heavy Armor R5
  - Straight Sword R5
  - Howl

Extra Skills:
  - Block R5

Inactive Extra Skills:

Addons:
 

Mods:

Inactive Mods:

Battle Ready Inventory:

Housing Buffs:
  - Extended Workshop: +2 Crafting EXP per crafting attempt and +1 crafting attempt per day
  - Mega Slime Farm: +10% EXP to a thread. Limit one use per month. Must be used on a player's first post in a thread. Cooldown begins counting down when used in a post.

Guild Hall Buffs:
  - Trading Hall: Reduce LD needed for Salvage by 5 (10+ for Alchemist crystals, 6+ for everything else). +2 EXP per craft. Rank 9 crafters and Rank 4 merchants/performers receive +1 crafting/identification attempt per day. Rank 10 crafters and Rank 5 merchants/performers receive +2 crafting/identification attempts per day.

Scents of the Wild Totem:

Wedding Ring:

Crafting Profession:

Gathering Profession:
"                                                                                                                            

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Oscar

[Edict 0]

Edict watched in fascination as @Telrenyaworked her magic. White light emanated from her hands, healing the injured player. With a cry, the player laughed triumphantly. Telrenya smiled, and Edict couldn’t help but return one. Every success was worth celebrating, and the celebration was contagious.

“Hey, don’t go charging back into the fight, alright? Once you’re ready to stand up, find something productive on the backlines. Go gather up some equipment to repair, or even just find some col and come back with some healing supplies. Telrenya—can I call you Tel?—you said we have..”

“Eleven potions and five crystals. Not a lot to work with. I don’t suppose you’re a Hanukkah fan, are you? Because that’s going to have to last a lot longer than anticipated.” The joke was a little off-color, but it was worth it to lighten the mood.

His face furrowed; maybe he could stand to be a little more serious. “Three antidotes too. I wouldn’t discount them. Maybe we don’t need them, but they could save someone’s life."

“Look out!”

A parade of players and monsters sprinted down the street. A strange, lopsided horror galloped into the main square, cackling and gurgling with glee. A host of players formed ranks, determined to keep the creature away from the most vulnerable areas of the town.

“The northern barricade is down!”

Edict stood reflexively. The monster presence should be subsiding. Why weren’t they chasing after the sword? A pit formed in the bottom of his stomach as he began to suspect the worst.

“Tel(renya)...” he trailed off. “I’m sorry to leave. If you think I’m an asshole for bailing… You’re probably right. But I’m spinning my wheels here. I can’t heal, I can’t fight, and I can’t fix equipment. But I do remember where the Sword is, and I need to check on the people our party handed it off to. I’m sure everything is fine, but… call me paranoid, I guess. I’m rambling, aren’t I?” Edict laughed thinly. “I do that when I’m nervous. I also overexplain. A lot like this.”

One good cough and Edict straightened back up. He locked eyes with Telrenya and nodded. “I promise I’ll make it up to you next time we meet. On Floor 30.”

Dashing for the northern barricades, Edict left town to check on the sword.

Post Action: Tending the Wounded
251733 | LD 7 | Running Total: LD 27

Edited 2 hours ago by Oscar

[Siren 0]

Siren hadn’t even realized how far the battlefield had shifted until she looked up and noticed the others were already falling back to Tracker’s Headquarters. Around her, the chaos was still thick, blackened monsters surging and twisting, their tendrils slapping the earth and tearing through barricades like paper. Without hesitation, she slashed at another beast, carving a path backward through the fray. Astra was close behind, and she reached out, grabbing his arm and pulling him along. “I know you wanna keep fighting, darlin’,” she said between breaths, eyes still locked on the advancing swarm, “but it’s time to fall back. We’ve gotta make sure everybody gets out safe.”

To her relief, Astra didn’t argue or fight. Together, they made their way toward the flickering beacon of safety that was the headquarters. The moment they crossed the threshold, Siren exhaled, tension bleeding from her shoulders as a headcount was called and every name came back accounted for. She propped herself up against the wall, chest still heaving from exertion, and with a flick of her wrist, materialized her book. A well-worn romance novel, cover graced by a golden-haired, shirtless man holding a swooning woman under the moonlight. Classic. She flipped to her bookmark and quickly lost herself in the dramatic tale of forbidden love, scandalous rendezvous, and steamy surprises right when she least expected them.

The sudden thunder of a cannon firing in the distance snapped her out of it. Then another. And another. Five shots in total. She could hear shouting, hurried footsteps, and the clank of metal as the crew rushed to reload. Just as she was about to go back to her book, someone shouted from the lone entryway, monsters were breaching the line. Siren sighed, slid her bookmark into place, and rose to her feet. She glanced at Astra with a wry smile. “Alrighty, Astra, my dear. Looks like we’re up.” With a twirl of her rapier, she strode toward the door, ready to face whatever horrors dared follow them in.

* * * 

Post Action: Slaughtering Mobs
ID: 251734 | LD: 3 (+Weapon Skill R5) =  8
Running Total: 35

Edited 1 hour ago by KnightessCiela

[Bliss 0]

Siren and Astra finally fell back from the front, their exhausted retreat leaving Bliss with a clear line of sight and, finally, free reign to unleash everything she had. Her heart raced, but her lips curled into a sickening grin as she turned toward the cannons. Her hands moved fast, precise, preparing each weapon with careful intent. She checked them one last time, running her fingers along the bolts and seals, ensuring nothing would misfire. For once, the universe didn’t betray her, every cannon was ready, primed, and hungry. The first shot rang out with a thunderous boom. The recoil shook her bones, but her grin only widened as the cannonball ripped through a pod of monsters. Tentacles flailed, bodies split apart, and the battlefield was painted in the grotesque aftermath of her handiwork. Bliss’ chest tightened, not with fear, but with grim satisfaction.

The second cannon fired. She had aimed it squarely at the towering titan that loomed over them all, its grotesque form blotting out part of the sky. The shot landed, tearing into its massive leg. The beast’s roar reverberated across the battlefield, and Bliss’ laughter slipped past her lips in a breathless, wild sound. Her plan was working, and she was loving it. A third cannon unleashed hell into another swarm, bodies splintering apart in sprays of crimson light. And then again. And again. Each shot was like a heartbeat, rhythmic and steady, her own kind of vengeance pounding out into the chaos. She moved with surprising speed, loading and reloading, firing and repositioning, her body almost mechanical in its rhythm. Then came the call, orders shouted across the chaos. Fighters were needed at the front entrance. Without hesitation, Bliss adjusted the trajectory of the cannons, swinging them so they wouldn’t put her allies at risk. Her arms burned with the effort, but she didn’t care. Cannonball after cannonball, she fired into the masses, mowing down swarm after swarm, holding the tide back just enough to buy the others time. Her smirk never wavered.

* * * 

Post Action: Rebuilding the Barricade
ID: 251737 | LD: 5 (+Armor Skill R1) =  6
Running Total: 41

Edited 39 minutes ago by KnightessCiela

[Abellio 0]

Okay.

Okay Okay Okay.

Warren was here, thank fuck. Abellio didn’t know exactly what that meant, but the way the man was talking, he couldn’t help but respect the confidence. Abellio rushed back into the chaos, watching as the Shamblers swarmed his friend. His knee jerk reaction was to help. He stopped, turning on his heels and reaching for a sword he didn’t actually have. Oh. Right.

And it didn’t matter anyway.

Abellio saw that first explosion. The wave of fire that washed over the Shamblers, killing several in a single hit. Abellio blinked. When had Warren learned to do that? Why wasn’t he in the Raid if he had that kind of juice?

Didn’t matter. Job to do. Focus.

Abellio slapped his cheeks with both hands. He pivoted. Warren had it handled. He needed to do his part. But he would need help. Leaping onto the stage, he grabbed the nearest person. He would have preferred to take Lysette by the arm, but desperate times. He read her name plate.

Suzume.

And as the weirdo did his little song and dance, the girls had a little bit of an intermission. He’d only need to borrow her for a sec.

“Help me with the barricades. I don’t want my dude’s work to go to shit,” he said, tilting his head towards Warren. Who was - and god. damn. - tearing through those Shamblers like they were made of paper. “He’s got em on the run, let’s make sure they stay out, yeah?”

He didn’t really think much about it when he scooped her up into a bridal carry and hopped off the stage. It was just good manners though. Hard to do acrobatics in heels and all that. And he quickly set to work putting the barricades back in order. He was about to ask where Waldo was when he saw the Walrus-man duking it out with a larger-than-normal Shambler. He got the knockout, though. A sharp hook with his flipper to the Shambler's jaw made it shamble right to the ground.

"FUCK YEAH WALDO!"

The walrus man flexed, giving him some sort of thumbs up gesture.

Abellio smiled again.

Reinforcing Barricades | ID: 251736
LD: 6+5=11 | Running Total: 52

Edited 1 hour ago by Oscar

[Suzume 0]

Suzume didn’t want to leave the stage, but a good performer knew when it was time to make their exit. This, Suzume assumed, was most likely that time. It was as if someone had reached in and turned up the temperature on the oven - figuratively, of course, because it was still freezing. Everything was more intense than it had been even moments before. The mobs were larger, and wilder somehow, entire swarms of them spilling through the breech in the barricade. Some scuttled on multiple legs, like a drawing of a spider made by someone who had never actually seen a spider. A pack of black creatures that resembled jaguars chased a trio of warriors across the beach. A massive beast with a barrel chest and two heads stepped easily over the rubble of their defenses. And then the tentacles. There were so many tentacles. Suzume didn’t mind tentacles, but after watching more than a few wrap around unsuspecting players, she wasn’t sure she could ever appreciate them the same way again.

So she dashed for the stage steps, heels pounding across the wood before sliding into the sand. What would she do? What could she do? She had no skills, no armor, no weapon… but she did have two hands, and in the real world, she was pretty proud of her ability to bench 125.

“I’m here to help!” she cried to no one and everyone, squatting to slide her hands beneath a barrel, and hefting it up and into her arms. It was heavy, and the liquid sloshing inside threw off her balance, but she managed to stagger toward the opening in the barricade, and heave her precious cargo into the gap. How many more trips would it take to stop the flow of incoming mobs? Why did it feel a bit like she was attempting to plug a leak with tissue paper?

Rebuild Barricades | ID: 251739
LD: 14 | Running Total: 66