Entry tags:
- *event,
- avatar: mai,
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- blood+: solomon goldsmith,
- bungou stray dogs: atsushi nakajima,
- bungou stray dogs: chuuya nakahara,
- dragon age: anders,
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- ffxiv: krile baldesion,
- ffxiv: x'rhun tia,
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- little witch academia: atsuko kagari (ak,
- love live: you watanabe,
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- mcu: peggy carter,
- mistborn: vin,
- ouat: emma swan,
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- overwatch: jack morrison (soldier 76),
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- rune factory: dylas,
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- saiyuki: genjo sanzo,
- star trek: james t. kirk,
- stargate: john sheppard,
- teahouse: linneus,
- tenchi muyo!: ryoko hakubi,
- torchwood: ianto jones,
- voltron: allura,
- yuri!!! on ice: jean-jacques leroy
❪ event ❫ hour of ruin
HOUR OF RUIN ![]() Sometime after midnight, after preparations have been put aside in favor of drinks and rest, a thunderous beating of wings shatters the air — the High Dragon Ysverai, once again risen. The sound echoes high off Namarak Mountain, but travels easily to both Wyver and Olympia: scream after scream rends the still night, as though a creature were dying rather than being born again. Having only had days to plan their defense against the creature, Olympia and Wyver snatch up their arms. The Royal Guard and the Knightryders can be seen on their steeds hurrying through the cities, because Ysverai doesn't remain isolated at the mountain's peak for long. There are pictures of Ysverai in abundance throughout both cities, but the creature that circles in the sky looks nothing like the majestic creature spoken of in history books. Even from far below, wounds and lacerations can be seen marring what should be smooth scales, and blood falls with every beat of the dragon's wings. The damage becomes more clear when moonlight illuminates Ysverai, revealing the rotting dragon for all to see. The sight of flesh peeling away and thick blood where it oozes from his cracked, greyish hide is as frightening as the power he possesses. REASON'S TRANSCENDENCE
Mad from the anguish of his forced revival, Ysverai will show none of his renowned wisdom or compassion, mindless and seeking to inflict his pain onto whatever emerges in his path.
His very presence creates chaos: animals (Olympia | Wyver) domesticated and wild, flee from the merest hint of his approach, panicked and stampeding in wild droves. The reason is obvious: organic matter exposed too long to his presence begins to rot and decay. A field he lands in rots and lies fallow. Buildings crack and crumble, their supports pitted and corroded as though they've been left in disrepair for years. Even the ground that Ysverai walks upon is tainted; a corrosive sludge bubbles up in his massive, clawed footsteps, the ground beneath him putrefied and toxic, oozing corruption. This sludge can be tar-like, poisonous and sucking people in like quicksand; panic, and you'll only sink faster. Prolonged exposure to Ysverai takes a mental toll on anyone in his proximity as well. Effects similar to those from being near his heart — selfish desires and lowered inhibitions — will begin to fester in those around him. Every time Ysverai roars, pain will run through all those that hear him — a pain not just physical, but of true, anguished heartbreak. Those who hear Ysverai will feel (to a degree of your choosing) a sharing of his pain, the agony of flesh rotting from their bodies, blood oozing from under their skin, and a terrible, incandescent fury — and beneath that, a gut-wrenching sadness. This effect is further enhanced by any exposure to Ysverai's blood, and being drenched in greater quantities will cause one to become more in sync with the dragon. Finally, Ysverai is aggressive, attacking anyone and anything that approaches. He starts by breathing out a smog, acidic and putrefying — characters caught directly by this attack will find that medicine and healing magic of any kind hurts them for hours after exposure. The dragon will ignite the smog to breathe fire, if sparingly. IN WYVER
Ysverai's shadow falls over the near reaches of Wyver first. Upon hearing Ysverai's cry, the dragons in Wyver become completely frenzied, turning against their partners among the Knightryders without the slightest resistance. Those familiar with dragons might deduce that they're in pain, though they don't show any sign of injury. The dragons knock their riders off their backs in midair and dive at citizens, jaws wide. Any attempts to soothe them will be long fought, achieved with great difficulty, and will see them retreat into a cowering state.
It's not just the airborne Knightryders taking to the defense of the city however, and people on the ground are mobilizing as well. On rooftops across the city are cannons set to fire harpoons. And if the spearheads alone aren't enough to injure the beast, they're coated with a paralyzing poison as well. Unfortunately, the soldiers stationed on the rooftops are prime targets to the frenzied dragons populating Wyver's skies, leaving the cannons open for ordinary citizens to use should they choose. Left alone too long, and cannons may fall under the control of the few remaining radicals that had opted not to flee the cities to join up with their leader Raysc, choosing instead to wait for an opportune moment to unleash their anger on the people of Wyver. These radicals will need to be dealt with before they can turn the cannons upon Wyver's defenders. IN OLYMPIA
In Olympia, the gryphon partners of the Royal Guard react with immediate hostility to anyone showing signs of Ysverai's influence. Their keen senses allow them to pick up the smell of Ysverai's blood and they attack anyone with so much as a drop of tainted blood on them. Those who bear lingering effects of Ysverai's mental attack and who remain in sync with the dragon after hearing Ysverai's cry are also targeted and must face the gryphons' wrath without mercy or restraint. The gryphons must be disabled, for Olympia will not look upon any injury to their prized steeds lightly. However, the gryphons also show some resistance to Ysverai's cry, which is a great boon in battle against the dragon — gryphons that have lost their riders will be available for use, able to carry two passengers at a time.
The people of Olympia aren't planning to restrict their offense to pure brute force, and the mages of the city can be seen across Olympia wielding enchanted chains, using telekinesis in the hopes of restraining Ysverai and assisting in the airborne troops. But like the decaying buildings and wildlife, Ysverai is warping the magic around him, the chains faltering as they approach him, whipping back toward the city instead to cage whoever happens to be closest. It's not just the enchanted chains either, but other magic might behave erratically in his presence, as if the very essence of the spells have been corrupted. VIRTUOUS VERSE
Both cities realize they need to seek survival rather than victory against Ysverai, switching gears to carry out diversion efforts and evacuation plans. It falls to refugees to continue the offensive while the Royal Guard and the Knightryders devote their attention to ensuring the safety of the citizens as they flee.
With official forces stretched thin, civilians and refugees alike will also need to step up to help herd citizens toward safety among a maze of collapsing buildings. Others will need to see to gathering resources for the evacuation, and while gathering non perishables is easy enough, it's considerably harder to wrangle livestock into cooperating amidst such chaos. Those fighting may be asked to act as bait for Ysverai. Chatter through official troops speaks of a switch in strategy: the objective now is capture the dragon's attention and draw him away from the populous cities and towards the South Outpost. Whether or not it's possible to defeat the dragon remains uncertain, but there's no question that it will be easier to battle him without worrying about civilians. THE RAGE ![]() Luckily, the dragon is indiscriminate in his rage, and easily lured so long as a suitably infuriating target is before him. It doesn't take long to draw him to the South Outpost, but the trail of destruction he leaves in his wake is vast. Once there, the combined forces are greeted not just by Ysverai, but also by the appearance of Ysverai's master. Raysc lifts a gleaming device as he issues his command. Red lights blink and blood, the same oozing liquid that drips from Ysverai's many wounds, runs in clear tubes through the device. Ysverai rears back as Raysc makes adjustments to a control panel — and then lunges forward, mouth agape. With a single swallow, Raysc meets his end. Raysc's attempt to control the dragon has only enraged him further, spurring Ysverai on to new heights of fury. It's become more vital than ever to face the dragon and take him down here and now. A few effective strategies are learned from research efforts and observed while defending Olympia and Wyver: goading the dragon into breathing fire will hurt him, burning him from the inside out, and attacks to his joints, eyes, wings, and exposed bone are effective. Ice is a natural repellent to dragons and can be used defensively or to weaken the dragon's hide. Healing spells will also react unnaturally to Ysverai's flesh, hastening his decay. However, while concentrated efforts will lock him down, Ysverai cannot be permanently killed in this state — his flesh constantly rots and spawns anew. Attacking him here is to protect civilians, keeping him busy to avoid mass destruction elsewhere. Therefore, the battle is one of attrition, a matter of a race against time. You must destroy his flesh faster than it is able to regenerate to have any hope of victory. Finally, when Ysverai is weakening, little more than bones with a few last vestiges of rotten meat hanging from a skeleton, the pathetic remnants of the last High Dragon takes to the skies. His wings are barely intact enough to carry him, yet desperation lifts him, higher and higher, until he lets out one great, earth-shaking roar. A roar that carries across the battlefield, sending all who hear it to their knees. A roar that shatters the swords in soldiers' hands, that rends apart the very air itself — Ysverai's last act, a great curse upon El Nysa, to bring down the sky. AND THE WORLD STOOD STILL ![]() The terror of Ysverai's destruction hangs overhead — a tear in the sky, darkness pouring through, tendrils reaching down towards El Nysa to swallow up the planet in the dragon's final act of revenge. And yet nothing moves. A halo of brilliant light surrounds the rift in the sky, holding the grasping, hungry tendrils in check. And on the planet, not a creature moves. Not a blade of grass stirs. You're not able to even draw a breath. No matter where you are, not even the heart in your chest is beating. Everything has stopped — time has come to a standstill. In a wash of light, an aurora of transport, you find yourself delivered to Thesa Station. Darma stands before you, her expression solemn, perhaps even grim, though that may just be a trick of the station's harsh lighting. She explains what has happened in short order: planetside, time has been completely frozen. A bank of monitors behind Darma displays the battlefield below: Ysverai's frozen, looming figure and the breach in the sky, and the Natha's halo, holding the destruction back. Though time passes normally on Thesa Station, El Nysa remains frozen, and all Refugees are unable to return to the planet until Ysverai's menace is dealt with. Luckily, with the Natha's return, full functionality has also returned to the station. The lights and environmentals are back to full power, access to all areas has been restored, the cafeteria is serving its normal offerings, and there's no evidence of any glitching or malfunctions. Doubtless, the period of rest is much needed after the hard-fought battle. For now, with time on El Nysa at a standstill, there's little else to be done but enjoy the reprieve aboard Thesa Station. FINAL OOC NOTE
Characters that reach an AC length action thread in this event will receive 2 rep for all factions, including Natha. Note that while these are split up for ease of processing, players may submit for all three.
Players can expect this event to run three days ICly before everyone is teleported to Thesa Station! From thereon, all characters will be grounded at the Station until the Test Drive Meme later this month.
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no subject
[ Duo post-dragon attack has been incredibly remiss in checking in with those he's made friends with, mind hyper focused on getting his Gundam back in to top shape just in case they needed to fight again, needed to defend the station, even. It's a bad trait of his, not thinking to check in on others until his affairs are set in place lest that other person involved be one Heero Yuy.
Not that the 01 pilot couldn't take care of himself, but he tended to subsist or flat out hide injuries. Thankfully, he's not there to add to Duo's stressors at the moment, busy crawling about on the massive mobile suit. There's paint sloughing off in spots, dents to be popped back out, the lot. And Duo, being the manic person that he is when it comes to the physical state of his things and his mobile suit, can think of nothing else to do but set to work on making sure everything is back in working order.
He hears the taps from Prompto whilst upside down in the Gundam's knee joints, trying to free up gunk and wear there for the best general operations, braid slithering through tight spots with a mind of its own.
But out Duo swings to see who's tapping on his mobile suit, mustering as much of a smile as he can at seeing Prompto, a bit of grease smeared on his cheek. ]
Well, Scythe's a little worse for wear, but shit happens.. [ Duo moves to unwind himself from the Gundam's inner workings, using the 'shin' of the suit as a slide to come down to meet him. ]
I got a minute if you do..
no subject
He grins at Duo as he drops down onto the ground in front of him, weary but earnest. ]
You're gonna love these. How'd...everything turn out for you planetside, by the way?
[ He seems fine. Definitely not as shaken as he was after the kidnapping incidents. But still...none of them are really "okay" right now. ]
no subject
[ Duo is a consummate professional in the face of the possibility of death, in the face of battle and war. Being taken hostage and tortured was still relatively uncommon, something he hadn't thought he would ever have to deal with here, which is why it had taken him a bit by surprise when it happened.
Here and now, battling and fighting, even if it was a dragon? Duo knew how to fight. Had learned how to fight with his knuckles and his tenacity as a small child, had learned from there how to fight with bombs and mobile suits and terror tactics. Nothing had become too far to assure victory, though at some point Duo had grown tired of that level of ferocity. It's hard to be an animal looking to survive at all times, after all. ]
I dunno about my place. Deathscythe is.. a bit worse for wear, but I'll be able to fix 'im up considering we're not doing dick but sitting around up here.. [ Duo shrugs, calm and collected by all accounts despite what's going on. ]
I'm surprised you had the time to catch a few photos, considering everything that went on, Prom.
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What can I say? Old habits die hard. Taking photos on the battlefield is basically part of my fighting style.
[ It's just been a long while since he's really had occasion to fight on this scale. There had been one-offs and different conflicts that had asked him to put his combat skills to use, but nothing as long and intense as this. Pulling out his camera while the fight was raging on felt as natural as breathing. ]
Wouldn't be surprised if, uh, not too many people want to see 'em, though...
no subject
Seems dangerous if I'm honest, and I'm not usually Mr. Play It Safe. [ Far from it, if anything. Planting bombs and running from them isn't typically a pretty safe way to run through life or one's career as a terrorist but yet here he is, hands tucked in to his pockets despite the fact that they're coated in grease and muck from his inspections and clean ups prior to repair.
Still, he can appreciate it for what it is, humming an shrugging. ]
Not many people wanna face the reality of war. Because then it makes them feel too human about other people.
[ Said like a kid who'd seen hundreds of people murdered in cold blood around him, and had probably done the same in his career, if he's honest. Prompto's seen one part of that, at least, but in the next moment Duo gestures for Prompto to show him, probably hoping to avoid a deeper discussion. ]
I'm not one'a those people, though, so let's see.
no subject
But he doesn't dwell on that now. Lingering too long in memories right now is...perilous, so instead he pulls his camera out, flipping through some of the photos until he finds a set with Deathscythe featured prominently in them.
He flips the camera over so Duo can get a better look. ]
Memories with smiling faces are nice and all...but I don't believe those're the only times worth remembering. War's not pretty, but I'm not gonna pretend it doesn't exist.
[ Or that some people don't look badass while fighting. ]
no subject
There're people, back in my world, who think that because we ended one war we can bring total, lasting pacifism to Earth and Space.. [ Duo pauses for a moment to take the camera in his hands for a moment, appreciating Prompto's photo taking skills, passing through that set of photos and then back again.
No one had ever taken a photo of Deathscythe to appreciate it - typically photos of the Gundams appeared in news papers as stories of terror and war, everything horrible in the world, and he keenly remembers that photo where Deathscythe's face had been torn apart thanks to Trowa that had been publicized everywhere, for a vivid moment - ]
.. But that's a fools errand. A nice thought, but not something that's gonna be possible since there's always some asshole who's gonna want to start a fight.
[ Back on topic, however - ]
These are really great, Prompto. I think it's the first time I've ever seen a photo of Scythe not under a shitty headline, and it looks badass as hell.
no subject
Well, it's neither here nor there right now, anyway.
A faint smile twitches on his lips. ]
Thanks, dude. What can I say? I really wanted to capture his most badass-iest side. Bet you really made a big difference in the way things went up there with the big guy.
[ He definitely had more impact than Prompto down on the surface, armed with only his gun, even before he'd...died. ]
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I dunno. It seemed like.. [ Duo pauses, seeming to struggle to find the correct wording that he wants in the moment. He didn't want to say that their fighting seemed ineffective but.. really.. it was close to the truth. He supposes that with an undead thing going on and on and insisting on ripping up everything around it that it shouldn't be an unbelievable as it sounded, but that was the hard truth of it all.
He sighs, for a moment looking as tired as he is, and then finishes. ]
It seemed like that thing was so angry it would'a carried on until there was nothing left of it. We butchered that thing and it just... didn't seem to give much of a shit about it.
It was angry, yeah, but it was also... [ Hesitates again - ] Did you feel how sad it was, too?
no subject
Maybe they only prolonged the inevitable. But even then, they gave the Natha time to return and stop things from getting even worse. When he thinks about it like that, it doesn't seem quite so desperate. ]
...Yeah. Yeah, I did. [ It had...overtaken him at one point, the rage-filled grief of the dragon. But he doesn't dwell on that now. So much has happened since. ] For how terrible the thing was...I can't help but feel a little bad for it, y'know? It never asked to be brought back to life like that.
[ Such a great and horrible power should have remained in the dust where it was buried. ]
no subject
Yeah it.. [ Duo pauses, thinks about what he wants to say, and then almost laughs a little at how possibly stupid this might sound to Prompto. ] ... It made me think about me as a kid, honestly.
After the church. Just.. angry and out for the world to fuck it up.
[ Prompto had seen the terrible scene that had driven that, after all, in his memories. Who could blame a kid for being an angry little bastard after seeing hundreds of people slaughtered in cold blood? He supposed no one. But beyond that - ]
Makes you wonder if that's how every spirit reacts, you know? If you believe in that kinda stuff... Wild.
no subject
A little shake of his head. ]
They're not all like that. Some're...happy to help. Others? Not so much. When the Hydraean attacked Altissia...it wasn't too different from what went on down there.
[ Except there had been a lot more water than fire that time. ]
no subject
The Hydrean attacked Altissia... [ Duo repeats it even though it's basically gibberish to him, but then raises his eyebrows and shrugs his shoulders. Sure, Prompto, that sounds like at least a possibly real thing to have seen. Who the hell was he to say what had happened and what hadn't, considering they're all from such different worlds? He wasn't the guy to ask on these things. ]
See.. back in my world there's no like.. tangible way to be like "oh yeah, that guy definitely exists." [ Duo laughs lightly, shrugging his shoulders. ]
So you know.. as a street kid coming in to a Catholic orphanage when they tell ya you're blessed for this or that I just sat there thinking that there's no way a guy that giving exists and people are still such assholes.
no subject
But then again, the prophecy hadn't said anything about the Storm eating the world, so...who even knows. ]
Better to not rely on gods, anyway. They won't be the ones there to pick you up when you fall down like a good buddy will.
[ Those are the real people worth believing in. ]
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Yeah, I guess. Though.. [ Duo pauses and then laughs at himself for even entertaining this thought it would seem, but here goes anyways. ] .. When I was at the church there was always this thought that like.. 'God' - [ yes, he used air quotes just now with his hands. ] - would walk you through any trouble you had like an old friend who knew everything about you or whatever.
But then he was also supposed to be this like.. fear inducing guy that would absolutely fuck your day up if you thought about being cute and trying something written in the Bible.
Like.. me, an eight year old who hadn't ever been in a school more than a few days in m life saw a thousand holes in that thought process, but... [ Shruuuuuugggggg ]
I'm still the bad guy for not believing by most people's thoughts, so.
no subject
He manages a slanted grin. ]
Yeah, well...most people can shove it, then. You're not a bad guy in my book.
[ Far from it, in fact. ]
no subject
I'm not in mine either, but.. [ Duo shrugs, laughing lightly. Of course he wouldn't find himself to be a problem or to be evil or anything like that, though.. well. He had his problems as a person too. Anyone did, he thinks, when it comes down to it.
Duo pauses for a moment, seeming to think about something before he asks : ]
How's the married life treating you so far?
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It's...heh. Awesome, dude. I mean, we've been together for awhile now, so you might not think that much changed just by tying the knot, but...it's the best.
[ Always having someone at his side, even when things go South...he couldn't live without her now. Had Alisaie not been at his side here, he's not sure what might have become of him. ]
no subject
[ Ah, well. He gets his answer just from the expression alone, but Duo's a nosey little bastard too so there's no way he wasn't going to ask. After all, Prompto had been so happy last he'd seen him as his wedding before all of this had exploded in their faces.
A little grin spreads across his bruised face, seeming to be genuinely happy for his friend just by the expression. ]
I'm glad you found her, man. You guys deserve all the best.
no subject
[ Like he wouldn't believe. Even if Prompto had found the resolve to soldier on by himself once his friends went back into stasis, there's no doubt in his mind that his life has been unequivocally improved by having Alisaie at his side. If they had only become friends, it would have improved him, but that they fell in love and got married...
It's more than he ever dreamed of.
After a moment of doe-eyed reflection, Prompto nudges Duo in the shoulder. ]
What about you? When're you gonna find a special someone and settle down?
no subject
[ Duo snorts the moment Prompto gives him a shove - seeming to know what he's going to get at the second he does it. And it's.. a loaded thing.
In many ways Duo Maxwell believes himself too broken for those things - too damaged by time and space and everything he's ever dealt with. And on the same coin.. he's also had everyone he's ever even thought to love snatched away from him in tragic ways over the years. One by one and then all at once, which Prompto's been a witness too, so - ]
That would take a literal saint, Prompto. [ It's a nice thought, but in all practicality - ] I'm alright just the way I am. Don't fuss about me.
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Hey, if I can find someone, anyone can. [ But he won't harp on it, so he drops his hand a moment later, chuckling. ] But suit yourself! Still, if you ever want me to wingman for you, all you gotta do is ask.
[ He'll pull through for you, buddy. ]