Complete Megathread Main Story (S4 Finale P.1) Emergency Rally: Camp Hope

[Raid Boss]

Emergency Rally: Camp Hope
Season 4 Finale - Part 1

This thread is a follow up to Noise.

With many players stop logging into the game amid the holidays and the majority of Astorea's fighting forces pressed to defending many of the captured Vintergard locations such as the Ruined Palace after they were won, the Starcalled's attention was spread too thin.

Just as the turned magia began to spread chaos across Camp Hope, Levi who was avoided @Tetsunosuke's deadly ambush in Camp Hope immediately gathered the camp personnel and reorganized them there. An emergency tent and medics were set-up at the most secured place in the camp and troops were sent out in larger number to pick up the wounded and physically inform people to head to the rally point.

Any magia who showed up had to be detained for obvious reason.

Since neither Accelerator, who is in Vintergard and Astor, who is in Finweald can be reached due to the destabilized UI, Levi assumed command and is looking into sending people out to deal with the emergency.

OOC

• This is an optional lead-in to part 2 where players will be given a chance to react and deal with Szofrit's ambush.
• All megathread rules apply:
  • Anyone may join and leave at any time.
  • If there are too many back and forth, branch off.
  • Keep your replies on the shorter side.
• If your character in Camp Hope, they may post here.
• Levi is in the tent and can be interacted with.

 

[Pandora*]

Sarina Knights
Lions Pride

Theme

​

Loud shouts rang out from near the entrance to Levi's tent. An excessively loud young woman was making quite a fuss. Arms waving and feet stomping in a most outrageous way. The guard stationed outside sweatdropped. He was just doing his job, how did he deserve this?

​

"Godamnit! Don't give me bureaucratic crap right now, I deal with that enough at work! GET OUT OF MY WAY!!"

After flashing a dirty-looking badge in his face he eventually relented. Although in truth it was more that he honestly just wanted the tantrum to end so he barely looked at it. She wasn't a Magia anyway... just loud and possibly homeless considering the dirt all over her. She wasn't bloody from war or anything... just dirty.

"That's better!"

With Sarina Smug status applied, The dirty fighter strode happily into the tent...

"ARRGHHH YOULOOKSOBEATUPDIDSOMEONEHURTYOUIFTHEY DIDI'LLPUNTEMSOGOOD!"

<Sarina Knights has entered Levi's tent and may be interacted with>

@Raid Boss

 

[Raid Boss]

Levi could be seen talking to a couple of his captains and camp personnel, figuring out the extent of damage that had been done to the camp.

When Sarina burst into the tent and made such a big commotion right up against his face, Levi grabbed onto her shoulder and pushed her back a bit.

Sarina, calm down. My injuries aren't that serious. Are you hurt anywhere? A lot of people are getting ambushed by magia who are pretending to be human.

Just as he was about to receive a reply back from the spunky knight, a massive explosion shook the ground, silencing everyone inside the tent.

(Valmont has detonated the armory tent.)

The startled Knight Commander immediately rushed out of the tent to check what direction the explosion was in.

Dammit, the armory tent!

 

[Jin]

Wild, intense, and spontaneous.

The events that unfolded in Camp Hope ticked all the boxes. Without a proper attack, the Magia seemed to have found a way to sabotage the facilities from within. It was disconcerting to consider that there might be double agents- but they had seen sleepers before, and there was no reason to rule out the possibility. Distrust was a powerful tool, and there was no shortage of it as the Armory tent went up nearby. Jin took another sip of his tea and discarded the disc that held it over his shoulder, causing a comparatively quiet shattering.

"How considerate," he mused. Where else did they have munitions, or was there some isolated method, some remote means of turning the Astorean's own weaponry on itself that they had not accounted for? Was security so lax that anyone could waltz in and detonate ordnance? Questions he would have asked if he had been remotely involved in the handling of such things.

Alas.

"Poor risk assessment, I'm afraid," he chuckled as he watched Levi rushing out of his tent toward the flames. The Astoreans had been spread too thin from the start, and their defenses and security were sloppy. The cracks were only just now showing. The resultant destruction was...

Beautiful. Absolutely stunning.

He had said not so long ago to @Fiora Di Angelo that all of them were tantamount to gods in this world, without exception, and that in so becoming, they actualized the failings of the divine. This made his point in the most succinct way possible. They did not need to remain calm.

They couldn't if they tried.

"The ones who've taken leave of their wits should be corralled and moved out of the way," he instructed a nearby group of soldiers. In a daze, one of the men looked at him. He noted the slacked jaw. "Hurry up about it," he snapped. "If you can't fight, help coordinate. If you can't do that, evacuate."

He folded his arms and watched the Knight Commander intently.

"Well isn't this an interesting turn of events?" he tapped a finger to his lips, bemused, eyes sizing Levi up.

@Raid Boss

 

[Pandora*]

Sarina Knights
Lions Pride

There went the chance for regrouping without chaos. This gave Sarina just a tad of PTSD from handling the wild nights of D.C. The streets can be tough, this game can match it pretty well just with a lot more razzle-dazzle. Here though, she was a fighter not a dispatcher.

Yay for that.

Once things settled down some again. Sarina leaned her staff against a pile of boxes that weren't on fire, dusted off her hands, then pulled a wrapped burger out of thin air and took a big bite out of it while she eyed Levi and @Jin. That guy looked like he came out of a boy band. The kind that does lots of drugs just to look cool for insta. She was too old for that crap in real life and here she knew that type liked a certain playstyle. Swallowing the day-old burger she smirked. He looked tough. Proof she hadn't even started grinding enough.

Work sucks.

​

"...the commander tries his best. It's not every day a bunch of players go psycho on us."

She shrugged and looked around at the chaos.

"I like a good fight as much as the next but Jesus, watch it. Or I'll think you're mocking us."

Finishing her burger she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"I'm going to scout around."

Sarina started making rounds around the camp.

 

[Crimson Ruby]

Keeping most of her features hidden with her cloak, Ruby wandered through the camp, checking her UI over and over, feeling an anxiety growing the more her menu glitched.

A worried breath escaped through her gritted teeth, making her handwave and close her glitched UI, before an explosion pierced her ears, forcing them to flatten against her head as she winced and curled, casting a side glare at the direction of the chaos.

"Another one..." She muttered, tracing her fingers on the grip of her sword before rushing toward the explosion, hoping that at least no one had come out harmed by such a disaster.

"This kind of thing can't keep happening..." Ruby scowled, facepalming as she looked around.

"... Are all magia going rogue? If they keep infiltrating the few areas we have safe, they will win this fight before it even starts..." Her tone has a lingering concern in it. The longer this mess continued, the longer she couldn't log out and the longer her sister would be all by herself, and the bigger was the chance of something going wrong.

 

[Raid Boss]

"Sarina, easy. Now is not the time to sow distrust where there isn't any," Levi scolded his subordinate.

Turning his attention @Jin, the Knight Commander held a firm gaze on the man, "And that goes for you as well, young man. In these kinds of circumstances, words can invite trouble where there is none. Not many people can read the intention behind dry wit. If you have the wit about you still, will you head to the Ruined Palace and get in touch with the Chief Strategist? Szofrit relies on miscommunications to break our formation. We must get ahead of it."

 

[Jin]

He watched, listened. It was clear that the Knight Commander had a level head on his shoulders, even under the current conditions. Jin's lips drew a thin smirk as the man lightly reprimanded him. Dispense with negativity. Rekindle the belief that there is structure. Give the men a direction to follow, and hope that following it will see them through.

Yes, Levi was the leader that they needed. Not like the King, who relied on grandiose gestures and magnanimous acts to dazzle and delight. That also meant that ingratiating himself in any small way to Levi might work to foster trust within the Astorean government.

"By your leave then, Knight Commander," Jin gave a stiff salute and turned his attention toward the depths of Vintergard. He'd made his way to the Palace under much more perilous conditions. He could do it again.

"I will be on my way."

Jin heads for the Ruined Palace.

 

[Elizabeth Lixshine]

Elizabeth entered the game just as the Noise hits. With her UI glitched out and unable to access any way to log out, she found herself running from Magia who she thought were players, now turned into enemy units for her to combat. Elizabeth can't exactly remember the distance she ran, but she certainly did not expect to run into what looked like an aftermath. The beastkin then remembers the place. Camp Hope.

The last time she was here, it was to help with base aid. At her heart, she was still a doctor, not a fighter. She may be a pet doctor, but she was still not gonna deny aid to those who needed it. Thankfully any guards that saw her didn't exactly need to check her, they were too busy with something else, sorting the remains of some burnt pile.

She at least recognized one individual. Red hair and armor and someone worthy of respect. Walking past some moody looking individual, she walks up, stamps her boot to gain @Raid Boss's attention and gives a salute of respect.

"Elizabeth Lixshine, an Adventurer, are there any wounded? I'm capable of healing arts so please, send me to where there is need of aid," The healer didn't need pleasantries, right now there was crisis and for once, Elizabeth couldn't run away from it all.

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno rushed as much as he could, taking the nearest horse or ride for the fastest route to the Hope after the unpleasing surprise they had back in the capital. He knew if back there the situation was dire, in the camp it would probably be even worse.

As he finally met the camp, the signs of destruction were already clear. Sabotages just like everywhere else.

Hanno said, hopping off his horse and rushing toward Levi (@Raid Boss), tugging his gigantic shield along.

He was briefly surprised to see @Elizabeth Lixshine around, but in such circumstances, coincidences were bound to happen. "Hey buddy, it has been a while..." He greeted her, then immediately turning his attention to the Knight Captain.

"Commander, sorry for taking so long!" He apologized. "Things back in the capital are no good. And... I suppose here neither?" Hanno frowned, shifting his gaze between the captain and the beastfolk.

"I ask the same, if there is something I can help with, let me know."

 

[Asher]

As they approached the remnants of Camp Hope, Asher's gut twisted in on itself. No matter which direction he turned, no matter where his gaze was drawn, chaos and carnage met him in equal parts. Some of his fellow Starcalled—if he were to even consider himself as such—were detained and others acted as their jailers. A mote of confusion whispered past him and he turned to his companion, the small pink-haired woman that he had inadvertently attached himself to, with a question upon his lips—

—Only to see a familiar face [ @Hanno Futaba ] leap from their horse and immediately run into the captain's tent. Asher winces and swallows his nerves, his regrets, and pulls himself to stand up straight, forcing his shoulders back. He hadn't been the best Lion in the past few months, but if there was ever a time to repent for not being a hero, well, now was the moment.

" @Rael ," he says while reaching out a hand, his fingers wrapping around her much thinner wrist. While he understood that she, like he, was here to help, there was a section of his brain that wanted her to be far away from here. Safe and secure where nothing bad could happen to her. It was an unrealistic desire.

"I...gotta get my orders from Captain Levi," he tells her, catching her gaze with his crimson eyes, a determined glint reflected within. "I not up to date on what the Lion's have been doing even after giving my vows. So, I need to—but we can—"

Asher sighs and quiets himself in an attempt to collect his thoughts. Once gathered, he licks his lips and resumes speaking.

"I know you have friends out there. And we can find them, help them. I can...help you do that." He gives a resolute nod. "I just need to catch up with the Lion's first."

And while he does wait for her reply, he eventually detangles himself from her side and follows Hanno into the tent.

"Knight Commander Levi [ @Raid Boss ]! Asher, reporting in."

The beastfolk hesitates, words of apology singeing his tongue, but he swallows them, forcing them down his gullet. He could apologize another day, another time, when the world wasn't crumbling down around them.

"How...can I assist?"

 

[Vina Skysong]

It was times like these that Vina was really glad that she didn't have to deal with a strict schedule back on Earth. Of course, she'd still have to make up for missing the next stream if this took too long, but at least that was something she could handle. She didn't like thinking about what it would be like if she had to justify her absence to a boss.

Still, getting trapped inside Terrasphere wasn't exactly a great experience. The panic she'd felt when she'd tried logging out after the sky started acting out had only subsided when she realised that the UI was still there, just messed up, and that most likely the cause were the magia which were squatting in Vintergard. Which meant that it probably could also be undone.

With nothing else on her hands she made her way to Camp Hope, summoning the winds to hasten her journey until she could hear the sounds of people in the distance. The blizzard that was arising from the adorned sky was making it difficult for her to see the camp, however, relying entirely on her hearing until she was finally close enough to see figures running around... and smoke rising up from flames too large to be contained.

The camp was slowly devolving into chaos, and it was easy to see why: Vina watched as several magia got restrained by Blue Coats, and her thought of walking up to them and protesting such treatment died as she saw one of them try to stab the knights.

Her ears twitched as she heard a familiar voice amidst the chaos, and right now what Vina needed was a friend. Turning sharply she ran between the tents, her tail trailing behind her as she guided the winds towards her so she could track what was going on around her.

A flash of red betrayed the identity of a cloaked figure, and Vina called out as she closed the distance, making no attempt at hiding herself despite the dangers that were ravaging the camp.

Ruby!

Unless rebuffed the vixen would give her feline friend a quick hug, her expression both relieved and worried as she let go of Ruby and cast her gaze towards the pillar of smoke rising up from the direction Ruby had been running towards.

What's going on? Anything I can do to help?

@Crimson Ruby

 

[Rael]

.

As the pair drew closer to Camp Hope, the sight that greeted their eyes was one of despair, for plumes of smoke and flame could be seen billowing up into the sky, an ominous sign confirming the words of Hanno's message. Her UI, as if sensing the impending danger, had begun to fail her not a second afterward, hindering her ability to communicate with others and check their status.

Lowering her gaze from the skies above didn't present her with a better reality, either: Everywhere she looked, Landers and Starcalled ran about, trying to mitigate the damage inflicted on the camp, yet it was clear as day that their efforts wouldn't suffice. A chill ran down her spine as the distinctive feeling of dread slowly crept in and made itself home at the back of her head, fingers instinctively reaching upwards to touch her throat, where the scars of the last attack remained.

"Ah..!" Rael suddenly gasped at the beastfolk's touch, pulled from her thoughts and back into this grim reality the two of them were but mere witnesses to. Apprehension shimmered still within the pools of blue of her eyes, tickling at her skin, numbing. It burned and it tingled, enhancing the oppressive emotions that served as a reminder of the assassination attempt and the consequences that followed right after - daring her to imagine what would happen now, with the scale of this attack being much, much greater than the last.

"I'll wait here, go do what you must, but I believe it's..." Inwardly, she was doing all in her power to steady the chaotic drumming of her heart pounding in her ears, wondering if Asher felt its pulse underneath his fingers. Outwardly, the bleakness of the scenario barely appeared to faze her, and she let her hand that was touching her throat fall back to her side. "Tell them you have company, and that I'm also willing to help."

---

@Asher ​