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

[Raid Boss]

Emergency Rally: Finweald
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.

With the Palace and the Lion's Pride headquarters being bombed by @Tick Tock, Astor who was not in the palace at the time watched the repeat of Dragonfall. The king's anger burned hot as hot as the fire spreading across Finweald. A starcalled can never rest, it seemed.

In coordination with the Adventurers Guild, Astor set up an emergency shelter where medics were on standby and adventurers were sent out in groups to pick up the wounded and rally people to the shelter where they would figure out how to best deal with the takeover.

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

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 Finweald they may post here.
• Astor is in the tent and can be interacted with.

 

[Ash Vargold]

Ash wasn't sure he agreed with the plan to shelter people in the city, not when the attack's source was so near. But the king's decree meant that the city's already strained resources had a direction, and it was far easier to follow that path rather than try to do his own thing.

"I've got another group here," he called, raising a hand as he approached the perimeter with a roughed up group of players and one very unconscious magia. He'd found the group fighting to restrain their mind-controlled friend. They were all newer players, so it had been easy to end that fight. He'd been less lucky on his previous forays, and without the assistance of system assists it was exponentially harder for him to fight.

(Not as hard as it should be, but he wasn't thinking about that right now.)

"Keep trying to log out if you can. Things are going to get worse before they get better." He watched the players get escorted deeper into the camp, while the guards deliberated on the fate of the magia he was carrying.

"Really ought to leave the bots behind. They're traitors anyway."

"They're victims, same as the others," Ash snapped, fur bristling. It wasn't the first time someone had questioned him bringing in magia, and he was getting sick of it. "If it makes you feel better, it's another person we don't have to worry about fighting."

Seriously, these people. Wanting him to deny people help when they needed it most...

 

[Chrys]

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Adventurers Guild

Folk St. Market, Finweald, Astorea
 

Chrys calmly entered the emergency shelter with a fat merchant man under one arm and a scantily clad woman underneath the other. On his back was yet another woman, wearing the same amount of clothing as the other one, holding on for dear life. On his shoulders were two fat cats, also holding on for how many lives they had left.

"Oh, god! Thank you! Thank you so much!" The fat man scrambled to stay coherent, though Chrys didn't give him shit for it. He may have forced the adventurer, using their shaky trade partnership as leverage, to rescue his favorite ladies of the night as well as their pets instead of his servants, but he paid good money, so...

"Think nothing of it. As long as you honor your partnership with the Golden God Mining Company—"

The fat man cut Chrys off as soon as he let them all go, dropping all of them on the floor without even making sure they'd be all right. Talk about removing excess baggage, eh? "Yes, yes, the mining thing... Are you girls all right?"

Rolling his eyes, Chrys then ignored that group. He started to look around the crowd of scared people for familiar faces. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a pair of guards struggle with someone who eventually broke free and ran toward Chrys' direction. Without even saying anything, the armored adventurer lifted his leg and booted the escapee right in their face, knocking them out in one fell swoop. The guards quickly grabbed the child, with one of them thanking Chrys. "Thank you! This magia's a little too slippery for us."

Ah, that was a magia?

 

[Raid Boss]

If anyone was inside the lobby of the requisitioned Adventurers Guildhall, they would have spotted Astor, his advisors, and Cessia talking at the table. The king was exuding an murderous aura as he spoke to the people present.

The person speaking presently was one of the advisors. He said,

"With the UI jittering gradually getting worse, we will have to rely on physical communications. We should send out an emergency alert to our allies in Tertoria and Falderen."

"Even the fastest starcalled will take at least a few days to deliver a message to both Tertoria and Falderen. That doesn't mean we shouldn't try, but we can't trust that they will respond appropriately," Astor replied.

Cessia chimed in, "Knowing the priority of the Falderen Nationalists, you should expect your message to be waylaid by their ilk, your majesty. The Guild will put out an emergency quest to shore up our joint number, but even we are underprepared for the attack on our channels of communication.

"We had no idea the enemy could hijack our magia players. We've been played by this mongrel. Right when the starcalled numbers began to wane too. Regardless, the magitechnic leylines in Dragonhead have increased. She's intending on hatching the Red Egg. We need to double our efforts on the turned magia and push into Dragonhead even if we're going to have a lot of casualty. There's no more time," Astor frowned.

"Your majesty! Many lives will be lost if we pushed forward now, especially when we have so few starcalled," the advisor countered.

"One does not win a war with kindness, advisor. It would behoove you to remember the horror of Dragonfall, lest you wish to impart such horror on the people of Astorea a second time." Cessia did not hold her tongue.

Cessia can now be interacted with.​

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno's expressions were direly serious, carrying a magia over his shoulder instead of his usual gargantuan dissonant shield, that for now was simply taking the shape of a faerin girl that followed right next to him. He hated the fact he had to harm someone innocent, but if things continued as they were, soon there would be no Finweald, and no army to fight off the enemy at all.

It didn't take long for him to spot @Ash Vargold, just in time to hear the guards spilling a ridiculous statement.

"The only traitors are those that even think about leaving someone behind." Hanno scowled, with his emotions boiling as he saw the state of the city, and the many deaths and abductions that had already occurred in such a little time.

"Ash, buddy." Hanno spoke, turning away from those ignorants, not wishing to see their faces any longer. "I will be going to Camp Hope very soon... At least as soon as things are remotely around control over here..." He huffed.

"This time, we are all 'UI-Locked'." He quoted. "And I don't like that, at all."

 

[Chrys]

《⋯《 ⋯ ❖ ⋯ 》⋯》

Adventurers Guild

Adventurers Guildhall, Finweald, Astorea
 

After watching the guards take away the child-like magia, Chrys returned to looking for familiar faces to approach. It didn't take him long to spot the Guild Master Cessia. He was already approaching her, after heaving a sigh of annoyance at how many people have been crammed in one place, when he noticed the other person she was talking to. Is that... No way! Chrys was more excited at the prospect of being on a royally paid quest than being in the presence of royalty, though he maintained his composure like a well-mannered businessman as he bowed in their presence.

"Guild Master. Your excellency.... I am Chrys, no last name, of the Adventurers Guild. It would be my honor and my privilege to lend the Guild and the Crown my services for whatever need they may have of them."

He introduced himself to one after the other. While he kept himself closer to the Guild Master than to the King, he was keeping an eye on the latter as well, believing it could be rude to completely ignore the man. Also, maybe he'll give me extra stuff like a better sword or a better armor...or better companions. Okay, that last one was a little rude, but let's face it: Most adventurers never keep in touch after asking for his protection. Might be better if he had royal guards or knights or whatever with him this time around. I can lead. Probably.

Now all he needed to do was wait for their acknowledgement and subsequently their plan. They had a plan, didn't they? Of course they would. They're the head honchos. Otherwise, this place is kaput.

@Raid Boss

 

[Kamala Graham]

‧͙⁺˚･❀･˚⁺͙‧

Adventurers Guild

Adventurers Guildhall, Finweald, Astorea
 

Kamala and her two friends had arrived in Finweald with terrible timing. Things were as chaotic as ever, on a level that none of them had expected. Still, they tried their best to help those they could make their way to the shelter, and when the elven Starcalled felt she needed more information on what was going on, she told them both to stay with the others while she tracked down whoever could provide what she needed. Tim nodded, knowing it was their best chance at surviving, while Colleen hesitated, afraid for herself and the others, but relented when Tim talked her through her own paranoia.

Kamala herself wasn't in the best state of mind. There were too many people around her, most of them were panicking, and a lot of them were injured. She tried to heal as many as possible, but she knew that was not the ultimate solution. It was like patching holes on a sinking boat without rowing the boat to land. Someone somewhere should have a plan, and she was going to help row this boat back to land.

Chrys? Guild Master Cessia? King Astor? Kamala quietly approached them, though she ended up standing behind the massive Chrys, probably hidden from either Cessia's or even the King's view. She was much smaller than Chrys and definitely shyer. She dared not speak, not wanting to interrupt them, but she listened attentively. If they needed more hands on deck, she'd raise both of her own and volunteer to help with whatever plan they had. Hopefully, Ayna would join us soon... Or if not, I hope she's safe.

 

[Ash Vargold]

The guard scoffed Hanno's way, eyes lingering on the magia slung over his shoulder. "Well, when they're stabbing you in the back, don't go looking for me to help ya."

Ash glared, but forced himself to inhale slowly, then exhaled with a growl as he offloaded his 'passenger' to be taken to where the hijacked magia players were being held. He glanced @Hanno Futaba's way with a tired grimace. "I was two heartbeats away from punching that guy. More people with that opinion than not."

He flicked an ear towards the conference happening within the hall. It didn't take long for him to start bristling all over again, tail swishing in time with the dissonant thump in his chest. Do not engage, do not walk over and give them a piece of your mind, do not think about how good it would feel to punch the so-called king in the face-

"I'll probably be joining you, he said, ignorant of the palpable fury his Primal Aura was emanating. "At least, once I'm sure these assholes aren't going to start throwing people into a blender when we aren't looking."

 

[Raid Boss]

Astor eyed @Chrys up and down, assessing the fox-eyed adventurer. The king's gaze was so intense that it could have burned a hole through the man, the littler @Kamala Graham standing behind him and her two friends as well. Tension was high, and it showed in the hint of distrust behind every interaction.

"Chrys, Kamala, you're here. Where's Ayna?" Cessia spoke. When it didn't seem like they could answer her, she continued. "We're currently waiting for a more comprehensive report of the ongoing attacks in Finweald. When we have a better scope of the magia's movement, we'll send the fighting forces out to deal with aggressors while the healers and emergency response forces follow their lead."

"Cessia is going to take charge of the homefront here as I am headed to Camp Hope. If the reports of the kidnapped people are anything to go by, Szofrit must be hatching the Red Egg," Astor chimed in as an attendant brought him a winter coat.

"For peace and prosperity, your majesty. You need to end the dragon." Cessia's words were unwavering, yet there was somehow much pain in those blue eyes.

When Astor passed @Ash Vargold, they briefly caught one another's gaze, where there was some repressed tension there. The king ignored it as he headed for his horse, however. Time was a-wasting.

 

[Chrys]

《⋯《 ⋯ ❖ ⋯ 》⋯》

Adventurers Guild

Adventurers Guildhall, Finweald, Astorea
 

Kamala? Chrys had not noticed @Kamala Graham until Cessia mentioned her. When he turned around, he simply gave her a brief nod before shifting his attention back to the Guild Master. At least with the elf close by, he'll get some priority heals, even though he wouldn't really need them.

When Cessia mentioned @Ayna Nietzsche, though, all Chrys could do was shrug. With his user interface glitching, he found it a waste of time to message anyone. Wherever that purple-haired loudmouth was, she was probably causing problems for the opposition. But back to the more important topic at hand...

"...count on me, us, then. You have my sword, Guild Master, Your Excellency. For peace and prosperity, we'll do all that we can."

Chrys stood firm beside Cessia, trying his best to appear noble and brave to his superiors, especially to Astor. He wasn't oblivious to the king's intense gaze, though the adventurer just assumed it was because he had technically interrupted what could have been a high-ranking briefing. Even he, in Astor's shoes, would have been annoyed to find a lower-ranked jabroni inserting himself into a priority conversation. Still, all this talk about a red egg and a dragon... Ohoho! I don't think I've ever seen a dragon in this place before! This is going to be epic!

When he noticed the pain in Cessia's eyes, Chrys tried to give her a comforting nod. Is she...okay? Should I... He would've patted her on the shoulder or something, but he felt like that would be a breach of professionalism. She's the boss, and he's just a freelancer. He'd rather not get sued, or worse, for inappropriate misconduct. Nah, she'll be fine. Wouldn't be Guild Master if she couldn't pull it together. 'sides, I'm here. No harm's gonna come to the boss while I'm next to her...

@Raid Boss

 

[Darko Ljubicic]

As Darko arrived in Finweald to buy some more ammunition for his gun, he then saw the complete mayhem that had engulfed this once peaceful capital of Astorea: flames had engulfed the large buildings including the Palace and the Lion's Pride headquarters; a number of Starcalled magia attacking innocent citizens; and a lot of people crying over the loss of their loved ones, property, or both. Beneath his icy-cold demeanor, a fit of rage was bubbling within him, and he then soon found himself taking action.

Spotting a magia about to kill a couple of Landers, he then unleashed a Dark Magic imbued pinpoint barrage of bullets towards him, stopping him in his tracks as he fell limp to the ground. He knew that while these magia would murder every humanoid they see, he knew that they were still humans back in his world, so he elected to shoot once on each shoulder and hip so as to limit their range of movement and would make it easier for them to be captured. He then did it again four times with the other magia within his extended eyesight aided with past and future imagery magic: the malfunctioning of his UI had him resorting to this mode which was taxing to his own magic reserves. And so, taking note of the images that he saw, he deactivated the magic while he was reloading his revolver and inching his way towards the gun shop that he had always frequented. As he approached the building, he then aimed at the magia nearest to him and would pose immediate danger to him as he approached, and then, after purchasing a considerable amount of .327 Federal Magnum in the shop, he then departed from it, shooting and reloading as he walked away.

Seeing what had transpired in this encounter, Darko then thought as he then shot away at each rampaging magia that he saw, "Looks like I might have a handle on things." If this was currently happening in Finweald, what more in Camp Hope which the magia in Dragonfall was aiming to destroy?

As he was moving towards the gates of Finweald while still shooting some more rampaging magia with the aim of suppressing them, he then saw some bickering between what seemed to be a member of the Finweald town guards and a beastman (@Ash Vargold). A well-armored faerin (@Hanno Futaba) tried to inject sense to the town guard who seemed to be motivated by hate towards the Starcalled magia, but the town guard seemed to be still on it. Maybe it was not the time of admonishment for this person.

As he then stepped forward towards the trio, he then said to the guard, "Of course we will do that. After-" He was interrupted by the sighting of an attacking magia, which he then promptly dispatched by firing a bullet on each limb. "After all, reprogramming these magia is much more easier as compared to trying to change the ways of an unrepentant bigot who seemed to be clinging on his unreasonable anger than his own minuscule intellect."

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Hanno gave no care for the guards words, instead focusing his attention between @Ash Vargold and Astor, slipping a sigh as he crossed his arms. "I really don't understand what is going on in their minds. But I do understand we should be cautious..." He shook his head, casting a glance at Ash.

"Thankfully, the Lions won't follow the 'majesty' blindly. There is a much better way to deal with them." He said, and while he was angry and frustrated about everything, he did muster a smile.

"If you are going to stay here, then I can go relieved and sure that no Magia ally will be harmed in front of you." He said. "And there may have some magia being handled poorly at the Camp too, so I will ensure you that they won't be harmed there either."

Hanno offered a fist bump. "I will see you there, buddy."

Regardless if Ash would go for it or not, Hanno would carefully lay down the Magia he was carrying on a safe spot, and would dart off with the fake faerin staying behind for a moment.

"And if you feel you are all by yourself, remember we are always with you..." She said with a sway of her tentacle tail, slowly shifting her gaze from his eyes to his chest, snickering before she followed Hanno.

 

[Ilusa Nakhalee]

There were some people in the Guildhall’s lobby. Some Ilusa recognised from looks, others she did not. She squeezed past the players, noticing the important woman (that she was here and there irrationally jealous of), murderous looking Astor and some other people that seemed to be a council of sorts. She caught the words about Falderen Nationalists, before Astor spoke.

The accursed egg, the hijacked magia players. It gave her hives, it made the fur stand on end - it reminded her of how unnatural this world was, how each time something deeper and worse was discovered. …How it made each log-in an internal battle because of the increasing dangers. And yet ultimately, so far each time she returned, the pull was too strong.

Adventures walked forward, or spoke and Ilusa took this time to gather her wits, her courage and ignore the flickering of the HUD.

“Oh.” She muttered lightly as the blonde king spoke of going towards the camp. The felis knew where she wanted, no, where she needed to be now. By his side. To the Camp Hope. By his side (she tried so hard to not think hard on Cessia’s expression as she spoke of Astor slaying the dragon, because the pit in her stomach was growing, no, no, no).

Spying where he was going (which was made easier with the beautiful ornate winter coat he not sported), Ilusa followed, squeezing past people, ducking under someone’s shield, managing to get past some guard that tried to stop her, getting in way of the king so to say.

“Let’s ride together Astor.” Ilusa said simply, her expression serene and not showing her inner turmoil, intent on climbing the same horse, wanting to burrow into his chest and enjoy the short moments of rest during the gallop before a battle would begin. “Very nice coat, looks large enough for two people too. Brilliant work by whoever made it.”

 

[Erick Stryker]

He couldn't log out, not for lack of trying.

To be fair, he only tried to make sure he couldn't. That meant others probably couldn't either. The way that the UI seemed to respond in a volatile manner made him disinclined to believe anyone else would continue to try, and accordingly, he didn't either. It seemed to fluctuate in perfect time with the cyber storm that raged in the distance, over Vintergard. The old capital was a nexus for this kind of strife, but now, even the city of Finweald would not be spared from the chaos.

Not when these attacks came coordinated, on multiple fronts. The devastation of the city made it difficult to respond quickly to threats and situations nearby, and without messaging or a means to contact the front lines, they would be forced to trust that the situation was in hand.

Erick didn't like that.

There were healers hurriedly tending the wounded, people pulling mangled bodies and the wounded out of rubble, dragging them to what beds they could. The numbers were adding up quickly. Soon, they wouldn't have enough hands to go around, and a veritable mountain of corpses to boot. His usual smile was nowhere to be found.

There were people he couldn't protect. People who needed him, who he had failed. People who he wanted to protect, but didn't know where to find. Ruby. Where was Ruby? Where was... anyone he knew?

"What good is a vow if not upheld?" he murmured, staring down at his hands. "Lord of Light, break through the darkness and show me the path I must walk," he prayed. He had never been a religious man. Not before coming to Terrasphere. Not before seeing the power of Tyldr.

That was why now, he decided to bank on faith.

"And I will walk it without backing down."