Complete Private Main Story (S4 Finale P.2) Directive: Distract ✗

[Raid Boss]

Distract
Season 4 Finale - Part 1

Tick and Tock were busying themselves with crafting inside their shop in Finweald. Although it was getting later into the night, neither one wanted to stop as they were just about to make a breakthrough on their latest attempt.

They were so immersed in their activity that neither one noticed the quiet lullaby flooding their ears. When the lullaby concluded, a near-silent voice came next.

[ Handler Permission: Szofrit. Command: Override. Autonomy: Bypassed. ]

While holding onto a flask with a viscous substance inside, Tick froze suddenly, dropping the flask onto the ground. The impact shattered the flask and shot shrapnel of glass all over the floor, some of it scratching up Tock's legs, which didn't matter since she froze a second after Tick...

❰ Handler's Directive: Activated ❱
Attempt to Resist: Failed​

Their minds were wracked by a migraine unlike anything they had felt before.

Amid the mental storm, they saw a distorted image of Szofrit and her glitched voice.

[ The Red Keychild will soon be born. In order to complete the Red Key and access the Creator's Database, all we require are the other two ships. For the sake of the saviors, failure is not permitted -

You have been given the Astral Ripper. Pull their attention from the frontline. Tap into the Handler's power reserve when it is required. ]

"Affirmative." they both said.

When the pair looked down at their hands, one of their fingers have changed, appearing more like that of Szofrit. With a light drag, they are able to open a spatial opening connecting them elsewhere in Finweald. How will they carry out their directive?

Directive: Create chaos and distract the Starcalled​

@Tick Tock

• You may make a response (up to 700 words) or a brief recap of your how you are carrying out your Directive.
• Do not roll, the Narrator will ask for the appropriate roll and will update the thread after your post.

Afterward...

• This thread will allow a response and interaction from any interested characters after the next Narrator post.
• Other directive threads will open over the next few days.
• Each character may only participate in a single Directive thread at any given time. Wait a bit and see which thread best fits your character.
• A megathread that anyone can join will open up once all the Directive threads are up.
• All of this is Part 1 of the S4 Finale and are considered pre-event / lead-up to the final thread. The character participating won't get locked out of the finale thread unless there are some special narrative reason, which you may clear up with me first!

 

[Tick Tock]

Szofrit's Revenge

The space tore itself apart, and were it any brighter one might see the stars upon it. Instead, a purpleish void gazed into the palace, or what it would be the palace: it was the head of their government shaped as a building, afterall. from within, a figure emerged. The blindfolded man carried a dark exoskeleton across his chest, on top of his garbs, firmly attached like a snake coiling around it's prey. It's legs spread like body armor over his torso, only, the spider's predatory beeps were nothing short of welcoming.

A push turned to a shove as the tied man fell onto the ground, and more than one watched as a robed, masked woman made herself known. Some mere civilians working their backs away, others armed with spears and shields and tags of shiny metals. Their reactions mixed, but the collective thought swarms them as danger makes itself known.

Mama sends her regards.

The next few seconds were silent, save for muffled screams of a blindfolded hostage. Just as quick as she arrived she left, closing behind her dimensional door. The first to suffer would be oblivious to their demise. Of course, delivered by a blindfolded everyday worker - A thunderous boom shook within the building. Windows exploded, the doors unhinged from their frame, dust quivering from it's unclean spots.

Justice is blind. Let them know their transgressions will be paid in blood. Let them know the Boogieman is real and it's made out of steel.

Noise in exchange of devastation. Exposition over demolition. The building stands, and some survivors rest beneath the debris.

There would be delays between each blast. Of course, people needed time to leave their shock, to realize the situation, only for it to return back to a cycle of ear-shattering booms.

The second to explode would be the Kingdom's Arms. Their very pride. Many heads turned sight to the catastrophe within the Lion's Headquarters. Only this would not be one, but two, but three, but four. If it were not the blast radius of the manabombs, it would be chunks of their safehaven what killed them.

Break their arms. If they rise their swords again, then break their hope instead.

The chorus of screams and panic hadn't reached far yet, not far enough. Many came on a daily basis to either mourn the lost names upon the plaque, or mantain it, as it is a vital link crafted by the priests of Astorea that kept the memories of the dead alive for Landers and Starcalled alike.

This, Tick Tock would personally see it destroyed, with enough firepower to leave nothing but scraps and corrupted remnants product of raw foul magics at play within her devices.

The skies turned purple as Tick Tock ripped through the blues and whites to leave an anomaly large enouguh to be seen by Lander and player alike. It twisted, until no longer was it an empty void but an All-Seeing Eye.

"Oh Mama, are you proud of us yet?"

The explosion set off just as Tock accidentally released a signal to do so within the many stalls of the streets across Folkstreet Market while the pair watched from atop their own shop.

"Look how many people we hurt for you, Mama!"

Some dead, many wounded, and enough mayhem spread across the city. So many ways for Starcalled to go from Zeroes to Heroes in one day.

"Tock, release the six-legged Peacemakers."

Tick wagged her finger with her newfound commanding presence.

They crawled from within the store and made their way out, the first batch of little spider drones that pursued after the citizens of Finweald. They attached themselves to their necks, they beep'd ominously, and while they were easy to remove, the radius was large enough to catch three or four people when detonated. Of course, they wouldn't do so, not yet, not until the Starcalled tried their very best.

Do you think they will come?

Oh right, Mama wanted us to cause a distraction. Well, let's go do that now!

With a swing from her finger, Tock ripped yet another portal open...

@Raid Boss

 

[Raid Boss]

The strategic hit on the Palace and the Pride's headquarters sparked the great panic that plunged half of the city into turmoil. Given that the day of Dragonfall was still fresh in the minds of many Astorean, they were forced to relive it through the explosive assault, spreading fire and debris wherever the pair jumped to.

Amid their attack, however, one of them would have noticed that the limbs of the other were cracking. The sheer power of the Handler's Reserve was destroying their bodies. How much further will they continue to push?

Before they jumped into another portal, an armored knight called out to them. "H-hey, I have seen you before. You're supposed to be an Astorea, how could you? After Dragonfall no less... I will vanquish you, unredeemable foes!"

He reached for the spear on his back and slung it at them. A Lion never backs down when they have people to protect.

@Tick Tock

You are given a choice after you choose what to do with the lander knight. Rolls are not necessary for this part.

• Overdraft the Handler's Power Reserve
• Leave and recuperate.

 

[Tick Tock]

"'How could you!' He says. That's a very strange way to thank Tick for giving you lazy kitten's pride a jo-

In her rambling, neither twin noticed a spear heading their way, the weapon striking true and piercing through Tock's chest as the puppet dropped to the floor. Almost defeated comically easy, but that's what gave some hope to the Lion: Keeping his word and vanquishing one of his foes, leaving the other awestruck and open for him to rush after.

You killed her...

Her finger traced right infront of her, and space cracked to her will, in a way no astromancer could hope to achieve and certainly neither of the twins, unexperienced before the Handler's power was granted to them. It gave little time for the knight to stop on his tracks, and in a blink of an eye the portal closed, leaving in it's wake the bottom half of the knight falling against the floor. Not a clean cut by any means given the angle, yet no armor could stand against twisted reality like that...

Did he fell for it?

Tock finally rested her elbows against the ground, looking over to Tick, who simply returned the smile back upon her features and squatted down next to her.

Yup! Died thinking he did something productive. At least he died like a hero!

A different wound however was put in display as both of them watched their arms, the gaps within these cracks upon porcelain showing up and finally giving away that power had a price and mortality was apparent even for the one who lack flesh and bone. With Tock wounded, that would mean even less time was left on them.

You will be okay, Tick. Mama needs us, we can't fail her. Not now, so close to her dream.

Tick stared intently, just as Tock begun to de-attach her right hand, prompting her to do the same. The only difference between both would be that one finger that emanated raw power bestowed upon them by their beloved mother and leader.

I know. You go take a nap Tock and I'll be there when you wake up. But for now,

Lifting her sister off the ground, one final portal opened behind Tock as the light within pink eyes started to fade and traverse through her arms, reaching out for Tick's. Poised, she broke the spear in two, leaving both halves to drop to either side, watching as her other half became nothing but a shell of their former self.

The portal closed once the lifeless 'magia' fell through it to safety. Spinning on her heel, she gave a final look over to Finweald and the chaos the Leader's Chosen unleashed over the capital, with all their different directives being met with varying degrees of success, at least for those she had knowledge of, but success nonetheless.

Both fingers glowed with the ripper's essence, now wielded by only one host. Far more power efficient given their conversion, if only it would delay the inevitable, as abuse would soon come to pay it's price. They were eager, almost bloodthirsty despite the lack of red cast upon each swing did from the tip of her fingers, and from this vantage point she stood at, blue eyes from a different face set themselves upon Embertorch.

Spoiler

I'll take it from here.

• Overdraft the Handler's Power Reserve

 

[Raid Boss]

Distract
Season 4 Finale - Part 2

Astor has specifically requested you and your group to join the Emergency Response team to quell the fires raging across Finweald, rescue people trapped inside collapsing building, and providing medical attention to those who need it. The king saw saving people as more of a priority than to form a full team to chase the assailant who can teleport anywhere within the city.

Since reports made it clear that the two had fused, one person among you must take on the role of the decoy, pulling Tick Tock's attention by attacking her at the Embertorch and drawing her away from the rest of the group trying to help people amid Finweald's frostfire.

Guidelines

• Max participants: 5
• Max word count: 700
• Make the appropriate rolls then, write a post and contribute to the scene
• @Tick Tock may optionally make up to 2 posts (149 words or less) or a single, bigger post to add to the scene

Objective: Distract Tick Tock while quelling fire and helping Finweald citizens

• Minimum Score: 350
• Perfect Victory: 450
• Passives: All
• Bonus Actions: See below
• Armor Ability: None

Mechanics

• The first person to post is the designated decoy who engages Tick Tock in a duel to hold her attention. Perform any special attack. If your result is 360 or higher, the rest of your group does not get a penalty to their rolls.
  • Weather: the blizzard favors you as it obscures your attack, giving you initiative. +1d20 as a free action.
  • Bonus Actions: All are available
• Emergency Response: Make a Contribution Roll (Mastery or Expertise) and include how you use it to perform your duties.
  • Penalty: -25 from your roll if the decoy's special attack is below 360
  • Combo: If a mastery check is used: +5 per MR of a secondary mastery
  • Narrative BA: If you have any relevant non-mechanical narrative tools that would aid you in this mission, you may use a BA to add 1d20 to your roll.

Spoiler: Post Template

[hp=current]max[/hp]
[status]

[/status]

Post here

[action]

[/action]
[b]Directive:[/b] Distract
▪ Chase Count: 000/350
▪ Player Count: 0/5
▪ Play Sheet

 

[Eva]

165 / 165

The reports surprised her, with Tick Tock attacking the Palace and Lions' Headquarters. The gadgets, particularly the spider-bots were obviously hers. Still, it's a little hard to believe that the so-called leader of the magia could control all the player magia easily. Should've at least thought of the possibilities, maybe create a countermeasure.

Quickly arriving at Embertorch, Eva quickly scanned the place with her scoped weapon, allowing her to identify the threat, which quickly locked on a small figure which didn't look like Tick Tock at all, save for the height. But if the reports were to be believed, the twins had fused into this singular person and currently headed for Embertorch, which she was probably going to destroy next.

But Eva didn't care about that place.

Wasting no time, the white-haired woman confronted her so-called daughter, her rifle to the side as she called out to the girl, still unsure how to address her. "Tick? Tock?" She offered a hand, extended to the light-blue-haired girl. "Let's go home. It's dinner time."

Rolls

Burst Attack
14d20 (9 + 11 + 20 + 17 + 11 + 14 + 7 + 19 + 3 + 18 + 8 + 15 + 12 + 11 + 12 + 15) = 202
202 damage (2 explosions)
You are Vulnerable.
Ranged Weapons | Eva | Directive: Distract

Roll Result
1d20 (10) = 10

Weather | Eva | Directive: Distract

(BA) Overload
Attacks & buffs gain 20 and heals gain 10.
You cannot move this cycle.
Eva | Directive: Distract

Total = 232

Directive: Distract
▪ Chase Count: 000/350
▪ Player Count: 1/5
▪ Play Sheet

 

[Hanno Futaba]

300 / 300

Hurt, but relentless

"Big sis is sure inspired today, isn't she, Hanno~?" Ghast, his shield disguised in the form of a faerin girl, followed the faerin that had just rescued a couple elves from the destruction.

"She ain't inspired, she is goddamn' out of her mind!" He corrected, gritting his teeth while rushing to a building that was engulfed with flames.

"I won't lie, I like her style!"

"Not the time for this, buddy." He frowned, looking behind to see @Eva and @Tick Tock, something that made the faerin feel a knot in his throat.

"She better have a good plan to get so close to her..." As much as he worried, he couldn't waste the precious time she was buying for the rescuers.

Hanno grunted, pushing away debris that had become a death trap for the poor victims of the Magia rampage. Shoving the door open, Hanno coughed at the thick and dark smoke, waving it away as he forced his way through, managing to hear the whimpering coming from the depths of the room.

"Ghast, devour all of it!" He roared.

"Your orders~" She took a deep breath, opening her mouth widely and sucking all the smoke into her mouth, like a potent vacuum cleaner that swirled all the visual obstacle that the fire was imposing on the faerin knight.

As the smoke cleared out, around three weakened victims could be seen, and Hanno rushed for their rescue. "You take one, I will get the other two." He instructed the pseudo-faerin, that nodded along and took one of the members over her shoulder, while Hanno approached the other two, giving a small snap of fingers in front of the one that still seemed to have some conciousness.

"Hey, wake up. You are safe now... But I need you to hold on me while I carry your friend, can you do that?" Hanno asked, restraining the worried emotions from showing on his voice, even if the sense of urgence was still there.

The poor victim rose their eyes to Hanno, squinting as their vision blurred, yet managing to nod in understanding.

Hanno offered a faint but encouraging smile. "Great, buddy. I love strong people like you." He clasped a hand on their shoulder, crouching for them to hold on him and picking up the unconscious victim in his arms.

He shifted his gaze to Ghast, hurrying as he heard the structures cracking. "Let's go, before this shit goes down."

The fake faerin nodded eagerly, rushing ahead without restraint, with Hanno following albeit lagging behind due to his armor and the extra weight.

It didn't take long for Ghast escape with the first victim, but as Hanno was stepping near the exit, he noticed an unstable structure and reacted quickly before it snapped, turning to cover the ones he carried in a protective run, taking the hit of the falling stone bricks and suppressing a groan, nearly stumbling as he forced his march to the nearest friendly fellows he could find.

"Ahh... aaarh... buddy, sorry... I... Give me a hand, please?" He forced one last step, falling on his knees, followed by Ghast.

Both of them lowered the victims, and Hanno spoke-

"Take... Take care of them for me... Will ya? They... They already went through too much..." He tried to catch his breath, casting a side glance to see the situation with the rogue magia.

Rolls

Roll Result
1d20 (9) = 9
Hanno Futaba | Narrative BA: Dissonant Buddy

Expertise Check
1d100 (66) + 50 + 9 + -25 = 100
Awareness | Hanno Futaba | Directive: Distract

Directive: Distract
▪ Chase Count: 100/350
▪ Player Count: 2/5
▪ Play Sheet

If any healer or fellow rescuer wants to use the end of this post as a hook, feel free!

 

[Erick Stryker]

180 / 180

Fatigued, but functional

There were some things too great to be undone.

Take... Take care of them for me... Will ya? They... They already went through too much...

They hadn't been given a choice. Hanno and Erick had. And their choice was much less difficult than most people would have thought.

"I'll go," he told the Faerin as they worked to catch their breath. "Rest up. We'll take turns."

The Blue Haired youth didn't wait for a response as he sprinted into the hellscape.

He couldn't hear their screams, drowning in the crackle of flames and smoke. He couldn't see ten feet in front of him and he could barely breathe. That didn't mean he could stop slogging through the inferno, eyes caked with soot and grime and tears streaming unbidden down his cheeks. There were people who couldn't even do that trapped beneath the rubble. It took one look at the scene to know it was beyond his power to prevent, especially since he had never seen it coming.

The evil that caused this had employed not just allied Magia, but Players. Erick gagged and choked and coughed as he waded deeper into the carnage and looked around for any signs of life. He lit himself up, a beacon for the lost and helpless, a shining, pulsating star in the heart of the darkness. He could feel the faintest warmth as he did so, shimmering threads stretching out from his body to guide him toward even the weakest traces of life that remained. With his senses stretched out to their peak, he could see the after-images of people flailing, running for their lives, racing against fate as the ceiling and walls crumbled on top of them.

Hanno had done his part. He had risked the flames before Erick. Now, it was Stryker's turn to brave danger for the sake of others.

Oxygen was necessary for fire to burn, but it was not the only necessary fuel. In order for an object to maintain a flame, it had to have something to feed it. Once the carbon was expunged, the flames had nothing to feed on or cling to. In accordance, once the object had reached its logical end of life- accelerated by fire- the fire would go out.

That premise was what Erick took firm hold of as he stretched his influence out across a large area of fallen masonry, mortar, wood, and other materials and began to rapidly age it.

The small flames burned at immense speeds, hollowing out surfaces and reducing ruins to ash. As the dust settled, and the frightening display of "fast forward" reduced much of the immediate area from an extreme hazard to little more than pillars of salt, Erick sank to his knees. One small area of buildings for all of that effort, and only a handful of bodies, whether or not they still lived a question yet to be answered.

He heaved a breath and stood, steadying himself.

He had to do it again.

Erick could feel his lungs working themselves overtime. Every breath was labored, every rise and fall of his chest exaggerated. His eyes remained focused on the task in front of him. There were people here who needed him to act. That was enough for him to continue.

But how much of it could he bear?

Rolls

Using Divine Magic to find survivors and Chronomancy and to accelerate the breakdown of debris in order to facilitate rescue.

1d100 (37) + 25 + 15 + 3 = 80 - 25 = 55
Chronomancy + Divine Magic | Erick Stryker | 1683

Directive: Distract

▪ Chase Count: 155/350

▪ Player Count: 3/5

▪ Play Sheet

 

[Elizabeth Lixshine]

165 / 165

Elizabeth had followed Hanno and his group to the burning town. Her role in the team was simple. She was the designated healer. If there were any survivors, no matter how close to death they could be, she'll do her best to make sure they live another day. She puts on a brave face. She was a vet in real life, but now she feels like a doctor in a warzone.

Slowly she watched @Eva do what she set out to do. Prayers for her safety were silently muttered. Their foe as she was told, was a close friend to her. Hopefully, the result was something fruitful. The beastkin then watches @Hanno Futaba brave the flames first. Elizabeth took a breath and shook her head. The smell of smoke was suffocating enough, her country bumpkin upbringing made her detest the smell even more.

Quickly she retrieved the first, then the second and the third from Hanno, relieving him of his burden. She got to work, channeling light into her palms and briefly examining her patients. It was just like caring for pets she told herself. Broken leg, burn marks, scratches and bruises. Elizabeth rips a piece of her own armor to deal with anything that was simple enough to walk off. She need to get them out the best she could.

Rolls

(BA) Auto Assist
+15 to attacks, heals, buffs, checks, contributions, and saves.

Elizabeth Lixshine
Mastery Check
1d100 (12) + 10 + 15 - 26 = 11

Divine Magic + Mend + Auto Assist | Elizabeth Lixshine | 1680

Directive: Distract
▪ Chase Count: 166/350
▪ Player Count: 4/5
▪ Play Sheet

 

[Tick Tock]

​

Spoiler: Within The Embertorch

Evacuation became the members's main concern. The proud halls of the Explorer's League remained intact, beautiful like a sculpture. The movement here was nowhere near as ordered. Chaos reigned. Many were out, but not everyone had gotten the memo in time until the threat turned sighs to their doorstep. What became a safehaven for many citizens given distance, turned into a living nightmare as the crimson and orange hues approached, consuming everything in their path and multiplying like a plague. Only, fire is one that purges rather than infect...

​

Beleg, what are you doing, we need to leave. NOW! It ain't safe no more!

Furious, the Lion Knight had a reason to believe his friend would be at his office, and his hunch was right to check into his office, only to find the veteran packing away some of his books into his satchel. He couldn't just leave away these away, not when his pupil was in desperate need of an edge.

I'll catch up, there's people still within the corridor that needs to-

The ground quakes as the very foundations of the Embertorch were threatened by an assault... An assault coming from nowhere to be seen, nowhere to be found, but very well felt across each and every member.

​

I'm not losing anyone else Beleg! I lost my Lions in there, I'm not losing you too, Get. Moving.

The elf frowned, being fully aware that their time limit has been long overdue- Sliding over his own desk, damning all the paperwork on the way with great gusto, Elec and Beleg made both their way outside with the paladin taking the lead on the charge. Bow and sword, only neither had a reason to use their weapons: You can't fight falling debris with these.

People scrambled to make it to the exit. The roof was the first to collapse, and with it many brave men and women along with it. They were forced to watch how life clings from a string above their heads, and someone has begun to cut each of them separately. For instance, this one group of newbies, so valiant, so ready to face death as per their vows...

Just another set of victims for the game.

ELEC!

Stone froze to his command as he outstretched his arm towards the group who seeked shelter on themselves against sudden death, only to find that, above their heads, the whole pillar had stopped dead on it's tracks, before shattering into two. three. four segments, and flinged across the wall.

On it!

The yell was the cue for the brave knight, who rooted himself down back to back with the elf, and begun to channel a hasten spell for the remaining survivors to make their escape, even as their world seemed to fall into nothingness and chunks out of the Embertorch begun to cover the prestine floors.

Yet not everyone could be saved, and the hardest decision had to be done by Beleg himself: Hasten themselves, and force his arm upon Elec before his death wish became true. Fortunately the knight could keep up with his own dexterous self, as the pair would dodge, slide, jump and break their way through, only to find, at the end of their path, the fruit of their labor.

Spoiler: The Team's Valiant Efforts

It spread. A wildfire upon a city, an enemy no one was prepared for: No sword could cut through fire, no shield could protect against it's slippery embrace. It would grasp everything with it's tendrils and bring it down, the very oppressive nature of what can be but a small ember could grow into a pocket example of what might just be the elemental plane of this same element.

@Hanno Futaba was the first to reach the onslaught, to find soon enough that most of the targets were no tempered warriors, even if some had gone before his place only to fail. As black smoke got cleansed away by Ghast and visibility became just a little clearer he could find the most innocent of victims, the ones who suffer wars more than any soldier given their lack of preparation. The ones who pay with blood and coin in it's process and after-math.

Families. Children. Husbands and wives. The very people they sought to defend. Terrified faces covered on ash, gravel and dirt, ragged clothing and heaving chests. Not every single one of them concious, and some not even on their own two legs while at it.

These were the ones they were braving the world for, even if their bodies could only last so long before the very protective roofs and walls became their very doom. Only so much good one can do before being overwhelmed. And to safekeep hostages on top of that..?

To this, @Erick Stryker 's Physics class came to become a torchbearer, only no flame upon it, no, not that wretched red and orange that terrorized Finweald. But the very light of Tyr itself. Divine, as a beacon of hope granted his aid to another, putting his body through the same tormentous exhaustation that Hanno's did. His plan different, the price to pay similar, but it's goals went beyond only saving:

Fire did not last long, not when under the assault of basic logic. This horror can be beaten, it can be killed, if one suffocates the very essence of what makes it be. Time would accelerate, but the consequences would not affect his peers, not when his body strains against bending fire to it's will: It will consume, but it would not be the people of Finweald.

A price however, had to be paid, and that is the very homes of these landers. Their lives intact, but only a harrowing scene would be open to their savior and themselves: Only ash and brimstone upon the air, all that was left is for the red sun upon the skies and the epitome of a brutal battlefield could very well be surrounding the man who gave it all his body could, in defense of others. Even if broken by his own desire to save, he could break apart happily if he wished, knowing his efforts and Hanno were not in vain.

Taking them out of danger is one thing, @Elizabeth Lixshine made sure to cover the other half of the job. It was just like a veterinarian taking care of dogs. Only these animals scream and beg in a language she can fully understand, their sorrow transmitted through the agony happening through their burnt faces and exposed bones out of their limbs. Her job would be the most gruesome.

To put together skin and bones, flesh and blood. It would be like pulling a card out of a hat: she would never know what came next, and not everyone would be in one piece. Their armored fellow warriors would be the most defenseless, trapped within their armors that made a practical and gruesome steel cage for their torsos.

She might not be putting her life at risk as hard as Erick and Hanno, yet failure would mean that all their combined efforts would amount to nothing. To more death, to her fellow team members to watch how every living, breathing human, elf and beastfolk they pulled out become an universal, faceless noun: Corpse.

Spoiler: The Duel

Infront of her was the Embertorch. Maria took a deep breath. Her limbs begun to fail, her body didn't wish to respond, but the preparations for her assault were ready, and she took pleasure in heading her way by foot. This way, she would get to appreciate her efforts: collars that were yet to explode rigged within many breathing necks, wood beams and decorations torn from their places. Death crawled upon the streets of Finweald, and fire would make sure to consume all this sadness away.

Eventually, even pain would be washed away, consumed by the flames she's begun to fan, the physical representation of mother Szofrit's revenge. And yet, one person stood in her way.

@Eva. The sole member of a response team haphazardly built together...

Does it matter who am I?

She responded, with her own cracked hand pointed palm first towards the woman after giving one throughful look. Between the rifle, and her own hand, aswell as an empty offer. The handler's power coursed through her fingertips just then.

You are of no interest to me in this. Your friends will die if you keep them waiting, there is only so much burden they can carry.

What was the point of this fight? Why should they even try? Questions that mattered and not all at once. She offered a chance to minimize her problems.

It doesn't

she said in a monotone voice. As Maria directed her glowing hand toward her, Eva tightened her grip on her long-ranged weapon.

A choice...

I don't know why you're speaking things that have nothing to do with me

Eva closed her eyes, displaying her wide yet eerie smile.

That

Stop this and go home before the dinner gets cold.

Was

Good.

Ì̶̧̥ģ̸̊n̸͕̫̂ȍ̶͙̜̕ȓ̶͕͒ę̴͖͑̂d̴̙̮̄̕


The barrel of Eva's rifle split into two as the bolt got pulled, emitting blue-colored smoke from the inside of the gun. A quick swipe took care of one of the bullets, only to be surprised as the second dug itself through her cheek and went clean out, the black liquid that replaced her blood pouring freely from it, and yet she remained static, as if nothing had just happened.

Then the portal closed, revealing the girl with her own firearm, the handcannon itself coated with the Handler's reserves. She pulled the trigger in supressive fire, aiming poorly at the woman as her sole focus was to distract her, keep her busy until her work was complete, her own dark magic channeled through, aiming to break down the debris atop of the woman and send her to cover.

A double-edged sword, as both of them were to deal with the environmental destruction Tick Tock caused, Maria holding nothing more but her breathe as their encounter intensified with a shower of bullets and mags ending on the floor for both sides. No one could get a true certain hit, but neither were they committed to it: An arm. A leg.

Eva seeked to disable her with lethal force if needed.

Maria only wished to delay rather than kill, her priorities lied elsewhere.

The time was ticking for both sides, until eventually they ran out of bullets to pepper eachother with, and instead it became a chase as Maria broke out onto a sprint, cutting distance with the Embertorch, the cracks all over her body intensified, every inch of her 'skin' given a new reminder of what abusing power was like. Her cap flew off her head and dropped on the streets, and then Eva could see how her hair changed colours, slowly but surely, they ressembled a familiar white-as-snow tone.

And the eyes that peered after her turned to a vibrant pink, and she smiled, as a portal opened infront of her. For several seconds, it taunted, it gave away a chance for Eva to reach out for it, as if Maria was asking for that to be the case: before it closed into nothingness...

Spoiler: In The End.

Spoiler: Mood

Valiant efforts, and yet not enough. Portals had begun to open at seemingly random positions, and one could hope that someone else was helping them out to remove large chunks of woodgrain and material all over the floor. Yet these portals begun to swallow halves of buildings. THey begun to swallow some of the very citizens they saved, some perishing with that very action as not all of them would make it through. Lions, Explorers and Adventurers alike.

Many collars begun to beep, activating their true function. Some had been disarmed, but not everyone was lucky to have @Hanno Futaba , @Erick Stryker , @Eva and @Elizabeth Lixshine to save them. The city was massive, they were but four players.

Not everyone could be saved, and yet Tick Tock went as far as to steal several of those they saved right in front of their faces. And high above, one could see the reason why, as a final portal opened high above Embertorch, and they could see a meteor shower in full view.

A shower composed of fragments of the city itself, their flames extinguished with it's fall into orbit, and amidst walls, ceillings, bent metal and boulders, were also many of the citizens plunging as if sent through a catapult towards the Explorer's League. Towards their home.

❰ I N · T H E · E N D ❱​

❰ F A T E · I S · W R I T T E N ❱​

There would be no explosions. No grandiose end for these halls. Like it happened, it ended: Buried under abyssmal weight. Death by gravity. All before the eyes of the survivors to see how the ones who bear the Torch when others can't, the ones who were meant to guide them in the dark, was choked into submission, swallowed whole by the enemy, and spat back to their faces.

@Erick Stryker @Hanno Futaba @Elizabeth Lixshine @Raid Boss

 

[Ronja Bubblyfoot]

Ronja jumped from region to region, where every attack has been applied. It hurted her to see that, while it has been mostly a success, a couple of their allies had been captured by the enemy or had been destroyed.

The sacrifices were too many.

She wouldn't allow every loss to be in vain.

In Finweald, Ronja was sure to meet several allies, returing them to the Dragonhead, but leaving the most destructive for last. After all, she was doing the perfect distraction to recover the allies before causing one last destruction, a severe wound to the morale of the enemy.

"Good work." Ronja said, flickering into existence behind @Tick Tock. "This may buy us some time, that is so precious right now." Her lips pursed, reminding herself of Szofrit while offering a hand. "Let's go, before they surround us. The enemy is coming." She spoke, and as soon as the fellow Magia touched her hand, they would disappear in sight, leaving no trail to follow.

[ This post has been approved by a Narrator ]

The participants may make a wrap up and reaction post.​

 

[Elizabeth Lixshine]

Elizabeth wasn't sure how long she had been working on saving people from death. How many dislocations bones she pushed back into their socket, how many wounds she had to close as their blood stains her gloves. The smelling of seared flesh, burnt hair and melted leather made her tear up as she used magic and her skills to patch those she could. But even then, she was just one doctor amidst a burning city, a tear drop trying to put out the flames.

She was snapped out her own world when she saw someone get taken away in a blink of an eye. She quickly manifests her spear into her hands, ready to stab the teleporting menace. No mercy Elizabeth steeled herself. But the enemy was, too fast. Any attempts to save them were failures. Elizabeth conjured light into her hands and threw it like a javelin towards a portal, only to hit rubble as it closes. As Elizabeth turns to face the Explorer's League, she watches it turn to nothing.

Pain. Migraine. Headache. Seething rage.

Whatever it was, her physiology threatened to overcome her once again. Elizabeth immediately puts away her spear, knowing what was going to happen if she doesn't. The beastkin collapses to the floor, gripping the ground as she pants in short hastened breaths, trying to resist the curse of her kind. Groans were mixed in with sounds of anger, like a wild beast caged by the neck. The more she resisted, the more her vision blurred and her anger spiked.

She gets up, lets out a beastial roar, before collapsing to the floor as the world turns black instead of red.

 

[Raid Boss]

Those who haven't may still make a wrap up post to conclude their involvement with this thread. However, this directive thread is concluded as of this post.

 

[Erick Stryker]

The Inferno continued to rage, in spite of their best efforts. Each building they managed to cover gave rise to two more, and though much of Finweald still stood, the area around them had been devastated. Erick could still hear their cries as the flames stole the breath from their lungs, still saw the faces of his friends from High School as they died in that horrific accident. His hand outstretched, he still could not reach them.

Even with power that had been denied to him for so long, there were limitations to his abilities. It was a sobriety he did not want, and a burning in the pit of his stomach that grew from a whisper to hysterical laughter, mocking him.

You want to save people? You can't even save yourself.

He could feel the dryness of his tear ducts and skin, drained of moisture by the rampant heat and smoke. He was baking just as much as any of the victims, and to make matters worse, accelerating time also enhanced the strain on his body. When the blasphemous stars populated in the sky and he felt the gravitic anomaly amassing around them, the burning pain became a pit of hopelessness.

The Argent Flame that burned around him faltered. He felt like nothing he could do was enough. No amount of effort would stem the flow of violence and carnage. He felt-

Thump.

Despite his sudden lack of composure, there was someone who stood fast. He turned to see the massive, wyrding shield wielded by the diminutive @Hanno Futaba as the Faerin drove it into the ground. Magical energies coalesced around the aegis as the man summoned his aura and covered as much of the area as he could in defensive aether.

It clicked in his mind, in that moment.

With his hands up, Erick called down radiant mana and aetherial wings stretched outward from his back. The mystical energies poured out around Hanno's barrier, doubling them down with a protective layer that phased into and out of reality, differing a small measure of the concussive force away from them.

Much of the city was flattened around them. Bones cracked and whined and gave out as Landers succumbed to the crushing weight of the Magia attack. When it subsided, the attackers were nowhere to be seen, and Erick subsequently hit the ground, face first. His eyes stared thousands of yards into the distance, gazing at the catastrophic results in a daze.

You can only do, what you can do.

His mothers words swaddled his fraying psyche as darkness closed in around him. He remembered how she had tried tirelessly to console him after his countless rejections. The way she'd acted like her supportive self, before he'd given up altogether. It had never been her fault.

Only you can make the choice, she told him, only you can stand back up.

"I will, mom," he murmured. "But not right now... right now, I'm so tired..."

With those words, his consciousness faded.

 

[Hanno Futaba]

Chaos escalated overwhelmingly.

All the work they have done to rescue so many was simply ripped in front of their eyes.

Hanno knew he wouldn't be able to save everyone, but to see many of those they had saved to simply be tossed back into hell once again caused his stomach to twist, but he wouldn't just let it be, seeing the other man fighting at the very end and adding his own power into it.

"GHAST!" He roared to the small, fake faerin, that was staring at the destruction in awe. "FAST!" Hanno rose his arms, and the corrupted being shifted at him, nodding with a devilish grin as she shapechanged back into the shield Hanno wielded, corrupting it back into its huge and dissonant appearance.

With combined efforts, they at least managed to keep the immediate close victims safe, on top of themselves, of course.

It wasn't a luck for many, and Hanno could only grit his teeth, sinking his feet into the ground as he braced himself for the worst... The results, all caused by someone that was initially fighting alongside with them against the Magia that now brought terror and destruction to both Starcalled and Landers... That threatened the own nature of the game.

Hanno fell on his knees, feeling his breath becoming as unstead as his legs.

His shield morphed back into the fake faerin state, that was no longer caring to enjoy the sight of destruction. Her concerning gaze lingered over him, but Hanno soon rose his hand in a 'pause' gesture. "I... I am fine." He frowned his lips, standing and casting a glance at the exhausted and terrified citizens, averting his gaze then, to potential Lions that would be coming for their aid, now that most of the destruction and the source of it were gone.

The voice of the man caught his attention, and Hanno approached the @Erick Stryker, crouching next to him.

"You did well, buddy... You did... Everything you could..." He said, unsure if the other could hear, then turning to @Elizabeth Lixshine. "And you did as well... Many are alive just because of you..." His voice was weak, but he spoke anyway. Perhaps speaking to himself as well.

"You are heroes." Hanno said, carefully tugging them closer, and Ghast approached, swaying her tentacle tail and helping Hanno to pick them up, adjusting Elizabeth over his shoulder while he held Erick. "... It won't be... It will never be in vain... We will do it... We will." He repeated, determined as he moved further, to bring them to somewhere safe to take care of them, while the other Lions took the survivors.

 

[Eva]

Firing a non-lethal bullet as a warning shot, Eva quickly peppered the environment with her blue-colored gas grenade ammunition meant to disable and disrupt magia. Of course, Maria quickly steered away from the electromagnetic smoke cloud as soon as she figured out that it affected her motoric functions.

Neither of them went for the lethal shot, as the combat was extended, slowly depriving both of energy and resources. It was at that moment the blue-haired magia decided to dash away from Embertorch, her appearance slowly reverting to the one of the twin Eva knew.

"Tick." She called out. The magia taunted her as she opened a portal, turning back and extending her hand towards Eva. The white-haired woman's weapon transformed into an ever longer rifle, with a single black-tipped bullet loaded directly into the chamber.

Her crosshair was directly on her head. All she had in her vision was that white hair, pale skin, and pink eyes.

She couldn't manage to pull the trigger at all.

Not against the figure who used to call her mama a lot.

The portal closed, leaving the inventor kneeling around the buildings in flame, watching as parts of the city itself fall from the skies.