PHASE I [ ❓❓❓ ] And then the Flamines are there.
They just appear, suddenly, as if from nowhere. They’re a race of mercenary aliens, and fighting is all they know -- they’re definitely not going to be easy to kill by any means. They seem to have a natural resistance to magic: aside from very specific types of magic (in particular, light magic and anything highly spiritual), they absorb it. Light magic and spiritual magic can harm them, but it will take a lot to take one down.
They can be stabbed, if you can get that close.
But good luck.
Of course, they look like nondescript black shapes with masks until you knock the mask off...and then you can see the true shape of the Flamines.
They’re here to kill you all. :)
PHASE II [ ❓❓❓ ] As if that isn’t enough… it seems the Flamines’ arrival was the last straw for Cerealia and the Nexus Code. There’s a tear in the sky, and from it… the Nexus Code, where all of the lost friends from before, can be seen. It can be entered, even, though remaining there too long can be detrimental to your health.
But people are there.
Old friends, strung up and lifeless, can be seen there, unmoving.
And…
Then some of them move. They open their eyes. They remember how to breathe. And they’re able to return, able to stagger their way back into Cerealia and take their first breath of air in a long, long time.
Welcome back to the chaos of Cerealia, friends.
Unfortunately, you’ve got nothing but the clothes on your back while murderous aliens are rampaging, so hopefully you’re able to think fast. It’d be unfortunate to die so soon after coming back.
As for spiritual and magical characters who were not in the Nexus Code...well, when they return, they’ll find that they’re covered in old, dried blood, and their clothing might have tears in it, as if from a knife.
There are no scars, though, and they’re otherwise fine. Strange.
PHASE III [ ❓❓❓ ] As if this chaos isn’t enough… there are also the masks. Regardless of whether or not characters were around to receive them the first time, regardless what they did with them before, the masks will suddenly reappear in your characters’ hands. They can be tossed aside, but they’ll reappear again eventually, unable to be truly shaken.
Characters who received them before will receive the same mask they had before.
Characters who didn’t receive them before will receive a mask according to the trait that’s more prominent for them.
Either way...it’ll have a profound effect on the Flamines.
They will go after any character with a broken mask in a bloodthirsty rage, intent on murdering them. Characters with a barcode mask or bloody mask will be the next likely to be chased down intently by the Flamines.
Characters with a :( mask will be killed if they get in the Flamines’ way, though they will not go out of their way to chase them down.
Characters with a vine mask or feather mask will be treated with wariness, though they may still be attacked if they get in a Flamines’ way.
Characters with a grey mask will not be killed unless they are first the aggressor, as will characters with a bloody fingerprint mask.
Naturally there will be exceptions to every rule, but the masks will change how the Flamines’ generally act towards characters!
PHASE IV [ ❓❓❓ ] But something’s not quite right.
Regardless of the battles against the Flamines, it seems Cerealia’s just been under too much pressure lately. Something had to give --
And it’s the code building up the characters that really suffers.
Their code has been hanging on by a thread without CERES to maintain it, and now… it’s finally giving out. The glitches that afflicted characters before will be even more prominent now; they might glitch from place to place, or have their powers go totally awry in odd ways. There may be a lack of powers suddenly, or a sudden difficulty staying on the ground as gravity stops working on the character.
They might suddenly be unable to breathe, or go cold, or very nearly die --
But it can be controlled, too, with effort. Characters can learn to control the glitches, gaining an ability to almost teleport, or ways to tweak their powers in exciting new ways.
With a lot of effort, they could even possibly reverse a death -- but only their own, and only once.
BONUS [ ❓❓❓ ] There are also… birds?
Flamingos, to be exact. Who knows where they came from, but either way, there are plastic flamingos chilling all over the place. They’re just normal plastic; they don’t move, they can very easily be destroyed --
But if you touch one with your bare hands… it’ll have an interesting effect.
Characters will suddenly find that they have the abilities or the last person they touched -- but without any of the practice or ability to control it, of course.
Still, it might help with that pesky Flamines problem, right?
[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the log. ] |
Welcome to the beginning of Cerealia's endgame event! Please visit the OOC information here, and should you have any questions, feel free to ask them here! You can also check the FAQ for more general inquiries. This event will begin 11/03, or IC 11/18. Should this event log hit Captcha, there is an all-purpose overflow here. Thank you! |
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B
Seeing it in person is something else entirely, though. The power of Mars is mildly intimidating, even to someone who's faced down gods of her own. But Naoto's attention is more on the Flamines than on Rei. Luckily, she's found that her Hama magic in particular is rather effective.
It's a shame it doesn't kill them in one hit like it does Shadows.
Naoto's hand tightens on the handle of her revolver. She knows that this won't do much to the Flamines other than slow them down for a few seconds. It makes her feel better holding it, though.] As much as I'll ever be, I suppose.
[She's been managing her spiritual power as best as she can, so there's still some gas left in her tank, so to speak.]
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Keep these on you, in case we get separated. You know how to set up a ward by now I'm sure.
[If she's paid any attention to Rei rather meticulously setting a scroll over every entrance to a building anyway.
As for Mars herself, she focuses her attention towards the direction their pursuers are coming from, a barrier of light springing up around them as she draws on more of the scrolls, setting them into motion with a spell she'd learned from a friend here.]
And when they do get here, stay inside the circle.
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She can't see the Flamines, even though she knows they're there-- and coming. Where are they? How long do they have until they come? She feels the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.] I'm assuming it's some sort of barrier they can't cross?
With luck, they won't reach us.
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[It's just a hurdle they'll have to overcome. It's one they'll have to use to buy time.]
With luck we'll be able to slow them and get away. The less we're actually embattled, the better.
[Simple enough tactics, but if there has to be a fight, they may as well do it well.]
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[Naoto, weren't you just criticizing Rei over playing too heroic...?]
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[She'd found that out the hard way. Putting them down for more than a short time was hard, but...she understands the sentiment and sets her back to Naoto's so they can't be snuck up on.]
We'll manage though. I trust you to watch my back as much as anyone else. And watch my front, too.
[So it begins. She's going to take this seriously, but without someone here to lighten the mood it might turn bad.]
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[They should be so lucky. Naoto appreciates Rei's idea to fight back to back, just in case, and begins scanning her side of the approach points. Except...]
Um, I'm sorry, I... don't really get what you mean by that. Did you have some sort of particular tactic in mind...? What would be the benefit of watching your front?
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It was a joke. Not that I'd mind you doing that when this is all over, though.
[She's not exactly a good flirt, but she's definitely got a flirtatious smirk on right now.]
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Is this really the time?!
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Why isn't it the time?
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[Oops, did she drop the honorific? She did.]
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[HAH! Okay, see that's when the first Flamine bursts in, and is immediately struck with an arrow, staggering it.]
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[Her arrow had stuck it to the side of a building.]
Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. You too, I'm with you and I know you'll protect me.
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[And then there's movement on her end, finally, one crawling through the entryway, and Naoto is so very glad for the chance to do something of her own.] Hamaon!
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[More arrows, this time joining Naoto's own spells. The Hamaon spell seems to work best when they've been pinned, unable to defend themselves as easily.]
Turn, to your right. We've got another coming over the building.
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[She does turn as told, tracking the one Rei had warned her about, and nodding.] I see it. Leave that one to me.
[Again, in that mystical blue light, Yamato Sumeragi appears, a column of light surrounding the creature with seals.] I'm... a little used to enemies going down in one hit from that.
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[Mars lets out a little giggle and throws out a few more fireballs, peppering the enemies on her side of things. But she catches the display out of the corner of her eye.]
Well, are you feeling alright? If you're running low on energy, I can get us clear.
[She may be enjoying this.]
And I can transfer some more energy into you, too.
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[If not, then we deal with that problem later.]
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[Kael'thas Sunstrider, the High Prince of the Sun Elves. He'd...been a pretty able teacher and they'd needed to work together to deal with some really nasty ghosts in the past.]
Take my hand, and I'll fuel your next few spells in case we need you for cover fire, then we can get away.
[Holding out one hand, she focuses on fighting with her dominant one as the last couple of enemies charge into view.]
Trust me.
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[She reaches out and takes Rei's hand with hers (the one not holding her revolver), and fires off another Hamaon.
That's strange. She really doesn't feel any more tired.] ...it really does work.
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[With Archer, with Kael'thas, and other friends here who were magically inclined and more limited.
Rei's hand tightens onto Naoto's, now that she's got her attention and belief.]
Are you ready to fly?
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[The grip intensifies a little as she bends her knees, and then jumps straight up a dozen meters. It's not a rapid ascent, magic buoying her aloft without a lot of speed, but it's better than jostling a passenger!]
Just keep any pursuers off our behind okay?
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Instinctively, her mind starts wondering how this is working. It's not like she's hanging from Rei's hand-- her grip strength had been her chief concern-- but rather going along with her. So does her magic create some sort of field? Does it... make her weigh less?
No, she can't waste time and brainpower thinking about this. They're being followed.] Yamato Sumeragi!
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Let's wrap up the battle and move on to the aftermath :p
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