Player Plot: Downopolis

[umslay]

Who: Everyone that signed up for the Downopolis pot
Where: City of Downopolis, Cult Base
When: October 1st-7th
What: With the threat of the Cult of Narayana looming in the distance, a band of Heroes travel to Downopolis to infiltrate their base and discover the truth
Warnings: Violence, more to be added

They had been preparing for today. They had Biggs' approval, half a month to prepare, and much to lose if they were to sit back and hope that the Cult would disappear from relevance. Ales was not going to allow himself to sink into complacency. He spent late nights going over maps and intelligence gathered from Ellie's mission and the most recent one, formulating plans to present to the others. They had assassins and warriors, they were going to succeed.

Heroes, whether they had visited the Sage a few days earlier or waited in Mysidia for the mission day, gathered just outside Downopolis on the early morning of the first day of October. The air was chilly, but Ales hoped that the underground hideaway would rectify that.

With their lives on the line, they would find the leaders of the cult. The fate of the world rested on this mission

Comments

[fearlessherosheart]

If we have no idea which route is the one we want, we might as well choose one at random

[confidentia]

[ Ace nods at Pyrrha. Another vote for remaining close together. ]

We don't want our numbers to dwindle even further, especially if the etchings indeed speak the truth. Unless somebody has any objections, I'd say we move.

[ ... True to his word, he directs his steps towards one of the hallways - a random choice, it is. It doesn't necessarily mean he considers himself a suitable candidate for a leader without a skillset appropriate for detecting traps, but this group needs a little push, and he'll gladly let someone else take point. ]

[umslay]

[The area just outside of the entry chamber is clear, save for bits of rubble that haven't been cleared away. As Ace leaves the dim chamber, the hallways darken to the point where he can't see anything beyond several feet in front of him. However, sound travels well in the chambers, and the steps of something large and heavy can be heard some distance away.

The Golem has heard something fall, and hoping for a long-needed fight, begins his trek through the halls directly at Ace.]

[pole_position]

Watch out! Something's coming!

[Pyrrha moves to step in front of Ace, channeling her Aura and taking up a defensive posture.]

[confidentia]

[ Ace halts in his steps the moment the atmosphere takes a rather drastic turn - if he's about to face an enemy, it shouldn't be while he's stuck inside an unfamiliar hallway.... so his next course of action is take a quick leap backwards, just in time for Pyrrha's unexpected arrival.

Needless to say, he's not gonna be content hiding behind anybody's back, instantly moving over to take place by her side. ]

Seems so.

[ Other than the sound of heavy steps implying that the etchings might have indeed spoken the truth, there is not much else to be noticed in the absolute darkness of the corridor. Whoever or whatever is running in their direction, however, seems to have a better idea.... It would be unfortunate if their foe has that advantage over them, so he readies a Blind spell while tightening his grip on the saber. It's worth a try. ]

[shinrasfinest]

[Though bringing up the rear, Sephiroth is quick to notice movement not more than a few steps into the hallway that Ace had ended up nudging the group towards. He can't hear the heavy lumbering footfalls from his position but recognizes the preparation going on.

He trusts for the other three members of his squad to keep watch while he himself turns, eyes fixed on the darkness of that hallway, his thumb already having released the catch to his sheath-harness arrangement. The weight of his sword already in his hand, ready to be unsheathed at a moments notice.

He hopes that his energy levels have managed to recoup thanks to the necessary resting of his hidden injury that only a handful still knew about. It wouldn't be all that epic at all, to have burned himself out for so long as to fail when he'd usually excel.]

[gorgeous_sin]

It's moving rather slowly, isn't it?

[Lust doesn't seem all that bothered, possibly because of its gait. That might change if it decides to charge them, but she's not even sure that it can.]

If you'll allow me, then.

[Rather than move forward or back, Lust raises her hand and narrows her eyes, gathering her dark magic to cast Doom upon the Golem.]

There. It should expire in approximately four minutes. Perhaps we should see what's down the other hallway during that time and come back once its time is up?

[But if they really want to fight it, she won't stop them. It's an urge she's had many times herself.]

[shinra_dog]

[Oh. That was kind of anti-climactic. Though Reno had to admit, it was also pretty convenient.]

Four minutes?

[He glanced at everyone else.]

I mean... I guess? Like, I half wanna beat on it just t' get some stress out...

[Well everyone was thinking it!]

But I also don't really wanna get hit by it, either, so I'm pretty much down for whatever. As long as we don't get caught between two things in here, 'cause that'd suck.

[umslay]

[The already slow-moving Golem, now unable to see, had to be more careful in how it stepped down the hallway, hindering its speed once more. Frustrated, it pounds the ground with both rocky fists for a poorly-aimed Earthquake. It may not hit everyone, but it might injure some of the part.

The Doom timer ticks down to 3 minutes.]

[gorgeous_sin]

By all means--

[The ground buckles beneath Lust's feet, and there's a rare look of actual surprise on her face just before she Levitates herself above the cavern floor. She even levitates a few other party members as well...and though it doesn't show, her actions surprise her as well before she narrows her eyes at the golem.]

I'd say it can't hurt to test your skills against it, but that would be a falsehood. Still, if you can defeat it before it expires, I have no objections. They usually drop items and money either way.

[charming_jerk]

[Johnny jumps out of the way of the Earthquake, dodging the attack easily thanks to Dragoon. Since he was already using Jump, he might as well land an attack on the golem with his lance on the way back down.]

Four minutes is plenty of time. If not, he's done for anyway. If beatin' up monsters is what we gotta do in here, so be it.

[shinra_dog]

"Uh -- ?" Reno was just about to fall flat on his ass before he found himself suddenly floating. He shot a surprised look at Lust. Really? He hardly got the friendly, helpful vibe from her. Now he was even more uneasy.

"But we get items an' stuff either way, right?" He watched Johnny attack, waiting to see how effective it would be. Did he sound lazy?

[shinrasfinest]

[Being near the back of the group makes it so that that while the Earthquake shakes him enough so as to have to take greater care to keep his balance, it's not enough at that distance to knock him off his feet.

Once stable again Sephiroth silently glances at each of those three soldiers that are with him, reading faces and listening carefully to try and pick up anything that's not the Golem's loud thundering steps or the others' banter.

He doesn't really like the idea of the others attacking so recklessly...just because it sounded heavy and lumbering didn't mean the Golem wouldn't be able to charge at them-

He's keeping at least a fraction of his attention in their direction though, so that he knows what comes of it after Johnny's attack]

[umslay]

[Johnny's attack, while powerful, does not defeat the Golem. The sound of rumbling rocks vibrates from it as a sort of roar, and it clambers towards them slowly but menacingly.

The commotion has gotten the attention of a blue Bomb in the next room. Spotting the Heroes, it floats down the hallway. Without the Golem's natural slowness and a Stop spell, it manages to catch up with the other monster.

The Doom counter ticks to 2 minutes.]

[gorgeous_sin]

[Lust's gaze shifts to the floating blue bomb...and her eyes narrow before regarding the Golem again.]

Neither of those creatures should be here. They're native to the Lost Continent.

[So where did the cultists get them? Are they dealing with a Beastmaster? Doubtful, she's sure she would have caught sight of someone summoning their monsters to fight the Heroes. These monsters seem like they've been here for a while. She can believe a Bomb could be sedated and transported, but a Golem? That would prove far more difficult.]

[Either way, bombs don't move as slowly as golems do, so she'd rather not give it four minutes to do as it pleases. Instead she creates Copies of the Heroes to surround the golem. Perhaps she can tempt it into self-destructing while it's next to its bigger and sturdier companion, while also giving the golem plenty of reasons to remain where it is.]

[charming_jerk]

What, seriously? they gotta import monsters to fight us?

[Johnny wasn't sure why someone would bother, or what it meant. Now that there were two enemies on the scene, it was time to let loose a Cresent Wave attack to hit them both at once.]

[umslay]

[No one said Golems were clever. It strikes at the illusions of the Heroes, growing angrier as its hits do not kill them. The Doom counter ticks down to 1 minutes without fail.

However, just as the Bomb turns its attention to the illusions, the Crescent Wave strikes and knocks it away from the group. It grows larger and sets its sights on Johnny.]

[gorgeous_sin]

[By now Lust is no longer concerned about the golem. It will expire on its own much faster than anything the rest of them can do. But if that bomb goes off, it's going to draw a lot of unwanted attention to their current location. ...That is, if the earthquake didn't do it already.]

How bothersome.

[It may not work, but she'd really rather settle this as quickly and effortlessly as possible. Which is why she casts Death on the bomb to see if she can just make it expire on its own before it self-detonates.]

[shinrasfinest]

[Watching from the back, Sephiroth had near enough winced when he saw Johnny's Crescent Wave connect with the bomb and saw it get knocked back rather than being defeated in one strike. You really have to strike hard and fast with those critters, he knows them well enough from experience, or risk a literal explosion to the face-

But that blue color-

Less than a moment of hesitation though, as off the back of Lust's Death spell, Sephiroth conjures Flame Tongue around Masamune, lighting up the gloomy cavern walls as he then readies and charges for that physical-fire attack at the blue bomb.

His team fall in not a few paces from Lust, ready to follow up with heals or further attacks as needed.]

[umslay]

The Golem lives out the rest of its short, violent existence swinging at imaginary enemies. If it weren't a deadly monster, it would almost be pitiable in how futile its efforts to stave off destruction were. It collapses on the ground once its final minute it up, leaving nothing behind. No drops, no gil, no key.

The Blue Bomb, on the other hand, rushes towards Sephiroth in anticipation of erasing the Hero's life, but as the fire attack hits, the monster hisses in pain and recoils back. The troops follow up with spears and swords, giving it no time to grow.

And indeed, thanks to the efforts of Sephiroth's troops, it falls to the ground, dead. No key is revealed.]

[gorgeous_sin]

[Lust stands there, tense, for a few moments longer until it becomes quite clear that neither monster is getting back up...and that there's no treasure to be had either. This was a waste of time and resources in her opinion, and the dirty look she shoots to both empty spaces is probably clear evidence of her resentment.]

...It seems as if the majority of the monsters lie in that particular direction. I suppose that's where we'll have to go if we need to seek out the key indicated in the drawing.

[She brushes some of her hair back with a light toss of her head.]

Assuming we can trust whoever drew it, of course.

[Lust sure doesn't, but she'll still play along for lack of anything else to do.]

[charming_jerk]

[Really, nothing? Johnny grumbles.]

We could be at this all day, and yer right, we don't even know if one of them'll have it. But it ain't like we got a lotta options, either.

[shinrasfinest]

[Standing around and complaining about having to work for the way forwards and how it hasn't just dropped into their laps on the first try earns a mental facepalm in Sephiroth's mind, though he manages to keep his voice well-measured and free of any hint of eye-rolling.

Too professional to be that petty.]

Well if either of you have any better ideas, now's the time to voice them.

[He'll just press on forwards with the small group of troops around him.]

[shinra_dog]

Just 'cause there's a key doesn't mean a monster's gonna drop it.

[Reno shrugged, stretched, and moved ahead.]

Could be anywhere. Monsters could just keep us from reachin' it. Or maybe one does have it.

Won't find out 'til we keep goin', yo.

[gorgeous_sin]

If it was cleverness you wanted, you could have asked me to teleport all of us right back to the top again. I doubt they had any contingency plans made for Illusionists being part of the group.

[Lust idly examines her nails, rubbing the tip of her thumb lightly over the heel of her palm.]

But if you prefer the simple-minded method of hacking through everything in our path, then by all means, lead the way.

[That said she turns her gaze toward Reno with a light shrug of her shoulders and a little smile before her heels click over the echoing stone of the dark corridor stretching out before them.]