The Temple of Wind

[umslay]

Who: Ales, NPCs, any Heroes here to fight
What: Confronting the Archfiend of Wind
Where: Outside Trano Golsaucia, Trano Golsaucia, Temple of Wind
When: May 15th
Notes: Toplevels will be unlocked as progress is made. Replies will be made at least once a day. See the OOC plotting thread EDIT: OOC dungeon information

Mingle at the Camp
Approaching the Temple
The Flying Fortress
Ales Mansay, the Archfiend of Wind
???

Comments

Mingle at the Camp

[umslay]

[Traveling from the west end of the continent is risky with the Archfiend watching over Trano Golsaucia, and there is help in the form of natives when taking the eastern approach. They restock in the Village of Santa Claus, take a Chocobo-driven sleigh to the refugee camps in the middle of the continent, and travel on their own to the Temple of Wind.

The camps are populated only by adults brave enough to scavenge the machinery in Trano Golsaucia and sell it to the Village, but with a giant robot known as the "Snow Beast" guarding the way, it has become too dangerous for them. The residents all wish the Heroes best of luck and say they will be watching them from afar. They provide last-minute provisions such as food and potions...for a fee. They need to survive, after all.

The head engineer, Gelin, is at the westenmost camp. He's feeling less like crawling into a corner and covering himself in a mountain of blankets after hearing the good news that the Heroes of Light have returned, but he remains seated with a thick comforter wrapped around him.]

((ooc: pm this journal if you want to talk to Gelin. otherwise, this functions as a general mingle))

[charming_jerk]

[Johnny had always been really fond of Trano Goldsaucia, and seeing it just as dilapidated as everything else was a real bummer. Just barely getting by in a dying world, surrounded by snow... It was like Exsilium all over again. It was like there was no way Johnny was able to escape this fate.

Now, they had to deal with the face that a Hero was out there ready to take them out. As if this whole situation wasn't tough enough.]

Um. I guess if there's any good news, it's that I have lots of snow survival training. Wilderness and stuff. So I don't mind takin' the lead while we're out there.

[not_most_days]

[Mary's own opinion of the city was middling. In theory it might have been a good place for the Assassins to do some work, but it was hard to get a foothold there. And in the end, after the time where Palitutu threatened to destroy the city rather than let her moogle go, Mary decided it was best to let the city be.

It pains her to see it as it is but she is happy to see the people alive. This isn't a life to cherish, but it's better than the city being left a smoking ruin.]

It seems my Brothers managed to keep my airship safe, but taking it to the Archfiend's stronghold would be a suicide run. We'd likely lose the ship and a fair few people if we tried it.

[It's a shame. She liked the idea of using it to attack the enemy but she doesn't want any more deaths on her hands than necessary. Especially those of allies.]

[partofthecycle]

I can see what I can do with airbending to shield us, but a whole airship is a bit beyond my ability.

[Aang isn't used to being outclassed in his own element. Maybe before he got his master's tattoos, but the monks thought flaunting power was unseemly. And certainly he'd never fought an airbender in earnest.]

[arcward]

I'm not sure flying into a wind guy's place is really the best idea, anyway.

[ Mary might be upset that they can't just take the airship in, but Jaune is thanking whoever is listening that they can't; his stomach does not agree with flight. ]

Looks like we're doing this the old fashioned way. [ Walking will take longer for sure, but it'll get them there without certain death, which he counts as a win. ]

I don't suppose anyone actually has some sort of plan to deal with this guy, do they?

[needsteaplz]

Well, machines generally have a weakness to thunder-based attacks so that's one obstacle down. Wind is often associated with speed so that's something we may have to consider too. After that, we need to consider who can provide us with healing and boosts during the battle.

[Saori bit her lip as she thought some more before speaking.]

Still, we'll have to deal with the Snow Beast because I doubt this Archfiend will let us waltz right in. If my theory is correct, I can help keep track of it with Eagle Vision.

Approaching the Temple

[umslay]

[A dark shape is seen in the distance: a fortress of machinery, surrounded by deadly sharp winds. The bright light of Trano Golsaucia shines from beyond the snowy hills, a warning signal that they are entering dangerous territory.

The Snow Beast is said to blend into the environment well, so going ahead blindly will surely result in a confrontation. There are various ways Heroes can approach this problem...]

[twilighted]

( midna's eyes narrowed as the temple came into view. to think that these archfiends were once the same as them... people this world called heroes, it didn't sit right with her. never one to conform to society's norms herself it wasn't the titles that bothered her, but their motivations, well...

perhaps she just didn't want to believe that someone she had trusted would have turned on them so easily. no... she most definitely needed to see this with her own eyes. )

Be on your guard. ( none of this felt right. the snow beast... just another way to complicate things. )

[pole_position]

Right.

[Pyrrha nods to Midna, sword and shield at the ready and a steely gaze on her face. She'd been in the Sage's vision with Ales - he'd been a villain then as well, with a very similar arsenal, but she'd chosen to believe in him even after seeing what he was capable of. Part of her now regrets giving her trust so easily. It's not a mistake she'll make twice. If the Archfiend of Wind's primary specialty is in churning out monstrous metal men, then clearly it's time to put her magnetic semblance to good use.]

Keep your eyes peeled. There's no telling what sorts of spies he might have in the area.

[arcward]

Yeah.

[ Jaune's eyes sweep the area as they advance, keeping a lookout for anything that might be out of the ordinary. He sticks close to Pyrrha, half out of habit and half because if the Snow Beast really is made of metal, she's probably their best bet on taking it down. And if the thing has friends, she's going to need some protection while she deals with the main threat. He tightens his grip on his sword and shield, ready as he can be for whatever happens. ]

Any sign of it yet?[ He's asking anyone with those special seeing or scouting abilities they were discussing earlier, but he'll take an answer from anyone, really. ]

[charming_jerk]

[Johnny, meanwhile, marched out ahead of the group, on his own. He wondered if it made acting like bait a little too obvious, but he also didn't know how smart the beast was. It was worth a shot.

He traveled just far enough from the group for them to keep hidden, occasionally focusing on the beacon of Trano Goldsaucia in the distance. He carried his lance over his shoulder, ready to fight at a moment's notice.]

[needsteaplz]

[Saori took a deep breath to focus herself before creating a clone. With two pairs of eyes with Eagle Vision active, they scanned over the snow white landscape before them. They also kept an eye on Johnny for the rest of the group.]

So far nothing yet. Still, ready yourselves.

The Flying Fortress

[umslay]

[As everyone enters the new Temple of Wind from the secret passageway, the howling wind grows quieter and quieter until all that can be heard are the miles of machinery and piping. Judging by the steam pouring out of whistles at regular intervals, they are near the engine room. Or one of them, anyway. The place is so huge, one must assume that there are hundreds of crystal-powered machines holding it up.

At the bottom of the fortress, where they begin, the surrounding air is hot an muggy. The only passages are narrow and dangerous. If they aren't careful, they could get hit by boiling steam. Jumping from pipe to pipe is a viable option. The narrow crevices are good places to find treasure....

Once past that, they must have to get past the numerous robots that roam the hallways. Humanoid drones, monstrous ones - come resembling those used by the Heran empire - and some...that just sit there. Cleaning the floors. Perhaps the rooms have interesting supplies.

As they get reach upper levels, they may run into prototypes of new machines. Instead of crystals, however, they appear to be powered by small yellow glowing orbs inside glass tubes. Looking closer, they have small invisible wings...wait, are those arms? Are those faces?!

At the very top is the main office...]

((OOC: Please feel free to play out dungeon crawling! Healing items and standard equipment in treasure chests can be handwaved, but there are a total of 10 Experience Crystals to be distributed. Each one adds +1 month to equipped jobs.

If you are searching for something specific, please PM this account.))

Re: The Flying Fortress

[arcward]

[ Jaune approaches the temple, and the first thing he feel is staggering heat. It's quite the contrast from outside, and he's pretty sure if he wore glasses they would have fogged up. He takes off his coat and dumps it on the floor - it'll suck when he leaves, but there's no way he can wear it down here, and it's too bulky to tie around his waist. He falls into leader mode, momentarily forgetting that this is not his team. ]

Everyone, take off your coats so you don't overheat. We should probably leave them behind - it looks like the space is tight enough to maneuver without the extra bulk, and any weight disbursed in a way we're not used to might throw us off, and since it looks like jumping across the pipes is the only way through, that's not a chance we should take.

Who designed this place, anyway?

[ He's immensely glad that Pyrrha is with them when there's this much metal for her to control. ]

Pyrrha, can you use your semblance to try to make sure none of the pipes break off the wall while we're on them?

[ Plummeting to their deaths the last thing they needed at this point. And while some may have skills to help them with that kind of event, Jaune does not, and he knows he's not the only one. ]

Re: The Flying Fortress

[needsteaplz]

If the mastermind behind this is who we think it is, it would explain why things are so...tiny.

[She hated small jokes since that would be the pot calling the kettle black. She removed her own coat and folded it before placing it on the ground. Once that was done, she made sure her weapons were secure. In order to lighten her load, she left her machine gun with the natives for safe keeping.]

A few of us will be able to move around easily with our jobs, so hopefully, that would be less of a strain on your semblance, was it? One of us should be in front and the rear to scan for enemies. If we're seen before we confront the archfiend, we'll probably be dogpiled in an instant.

Re: The Flying Fortress

[not_most_days]

[Mary laughs as her own coat comes off. The heat in this place is not ideal, but for a pirate of the Caribbean the hot mugginess reminds her of home.]

Aye, seems about right...Everything's been pointing to Ales to this point. I can't say this is out of character for him by I expected better. What did Kalki offer him? What did he even think would make this worth it?

[She sighs and shakes her head, looking back to the others.]

Even if this is between him and Kalki, I have a responsibility to do something about him. The Assassins here in Crystallis may not be the same as they were back home...and I'm glad for that...but a betrayal like this has a very clear judgement.

[She knows the others will try to talk her out of it, and at this point she's not opposed to it if good cause can be given. But she's not going to be dishonest about her purpose here. If Ales is now their enemy, he will die.

Her eyes turn the pipes, plotting a course a head. She can't take the risk of a wrong turn or a bad jump.]

Re: The Flying Fortress

[jadethenecromancer]

[Jade has to take his glasses off as they enter, since they are indeed fogging up. At least he doesn't actually suffer from poor eyesight.

He does suffer from being tall, though. These passages really are quite cramped.]

A place in her new world, perhaps. Or he might simply want to go out on top. Enjoy the glory while it lasts.

[Being betrayed by someone he worked with for so long... Well, he'd be lying if he said it didn't leave a bad taste in his mouth. Mary is right, though. Ales' actions may be extreme, but out of character? Not really.

Still. Jade never expected him to go this far.]

As long as he's dealt with, I have no objections to your methods. Do as you like, Kidd.

[He's not feeling very merciful, either.]

[shinra_dog]

He betrayed the Creed. He knows what that means.

[It would appear Mary expected more forgiveness from her companions than they had.]

[Reno wiped his brow on his sleeve. He'd likely be sweating through his clothing soon enough, but he was also reluctant to expose his skin to the hot steam. At least his suit was tailored close to his form and wouldn't catch on anything. Still, he undid a few more buttons on his shirt, just to cool down a little.]

This is gonna suck.

[At least Ceiling Walking would hopefully make it easier.]

Ales Mansay, the Archfiend of Wind

[umslay]

[The large wood doors to the office creak open, revealing the inside of the room. On the opposite end of the Heroes, a raised desk with a cushioned leather chair are framed by the wide window overlooking the plains. The walls are covered in blueprints, memos, and scribbled drawings of what appears to be Ales standing on top of an airship. The only lights come from the window and several circular lamps hanging from the walls.

The ceiling is dark, cross by multitudes of wires, and there are bits of metal protruding from smooth tubes.

Ales stands on top of his desk, typing on his laptop. He wears the same hat, but his jacket has been replaced by a deep black cloak longer than he is tall..] I'm busy right now, can't it wait?

[Which mecha had bothered to interrupt in him the middle of his work? Ales peeks over the top of the computer.]

Wha--?! You're already here?! [He jumps up, shoving the laptop onto the floor. Brushing his hands on his purple shirt, he then holds them up and takes a deep breath.] Whatever. I'll have to revamp the security when I'm finished with you.

[shinra_dog]

Ales?

[Reno is just... disappointed. Not because he expected somebody better, somebody taller, or whatever -- in fact, he'd kind of had an idea at this point that whoever was behind this had to be incredibly technologically savvy. That was Ales.]

[Reno just wanted to believe Ales was better than this.]

Well. If that's the case, yo, then you know yer in for a real fight.

[needsteaplz]

[Reno wouldn't be the only one disappointed. Saori has her suspicions as well as to this Archfiend's identity but she didn't like where all the clues lead to. She pulled back her hood.
His actions betrayed what the Assassins were meant to follow.]

Damn it, Ales. I thought you were smarter than this.

[not_most_days]

[There's a rush of wind around the Heroes as an invisible person runs past them. Mary was ready for this, and since a solo infiltration was out she uses the cover of the others to activate her Crystal of Invisibility. Perhaps biding her time and waiting for the perfect moment to strike would be smarter but her patience is running thin. That he appears to be unarmed and unprepared spurs her on as well.

She rushes up but finds his placement on the desk itself an interference in her plan to vault off of it and kill him in his chair in proper Assassin style. Instead she's forced to come up short and throws out a palm strike, but her hidden blade unfortunately catches on his cloak and her blow is muted merely to the ability to shove him back into his cushy chair.]

[umslay]

[Ales doesn't have a response yet for Reno and Saori, though the eyeroll should be obvious enough on the direction the answer would be going. Before he can speak, he feels something catch on his cloak and shove him into his chair. There's a rip, as if something is tearing at the fabric.

A knife.

He slides his arms out, lands on the floor, and runs away from whichever invisible Assassin is there. Mary? It doesn't matter.]

Look at what you did! Do you know how expensive one of those jackets are? Now how do you expect me to work like this... [He mutters to himself and presses a button on the wall. A small coat rack swings out of the wall holding other cloaks in various shades of purple-black. He grabs one and ties it around his neck.]

If you want a proper meeting with me, I have to look the part. Now, what's this about being smart?

i'm sorry

[sullenstallion]

No one ever said anything about you being smart. She said smarter. Which means...you're stupid.

[But Dylas is stupid, too. He doesn't know how to fight Ales at all, especially with a Monk and a Vampire job set, but at least he's awake for this.

And he has one skill he's never tried before, right?

He undoes a few of his jacket buttons, revealing...chest fur, obviously, which is enough to trigger his Vampire Charm skill. It probably won't work.

...but yeah, he's going for it.]

Is it working? Be charmed, dammit.

???

[umslay]