soul_mods: (Witch's Soul)
Soul Campaign Moderation Journal ([personal profile] soul_mods) wrote in [community profile] soul_logs2012-08-24 09:51 pm

[OPEN] Mission 155

Characters: Open to those who signed up here.
Location: An unmarked cavern system outside Death City.
Rating: Various.
Time: March 18th, sunrise.
Description: Shibusen agents brave underwater caverns to take out the first of three Madness emitters.

Missiongoers pile out of the mirrors early in the morning, just as the first hints of sun start to color the walls of the sandstone canyon red and purple; it'll be the last bits of real light they'll see for at least a few hours. The atmosphere is electric -- there're quite a few new (and old) arrivals who're eager to see some action, but just as many people who're feeling rather more apprehensive… And for good reason.

The only way to their destination is blocked by a few hundred yards of sunken tunnels. Luckily they've been provided with mouthpieces, breathing apparatuses with enough oxygen to last about ten minutes: more than enough time, provided that the guests don't lose their way in the dimly-lit, twisted caverns. It's as easy as following the person in front of them, right?

Upon emerging safely from the pool onto mostly-dry land, they'll find themselves in an immense cavern, illuminated by countless, blue fungi clinging to the walls and ceiling, looking like stars dotting a night sky. Already the first signs of the way Madness has been corrupting the wildlife are evident: the mushrooms exude strange spores that make some people's head pound the same way the increasingly noticeable Madness wavelength does.

As they travel further into the watery caves and explore its many branches, they'll begin to encounter creatures twisted by Madness: moles, snakes, beetles, centipedes, all grown to monstrous proportions, some with a venomous bite that quickly turns their victim feverish and delirious. The more daring fighters can easily dispatch those and delve even deeper, and it's near the source of the Madness, in the chamber housing the emitter itself, that they'll encounter the kishin eggs.

There're dozens of them-- eyeless, white, vaguely human-shaped things, but despite their blindness they have no problem finding their quarry, fighting with claws and exuding their own Madness wavelength. If the missiongoers can stand strong against the kishin eggs and the ever-present wavelength given off by the Madness emitter, Shibusen's specialists will have enough time to shut the machine down for good.


OOC NOTES.
- The event summary post containing all relevant links is located here.
- Make your own threads, but please indicate in your subject line [CHARACTER(S) | LOCATION | OPEN/CLOSED] and, if applicable, if you need a kishin egg NPC!
- The locations are the sunken tunnels, the medics area, the cave system, and the emitter chamber, but only the medics will have their designated sub-thread.
- If you have any further questions, the mod thread on the coordination post is here!
consider8: (Now I'm ~mad~)

[ Black☆Star/Tsubaki | Cave System | Open ]

[personal profile] consider8 2012-08-26 02:36 am (UTC)(link)
Aranea had taken part of the main group, which had spread out and thinned since they left the mirrors and emerged from the water. She knew ahead of time that her purpose here was to support, but her personal reason was to get a sense of the enemy the people of Death City were facing. Though she didn't have her flourite octet, her time in the Medium was put to good use as she drop kicked and somersaulted her way through some of the infected mooks -- just enough force to stun them while a better-armed unit landed a finishing blow.

At the moment there was a lull in the attacks, and Aranea took the time to examine the area. The most immediate thing she noticed, and indeed she noticed it before they managed this far, was a sense of oppression, violence and stomach-sickening blackness. She had felt this feeling before--well, mostly from her friend--but never before was this feeling so prominently outside of the self. But here it's presence permeated everywhere that even without her empathic sense she could feel it crystal clear. For a second she had even thought that her power had returned but knew this wasn't the case when she tried to feel the tension and anticipation from some of the other participants.

She shook her head as she examined the carcass of a downed centipede. This was bad. If this place was a patient and she was a doctor, it would have had a serious bacterial infection. And she was in the middle of the puss-filled wound and fighting the normally healthy cells that have been corrupted by the necrosis.

Aranea sighed and was about to return to the main group when her ears were sticken deafened by a series of high-pitched screams. She turned her attention to a previously quiet crevice that was quiet no longer. Suddenly she saw it -- a swarm of madness-infused bats, frothing and ravenous by the disturbance in the caverns. Aranea panicked and ran back for the main group to alert them. This was seriously bad!!
Edited 2012-08-26 02:47 (UTC)
big_star: (serious gaze |)

[personal profile] big_star 2012-08-26 02:57 am (UTC)(link)
Black☆Star was still for the first time in many minutes, having been practically all over the place since they'd first started fighting. This was due to the current lull in the swarm of creatures, and he took the opportunity to reach out with his senses.

He could hear, feel, something approaching, but what it was exactly eluding him. Debating between racing forward in that direction rather than toward the Emitter Chamber, he was distracted when he saw Aranea running to them quickly, from the direction he'd sensed something from. Being at the head of the group, he noticed her right away.

"Oi! What is it? What did you see?" The way she was acting told him clearly that something was wrong, well, something more wrong in this messy area infected by Madness. He hoped she wasn't just stupidly hallucinating things though.
consider8: (CHARISMA 8REAK)

[personal profile] consider8 2012-08-26 04:47 am (UTC)(link)
By some miracle, Aranea was able to get to the main group before the area was overrun. She quickly turned and pointed, in what was now easily apparent to anyone with half a brain. "BATS!!!"
Edited 2012-08-26 16:21 (UTC)
big_star: (the biggest star |)

[personal profile] big_star 2012-08-29 01:48 am (UTC)(link)
He gave her an odd look, complete with raised eyebrows, but then suddenly the bats were closing in and it was clear they were infected by Madness like pretty much everything else here.

Instead of looking troubled or worried, Black*Star grinned. "Don't you worry, the great Black*Star will handle this, no problem. Just sit back and enjoy the show!"
consider8: (8eta my friend-fiction!!)

[personal profile] consider8 2012-08-29 01:53 am (UTC)(link)
Aranea was not consoled. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" she screamed as she she reached for his hand to drag him to safety.
big_star: (flying in |)

[personal profile] big_star 2012-08-30 02:09 am (UTC)(link)
He just continued to grin, looking almost on the verge of laughter. Squeezing her hand for a moment, he let go as he reassured, "I said don't worry! With the star of the show here, this is nothing."

And then he was racing forward to intercept the bats before they got to the rest of the group.
consider8: (Uh.... a8out your logic...)

[personal profile] consider8 2012-08-30 02:59 am (UTC)(link)
In that moment Black*Star began racing in, only one thought entered Aranea's head. Fortunately, that thought was externalized almost as quickly.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?"

Unsheathing her then-unused cutlass, she stared at the back of the witless nitwit and charged after him.
big_star: (ready |)

[personal profile] big_star 2012-08-31 08:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"YAHOO~!"

And with that, Black☆Star jumped to the side of the tunnel, throwing out one end of Tsubaki's Kusarigama form to strike one of the bats as his feet met the wall. He jumped off of it, swinging the chain to make the one he'd killed collide with two others and knock them to the ground before he used the end he still held to kill them once he landed.

Though that was when he realized Aranea had followed him, and he turned to call back to her. "Get back if ya can't fight! This is my stage, so you better be prepared to back up my big self." Not that he needed it, in his opinion.
consider8: (Uno8scure)

[personal profile] consider8 2012-08-31 09:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Though fighting wasn't her forte, she had enough experience to be able to devise a strategy that would be complementary to Big*Star's.

He was very good, and his fighting style was excellent. Still, there with his sweeping attacks he small holes in his defenses which Aranea took advantage of to jump in and strike at the opportunistic bats with a quick thrust to the head. Really, the biggest problem was keeping an eye on his chain to make sure she didn't get caught up into the sweeping attacks. He was most definitely the star here, but Aranea got a few good shots in too.
big_star: (serious observing |)

[personal profile] big_star 2012-09-08 01:14 am (UTC)(link)
They were making good progress together, the number of creatures dwindling to just a few that seemed to be quicker than the others, harder to catch and avoid. But Black☆Star was having fun, his confidence never lessening, and it was good that Aranea seemed to be handling herself well so he didn't have to keep too much of an eye on her.

"Oi! Watch to your right!" He called, when out of the corner of his gaze he caught sight of one of the bats trying to fly around that side to her back. He would have gotten it himself but both scythes were currently embedded in another bat.
consider8: (What the flippity floppity???)

[personal profile] consider8 2012-09-08 05:04 am (UTC)(link)
Aranea followed it with her eyes, but her sword arm wasn't fast enough. The bat flies upside her back and causes her to crash face long into the ground. Damnit. This wouldn't have happened if she had the weapon she was used to. Worse, the bat started to take advantage of this situation and started to claw at Aranea's face... well, it would have if she didn't raise her hands to deflect the assault.
big_star: (swing |)

[personal profile] big_star 2012-09-09 11:17 pm (UTC)(link)
When it became apparent that the situation had turned ugly, he cursed, and quickly got Tsubaki to change to her Ninja Sword form. Using his enhanced speed, he shot forward.

"Roll to the side, NOW!" Black☆Star yelled, giving her only a few moments notice before he swung his arm, the blade moving to slice at the bat and hopefully miss Aranea if she had successfully moved.
consider8: (Now I'm ~mad~)

[personal profile] consider8 2012-09-10 12:31 am (UTC)(link)
Fortunately for Aranea, she had her ears open for Black*Star's instruction, and she quickly rolled out of the way, the bat getting pulled along with her, but mostly exposed for the next thrust.
big_star: (proud |)

[personal profile] big_star 2012-09-14 01:24 am (UTC)(link)
With her out of the way, the blade went right through the bat, probably unfortunately splattering blood and whatever else onto Aranea as well as Black☆Star himself. At least she was safe though.

Cheering, a grin returning to his lips, he held out a hand to help her up. "Ain't ya glad my godly self was around to save ya?"
consider8: (Feeling chatty)

[personal profile] consider8 2012-09-15 05:29 am (UTC)(link)
Aranea smiled, wiping the bat blood from her face. He might be be an arrogant punk, but he was damn good at his job.

"Yes. Was that the last one?" Because really, he wouldn't gloat and risk opening himself to attack, would he?
big_star: (trust me |)

[personal profile] big_star 2012-09-18 11:59 pm (UTC)(link)
He puffed his chest out a little at the praise - well, he took that one word agreement as praise, at least.

Of course he wouldn't, pft! "Yeah, unless more come after that group. Wouldn't be surprised, since this place is crawlin' with 'em. For now I think that's it though."