[OPEN] Mission 155

[soul_mods]

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!

Comments

[hand_of_judgement]

His survey of the area was interrupted as he heard a question from behind him. Peering back over his shoulder, the Judge spied one of the others helping in the medic area. He'd seen the man around Death City before, but he had never personally spoken to him either.

"Fortunately there isn't yet," Yuri said with a pleasant smile. The invitation to join him was silently there, and in the moments after it, he glanced back at the large cave around them as he murmured, "Although given the struggle, it is highly unlikely to stay that way. So now is the time to relax, for we might not get much of it in the coming hours."

[trageteas]

He nodded at the answer, but didn't move from the spot. There might be benefits to be had in relaxing, but staying on guard seemed wiser. (And such a line of thinking was one that he always criticized Rosemariné for; it was much harder to believe in the value of relaxation when you yourself were the one who was figuratively under fire, apparently.) In every attack that he had witnessed after months in Death City, it was those who were caught off-guard and without power to resist that were hurt the most, and those weren't even the sorts of situations where he was responsible for others.

"That's easier said than done," he responded after a silence that he seemed to have left too long, adding a weak laugh. "It's easy to ignore a fight when it's far away, but we're practically a part of this one."

[hand_of_judgement]

There wasn't much that could faze him in these types of situations, even if the lack of his NEXT ability was rather inconvenient. Yuri had enough trust in his other skills, however, to know that he could handle most situations, even if he wasn't foolish enough to believe that he could take on a Kishin Egg or worse without being properly armed.

"That we are," he quietly murmured while regarding the other man. Judging by what was said, it wasn't often that this one saw the battlefield, and so he asked, "Is this your first time out?"

[trageteas]

"Mmm, it is. Not the first time I've been involved in a fight in this world, but the first time I volunteered for it." Even if he had more violent inclinations, missions had been completely out of the question with Nanako. But the waves of madness, the poison frogs... come to think of it, this could very well turn out to be a significantly more pleasant day than those ones had been.

He too took Yuri in, taking care to look him up and down quickly enough to avoid staring anywhere improper. "I take it that it isn't the same for you." It was hard to read this man, other than that he was clearly very calm and collected, and most likely used to being in some similar position of authority and danger. That kind of man was nothing unusual to Jules, seeing as he'd met dozens of his family's old wealthy contacts who were similarly businesslike and seemingly without a trace of personality beyond their jobs and their money. (It wasn't an insult; they were often admirable people, albiet a challenge to charm.)

[hand_of_judgement]

"Yes, I remember reading the files in regards to the attacks against the city," the Judge murmured thoughtfully before giving the other man a nod. There seemed to be quite a number of people who volunteered for these missions, which seemed to serve the war purpose well, with all things considered.

He shook his head, the long bangs trailing down one side of his face shifting along with it, before he pleasantly answered. "Well that would depend on your definition. I am no fighter, but I help out where I can," he murmured before adding. "What little I can do, I offer here in the medical area. I'm afraid I would be rather useless out on the battlefield."