[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

[adun_toridas]

Zeratul didn't need to be told twice. He pulled up the polearm with both hands, setting his feet apart to stand his ground as the enemy bore down on them. There was a brief moment of confusion, considering he'd never resonated with a Weapon before, let alone at a time like this. It was not so different than sharing minds with his fellow Protoss during a battle, but the similarities were limited. At the very least, he and Ramza were compatible when it mattered, and that was enough for him.

The Kishin wasn't stupid enough to let itself get speared, and swiftly darted off to Zeratul's left. Spinning the polearm around, he lashed out at it with dull end, successfully smacking the monster in the ribcage and sending it skittering off a few yards. It snarled, taking a whiffs of the air as if it had to reassess how to deal with its prey.

Taking care not to drag the flag through the dirt, Zeratul circled around, waiting for the damned thing to come into range again. "Detestable creature."

[heretic_hamlet]

It was all the stranger for Ramza; he'd never felt anyone speaking into his mind before, let alone a mind as unfamiliar as a protoss'. And the sensation of being wielded and thrust against an opponent was even more bizarre... though he had to admit the lack of limbs was strangely liberating.

It was a relief, at least, to see that Zeratul wasn't inexperienced with a weapon of this sort. Or, if not, then that he was a quick study. And while he couldn't force Zeratul's hand, Ramza could at least see to it that he, too, could take note of the Kishin Egg's arching back and tensing legs. "Be careful! It aims to strike again!"

Sure enough, the Kishin Egg's hunger overrode its patience; the hulking horror tensed and writhed in preparation before it leapt forward once more, scythe-like claws sweeping forward in a ravenous pounce. Ramza only prayed he was every bit as resilient in weapon form...

"Detestable is too kind a word," he echoed in Zeratul's mind. "It has the manner and motion of a starving cur."

[adun_toridas]

The Kishin came into a range a bit faster than he would have liked, and Zeratul quickly stepped backwards to avoid a head on collision. The claws missed them both by mere inches, giving them another opening. Zeratul swung the blunt end around again, this time clocking the Kishin in the head. Now he was getting a feel for the Weapon in his hands, and the strength and durability of the monster they faced.

"I am certain it has the appetite to match, if not worse," he said dryly, already moving to the left to follow up on his strike. It was a pity the thing was blind, otherwise he could use the banner to the confuse it. Slicking his hand down the polearm to hold the banner in place, he brought the spearhead to bear before the next attack. No sense ruining the fabric if the business end would do the job.

Recovering from the blow to the head, the Kishin came at them both again, spitting in anger at the pain. Zeratul did not back down this time, stepping forward and making a wide slice with the spearhead.

[heretic_hamlet]

Strangely, being used as a bludgeoning instrument was rather painless from his end; he only felt a satisfying crunch as Zeratul's attack met its mark and the Kishin reeled from the impact. Ramza wished he could move himself forward and give it another while it was stunned, but he could hardly blame Zeratul for choosing a more defensive method.

At least he was switching to using the sharp end now that he'd softened up the Kishin a little bit. And though the Kishin may have been blind, it now saw red with pain and hunger as the spearhead left a bloody gash across its chest. And if it was previously a starving dog it was now a cornered one; wounded, with no hope for escape beyond a desperate, bloody conclusion to its current struggle.

It switched its tactics from predatory, focused striking to wild lashing and biting; desperate for some kind of hit or wound it could inflict upon the Protoss, something that would cripple its prey and give it a chance to escape- or, better yet, feed.

And Ramza, of course, would have none of that. He'd cornered enough monsters to know desperation in demonic form. "It attacks with abandon! It's not long for the slaying, now!"

[adun_toridas]

He'd fought enough crazed monsters to know that reaction when he saw it, and it tended to make the foe ten times deadlier. Zeratul was swift enough to block or avoid its mad clawing, though it managed to catch his cloak and create another tear along its edge. Not that anyone would be able to tell, given how ragged the cloth was already.

Zeratul released the banner as he swung the polearm around in front of him, the heavy cloth whipping across the Kishin's senses and confusing it. A dangerous tactic, as a confused monster that was already angry would lash out even worse. While its ferocity increased, it had lost whatever precision it might have had before. Exactly where he wanted it.

Hefting the polearm over one shoulder, Zeratul struck, driving the spearhead into the soft, white flesh of the monster's neck. It shrieked in pain before the sound became little more than a gurgle, choking on its own blood. The sound was more satisfying when it was a zergling or a hydralisk, but for the time being he was going to have to be content with this one. He yanked back to dislodge the weapon, letting the Kishin slump to the ground as it died.

"A dreadful fate of its own choosing," he said aloud, though there was no real remorse to his tone.

[heretic_hamlet]

It certainly made a foe more willing to strike... but in the same vein it often left them less cautious, and Zeratul used that fact to great effect. And soon Zeratul thrust him headfirst-- that was still a rather strange thing to consider, wasn't it?-- into the beast's neck and it was felled.

"Good riddance," he thought mirthlessly to himself and Zeratul both- though there was at least a hint of pride at a job well done. And a hint of confusion as a small, red sphere of spirit rose from the beast's corpse.

Right- was that not why he was brought here to begin with?

Ramza fumbled and quivered in Zeratul's hand for a moment while he attempted to figure out where his limbs lay in this form, but eventually managed to animate his own banner, ensnaring the soul and pulling it into the shaft of the spear. The whole of his weapon form glowed momentarily as he took in the soul... followed by a surge of disgust.

Suffice to say, the sensation of consuming a demon's spirit was less than pleasant.

"No less vile in death," he groaned out. He needed to consume ninety-nine of these foul things?

[adun_toridas]

This wasn't the first time he'd seen the diseased soul of a Kishin Egg, but he hadn't really gotten used to the look of them either. Seeing a living things soul, for that matter, was even still a bit unsettling. What applied in his universe didn't work the same here, and he was reminded of it constantly.

He hadn't expected Ramza to transform and eat the thing as most humans consumed food, but instead held him out from his body as the polearm quivered. It was certainly interesting watching a soul be devoured in such a way, and he couldn't help but pick up on Ramza's disgust. It was a sentiment he shared. In his mind, the foul soul should be destroyed, and the act of consuming it would corrupt the Weapon. It still seemed backwards to him, but in all his research thus far he hadn't seen anything to oppose the way things worked around here.

"I am sorry that it is unpleasant for you," he said honestly. Small mercy that was a Meister, he supposed. "We appear to be out of danger, if you wish to transform."

Otherwise, they could continue forward as they were.