View source for 4230/Elimination: Urban Decay (3)

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/06/18
|Location=Lumiere
|Synopsis=Efforts to remove the Unlit from the Urban Decay meet with continued success... And the access point for at least some of them is likewise located.
|Cast of Characters=6, 70, 954, 974, 984
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:974|Carna (974)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Urban Decay, with all the ongoing, determined efforts that have been made lately, has seen a decrease in the overall number of Unlit in the area. While they continue to trickle into the area, and there are no doubt plenty still hanging out in alcoves and ambush points, most of the obvious ones in the streets or other accessible locations have been thinned. And that is allowing for a better picture of the 'traffic' of the monstrous things, following them back to their source. If whatever hole they are crawling out of can be plugged, at least from ONE source, then the area may not be getting any more Unlit at all.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Already, there's far fewer of the more bizarre Unlit around. No more awful flying monsters, no more snake-wolves... Just the standard fare, as bad as those are. However, following the trail back leads the assembled Elites towards an area known as the City Limits. Not directly to it, but nearby it. And from experience, Count Kord should know... That area is not a healthy place to be caught trying to 'fix' anything about Lumiere.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So as they go over a bridge spanning an empty aqueduct, the only sign that water ever flowed in the bottomless canyon it now is, are the grates set in the walls of it, at regular intervals, surrounded with rot-green ooze. Black and red sludge trickles out between the bars. Whatever the thick fluid is, it appears to be kept from flowing properly by the drainage pipes being clogged with... A great deal of... 'Meat'.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Unlit are encountered along the way, and some of them appear to be wandering up out of murky alcoves in the ground, not unlike subway entrances. Whether this is their primary avenue of entry into the area or not has yet to be seen, and it is scarcely the only source of attacks as people dressed in a mix of mud-stained business suits and threadbare tunics alike assault the Elites in small groups or individually, with everything from bent street signs to hands 'enhanced' with railroad spikes through the palms and fingers to add further lethality.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>As usual, Karal Rei Lin is here to deal with the grunt work of CARVING UP AWFUL THINGS with her sword, and she's starting to look like she enjoys it.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The NORMAL Unlit that is. Against those hordes of shambling, ungainly, erratic zombie-like things she's started to put on quite a show since the last two encounters. Weaving in and under swings and around bites before they're even made, chopping straight through the creatures in single strikes, beheading many as she passes them by with practiced, swift, lightning motions. Step step SLASH, step step SLASH SLASH, reverse grip and spin slash! turn aside a spike or a sign with the blade's flat, twirl her weapon around and strike with her enemy's balance fumble only serving to empower her more.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Whenever the creatures approach it goes like that, and she never stops smiling rather jubilantly.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's kind of disturbing, maybe. Just a bit. "This is GREAT practice." She's heard to say at one point.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That said... keeping in good cheer in a place like this is not something most people could do. It takes PLENTY of mental discipline and focus, a certain obliviousness and an ability to consciously just stop caring about how grotesque the locale is and the Unlit are, to regard them as little more than practice dummies that happen to be mobile.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, to a young Solar, that's basically all these weakest of the weak are.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She hasn't even broken a sweat.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Unfortunately, her cheerful practice regimen attitude comes to a halt when the group reaches their... apparent destination. There, her nose starts a-twitching, she backpedals several steps and... "By all the gods, WHAT is that stench... no, what is that AT ALL?!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;looking right towards the plugged grate...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:954|Count Kord (954)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kord had been helping to thin the Unlit simply because he enjoyed battle. Because fighting these dead things was the closest thing he could get to a pure fight without worrying about duty or war. Now, though, as they neared the hunting grounds of a familiar group that wouldn't take kindly to his affiliation, he spoke up, making a point to try to get to the front of the group so he had everyone's attention.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Nearby," Kord begins, pointing to an area not too far away, "There is a group called the Stone Devils. They are based in an area with a large amount of Lantern activity, so it's likely we will see those Lanterns before we see the Gargoyles themselves. But it is best that we do not go that way until everyone is ready for a more difficult fight. I can guide us around their territory, for now."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"The Stone Devils run in direct opposition to what you are doing here in Lumiere. They wish for the world to fall farther into darkness, as far as I can tell. They want the stagnation to remain, and they thrive on the darkness that fills this place. I have helped them in the past and I may continue to do so, but I have my reasons for that. And..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Los is the one that has called us here to Lumiere, or that was what I believe. An intoxicating message of power in the form of death. He guided me to the Stone Devils because I... am attuned to the Dark and Doomed more than anyone here, maybe even more than Lanterns themselves. The reason I speak about this now is because Los is the Lord of Silence that the Stone Devils appear to worship. He is their patron. And that is why I believe his prophecies are a way to manipulate you into doing what he wants you to do and nothing else."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kord goes silent after saying, "If I have to fight all of you to get closer to him, I will, but know that it is because I wish to bring about his end. There are few things I hate more than being manipulated by gods or things like them in their petty games." And then he wanders off, as he usually does, looking to pick off small fry. He stays near enough for people to question him about all of this.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Normally, Priscilla doesn't bother with this kind of busywork. There are plenty of footsoldiers around to clean up messes like these. The kind of high concept nightmare the Grand Gallery had been is usually more often her calling, almost inevitably resulting in some tough decisions. Maybe things have changed. Maybe today she just doesn't want to think too hard.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Not that easing her mind a little prevents her from killing. After countless thousands of enemies, especially ones similar to these, her motions are automatic; rehearsed, efficient, and almost inattentive in their casual dispassion, the crossbreed barely noticing as she mows through the stage extras with wide sweeps of her scythe, its powers at low key as just its shape serves to do what the weapon is technically designed for; cutting down crowds. Walking barefoot around this filth, and inevitably pooling blood, doesn't seem to bother her, as the unidentifiable fluids subtly freeze over as she steps near them, crackling with a thick layer of frost as her weight comes down on them.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Practice for thine cutting arm, perhaps." she remarks offhandedly to Karal, doing her best to keep neutral at the first time meeting the young, impetuous Solar. "Though thou shalt be rewarded not for knowledge of bodily weakness and anatomy. If it so pleases thee, then continue." Kord's words elicit a distant frown from her, but it seems that she won't be fully mulling them over in her head for a moment, oddly distracted in behaviour.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The Urban Decay had become a sight that Tomoe knew far too well, even with how she was able to fight in the multiverse she did nor feel safe and she was right. She was not not ith the nature of how things work here. She was very likely at risk and she knew it and still she came though she wished she could fly in a place liek this so badly, maybe she should have gone imp? Yet it's far too late for that. So she falls into formation as the group start to gather falling in with the young Karal Rei Lin, Tomoe was over six feet fully armoured and she seemed to carry it well though her ears might be strange or make Karal wonder a bit if the Salmander had any connection to /those/ fair folk. R<br /> She was going quiute well however with her naginata the moon cutter and seemed to be keeping pace with Karal for the moment. <br /><br /> "Just keep sharp. This place is a nightmare and there's no real fun about it at least in my experiance."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:974|Carna (974)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If anyone passes by the subway entrance-like areas in the process of destroying Unlit, they may hear more sounds than simply the growls of feral husks. There's a faint echoing chorus of voices down there, like a large crowd. Thus far, the Unlit have evidenced no capacity for speech, so it's probably not them... Lanterns then? Maybe this isn't the only hunting party in the area. Another location to explore in the future, perhaps.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Though the idea of fighting through dimly lit underground corridors, trying to overcome hordes of spirit-drinking monsters in close quarters, wading through rivers of meaty sludge, and who knows what else likely holds little appeal for anyone at all.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While the option to go down there now exists, by following the street on this side of the bridge, near the City Limits settlement, the traffic of Unlit can be observed from above. That might also yield clues as to how to stopper up their entrance.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Enjoy what you can while you can!" Lin retorts in easygoing fashion back at Tomoe. "It's either enjoy SOMETHING or loathe EVERYTHING down here in nightmaropolis..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She falls silent as Priscilla nears. The strange woman's scythe-work and icy steps are taken with full rapt attentio, an icy lump forming in Lin's throat as she observes the motions. It's not at all hard for her to gauge just how practiced Priscilla is with this situation.... practiced enough that Lin can't help but shiver a little.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"That... is one amazing scythe. And skills to match. But if you think I'm out for a reward, that's a laugh. the practice is its own reward. Along with the knowledge there's less horrors in the world."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now, Kord's chilling announcement has her INCREASINGLY happy that she is no longer here as his mercenary, and for it she's giving him a venomous, displeased stare. "Come at me with lethal intent, I won't hesitate to respond in kind." She simply responds to that, lips pursed.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But really, the important thing here is that she has NO desire to go traipsing through the corrupted sewers if there is ANY other path to take... so she points down the street. "Don't favor the idea of going anywhere enclosed without ensuring an escape route..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:954|Count Kord (954)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Karal's immediate pivot to animosity is both familiar and welcome. Kord chuckles from her resolved retort, as if the shift to anger was funny to him.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Since no one has a lot to say about what Kord mentioned, he keeps most other comments to himself, except for: "That wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about," toward Priscilla, "The manipulator has a prophecy for me as well, and it is worth at least talking about it to... someone that understands worlds like this." He can tell, since she seems experienced in the dreary nature of this world.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As for which path they take, he doesn't have much to say. He slays Unlit either way, so their choice is largely irrelevant to him... except if he feels they're nearing Stone Devils territory.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tomoe Says "Your strange, you know that Karal?" <br /><br /> There's hostilty in her voice she seems more amused than anything but she's pushing on, then agian given her life but she's alto tiling her head a bit at Priscilla for a moment and she shakes herhead abit. <br /><br /> "Come now we all share a goal in cleaing this place up, right? Let's not get at eachother's throats too hard...and you have a good point on that Karal/" <br /><br /> She looks to the Count for a moment but she's soon on her way cutting down any unlit that get near and she's keeping with karal for the moment. She is honestly though glad to have Priscilla here with them as well. Kord hadn't been a true problem to her in their previous encounters so hopefully nothing will go south today.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's only when Priscilla hears the sound of what potentially are Lanterns, that she returns to Kord using the same word, and properly thinks over what he had said. Her expression immediately turns to displeasure, for whatever it is recognizable as on her perpetually, excessively reserved countenance.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"So, such is what thou hast been busy with whence gallivanting all over the ruins without warning. Mine apologies, I had assumed thee far more of a contrarian loiterer, though, about as little of a manipulator." Her cool and businesslike unhappy tones are punctuated by an arc of viscera flying past her head from another mook caught in the way.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I can scarce imagine how this world coulst possibly becometh darker in any appreciable way, nor how any couldst possibly benefit from it in any way aside from the most short-sighted of pursuits. I cannot also say that being worshipped is a true sign of investment. Many beings art praised by sects of the mad without their knowledge or condonement. If anything, thou may as well be, as part of them, a 'useful idiot'. To judge whom is the less informed party at this point is to judge which will be the more beautiful flower from a pair of seeds."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's probably a deliberately prettier metaphor than this gooey hellhole. "Further, if thou believeth him to be playing us against the other, he is both a poor planner, and continuing to do so whilst vaguely claiming to be doing so to spite him is hardly convincing." There's no outright animosity from her. No threats of violence; but Kord should be able to feel that hard and glacial undercurrent to her otherwise tensely reasonable words, like trying to apologize to a dangerous, icy precipice. It is the sound of a woman who currently has no reason to fight, but doesn't think highly of what he has to say.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She gestures vaguely towards the sewer corridors on the way passing it. "Wouldst those happen to be thine hunting companions, then? I cannot deny they hath poor taste in background and poorer timing still, if so." Correctly assumed, she's in no rush to plumb those disgusting depths. She hadn't ventured /near/ Blighttown. Thus said, she takes that role of high ground observer, easily leaping up to the highest point surrounding the bridge, or perhaps the bridge itself, if it's the suspended kind.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:954|Count Kord (954)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"If they are of no use in getting closer to Los, they are of no use to me at all. The moment the truth of the matter becomes evident is when I will decide what to do. If it makes you feel any better," Kord says, amidst slicing an Unlit or three of his own, fairly experienced at fighting as well but probably not as impressively as Priscilla does, "I hope that they do prove to be simple tools or madmen so that I can lead you all right to their home. The worst of them, though... a fellow named Luc, he does not feel like a madman. He feels like something else. He may already know about what my real intentions are."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It would require you to trust me for you to forgive my future actions, and it would be foolish to assume any of you will ever trust me. I am the enemy, whose patron is a god of death, whose reputation speaks of a warlord and a demon. So I will just settle for being honest about it, even if I sound insane." Slice slice. The comfort he has with chopping stray Unlit confirms his words in part. He has always felt like a predator, acted like it, spoke like that was his mentality.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I wouldn't know. They have a uniform, and not all Lanterns around here are Stone Devils," he explains to the question about those Lanterns. "Shall I go meet with them?" He's already preparing to leap down and investigate them, his question apparently rhetorical.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:974|Carna (974)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Looking down upon the sprawling mess of buildings in ancient Greek style below, it may take a moment to understand what is being looked at here. A line of black cuts through the buildings at a certain point. It might be seen as a river or something at first, but attempting to look beyond it, to the other side, results in nothing but more blackness. If neither Priscilla nor anyone else figures it out on their own, it should become apparent shortly, as actual illumination appears in the form of a red glow along the line of black. Illumination! Down here! In a world without sun, moon, or stars!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A glow like a furnace, that casts the dark tenements and abandoned business below into a stark contrast of ebon and crimson. The style of them might even evoke imagery of a view of Hades, where the dead were to dwell. And in a realm such as this, where various 'after lifes' exist as physical locations in tandem with each other, such an analogy might not be very far of.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The light is actually fairly dim, but compared to the darkness all around, it might as well be a blazing sunset. As the area it covers increases in size, and very tiny black specks start to rush into the area far below, it's clear now that there is some sort of gate that is in the process of openoing. That black line is an enormous wall that spans the borders of the Urban Decay, and there are entrance points in it that are apparently being controlled by someone or something.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Whether the things coming into the area, far distant, are Unlit or Lanterns is difficult to tell from here. They're definitely running, but the more intact Unlit can run as well, with a fair amount of coordination. It seems the explorers have found one of the access points at least. As the gate grinds back downwards less than a half-minute after it opened, the specks continue to try to rush through, practically trampling over each other in their hurry. And though many miniscule shapes are still visible on the other side trying to reach the portal or directly underneath when the gate comes down with a *BOOM* like a giant coffin lid slamming shut deep below the ground, it does not open again while anyone present watches.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Meaning there's no telling how many of whatever those are still lie on the other side of that wall. Though with the sound that echoes through the area, it's likely that if those are Lanterns, the very thing that allowed them through to 'safety' has probabl drawn the attention of every Unlit in the area. So they would have rushed directly from one hell into another. Somewhere further south, closer to those assembled, another red light begins to appear, and the actual grinding of wheels and gears can be heard this time, as a different gate opens. And more tiny figures, only marginally more clear in their definition, flee outside the walls, back into whatever blood-hued terrain lies beyond. The same place others just ran IN from. A perpetual cycle of beings seeking something, perhaps believing safety lies beyond, only to go directly into whatever hazard others believing the same thing are fleeing from.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What a twisted circle of death, despair, and desperation.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The sensation of being watched might be felt by those especially keen to such things. If not, then of course they feel nothing. But from one of the roofs above, the silhouette of a horned helmet attached to a lithe, likely-female frame slipping back into the more total darkness from where it was peering at the group from above might be caught for an instant. The figure likely would have been totally unnoticed in the pitch if not for the glow produced by the giant gate opening (what looks to be at least four or five miles from here).<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She takes no action except to slip back into obscurity, but there's no telling if she's actually gone, what she may have heard, and whether there's any more in the area. But at least they aren't under attack. Yet.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Yeah everyone keeps saying that!" Karal Rei Lin casually responds to Tomoe, but most of her attention's on.... decoding Priscilla's flowery speech. It brings her to a halt for a full twenty seconds of blank staring before she distills the meaning from the flowery.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Uh. If it helps, I'll respect you GREATLY for said honesty, but yeah - anyone working for a force of death's on my list of people to watch out for." She announces Kord's way, constantly glancing the man's way just in case.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But hey, the overlook point, finally reached. Which starts being cast in a hellish light.... "Rrrrrrgh! Here we go with the parts worth loathing.... giving me shivers..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What's DOWN there though, that's the question. Lin focuses her senses, peelingg away a bit of the darkness through a ferocious squint and the glorious Essence flowing through her eyes and mind... but even this can only overcome so much.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But from that... Lin moves with a start, whirling around and looking skyward while showing pure shock to the world. Shock and quickly... confusion. "I thought.... hrmngh. This place plays tricks on you..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That does answer a lot of questions, admitted. Priscilla had seen those horrific hordes climbing the base of Lumiere before, on a single minded journey that might take years to claw their way to the cities above, but she had doubted that they had managed to get into the heart of its many layers through crawling all over the edges.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It also raises as many as it answers though; like who the hell would design a gate to do that, for what purpose are they still being operated, if they are indeed being operated by a thinking being, if there is a pattern governing where they appear, and why only in this area so far, and of course, what keeps running in and out of them.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her head snaps up just in time to catch sight of the disappearing figure, vaguely unsettled that she hadn't caught her earlier, but she's gone just as soon as Priscilla's hair settles back to her shoulder from the sudden movement, leaving her only with a grim stare and nothing else. Back to business.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Thou art right to assumeth I hath no reason to trust thee thusfar, nor do I anticipate one. I trust only that thou hast the minimum of common sense to avoid such obvious pitfalls in ascribing undue intelligence to blind cultists." She makes no attempt to deny that he is the enemy, but does quite cordially ask "If thou wouldst, though be mindful. I believeth another hast taken notice." That one is as much a warning for Karal as anyone else.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then, she pulls her disappearing act, dropping from her perch at such a height as to normally be a very loud landing, and moving towards the fleeing crowds for up-close observation.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:954|Count Kord (954)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kord either didn't acknowledge the figure's presence or didn't even know she was there. Instead, he found himself slipping into the dark periphery, sliding out of sight once the others were distracted with the odd development over there, and he took a more careful path of trying to move without being seen or heard by the locals. He is unnervingly good at slipping out of sight whenever he likes, to the point where he could have been an assassin in another life. He took his cue from Priscilla's own vanishing act.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He avoids the very top of nearby structures and tries not to silhouette himself against anything that would give him away, and avoids fighting anything that might cause a lot of noise as he follows along to see what all the fuss is about over there where the crowds are. He makes sure to keep an eye out for those that might try to attack him from the shadows, well aware that the Stone Devils could very well be watching. He relies on the glow's distraction to draw the hungering Unlit and keep them from noticing him. His steps are lighter than a feather, and he can cover quite a lot of distance in a short time.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tomoe seems mostly used to Priscilla's method of speechshe's known her long enough to be used to itby now but she now seems to be morerfocused on what's ahead she looks for a moment wary but not moving to just attack she looks about for a moment seeming trying to locate the source of whatever is cauyisng the feeling but she's having no success at all on that front. <br /><br /> "What's down here..." <br /><br /> She won't get an answer likely until it attacks them in all likelyhood.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:974|Carna (974)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As people generally work their way down from their current position (or vault the railing and take the 30 foot drop like it's no big deal), they enter more darkened streets, those these ones bear a red glow on occasion. The most recently opened gate is already closing, regardless of who may be trying to enter or exit. Once it's closed, these streets will be as dark as ever once again. Dark, and cold, and dry with dust. But as progress is made in getting closer, and closer to the ones newly arrives and those still trapped on this side, the sound of voices can clearly be heard. Some wails of lament, others screams of terror, or yells of rage. Demands and pleas alike for the gates to open waft forth on the still, stale air... Even as cries of pain and fear are added to the mix, as Unlit assault what is apparently a group of civilian Lanterns who were unable to make it through the gate before it closed on them. Whether the ones at the other entrance point are also Lanterns or not isn't clear without going there, but given the distance between where the Elites watched all this from and the nearest gate was about 5 miles, the even more distant gate is perhaps four times that. Not a distance easily crossed as emaciated monsters lunge from the darkness and start tearing people apart.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And more disturbing monsters appear as well, like malformed brains or giant fleas with long metal poles impaled through them to serve as arms and legs. These creatures stand up on their stilt-limbs and start fast-walking through the streets, stepping right over rooftops, bending down, and piercing civilian Lanterns on long beaks protruding from their dark bodies, only to drain them dry of the same Dead Lights the Lanterns stole from Lit before them to gain their sanity.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This area within the walls is a kill zone for anything that comes here. But it seems many still do. Perhaps they don't know better when they initially arrive? Whatever the case, there's a slaughter going on down there. And it can't be easy to make it here in the first place for Lanterns with little to no combat ability, so even if they come back... That isn't necessarily a solution to their problems.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Thus far, Priscilla and Kord are going unnoticed thanks to their stealth and invisibility. But unless Karal and Tomoe have similar hiding and stealthing capabilities, they may get their own fair share of enemies to deal with. Though most are focused on the prey they already know is there, so more than a few easy kills from behind may be possible as well. As long as they don't run into those... Stilt... Flea... Beak... Things.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Yeah, Lin's one of those 'leap the whole way down' sorts. She somehow slows her descent near the bottom of the drop... but it probably has something to do with the way she held her arms out like wings most of the way down. HOW that helped is anyone's guess, but it was an efficacious way to catch the air and slow her descent.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She isn't GOING for subtlety or stealth. What she DOES do?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Krrrrrrrrrrryaaaaaaaaaaaooooooooooowwwwwwww!!!" What she DOES do is, at the last part of her descent, coming SCREAMING in with a downward CHOP, hoping to CLEAVE through some of those freakish brain-flea-monsters. Well, start with one, then transition to the next with a low-flying slash that transitions into a combo of whirling strikes if that isn't enough to finish it off!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Topping off the matter, she erupts into golden-white flames, a bonfire beacon of surging life, warmth, and glorious radiance - everything the dead locale is not.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now this is definitely what it had seemed, but the opposite of what Priscilla had expected. Seeing any kind of thinking being in such numbers all the way out here, or at all really, is surprise enough, though with what she had learned from Enark, she immediately hazards a guess that these people may be from other 'afterlives', with little information to go off of why these kinds of grotesque creatures would exist in Lumiere. It's had its fair share of the ungodly and awful monsters, but most of them have been immigrants from elsewhere, or else perverse amalgamations of existing, commonplace dead. Right now, she can't pin what kind of dead thing from the living world would result in /those/ things.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Though, if she wants any answers, she'll have to stop them from killing everyone first. Increasingly, Priscilla has begun to contemplate bringing archery to these missions, but for the time being, she has another, much less subtle, but equally viable alternative. Picking another place with as commanding a view of the streets as she can (though she only needs to scope out the fleas), Priscilla takes a deep, centering breath, and a cold, skin-crawling breeze swirls around her, like a ghost's fingers stroking bare skin.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She then begins unleashing it in brief, calculated spurts, the focused energy of souls stuttering out in long, sharp lances of ghastly, blue-white light brighter than anything Lumiere has seen for a long time, spearing flea monsters at almost hitscan speed, where raw, arcane power is put to use as essentially a disintegration ray. Anything that can survive the initial thrust of white-hot magic is subject to the curse it carries, crystals erupting from the inside out as flesh petrifies into fell glass.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It is completely unsubtle and easily gives away her position for miles around, but it is deadly and very long ranged, which she hopes to use to snipe as many monsters along the advancing line as possible, in order to clear space for 'civilians' to escape or be rescued.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:954|Count Kord (954)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While Priscilla handles that, Kord works from the shadows to cover her. While he has made it clear that he has no intention of limiting his options in this world, it would also be a bad move to let anything murder one of the most invested people in this world that he can think of. The moment attention gets brought to Priscilla, she may note that the shadows around her grow deeper and anything that comes at her is met with... frankly, it looks like the shadows are all made of spike traps, with spears of black complementing her bright white light. It's very useful to Kord to have such powerful light to take advantage of all the shadows it casts.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Because he sure loves using the shadows of his prey as a weapon. It's probably very easy to see what he's doing after the initial spikes jut out to attack an unwary hungry spirit and knock it down. It may also be possible to spot him moving around within range so that he can use this ability, as he apparently has a limited range and gets forced to attack anything further than the range with more direct blasts of dark energy.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"There is always a time for a good show, isn't there," he quips from the shadows he's manipulating to mask his exact location, having fun performing his most helpful act in Lumiere to date.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tomoe has no way to stealth as the Iron Lily but she's got to fight her way through she doesn't even think about the things she's figthitn too much she does start to chant now causing runes fly about her body and then she'll let lose with bolts of fire as she keeps psuhing forward. <br /><br /> "Keep moving!" <br /><br /> She's not getting off easy she's been hit a number of times nad her avatar is showing signs of being deformed alrteayd but she's still standing. <br /><br /> "They just don't quit do they?!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:974|Carna (974)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As Karal cleaves through one of the creatures nearest to her, putrid gray matter mixed with insect carapace goes flying in a disgusting splatter. Newly exposed, as well as mixed in with the sloughed-off flesh are countless little black balls that begin chittering and scrambling onto their tiny tentacle-legs. Then they begin lunging at Karal in swarms, trying to stab her with their own beaked maws so that they can feed upon her as the intact ones are feeding upon the Lanterns.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If she fells another one of these monsters in the same way, even more of those grotesque little flea-creatures will be released to go hopping all over the streets, attacking everyone.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And thanks to her display, she's going to be drawing even more attention, as humanoid Unlit spill out of doorless frames of stone buildings, or more flea creatures start climbing over rooftops in easy, long strides. She'll shortly be dealing with hundreds of enemies (counting all the tiny things). Thankfully, Priscilla also takes some of the heat off of the Solar by blasting ice everywhere, impaling or disintegrating enemies, turning others to crystal, and otherwise assaulting foes in a wide area.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;An even larger version of the flea creatures emerges from the center of this huge neighborhood, tentacles slithering up over rooftops, and crushing any humanoid Unlit too slow to get out of its way as it rises to its full height, towering over the surroundings. It's at least a hundred feet tall, an enormous blistering mass of insect and brain and tendrils and metal rods. It begins to squirt poisonous blood in jets with both considerable velocity and even more considerable range, targetting multiple Elites at once with the bombardment of sizzling gross.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:974|Carna (974)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At least they're drawing attention off of the civilians. And with Kord dealing with melee ranged opponents seeking the source of the blasts, or doing blasting of his own to keep any of the Unlit from massing sufficiently to use their own bodies as ramps, Priscilla can keep blasting away or take evasive action in regard to the incoming area-effect splash attacks. Of course, Kord may need to take evasive action of his own. The sprays cover a wide area, and from the effects they have on an Unlit, melting into a puddle of seemingly half-digested meat, it doesn't look like something one wants to get hit with.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tomoe's fire spells seem particularly undesirable to the Unlit, and the remaining flea-brain creatures are hardened such by the fires, boiled by their own disgusting juices, that when they expire, they are unable to release any more of the things inside of them. This does make her, like all the other Elites making a big scene, a major target, but though they may be four against a thousand or two-thousand or... However many are in this area, they are definitely making a difference. Though there's still the huge monster to deal with...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;During all this, the blackness that composes the wall is exposed time and again by the light, revealing brass and stone in the shape of giant faces comprising its entire length. In the flare of flames, in the glare of laser-breath, artistically-rendered depictions of faces in rage or torment flash into existence for moments brief or long, before being plunged back into pitch.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Lanterns look on in fear and wonder, while still glancing occasionally upwards, hoping the gate will open for them.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:954|Count Kord (954)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kord does his very best to keep the pressure off of Priscilla. Her invisibility would protect her, but he knows from experience that abilities like that require concentration and a firm foothold and it's best to guarantee a defended position then to constantly have to dodge attacks, even if they'd whiff away from her due to being unable to target her directly. The Count has to eventually resort to his scythe to trim the hordes, cutting down the creatures, at least until the poisonous digestive goo is shot down at him and... he narrowly avoids it by using the claws of one of his gauntlets to rip the entire sleeve off of one of his arms, gauntlet and all. It shows that his hand is not human-shaped and instead carries gnarly claws and a black and red coloration of its own. He still uses his elemental power when he swings his hand, slicing the head off the shoulders of an Unlit so he can get breathing room.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He holds up a hand toward the massive flea monster. The wind billows around him, black and red shreds of energy accumulating at his palm. He charges it just long enough that he knows that it might do some damage... and then the air actually becomes muffled and more muted, and even the light near the blast becomes monochrome, as if it were sucking the very life out of the air.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That's because it is. The spiritual nature of this place means the beam dissolves anything it so much as closely passes by, creating an intimidating groove in the buildings where it leaves only sickly ash floating in its wake.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The beam is launched at the massive flea creature's center of mass with intent to hit like a gale force shockwave, the Flying-type energy trying to absorb any life out of the massive monstrous Unlit so that it doesn't release any miniature monsters when it gets killed, hoping the vampiric nature of his attack kills anything hiding inside of the tremendous beast.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"WHAT IN ALL THE LAYERS OF HELL?!" Lin reacts on instinct the moment she sees mobile... ANYTHING splitting through the carapace where she should just have yucky bug guts or... something. IT SHOULD NOT BE MORE THINGS THAT CAN ATTACK AND KILL.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Instead of transitioning into her planned second kill she barfs out some disgusted noises and brings her blade up in what at first looks like a HOPELESS endeavor of trying to deflect a flowing river with a blade.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Or a swarm of rats.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But things get weird in those next few moments. Her arms move faster than reason could ever expect, deflecting one splashing of 'blobs' and then another and another, over a dozen fistfuls of lunging creatures in a single second. NOBODY should be able to do that, but she does.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Still, some do get in past her guard, biting at her legs and so on. her response, beyond a few yelps of pain, is to do some surprisingly athletic manuevers like the splits or backflips that slam her limbs into the ground and CRUSH whatever gets through her guard.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She backflips a good five times before landing again and sheathing her blade. Now.. panting and perspiring rather fiercely.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"THAT'S A NEW TRICK!" She shrieks, somewhat freaked the hell out even as she readies for a counter-attack.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tomoe is covered in dispotions now from eveyrthing that's gone down there's just too many of the horrible hting and she's feeling the pain as well. Her HP bar has been chipped away at qutie a bit over the duration of this fight. She's not sure how much longer she'd last as there's still a a lot of fighting left to do and she'll now chant again trying to l;et lose even more burst of fire trying to bring everything else down and give support to Karal it's odd to notbe the one whose going on to tank, the swams of rats? Or whtever they are would just get more fire but Tomoe is waining if this keeps up? It's not going to be good for her.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;No no nope no no way no nope. Despite the sheer amount of unfathomable horror Priscilla has witnessed in her considerably lengthy life, including all manners of repulsive creatures, exorbitant gore and grotesque body horror, she makes a very, /very/ strict policy of not letting toxic or disease carrying secretions from living, or ostensibly living, things come anywhere /near/ her. She didn't set foot within a mile of Blighttown, and this thing looks like it came straight from there, or perhaps even worse.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She is /out/ as soon as that digestive juice is hurled straight at her, the spot where she was stood sizzling away as the sole indicator that she is no longer present, until she reveals herself several rooftops down in a swirl of chilling, arcane power. Gathering up her internal energies to use her breath weapon extensively was one thing, but the nature of power radiating from her this time is something in a completely different class, casting cold, light older than conception over the streets.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That is because Moonlight is in her hand, and it glows with bright, excited incandescence, dancing embers of ghostly magical energy popping and swirling off of it like tiny, glittering souls being born into the world and consumed by the dark shortly after. Even from afar, one can hear a steady, strangely melodious ringing emanating from it, like an icy, silver bell hung over a void, as Priscilla raises it two-handed over her head, its ethereal blue-green light splitting the black for a few moments.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She swings it down hopelessly far away from the behemoth, never being close enough to dream of slashing it. Getting closer is unnecessary. Made of the crystallized soul of the inventor, originator, and root of all magic, the wave of deleterious light released by the motion is predictably tremendous; a flying arc of ghastly soulfire intertwined with its own roiling shadow, casting the roads into wild, nonsensical tangles of exaggerated light and shadow. The chiming ascends to a shrill, reverberating, ethereal scream, following the wake of the light blade.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The amount of power invested in it is probably completely overkill, only going to show Priscilla's immediate, visceral desire to erase the hideous thing in front of her from existence, if she's going to such lengths.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:974|Carna (974)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blades, fire, shadow, and moonlight. Spells, skills, claws, and relics of ancient times. Powers and abilities across a broad range are wielded in an attempt to stand up against overwhelming numbers of enemies that continue to pour in from every which way... But though it seems a hopeless task for four to stand against so many, they are having a noticeable effect. And as the smaller flea monsters (and the tentacled bugs spawned from one of them) are eventually wiped out completely, and the number of humanoid Unlit is reduced to a relative trickle of reinforcements compared to the waves of them before, the enormous grotesque thing before them is also faced with enormous firepower, tearing off chunks of it and leaving the flesh withered, or scarred with flame, or annihilated by condensed arcane power that strikes it while teeters atop its tendrils and spines.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And eventually, aside from a couple dozen of the husk-like Unlit that stagger through the streets, trying to locate the source of the Light, but there simply being too much of it everywhere for them to track it down, the sounds of battle may die down, and only the noises of frightened Dead may be heard. And the crackling of flames, and fading echoes of attacks made before.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As darkness moves in to claim things again, where fire does not linger near, a very large, baleful yellow eye opens in the pitch open the wall, squinting at the assembled parties. It appears silently and suddenly, and is gone in the same way, likely never even noticed in the aftermath of all that has happened.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It seems the fighting is over for now... And the mission appears to have been successful. Though finding a place to put all these Lanterns where they won't be in danger is another matter, since there does not appear to be any Shrine in sight.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6|Tomoe (6)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Tomoe is breathing hard, not out of need but just out of mental habit she look to her companions ant see the fithing is over. Well for now he's not sure how many more hunts they are going to do but it's clear it's taking a bit of a toll on her. There are still the lit who need help and she'll ty to do what she can but man she's wall to wall bodies. <br /><br /> "...We should hep the Lanterns get somewhere safe and then get all of us out of here..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:954|Count Kord (954)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the wind dies down from the beam blast from Kord's inhuman hand, he realizes that there are a great deal of corpses strewn about. His eyes travel over their surroundings while he flexes his slightly chemically burnt digits. The burns visibly start to mend themselves thanks to all of the 'light' sucked out of the Unlit he had used his ability on, but not quickly enough to be considered a viable combat healing ability. It may be missed if no one is paying attention to the wound. A faint red glow pulses in the burns, the energy he had absorbed pulsing through his veins in abundance.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"That seems to be the last of it," Kord observes. "I have gotten ahead of myself..." Since it's likely more than one Stone Devil saw what he was doing, even from afar. He sighs to himself and turns to look for Priscilla's location, since she had moved a fair distance. He closes the distance and finds himself standing near her, where a wary eye is placed on Moonlight for only a moment, and then his eyes go up to properly read her face.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Nice sword," he compliments, feeling it will deflate some of the tension left behind from battle and his previous words with the simple-minded nature of the statement. "It would be a good idea to escort the Lanterns back to the Church," he suggests.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:70|Priscilla (70)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A blunt, slightly silly comment like that does seem to catch Priscilla off guard, blinking blankly in Kord's direction as her breathing slows back down, casting eyes to the slowly dimming soulsword, and then back to him. ". . . mine thanks." She responds awkwardly, before finally looking back down to the Lanterns.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yes. Such wouldst be ideal. There are a great many of them, and so I fear for the Church's ability to host them all, but this area is much safer to tread than it once was, partly due to thine efforts, where credit is given. There is much I wouldst asketh of them."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:984|Karal Rei Lin (984)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>THankfully, Lin's Terrible Thought on the nature of those splitting goo-ball-horrors is proven wrong. They don't split up into even further tiny things as they're dealt with by a number of spells and other bombardments while she's readying her own manuever. But..<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As she lacks such means herself she focuses on defending any of the nearby Lantern-apparents, knocking away any of the freaky beasts into the range of her allies blasts, or cutting down humanoid Unlit by the swarms.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Finally... it's over. ANd Lin slumps against a wall, panting. "Whew... gonna be a long trek somewhere safe, not over 'til it's over... but at least THAT's over..."<br> <br>
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