4354/Into the Breach

Into the Breach
Date of Scene:	24 July 2016
Location:	Desert Mountains
Synopsis:	A recently-unified world lets slip some attempts at communication, involving trouble with something called a 'Breach' that the army is having difficulty handling. It seems some troop reinforcements were delayed, leaving the troops engaged in a bit of a lurch.
Cast of Characters:	134, Reina Kinney, 756, 991, John Rizzo, 1020, 1021, 1022, 1024

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Khusso (1024) has posed:
    It is just after twilight, and the stars are coming out after nightfall in the Silverwastes. This area of the world is a rocky desert, with some areas of sand but largely clusters of stone mesas and outcroppings. On the other side of a high rocky cliff, the sprawling(and very dangerous) jungle of the Heart of Maguuma lies to the west, and to the east the wildlands are in the process of being tamed. This event is happening to the far west in the Silverwastes, right up against the jungle... an important detail.

    There is a warpgate just to the northeast of the event which has opened up recently, allowing relatively easy access to what looks like a war zone. In the distance, fortifications can be seen to be under near-constant attack, though the assaults largely seem to be fading to small sniping at one another in light of other matters. Here and there, sinkholes have opened up with dead vegetation around them, collapsing in slow and steady crumbles.

    Most of the activity is at that shield wall, where a rocky outcropping is surrounded on the three exposed sides by three divisions of what look like a military. Odd-looking choppers are swiftly retreating, having dropped off their cargo of strange-looking, massive siege devices. It's pretty easy to see who is friend and foe, as it is three groups of mixed-race, almost ragtag military troops fighting a diverse array of plantlike beings, with magical spells blasting, swords clashing and ranks of archers providing support and cover for what looks like the siege machines reloading explosive ammunition. The north group seems to be doing the best right now, and the reason for three groups is obvious: the cavern system inside these rocks has three entrances, each of them sealed off by a massive wall of thick vegetation.

Shin Tokuyama (756) has posed:
    It's hard to say why Shin Tokuyama shows up in any area. Wanderlust, boredom, an innate sense for how to get into trouble, religiously scouring the radio for off-chance signals he can pick up. It could be any one of these. It could be all of them.

    The point is, with a backpack over one shoulder like any true wanderer, Shin has arrived on scene of the war zone. He doesn't take his bike into fantasy-esque settings any more, not since he busted the suspension the last time it happened, so he's here on foot, jogging in towards the main point of all the trouble.

    Shin makes his way to the group that appears to be doing THE WORST, wandering up and declaring, "FEAR NOT, incidental characters! A protagonist has arrived!" He strikes a pose, slamming one hand into the palm of the other one, "Shin Tokuyama, Combat Vagrant and Hero of Fists is here to help you in your darkest hour."

    His hands alight with ki as he shifts his stance, "We'll negotiate payment on quest completion."

Stygian Mirror (991) has posed:
    There is at least ONE person on the side of the vegetal beings who isn't, herself, a plant in any way. Or at least not visibly, unlike the bulk of the soldiers here. The white-haired, fox-eared, cat-tailed, lizard-eyed woman draped in white, beige, brown and black leather, lined with Soulsteel, marches with one of the three fronts of plants. Her Anima is already flaring out, not at the iconic level, but from afar it's a trivial matter to see the dark sun radiating outward, consuming light and casting dark images, while projecting deathly sounds like tortured wails. It's not a pleasant light to look at, but until it goes iconic and full bore, it isn't dangerous. Perhaps frightening, to extras, but not through any supernatural virtues.

    Black sun glowing on her forehead and bleeding down her face, Mirror was here before many, at the behest of someone curious to see her powers again. It didn't bother her, so long as the payment was there. And since she only charges information for her services, it's a fee easily paid by offhandedly throwing history books, maps, scrolls or ancient baubles her way.

    Her Soulsteel blade remains on her waist; in her hands, she wields two weapons made of blood, one a long jagged spear and the other a musket-like rifle shaped more like a harpoon gun than anything. She cuts through the Northern front, sending shockwaves of dark essence with each swing of her spear, causing necrotic and disease damage instead of standard cuts and bruises. The musket remains silent, perhaps awaiting an especially dangerous foe to be used.

John Rizzo has posed:
Emerging from the warpgate is a man who seems overdressed for the desert. Tall and with a look of weariness about him, his attire is hardly appropriate for an arid clime such as this, and the night air is probably all that keeps him from sweating like a marathon runner--especially in that trenchcoat. If he's bothered, he doesn't show it.

     His eyes scan the desert for something. Anything alive. He spots the military engagement in the distance, nodding, then begins strengthening himself with supernatural reserves, making note of any wildlife nearby in the event he needs to... refuel, as it were. Testing his footing in the sand (loafers weren't made for the desert, after all) he looks towards the two groups not doing so well. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieves a quarter and flips it, catching it on the palm of his other hand.

     "East it is." Rizzo breaks into a sprint that gradually becomes quicker the more of his unnatural gift he applies. In no time he's at the east engagement. Rizzo's perceptive nature points out the commanding officer of this group, and he approaches said official. "You need help. I'm the right number. Point me in a direction or you've got a trip for biscuits."

Reina Kinney has posed:
Rushing through the warpgate quickly, the red-head with a ponytail known as Reina Kinney looks around and surveys the area. She quickly spots the activity and shakes her head in disbelief, scowling. "I knew something was up the moment I heard the signal, but this is ridiculous!" She shakes her head before snapping her fingers, causing her rifle to materialize in her hands. With the weapon ready, she takes off running.

    There's no stopping Reina as she picks up speed. Her boots provide sufficient leverage as she advances towards the area where all the action is going down. She doesn't know exactly what's happening, but when she gets close enough to find out, she'll be ready for a little action!

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    Among others who are arriving at the call is Flowers; she's not certain of what the situation was, of course, but she's coming along in case things have gone bad. Bad in a way that will require a medic, of course. And if not for that, she'll give a hand however people might need.

    Machines aren't her thing, of course, so she'll approach on foot, watching the goings-on without really immediately interfering. It seems obvious which side could have called for reinforcements, after all, but Flowers wants to be certain of which side she should assist before diving in. Given her appearance and her attempts to hide, she'll stand out like a sore thumb to everyone on all sides, but she's closest to the North group and is paying the most attention to them.

Shadowed Scales (1021) has posed:
    Shadowed Scales Hide Bloody Claws would not be here, if she did not have a problem.
    In the bedlam of Chiaroscuro several days prior, she had seen something that had caught her eye; a racte the likes of which she had not seen before. The plant people, though perhaps potentially mistaken for some form of Earth Elemental... Were not. No, not Elementals, and not of Creation, either, and that sparked both the ancient Lunar's interests, and something far darker deep within her.
    To be a Child of Luna is to live the life of the hunt. She had found her prey. It was among the rank and file of te Mordrem, but it was a prime example of one of their species, and the thirst came upon her with a viciou, ravenous, desire.
    Stalking them off Creation and back to this world took time. But she was patient. Even as the wild voice within her ear screamed to take one for her own, she stalked, following at a distance. Sometimes in the form of a gecko, sometimes swimming alongside watery paths as a gator, at other points in the form of a sickly and mutated bird. Her own trail would be impossible to follow by even the best of hunters. But even a monster can grow careless in such a way that she leaves SOME signs behind.
    It is a rather unconcerned, black, iguana that treads lazily across the desert sands, paying no heed to battle around it, and too small to be noticed as it takes place to lurk in the shade of a hardy desert shrib; one that's more tangle and nearly dried out thorns than anything else, staring rather fixatedly at the walking, plant-like race at war with the motley crew of other beings.
    The grand scale of their conflict does not concern the iguana. Why would it?
    It is, after all, just an iguana.

Isa Reichert (1022) has posed:
The bizarre girl who had torn out a Dragon-Blooded heart from his chest a night or two ago had in turn caught the interest of the giant eagle that had been at the scene; so when the strange girl had set out after the Mordrem, the shadow of wings had followed her. Carefully, and at a distance. The hunter became the hunted -- even if the hunter might not have known it at the time.

So it is that the shadow of wings accompanies the sometimes-reptile wherever she may go, in pursuit of those bizarre plant people. Always at a distance, always riding the highest thermals, but an eagle's eyes are among the keenest of hunters' eyes. Watching movement from such a height is not too difficult, though the waterways had proven troublesome -- the eagle had lost its quarry when the gator had taken to waterways, from time to time, only to watch it reappear with barely a ripple.

Now, the reptile's path had taken it to this hellish, rocky wasteland; the kind of place that wouldn't be too unlike the steppes from which the eagle's own natural kindred came.

Wings ripple in the dusk air, hidden by darkness. There are plenty of thermals even once the sun's gone, as the desert slowly releases the heat it had collected during the day. The eagle keeps its attention focused downward, ignoring the warzone around it to follow that strange, strange lizard. Tilting a wing and drifting closer, wheeling, it allows the wind to take it closer.

The eagle resumes wheeling once the iguana disappears into a thicket, waiting patiently to see what the shape-changer is going to do now. Curious. Very curious.

Though too high to be seen clearly, it's obviously massive even at such a distance -- and in the dark of night, there is a vague shimmer to its form suggestive of a faint, silvery light. Moonsilver tattoos, again...?

Mordremoth (1020) has posed:
    The eastern front is being hit really hard for some reason. It looks like a surge of Mordrem, the plant-creatures, is attacking. One very large one, easily fifteen feet high, has managed to break through the ranks and is charging the nearby ammunition depot that is being loaded up.
    The attention, despite all the forces in the east, is mostly in the north! There, tendrils of vines keep erupting from the ground, flailing about and grabbing at troops. The tendrils have vicious thorns, which tear through lighter armor and grasp on heavier armor so that the vines can crush or hurl the troop that they grab.
    All the troops minus the massive one are easily dispatched by someone with real skill and power, but there is something else. The newcomers approaching, most of them, will feel a presence of a powerful mind prodding at them. It isn't trying to read their mind(and it can't do this even if it tried), but it is pushing an insistent questioning of the presence of these alien newcomers. It isn't trying to hide that it is a stronger presence toward the rocky cavern that is sealed off.
    At this moment it is letting the Mordrem mindlessly attack, distracted as it is with its own curiosity. This makes them much easier to approach and deal with.
    Scales and Isa are not engaging at all, and won't get this mental pressure unless they are feeling for something mentally. It probably doesn't even sense them at all.

Khusso (1024) has posed:
    Shin and John head for the east side, and they see that things are indeed in trouble. The massive Mordrem shatters the ammo depot, despite numerous spells and arrows blasting at it. This gives Shin and John someone to focus on right away! The bestial commander, who looks like a great cat on hind legs and is at least seven feet tall, wearing jagged-looking plate of black steel. He's barking orders, "ENGINEERS RELOAD! Archers, cover them! The rest of you, keep that away from the siege golem!" He turns to John and Shin, eying them both with a snarl. "You want to help, you take out that abomination." He doesn't seem to question that they would help, even if they aren't military.

    The 'siege golem' looks like the top three-quarters of an egg, with a gem set in the top. Made of some kind of brushed metal, it glows a brilliant blue in the gem, and then unfolds itself into a complex machine, more like a robot with glowing blue joints than a magically-animated golem. It begins to lurch toward the vine wall.

    The northern squad is doing well... up to a point. The appearance of Mirror cuts through the attackers easily, the dark Essence withering her foes before her and forcing a... forcing an organized withdrawal. "SYLVARI FORM UP AND COVER! HEAVY ARMOR, I WANT A PHALANX IN FRONT OF THE NECROMANCER! SIEGE ARBOREAL IS RELOADING!" This is what Reina and Sakura come to, finding the group commanded by an adorably short, dark-skinned creature with flaming red hair, wearing elaborate heavy armor. Most unusually, she's wearing a blindfold of some kind. "Elementalists! Lava font on that necromancer!" Mirror will find the ground erupting in blasts of flame and lava around her as the elementalists fire off their spells.

    "You!" She points at Reina. "That looks like a rifle. Join the sylvari over there and cover the arboreal." She gestures to a large, four-legged creature of plants and vines that looks less menacing than the Mordrem, supported by a rank of more pleasant-looking tree-people, who actually wear clothes and look more disciplined than the enemy. Then she points to Sakura. "You, find a place to support if you're here to help. We have to get through that wall fast, the east side needs backup and Red Rock is held up."

Reina Kinney has posed:
"Yeah, it IS a rifle," Reina replies, feeling like the comment was a bit sarcastic. Which is ironic considering she's the one who's usually sarcastic about things. But she lets it slide for now, since there are far more important things to worry about with this whole thing. She looks towards the 'arboreal' as it's called, and nods. "Understood!"

    With that, Reina takes off running once again, this time lowering her rifle a little to indicate to the sylvari that she's not a hostile. When she gets closer, she stops and says, "I'm here to help, just tell me what I need to do!"

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    Sakura will tilt her head, seeming to consider that. But it does seem pretty obvious what the sides here are, the enemy being quite undisciplined and rather dark looking. And, also, having a necromancer evidently. "...Aah. You want through that wall?" She'll ask, considering and looking at it. Plant life is not really something Sakura has any sway over, but the caves forming the entrance around it.. That's a bit different.

    That said, as she gathers chakra to herself, it's fairly obvious that she's doing something. And she'll charge out to get within a reasonable distance of the cavern entrance, a stone's throw or so away, before kneeling down. Hopefully she doesn't get too stabbed while doing this, but the stone at the cavern's edge will grow sharp pointy bits, attempting to cut and snap the wall of vegetation that was blocking the way. That was what the short creature had asked for, right?

Shin Tokuyama (756) has posed:
    WUMPH! Shin drops his backpack behind himself with a swirl of dust as the commander is nice enough to point Shin at the thing that needs to get itself stomped.

    "Hell, sounds like a plan to me," Shin comments, cracking his knuckles loudly. He looks towards John and gives him a thumbs up, "Hey man. I'mma run in on point. You gimme some cover, yeah?" Shin grins and takes off his sunglasses, slipping them into his pocket.

    Confidence aside, that Mordrem IS pretty huge. And Shin needs to not fuck around if he's going to save these people's lives. Shin runs through his roster of abilities, trying to figure out a good one to use against the huge creature. Eventually, he decides and slams a foot down on the ground, bracing himself and cracking the ground under where his foot touches down.

    He dashes forward like a comet, heading towards the massive creature trying to attack the ammunition depot on the EAST SIDE, "Geiha Genkou-Ryu! Shou Geki Ha!"

    As he approaches the creature, he channels his ki into a single haymaker that, upon impact, explodes with a massive amount of his internal energy, trying to deliver, true to its name, a crushing amount of force behind Shin's punch.

John Rizzo has posed:
John nods at the commander, patting Shin on the shoulder. "Sure thing," he says flatly in response to Shin. "Hope you're ready to give that ugly mug some chin music, buster."

     In John's experience, shooting something as big as that thing just gets pissed off when you shoot at it. Of course, if it's pissed off, it's not going to be going after this 'siege golem' thing, and this stranger can hopefully take it while it's trying to come after him. Rizzo reaches into his coat and retrieves his Detective Special, the small revolver gleaming slightly in the night. He burns up one last bit of vitae to toughen himself up, then takes aim.

     Three more gunshots rain out amidst the din of battle, the vampire aiming for the huge Mordrem's knees--or whatever its equivalent is. "Hey, ugly!"

Mordremoth (1020) has posed:
    Having its attention on the north side is a good thing for Mordremoth! It needs the help, because the first of what will be many strange powers is used to slice at the thick vegetation. Lacking an anchor, the wall starts to fall apart, forcing whatever power is behind it to try to reinforce it with eruptions of thicker, heavier wood. This isn't nearly as good as anchoring against stone, and will make the siege arboreal's attack much easier.

Stygian Mirror (991) has posed:
    Blasts of fire force Mirror back; she's scorched, taken by surprise at the display, but luckily not swallowed whole in the flames and lava. Her armor seems good enough to handle it without losing bits and pieces to the heat, even, although even underneath the magical armor the woman's skin is burnt pretty badly. She heard the shouts, though, and knows enough about battlefields to know if you take the commanders screaming orders out, you cripple an army.

    There's just one problem, the way to that commander is full of soldiers. Luckily it's a problem Abyssal Exalted are uniquely equipped to handle. You know, people being alive and all that. They have a few dozen fixes for that.

    You'd think keeping track of a target radiating inverted sunlight wouldn't be hard, but Mirror suddenly blurs, dashing forward at incredible speeds. Right into the soldiers ahead, towards the elementalists behind them. She'd pass through one, slashing with the spear dramatically as she does so, immediatly blurring again to swipe by another, and another, blurring and reappearing each time, making a total of ten of those leaps, closing the distance to the commander with each one.

    Uniquely, the soldiers who fail to defend from this Charm don't just suffer a nasty cut or thrust from the blood spear. They become suspended in time, experiencing everything it is to die: darkness, pain, and the feeling of impending doom, but WITHOUT dying. At least, not yet.

    It's only if Mirror manages to suspend more than three of the soldiers that, once she stops, she turns around, and a terrible flash like white lightning repeats her prior motion, lancing again for each wounded soldier, with significantly more murderous force than the first attack. Those that don't die from the follow-up are released from the thrall, probably wounded and terrified, but definitely alive.

Shadowed Scales (1021) has posed:
    An iguana is, by no means, worthy of the attention of a being such as Mordremoth. And certainly the noble and majestic eagle in the skies above, though a prime example of its species any more than an utterly massive eagle, right? The iguana waits patiently; until at least the massive Mordrem passes, then it breaks cover.
    What emerges from scraggly brush is not an iguana.
    A massive serpent slithers under the sand and dust, rippling the earth in its wake as it bolts like lightning into the Mordrem, beneath them, dancing under legs and feet before erupting from the earth. Paying no heed to the level of discipline displayed by the plant-like race, and moving like an eel; slippery and impossible to catch, the hulking form of a mutated wolf slinks through the Mordrem in a sprinting pace. It... Was a wolf at one point. Though where it once had shaggy fur its body is coated in dark scales and bilious sores and pustules.
    And with a snarl, it leaps, intent to bring down one, very specific, Mordrem, like a hawk dives into a flock of thrush and snatches but one up, the beast goes right for its target with deadly intent and flashing fangs.

Khusso (1024) has posed:
    The sylvari, the plant people archers, make room for Reina. The one in charge directs in a softer voice, "Aim for the supporting troops as much as possible. We want to leave a clear path for the arboreal." As if demonstrating, they let loose a flurry of arrows, stopping after the first wave to rub their heads. This has the nearby humans giving them worried looks.

    The blindfold doesn't seem to stop the commander from seeing, as she gives Sakura a surprised glance. "That's very useful, whomever you are. Keep that up if you can." She starts to focus on something else when Stygian Mirror does her thing. The troops are well-trained but not particularly on the Elite side, and in no time, there are three screams that are fading as the bodies collapse, and several more are staggering and withdrawing from the Abyssal. "I'll see what I can do about the necromancer." It doesn't seem strange to her that a necromancer is using a sword.

    She vanishes in a streak of grey mist, taking a jagged but near-instantaneous path toward Mirror. When she reappears in the physical world it's almost instant, and she's coming down with a quick and vicious arcing slash toward Mirror.

Isa Reichert (1022) has posed:
The eagle wheels in a slow, banking circle, but its eyes are locked on the sand below. Iguana goes in thicket, giant sand serpent comes out of thicket. Definitely not normal no matter how much you might squint at it. It's a brief struggle to follow the rippling sand; an eagle's eyes, while excellent at picking out movement, aren't so good at differentiating colours, and this eagle has only one eye, its left. Picking out such movement is even worse at night for a day-hunter like the eagle.

Down through the plant-soldiers, or maybe it was the Sylvari; the eagle isn't paying attention. What does catch its attention is that there is no more sand serpent but a ragged, mutated wolf. Well, now, that's interesting. The eagle lets itself bank a little lower, careful to keep itself out of the line of fire for any projectiles.

Out come the claws. Or the fangs, as it were. The eagle folds its wings and drifts a little lower, close enough for the mutated wolf to see clearly; close enough that the faint, silvery lines under those feathers could be seen. Wind rushes and feathers ruffle as the bird streaks past the wolf and its chosen Mordrem; and though both might see the flash of a huge talon, the bird doesn't strike -- it's just watching, for the moment; watching and waiting.

Reina Kinney has posed:
"Supporting troops, got it," Reina replies, steadying her rifle carefully while bringing up her scope. "Leave this to me!" She adds, before firing off several laser blasts. They might seem out of place and strange to the inhabitants here, but this is just Reina's traditional way of fighting from a longer distance range. "Hey, don't stop now! Join the fun!" She says with a slight smirk as she watches the archers rub their heads.

Mordremoth (1020) has posed:
    Bullet don't normally affect something that big, but neither are they something it can ignore! It's tough, but it's still not one of the heavier hitters so the bullets chew through the knees, staggering its attempt toward the siege golem.
    This is the perfect setup for Shin! Staggered and off-balance, the plant creature's barklike armor splits from the impact of the Protagonist Punch! It bleeds sap everywhere, but it definitely bleeds, and it is starting to sink down with a last hammering overhead blow toward Shin to try to drive him back and knock him away. Even if it manages to do this the two have done their job and kept it busy. The siege golem is clear to move.
    A singular Mordrem is an easy thing to take down from surprise. Unnoticed in the carnage by almost all, the attack of Scales tears into the plant-man. A strange echoing groan slips out! Torn open, it dies messily but without screams. Scales will finally get a curious probe at her mind, a sense of recognition and mild annoyance as if asking "What are you doing here?"

Stygian Mirror (991) has posed:
    It was worth noting, but the player is a huge derp sometimes, that each of those attack drained Essence/magic/mp/mana (or failing that, life force) from targets actually hit. It probably felt really cold and it adds to the care they'll need to receive.

    Khusso dashes for Mirror, at any rate, and no longer are there random soldiers between the two. Weapons clash, the blood spear stopping the smaller Asura's weapon... for a moment. Due to overuse and from the strength of the blow, the red, pulsing weapon breaks apart, and Khusso gets a clean hit on Mirror's chest, cutting through the leather and drawing blood underneath it.

    For a moment there that leather felt like steel, but it obviously wasn't enough to protect the Abyssal. She winces and leaps back a meter, leveling the blood musket up towards the Asura.

    "I'm sorry for your men. It's nothing personal, I was hired. I'm glad you came at me. Once you're dead, your men can be routed into a retreat to avoid further bloodshed."

    It's the intention that counts?

    Mirror fires the musket the moment she's done talking. A black blast of Essence and blood surges out, and promptly disappears. It still flies, straight for Khusso's chest, and it'll only become physical again once it's past her armor. It's mostly blunt force, not unlike a cannonball. In no way different from one, in fact, save the fact it only becomes corporeal once past protective layers and cover.

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    Sakura will glance up and nod to the commander, since she seems able to see regardless. "Right. It seems to be trying a different tactic, though.." She'll muse, well after the commander's teleported. After all, she can tell that the plant isn't wedged into the earth anymore, even if she doesn't really have the sense of the replacement.

    But her primary purpose is going to be called on anyway, as several of the men in the immediate area go down. With that happening, Sakura will move towards those she can tell are still alive, green light flickering near her hands as she starts to draw on more healing chakra. This might actually make her more of a target for any people particularly devoted to death in the area, but she's going to try to keep alert as she starts trying to put the first person in need's innards back where they belong.

Shin Tokuyama (756) has posed:
    "Ha HA. Damn right I am. No sweeter song I know," Shin comments to John Rizzo as he charges in and splits the bark open with a ki-fueled punch. It's a good thing his old master had him spend all those months splitting wood with his hands, because otherwise he'd probably have some serious knuckle breakage going on.

    Even despite his training and ridiculous fortitude, the impact of striking the creature has left his knuckles split open and bloody. The martial artist is quick to tie a hankerchief around it and then flex his hand again. The strange feeling of probing from earlier is still hanging around, but he's not fully sure how to react to it. It more feels like he's being watched all the time.

    The big guy down, Shin's mostly content to run alongside the siege golem and help it advance.

Shadowed Scales (1021) has posed:
    That messy death is made all the worse in a moment. Where there was a hideous wolf a moment before, there is Shadowed Scales Hide Bloody Claws. Straddling the fallen Mordrem's corpse and with little heed to the chaos all around her, she acts as though in a fugue state; eyes wilde as she punches a sharp-taloned haned through the chest. Even if the Mordrem do not have an actual heart, the gesture is symbolic as she lifts her hand free, sticky with whatever substance passes for the arboreal race's blood and brings it to her mouth; drinking deep and greedily.
    The thirst is slaked again... For now at least. And after a few beats once she has consumed the life and essence of her prey does sanity reclaim its tenuous hold on her; in time to feel that questioning mental prod.
    She could certainly shut her mind; coldly rejecting an answer; or at least try to ward off the psychic presence to a degree. But there is little use in hiding or denhying the plain and blatantly obvious, something she can give a truthful answer two in a single word, while her senses return to their complete faculties.
    "Hunting." She whispers to the air around her in reply to the vast mental presence that deigns to lightly jab her. The eagle up above no longer unnoticed, once the delirium of addiction fades, a fact she makes known with a pointed glare to the sky as the other Child of Luna descends, giving pointedly subtle display of glittering moonsilver..
    "And being hunted."

Mordremoth (1020) has posed:
    Reina's laser shots are startilingly effective against the Mordrem, searing them and eating right through their protection! This might make up some for the damage that Stygian Mirror did. Tendrils erupt near Sakura to try to stop her from tending to the wounded men, but they aren't very strong. The bulk of the plant strength is sealed behind that wall.

Isa Reichert (1022) has posed:
Well, now, that's interesting. The eagle veers first one way and then the other, wobbling slightly in midair to keep a close vigil on the bloody hunter below. The giant bird's head snaps up at that mental prod; it too seems to notice the Jungle Dragon's questioning tendril of intent. There aren't any words, but there don't need to be -- an almost animal kind of questioning of intent.

Wings fold slightly, taking the giant eagle lower. This close to the bloodied Shadowed Scales, it's clear that the bird is a little more roughed-up than normal, even in the dim lighting. Burn scars cover almost all of its front right quarter -- head and neck and torso, even ravaging the leading edge of its right wing. Where feathers lie and where scars lay bare the skin beneath, moonsilver wreathes around hither and yon. Clawspeak is not known to the Exalted of the Modern World; even though blind to its hidden message, it still indelibly marks Luna's Chosen. Finally, where the scarring is worst over the right isde of the bird's head, its eye socket is... not even opaque or milky, but wholly empty, slightly caved on itself, like a half-melted wax cast.

That one eye is bright, though, and it's still fixed on Shadowed Scales. After a few seconds of circling, the bird finally lights on a nearby rock formation, low enough to regard Shadowed Scales with a tilted head and hooked beak partly ajar; high enough to take off if she decides to make a meal out of the feathered hunter.

Wings flick fastidiously, and the eagle shifts its weight, huge talons scraping on the rock--

--and Isa Reichert stands on the top, casually reaching into a pocket and withdrawing a cigarette, lighting it with the practised /flick/ of a cigarette lighter and frowning down at the ichor-stained Shadowed Scales. She's wearing a simple white shirt, blue jeans, combat boots, and a leather bomber jacket, and she sits down cross-legged on top of the rock formation, frowning some more and puffing on the cigarette as she eyes Scales. Hot desert wind ruffles her red, red hair; her single eye is... still the same as the eagle's, actually. Gold as the sun, and though subtle, the lens is all wrong for a human eye.

It's fixed firmly on Shadowed Scales.

"What in hell," she says, words mangled by a heavy Russian accent, "/are/ you?"

Khusso (1024) has posed:
    Khusso tries to take on an Abyssal that is stronger than herself. On the upside, Mirror is wounded. On the downside, Khusso has no idea what she's getting into. She's fast, and tries to lift her shield up... and a whirling barrier of misty power starts to form, slowing the bullet regardless of its abilities, with mystical powers.

    That's just meant to reinforce, though. It still passes through, and once past the mystical protections, it zips right through the odd metal of the shield and through the armor, exploding in a spray of blood behind her and causing a look of shock to appear on the little asura's face. This staggers her, no doubt, but the coughing asura calls out, "GLINT!"

    The swirling, ghostly image of a dragon manifests above her, and scintillating crystalline barriers begin to fade in and out around her, forming a stronger, protective shield. Unfortunately this is one of her most draining techniques, so she's cut her time short.

    Which makes it all the more important to lunge for Mirror with that strangely-crafted sword, speaking quietly with her, "If you're helping the Dragon, in the end they'll all die anyway. Or worse."

    The siege arboreal lurches forward, firing the cannon on its back toward the damaged wall.

John Rizzo has posed:
Rizzo swings open the cylinder and reloads, watching his surroundings for any sudden attack. The Mordrem falls, and he nods. "Nice moves," he compliments Shin. The vampire pauses, now, scanning the battlefield. There's a mental presence here--and usually he's the one doing the probing. "Keep going, kid. I'm gonna do some legwork."

     Rizzo pockets the gun and steps out of the way, making himself as small a target as possible. Tapping into the gifts of his clan, he attempts to establish a mental link with the presence nearby. If he is successful in his attempt, the vampire asks a simple question.

     "Why are you doing this?"

Khusso (1024) has posed:
    Sakura's healing is very potent. She isn't alone here... there are other healers coming to her aid and supporting her, and they are well-trained. A few orders bark those that can be moved toward the back, but it's quickly getting hard to keep up, even if several lives are already saved. One of the medics nearby comments, "We're doing... better than the last time."

Mordremoth (1020) has posed:
    Shin walks along with the siege golem! A few of the smaller troops try to oppose, but these are pushovers compared to the big one. It's too late for Mordremoth's forces to muster any defense against this, and with several rattling explosions, the golem causes the barrier to come crashing down, and giving Shin the first sight of something else!
    Because in there is a plant creature made to look like a birdlike beast, as large as a horse and in a chamber full of noxious-smelling fumes, probably mildly poisonous. Behind it in the darkness of the cavern, writhing and pulsing vines and flowers can be seen slowly spreading and creeping across the earth. It lets out a keening shriek that fills the chamber and bites in with sonic assault to anyone nearby, making some of the troops stagger back clutching their ears.
    Scales and Isa are still being watched, but it seems to decide they are not being a threat, so the presence retreats some. It has other things to take care of.
    The biggest distraction is John Rizzo! Mordremoth is not used to anyone reaching out to it. At first John will only feel that formless mass, but it becomes more concentrated toward him in thought. At first a weak link, but then the web of connections between all the creatures is clearer. All of these things in a hive mind, stronger toward the chamber in the middle.
    The answer to that question comes in a brief flurry of images more than words. Mordremoth isn't trying to speak(even if it can), since this is another telepathic presence. The brief flash of insight reveals a spread of presence and roots across the land, consuming an ephemeral energy in a possessive sense. As if taking back what it considers its property.

Stygian Mirror (991) has posed:
    "I see. A dragon? I suppose it's my fault for not asking what my employer was. Not that it matters. If you're so certain they're as good as dead, then I see no point sparing them anymore. It'll still be easier to make them accept it if I kill you first though." Abyssal compassion is a very strange thing. Luckily, these are soldiers; Mirror doesn't have to agonize over the moral implications of killing people who knew what they signed up for.

    Of course, it's a lot easier to kill people when you are yourself not dead, dying, or too heavily wounded to keep fighting. A moment of distraction, as Mirror sees the healer tending to the men she just tore through, and the Asura is in her face again. And this time the Abyssal does not have a melee weapon to defend with.

    She grabs the musket with both hands and uses it like you'd use a staff to parry, but it's not very effective. The weapon breaks and splinters as though made of wood, despite very clearly being made of blood and magic. Another gash tears into her flesh, this time a shoulder. She leaps back, a dozen feet this time, her hands wreathing themselves in black Essence.

    "Why don't you tell me more about your conflict with my temporary boss? He hasn't had time to give me the whole rundown yet and I could really use it."

    Her hands lance forward; a swarm of pitch black Essence bolts, like kunai or throwing stars, are hurled for Khusso. Those that hit wouldn't inflict physical damage, but rather accelerated decay and necrosis. It's nasty, but nothing Khusso's healers can't handle after the clash.

Shin Tokuyama (756) has posed:
    "Alright, man. Stay safe," Shin says, giving John a thumbs up as the two head their separate directions. Once the barrier comes crashing down, Shin is hot on the heels of the siege golem, absolutely sure that it will supply him the action and adventure he so craves. He's already named it.

    "Come on, Steeley! Let's go to victory!" He fistbumps the side of the golem's leg gently.

    And, true to his beliefs, it topples a barrier and supplies Shin with his next target. The martial artist coughs several times, feeling the noxious fumes burning at his lungs as he approaches in on it. His hands come up to his ears as it lets out a shrieking sonic assault, trying to block out the high-pitched noise even as blood trickles between his fingers from his ears.

    "WOAH PAL. YOU LOOK LIKE SOMETHING THAT CRAWLED OUT OF A COMIKET PORTAJOHN."

    Fortunately for Shin's repetoire, he doesn't explicitly need his hands to fight. He jumps in towards the horse-sized monster and tries to spin on his feet to deliver a rotating heel kick to where he estimates a face to be. This is followed by him pivoting his body and turning the momentum into a heel-dropping ax-kick which trails red ki behind as it goes.

    His hands are still clasped tightly over his ears to try to mitigate the sonic attack.

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    That'll draw Flowers' attention, though she'll just keep healing even as she tries to interrogate the medic that had spoken up. "Does this happen terribly often, then?" Sakura asks, even as she passes another patient to those running people to the back lines.

    She's tireless in trying to keep up with the flood, barely finishing with one patient before moving to the next, but she's perhaps being unwise in her methods - she's not trying to get people back up and into the fight, but rather trying to save their lives and leave them able to retreat. This means she isn't really contributing to the fighting force this way, at least not in an immediate sense.

Mordremoth (1020) has posed:
    The northern siege weapon, the arboreal, blasts the weakened barrier and shatters it. This isn't quite the same chamber as the eastern one went into! The vinewraith is still in the shadowy distance, but inside waiting for an opponent is the roaring, fifteen foot plantlike troll(or is it a trolllike plant?) with a huge hunch on his back is there now. The hunch appears to be a hornet's nest, because stinging hornets begin to assault the troops. Someone should do something about that one.

Reina Kinney has posed:
When the troll with bees appears, or whatever it's supposed to be, Reina shakes her head. "That does NOT look good!" She comments, before looking to the archers. "Stand down for now, I've got an idea here!" She points at the troll, or rather the swarm of hornets directly, and yells out the word, "FOIE!" With this, the red-head shoots forth a blast of flame, aiming directly at the troll and attempting to burn the hornets, and maybe the troll too. The idae, though, is to go for the hornets primarily.

Shadowed Scales (1021) has posed:
    Hunting. And being hunted. Well if the Mordrem aren't going to RETALIATE for violently taking down one of their number, the Lunar stands. ... It is not so much standing to full height as it is she straightens her crouch out, head tilting upwards. Matted and messy midnight hair spills over much of her features, one glimmering eye peeking upwards at Isa upon her new perch. Even in the middle of a battlefield, the elder Lunar is as almost perfectly still as a statue; regarding the now human figure above with just as much scrutiny in return.
    "You already know the answer to that."
    Such is her reply as she considers a moment, before actually turning her attention to the battle.
    "I will make reparations for taking that which was not mine." She mulls in a raspy tone. In truth she could care less. But there is perhaps, not a bad thing in currying favor with the vast mental presence... At least for now.
    "Come." That is to Isa. "And then we will have accord later. Or do not. Don't care."
    That is as much talk as she will give for now as she straightens... And grows... And leans in a dangerously forward tilt... Like living silver, her body alters, flowing and rippling as she increases in size massively, arms shrinking- growing ever more useless and small, in proportion to rest of the gigantic form that replaces the Lunar.
    Bite Crushes All was feared in his lands. A true beast among beasts and monster that ruled over his domain. Mortals cowered and ran from him in fear for years, before Shadowed Scales hunted him and made him her own. And before the wild warped them both in every way.
    The red-scaled Tyrannosaurus Rex stomps one foot with earth shaking force, roaring a promise of violence to the skies before it charges, jaws wide in a charge that carries it in the direction of the siege golem.

Khusso (1024) has posed:
    Sakura gets a strange look and a nod. "Yes... help me stitch this up." By 'stitch' she means heal it enough to move the soldier. "Not often, but breaches are a thing that have happened before, here and in other places. They're becoming more common. You'll have to ask the Commander for more."

    The Commander is a little busy! The bolts of necrotic energy are partially deflected by that odd spell around her... partially. "Technically, Mordremoth doesn't have a sex or gender," the little swordswoman says in a pedantic voice. "But as an Elder Dragon they intend to wipe out intelligent life and consume all the magic in the world. I'd like to prevent that."

    Her shield appears to be faltering, so she steps... back. The energy gathers up and ROARS forward, literally, taking the shape of a ghostly crystalline dragon that launches toward Mirror like a runaway train. It's a powerful attack, but it also leaves her panting and, for a few dangerous seconds, unprotected. One hand is holding her shoulder, the armor covering what happened but the way she moves telling Mirror that some of that power got through the crystalline barrier.

    "You aren't from this world, are you?"

John Rizzo has posed:
Rizzo furrows his brow in concern. This thing thinks like an Elder. Or worse. He sends back a reply.

     A spider, looking quite like one of Mordremoth's creations, strikes and kills a single ant. The spider is hopelessly large compared to the ant, able to stamp out its life with a flick of motion seeming almost without effort. Two ants come. They are both killed also--but the death of these two summons a swarm. The spider strikes and strikes, but even its strength, speed and size are not enough to compete with sheer numbers. The ants surround it utterly, overpowering it, slowly choking the life out of it.

     An alternative image, now--an apple orchard full of all manner of trees, flowers, shrubs, and other plants, virtually teeming with greenery. A hand reaches out and gently plucks an apple, while in the distance a mortal happily tends the field. "It doesn't have to be violent."

Mordremoth (1020) has posed:
    Reina Kinney blasts the incoming troll with fire! This is almost comically anti-climactic! Because Reina is strong enough that even the champion of the vinewraith gets set ablaze pretty badly, starting to thunder forward but flailing blindly. Some of the troops are endangered! But it is heading off blindly, and will probably collapse very soon after being set afire like that!

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    "Right." Sakura says, and her hand will move along the gash that the medic wanted stitched; it's a simple enough matter for her to close a wound, at least. That much is trivial for the pinkhaired woman, even though she still doesn't understand what's being discussed otherwise.

    "I don't really know anything about the situation. We got your distress call." Sakura will explain, though it wasn't really a widely directed distress call, precisely. "So assume I don't have any idea what's going on. What needs to happen?" She'll ask.

Isa Reichert (1022) has posed:
The eagle-turned-woman regards her fellow Lunar Exalt with one elbow on a knee, chin in one hand, cigarette dangling from her lower lip. That single eagle's-eye is hooded in an expression of nonchalance, the other side of her face immoble; a patch covering her missing right eye. She takes a few half-hearted drags, smoke wreathing about her face, before stubbing out the cigarette and heaving herself back to her feet again.

It takes only a thought to return to her other form; the eagle shifts its wings, mantling them and giving them one mighty beat, two; scattering loose down feathers and dust.

That murderous beak snaps.

Let's go. It isn't words so much as an impatient acknowledgement; communication to the other Lunar in something purer and more instinctive than language.

With another thrust, Isa throws herself from the rock formation, wings thrashing to gain altitude. Where the stolen form of Bite Crushes All lunges forward beneath her, the shadow of wings flickers over Shadowed Scales, gliding more and more as Isa finds her speed. Her streaking path takes her straight for the golem -- and it's with a keening, screching war-cry that she rockets ahead of Scales, leading the charge in an effort to slam into whatever serves for the golem's head, razor-sharp and iron-grip talons-first.

Mordremoth (1020) has posed:
    Shin will find the sonic powers so strong that they are rattling his bones, but keeping hands on his ears saves his hearing! The spinning kick cuts the shriek short and interrupts it (INTERRUPTED!) to give Shin a breather. Except he probably doesn't want to breathe too hard in these toxins. The kick shatters the barklike beak of the Dark Wing, but it retaliates with a harsh scything swing of its wing!
    John's image is sent. A counter image is given. The world, and other formless entities. Each one laying waste and destroying. Then the speaking entity, instead spreading its presence out, wrapping around the ants and directing them to work in a harmonious whole.
    Siege golems don't have any defenses other than the giant cannon on the back... and that was expended breaking down the barrier. Scales will get a glimmer of confusion from the mental touch, and Isa a brush of recognition. Mordremoth is tied up with John right now! The golem is not very fortunate though. Dinosaur jaws grab an arm, and the shoulder joint flickers and explodes in a burst of plasma and magic to literally disarm it. Two powerful Lunars at once are more than enough to make short work of it, too. Without an arm, defenses are hard, and the golem's head is partly twisted and sheared, making it slowly topple backward. That's going to be tough to replace.

Stygian Mirror (991) has posed:
    Crypt Bolt Attack: still not an acceptable way to parry attacks. It does, technically, allow parrying unarmed as though you had a weapon, but that incoming crystal dragon isn't something she can just bat aside. It'd look cool, she muses, but she'd probably regret it very much.

    So instead, she stands very still.

    This looks very counterproductive because when the attack slams into her, it splatters her entire body like a liquid, blood splashing everywhere, and in a fine red mist too. The blood oozes back together after a moment, even further back than she was standing before, and reforms into the Abyssal, sans a few more scraps of flesh, the injuries spread evenly on her whole body. The black glow around her intensifies as she reaches for her sword.

    "No, I'm not. But I can relate to his goal." Look, putting a gender on things is just easier. And the narration really doubts Mordrenoth wants to put a dress on, even though it could easily pitch you this concept: 'Hi! A long time ago the world belonged to us, but terrible creatures like ants conquered it and sealed us away. Now we fight to reclaim it! For magical girl Mordry-chan, the fight is only starting!'

    Contrasting that, the black glow emanating from Mirror suddenly condenses, no longer sapping light out of the area area. Only her sword is letting that off now, the weapon so black it looks like a hole in reality straight up, the air twisting around it as it consumes light. The blade also seems to double in size as a result, now a massive two-handed sword.

    "I think I've learned enough, though. Technically, all he asked me to do was to show him my powers again. I don't know why he was curious, but I think I did that just fine. You also hurt. A lot. So..."

    Mirror swings the sword, but is nowhere near melee range with Kussho. That doesn't seem to matter. Her full iconic Anima Banner radiates out of the sword, sending out waves of fear and terror across the battlefield (easily resisted by Elites). It also sends a huge shockwave of black Essence straight for Kussho! ... which is shaped like the crystal dragon she sent her way. Cracked, broken and corrupt, but it's definitely the same dragon.

    That's where the similarities end. The attack is just Essence, it burns and corrodes, but in no way replicates Kussho's technique beyond appearance. It's also aimed REALLY POORLY, almost intentionally missing the Asura. Because in the slash's wake...

    Mirror is pulling back! And her Anima Banner has subsided completely.

Shin Tokuyama (756) has posed:
    Shin cracks that Dark Wing right across the face to stop the sonic attack. The young Japanese (?) man drops his hands from his ears and assumes a fighting stance. He brings an arm up to block the shearing swing of the creature's wing. It hits his forearm and cuts into it but... not as much as one would probably expect. Shin seems to have some sort of supernatural durability thing going on.

    "Phew. That was close, but I think we're gonna be okay, Mister Steeley."

    Shin looks over his shoulder in time to see the Siege Golem get taken down bya Tyrant Lizard and a bird.

    "MISTER STEELEY! NO! YOU WERE TWO DAYS FROM RETIREMENT!"

    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

    Shin screams in an unreasonably showing of unadulterated rage over the loss of his anthropomorphized depiction of an arguable non-sentient entity. But damnit, it was important to him.

    "I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU."

    He stamps a foot down, cracking the ground under his feet as he coils one hand back, "Shin Tokuyama, Special Finisher."

    An actually fairly frightening amount of Ki begins to ripple and build in his body, most of it siphoning down his arm and into his right hand. The air around him ripples and swirls as he snaps forward towards the beast.

    "RYUUSOKEN!"

    The air whistles around him as he drives his cost fist square into the body of the Dark Wing. At the moment of impact, all the built up energy in his arm discharges, pushing through the creature and out the back of it in a blast of Ki that both resembles in appearance, and produces a sound similar to, a roaring dragon.

Khusso (1024) has posed:
    Khusso has defenses against magical fear... which are not currently present, and even if they were she is at one of her vulnerable, low-energy points in her combat cycle. The black dragon gets a look of shock from her(hard to see through the blindfold) before it clips her bloodied body, sending the tiny asura sprawling back... and scrambling backward, the fear briefly taking hold of her and giving Mirror precious seconds to slip away without retaliation.

    The medic with Sakura answers quickly, "Right now, just tend to the wounded. It looks like we've gotten into the Vinewraith's chamber... we'll just have to leave it to the rest to drive it off. If they manage that, we'll seal the tunnel."

Reina Kinney has posed:
Taking cover to recharge her Technic Power and recharge her rifle, Reina looks to the others. "We're doing great! We've got this almost done! Just keep pushing!" She then returns to leading the others in their tactics. "Let's finish this!"

Mordremoth (1020) has posed:
    The punch that Shin throws impacts the Dark Wing hard, and the screech is animal and instinctive. John will feel that thread severed, because Mordremoth is not hiding its connections at the moment. The entire beast buckles, a shockwave moving through it that shatters bark and spatters sap everywhere. It begins to collapse, and the sounds of the final barrier going down to the south - barely, since they had no help - can be heard in the distance.
    The pulsing body of the Vinewraith decides that discretion is the better part of valour. It begins to shrink, the blossom folding up and vines withdrawing, to burrow back into the rock and withdraw back into the jungle on the other side of the barrier of rock.

John Rizzo has posed:
John sends back sad amusement; a knowing that there's no way the entity can pitch that idea to the mortals now that they're already upset. It's just the way people are. There is then the sound of an alarm ringing in the early morning. Of course, the entity likely has no idea what an alarm clock is, but with a mental link, everything is figurative. In this case, the image conveys the simple message that time is up. An image of Rizzo and a shadowed figure sitting at a table. Rizzo bids the shadowed figure farewell, standing up from the table and departing. The color of the scene fades to black and white, before fading out.

     That didn't go the way he'd hoped--but there's a motive, at least. He approaches the commander of the Eastern forces, seeming suddenly to become noticeable. "I got intel for you."

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    "Oh. I should be able to collapse the tunnel, if that's what we're wanting to do?" She should have enough chakra left to manage that; it was shockingly easy usually, unless someone was fighting against it with some other non-normal methods.

    Of course, it sounds like that is supposed to wait, and for the moment Sakura will just continue on healing, trying to ignore the other fighting that's going on around her. She'll try to patch up Khusso afterwards, at least.

Shadowed Scales (1021) has posed:
    Bite Crushes All proves where his name came from. The Tyrant Lizard's powerful jaws crunching metal and tearing it apart, working in tandem with the massive eagle swooping in and going for the head.
    As soon as the golem topples, his work here is done. And again, the beast's body ripples, flickering and flowing like liquid silver before shrinking down. Smaller, smaller ever smaller- even moreso than the previously human-ish form.
    It is that selfsame iquana from before that starts to wander its way off the battlefield. Scales has gotten what she sought, and made up for it. If Isa follows her or not she doesn't care.
    After all. It is just an iguana. What care would it have for any of this?

Isa Reichert (1022) has posed:
With her job done, Isa dips a wing and wheels away from the toppling golem, marking the progress of the little green iguana through the hordes of hostile combatants. That nobody notices a lizard or the giant nearly man-sized bird trailing after and above it it is remarkable; but they probably have much more important things to focus on, like the war zone around them! Then again, it's also nighttime, so both creatures are fairly easy to miss.

Isa narrows her single eye, gauging the distance between herself and the iguana -- it's not easy, with the lack of bright light -- and folds her wings, swooping straight down with a rustle of huge feathers.

With a single practised motion, she reaches out a taloned foot almost daintily. And, with talons that could crush the life from a creature that size, she neatly snatches the iguana from the sand, without setting so much as a scale out of line.

Don't struggle. It is, as before, more a flicker of instinctive communication and a conveyance of sentiment than of actual words; punctuated by a brief upside-down look of that single gold eye.

Then, with three colossal flaps of those enormous wings, the bird and its cargo are soon gone from the battlefield.