Scene #4308: = Occult Expedition

Owner	Pose
Mihk Lihzeh	Mihk had put out feelers. Both within the Confederacy, and with the Syndicate Network, looking for aid in finding a group of Magic War Interns she'd sent off to a library deep in the Waterland Desert mountains. It's a hard trek through the shifting dunes, but transport is provided in the form of sand skimmers. They look like sail boats, on sled skis. Mihk is already at the Base Camp for this expedition. Confederate Regular troops milling around, setting up tents and other medium-term structures, skycraft landed on an open basin area, being unloaded. The Arcanist stands at a table, with a map laid out on it, looking it over as she waits for the responders to come.
Yari Takane	After one very interesting ride through the sands, Yari arrives at Mihk's base camp. She pauses before a tent and snaps a somewhat needless salute. She's wearing some light armor, with traveling robes and a scarf on her mouth from said sand, which she pulls down as she calls out. "Ensign Takane, reporting! Permission to enter, Miss Lihzeh?" She'll wait for the affirmative, then head on in. She looks around. First one there? "Good evening, Ma'am. So, we're looking for a lost troup of interns?" Already, she's leaning over to peer at the map.
Bramble Patch	Skimmers are great, but how about a dog sled? I know what you're going to say, sure you could slide a sled over desert sand just as well as snow, but the environment would be extremely harsh on any living species of canine. And that is where I tell you you're stupid for assuming the dogs are -alive-. However, the sled Bramble Patch arrives at the camp on is being pulled by a quartet of Everfree timber wolves. That is to say, wolves made of dead wood and peat moss. Which is what they collapse into piles of when Bramble Patch hops off and dispels the magic animating them. Ignore the sulfury stench of peat and they won't be a problem until she returns to bring them back to false life again.
Sanary Rondel	Sand skimmers aren't so bad. Like boats, they're still grounded to an extent, and there's no big expanse of air between it and the sand. That's why Sanary's looking rather calm through the whole ride to the library, decked out in her heaviest armor and a pair of shields (one riot, one kite). Once the sand skimmer reaches its destination, the armored healer hops off and approaches the Arcanist's tent before stopping outside not too far behind Yari. "Captain Rondel, also reporting." She pauses for a moment with her own salute, waiting for the all clear before heading inside. "Hey, Mihk. Still no word of the group?" So much for looking professional. Or is that just for the troops outside that might be watching? Either way, Sanary's already expecting the worst, but who knows? Maybe something's changed since receiving the summons.
Staren	Ugh, /sand/. Always a problem with robots, getting in joints and all. Fortunately, the transhuman mercenary wears body armor (it looks vaguely like something futuristic soldiers might wear.) His favorite color of 'black' isn't the best choice, though, so he's donned a sand-colored cloak to wear over it. In addition to the futuristic assault rifle sling over his shoulder and the grenades on his belt, he has just a couple of pistols. Given they're going /inside/ some magic library, he figures the heavy missile launchers would be overkill. The sand skimmer ride is somewhat novel. Staren's never done that before! It's hard to enjoy it, though, because there's a nagging sense of wrongness in the back of his head. He keeps forgetting... Wanting to let the wind blow through his hair, taking off his helmet, then remembering this generic robot body doesn't /have/ hair. When he finally arrives, he focuses on the mission. "I'm here about the rescue mission." It's a synthetic voice, too. Is it an affectation, or does this mercenary just prefer to keep personal and business identity seperate?
Valentha Summers	Chances are nobody except perhaps Sanary Rondel was expecting the robed elven girl. But she makes an appearance alright. At the edges of camp a portion of space ripples and sizzles as something slips through the cracks of reality. Phantasmal blue energies spill through and swirl, wrapping around into a human form. In a matter of moments... Valeska of Byzantine, a familiar figure to very few here indeed, steps lightly onto the desert sands... and immediately pulls her robes more tightly shut. "A desert of all places? Little is worse." She wastes little time heading over to meet with the others, though her attention shifts between them and the strange vehicles on display. "Valeska of Byzantine, professional sorceress. How do you fare, Sanary? It's been quite some time, hasn't it? Apologies, was drowning in my research..."
Mihk Lihzeh	The Regulars salute when able to the incoming Confederate Elites. The approaching Transhuman Mercenary gets some going for their weapons, but a call out from within the Arcanist's tent gets them to stand down again. Valeska gets the same treatment, minor suspicion, though she's not given much more than a cursory glare, before the troopers go back to setting up. Mihk looks up from the map as Yari and Sanary enter. "Ah, Centurion, Captain, I am glad you could make it." she gestures to the map, tapping the marked area of the library. "Scouts have told me there are some kind of magical golems protecting the doorways, but there are no signs of battle. This tells me that the group activated some kind of defensive system after entering." she gestures to the main entrance, and two smaller side entrances. "THe main doors are guarded by some large constructs, the side doors by smaller creatures. The scouts fought with the large construct briefly, and were forced to retreat." "With Elite forces, I believe we could storm the main doors, but if any of you prefer to go through the side, that would be feasible... thoughts?"
Bramble Patch	Bramble Patch puts her front hooves on the edge of the table to prop herself up to see the map. "The direct approach is probably the best." Then shifts to put her 'elbow' on the table instead, resting her chin atop the upturned hoof. It's a bizarrely human looking posture, she must of picked it up from someone else. "Though. If we want to keep said side monsters from coming to play calvary, I could send some animate minions to occupy them."
Yari Takane	Grin. Another salute! "Captain." So much heavy armor. Yari can approve, given some decently skilled Magic Interns dissappeared. They might need the tanking power and definitely the healing that Sanary comes with! Trust and reliability, too, put the ninja's mind at ease. Similarly, Bramble gets a salute, as does the rest of the group, though most of them she doesn't know. Valentha in particular gets a look. A glance back to Sanary with a brow raised. Her face practically screams 'Is this sorceress legit?'. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Valeska. Yari Takane." Yari nods to the tactical situation though. "I'd at least like to take a look at the side doors first. Maybe they retreated, then tried in that direction. We're well staffed and armed now, but best to not take any risks." A pause, and she turns to Bramble. "Scout the side, then, Miss Bramble and I scout the main entrance, then we decide from there?"
Staren	"Magical golems." The mercenary echoes. "Do they have any kind of weakness?" Outside, too. Damn, he /should/ have brought the big missiles. He looks at the other elites as they speak up in turn. Bramble's strategy sounds potentially viable to him, but he doesn't comment.
Sanary Rondel	Two unfamiliar faces and one familiar one! Bramble doesn't look like the sort of pony that she's seen in other places, and she gets a fairly easy pass and nod in greeting from Sanary. Staren's voice, though... That's just /weird/. He gets a nod as well, but she'll have to keep an eye on that one! Valeska, meanwhile, actually gets a recognizing look and (what else) a nod in greeting. "Hey, Valeska. I've been.. Uh. Busy! Actually figured out how to use magic more... Not-badly with some of that stuff you taught me. I'll ask about the research afterwards, huh?" She grins lightly at the elven girl, offering Yari a reassuring nod and trying to hide a snicker at that look she's getting. It's fine! Probably. Sanary doesn't look too worried about the elf, at least, as she turns her attention back towards Mihk once she explains what's happened. "Might be able to get in no problem if the golems don't stop us, but... It'd be bad if we got caught between them and whatever's inside." She grunts lightly while peering at the map. "If we can get in without tripping too many alarms or... Whatever, that'd be good. Safer, probably. If we need to go in loud or a decoy somewhere else, though?" Sanary wiggles the shield on her back, then grins. "Just say the word. Not like all this stuff I've got on is for sneaking, anyway. Having some of those minions to keep responders from the sides busy should be useful for either approach, too."
Valentha Summers	"A defense system, hmmm... it would be a pity to simply break it all down, but if we must..." She nods Sanary's way, smiling in a rather pleased fashion. "Lovely to hear!" After hearing the plans... she rubs her chin thoughtfully. "Hard to tell without a closer look, but guardians can always be distracted with cleverness. Let's see what we're up against in person..."
Mihk Lihzeh	"I hear a unanimous vote for 'go in the front'." says Mihk, adjusting her glasses. "Very well. Sergeant!" The Miqo'te's voice carries out and a soldier in a bit more ornate uniform enters, and snaps a salute. "Ready your battalion. I need your men to occupy the smaller constructs while we disable and destroy the large one at the front door." orders Mihk. Another salute, a heel turn and the Sergeant marches out to rally the troops. "I have prepared potions, and my Carbuncle can provide ranged support or melee defense. Captain, which would you prefer?" she asks of Sanary, since she's the ranked officer here.
Yari Takane	There's a reassured look to Sanary from Yari. The elf-mage gets a renewed nod of respect. Sanary's teacher? Yup, she'll definitely have to make proper introductions later. For now though? Business. It seems it's all decided. "Understood, ma'am." She tosses Mihk a salute, then it seems the ninja is ready to head out. She waits a bit for the Captain's decision, ready to follow along with the rest of the group. Her tail sways, as she sharpens a kunai.
Ariah	"I may be able to drain some of their power as well, given an opening," comes a cool, quiet voice near the tent's entrance. It's difficult to know precisely when Ariah arrived and how long she's been lurking by the doorway, but she's here, and she's been quiet. Listening, taking in the proceedings and the briefing. It might still be strange, seeing a vampire out in the daylight, head wrapped in a loose cloth to keep her pale skin from getting sunburnt. She has her fingers curled in around part of it, tugged down so she can speak without being muffled, as she's quite quiet as it is. "If all else I can provide ranged support."
Sanary Rondel	"The front it is! Alright... Huh?" Sanary actually looks taken off guard when Mihk asks her about the Carbuncle. Making decisions /is/ technically part of Sanary's job, isn't it? She tries not to make it too that she's giving Mihk a grateful grin under her helmet, and then she adjusts her hold on the shield. "Melee defense. It should easier if we've got two big targets taking hits and keeping everyone else out of the line of fire." Another clank, and she's got her second shield ready in the other hand before stepping towards the exit of the tent. She grins at Ariah's appearance and gives her a firm nod in greeting, then taps those shields together. "Sound good. If we can get through the entrance without too much trouble, then that'll make it easier to poke around inside afterwards. I'm ready to move when everyone else is. Just let me know when to..." She doesn't quite finish that thought as she's already starting to get her magic flowing, keeping it lingering near her head and arms.
Valentha Summers	Valeska gives Mihk a LOOK, but doesn't contest this decision further than that. "If you're SURE." She instead announces exasperatedly. The young(??? how old is she anyways?) woman adjusts her robes and heads out with the others. For now she hangs near Sanary and puts a hand on her shoulder, squeezing comfortingly. "You won't be alone with support this time!"
Bramble Patch	Bramble Patch was going to agree, but then Sanary decides to let the soldiers handle the side entrances. Well that's just as good too, gives them something to do, and lets her conserve her own magic. The distance from Everfree can make it difficult on her at times. "I've also got a few alchemy potions and other tricks to help keep things in our favor." Tilts her head a little to the side, then adds as they march off, "Abiet, mine ain't really the 'healing' kind." More like the magical explody kind.
Staren	The mercenary listens to the plans. "I will attempt to weaken the construct before we close the distance." He draws one of his pistols, not pointing it at anyone but ejecting the magazine to show the micromissiles inside, with about the thickness of a pen or pencil, to Mihk. He then re-inserts the magazine and holsters it again for now.
Mihk Lihzeh	Mihk nods to Sanary, and then smiles at Ariah softly when the vampire reveals her presence. She then plucks her grimoire from her belt, opens the pages and places a red gemstone into the geometric design. "Power of earth, hear my call. I bind thy power into this gemstone, and by this contract, bind thee to my will. Come. Carbuncle!" after finishing 'writing' with a quill in the air. The glowing script fades out, as she picks up and tosses the gemstone onto the ground. It resolves into a small golden fox creature, and scampers to stay near the Arcanist. The camp has become a hive of activity. Troopers marching off to get into position to engage the smaller golems, leaving the pathway up to the main doors, a vast, tiered flight of stairs, to the Elites. The 'Large Construct' can be seen from the bottom of the stairs. A vast, lumbering behemoth of stone, built around a glowing central 'core'.
Yari Takane	With the strategy decided, Yari follows the others! Namely, she stays behind the heavily armored Sanary, and near Ariah as well. Just in case the support is needed, and to make sure nothing happens to the vampire as she works her magic. She'll wait for TechnoKat Staren of the Missiles to fire off his first few rounds, before both hands flick out a set of kunai. Tossing them at the large front-door guarding golems, the explosive tags attached start to burn away. KABOOM! There's going to be plenty of explosions. She does smile at the carbuncle though. "I never get tired of seeing an Arcanist at work." She notes, before glancing back to the action, more kunai at the ready.
Bramble Patch	Gastly green whisps slither through the air from the gemstone of Bramble Patch's headband to coil around the piles of rotten wood, once more forming them into the vagely canine forms made of sticks, peat and mud. "Just as well not let these go to waste." It's a short march until the stairs are in sight, and their lumbering guardian. Bramble pauses, thrusting a hoof towards the golem dramatically. "Sic'im!" The four timber wolves bound past her to mob towards the towering form, making sounds more like the wind howling through dead trees than barks and snarls. Let's be honest, their barky bite and putrid fumes aren't going to do much to the golem. They are, however, something good for annoying the giant long enough for the rest of them to move in closer. "Don't worry about blowing them up. They're just constructs themselves."
Sanary Rondel	That... Is a cute little thing right there. And the way it's just scurrying over... Sanary's got to remain professional, though, and she can't let her training with Valeska and Yari go to waste just because there's a little glowing fox thing nearby! Instead, her attention is on that massive golem ahead of the group, and the armored healer takes a deep breath before readying her shields in front of her. "Alright... Let's begin, then!" She lets out a confident shout, then charges forward! Or... As chargey as she can get, considering that she's just piled on armor and shields onto herself to make herself as sturdy as possible. As she draws closer to the golem with the twin shields, she fires a heat laser from her magitech eye at the construct to try and gets its attention with explosions! Of course it'd be explosions. She's still got those shields in front of her as she hurries forward, of course, fully intending to draw it's attention with a direct approach!
Staren	So far this seems a pretty basic mission, Staren thinks. The hard part is trying to do it without most of his gear. Still, it's good to show this identity will work for confederates too and doesn't play favorites. Helps with the cover on Balmorra. As they start up the stairs and the golem is visible, he draws his seeker pistol. "Ready?" At some kind of confirmation, he just starts firing. The feed mechanism takes a few seconds to load the next missile, so it's not as rapid-firing as a conventional pistol, but on the other hand, he shoots rockets which accelerate to high-speed and and use an explosive-tipped warhead to try and crack the golem's surface just before the metal penetrator slams into it! Well, they're certainly getting its attention!
Valentha Summers	Valeska spares Carbuncle an examinatory glance, but her attention quickly focuses on the massive golem in the distance. "That's QUITE a guardian! Such a shame to destroy it... if it could be just restrained or deactivated... but... restraining THAT would be an endeavor." Valeska begins chanting words of power in a crystal-clear, bell-like voice. Magical energy in her body and spirit responds in torrents, rushing to her hands and billowing up from her skin. Her robes are set a-flutter, drifting as if half-aloft. With a series of gestures she begins directing the power and weaving it. The elven mage lifts straight off the ground, suspended amidst the lazily twisting mystic currents. A web seems to form between her fingers, cats cradle style... and then roaring bolts of blue fly from those fingers in quick succession, striking for the golem like lightning!
Ariah	Ariah casts a warm hint of a smile to Mihk. And Yari. And Sanary. The small vampire seems to have no shortage of friends here, and that's good. Despite her close-combat prowess, she prefers to remain in the support role, and takes up the rear while the others see to taking the lead--and getting the construct's attention. "I hope I do not need to make direct contact with the core to siphon its energy, but..." she exhales, then considers her options. "No, not direct contact..." she mumbles to herself. The small witch holds her staff in one hand, pressing it into the step above her, and focuses. She jerks her free arm forward, runes under her sleeves, under her skin, lighting up as she sends a series of bright blue-white tendrils of energy towards the golem, intent on 'tasting' its power, touching it, to see if she even can siphon it.
Mihk Lihzeh	Well, that's a lot of firepower leveled at the thing before it's even noticed the approaching Elites. It doesn't roar, or otherwise make sound in response to the damage, instead silently lumbering to face the source of damage, hefting a giant lump of masonary up and chucking it down the steps. Several impact points show where the Scout party had already encountered this tactic. The thing is a lot tougher than it looks, and it looks pretty damn tough. Explosions go off against it's rocky shell, only leaving minor pockmarks, but stagger it enough that more masonary isn't as readily forthcoming. Ariah would find this Golem to be powered by the same energy that Mihk uses. Aether running through the Core, and seems to be easily sapped. If the others can distract it long enough, she could completely empty the core of power and render the thing inert. Mihk, for her part, is hanging back and providing support with a shimmering blue shield, hexagonal 'tiles' interlocking into a dome over the group, projecting from her grimoire's open pages. Each strike to the shield makes the Arcanist wince, while the Carbuncle starts closing the distance, leaping and bounding up the steps in Sanary's wake... until they reach the top anyway. It then mantles up the Armoured Healer, and uses her as a springboard to perform a charged dash right into the Golem, knocking it back even more, and allowing an opening for the Timber Wolves to really get annoying and under-foot.
Bramble Patch	Thump thump thump down the stairs goes the masonary. CRUNCH and bits of twigs go scattering about as it smashes through the Timber Wolves. So much for tha-- --Oh wait, the things have that annoying habit of being a Reforming Mob. Enough wood and rot pulls itself together to form only two wolves this time, but these two are a good bit larger than the original four. Which makes it a bit easier for them to at least try to grab onto the golem's limbs. Even if they can't do much damage to that stone exterior, they can help hold it down for others to attack. Meanwhile, Bramble Patch digs in her pockets for a moment. "Com'n, I know I kept some handy... aha!" Triumphant pose on her back legs as she holds the flask she was looking for overhead briefly. Then puts her other hoof on top of it to shake the flask up. "This'll ruin his foundation some!" Cue flask being thrown at the golem. It'll just shatter when it hits, but anything stone the contents splatter on will hiss and bubble as the concoction hopefully eats away at the solidness of the construct. "Typically softening potions are used to referese cockatrice stares, but stone is stone."
Sanary Rondel	"Heads down!" Sanary calls out before bracing those shields in front of her, channeling magic into her arms to boost their endurance right before taking that giant chunk of masonry head on. She staggers back some as pain shoots through her arms, but she's still standing! Just probably with some issues around both shoulders. And her back. And... Everywhere else she didn't reinforce, really. Still, by running directly /into/ the projectile, she's hoping to mitigate the need for her allies to dodge! "Keh... That's all you got? Come on!" She shouts in challenge, breaking into another run and giving the Carbuncle a boost before trying to ram her shields directly into its legs. She's trying to keep it's attention in the most direct way possible by being the closest target in swinging distance! The rest is up to the others.
Yari Takane	Yari's more than happy to use Sanary's great shields and magic, as well as that of Aria and Mihk's to make sure she doesn't get Golem'd /too/ hard. Some of those tosses do wing her despite, but thankfully she has some armor on today. "Nngh!" The ninja takes out a round white ball, and hucks it at the Golem! The air hisses as powerful acids spray when it explodes. Seems she's going to try to melt some of the thing!
Ariah	Ariah's eyes widen and start to glow as her energy connects with the golem and its core. "...I can drain it..." she says softly. "I can drain it! Hold it at bay, weaken its structural integrity, make it work to keep itself together. I should be able to unravel it." she calls out to her allies, pulling her hand to her staff, shifting her feet and centering herself. The energy from her fingers spreads into the runes in her weapon and it seems to ignite like wildfire in blue-white. It's like a game of tug of war, trying to pull on the threads of Aether that hold the golem together. She's going to have to rely on everyone else to keep her from getting hit by rocks, as she's rather anchored in place now! And a precarious place it is. The energy she's drawing is more than her body can take, her arms glowing as she tries to shunt energy through her staff and 'vent' the energy. How does it vent? Waste light and waste heat, pulsing in the ground at the end of her staff, a cascade of light rushing and dissipating.
Staren	Giant lumps of masonry! The transhuman mercenary doesn't have energy wings because he's definitely not Staren, so he has to make do with dodging on the ground, sometimes grabbing the railing and flipping himself over as the masonry passes, then flipping back onto the stairs. The stern persona loses its cool a little. "Mages, can't you do something about that?!" he gestures at the rocks, hoping someone will use a barrier or telekinesis or something against future such attacks. For his part, once he's emptied the seeker pistol's 8-round magazine, the mercenary holsters it and gets out his assault rifle, letting a hail of nanotech-enhanced 'biter' smart bullets loose at the construct guardian. (Specifically, they harden against hard targets for increased penetration, and soften against soft targets to spread out and do more damage, either way maximizing the kinetic energy transfer). Fortunately there's no rain of brass casings for people to slip on on the stairs -- it seems this design is caseless.
Valentha Summers	'Hurling things' is how she expected the golem to respond, and this is why Valeska took to the skies to attack it from above! But she quickly deduces what Ariah's up to... and smiles. Yet again the sorceress begins weaving magical power, currents of blueish white swirling and crackling freely around her body and congealing between her elaborately twisting fingers, kneaded and shaped between her palms. This time... the power flows back up both of her arms... She rushes down for the golem to hover just above it... and REBOUNDS all that energy when she thrusts her hands downwards together. Ghostly silver-blue chains formed of pure magic energy swarm down in helix patterns, nearly a dozen of them. They crackle and spark, binding strongly to whatever they touch! Their power is not to restrain, not wholly. Though the chains are mighty strong, their touch saps the strength needed for the mighty to break them and interferes with magic...
Mihk Lihzeh	Mihk's prim countenance cracks a bit as the Mercenary says that. "What does it LOOK like I am doing?" she snaps at him, reinforcing the shield again, pouring MORE aether into it. "Ariah, can you divert that energy into the shield? SOME people don't appreciate that deflecting multi ton boulders is not easy!" The Golem is having a very hard time now. Between the softening potion from Bramble, the acid and nanotech from Yari and Staren, as well as the larger Timber Wolves, Sanary and Topaz Carbuncle getting right up in its grill, it's having a difficult time maintaining integrity. The glow of its Core begins to fade, and even as it goes to swipe at Sanary, and throw another chunk of masonary down the stairs, its throwing arm falls off at the apex of the swing, careening off into the chasmal abyss at the side of the stairway. The other arm falls to the ground, and then the rest of the shell collapses in a shower of various sized rock parts. "Elite team, we've disabled the smaller constructs, awaiting orders." chimes in one of the Troopers on local radio broadcast.
Ariah	"O-of course.. Mihk.." Ariah's voice comes strained, distracted. She looks a little... warm. Instead of flooding the stairs with cascading energy, the flow changes. It's like a weird chain of power. The strands of energy connect her staff to the golem's core, and then they reach out from different points on the staff to Mihk's shield. The Golem's energy being the same as the Arcanist's, there's little need for processing. It's all simply diverted, drawn and left untouched. Like arcing lightning, the lances of energy striking the shield from within, spiderweb patterns reinforcing where the boulders hit, though now the impacts make the white-haired witch wince as well, since she's supporting the integrity of it. "I came.. fully charged.. There is only so much I can hold..." she murmurs absently. She's quite the light show herself, acting as a conduit between arcanist and golem, draining the latter and fueling the former.
Staren	"I dunno how magic works..." the mercenary mutters, but he doesn't complain further. He does appear to trust the shield to stop the next rock chunk, though!
Bramble Patch	And once the golem has falled apart the Timber Wolves have an awkward moment of spitting out bits of grit and gravel, less one of them choke and explode. Seriously. It's all that fetid peat inside of them, stuff gets nasty when clogged. "Well, would you look at that." Bramble trots up, and true to part-time villain form, boots one of the remaining chunks of stone over the edge of the bridge with a hoof. "He went all to pieces."
Yari Takane	There's not too much that Yari can do. Any more rocks that fly out are met with a flash of twin kunai, knocking them away from the two mages as they work! Otherwise, the ninja can only wait on that golem to finally stop moving! It's all up to the vampire, elf, and kitty now!
Sanary Rondel	A more direct attack this time? That's just what Sanary was hoping for! Mentally, that is. Physically, her body is still hating her for putting it through all this abuse, what with having to hunker down with her shields to weather the golem's massive blow. Her gear is holding up better than she is, and it's only with the use of CHEATING (magical healing) that she's still standing under that assault! Luckily, the collapse of the rest of the golem is significantly less painful, even if she's got to do a bit of work digging herself out from underneath that whole mess. "Kuh.. N-nice work. Ah... Holding up okay over there, Ariah? Mihk? Eveveryone?" She's gonna need a breather, but like hell if she's gonna admit it! "Looks like our way's clear, then. Shall we?"