thebastion | Day 77 :: Event

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Day 77 :: Event - Finding a Core

[Day 77 is the day for the 'fine Marie' mission, and at first that is what everyone was supposed to do. But once out on the Skyway, the familiar twinkle of a Core can be seen in the distance, off in a direction that's nearly the opposite of where the group needs to go.

So, everyone has a choice to make: do they go after the Core, or keep looking for Marie?]

Links:

Planning
Group A
Group B

((OOC: Everyone can participate in the planning thread, but your character ultimately must choose to go with Group A or Group B. For players with more than one character, we ask that they don't put all of their characters in one group.

And remember, the group going after the Core has until 11:59 PM est on Sunday, June 16th, to obtain the Core.))]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The path to the Core will take the group up to a section of the walls of Caelondia. In order to continue, the characters will need to get up to the path that runs along the top of the wall.]

[The wall is certainly impressive. Easily as tall as the outer wall that had surrounded the last incarnation of his father's castle, and looked to be at least as thick, if not moreso. Not exceptionally difficult to scale on his own, but more people make the situation a bit more of a challenge.]

...Did someone think to bring rope?

... nope.

[Rin stares up at it, knowing she could easily scale it, too, but getting everyone else up...]

I can climb it and see if there's something to drop down up there.

[Bon is just staring up at the wall, wondering why the core is up on the wall anyway.]

There's got to be a way up, they wouldn't build a wall that they couldn't climb up.

Okumura, you go up there and look for a way down from the top. It should be more obvious up there. The rest of us will look along the bottom of the wall for a door to a staircase or a ladder or something.

Got it.

[Rin takes a couple of steps back, readying herself before charging forward and jumping as high as she could. Foot and hand holes on the wall were almost non existent (again, strange considering there seemed to be no other way over or through the wall) but she was able to use speed and strength to scramble the rest of the way up without slipping.

Once up there, she pokes around a bit, sticking close to the wall for some way up or down, but... nothing. It's just a wall.

Her head pokes back over to look down.]

Nothin'. But it looks like market stalls up here, so I can find somethin' to drop down for you guys.

That would probably be good.

[ The knight is too old to try anything similar to that- ]

I don't have any other options, unless someone really wants to volunteer for getting thrown by magic.

[ And even then, Duke at least is in armor. ]

Right, gimmie a bit!

[Rin vanished again, and headed for the stalls. Down below, not much would be seen, but she was crashing around noisily, tossing things out of the dusty, half-broken wooden booths, looking for anything that might work.]

No... no... oh, shards...

[Rin pocketed a few, and pushed the rest off to the side so others could grab them. But nothing else looked usable.

Straightening from the stall she was digging in she scratched her head, grumbling to herself until she realized -- the covers of the stalls were made of cloth.]

... huh. I thought of somethin' smart for once.

[About five minutes later, a knotted together rope of different colored cloths dropped down.]

C'mon, let's go!

[While he is proud of Rin for using her head for once, he's not sure how safe this is.

So he'll go first, at least. He grabs the bottom of the cloth-rope before turning to Duke.]

I'll go first. Catch me if I fall.

[And up he goes!]

[ Kroenen moves a little ahead, letting Bon take the primary lead, head twitching left and right, the German on high alert. He does nothing in half measures, and makes certain the path ahead is entirely clear before treading onward. He cares little for the statues, the remains of those not good enough for the new Eden. Those not chosen by Rasputin's gods. Not his own Gods, no. He believes in science above all else. His gods are gears and currents.

Looking over his shoulder he checks occasionally on Duke and Rin, not willing to lose anyone if he can avoid it. His primary concerns are building the Bastion and preserving the people therein. In that order, in fact. Still, if he can do both, more the better. He has since reloaded his gun, checked the clips left to him and keeps his tonfa on hand. He will not be caught unawares, this time. He wants that core, and he wants it quick. Forget exploring.

Stymied by the wall, Kroenen watched Rin thoughtfully. He could easily scale the wall as well, but wonders at the intellect of those chosen to survive. He is not disappointed, at least.

When Bon ascends, Kroenen stands beside Duke, gesturing for the lady-faced knight to go next. ]

[Alucard had followed Rin up the wall, although his method was not so much climbing as it was using the occasional hand and foothold to defy gravity. Physics generally dictates that people are not suppose to be able to jump a second time in midair, after all.

Regardless, he keeps watch while Rin is otherwise occupied; if anything were to attack her while she's holding the rope, it could potentially cause two people serious injury at best, and fatal injuries at worst. Not something any of them want to happen. And so he will stand guard until everyone has scaled the wall.]

.... Well don't I feel ordinary.

[ And really, for all that Duke has magic, maybe the knight is.

Oh well. Bon seems to not need to be caught, so here is a nod to Kroenen (Lets just assume names got shared at somepoint-) and...

Duke would have preferred stairs.

But this is something that the knight can... hopefully do. Fit, yes, body of a teenager.... no.

Duke will take longer than Bon, but that's probably to be expected. ]

[Well Rin is anything but ordinary, which is exactly what keeps her holding on to that makeshift rope while people climb up. Gripping it that long isn't easy, but her strength keeps from dropping anyone, since there isn't anything close enough to tie it to.

Once everyone is up, she'll wrap the cloths up around her shoulder, hanging on to it just in case any more walls present themselves.]

Okay... let's find that core!

[ Kroenen had no need of the rope, but chose to use it instead of scaling the wall for the simple fact that it was faster. He climbed up last, looping the rope over his shoulder as he ascended, assuring himself no chance of anything grasping the end. Passing the bundle to Rin afterwards, the German dusts himself off, straightens his cap and does a gear check before continuing on.

At Rin's enthusiastic remark he nods curtly. While never particularly at ease, the patience, motivation and focus everyone displays pleases the militant officer and he is satisfied that they are a secure unit capable of completing the mission.

Gesturing for them to move on, Kroenen watches the back, weapons ever at the ready for ambush. ]

[Caution is a good thing to have right now, because there are monsters about.

They are on the other side of the wall, far below the party, and they seem not to have noticed the party yet. However, there are a lot of them, and if they are alerted to the presence of the PCs then there could be trouble. They are mostly Squirts and Gasfellas, but there is a Scumbag or two there as well.

Further up along the wall is a guard tower of sorts. Though the Core is not directly visible yet, the tell-tale purple glow can be seen emanating from the tallest point in the guard tower.]

[It's curious how creatures not regularly preyed upon by creatures from the air rarely tend to look up unless they know something is amiss. Still, now is hardly the time to ponder this little fact deeply. The group has a goal to reach, and Alucard would much rather get to that core without a fight. It may be inevitable coming back down given how attracted to the cores the monsters seem to be, but for now, the swordsman will do his best to keep a low profile.]

Damn birds...

[Rin hung back with the rest of the group, rather than charging forward without a plan like she normally would have. Reckless as she was, she had been trying to tone it down a little, and going in sword swinging would likely lose their chance at the Core anyway.]

We gotta get through 'em. But how...

[ Kroenen leans over the edge peering down curiously, then leans back and checks his pockets. Three magazines pre-loaded, a full clip in the gun plus one round in the chamber giving him 32 shots.

Stepping forward, the German points to himself, then the mobs down below. Afterwards he swings his gloved finger in a circle, indicating everyone else, then flicks two fingers towards the tower. Military gestures, but fairly universal. He was offering to stay on the wall and take down as many enemies as possible, distracting them for the others to get to the tower unmolested. When he didn't take down with the gun, he was fairly certain he could hold off with his tonfa and the landscape, at least until the others could return and help finish off the stragglers.

It wasn't the best plan, but it was better than all out melee. At the very least, if they wanted to handle the creatures together, he could pull and cap the majority of minor beasts while the others circled around for a hammer and anvil attack. ]

[...welp.

Brb grabbing for Rin to drag her along.]

We're going to get the core quickly and get the hell out of here. I'll get that guy's attention once we've got the core.

[Hopefully he can last long enough for this crazy plan to work.

By the way he's taking off towards the guard tower once he says all of that. Keep up, you guys!]

Wha-- Bon! Would you just--!

[Nope. Dragged. And she has no say in it, just a lot of sputtering.]

.... I have a few area spells. What he doesn't shoot, I'll drop burning rain on.

[ And maybe meteors after. That tower... ]

If you want, I can be the fall back point.

[ Two people to draw monsters attention, and two people who can fight. Duke knows Kroenen is pretty good with those blade things, but two still sounds better. ]

[That nets them an internal sigh. No, of course they couldn't at least take the half-second it would take for them all to agree to the plan; clearly that would be too long for Bon.

...Regardless, he nods to the two adults before taking off to catch up with the kids. It wouldn't be good to let a couple of teenagers run off on their own in these conditions after all.]

[Yes, Duke, that is a good idea. Stay right there and help Kroenen, he will probably need help at some point.

The monsters don't immediately notice Kroenen, so he'll be able to take out a couple of them before they turn and attack him. Also they're not being polite and waiting, Kroenen will get swarmed by Squirts while the Gasfellas swing their hammers wildly.

As for the group approaching the tower, they'll soon find that there is a ladder that goes up the side of the tower and into an open area with a roof. However, the ladder looks like it's been rotting away, so they should be careful on it.]

[Of course he couldn't wait, and now they're staring at the rusted ladder, Rin scowling in irritation as she finally yanks her arm away from the other teenager.]

Brilliant plan, Bon. That ladder ain't gonna hold both of us!

[ Kroenen only offers introductions to those worthy of his presence, and so he wastes no time or patience on the vile little things swarming below. He takes a bead on the bigger one's first - CRACKCRACKCRACKCRACK - switch target - CRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACK - slide the spent magazine out, swap it with a fresh one, unload four rounds in one target, four rounds in another, rinse, repeat.
The semi-automatic was entirely spent in less than a minute, the empty magazines tucked in the coat along with the gun, the German switching to his tonfa and nodding to Duke. He left the area adn range fighting up to ladyface - he was going into the front lines.

Reaching into his coat where his breastplate was concealed beneath a leather vest, the officer turns his "key" three rotations, then charges forward at the nearest gasfella, rolling into a smooth dodge away from a hammer before spinning on one leg, centering his balance, rising fluidly and jamming his tonfa into the creature's back. ]

...I could retrieve the core.

[Look who caught up to you kids. No, but really, he does actually have a plan. He's just not going to say what it is if you don't ask.]

Group A: Core Hunting

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