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Nighthand
Master of Games
Posts: 1265
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 9:23 pm
Class: Bladesmage
Location: ...Tracking...please wait...

Post by Nighthand » Fri Jul 20, 2007 1:51 am

It was mere moments after Silverblade discovered the twinned tolerances of the Devil that first one, and then the other, was taken care of. Rayo and Zan were the most on the ball with their banes. The magical tolerance was removed, and the great gaps in the flesh of the beast began to tighten, to seal up the chaotic void inside. Once Zan’s physical match for the magical bane was activated, the lines sealed tightly, and the barrage of spells began.

Amidst the earth spells unleashed by Rayo were many more numerous castings of lesser powered spells. Even a few physical attacks, from Phoenix’s Wind Blade, were tossed into the fray, their animations disappearing before anyone could determine whether or not they did any damage. There was simply too much chaos going on in too small of a space to see how any one attack fared.

Nor could anyone see, amongst the fury of the magical and hacked assault, what was becoming of the boss. Each spell struck for its full amount of damage, each of the Wind Blades having exactly the effect they intended. Even Devil himself was blinded, unable to peer through the earth and water and fire to see his intended targets. So it was, that none but the Devil himself could see the changes taking place. The breaking down of bonds, the pulsing fluctuations of the flesh of the beast as each bit of damage took its toll.

As the spells finally began to fade, Silverblade looked on in awe. So… THAT was how much power the group could muster at, essentially, a whim. They had a short time of opportunity, and so they took advantage of it. That was, perhaps, one of the largest displays of power in the shortest amount of time he had ever seen the group as a whole give. Only once the dust was beginning to clear, did his eye widened (such as it could) and his mouth open for a shout. A shout that was cut short by the abrupt widening of the cracks in the devil’s flesh. Only, this time, the chaos was not withheld. A massive blast of chaotic energy filled the room with light, sound, and damage, instantly evaporating all in its path. Silverblade, the party, even the top layers of rock and inner facing of the wall was turned to dust and code.

Vision clearing as a ghost, Silverblade began to survey the damage. He was alive; in the sense that his character still existed as a ghost in the room. That was good sign number one. Second, he still saw a few life bars, so some people had against all odds made it through that blast where he couldn’t. That was good sign number two. Third, one of the characters, as the dust settled enough to see, proved to be Nall. That meant that, through it all, the boss had come out destroyed and Nall had been freed. Good sign number three.

A closer look determined that the others left alive were Rayo, Zhao, and Sekai, the trio protected by Zhao’s Fae Shield no doubt. Nall, of course, was isolated and away from the blast when it happened, set free only after the boss was defeated. The trio, protected by the domed shield, stood on a section of the rock floor raised a full foot higher than the rest. THAT was how much of the room had been etched away by the powerful attack.

Another sign, though one somewhat more worrying, was that the boss was gone… but not entirely. Some bit of him still remained, in the form of a pool of that same chaotic substance that had lashed out and destroyed them all.

Even as Silverblade watched, something was rising from that pool. Something that signaled that, even now, the boss wasn’t dead yet. On his last wings, certainly, but not defeated.

What arose from the pool of chaos was only vaguely the same creature that had exploded to cause it. What had, at one point, been a pair of legs was now a columnar serpentine body still submerged in the pool. Four limbs, looking like twisted vestigial wings, stuck out as perhaps the most dangerous of the physical attacks the boss likely had. The great crest-like protuberance had split and grown larger, forming essentially a shield around the back. This boss would only be able to be hit head on, it looked like. The original arms were there, though melted-looking, as though they had only partially survived to be reformed. The jaw had opened yet wider, fully capable of crushing the torso of one of the players in its teeth. The biggest change, however, were the eyes. Where mere holes in the mask had been before, large orbs of radiance glared out at everyone.

The creature was no larger around than a good-sized tree, but stood significantly taller than it had before. Of course, it probably couldn’t leave the pool it was still submerged in, but that presented its own dangers.

Silverblade waited calmly for the resurrect that was sure to come from someone in the group, studying the motion and actions of the boss as he did. It was time to end this.

-------------------------------------------------------ooc:
Devil form 4: HP: 2000

He’s physically very powerful, but weak in his defenses. The thing is, he has tolerances too. He starts out with a Magic tolerance. He’s open to physical, but not magic. Physical hits him and he changes to Physical Tolerant, and not magical. The process alternates after each hit, so you’ll need to use some teamwork to defeat him. Skills and spells that do more than one “hit” of damage, only the first gets through. Hits after that don’t trigger the shift of tolerance.

Fae items should be used up this battle since it’s the final form. Also, they don’t count as physical or magical in nature, meaning they bypass his tolerances.

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Rayo
Exalted Player
Posts: 485
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2003 7:21 pm

Post by Rayo » Fri Jul 20, 2007 3:24 am

What had he started? Did each Pha spell mess with hormones or something? The group went into a spell blasting frenzy, launching the most colorful display the wave master had witnessed from them. Why hadn’t they just all done on that on some of the other bosses they fought, the ones who didn’t have special tricks and almighty defenses? Magic had prevailed, and the Devil had fallen for the third time. The beast didn’t seem to want to be outdone by Primal however, and revealed a fourth form. The outer shell had more or else exploded, wiping out any life outside of the barrier Zhao had set up. Too bad it was just an item of the fae… if the twin blade could pull this trick out normally, it would be a great option to use against those overbearing and obnoxious villains. Sekai was within the protective zone as well, but unfortunately… Sekai wasn’t the entire team. Silverblade, Silk, Senna, Hacorie, Canti, Zan, Phoenix... all seven of them had been eliminated. Lighteria was also out, but for the moment it seemed just as wise to leave the confused guy out of the battle, lest he fling more orbs about the room. Nall was also back it seemed, but as the blade master was never one to rely upon, the observation was dismissed as useless in the end.

Seven players, 40 SP a pop. The archer had used a pair of mage’s souls on him right before Devil ignited, and someone had chucked him another to told onto a bit before that. The spare was gulped down, bumping his energy back up past the maximum if it were possible. Let the other two restart the assault, it was time for Rayo to raise an army from the dead.


“Rip Maen! Rip Maen! Rip Maen! Rip Maen! Rip Maen! Rip Maen! Rip Maen!”

The party was still hindered however, with over two thirds of the team without any SP. His own was only passing the 15 mark itself after his revival fiasco. Yet another Mage’s Soul went down the drain, filling him with some mystic stamina to burn through. Rather than launch another barrage on the Devil so soon, it seemed more prudent to allow the other players a chance for action. If they didn’t have enough SP for skills and spells, the least the caster could do was give them enough strength to still let their hits count. The Ap Corv spell was still in his system from before, so the mage just mentally scrolled through his list and selected it. Sekai, Silverblade, Silk, Senna, Hacorie, Zan, Phoenix, Canti… everyone outside of Zhao and himself were given a taste of the offensive ability. A wizard had no need for the enhancement, and pumping the twin blade’s attack might deter him from defense. As things stood now, his fae item was the most useful tool the team had at their disposal.

“Ap Corv! Ap Corv! Ap Corv! Ap Corv! Ap Corv! Ap Corv! Ap Corv! Ap Corv!”

Resting for the moment, Rayo waited to see how the others acted before moving again. His support had been offered, so let the others run headfirst into battle, or employ whatever tricks they so desired. Zhao was capable of providing the ultimate defense, the blue mage could offer aid and buffs. Their role might not currently be the most desired, but if the duo stuck with it, Devil would be powerless against the Freedom Fighters even if it replicated it’s previous outburst.

<Party

I’ll hold back for now and make sure he doesn’t clear us all out like Primal did. Zhao’s holding off his best attempts to hit our supply depot, so I’ll take advantage of it for now.

Rayo>

The boss was in a pool, but unlike with the Flare Hydra, there was but one. No others were visible at least. Each step in the evolution of Marionette’s Devil made it seem less human, moving from costumed freak, to cut up fanatic, on to obese lump, and finally something much more snake like… or dragon like, it didn’t make that much of a difference at the moment.

ooc:

If you have requests for any elemental buffs, just talk to me and we can work it in to happen during your post.
Rayo
Lv.47 Archer 745HP/311SP
Bell, the Silver Grunty of Thunder
Skills/Spells-Shocking Arrow of Voltage(30), Arrow of the Burning Stars(10), MeRai Rom(40), Rai Kruz(10), La Repth(20), Rip Maen(40), MeRai Kruz(20), GiVak Kruz(20), MeRai Don(20), Rig Saem(15)
Weapon/Armor/Book-Golden Royal Bow/Thunder Torque, Thunder Cloak, Able Ring, Ivory Greaves/Thunder Magic
Wishlist: YL Fukuoka, Stormlore, Winter Stone, Silver Grunty

Phoenix512
Exalted Player
Posts: 304
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2003 10:42 pm

Post by Phoenix512 » Sun Jul 22, 2007 2:49 am

Somehow the Freedom Fighters managed to defeat the third form of the Marionette Devil with quite ease. The group pulled off a massive display of firepower and teamwork to defeat the form but the Devil got the final laugh as it unleashed a massive blast of energy that kill everyone without the protection of the fae shield. After the energy blast, the only life remaining in the room was Zhao, Rayo, Sekai, the Devil itself, and Nall. Somehow Nall found a way to join the battle but right now, Phoenix and the others were ghosts.

For once I wished that we could defeat a boss like that but without everyone dying. I hoped that it didn’t have a fourth form but my instincts were right as usual. Why I can’t my instincts could be wrong for once? Oh well, I feel that I’m regaining corporeal form. So time to jump back into battle.

The blademaster was resurrected by Rayo along with the others except for his guardian, Suzaku. He used a Resurrect on his bird and a Mage’s Soul along with one for himself. He received a strength boost from Rayo as well and immediately put it to good use with a Wind Blade attack. The attack managed to hit the snake-like form of the Marionette Devil which he followed up with a second one. Something weird happened with the second Wind Blade as it did not affect him at all.

Physical tolerance? My first attack got through. Why didn’t the second one worked? Suzaku, use BiVak Rom on it.

The bird fired off a BiVak Rom at the Devil but with mixed results. The tornado scored a hit on the Devil but multiple hits had no effect at all. Phoenix and Suzaku were confused by this at first until Phoenix fired off another Wind Blade. The attack managed to score another hit on the Devil. The blademaster immediately wrote a flashmail to the others about his findings.

To: Everyone
From: Phoenix

From what I gathered with my attacks, this form of the Devil has shifting tolerances. It doesn’t have both compared to the previous form but it takes one hit to shift the tolerance. Right now, it has a physical tolerance. If you hit it with a magical attack, it shifted to magical tolerance.

There’s a catch though. Don’t use multi-hit attacks. It just takes one hit to shift the tolerance. With BiVak Rom, only the first hit connected while the other hits did not.

I suggest that we attacked it like the previous form but with only one attack at a time. So one person will attack it with magic, the next will go physical, and so on. I’ll attack it again with magic. The next person has to attack it with a physical attack.

End Flashmail


Phoenix did not have any spells in his equipment that deliver only one hit so he had to use a scroll. He was not known to use scrolls but it was a good time to use one. He used the Chaos Spell scroll to mimic MeAni Zot at the Marionette Devil. For a moment, Phoenix felt that he was Nighthand but it quickly passed as he waited for the next member to attack the Devil with a physical attack.

Will this battle will ever end?
Phoenix
Level 48 Blademaster
Equipped Skills: Vak Revolver, Gan Revolver, Dek Vorv, La Repth, Juk Kruz, Rue Kruz, BiVak Rom, GiGan Zot
Other Skills: Rue Kruz, Rip Synk, Rip Saem, Crack Beat, Rue Slash, Ani Slash, Gan Crack, Gan Revolver

Wish List: Phoenix's Fire, Gold Necklace
EX-Spheres: LV 3 - Overdrive, LV 3 - Curative, LV 3 - Elemental Breath

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Zhao Xun
Elevated Player
Posts: 63
Joined: Fri May 12, 2006 3:09 am
Location: Wherever I'm needed.

Post by Zhao Xun » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:10 am

So, the Devil had a new method of protecting himself from another gargantuan barrage of energy, eh? Phoenix had figured it out fairly quickly, and a plan formed itself in my head nigh instantaneously.

"Zan! Hit it once! As hard as you can!"

I had turned to Zan because, well, he was our physical powerhouse, and with Rayo out of commission on the magical end, simply letting Zan get in as many shots as possible seemed like the best way to vanquish this... this thing as quickly as possible. As soon as Zan pounded a strike into the Devil, I immediately followed up with a simple Rue Kruz spell. My method of attacking caused little damage, but opened up the window for Zan to strike again. He seemed to pick up on my plan and delivered another crushing blow, switching the tolerances again. I cast my spells as quickly as he struck, trying to deal as much damage as I could before the Devil decided to retaliate.

Unfortunately, I wasn't exactly heavy in the SP department, and I hadn't had the foresight to bring along any Mage's Souls or scrolls to help bolster my mystical capabilities. I was out of SP after 7 shots on the Devil, and I quickly looked around, checking the other Freedom Fighters. They were all out of SP, having been recently ressurected... aside from Sekai! She should be able to pick it up just fine.

"Sekai! Keep up the rotation I started! Let Zan pound on him as much as possible!"

With those words, I then readied my Topaz Armband again, with plans to use it as soon as Sekai was also drained of SP. That would at least give us some sort of failsafe if the boss tried to obliterate us all in one single stroke again. I sat there, prepared, waiting....
Zhao's Profile

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Levels
Slayers
Other level 16+ Twin Blade Weapons
Cougar Bandanna
Snow Panther
Level 16+ Twin Blade Armor

Miakita hazu no tasogare ga
Konna ni kirei dato naita

Hacorie
Ikkitousen
Posts: 105
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2004 11:30 pm
Location: Here and there.
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Post by Hacorie » Thu Jul 26, 2007 3:07 am

“Rip Maen!”

The two words swirled around the borders of the room as the now nicknamed, by Hacorie, ‘White Mage’ of the party began resurrecting everyone in the entire area who had been completely obliterated by the Devil’s last stand. As the body of the Heavy Blade lay on the ground, with eyes open, the green aura could be seen coming toward his body. The swirling green line of energy hit Hac’s lifeless body sending a surge of warmth throughout his cold corpse. Slowly, the ten extremities which protruded from his hands began to move as the heart began to pump blood once again.

Pressing arms on the flat ground, Hacorie slightly turned on his side and began pushing against the floor with his legs simultaneously. Noticing the wall next to him, the Heavy Blade quickly switched his hands from the horizontal surface to a vertical one. By moving the two hands higher and higher on the wall, Hacorie finally found himself in an upright position. Slowly taking one hand off the concrete surface, the Heavy Blade let out a small sigh as he placed his head where his hand just was. It was now quite evident that the constant dying and resurrecting were having an added effect on the character dressed in blue.

With stomach quickly ascending and descending with each pump of the heart, Hacorie knew that his strength was still waning. After all that was evident since he barely had the power to keep himself upright without even a sword in his hand. Beads of sweat slowly began to form on the avatar’s forehead. As the warm liquid slowly made its way down to the character’s chin, Hacorie’s feint and weak will to find continued to diminish into the void controlled by the god named Wryneck.

Hacorie’s fading blue eyes shifted over to the battlefield to see a plan in the works, but something else caught his attention before he really looked to see what the rest of the group was doing. The Devil was not dead. It had once again shifted into another form; one which seemed to be less in mass. Hopefully less space taken up would equal out to a less powerful boss type monster. A slight ding snapped Hac out of his own dazzling perception on how the boss was still not dead after all the recurring onslaughts it had taken. It was a message from Phoenix, stating the weakness of the Boss; hopefully the Blademaster’s findings were correct.

The Twin Blade with the name of Zhao was casting spells and Zan the Heavy Blade was pummeling the monster. They could easily be given a nickname as well...though it would not be as funny since there was no pun behind the name: Z&Z Destruction Agency. Just as things seemed to be looking up, Hacorie slid one hand into a pocket and pulled out another Mage’s Soul. Crushing the bottle in his hand, the Heavy Blade noticed his skill points jump to about one hundred ten. The normal amount would have just been one hundred, but the added ten was because the act of getting back to his feet gave a bit of added SP to his bar.

Lifting his head quickly, Hacorie noted within him that Zhao must be getting close to using up his Skill Points since the Twin Blade was casting at such a normal rate. Just as Hacorie’s suspicions were realized, he pushed against the wall and started to sprint toward the devil. I cannot let Zan have all the fun...

“Rue Kruz!” Hacorie heard the Twin Blade call as he continued to near the Devil. A feint glow appeared on the character’s back as a massive sword came into the visible world: the Steeler. Removing it from its hilt immediately, Hacorie felt the weight begin to take effect as the massive blade began to drag the ground leaving a waved path behind him.

"Sekai! Keep up the rotation I started! Let Zan pound on him as much as possible!"

Here is my chance.. The Heavy Blade concluded as he reached attacking distance of the Devil. “Rai Drive! RAI DRIVE!” Hacorie called in succession as his suppressed strength was let out as the blade came off the ground and started toward the Devil. A bright yellow glow took the body of the sword over as small pieces of electricity were seen dancing through the metallic item. As the player slashed and hacked the sword in fluid movements which coincided with the skill name, Hacorie felt his eyes begin to grow heavy.

Each blink of his eyes began to last longer each time. The illuminating eyes finally faded to where the black pupil was seen; this was Hacorie’s last stand for this fight. After the last slash of the second Rai Drive, Hacorie stumbled and began to roll out of the way. This was a good tactic since if another attacker took over, they would not have to deal with a body in the way, but it was not done on purpose. It was just the way the body reacted under the immense strain of the boss fight.

Lying motionless on the ground, Hacorie’s eyes watched the battle unfold even further.

I....I hope I hehh..helped. Zan...finish the job for me...
Hacorie
Level 36 Heavy Blade
Gold: 21237

Equips
Oceanic Aura/Sharktooth-Ice Helm-Winter Coat-
Shiva's Rings-Bondage Pants
---Water Magic, BL Yokohama

Wishlist:
Level Meh Up
Weapons: Sakabatou/Rock n Roll/Peace Blade
Body: Knight's Armor
Other: Earthlore/Feng Shui
--------Water/Earth Scrolls

Zan
Exalted Player
Posts: 206
Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2005 10:28 pm
Contact:

Post by Zan » Thu Jul 26, 2007 6:13 am

Watched in silent, gazing frustration as the next form of the Marionette Devil revealed itself; a revelation that cost seven players their lives. Zan, not surprised to find himself amongst them, could only wait until someone gave his ghost flesh once more. It wasn't a shock to find that this someone was Rayo. Proving how eternally useful he was as a member of the Freedom Fighters, the Wavemaster proceeded to flood them with Ap Corvs, one such spell finding itself burning through Zan like a red-hot flush of superpowered adrenaline. The preternatural strength available to him in his human form amplified, tendons pulling taut and eager to display this addition. The Beast inside of him howled in triumph, in the promise of the kill. It was overconfidence inspired by the spell, no doubt, and it took a deep breath and a shake of his head to clear the cobwebs. Though the lava of strength in his veins still flowed searing and sturdy, it now had a proper brain to direct it beyond the mindless barbarism people so ignorantly thought him to so constantly give. Phoenix, proving himself useful as well, found the boss's strategy not too far into the battle, giving them all a leg up before the real madness would begin. Hood naturally drawn, his scarred face unconsciously obscured in the process, Zan lofted his Siberian Husky blue eyes to what the Devil had become and snarled. It's time was up.

Sekai was the first to hit this nail on the head.

The activation of the odd Fae item bombarded the Marionette Devil with arrows of what looked like every element, forcing from it a bellow of pain and what could have been rage that shook through the air. A quick glance to its status proved that, oddly, the item hadn't affected its tolerance. Good to know. Temporarily lost in thought on this new revelation, it was Nulus' own scream - this one ripping through Zan's very mind - that brought his attention back to the Devil that was now, unfortunately, facing him with revenge in its eyes. Had it thought Zan was the one who attacked it? Was it the fact that the lycanthrope was simply the closest target? A glance around and the Heavy Blade was fairly certain it was the latter option, Zan having instinctively wandered towards the new threat during his resurrection. It happened much like before, like the first time it had chosen to hit him with a very specific, very specially crafted attack. The boss posed in the same crucified fashion as before - as well a mime as a creature with six functional limbs could be, anyway. Something, some tentacle rose behind it, glowing with power as all six of the arms/legs/whateverthehellthewere found themselves wrapped in the wicked barb that otherwise occupied the space just near the head. All at once they launched themselves at Zan, the tentacle spitting power into them as they went, forcing them to glow red hot in the process.

What came next was reflex, memory echoing in a time that hadn't long since passed. Fumbling the object in his pocket, one given to him by the very being who created this Guardians, the M-emblazoned coin shot large and wide in front of him, absorbing all of the attack with a bit of a suppressed shudder. For a second Zan was afraid that it wouldn't work, that the attack was too powerful, but then the familiar sensation of forced rising was upon him. Unlike the Merged before him, the lycanthrope seemed rather uncomfortable as he was hoisted into the air by an invisible force, body hung loosely upon a cross that no eye could see. From his sides, like some sort of spider, burst two extra sets of arms, composed of a roaring, raging green flame. This same flame seemed to make up the mimicked tentacle that arched behind him as his limbs coiled with wicked, barbed metal. There was no pain, no anything as he craned his head up to stair at the Devil before him, at a look he was fairly certain translated to curiosity. While the tentacle...thing...behind him began to glow with its own promise of pain, the rest of him gained and aura of black, inky wisps and forest-green mist, this shroud practically obscuring his visage on whole. The sudden launch of the metal around his limbs, however, couldn't be mistaken for anything else, the wave of emerald-power that collided with them half-way igniting them in balefire. A heartbeat later and the attack was finished, leaving Zan dropped haphazardly back to the ground.

It was only the prowess of his inner Wolf that kept him from falling anything but gracefully, Zan landing unhindered upon his feet. Now, he knew, it was time to let out the Wolf that paced impatiently within his chest, a metaphysical forest of the Heavy Blade's will having kept it from manifesting up until this point. The last transformation had been bloody and violent, gory and traumatizing for the experienced werewolf. This time, with the Plures Vultus Mortis properly expelled, things would theoretically go a lot more smoothly. It started with a jerk of Zan's trenchcoat from his body, the clothing tossed back as the first of the changes began to take place. As his body began to bulk and grow, it was like the proverbial fire of Rayo's Ap Corv became real - tangible. Every inch of him was alive with the pain of rearranging flesh, of breaking and reconfiguring bones. Despite this, despite the agony that singed every inch of his nervous system, Zan gave no sign of it; only the flare of his nostrils and the gritting of his teeth acting as any signs that he was under duress at all. The anger that his hack naturally instilled, naturally amplified within him became a powerful Rage, a bestial savagery that was kept at bay only by the humanity he retained within his own mind. It acted as the catalyst that sprouted him from six feet even to nine and a half feet tall, that made him a creature of thick muscle and power. The fur that his close melted away to be came through in waves, like they breathed into life, each strand a rough texture of rich brown.

The last changes to be had were the blaze of his eyes from blue to the amber of the Wolf, muzzle carving its way out from his face to fill with lethal teeth, fingers and toes stabbing forth with massive and razor-sharp claws. Nulus came upon him then, floating up to eclipse him from behind, the Shade's own claws (these much longer, though much thinner, looking each like eight-inch knives) splayed out at the ready just as the freshly transformed werewolf lifted his head up and roared out; roared with Rage, with power, with the need to end the Marionette Devil. With the boss prepped for a physical attack and a shout of encouragement from Zhao, Zan wasted no more time. Though some might look upon his massive form and think his muscles a hindrance, it wasn't so. The werewolf was suddenly a blur of soil-brown and steel, an odd-looking High Forger and a guttural shout of, "JUK DRIVE!" Only when Zan had stopped moving, when the blows from the green-mist covered weapon had ceased would anybody else begin to realize why the weapon looked different. The lycanthrope, using a side-effect of his hack hardly ever brought into light, had Assimilated his weapon for his size. Having grown to a length of eight feet and an extra half-foot of width, the High Forger was made that much more deadly as it struck.

Not a breath later and a Rue Kruz from Zhao struck it, flipping its tolerances and turning the lycanthrope on to the plan at hand. Not wasting anymore time, a snarled, "VAK SMASH!" left his open maw, followed quickly by an ignited trail of flames that sought to dig into the boss, to fill it with the agony Zan had experienced during his transformation. A second Rue Kruz and it was his turn once more, a repeat of his previous Juk Drive bringing the massive, down with a flash of movement and elementally-empowered metal. Deciding to keep the rest of his Skill Points up for later use, the next blow that came after a third Rue Kruz and was normal. All of his attacks, though not much stronger than the Merged's even in this form, were still more than the Devil had had to endure from him before. Zhao's fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh uses of the same Ice Spell were all interspersed with this same flurried attack, keeping the rotation of Tolerances up as they went along. Though the Shade had realized it shouldn't attack, that it couldn't offer up the physical might Zan could, it continued to fly around the Devil, hoping to distract it as effectively as possible as the werewolf crashed down around it from switching angles, never wanting to be in the same place for long. The Twin Blade wasn't able to keep up his magical support forever, of course, and Sekai stepped up to the plate.

With the Archer offering up what would add to four Juk Roms, Zan continued his onslaught of physical assaults, the Ap Corv, the weapon's amplification, and his own supernatural strength imbuing each with a physical force enough to turn stone to dust. When no further magical assistance came his way and a look back to Sekai revealed a preparation for a Physical Skill, Zan acted quick on his feet. Launching his own spell, the infamous MeRue Rom that he had been so quickly allotted to, the level two skill that struck right after was given its proper window. Another MeRue Rom, one that drained him of the last of his Skill Points, and a second level two Archer skill and the coordinated attacks between Zhao, Sekai and himself were completed. Naturally, Zan took this time to back up, his massive, furred chest heaving with exertion, the High Forger drug heavily upon the ground, carving a line into the earth as he moved. The hot breath that lofted from his snout, from between his large fangs, seemed to burn with the energy he had used to bring down as much hell as he could upon what was hopefully the last form of the Marionette Devil. Perhaps it spotted this weakness in him, this fatigue, and that was what brought upon what happened next. The source of it didn't matter, oh no. What mattered to Zan was that one moment the Devil was still, and the next it was spewing a beam of half-laser, half-fire that was pitch black and speckled with a scalding red. Hoping against hope that his coin still had a charge left, the lycanthrope wasn't disappointed.

Tapping it from his inventory, where it had gone to during his transformation, Zan watched as the last of its power was channeled into a final appearance of the great M-carved coin. The coin caught every last ounce of the attack, absorbing it until the Marionette Devil had nothing left to give. With the coin's disappearance in the air, and a feeling of emptiness in the Key Item the real coin had become, the werewolf marveled at the swelling feeling in his gut, a feeling that expressed itself as black tendrils of breath upon his snarled lips. Like the Devil before him, he seemed to pause one second, lost in time, before a great howl flooded the air around the Freedom Fighters and a beam of black fire (riddled with splashes of emerald) spewed from his opened maw, growing larger as it flew through the air until it was the size of the Devil's own by the time it landed. Zan rode every second of the attack, giving as much as it would allow him until the power of the coin left him and he found himself leaning against the High Forger for support, the whole series of events having laid a blatant weight of tired muscles and over-spent sinew upon him.

If it didn't kill him, hopefully the attacks that Hacorie dished out next would make it so they could - and soon.
Lv. 50 Heavy Blade
Wishlist
Special: Levels, GR Sendai, PL Sakai, Darklore.
W: Tonosama Sword, Mineuchi, Jundachi.
A: Samurai Helm, Able Hands, Rare Greaves.
I: Holy Sap, Treebane, Cooked Bile, Nightbane.
EX: Elemental Summon (Lv. 2), Overdrive (Lv.1), Elemental Attacks (Lv. 2), Enhance Dark, Elemental Breath (Lv. 2).

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Lighteria
Well-Oiled Machine
Posts: 176
Joined: Fri Oct 01, 2004 12:59 am
Location: :noitacoL

Post by Lighteria » Thu Jul 26, 2007 12:11 pm

...Mew, mew MEW. (...Wow, that SUCKED.)

When it comes right down to it, nothing more needs to be said. The blast wave from the boss seemed to follow the same motif as every other attack the boss had before it. It was invariably fatal. The kitten takes a moment to muse on how surprisingly quick this particular death was. Death is rarely pleasant of course, but out of the few times it HAS happened, this was probably over the fastest. With her semi-transparent tail swishing back and forth, the kitten looks around for Lighteria. Surely by now a ghost has sprung up, correct? Looking around the room, she absentmindedly goes to lick her paw, not realizing it's intangible until after it passes through her ghostly nose. She blinks, her whiskers twitch, and she sighs, starting to pace around the room both for searching and lack of anything else to do.

Mew mew meow meow mew meow. Mew meow meow mew mew mew. (At least a couple of us survived this time. A full wipe out would have spelled trouble.)

"Meow? (What the-?)" Breaking introspection, the kitten spies Lighteria's body in the midst of what is now passing for the floor of the room. Still no ghost, and oddly enough the corpse is still there, glowing lightly black though the immunity to resurrection has long since worn off. The kitten walks up to the dead twin blade's body. After all, being a ghost is rather limiting, may as well spend the time checking up the situation.

Though he clearly wasn't himself today, seeing Lighteria simply lying there, strikes a chord of sadness in the kitten's heart. After all, this was the person who had given her milk! A lot of it! And yarn balls! Despite the invasion of the body snatchers episode going on, it's still his body. Kit's whiskers droop lightly, hating to see him like this, even if it's not really him. The kitten sighs, sitting down next to the twin blade's head, looking down at his face. As she watches, she notices his eyes part way open... and oddly enough the pupils are gone, instead replaced with static... like two circular malfunctioning TVs where eyes should be. Clearly this is odd, odder still why there's no ghost. But again, she's quite dead at this point and there's little she can do to help.

She watches as the team works together in a moderately well-timed attack against the devil. The freedom fighters are nothing if not persistent after all. Watching Zan leap like a beast, slashing at tendons... or anything with this boss, the kitten ponders. She WAS a cat after all, she had a feral side like anyone else. She notes to herself, however, that she rarely uses her claws to fight lately. Perhaps they got dulled on that scratching post everyone referred to as a couch... perhaps every situation has simply been too dangerous... Whatever the reason, Kit decided that thinking was too much effort at this point. She's dead, it was time to relax a bit and let others stress. Forget what's happening with whoever's stowing away in Lighteria's body and forget this boss. There's nothing more uplifting than a post mortem cat nap after all.

Zzz.z.z.z......
Lv. 37 Twin Blade (180 SP)
Weapon: Rashou (Thunder Coil- 30, Suvi Lei- 20, Mumyn Lei- 30) (Life Drain)
Armor: Holy Tree Mail (Juk Kruz- 20) - Scarab Earring (La Repth- 20, Rip Maen- 40) - Time Sandals (Ap Do- 15) - Forest Gloves (Juk Kruz- 20)
GP: 14384

Wish list (In order of priority): Angel halo accessory, chibi angel wings, Bone Armor, Professional

Lighteria: "Obsessively updating my profile since Fri Oct 01, 2004 7:10 pm"

Fuzzhead
Elevated Player
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2005 1:27 am

Post by Fuzzhead » Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:13 pm

The absurd amount of damage dealt to the bloated balloon being was enough. Magical spells flew from the hands of the Freedom Fighters like a torrential downpour… what came next, though, was less than savory. Instantaneous death!

In the blink of an eye, Silk was vaporized into nothing, leaving him dead and essentially useless. Fortunately, the local Resurrect Man had been protected by the very handy Fae shield that someone had picked up earlier. In a space of a few breaths, the impressive mage had succeeded in not only resurrecting everyone, but also in giving everyone a sweet Ap Corv buff.

Several fighters wasted no time in attacking the latest incarnation of the Devil: this one was a strange, serpentine creature growing out of a miscellaneous puddle on the floor. From what Silk could gather, it appeared as though the Devil’s movement was restricted to the puddle in the ground and the length of its neck – certainly a bit of information that should be catalogued for later.

Meanwhile, the Fist Fighter examined the completely new terrain created by the monstrous blast of energy fired off by the third form of the devil. Those beneath the Fae Shield stood on a plateau of sorts a full foot higher than the rest of the jagged earth – apparently the shield had also protected the ground beneath the warriors. However, the rest of the place had been torn to shreds, leaving bare stone walls to serve as an arena of sorts.

In the time it took Phoenix to attack a few times, the Blademaster managed to figure out the trick behind this dragon form of the creature: it had shifting tolerances – physical to magical and back again. In another show of brilliant coordination, the team began to attack one on, one off, Zan and Hac with the physical, Zhao Xun and Sekai with the magical. With each strike the creature writhed in pain, but the fact that only one person could attack at once made it impossible for the group to mount a massive assault as before.

In fact, the attacks were rained down so quickly that Silk found himself unable to truly participate in the assault – he couldn’t get in an attack edgewise, leaving him to stand in bewilderment a far distance out of range of the creature’s coiling neck and head. Taking up a defensive position beside Rayo, the Fist Fighter watched the onslaught warily, almost certain that there would be some kind of swift retribution, one that hopefully would not catch him completely off guard.

Suddenly, a crazy idea came into his head. Littering the ground were various sized chunks of rock, all thanks to the titanic energy blast released by the third form of the devil earlier. Not really sure what he was about to try, the Fist Fighter grabbed a few of the rocks, and thanks to the Ap Corv, was more than able to throw the pieces of stone directly into the puddle from which the draconic neck of the Devil issued. Working quickly while keeping an ever-watchful eye on the creature, the Fist Fighter hurled rock after rock into the puddle, thinking that even if his gambit was ineffective, at least he was doing something. Standing like a statue beside Rayo was all well and good, but if he had the opportunity to create some kind of trouble for the Devil without disrupting the others’ brilliantly coordinated attacks, then he would take it. Perhaps it was a worthless gesture, and the nature of the puddle was something more than he could immediately discern, but he figured he’d give it a try.
Level 25 Fist Fighter
Boxing Gloves | Nny Scales | Dice Gloves | Iron Anklet | Time Headband

Skills: Ap Corv, Ap Torv, GiVak Don, Ap Torma, Ap Do, Repth, Kiwami, Double Mortal Scorcher

Wishlist:
1.) Rare Foot Armor
2.) FF Belief
3.) Any stat-altering items

User avatar
Nighthand
Master of Games
Posts: 1265
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 9:23 pm
Class: Bladesmage
Location: ...Tracking...please wait...

Post by Nighthand » Fri Jul 27, 2007 3:12 am

Once more, as Silverblade was resurrected by the resident mage, he stood in some degree of awe at how swiftly and accurately the party had discovered and began to exploit the secret to the boss. Back in his – err, Nighthand’s – early days, the group could pound endlessly on a boss before Nall finally revealed the secret. Now… it was as if Nall didn’t matter. In fact, the blademaster in question was also standing in his own version of stoic awe, simply watching the fight. Whether he didn’t see fit to add in his own power, couldn’t, or what.

As one by one the group ran out of power, ran out of SP or the sheer willpower it took to fight, Silverblade began to see his chance. Zhao ran out of SP, then Zan fell back from the fight. Canti and Lighteria were already out… Silk seemed to be playing with rocks as he stood guard by the mage. It seemed he could play a role after all. Looking to his equipment, the highest level spell he had access to without a scroll was readied. Hacorie began his Rai Drives, one after the other, without a magical backup from Sekai, Zan, or Zhao readied. He tossed in his own spells, a RaJuk Zot and a MeRue Zot respectively, to help with the shifting of tolerances and deliver just that much more damage to the boss.

Though two ferocious attacks had been let off over the course of the short-lived fight, Devil’s fourth form seemed just as short lived as the third. Once the secret was out, it was a simple matter to render what little HP he had to nearly nothing. Finally the serpentine creature sank slowly into the pool of blackness around it.

”STOP!” Came the shout, in the odd voice of the Devil, none of his arrogant attitude left. It was merely pleading, now. His shout was not without power, however. As he submerged completely, a blast of darkness came out of the pool, blinding everyone and sending them into the walls. Strangely enough, however, there was no damage associated with the blast. Merely a movement of everyone, ghost or not, to the outer edges of the room.

When their vision cleared, which didn’t take long, Devil was back to his first form. His clothing was ragged but mostly intact, the skin covered where hundreds of wounds no doubt showed. He was on his knees, palms on the ground, head bowed. Defeated, pleading, begging. This was the pose of a noble one utterly defeated.

”You’ve proven your prowess in battle. You’ve proven you can best me. Now I ask you; spare my life! Wait!” He shouted a second time, to forestall the immediate potential attack, whether or not it would actually have come. ”I offer trade! I know you seek the third hub. I can offer you two pieces of information. One regarding the Tablet she found,” and here he pointed at Sekai with a weak and wavering arm. ”And the other about my sister, Marionette Angel. The condition is that you leave me alive. There can be no betrayal; my Master will uphold both of our ends of the deal.” He sighed and his body shuddered.

Nall stood studying the figure for a moment, before he nodded to himself. ”He is telling the truth; at least as far as some aspects go. One way or the other, it would merely take a single attack from any of us to destroy him, and there is no further power in his form. There will be no more attacks from him. The tension in his voice betrayed his feelings; he would as soon kill the beast and move on as anything else. But, he knew the value of information, so he would leave the decision to everyone else.

---------------------------ooc:

Boss defeated, but not dead. Here’s the deal; Everyone has to decide to leave him alive; it only takes the attack of one to kill him. If you really don’t care about the information and don’t care what others want, feel free to off him.

Either way, I’ll post probably next Thursday, unless the decision is made completely by earlier. Next post will end the thread, start the next one, and involve grading.

We’ll spend a short amount of time in the root town hideout, for resting and stocking up and such, and then we’ll move on to the final hub. I plan to make the next hub an experiment; it’s going to be somewhat different as far as quests go, and I’m going to attempt the twice-a-week posting style. As of right now, I’m thinking Monday and Thursday as the days, though I haven’t actually decided. Those are my class days as well, so perhaps a shift to Tuesday and Friday would be in order. We’ll see how it goes.

So… yeah. Go ahead and talk amongst yourselves, and make the decision. Oh, and if no one has killed him by my next post, I’ll assume we’ve decided to spare his life. Also, you all can assume that Nall and Silverblade are in favor of information over killing him. You can script if you want with one of them, just IM me at some point.

Pretty good performance from you guys this quest, I’m rather pleased. Despite the attrition rate, those of you who stuck with it were fairly consistent with it. Though at-the-deadline posting (thanks for adjusting yourself by the way Phoenix) got worse near the end, I can understand that as it was, well, near the end. So… yeah. Good job overall, everyone.

Rayo
Exalted Player
Posts: 485
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2003 7:21 pm

Post by Rayo » Fri Jul 27, 2007 4:20 am

Beaten? Truly, the boss was finally taken down. The others had moved forward with smooth and crisp tactics, even if the plan was as simple as alternating who got to attack. It was all it took to off the Devil, or nearly so. The monster’s form was broken. If classic video gaming had taught the player anything, one would only revert back to the original form during a battle when the character was either near death or had lost the will to fight. Since as of yet the creature had been given no proper righteous motivation to regain such will, Devil was beaten. Marionette had set up the entire hub to replicate the feel of a traditional roleplaying game, so the theory was sound.

Marionette’s Devil was begging for mercy, would the others grant him that? According to the oldest freedom fighter, anything would finish it off. Living with but a few scant health points, possibly not above one, was somewhat lucky. Either that, or a defense mechanism instilled by his own creator. Had the puppeteer meant for them to handle this last challenge to test their morals? The second of his bosses had faced them and failed to succeed in preventing their progress. As a warrior who risked his life, knowing there was no promise of death, there would be nothing wrong with slaughtering the fool. Yet, this was also not an opponent who would have been so easily removed without the aid of the fae items, put into place by the hub’s master in advance. This next offer might be similar, a useful tool for surviving against the final of the trinity. Ignoring it might prove fatal at the next hub, but sparing the monster might result in an encore performance later, but without the specially crafted gear.

Would their allied archer care about these facts? Sekai hadn’t seemed pleased when she returned from her solo room, carrying out a fae lacking all life. An eye for an eye? Also, this was the guardian who was the superior of the one eyed serpent from hell his team had encountered the other day. That opponent had pissed him off, but that was not this one. Feelings for revenge might best be put to the side, not when it came to the death of an NPC created by Marionette. The fae made unreliable allies; Elin was the only one the wave master personally interacted with, and felt little attachment to the race of faeries.


“Pfft. Spare your life? You’re wounded, and I’m sure some of what landed must have hurt quite a bit, but your survival could hardly have been luck; this was a planned ploy. Still, you’re no threat worthy of my lightning. So long as you never work against us again, you’re just as removed then as you would be now. Break that vow though, and you won’t have to count on your master to be the one to uphold the deal any longer.

I suppose we can call the whole affair even then, eh Devil? I know a certain manipulator who pulled us out of our respective graves long enough to kill his last underling. Your union contract must be pretty sad if instead of rescuing you, your own boss leaves you at our mercy. Your concern though, not mine. I didn’t come here to kill you, but for a mission. Yet, I don’t believe you’re in a position to set all of the terms of such a deal. Tell me what has happened to Kamui, and the other administrators who battled at Mac Anu not very long ago. You put us through four stages of battle, and a piece of information per form seems much more fair. You hackers aren’t a source of information to be overlooked.”

The wizard glanced around to the others present. This was their decision as well, but they were better than finishing off a pathetic foe such as this. The Elites were the ones inflicting harm upon everyone, those were their true opponents; enemies like Primal and Devil paled in comparison.

“If anyone differs in opinion and is still threatened by or angry at this thing, form words before fists. I want us to survive, and I’ll not be exchanging our safety for a moment’s satisfaction willingly.”

ooc:

I’ll do conversations with anyone who wants them, just drop a line.
Rayo
Lv.47 Archer 745HP/311SP
Bell, the Silver Grunty of Thunder
Skills/Spells-Shocking Arrow of Voltage(30), Arrow of the Burning Stars(10), MeRai Rom(40), Rai Kruz(10), La Repth(20), Rip Maen(40), MeRai Kruz(20), GiVak Kruz(20), MeRai Don(20), Rig Saem(15)
Weapon/Armor/Book-Golden Royal Bow/Thunder Torque, Thunder Cloak, Able Ring, Ivory Greaves/Thunder Magic
Wishlist: YL Fukuoka, Stormlore, Winter Stone, Silver Grunty

Phoenix512
Exalted Player
Posts: 304
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2003 10:42 pm

Post by Phoenix512 » Fri Jul 27, 2007 4:28 am

After figuring out the Marionette Devil’s weakness, Phoenix faded into the sidelines for a bit as the others were blasting away with alternating physical and magical attacks. The battle strategy worked like a charm as the Marionette Devil was nearly at death. It managed to throw everyone to the walls with a mere shout of darkness. The blademaster was feeling sore from the impact of the wall as the Devil made its offer to the group.

The Devil was a mere shell of its former self as it offered information on the final guardian of the third hub, Marionette Angel. Even though it was an enemy and would do anything to survive, Phoenix felt that the Devil could be trusted with any information that it spitted out. He felt that Marionette had a weird sense of honor. Even though mostly cryptic in his messages, Marionette seemed to be fair with the group.

Kazuma-sama, are you sure about wanting the Devil to live? He did try to kill us as a test. Any information that it gives could be a lie.

I’m quite surprised by your statement, Suzaku. That was something that the old me would have said. That person wouldn’t give a second thought in killing him. I was such full of hate back then. Even though he is evil and stands against everything we fought for, he’s just a minion to a minion of the Elites. Sometimes you just have to spare the little fish in order to get the big fish. Anyway, I made my decision.

After having a telepathic conference with his guardian; Phoenix slowly got back up from being thrown against a wall. He walked very slowly towards the Devil as Rayo spoke to the Devil. After Rayo was done talking, he stared at the Devil’s battered form for a moment before speaking.

“Rayo, I doubt he would know what happened to Kamui and the other admins. He's just a minion to a minion of the Elites. Besides that, I'm with you in sparing his meager life. For once, I would like to go into a hub and expect what dangers await us especially the guardian of the hub, Marionette Angel. Information is what we have been going to these hubs in the first place. I would like to get some information from it. I’ll do believe that he will provide accurate information.”

Phoenix sheathed his sword in a quick pause before talking one more time.

“I made my decision. He’s nothing in the long run. Killing him would be pointless. So everyone, spare the Marionette Devil. Also, we still need to find the hub center as well. Maybe the Devil knows where that is too. Getting revenge here is worthless. If some of you want revenge, wait until we get the ones who give orders to the minions like this beaten up rag-doll right here.”

The blademaster waited patiently as the others were trying to decide what to do with the Marionette Devil. He was glad with his performance against the boss. His new wind powers prove very useful compared to his previous powers. He truly felt alive for the first time in a very long time. Suzaku looked deeply at her master and thought to herself that the darkness surrounded Phoenix for so long was nearly gone. After that momentary reflection, the bird returned back into her necklace form since her job was done for the moment.
Phoenix
Level 48 Blademaster
Equipped Skills: Vak Revolver, Gan Revolver, Dek Vorv, La Repth, Juk Kruz, Rue Kruz, BiVak Rom, GiGan Zot
Other Skills: Rue Kruz, Rip Synk, Rip Saem, Crack Beat, Rue Slash, Ani Slash, Gan Crack, Gan Revolver

Wish List: Phoenix's Fire, Gold Necklace
EX-Spheres: LV 3 - Overdrive, LV 3 - Curative, LV 3 - Elemental Breath

User avatar
Nighthand
Master of Games
Posts: 1265
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 9:23 pm
Class: Bladesmage
Location: ...Tracking...please wait...

Post by Nighthand » Fri Jul 27, 2007 5:40 am

Kamui and the others... The Admin team hadn't been heard from, certainly. No one in The World save the admins themselves knew where those involved in the battle were. Silverblade of course had his own suspicions, as would anyone who was there, but the riddle wasn't one that had an answer readily available. Certainly the higher-ups of CCCorp wouldn't be forthcoming with the information.

Pausing a moment, frozen in place, it was as though Devil was flashmailing his master. Or, perhaps, simply reading one from his master.

"I... I know little of the state of the Admins, but I will offer to tell you what I know in return for my life. My Master knows more, but the extent of his knowledge you must plumb from him in person. I can only tell you what he tells me, and in the regards of those high in the society, that is little."

Still, it was more than nothing. Even if Devil was simply a construct, a coded creation of Marionette's, he had been created with a self-preservation instinct. He didn't want to die.

Fuzzhead
Elevated Player
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2005 1:27 am

Post by Fuzzhead » Fri Jul 27, 2007 6:33 pm

(OOC: Silk reminds me of the comic-book Spider-man. A million different contradictory storylines that are loosely held together by an alternate reality theory. =P Once again, I’m going to abort!)

Running his hand along the Nny Scales that he had acquired from a special event from years ago, Silk remembered one of the principles he always kept in mind: allies come from the strangest places. Nny had been a colossal, blind Red Wyrm whose bestiality and ferocity could not be denied; yet in the course of that amazing event, the great drake had proven himself to be of incredible value.

Not far from where he stood, Senna the Longarm gazed at the wounded creature. Her armor, though, was what helped the Fist Fighter make up his mind: the Dominic Fur. Dominic had been a massive polar bear who had been bent on slashing their party apart, but thanks to some spur-of-the-moment doctoring, the great beast had joined forces with them.

The pair of creatures had proven invaluable in a hundred different instances, the Fist Fighter remembered. Silk knew what he had to do.

After Rayo and Phoenix had questioned the creature for a time, ending with Phoenix pleading with the others to spare the Devil’s life, there was a sort of pause. The Devil had explained that it new little of Kamui (whoever that was), and it seemed the creature’s greatest usefulness would lie in describing the Marionette Angel.

Taking this lull for the opportunity that it was, Silk moved to action. Approaching the Devil cautiously, the Fist Fighter spread his hands wide, holding his palms out and away from his body in a clear sign of goodwill. The Devil eyed Silk warily as he approached, but it was helpless to do anything even if it did sense foul play from the Fist Fighter. Moving to stand by the creature’s crumpled form, he sank into a squat, leaning on his haunches as he brought his head down to the Devil’s.

“Hey man, I’m pretty sure everyone here is gonna vote for saving your life… and if not, I think I’ll just beat the shit out of those who don’t.” The Fist Fighter grinned conspiratorially – he had said this just loud enough for only the Devil to hear. The trouble was, Silk didn’t have a true understanding of the gravity of what had occurred moments ago. What Silk failed to grasp was that if he had actually died while fighting the Devil, he would have actually died. However, thanks to his relative newness to the whole being-trapped-in-the-game situation, he was very easily able to brush off the Devil’s attempts on his life. After all, he could just come back, right? Wrong – but Silk didn’t know that. “That was a damn sick move you pulled at the end of the third form – never seen anything like it, really. Lemme get your cell phone number so maybe you can teach that move to me sometime. (Oh, and it sucks that your sweet gray suit got all torn up. You looked sharp.)”
Level 25 Fist Fighter
Boxing Gloves | Nny Scales | Dice Gloves | Iron Anklet | Time Headband

Skills: Ap Corv, Ap Torv, GiVak Don, Ap Torma, Ap Do, Repth, Kiwami, Double Mortal Scorcher

Wishlist:
1.) Rare Foot Armor
2.) FF Belief
3.) Any stat-altering items

User avatar
Senna
Awakened Player
Posts: 150
Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2006 10:28 pm

Post by Senna » Sat Jul 28, 2007 12:10 am

It was with a certain amount of amusement that Senna realized the group seemed to work better when she wasn’t aiding them than when she was. Coincidence, surely, but she supposed she just needed something to laugh about.

And it was funny, in its grim way. She’d told Canti she’d watch his back against Lighteria, who didn’t seem to be in any sort of fighting mood, but there was nothing she could do to even save herself against the expected attack that wiped them all out. Bright pain, then it was gone. Sounds spiraled away again. Everything went gray.

Gray. This time, aware of what had happened before, she wasn’t as surprised to find that her ghost didn’t stay in the field and watch the carnage. A grin appeared on her face, feeling taut and unnatural. At least she couldn’t claim this particular flight was of her own choosing.

The world WAS gray, all colors blended out into a steel-tinted wash. Looking down, she found herself to be a singular exemption from this. The blue of her shirt remained as bright as ever – moreso, given its lack of competition.

The room was definitely the same though. It even showed the scars of their battle so far, the lake where the monster was currently attacking from, everything. It was just empty. No monster. No Freedom Fighters. Just the room, empty. All doors stood open, but she had the feeling going further would yield no useful information. No, something had to be wrong with this room. Was everyone else experiencing the same thing each time their form ghosted. More mind tricks by Marionette?

The blast that had knocked away the last of her HP like an annoying fly had also knocked her to the ground. Unsteadily, she got to her feet and took a step forward. The crunch of debris grinding under her foot sounded unusually loud, eclipsing in volume the muted mutterings that seemed to pulse from the walls. Rolling her head, she looked up, then around the room. Nothing. The place was actually fairly tame, if a little creepy, when empty. But who knew? Was anything associated with Marionette ever what it seemed? Marionette… her stomach twisted at the name. The thought of electricity, helpless stasis, who pulls the strings…

Again, as before, there was a pulse in the sound, as the muttering started to swell again. Frowning, she turned, but there was no source, and the place was blurring, bleeding…

Blinking, she found herself sitting against the wall once more, with the battle continuing. Sitting? But…

Fighting déjà vu, she stood. More mind games. Had time rewound? Had she just thought she’d moved? Hallucinations weren’t unheard of, unfortunately. She stayed by the wall, watching. Thinking. Eventually seething. This thing was a piece in a game. Mrionette. It had sent them here. It had set up that stupid, elaborate game with the fae, not caring when one of the members of their group was hurt in the process. And all to help them defeat this, which was also its construct. Test, games, foolishness. Why? What did it plan to accomplish by simultaneously helping and hindering them? No answer it had ever given to anything had been satisfactory. Why should they fight this thing? Because it was there, of course, and it was trying to kill them. But why was it there? Why was it trying to kill them?

Marionette.

And so, the thought came full circle.

She was completely unprepared when the wave of darkness hit, but for a moment, it was enough to incite panic – first the graying, and now this? Her spear hit the floor as her hands went to her eyes, seeking to pull away whatever had been laid across them, but there was nothing. It felt like the world had disappeared, that, unable to see it, the floor would no longer be there when she put a foot down. Dizziness and her old fear of heights reared their heads in tandem.

And then came the light, just a glimmer at first, but rapidly growing. She grabbed her spear again. They were okay. And there, kneeling like a dog, was the enemy. Senna stared hard at it. It was pleading for their mercy. But it was just an extension of Marionette. It was leading them by the nose. They were supposed to stand here. They were supposed to listen to this thing and ask probably a few specified questions. And then they were supposed to trot off armed with exactly what it wanted them to know, to run into yet ANOTHER set of traps it made. And assuming they passed the tests there, they would get the third word, warp to a whole new field, and then… either they’d continue to follow its strings or else they’d outlive their usefulness. The longer they waited to cut the strings, the more likely it became that it would happen when it was opportune for Marionette. As long as they were puppying around behind Marionette, could they be sure they were even accomplishing their goals?

Anyone looking at the Long Arm lounging against the wall, spear gripped tight in her arms, would have seen her eyebrow twitch at the thought. Then, impassively, she pushed away from the wall and began to walk toward the creature. Silk was talking to it at the moment, but he wasn’t in a direct line. Her spear was loose in her hands in front of her, but that was okay. It shouldn’t take much. But this had to be stopped. Now.

((Sorry it sucks. Cold meds aren't good for writing))
Senna, level 33 Long Arm (710 HP/180 SP)
Most common kit: Ichigou, Racoon Earcaps, Air Bracer, Snow Panther, Winter Coat, Graceful Book
Spells/Skills: (Critical Hit/Death) Repulse Cage, Ap Corv, Ap Vorv, Rai Rom, Rue Zot, La Repth
Click for full equipment and items
14300 (1/23)

Hacorie
Ikkitousen
Posts: 105
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2004 11:30 pm
Location: Here and there.
Contact:

Post by Hacorie » Sun Jul 29, 2007 11:13 pm

Everything began to change as the Rai Drive skill’s hit their mark and began ripping at the monster’s flesh. Right as Hacorie began watching the onslaught continue, the monster made everything in the room halt its movement by sending out extremities, pinning every character against the nearest wall. Close enough to being knocked out, Hacorie only felt a small thump on his back as the extra leg did to him like everyone else. Feeling nothing, the Heavy Blade just simply stared into the space the monster took up and listened to what it had to say.

Little by little it began to plead its case to the party on how its life should be spared in exchange for a little information on the third hub’s guardian, Marionette Angel. All Hac could think about was how if the Devil was spared, would it keep its promise? After all it is a devil, a villainous fiend of deception. How could someone even trust such a monster? A monster that just attacked and tried to destroy the party all to see if they could pass the advancement test. Luckily the party succeeded, but was left with this the most hard of choices. One would be to spare the monster and learn about the newly heard name Marionette Angel. The second would be to kill it and get it over with. The later of the two would be the easiest; one shot would equal a knock out.

The group had to ponder on the very question. Neither would be incorrect...or maybe it is safe to say neither would be correct at all. After all, each choice in this very matter could have great repercussions that the group would not want to face in the future. However, there seemed to be no third choice applicable for the group to decide on. Each character had to choose their own personal preference. If even one person chose something different, the group could be thrown in a chaotic fight with each other. With chibi eyes looking at the group, the devil’s question began to be answered one by one.

Around the time of Phoenix’s answer, Hacorie began to feel a little more light headed than he already was. Turning his head just a slight bit, the Heavy Blade noticed Senna push off against the wall. The veins in her hands were tense, but quickly subsided as she began walking toward the monster. This was quite a surprise because no one else had made a move it seemed, only talked about saving the monster to learn more about the next one...at least that is what it said. Everyone seemed to be following in line except for that one crimson haired Long Arm. While everyone else seemed to be paying attention to Silk, Hacorie just kept his eyes focused on his friend Senna. What was she thinking?

The most noticeable thing the Heavy Blade concluded about what Senna was thinking, was the spear which hung by her side. There was no tight grip or anything, it was as if she was only going to inspect it and give the group her answer afterwards. However, Hacorie came to a separate conclusion: Senna was going to destroy it. Looking around, he knew he was probably one of the only ones who could talk some sense into the girl. He had to act hastily.

I need to...Do you really...yes I do. It is my choice!...all right with the last of my power I will help you out. After all, those blasts did nothing to me... A screech came from the corner of the room as a white light spread throughout the entirety of the space. If everyone’s attention was not on the Long Arm who was continuing to advance, it would be then. After all, a bright light draws the insects. A single beam illuminated from the light and shot toward the Heavy Blade character.

Feeling the power of ice engulf him, Hacorie began to feel his toes and fingertips instantly. All these feelings were accompanied by that of weight, time, and space. Everything became so clear after the beam cleared. Watching onward at his friend, Hacorie’s face remained solemn. Using his legs once again. He began an all out sprint a few feet from the monster.

Keeping his eyes on Senna, the Heavy Blade then started to sprint; he had to if he wanted to make it on time. “SENNA! WAIIIIIT!” He called as his legs began to move faster and heart began to pump the same. Hacorie stopped right in front of the spear which was beginning to extend toward the monster’s position. Placing one hand in front of his body, Hacorie commanded her one more time.

“Senna...please wait...”

Noticing her spear still raising, Hacorie took a deep breath readying to be hit by the spear.

Perfect...

Shifting the weight upon his feet, Hacorie’s serious look turned to a smile. He quickly shuffled his feet to the side while his hand lowered to his hilt. As the spear began to pass by his body, the character withdrew the Oceanic Aura from its sheath and used the centrifugal force to slash...

“...Let me help you!” He finished as his sword swung toward the Marionette Devil.

“MeRue Rom!” Hacorie followed up to make sure the silly thing actually died. Even though Senna was the first to move, the Heavy Blade concluded if he used the spell, the mauling of the other Freedom Fighters would be directed at him, not the lady Long Arm.

Flashmail
To: Senna
From: Hacorie

Seems I could not pass up the opportunity...Hope we aren’t killed off for this. ^_^

END FLASHMAIL


(OOC: Yeah, any problems should go to my IM(If I do not answer I am probably playing Pristontale...so do not think I will purposely ignore any of you) or my PM box. In case you wanted to know, Senna okayed this before it was posted so yeah...Thanks ^_^ FIGHT THE MAJORITY!–and to those waiting for this sorry it took so long)
Hacorie
Level 36 Heavy Blade
Gold: 21237

Equips
Oceanic Aura/Sharktooth-Ice Helm-Winter Coat-
Shiva's Rings-Bondage Pants
---Water Magic, BL Yokohama

Wishlist:
Level Meh Up
Weapons: Sakabatou/Rock n Roll/Peace Blade
Body: Knight's Armor
Other: Earthlore/Feng Shui
--------Water/Earth Scrolls

Locked