Onward: Purple

[voidtreckermods]

Villages

Each village has a central area and that is where the blighted have gathered. Or, not just the blighted; truthfully, most people have gathered in the commons. It is a hub of activity, people gathered for safety, for company. There is plenty to do for anyone not currently fighting golems or trolls: the village wells are often on the vulnerable outskirts, so fetching water is an important chore, as is collecting firewood.

Inside the village halls, there are injured to be tended and the blighted to care for. Most of them are well enough, they just are unable to do much for fear it will set off the powers inside them. They need help with most basic things, and apologies for stray fireballs or flash-frozen surfaces can be frequently heard in the large spaces.

Roaming

The outskirts of the villages are where the danger lurks: golems and trolls roam the woods and will lumber out to attack when they get near the villages, especially if they see people.

The trolls are big and swing large clubs with impressive strength and control. Their cunning makes them harder to fight than may be expected from their brutish appearance, teaming up or feigning attacks to get the upper hand. Their skin is mildly resistant to magic, but their size makes them easy targets.

Likewise, the golems are not particularly hard to find, nor hard to hit. They are, however, highly resistant to most damage. The crystal set into their faceplate pulses with a sickly, overbright energy that continues even if removed from the golem. (The golem itself does not continue, but falls into a passive state.) Golems are not equipped with weaponry, nor do they have any ranged attacks; their offense is great, spinning punches, or bulldozing.

Further afield, wild animals roam in great numbers, displaced from their usual homes by the aggressive trolls and misfiring golems - or blighted members of their own species.

Purification

Roughly in the centre of the cluster of villages, there stands a shrine. It is a simple structure, dark, curved walls open to the sky. Within the shrine, a circular pit about a foot deep can be found, which is where the crystals must be placed.

The ritual itself is simple, though requires some magical casting. Those who do not share in the magical arts can be helpful by helping clean, polish or mend the crystals before the ritual, or even by taking part in the chants. The natural, latent energies of living beings aid in the ritual, it seems, and so the attendants will not turn away any who wish to remain.

For the most part the ritual doesn’t look too exciting: chanting, small spells being cast into the crystal with small flares of light or song. However, right at the climax of the ritual, the whole pit burns with a brilliant light that fills the shrine before flowing back into the crystal. Once purified, the crystals can be placed back into an inactive golem, which will take up their natural roles of protectors of the villages if they are not in too poor a shape.

Comments

Cassie Cage

[nutkrusher]

Villages

Cassie has found herself a suitable piece of timber for firewood. All that she has to do now is fell it. She's got an axe - but she won't be needing it.

Instead, she lifts her leg, coils up, and unleashes her mighty boot upon it. A Cassie-shaped green shadow trails behind her, as though she's outkicked her own spirit. She connects with a mighty, shattering THUD.

"Timber!"

Other

[OOC: If you've got an idea for another starter I'm open to it.]

Re: Cassie Cage

[laurefindil]

"That looks like fun!" Glorfindel said with an appreciative clap.

"How are things going here?" He was taking a break from the Purification Ritual. Well, the humans were taking a break, so he was also taking one.

Villages

[light_of_willpower]

She may be chopping wood, but Trunks is hauling water. Of course, carrying buckets isn't hard for him. "Show off" He murmured as Cassie felled the tree while he passed--but he's grinning when he says it.

Villages

[adropofsunlight]

Rapunzel couldn't help but be impressed by what she saw. Most people she had seen would use an axe of some kind, but here someone could just kick and it comes down.

She claps for a moment rather impressed. "That's amazing."

[les_magique]

-Roaming-

Samata was distinctly avoiding the golems. She couldn't really do much against them, but even if she could the idea of fighting a golem head on chilled her to the bone. Golems were unstoppable. Everyone knew that!

Except not these ones. She knew that intellectually these were not the golems from her home, but it was still a bit unnerving.

Not that she wasn't helping out. Samata had located a nearby gorge that was difficult for the golems to get out of, and had notified the other voidtreckers of the location. Then, she had got her hands on a map of the golem patrol paths, and started scratching out teleport sigils along them.

It was slow work, but it was undeniably effective. The moment a patrolling golem stepped on the sigil, it vanished with no fanfare at all, and quietly reappeared at the bottom of the gorge, where a well prepared team of locals and voidtreckers would have no problem disabling it and removing its blighted crystal.

-Village-

After scratching sigils in the dirt all day, Samata had a headache. She was taking advantage of a moment of quiet to rest her head and get a drink at what passed for an inn.

"Five gold pieces for a mug of wine? What, did you individually kiss and polish each grape before crushing it? Was it brewed in golden casks?" She complained, with rolled eyes. "I guess I'll be having ale, then."

[laurefindil]

Samata's plan was sound. The gorge effectively trapped the golems, and then they just had to get the stones out of their foreheads.

"Are you going to be able to teleport them back out once the crystals are purified and they are back to normal?" he asked.

Roaming

[silentwoof]

This was the most straightforward, Whisper-oriented task Purple could attend to, and Samata was making it all too easy. Whisper had fought machines that were faster and just as deadly, so darting in to nip a bit of jewelry off of their faces was just a matter of being careful and focused, and not getting in each-other's way.

"Gotta be a twist," she muttered to herself.

Roaming

[adregem]

Roland was more than relieved to know someone of Samata's talents decided to lend their aid to Purple this mission, given the difficulty of locating golems where they roamed and making sure they weren't ambushed by other blighted creatures nearby.

The Chief Consul's dark sword is already unsheathed, his stance ready, Arms Band glowing with prismatic light. As soon as Samata's trap activates and teleports a golem his way, Roland releases Flatliner by slashing his weapon in a cross, sending bursts of destructive magic that hits the creature point blank. It's not enough to do much yet, but having the upper-hand was enough so Roland could rush it after it staggers.

He touches his earpiece to Samata when he gets a moment to breathe. "Nice work. Give me five minutes to deal with this, then I'll follow your sigils."

ota! (aside from one closed prompt)

[flatteries]

(in the villages)

Usually Inigo is quick to talk to others - especially people he knows. Early on during the mission he's been hitting pretty much everyone up for a chat, although there may have been something overly excited about it, like he was majorly overcompensating for something he never quite seemed to talk about.

But right now that's not even the case anymore. Even overcompensating seems to be thrown out of the window for a moment. Instead anyone may find Inigo almost sneaking around the village they've stayed in for the night - glancing into every building, having hushed conversations with some villagers. It's almost as if he's looking for something.. but if he is, he sure doesn't seem to be asking anyone he knows from the train about it. Maybe you're curious enough to ask if you spot him sneaking around?

Or maybe you instead spot him sitting outside one of the houses, bent over and having his face buried in his hands. The moment you speak up to him though while he's looking like that, he slowly removes the hands only to brightly smile up at you.

"Ah.. Forgive me, I guess I was a little tired so I had to sit down!" He's lying between his teeth, though it seems relatively convincing, if not for the fact it's a tad too insistent. "Did you need me for something?"

(hunting)

With all the worry coursing through his veins like adrenaline, Inigo decides to instead try and get it out of his system through doing what he said he was going to do. There isn't much time to think about people he can't find or friendships he's ruined by being an idiot if he's too busy focusing on hunting, right? Clearly it can't have any bad side-effects to do something that involves danger while his head isn't exactly in the right place. It's fine. This is a great idea.

Maybe you came along with him as his hunting partner. And though there are moments where Inigo suddenly grows eerily quiet by his standards - though perhaps it's since he isn't trying to make much noise, considering what they're doing out here? - he'll give you a smile anyway while walking.

"So far, so good, right?"

(closed to reno + roland)

Look. Usually Inigo is elated to be by Roland's side. It's the best.

But today is a different story. He's just so upset about the whole thing with Tidus on the one hand and the whole thing with Gerome on the other hand that it's hard to hide it, especially in front of someone who knows him - and more importantly, his habits - so well. And despite Roland saying he wants Inigo to share his burdens with him, he just can't in this case. What could Roland even do about it, huh? He can't make Gerome suddenly reappear. He can't suddenly make Inigo a friend who doesn't hurt others all the time.

So when he hears a sudden sound, of course Inigo immediately takes the chance to be away from the other guy's scrutiny.

"Ah-- Roland, wait for a moment, I hear something."

And with that Inigo suddenly runs ahead through the bushes and the trees in the direction of the sound. He expects Roland to catch up quickly, sure, but maybe he'll have just a moment to not have to hide everything, just a moment to let go--

But the moment he finds the source of the sound, Inigo knows he doesn't have much of a chance for anything. The source of the sound isn't even a bear, or anything else to hunt. No, it's Reno. Of all people to run into in these woods, out of all possible days, in all possible moods - it's Reno. Right now. While Inigo already doesn't feel like dealing with anything.

So Inigo just squeezes his eyes shut, as if that might make the other guy disappear, and only says, "Please no." He'll just wish Reno away. That'll work, clearly.

Village

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel followed Inigo silently for a short while before he finally saw him settle in one place and cover his face.

This was unusual, even for Inigo. Glorfindel walked up to him, and smiled at the other's greeting.

"Actually yes. Do you have a moment to talk? I need to know what is bothering you," Glorfindel says gently.

Village

[goingthroughaphase]

Kitty just happened to be passing by when she noticed Inigo sitting nearby, holding his head in his hands. As she went over and he looked up, she wasn't entirely convinced by the act he was pulling, remembering another time he'd tried to pretend everything was fine.

"What's wrong?"

that one closed prompt kekeke

[theturksway]

Stinger was out here somewhere nearby. Reno had been keeping up with her while she was out hunting but that didn't mean they were always close enough to be found together. She had it easy with the black bands and could track him from anywhere while he had his on; he on the other hand didn't worry whenever he lost sight of her because he felt confident in his ability to track her down if he really had to. And he usually didn't let her go off without noticing what direction she headed. This wasn't his first rodeo.

The redhead had been investigating a potential prey item himself while he was out here on his own. Hunting wasn't a big deal to him but that didn't mean he had never participated in one before. And if he was going to be out here he might as well bag a few himself and have some fun with it, maybe make a few coins in the process if he found the right prey.

What came from the bushes next was not an animal to kill, however, and Reno made a face as soon as he spotted Inigo. "Way to go, jackass. You scared off the animal I was hunting." He pointed a finger at Inigo. "You owe me some coin for that, yo."

Hunting

[adropofsunlight]

"So far so good." she was more nervous than anything herself, but she wanted to be there for a friend in anyway that she possibly could. After all she seemed to notice there was something. He didn't seem like his usual self.

So this was the best way to try anyway. "So...how do we hunt anyway?" she asked holding up her frying pan.

[sos_pilot]

Tidus had asked Della to check up on Inigo after learning about Gerome's disappearance - so, one difficult situation on top of another, especially when she spots him with his face in his hands. Oof.

Della's not really sure how to handle this, aside from trying her best.

"Uh, hey." Fantastic introduction. She clears her throat, trying again. "Inigo, right? I got the right human?" A little joke, since she's the only duck.

Glorfindel |OTA

[laurefindil]

Helping the Villagers

When not otherwise occupied, Glorfindel is helping to tend to the blighted. It is something he is used to doing, helping Elrond with ill Elves and humans who had been effected by the darkness that reached so far across Middle Earth. Glorfindel's glow was like enough to the energies of Valinor that those only lightly touched could find relief and comfort by spending time near him. Those more deeply touched he could only ease their suffering until the Elves could be convinced to sail.

He is hoping that his energy can ease the suffering of those who have been blighted as well, so he can be found, sitting in the room where those afflicted are staying, reading one of the penny dreadfuls out loud to the amusement of his patients.

Roaming

Samata's plan to trap the golems in the gorge was working beautifully, but the trolls, with their unpredictable paths, had to be dealt with out in the open, and Glorfindel was an elf on a mission.

Having dealt with something similar for the majority of his current life, he teamed up with anyone nearby when they spotted a troll. Though they were resistant to magic, they were not fireproof, and it made a helpful flare to bring others from the Purple team to the fight.


Purification

Once the crystals were gathered, Glorfindel lent his own 'natural, latent energies' mingle with those of the others gathered to help with the ritual. It doesn't take too long for him to learn the proper chant, and when he finds it can be sung, he is even happier, as this is the way he was taught to do magic.

He smiles over at the other members of his team who are helping out. It is one of the more joyful parts of the job.


Wildcard

[Glorfindel will be wandering about, making sure people are resting and getting food. Need a protective elf, come and get him!]

Helping the Villagers

[adregem]

Cutting a more imposing, stricter figure by the entrance of the central area where the blighted gather, Roland stands dutiful watch nearby, his hand resting against the handle of his scabbard. He looks about, nods with a tight smile to those who acknowledge him as they enter or exit. But when he glances at Glorfindel and the affected citizens behind him, taking specific notice of the younger children in the gathering, he always looks worried, like he's expecting the worst to come.

It always does, right?

So while he takes a break from the fighting and planning, he decides to do what he can for the Elf who seems to be more suited to comforting and healing than Roland.

roaming (on day 10 if that's ok!)

[blitzcheer]

Purple Team had made good work of the golems before Tidus's arrival, and truthfully - though helping out the team wasn't completely a lie - he was here more to check in on some people. But he was going to make good on his word on helping.

It's while searching for specific heads that he finds Glorfindel seemingly dealing with a pair of trolls, or glowing as brightly as he is--and that's as good as any signal to come on in, wielding a...steel pipe? Look, it's fashionable. Just check out this cloak action he's got going on.

"Glor! Need a hand?"

Kitty Pryde | OTA

[goingthroughaphase]

A. Roaming

Taking on the golems was much easier thanks to Samata's plan of trapping them in the gorge. Kitty was among those helping out once a golem appeared there, using her ability to phase into the golem in order to retrieve the blighted crystal while others distracted it.

B. Purification

When a crystal is retrieved, Kitty would take the crystal to the shrine in order to have it purified, placing it in the pit and helping clean and mend it under the guidance of the spellcasters.

After helping out a couple of times, she even learned some of the chant to help out during the ritual itself.

C. Villages

When she wasn't out in the gorge fighting the golems or at the shrine to purify the crystals, Kitty could be seen around the villages, helping out those who were blighted. She could definitely understand the fear of powers getting out of control, so she didn't mind helping out with even small tasks for now, until they could be cured of the blight.

Plus, her phasing ability also helped with stray projectiles that came at her now and again.

D. Wildcard

((If you have any ideas for something else, feel free!))

roaming for day 10!

[blitzcheer]

"Kitty!"

For his own purposes, Tidus has showed up in the village outskirts this day, though it's been nearly a week since their efforts started, and Purple Team's work shows for it. But there's still golems to be worked on, and from where the ground dips into the gorge, Tidus spots her from his place above looking down.

Della Duck | OTA

[sos_pilot]

Villages

[ In-between helping kick some troll/golem tail, Della had been happy to help gathering supplies and comforting villagers. The sudden fireballs and ice weren't too bad - it was really like spending a few minutes in Gyro Gearloose's lab back home.

... Which isn't really a comfort when she's bringing in armful of wood and the floor suddenly freezes underneath her. ]

WAK!

[ After a few moments of slipping and sliding, she winds up flat on her back, wood everywhere. ]

... Ah, who needs dignity anyway.

Roaming

[ As we all know, Della loves monster-defeating. At this point, she's helped beat up a lot trolls and de-crystal a lot of golems. But... even a seasoned adventurer like her gets exhausted. ]

Where are all these guys even COMING from?! Can we get a five minute break? Or just... five square meters without one of these things?

[ This is definitely where Louie Duck got his "I. NEED. A. BREAK." attitude from. ]

Purification

[ This is a little slow for her tastes, but still very interesting! And when it's all said and done, she's applauding the light show. ]

Man, this really makes me wish I had some popcorn for it...

[ Then a little quietly, as an aside to you - ]

Think anybody noticed I messed up the chants a few times?

Wildcard
[ Make your own prompt! feel free to hit me up on plurk at melcat33! ]

purification

[silentwoof]

...they'll notice if it goes horribly wrong.

[ Whisper was barely audible so hopefully that didn't hurt their chances. ]

Roaming

[adregem]

[ Roland offers her a nicely wrapped lunch box from the train which he took with him as part of the supplies. For now, they had a moment to breathe, but even he was getting a bit winded. ]

Here. Take that five minute break. I'll stand guard, don't worry.

[ Is he tense? Of course he is! For reasons he'll never say, but here he goes, handing this over to Della while he starts scoping the nearby area with a swivel of his head, side to side, obviously distracted. ]

Roaming

[goingthroughaphase]

[ Taking a quick breather herself, Kitty wipes her forehead with the back of her hand as she leans against a rock. ]

I know, right? Where do they keep coming from?

Trunks Brief (Future)| OTA

[light_of_willpower]

Villages
Trunks has no problem helping out with the chores; he's more comfortable, and more suited, for hauling water and chopping wood than he is for comforting people. Not that he doesn't understand the need, but he just...has no idea what to say, or do. If asked, he'll help where he can, but mostly he's doing manual labor when he's not out roaming.

Roaming
Most of the golems are being dealt with by trapping them in the gorge. A few are straying though, and the troll-bands are definitely still trouble. His earlier goal of buying a sword complete, Trunks feels more ready now when it comes to taking out the monsters. Not that he'd done badly at all without a weapon, but it was nice to have one again.

Villages

[dreamtamer]

Takato and Guilmon were more than happy to help with chores. It was a different way of helping than fighting, and that was something that they both loved.

Chopping wood was a little outside of their abilities (Takato didn't have the strength for it and Guilmon was more likely to accidentally set the wood on fire), but hauling water was easy enough. Takato had gone to get the water, and he was now carefully holding out the buckets as they tried to figure out the best way for Guilmon to hold them with his claws.

Fingon

[utulien_aure]

Roaming

As unobtrusively as he can (shit for a Silvan! Pretty good for a Noldo! It's all perspective!) Fingon wanders the wilderness, marking the enemies around. He's not going to get into fights with too large herds; dying again is actually not a priority.

But when he thinks his odds are good, his bow is at his shoulder and there's a borrowed knife at his hip. One by one, careful and methodical, he thinks he can bring the monsters lurking in the woods down.

Villages

The people are still worried, no matter the brave faces most try to put on. Fingon looks at them thoughtfully, the examines the room to look for something. After some time, and a few conversations, he finds what he's looking for: someone holds up a lute they don't mind borrowing.

Fingon bows and takes it in hand. After a few minutes, a melody emerges: sweet and comforting, imbued with the memory of spring sunlight and a gentle western wind.

roaming

[theturksway]

Reno spent a majority of his time roaming, looking for prey to take down in between golem and troll attacks, earning a little cash on the side by turning in the items gathered. The first few days were mostly full of hunting wolves and bears for him. He was sticking close to the Spider and hunting in tandem with her, letting her ferry the items around in her pocket space for ease.

Every now and again they got separated or wandered off from one another in search of new prey to hunt though. They could always find each other again by various means after an hour or two had passed without sight of each other.

This was one of those times. Reno was alone in the light woods outside the village area and stalking a lone dire wolf for its pelt. The beast was crafty though and giving the redhead a run for his money.

Then he ran into the group of trolls. "Well, shit," he murmured to himself after he was spotted by one of the ugly monsters. Not only was his prey getting away but now he was stuck dealing with these stupid things. Great.