Finale: All teams

[voidtreckermods]

Inside the System

The forest seems endless as the Voidtreckers move through it, soothing the red vines that constrict the trees as they go. But eventually they will start to come together, as though they are being funnelled towards a centre.

The trees end, the forest opening out into a large clearing. Vines carpet the floor and climb up the trees, curving to create a dome of red mesh that blocks out the sky. As everyone gathers in the clearing, vines weave past them to cover the entrances, closing them in. The red light does little to light up the gloomy dome, but as their eyes adjust they will see a huge gnarled and broken tree in the centre. It pulses with the same sickly red glow.

From the gloom creatures emerge, more of the mongoose. These ones are larger, teeth and claws are sharp as they circle the clearing, hissing and snarling.

The tree begins to move, its branches and roots are huge and they swing towards the gathering Voidtreckers with a speed that seems unlikely for their size, roots rise up to try and tangle around limbs.

The vines creating the dome can be soothed, but there are so many of them it will be a lengthy job and the mongooses patrol the edges, attacking anyone who is trying to clear the roots. Often they will give chase to anyone who tries to run, trying to hound them into the path of the tree roots or into the range of the attacking branches.

All the while more vines are growing from the tree, pulsing red strands that spread towards the walls of the dome and beyond.

Outside the System

For those that did not enter the system it has been a long vigil over their unconscious teammates. The sectors still have problems but these seem to lessen: there are fewer emergency alerts in Winter, the walls stop moving in Autumn, all seems calm in Spring and the weather calms in Summer.

But as Day Eleven of the month of Jelly begins there seems to be a shift: the sky darkens, going from the usual clear blue that is has been for days to a dark, burnt red.

The Helpmates have mostly calmed the last few days, but now there are more of them and they will attack on sight. The only place they will not enter is the inner sanctuaries of the Great-Seasons, where the bodies of those who have entered the system still lie.

A few times the ground ominously rumbles and for anyone still in the Spring sector there are certainly a few frightened alpaca-type creatures to calm.

Comments

Re: Rule #1: Always protect your supports.

[redarrowqueen]

Thea had been floating since her weapons skills are more suited to it plus she is better off. But she spots the mongeese and decides to lend Lea a hand So cue a signal and some well placed shots at the creatures.

[longforgottenpromise]

Taiki visibly flinched as Lea fought off the mongeese and flinched harder as arrows thudded into them.

They might not be real mongeese, they might not even be real living animals but... The violence was still terrible and their squeels rang in his ears.

He kept his composure, looking over at the two of them sadly. "Thank you..."

[hotheadwarmheart]

Lea shot Thea a grateful smile as the not-mongeese went down. "Thanks for the assist," he said.

The smile he gave Taiki was more sympathetic. He knew this was probably rough for him, but unfortunately, there was no real way around it. At least there wasn't any blood- from either them or the things they were fighting- this time around. "You focus on taking care of those vine-wire things," he said. "We'll watch your back, OK?"