The Will to Fight: Ongoing: Red and Purple

[voidtreckermods]

Dawn Attack

It's been a busy few days of fighting demons, attacking keystones and fighting both on the demon and human planes. On the morning of day nine of the month of Kazoo a gate opens close to the base camp that the two teams have made.

It seems the demons have decided to focus on this unexpected threat, because it is a sizable force, with a number of the large demons. They march towards the camp with single-minded focus, the opportunity to stop these unwanted defenders taking precedence over their desire to destroy the city.

The advantage to the landscape being as ruined as it is, is that there isn't much to stop the lookouts from seeing this force headed towards them. A gate opening is not subtle. There should be enough time to make sure the defenders are ready.

Scouting Ahead

Once that skirmish is won those on the Red team will find their SCA's beeping, with an exclamation point far out to the east.

A group of demons is congregating at the location indicated. Investigate why, defeat the demons and close any gates nearby.

It will take a while to get there and there is plenty to do on the way for those that follow the exclamation point. Roaming packs of demons, gates to be closed. Exhausting work, especially for those going in and out of the demon gates.

Protecting the City

Once it is clear that these defenders are not going to be easy to wipe out, the attacks on the city itself get more frequent. The demons have changed tactics: rather than sending in large groups they open many small portals, sending small strike teams to harry and target individuals.

Some of the attacks are clearly meant as traps: they open the gates in or very close to the city, to lure the Voidtreckers in to where they will be affected by the spell. Ranged attacks may be useful here.

Comments

NPC next, please? Thanks!

[canyounoct]

"Probably," Noctis agreed, "but what else is even out here?"

Something technological? Noctis' brow furrowed. Like an MT? Or ... that'd be stupid, there wasn't anything else from Eos here. He slowly rolled to his feet, following Prompto out with a skeptical glance.

He found himself whispering, even though there's nothing to say that he had to, "Be careful!"

[voidtreckernpcs]

Beep boop

The noise is soft and not far away, a couple of tents away from their own. As they get closer the tent shakes slightly, the sort of shaking that happens when someone, or something is adjusting the guy lines.

Boop

The sound is louder now, from behind the tent in question.

[chocobosnap]

"I'm careful!" Prompto answered at Noctis' cautious warning, but that was before he heard the beeping.

He crouched low, slightly, creeping towards the tent that was shaking. There was definitely a mechanical beeping. It didn't sound like an MT.

Prompto glanced at Noctis and gestured. Maybe they should each go around a side, see if they could catch whatever it was?

[canyounoct]

Noctis nodded at him, he got the idea. They’d flank whatever this was - it didn’t sound like an MT to him, either, but he still didn’t know what it was.

He would creep slowly but steadily forward on his side of the tent, imagining this would be the pace Prompto would take, trying not to make a sound.

They would hopefully sneak up on whatever this was, catch it by surprise. If this wasn’t a threat - maybe they could ask some questions, he thought. Like, why was this creeping around?

[voidtreckernpcs]

As they snuck around the tent they would be met with a perhaps odd sight. A small metal creature, no more than a foot tall with most of that taken up with six metal legs.

Two of those legs had pincer like grabbers on the end and it was currently using those to try and pry and tent peg out of the ground, whirring softly.

[chocobosnap]

They'd seen quite a bit of strange machinery as the days went on but this was new. It was really small and it was...

What was it doing?

Prompto looked up, to meet Noctis' eyes. He figured he was closer.

He bent his knees and leapt, making an attempt to grab the robot in his arms in a capturing hug.

[canyounoct]

Not really the option Noctis would’ve gone for first - he’d try talking to it, maybe it was a machine programmed by someone else or maybe it was acting on its own somehow - but. Getting it to stop wrecking tents was pretty important.

Plus, Prompto wouldn’t hurt it if it wasn’t dangerous. Not that the robot or maybe its software knew that.

Prompto enabled his ideas a ton - now he’d support his back. He held out his arms in case the robot tried to squirm away, helping cover where it was most likely to slip out. “Easy, easy! We just want to talk, and to get you to leave the tents alone. Hold still!”

[voidtreckernpcs]

beeeeeeeeeep

The small droid struggled slightly at being restrained, metal limbs trying to push the arms holding it away. It's not violent, the action is clearly an escape attempt rather than an attack.

When Noctis speaks it stills, a light from the spherical part of it shining out, washing over Noctis.

[chocobosnap]

"Sorry!" Prompto appologized, a little flushed at the poor robot. "I'm not trying to hurt you! I just didn't want you to run off-"

Oh. He was scanning Noctis. What did that mean?

"What're you doing?'

[canyounoct]

"It looks like you got it, Prom, and it can't take apart more tents - woah," Noctis stepped back a little as the light ... scanned him? "Uh."

"It doesn't hurt?" Noctis didn't feel anything right away, anyway. "Um. Can you understand us? Beep twice for yes."

[voidtreckernpcs]

Beep beep

The metal turned around, shining light over Prompto as well. Whirring slightly, vibrating in his hands.

The light doesn't hurt, or appear to do much.

[chocobosnap]

"Uh, okay...that's just good- hey!" Prompto squeaked a bit as he was scanned too.

It didn't hurt, no, or feel like anything it was just weird.

"Cool, I'm just gonna let you go, but can you stay for a minute? Also uh, stop messing up the tents."

He released his grip on the kind of adorable not-a-death robot.

[canyounoct]

Noctis fixed the robot with A Look. “Really. People need those tents to sleep in. It’s kind of cold out here - we won’t get good sleep if we’re half-frozen.”

He watched it carefully in case it decided to bolt.

[voidtreckernpcs]

It beeped as the grip was released but it didn't move, instead prodding at Prompto gently, tugging at his sleeves.

Beep boop
boop beep
beep boop
boop beep

The light swivelled around to pass over the tent as well.

[chocobosnap]

"Uhhhhh." Prompto said, a little blankly as he blinked a few times and tilted his head at the robot.

"Noct? I can do a lot of things but uh, I can't speak robot. Can you?"

For all he knew, Noctis had a magic robot spell and forgot to mention it. He didn't move though, he got that the robot wanted his attention at least.

"That's...not our tent, but a tent I guess? Is it yours?"

[canyounoct]

"I think I slept through that class," Noctis quipped, but not really with any edge to his snark. He crouched down again, looking at the robot.

His expression softened just a little. "I don't think it's this guy's tent, though. I never saw him on the train, did you? He must belong to somebody on this world."

Noctis couldn't help but think of it as a creature, and not a machine. Er. He thought of it as a thinking machine, not a roomba sort of machine.

"Are you lost?" Noctis asked. "Uh, beep once for no, twice for yes."

[voidtreckernpcs]

It seemed to be doing a quick inspection of Prompto, though finding nothing it went back to scanning him with the green light, a light that turned on Noctis as he asked his question.

"Beep beep"

It poked at Noctis as with metal limbs.

[chocobosnap]

"Okay." That, Prompto understood. "So you're lost. Uh, do you know where you came from? We could take you back!"

That made sense, right? "Is it far?"

[canyounoct]

Noctis figured just as long as he was being poked, he could poke the robot back. It's not as if he could really hurt it, after all, as he reached out to touch its chassis, inspecting the metal. Had this guy seen any action from the demons wandering around?

At least they could ask it yes or no questions. That was a start.

"Maybe this came from that village," Noctis wondered quietly. Of course, the robot could belong to the demons attacking them ... but his gut said no. Guts weren't the same as logic, he's very aware, but surely a robot owned by a demon would ... be more interested attacking them. Right?

[voidtreckernpcs]

Beep beep

It didn't seem to mind being poked at least, it was a bit battered in places. This droid had clearly seen some action but it was well prepared and maintained and didn't seem to have anything broken or any damage that looked especially recent.

Beep beep