middleofsomewhere | Fissures of Time: Finale

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Fissures of Time: Finale

FISSURES OF TIME: FINALE

... POI 12-13

DESPITE THE DIFFICULTIES OF POI 11, A RHYTHM SETTLES TO KEEP EVERYONE PROTECTED. The rumbling of Kolokifi's domain continues to persist, as do the more intense distortions, but the Voidtreckers are not alone. The equalisers keep the camps safe, as does the Ministry base, and as well the Voidtrecker Express itself.

Late into Poi 12, the Voidtreckers receive a call from Zhak through the map on their SCA.

"Hey, hope everyone's doing alright. You're all doing great so far." Zhak is nothing if not encouraging. Though it's a very textbook encouragement, he quickly moves on to the next point of business.

"It seems reports were right in that you lot are effective, and troublesome. But considering all that has happened this last week we believe we are at a crucial changing point on this world. We have been working on a device for a while which we are hoping could... reboot things as such. Give us and the Gods some idea how to move forward, anyway. We plan to set it up tomorrow, and we're expecting resistance. Any help you can give will be great though it's a bit above and beyond your mission brief so I'd like to make it clear you can say no.

We're not expecting this to fix anything, but if we get even a small somethin' out of it, it'll do some good for this place. We'll need some people to help defend the device, and some to keep the area we're working in secure. We suggest some fighters stay in the camps in case anything untoward happens, but we'll have some guards come and boost your numbers."

POI 12: THE FINAL NIGHT. Whatever the voidtreckers choose individually or as a group, it seems that this mission is coming to a conclusion. There is one last night in the camps altogether; one last night where the sky hangs in an unending sunset. The refugees have been subdued since the day before, and it's a quiet night for the most part.

Some of the refugees, perhaps feeling bad about the commotion and trouble or perhaps just thankful for the help the voidtreckers have given them in the last few days, have made foods out of the ingredients from the supplies shared by the Ministry. It's messy given the camps, but they show their cuisine of flavourful dips, vegetables roasted in a special cooking oil that adds an unusual taste, and skewered meats.

Tonight is a night to prepare, but also to rest and save their strength. Tomorrow, they will fight.

MORNING DAWNS. Bright and early the next morning, the camps awaken. There is much to do, to pack and be ready for the day ahead. There are three main tasks to be done: People to go and help the ministry with their plan to mend this people, people to stay and keep dealing with the smaller distortions, and people to stay and defend what camp was left.

If any Voidtreckers decide to stay behind. Regardless, they won't be alone,

... THE FINAL FIGHT

THE MINISTRY ARE ALREADY AT WORK WHEN THEY ARRIVE, having set up a large device that looks almost like a mirrored horn. Around the area there are a ring of equalisers that sets the arena, ready for trouble.

That trouble comes quickly. The ground is already rumbling when the voidtreckers arrive, but as they draw close the air itself seems to erupt, throwing some people backwards towards the equalisers and pulling others inwards as a distortion envelops around them.

INNER CIRCLE. Those who are pulled into the centre find themselves stood in the grounds of a temple. The place is frozen, in temperature and in time. The ministry workers are still there, but they are not alone, golden tendrils swarm out of the temple towards them, picking one of them up by the ankle and pulling them into the air.

From the very centre of the temple a figure is emerging. A woman, growing larger than the temple, bursting out and reaching for the voidtreckers with many golden arms like rays of sun, bent and disfigured. Her face is a cracked mask symbolic of the star, surrounded in a halo of tendrils that whip out everywhere in wisps, crackling lightning and winds thrashing in level with her head.

Help the Ministry contractors, and help each other against the tendrils of gold - the equaliser guns work best. But watch out - each touch of the golden ribbons will leave a burning sensation that can't be healed while inside the distortion. A divine curse.

OUTER CIRCLE. For those who were pushed backwards, they find themselves looking at a swirling whirlwind. Getting through is impossible, but that is not their only problem. The distortion is growing and it takes constant use of the equalisers to keep it under control.

As well as growing, the distortion itself seems to be fighting them, with gusts of wind trying to trap them, vines reach out to fling them away. There are also the warriors from history, more transparent and less stable, but their attacks just as damaging as before. Sometimes, stepping in the wrong place might suddenly drop you - and you'll find yourself somewhere else, at some other part of this chaotic mess.

Everything is attacking everyone - the Voidtreckers, others with the Ministry. Help each other, as well as yourself.

CAMPS. Here, things are calmer at least. The minstry workers who have been sent to help out try and organise people to take shifts manning equalisers just in case, but for the most part, tasks are practical ones. Keeping people calm, keeping people fed. There are some smaller distortions that still appear nearby, and so teams are encouraged to go out and deal with them.

OOC NOTES

OOC post. Ask questions here. Rewards go here.

TL;DR: Later on Poi 12, the Voidtreckers receive a message that the Ministry are going to attempt a weapon that's been in the works to help do something for the state of the world. Voidtreckers can come help, but don't need to feel obligated to.

We included a few prompts in case anyone wanted to do something lax, if anything at all on the finale log!

Poi 13, those who decide to come to the spot (located on their maps) will find a large area of land bordered by equalisers, as well as a camp. The weapon the Ministry spoke of is a large mirror, which can be seen inside and outside the distortion, reflecting each.

The goal of the boss battles are: 1) to protect the large mirror from attacks. Equaliser guns will be provided, but also trying your own attacks can help.

2) To keep Kolokifi in line with the mirror before it and the distortion starts to crack.

Assume Ministry people are around in the boss battle and outside. To make it easier to read, we won't refer to Ministry folks unless necessary (because boss battles get hectic enough!).

The boss battle is done in rounds with the NPC tag marking the start of the round. Please tag once in each round and don't worry about tagging order between players. If you miss a round don't worry just jump in the next. If you are late don't worry and just jump in the current round. If you accidentally post over someone just repost in response to them. If you need any help just ask a mod.

For those fighting on the border of the distortion (non boss battle) please feel free to play with anything from earlier in the mission. Things are fracturing and going a bit mad so use what you want and have characters be bounced the outskirts for team ups with other voidtreckers.

NOTE FOR BOSS BATTLE PARTICIPATION: 1 character per player per boss battle. Your character can't be in both threads. The Kolokifi fight is more suited to characters with high power levels whereas the mirror protection fight is more suited to characters with more mundane fighting skills.

Don't worry if you don't feel you can post or keep up with this - there won't be any negative consequences for not participating! A conclusion will go up on the 28th.

Art credits: Whirlwind, camp2, sunset, second header

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Where's some demi spells when you need them?

Not in Tidus's backpocket, but he does have one of those loaned equaliser guns, and moving quick on his feet under a rumbling ground and with obstacles springing out is one of the things he's good at.

His aim with a gun? Not so much, but he tries firing at two of the ribbons - one attacking at the people, another reaching for the mirror, hoping they'll do the same job they do with everything else and fizzle them from existence.

"Is this 'cause of the god?! What about- dark attacks! Isn't she some God of light?! This is 'cause of her!"

Light, life, summer, whatever?! What do gods hate? Being told what to do?

“Dark attacks?” Nozomi said, firing her own equalizer gun at the ribbons.

“I could try something, but I don’t know if it’ll work - it doesn’t like working in combat!”

There is chaos around them as they approach the mirror. All that Wei Wuxian tries works to an extent. The barrel knocks a ribbon aside, a dark burn tarnishing the metal. The talisman drives one into the ground though marks begin to spread on the small paper man as energy spreads through.

The borrowed gun works the best, freezing the ribbon in place before it shattered, raining golden sparks as it fizzled out. Kiyoiri, Nozomi and Tidus find similar success as their shots find ribbons.

But more are coming into their place and this time they are aimed at the voidtreckers.

Kiyoiri will have to watch out for a tendril trying to wrap itself around her ankle. Nozomi and Tidus will find tendrils comind down from below, trying to encircle them. A larger tendril aims straight towards Wei Wuxian's chest, an attempted strike.

Fei will find the ribbons getting thicker, as if trying to firm a wall between him and the others.

Worryingly from the fight with the god happening near and above them tendrils are sliced and fall to the floor, blooming almost like flowers into new tendrils that sprout upwards and outwards twirling around their feet like golden vines.

Edited 2022-01-25 18:03 (UTC)

Raven had headed to the mirror as soon as she was able. She wasn't risking teleporting, but she could fly fast at least. Blue cloak streaming behind her, she takes in the situation and hears that dark attacks might work...

It made her smile grimly to herself, as she raised her hands up. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Seeking any and all of those new tendrils that were blooming, to smother and twine her own dark-energy around them.

Hitting the target has never in their life been Soldat's problem. They duck and roll and weave towards the mirror, pausing only now and then provide cover for the heavier hitters with the borrowed equalizer rifle. Anything coming for Raven in particular gets shot with extreme prejudice.

They might get a ribbon coming towards them, but they also have a metal arm and magical control over it. The plates form up into spikes to shred anything that reaches for them.

They don't bother commenting on the SCA. They're kinda busy.

"Well thats rather rude." He couldn't use magic of any kind without some blowback so he figured to only use that in extreme emergencies. All he had currently was a borrowed equalizer gun that was sitting at his side.

So he soon pulled that out and started to aim at the ribbons that were trying to block his way from the others before quickly going forwards.

"It looks like it might try and cut us off, so be careful."

There's a shadowing above him, but it isn't a response to his idea but an incoming assault. He stops his shooting to make a jump to Nozomi, grabbing the pair of them to bring them out of the way of the tendrils, to find some refuge away from that and now the droppings from the other battle.

"Do what you can! I'll give you time!" He lets her go on the new ground they've found, eyes peeled for any tendrils, ribbons, whatever it is that might come their way. A shot taken at random for what he sees - such as a part of Fai's wall troubles.

The varied levels of success have his eyes narrowing in focus, Wei Wuxian throwing out another gravity talisman to weigh down one of the ribbons on earth--then abruptly throws another as he dodges sideways from an extending piece of the sky tendrils rooting in the earth.

He likewise shoots back at the wall attempting to keep Fai away, though it means when he turns around to deal with the ribbons before and on the mirror, his footwork away isn't able to spare him from the full net of them coming from three sides at once. He's scored across his arm before he can shoot the ribbon, with more looming after as he leaps forward to aim at ribbons on the mirror, over another, thicker ribbon from the sky.

Nozomi let out a yelp, surprised by Tidus' actions, though thankful for it. Though Raven was around, it was time to see if this idea worked.

"Just give me time to do this!" she said. She was thankful she took her iMog Slate with her. With a small sigh, she set things up to make it so that she could use her Cure Dream powers with what she needed to activate.

After a moment, she triggered the jobs and, thankfully, it worked, a heavy suit of armor forming over her costume. "Alright, guys. Let's see what the Calamity Knight can do!"

She winces as she gathers up dark energy. Even her Cure powers are going nuts at this feeling. "Just fight it through...!" she grumbled before she thrusted her hand out, yelling as she unleashed the Hell Judgement shot, unleashing a wave of dark energy.

"NH-!" Takechirou-Archer growls and pulls back before the tendril can get to Kiyoiri's tendril, his own attention's focus upon her blindspot saving her from a nasty burn. Even so it brushes against the Servant's cloak, sending inky ash to the air as she hastily shoots.

"Don't let them even touch you!" she shouts, watching as the cloak remains in its frayed state. Takechirou clearly can't recover it, and that's a bad sign. "It's more than just a burn!"

And worse- far worse, are those branching trees. Swallowing her fear, she takes aim. Not at the tendrils-

"...to take out a tree, means..."

But rather the base of growth for these new, branching, flowering things.

"To aim for the roots..!"

They're words for herself, ultimately. A bit of self-assurance as she fires.

Faux was most definitely not supposed to be here. Getting knocked into the circle of the front lines was definitely not a part of the plan. seeing a humongous user's user hanging above, absolutely not. But here he is.

Having seen what his crew mates were up against, he had crept gradually closer towards the mirrored horn with his invisibility, Slower than the rest of these users and hindered by the falling gold tendrils that scattered about. He's not in the best position yet, but as one of the Wei Wuxian variants (he's not sure which one) is being attacked by all those ribbons in an attempt to clear the mirror of the rest, Faux aims and fires his equalizer gun, in an attempt to cut some off of him. Or, at least prevent more from touching him.

Unfortunately, this means Faux's possibly given away his location. But it's a worthwhile sacrifice if it means his crew mate can finish the task.

If this isn't enough, he can pull out his tank. It's not in the best condition after the storm distortion, but it might still be able to take a blow or two if needed.

Otoha doesn't have a gun. This is unfortunate, given that they seem to be working pretty well, but he didn't bother to grab one. Instead he dances among the ribbons, attempting to cut and shred the ones closest to the mirror - the ones he can reach, at least.

He doesn't have magic, only a sword and determination. If a few burn him, that's fine. He can treat that later. It's not like it'll hurt him or slow him down at all.

[Masumi never got one of the guns, and as a result is forced to rely on her sword as her primary means of fighting the ribbons. She's not really able to get close to the mirrored horn, given she's more or less a normal human, but she is making an effort to slice at any ribbons that come close to her or her fellow Voidtreckers.

Maybe she should have gotten one of those guns, but it's a little late now! Hopefully the sword will be enough!]

It gets colder. It's a noticible shift. The air hadn't been warm to begin with in this icy courtyard but now the temperature plummets. To those who are not used to extreme cold it will take them a moment to catch their breath.

It doesn't slow the ribbons. Indeed they seem galvanised by it and their sting burns hotter on anyone they touch.

Raven's dark energy pushes against the ribbons, causing them to wilt for a moment though they attempt to rally, fighting back, golden light against her dark magic.

Soldat will have their work cut out for them protecting Raven as more tendrils appear to try and grab her. Many are sliced by their arm and they will find some focus on that, as if trying to bind themselves around the metal arm. Sera cuts some of them away though two try and wrap around her ankles as if trying to tie them together.

Tidus and Nozomi are able to grasp a few moments for Nozomi to transform whilst Tidus fires at the wall blocking Fai. With both Tidus and Fai firing they manage to carve a hole in the wall and Nozomi's dark magic buys them extra space. From the ribbons at least. The earth under their feet begins to rumble, cracks forming in the ice.

For Wei Wuxian ribbons rise to meet him as he leaps, spiralling around him in an attempt to draw him away from the mirror and back to the floor below. Luckily help comes in the way of Faux shooting upwards shattering some ribbons but also distracting others as they weave together and towards him, forming a thick tendrils that swings towards him like a sword. Help also comes from the earth erupting under their feet as Kiyoiri fires sending ice and shattered ribbons flying up into the air. It buys Otoha some time to get closer to the mirror where he will see the base is beginning to dull and crack as ribbons weave around it tightly.

Edited 2022-01-26 07:26 (UTC)

"Thank you!" A call out for the assistance, and with the cold coming down enough he feels it in his marrow, he twists himself to try and... land on the mirror? Or closer, at least.

Then shift, sliding around to throw a fire talisman at the ribbons inevitably following, to see if their increased energy in cold could be offset any by heat. The borrowed gun he first aims back to help injure some of the combined ribbons now going after Faux, just enough to interrupt that rhythm and give the Trainling that moments further advantage.

Then he's using talismans in combination with tight lipped, keen eyes shots of the gun, picking targeted clusters of ribbons trying to score deep into the mirror's metal at the base. Free movement, to continue to match the ailing god.

Oh, but he knows about purification, and it must. Go. Through.

Just as he might aim to keep ribbons from wrapping him, but doesn't attempt to avoid all their, er, burning touches. Calculated sacrifices for greater advantage and all, as he likewise seeks to cover the people he can see fighting nearby, sending shots or talismans flying to buy time and opportunity in this aching cold.

"Keep the mirror from being locked down!"

[Masumi just barely catches the two going after her ankles, narrowly cutting one off before it can touch her. However, the second one manages to catch her ankle just before it's cut off, drawing a hiss from Masumi as she takes a look around the area for where she should focus.

The state of the mirror catches her attention, and she starts to fight her way towards it, pushing to help in spite of the pain from her ankle and the biting cold around her.]

Don't let them have the mirror!

Some days, some battles go better than others. It's taken time for Wangji to approach- mostly thanks to not having an equalizer. His dubious nature with electronics is coming back to bite him... again.

Just as he's breached the walls and been met with the sight of the large mirror, ribbons of gold are running riot and the temperature is plummeting. Thanks to the cold, his reactions are slowed to the point that at least one grabs him with what feels like the intensity of a brand. With grunt of pain and the distraction of several people doing rather impressive things, he manages to extract himself and bolt over towards the mirror thanks to Masumi's yell.

He'll do his best to fend off any ribbons with barrier talismans en route.

Nozomi hissed as she felt the cold hit her. This was a different feeling altogether, especially in her new form.

Hearing the cries to protect the mirror, she gathers dark energy again and fires another Hell Judgement at the ribbons binding the mirror

Fai was trying is best to carve his way through the ribbons, trying to give a big enough gap to get through using both the gun and with his free hand extending his nail to use for slashing through them purposes if the gun wasn't doing as good as a job, trying to get closer towards the goal of the mirror.

The ground quakes, and this time it's in their favor- annd perhaps just in time. As people begin to take notice of the mirror's fragile state, Kiyoiri turns and stiffens.

Immediately she drops down and hands her weapon to her servant. She can 'snipe', but she's no master. The 'Archer' Takechirou is, however.

"Takechirou-! Don't miss a single shot!" she commands, her command seal empowering the order. The gun is aimed- and fired. Aimed and fired, repeatedly at whatever targets truly need to be shot.

They aren't the only ones firing, after all.

Well, that went as good as Faux had imagined; now with a converged swinging sword arm heading towards him!

Wei though, returns his gesture, intercepting the bladed arm of ribbons coming at him with his own equalizer shots, dispatching a few, and causing part of them to unravel into a more manageable lot.

Now having a speed boost from the increased cold, he manages to dodge the sword-like ribbon, using the left over momentum to slip between the rest of the unraveling bladed threads attack paths. But not quite enough...

The last one breezes past, slicing across the surface of his arm. A painful burning sensation immediately hits him, though quick observation shows only a minor rent. The pain dwarfing the injury, he also notes a strange golden hue to his immediate circuits, the same as the ribbon itself. No time for that!

'Keep the mirror from being locked down!'

Unable to hold the equalizer gun easily with his wounded arm, and with his crew mates still in danger upon the mirror trying to clear it, he decides its time for the big guns. Pulling off his baton, he summons his still damaged tank from within. Lining up and taking aim at where the ribbons are coming from above, the strands between, hoping to detach a few from the mirror altogether, and draw attention off of the others.

Otoha runs towards the base of the mirror, slicing into the ribbons that wind around them. The cold isn’t painful to him - he can notice it, but there’s nothing more.

One of the ribbons wraps around his leg and it burns, and it takes a moment for Otoha to turn his attention towards it, more focused on the ribbons at the base. He cuts into it, attempting to get it to let go - but even if it doesn’t, he’ll continue to try to slice the ribbons that have a stranglehold on the mirror.

Freezing. The cold stings at his limbs, and while everyone's moving closer - Tidus himself trying to move into a place not already surrounded by the golden ribbons, worried about what might come through the ice - he'll do what he can to watch peoples' backs while manage with the mirror itself, aiming his equaliser gun to take potshots at what he can.

Even with Soldat's help (and she trusts him with her life), Raven has to do some dodging. Especially as the ribbons start to try and come for her. But she'd had an effect!

She noticed the ice starting to crack the ground around the mirror. Her plan now would strain her, but she felt it necessary. She'd just have to trust others to keep her safe still. Once more calling out her mantra, one hand-shifted to grasp the base of the mirror in dark-energy tendrils of her own. Holding it steady and supporting it, so that Otoha could do his work. If left her with her other hand free to try and swipe at the light-ribbons with dark energy.

Perfectly happy to let ribbons wrap around an impervious metal arm, and then let said arm's plates flare up with spikes like knives to shred them, Soldat tries to keep themselves between the reaching tendrils and Raven. She's doing good work, better than they could do to protect the mirror, so they shift the majority of their focus to her.

The equalizer gun is still pretty useful, firing from their right hand while the left windmills and slices.

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really hoping i didn't fudge this...

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