SIEGE TO THE PALACE

[andaway]

Characters: Everyone involved in the player missions
Date: 18th May
Location: The Palace
Situation: It's been too long since Malicant took over the palace, and it's time the foreigners did whatever they could to take it back. They might find out more than they had expected to find in the process.
Warnings/Rating: Fighting and shit? Please poke me if this needs to be changed.


Maybe you heard Superman suggesting they met up on the radio, trying to get as many people possible together for an attack that might prove unsuccessful, but would at least distract Malicant enough to get some information. Maybe you agreed to meet up and were talked into an open attack. Maybe you were talked into it by someone, dragged into a fight you wouldn't normally be part of otherwise Maybe your friends and you decided to take matters into your own hands, get together to try to attack the palace yourself and get something out of it.

Whichever the reason, there is no going back now. There's a yell, and suddenly... the attack begins.

[OOC: An open thread for the initial attack and threads for each mission will be added to this log. The idea is for a big battle to start with, and the teams to be divided naturally. Like I said, everyone gets a chance to fight! I added a questions thread just in case, if you aren't sure about something one of us will do our best to answer.]

Comments

INITIAL OPEN ATTACK | Open to everyone involved in the missions

[andaway]

[The chaos of the battle.]

[deusrexmachina]

[As soon as the signal is given, Rex charges forward. There's no hesitation whatsoever. He's been waiting for a chance to strike back, to quit with the holding pattern and get something done...and this is it. He and Korra had talked about trying to do something like this on their own, but all things considered, he's glad they're not the only ones about to test their luck against the palace defenses.]

[Building out his hover cycle, Rex speeds toward the barrier. As he gets in closer, he double builds, his right arm transforming in into the Slam Cannon. Experienced as he is with loading the weapon on the move, Rex uses the rear loader to prep the cannon and then takes aim before firing.]

[Unfortunately, the attack isn't well met and the barrier deflects the shot, sending the beach ball sized chunk back towards Rex, who barely manages to get out of the way in time. Fortunately, it's not sent back with quite the same force as on the way in.]

Oh man... Note to self, personal shielding is gonna be a definite yes!

[denyamenti]

[ Bakura is watching that demonstration with considerable interest, then turns his attention to the barrier, wondering if it would be susceptible to something a little less direct attack and maybe a subtler method. So he waited until he had Rex's attention. ]

Perhaps if you channeled a little less "rampaging bull"...

[andaway]

[Superman would honestly rather not be involved into this. Not because he doesn't think the palace needs to be taken back, and he's fully aware they might get important information out of this- but fighting, as weird as it might be to some, really isn't his favorite past-time.

But it's not like they have many choices. So he's one of the first to attack, using his laser vision to test the barrier's defenses.]

[animosus]

[Hal glows green and flies, but that's about as far as anyone would go to say that is how he normally is in battle. For one thing, he's eschewed the gl uniform to fight in his own clothes.

He also wasn't avoiding Clark per se, but he also wasn't going out of his way to find him either. Unfortunately both of them had similar ideas and had decided to participate in the attack which brings them both in close proximity.

Hal tries ramming a construct train into the barrier before he glances at the man close by. His eyes flicker down to what he knows is a fake leg before looking away guiltily.]

...hey Clark.

[He's not good at the secret identity thing, okay?]

OPEN SIEGE

[andaway]

[Hal Jordan (animosus), Korra (alphatar), Billy Costigan (lostundercover), Mako (firethepolice) & Enjolras(solo_patria)]

[browbeater]

[He stared at the barrier. Openly attacking was not really his style... but if they needed to create a diversion, he could do that.

Hopefully.]

We ready...?

[alphatar]

[A crack of Korra's knuckles and the green sparks flying out of her ring preceded her answer.]

Let's break this thing. [This thing around the palace has been an eyesore and she's been wanting a chance to tear it down for a while now.]

THRONE ROOM

[andaway]

[Superman (andaway), Septimus (survival_isnt_living) & Aya (looksfine)]

[andaway]

[Kal hadn't expected to actually be manage to sneak inside the palace during this attack- he'd hoped to gather information, yes, but he wasn't delusional. He knew that as much as they could try to overcome Malicant, he'd probably always be ready and they didn't know as much of- anything, really, to present an actual attack.

But maybe Malicant didn't know the palace as much as he thought.]

Is this- this is the hall, isn't it?

[looksfine]

[Aya's eyes were glowing as she entered close behind Kal, metal boots clacking softly against the cold, hard floor.]

Is there a reason you sound so surprised by this fact?

I was under the assumption most palaces contained halls. Multiple, in fact.

THRONE ROOM write-up

[wickerwood]

As characters approach the antechamber, they will encounter waves of possessed guards both within and without the room. A fight is nearly guaranteed, though characters may be able to distract the guards well enough to enable another group to sneak past them. Characters will feel unsettled and discouraged as a result of simply being in the antechamber and those who have been to the Death Realm will recognize a similar influence.

All characters will find that the doors to the Throne Room itself are sealed. Though there is no visible barrier, the doors cannot be broken, opened, or harmed in any known way at this time. The closer one comes to the doors, the more strongly fear will grow in them. For any that touch the doors, a sudden sense of hopelessness will encompass their thinking. These feelings, though they can certainly be overcome, will not cease until the character has left the Palace.

PRISON

[andaway]

[Rex Salazar (deusrexmachina), Raine Sage (ruinsprofessor) & Yami no Bakura (denyamenti)]

PRISON write-up

[wickerwood]

A considerable number of possessed kedan stand guard outside of a door whose destination is, at first, unknown. Characters can choose to fight, distract, or sneak around said guards in order to gain entrance to the rough and unpolished pathway. Though the main entrance to the area is sealed within the impenetrable Throne Room, it seems that the possessed guards have excavated an alternate route down to the depths of the Prison.

Once inside, the characters who have visited the area before will find the Prison is both completely familiar and strikingly different. Its structures remain entirely identical and an eery silence stretches throughout the otherwise lifeless hallways. Characters may also be surprised to find that their powers are no longer nullified in the Prison, working as well as they might in any other part of the Palace.

The greatest and most unsettling difference is the graffiti scribbled across the walls in various cells. To anyone who can read kedanese, the messages spell out desperate messages of things like “they’re coming,” “there are only a few of us left,” and “the experiments are getting worse.” While some messages are written in what seems to be ink, others are scrawled in what can only be blood.

Characters may catch glimpses of ghostly images in their peripheral vision, though the image will disappear if they try to view it directly and will not respond to any efforts made to engage with them. A character sensitive to death may notice that a great deal of torment and agony occurred in the area and recognize the images as the spirits of the kedan who were experimented on here.

Hidden away, seemingly at random, also lies a dagger. The steel of its blade and its hilt both showing traceries of scarlet and blue. The dagger's pommel is engraved with an eagle in flight. Those familiar with the symbol might recognize it as the signet of the House of Gaius.

The Dagger:
This the general basis for the shape, but the whole dagger is steel, with the colors somehow in evidence. The blade is eleven inches long, edges very sharp; it's probably capable of cutting slightly more than reasonable but nothing extraordinary. The scabbard is steel, very lightly lined inside, and also shows the traceries of red and blue. They and the rest of the patterning on the scabbard are intricate, but somewhat subtle and not ostentatious.

From a magical perspective, anyone trying to sense things off it will get that it doesn't seem to have any abilities to use as such, but that the quality and strength of the metal is higher than should be possible. They may be able to guess it will dull only very reluctantly, and it probably feels like there's a lot of energy in it but it isn't exactly releasable, and probably most people can't interface with said energy.

[deusrexmachina]

Down the way from a number of kedan guards standing before a door, Rex cautiously peered around the corner, eyes narrowed behind his goggle lenses. When the attack had initially started outside the barrier, it had been the hope that an opportunity like this would come up and that either individuals or small groups would manage to break though. That Bakura was one of the two others who'd made it that far alongside Rex was a bit worrisome, however. Uncertain as to whether or not they could trust him, Rex had already been eyeing him on and off. Still, that concern ended up taking a back seat given the current circumstances.

"Bunch of kedan guards, all in front of a door," he whispered as he shifted his stance and leaned back against the wall, gaze turning back to Bakura and Raine. "I bet we can take them."

[denyamenti]

Bakura was definitely not one for working in tandem with a team of people, but he also knew the benefit of joining forces when interests were aligned. Right now, exploring the palace was taking precedence. He didn't miss the suspicious glances that were being tossed in his direction but neither did he care about them either.

"That won't be a problem," he replied. "How much of them do you want left over? I have fiends to feed."

LIBRARY

[andaway]

[Ava (superoverachiever), Armin (strategisch), & Cassie (werethatgood)]

[strategisch]

Armin had always wanted to enter this library, but under these circumstances? Deplorable.

It seemed like every shelf had been turned on its upside and dumped to the floor, whether to find something or only to create an impermeable mess. He carefully picked through the piles of books with a mincing step, loathe to damage anything but... Well, enough damage had already been done.

"What was their aim in doing this? Leaving everything askew..." It could take weeks, months to repair.

[superoverachiever]

Ava winces when she sees the place. Seeing any library like this at any time would be painful, but for this to be her first in a place she'd been hoping to get to for a year actually hurts her stomach. "Finding intel and making sure no one else could." She folds her arms and sighs, stepping further in carefully.

LIBRARY write-up

[wickerwood]

The once grand Library is now primarily in shambles. Most books are overturned, scattered on tables, or jumbled in large piles on the floor. The previously pristinely organized sections now serve only as a rough idea of what might have once been where. It’s obvious that the possessed kedan were ordered to toss the place. Even the banners seem torn and ripped down, though whether out of spite or in search of something is unclear. The more perceptive of characters could easily determine that Malicant’s guards were searching for something.

For those who have had access to the Library before, they make take note that an entire section dedicated to Tu Vishan and its history has been removed. The charred debris in the center of the Library doesn’t leave much mystery as to what happened to the scores of books on the subject.

Tucked in a cozy side of the library is an imposing fireplace with a selection of furs scattered in front in an almost bed-like manner. The area is clearly meant for long-term studying without disruption. If characters examine the area closely, they may find a trio of loose stones that, when pressed together, will pop loose a section of the bookcase beside the fireplace to reveal a secret passage. This passage is, unfortunately, protected by a barrier that is impenetrable at this time. Perhaps its existence will come in handy later.

Characters are free to roam the entirety of the Library, though the longer they linger, the more likely they are to be attacked. One book seems isolated in a center table, flipped open to a seemingly specific page. Another one book may be found on the edges of the pile of burned books, only partially burned. If characters search closely, they may also discover a nook in the back corner of the library, partially hidden behind a bookcase. Within the tiny nook is a chest which contains three key scrolls. The aforementioned items are as follows:

Book of Festivals: Found on the table and opened to a page detailing the Fall Harvest. Contains a book on all major Festivals of Tu Vishan both now and in its history as well as rumored origins. Information from this book will be ongoing and given as relevant within the game (the player is free to ask the mods for additional information as well).

Book of Where Do Great Turtles Come From?: Found beneath the stack of burned books. This small and illustrated book, with many pages ruined by the fire, provides limited folklore on the origins of the Great Turtle; it seems to be a storybook for children. Information from this book will be given immediately upon selection with potential for more if the character makes effort to restore its partially burned pages.

Scroll of Watch Cities: Found in the chest within the nook. Provides information about the three cities and their temples which oversaw the balance between the Realms of Life, Dreaming, and Death. Information from this scroll will be provided immediately upon selection.

Scroll of Devourer of Worlds: Found in the chest within the nook. A brief scroll providing scribbled notes about an evil which, though not named, is most likely Malicant. Information from this scroll will be provided immediately upon selection.

Scroll of Wlodzislaw: Found in the chest within the nook. A scroll providing information on Wlodzislaw, a monk of the Dan’effrei and a watcher of the Dreaming Realm. Information from this scroll will be provided immediately upon selection.

Each character may select one book or scroll to take with them out of the Library, but the item must be obtained ICly in the log to be received and its obtainment cannot be handwaved.

GUARD RESCUE

[andaway]

[Mark (shorttempered), Frank (iguanasolution), & Bart (backinakidflash)]

[shorttempered]

[Mark didn't even try to be subtle. The mission was to find the guards and figure out what happened to them, so he just didn't see the point in being stealthy. Fly through a few walls, and he figured the guards would be crawling all over him.

This was one of those times he hated being right.

While he could handle any one of these guys on their own, or heck, even a few at a time, they managed to sneak up on him and never let up their barrage. He could, in theory, knock them all away with a swat of his hand, but he really didn't want to hurt them if he didn't have to. It wasn't there fault they were possesed by Never-Speak-His-Name.

He managed to turn his head to avoid getting punched in the nose (which would have been more of a minor annoyance than a broken bone) and yelled out:] Hey a little help here guys!?

ESHAI

[andaway]

[Kon (tactile_telekinesis) & Hayley (everylittlegirl)]

[everylittlegirl]

It wasn't exactly the way they had planned it, but things seemed to be going well enough. Some of them had successfully made it inside, thanks to Frank's and Annabeth's inside information, and now they were splitting up into teams. Hayley was less specifically interested in the old Emperor's room as she was disinterested in combat--though she worried about Bart--, the prison, and so on. The library might have been interesting, but there were enough people to split up and she was just as interested in the bedroom as the book room.

She moved quietly around the corner before glancing back to find Kon giving last minute advice to the other group. Hayley grabbed his hand just long enough to give him an encouraging tug, then began down the hallway toward the old Emperor's room.

This place was dangerous. She knew it was and she wasn't sure she could be any more excited. Her heartbeat was pronounced enough to feel without effort. Though fear gnawed at the back of her mind, she felt bizarrely mostly safe around Kon. With the plasma rifle attached around her chest and wrist, definitely a Tony Stark design, and the charm she could use to go invisible around her neck, she trusted Kon to take care of the rest.

For once, she was wearing a black jacket instead of a red one.

ESHAI write-up

[wickerwood]

A pair of ornate and gilded doors lead Eshai’s personal chambers. On the wall across from her doors are the remains of what was once probably a kedan. The barrier to her room is not visible, yet characters attempting to pass through without the object gifted to them from Eshai at Christmas will find themselves repelled backward with moderate force. It’s clear that, since the mess was created, no kedan have been in the area or attempted entrance again.

Within the pristine chambers, untouched by rot and free of any evidence of the former Emperor’s murder, are everything one might expect to find in the bedroom of an Emperor. While not overly lavish, the four post bed with curtains, beautifully woven tapestries hung on the walls, and even the lush rugs warming the floor speak to a higher level of living.

Characters may explore the room in its entirety, though they will find all important documents have been removed, likely before Malicant even took hold of the Palace. The closet contains a number of elegant garments; the dresser contains much the same. There is a jewelry box upon the dresser in which a simple onyx ring can be found. There are also a black and gold fountain pen and a gray feather in the nightstand beside the bed and a seashell hidden beneath one of the many pillows on the bed.

Onyx Ring: A smooth band which seems to fit whoever its wearer is. This item’s magical ability must be discovered in the log or will be revealed immediately upon being selected.

Fountain Pen: A beautiful fountain pen which seems never to run out of ink. This item’s magical ability must be discovered in the log or will be revealed immediately upon being selected.

Gray Feather: An elegant and pristine feather of a gray color that seems to shimmer silver in certain light. This item’s magical ability must be discovered in the log or will be revealed immediately upon being selected.

Seashell: A small conch shell which can be blown into. This item’s magical ability must be discovered in the log or will be revealed immediately upon being selected.

Each character may select one item to take with them out of Eshai’s room, but the item must be obtained ICly in the log to be received and its obtainment cannot be handwaved.