Graded [Ryken City] Whispering Pests

[Ice Ice Ice]

GUY​

Guy appeared to have stumbled into an inexplicable stroke of fortune, as if some cosmic being had taken a sudden interest in him. While the reasons eluded him, he adopted this curious situation without protest. To the onlookers, his words bore the weight of truth, and Guy, for the time being, had no qualms playing along.

"May he rest in peace." With a seemingly solemn disposition, Guy offered his condolences and a respectful bow before making a hasty retreat from the rather awkward and misplaced scene. "Well, that was certainly interesting." Guy could not deny how amusing playing god was. Although brief, it was a notable experience he would not forget. As he distanced himself, he couldn't help but acknowledge the absurdity of it all. He had hoped to edge closer to uncovering the enigmatic riddle that tormented the village, yet fate had different intentions, leaving Guy's plans in shambles.

Guy rejoined the group engrossed in their fervent discussion, his aspirations of enlightenment still flickering. Yet, despite the words exchanged and events unraveling, the gathering seemed none the wiser. Before they could progress in their musings, the distant murmurs from the outside soon escalated into cacophonous clamor, with the relentless pounding on the town hall doors sending tremors of unease through Guy's thoughts. "Unfortunate. Tsk." He clicked his teeth in frustration.

While others like Naomi took bold initiative, Guy found himself marooned in contemplation. The straightforward medical assignment he had envisioned had, with a sinister twist, metamorphosed into an eerie and unsettling night.

Standing resolute, Guy thought aloud, his voice a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. "Why the sudden change in behavior?" He pondered the abrupt uptick in activity among both the insects and the deranged villagers. His fingers danced restlessly as he considered the implications. Naomi's sound theory lingered, but Guy hesitated to fully embrace it. He contemplated the possibility of a nocturnal pattern, only to dismiss it as an unlikely candidate. Another notion emerged - a morbid curiosity whether the frenzied entities were drawn to the living. "Again, a possibility, but of little merit." His gaze darted around, scrutinizing the town hall, though it was evident his restlessness offered no definitive answers. It was a cerebral journey into unfamiliar territory, and Guy acknowledged that his hypothesis held tenuous ground.

In a shift of focus, Guy approached the elderly woman whose voice had carried earlier. His inquisitiveness overcame the gravity of the situation as he probed her with a blend of detachment and genuine interest. "What, pray tell, befalls those unfortunate souls who fall victim to the clutches of these insects or the deranged villagers? A swift descent into madness or a rather gruesome feast upon our flesh?" The apparent insensitivity of his inquiry was a facade, concealing a genuine thirst for knowledge that separated itself from the tangles of emotion.

Summary: Gave Agnes and her deceased father some privacy because Guy was a swell fellow and totally not because he found weeping relatives weird and awkward. Not wanting to crowd the door, he instead crowded his mind with thoughts. After realizing he was not going anywhere, he started get in small talk with the elderly lady that was talking prior to the whole moaning and groaning got too loud.

 

[Goran Glacial]

~Baxtor Everfrost~
Baxtor nodded towards his sudden company evidently feeling the same about being only good to poke and slash for the good of the group, he wished he had more skills but sadly he was only a one trick pony at this time. as baxtor contemplated this the noise rose in an cacophony of dread and danger outside. baxtor rose to help the villagers to nail the windows shut hammering his fingers a few times in his rush. and when that task was finished he helped hold the door with his weapon drawn incase anything got through. he really hoped that the possessed and the bugs were all he had to deal with remembering a certain giant bug creature from his adventure in the underground of ryke.

 

[Trystan1295]

Model ST3-LL4
[Construct], [Android], [Ryken Adventurer F]
Location: Kael Village Town Hall
Mentions: Novama , Gwen_Temi , Goran Glacial , DSLIX , Ice Ice Ice , DarkKitsune , ebonheart98 , Voider , Voiremine
Interactions: Naomi ( Gwen_Temi ), Baxtor ( Goran Glacial ), @Tupu ( DSLIX ), Vilde ( ebonheart98 )

Summary

Stella agrees to follow Naomi’s plan and rushes to help barricade the door. She urges everyone else mentioned by Naomi to do the same, but shows concern over Baxtor’s injured fingers.
​

---

Stella’s moping was cut short by an increasingly loud cacophony off devilish laughter and other noises that instilled a sense of urgency that shook her to the core. She turned to Baxtor and told him, “Looks like we’ve got company. Think you can—“

Her motivational talk was cut short by Naomi stepping up to suggest a plan of action. Certainly an unexpected action from the small magic student, but definitely not an unwelcome one. Naomi suggested that she, Tupu, Vilde, and Baxtor help hold the door shut so the villagers could have an easier time nailing down barricades. Or something along those lines, at least. Stella couldn’t exactly catch Naomi’s voice because of all the surrounding hullabaloo and the distance between them.

She turned to Baxtor, ready to nod at him confidently, only to see he’d already disappeared somewhere. Help out with the windows? Was that really part of the plan? With a roll of her eyes, Stella shut the front door to the hall herself and hung on tightly to the handles. Once the door had been entirely shut, Stella turned to Tupu and Vilde and called out for them, saying, “You heard the lady, you two! If you’re not going to help me hold this door shut, at least help the villagers nail it down. Don’t worry about me, because I won’t let anyone get through. Even if they get through this door, they’ll have a hard time getting over me… Not like I think it’s gonna get to that, but y’know.”

At about that time, Baxtor returned to help hold the door shut. Stella, who had seen him accidentally hammer his own fingers a couple times while working on nailing the windows shut, winced. “Your fingers are injured, aren’t they?” she told the noble. “Are you sure you can hold this door shut with your hand like that? If you feel too much pain, try seeing if you can get that healed. I’m pretty sure Naomi can offer that healing spell she tried to use earlier if you ask nicely.”

With that said, Stella proceeded to push the door to hold it shut. At this point, she wasn’t applying her [Superstrength F] skill, as she was concerned she might accidentally break the door if she pushed too hard.

 

[DSLIX]

Tupu Maa

Mentions: Gwen_Temi Trystan1295 Goran Glacial
Tupu hearing the sudden assault of the mindless drones of the beetles on the town hall didn’t hesitate to spring into action. Naomi and Stella’s words would only make him grunt as he heads off to help barricade the town hall with a serious expression. Quickly helping the motley crew of elders and women barricading the entrances to the building. Tupu made sure to block doorways and windows as well as nailing some loose planks and pieces of wood as extra protection. Tupu then walked throughout the whole town hall wanting to make sure everything was properly barricaded and held together.Seeing Baxter bash his fingers a few times with his thumb he approaches the young swordsman and say “Do not rush if it’s only gonna make you less helpful as you might need your sword hand soon” I say before walking off to help some of the others. Making sure every known entrance is blocked and barricaded he [Jumping E] up to the second floor and peeking out of one of the windows trying to see what’s exactly happening without drawing much attention seeing the group of mad villagers rhythmically beat and pound at the barricaded entrances in sync a feeling of unease washes over Tupu and he pities the villagers outside using his [Heightened Senses: Hearing] to listen to the mumbles and quiet chants of the mad villagers seeing if they’re smart enough to see if I can hear anything related to their intentions.

Summary:
1.Helped Barricade the entrances of the Town Hall
2. Spying on the mad villagers from the upstairs window

Cooldowns:
Jumping E - 1 post
Heightened Senses D - 2 post​

 

[ebonheart98]

Vilde Iversdatter
When one of the crowd stood out to reveal himself, she chuckled softly.

"Well met, Rieger! It seems we'll need all the help we can get."

Vilde heeded the call to action, getting her back off the wall. She took up her shield and propped herself up against the door alongside Baxtor and Stella, holding fast with every ounce of strength she could muster. She felt the pounding of the horde and pushed back as hard as she could, grimacing.

Vilde glanced back to the sources of light in the room, wondering just how bright this place must have looked from the outside. When they had headed inside earlier, hadn't it have been sunset? Could these things be attracted to the light?

"Is it possible that the light could be what's attracting them?"

Summary: Greeted Rieger, set to work defending the entrance, asks a question of everyone within earshot.

 

[Novama]

Mentions: ebonheart98 Ice Ice Ice Gwen_Temi Voider DSLIX DarkKitsune Trystan1295 Goran Glacial Voiremine
OOC: Tupu skip 1.
Weather: a cooling evening with occasional gusts
Time: mid evening
Cooldown:
TLDR: Malik creates an illusion to distract the bugs and change the situation. Then calamity struck the back entrance. The occupants of the hall would have little time to react and avoid disaster.
Post Listening:

Kael - Village Hall

In the heart of the town hall, beneath thick wooden timbers burdened with dark promise, Malik looked thoughtfully at Glacier. The weight of the situation pressed heavily on them all, but Malik found himself caught by an idea, a spark that tugged at the edges of his mind, inspired by Glacier's words.

He moved slightly to greet Rieger, opening his mouth to speak, but then paused. The idea in his head was blossoming, fully forming, and he knew he had to act upon it before it was too late. Without a word, he pulled from his pocket a pink crystal shaped like a flower, its surface shining with a deep inner glow. The smooth facets of the gem caught the muted light, turning it into a dance of colors.

Drawing a deep breath, Malik focused his magic and conjured a stunning illusion in the middle of the square by looking through a space between a window and its shutters. It was a villager, shining brilliantly, its form flickering with a light that seemed almost ethereal. This figure stood tall, waving and taunting, an unmistakable beacon of defiance amidst the encroaching darkness.

The result was instantaneous. The maddening swarm of bugs, which had threatened to engulf everything, now scattered. The light was anathema to them, banishing them to the shadows, their wings beating a hasty retreat. Likewise, the mad villagers, caught in the grasp of an affliction that neither reason nor plea could break, slowed. Their frenzied movements turned sluggish, their eyes clouded with confusion. The ominous aura they exuded dimmed, leaving them appearing more lost than menacing.

Tupu would catch fragments of the mumbled conversations from the mad villagers outside. “...the beacon...must snuff it out...” their voices drifted, like fragments of a dream.

The mad villagers outside the hall had mixed reactions to Vilde's questions. Some were drawn to her words, a flicker of comprehension in their eyes, while others continued to be pulled in by the illusion's radiance. The villagers within the hall were uncertain if the various lit candles were enough to draw the mad villagers through the shut doors and windows.

The old woman turned to Guy, her voice low but clear. "When they catch someone, child, they become one of them. Lost. Consumed by the madness that now governs this place."

But even as they made sense of their surroundings, a crash resonated from one of the back entrances. The barricade they had hastily erected proved inadequate against the sheer force of the mad villagers' desperation. Wood splintered, and a few madmen broke through, their faces twisted with obsession and rage.

For a moment, the world stood still. All eyes turned towards the breach, and the precarious safety of the group now hung by the thinnest of threads. The noise would only draw more through the breach and the opening was to the rear of the building and away from the bright and distracting illusion Malik had mad. In some ways, the illusion may have been sending more bugs and madders to the dim alleys. On the bright side, Stella was able to work with the others at the front door and ensure it remained closed.

​

 

[Ice Ice Ice]

GUY​

Guy's eyes widened in an almost comedic display of astonishment, quickly devolving into a sly grin. The somber weight of the elderly woman's words should have kept his demeanor subdued, yet he found himself captivated by the bizarre narrative unfolding before him. Each new revelation about the village's affliction seemed to push the boundaries of medical understanding, careening past the realms of logical explanation into the realm of, well, magic. Despite this seemingly unnerving realization, it piqued his curiosity rather than deterred him. The prospect of venturing into the enigmatic realm of magical understanding might have been daunting to others, but to Guy, it simply meant more uncharted territory to explore.

As his inquisitive gaze returned to the elderly villager, an ear-shattering crash erupted from the hall's rear, stealing his attention. The chaotic entrance of the frenzied villagers, akin to deranged zombies on a human buffet spree, was an unexpected twist. Yet, this new development presented Guy with the golden opportunity he had subconsciously awaited—the chance to confront an infected individual up close. This batch of aggressors differed from their earlier encounters; these were genuine threats that warranted a healthy dose of self-defense. With a calculated shift in mindset, Guy assessed the situation and determined that his comrades were preoccupied either shoring up the entrance or stationed somewhere aloft on the second floor. In this chaotic tableau, he emerged as the closest line of defense to the rear entryways.

Summoning his inner recklessness, Guy threw caution to the wind, surging into action. Charging headlong toward the stampeding villagers, he made himself a living barrier, using his above average stature and strength to Tackle into the oncoming mob. The optics of his selfless intervention were deceiving, making him appear as a heroic interloper in the chaos, but beneath the surface, it was his insatiable curiosity driving him forward.

Amidst the frenzied clash, an unsettling grin crept across his face, a stark contrast to the life-or-death confrontation at hand. The turmoil of the moment did little to suppress his eccentric ponderings. Amidst the struggle, he wondered whimsically, "Could a mere touch be enough to transmit the infection, or does it require the added intimacy of broken skin? The possibilities are rather fascinating." The contrast between his fierce engagement in combat and his contemplative reflections further highlighted the strange amalgamation of false bravery and lunacy that Guy had introduced into the unsettling scene.

Summary: Used Tackle [Fast F + Superstrength F + Energized F] and bum-rushed the villagers from the rear to either push them back or knock them down.

 

[Voider]

Glacier​

​

Mentions: Novama ebonheart98 Ice Ice Ice Gwen_Temi DSLIX DarkKitsune Trystan1295 Goran Glacial Voiremine ​

---

Glacier began making his way to the stairway, before a loud crash stopped him in his tracks. As he processed what was happening, he witnessed Guy charge into the sudden breach, scuffling with the crazed people. Gathering his composure, Glacier quickly decided on his course of action; he may prefer to be methodical in both mind and speech, but he could act swiftly when circumstances called for it.

Glacier raised his head, and let out a howl.[1]

Immediately, five shards of ice began to form around him, gathering a mixture of humidity and Glacier's magic to grow rapidly. As the seconds went by, these shards of ice speedily expanded into quadrupeds, before the details shaped into foxes. What was left were five foxes made of ice; almost in exact appearance to Glacier, but about six inches shorter, and instead of a core, two bright blue points of light shined at where the eyes would be on a normal fox. At once, they all turned to Glacier, waiting for instructions.

"[Analog]: Humanoids with crazed appearance and mannerisms classified as hostile. Orders: Secure the wall breach, push back hostiles by non-fatal means if possible, prevent wounds on non-hostiles. Execute." Glacier's core glowed in tandem with his speech in the [Construct] language, which could be vaguely compared to differing lengths and pitches of a whistling noise; far unlike when he typically spoke, his words resembled a concise, nearly militaristic demeanor. Of course, only those who understood [Analog] would recognize that.

The foxes of ice then approached the gap, barking and snarling at the zombie-like people. They headbutted or kicked the ones who were closer, though refrained from using enough force to kill. They also attempted to assist Guy with his opponents, so that he would not be wounded, as they had been ordered. Glacier himself remained silent throughout all of this, his head constantly swiveling to stare at each of his minions and different points of the fight.

Summary
Glacier howled and summoned his minions, gave them orders in the construct language, and sent them into the fight to (preferably non-fatally) push back the crazed people from the breach; the minions also attempted to assist Guy with his combat.​

---

Action [1]: Used ability [Foxes of Ice]​

Foxes of Ice - Magic F, Minions [Foxes of Ice] F - Glacier howls, creating up to a total 5 Foxes of Ice to act as his minions, which he can give orders to. The Foxes of Ice will crumble and dissipate by the next post, unless this ability is activated repeatedly; in which case, those still present remain and those destroyed get replaced. - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown

---

​

Spoiler: Foxes of Ice

Foxes of Ice​

Current Amount: 5
​

​

 

[Gwen_Temi]

Naomi Plumfoot​

ebonheart98 Ice Ice Ice Voider DSLIX DarkKitsune Trystan1295 Novama Goran Glacial Voiremine

Just as Naomi began to race up the stairs, an ominous crash filled her ears.

“Shit!”

She came back down to see the team keeping the front door barricaded and secure. Good. Then, she turned just in time to see Guy diving right into a crowd of infected who'd broken into the house. Glacier was racing in just after him with his ice minions.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!”

Truth be told, the spells that she’d developed for this particular adventure were far from ideal. After her experience with a giant beetle and bandits during her entrance exam, she’d come prepared to kill all of her foes. You know, the worst case scenario, here. So, she decided to try a gentler approach with the bit of magic she’d learned at the academy and raced towards the back door.

She threw her hand forward as soon as she got within range and used [Wall of Light].

A concussive pulse of magical energy radiated outwards from her ring, helping to drive back the raving crowd back outside alongside Guy and Glacier’s minions. Then, she’d curl her hand into a fist and the ambient blue light would converge upon the doorway. It would fuse into a wall of hard light, anchored to the archway of the door that could serve as barrier to block the entrance and keep the infected out of the house.

"Can we get some hands at the back to fix the barricade!?"

A stopgap that wasn't going to take the place of good old wood and nails.

Summary
1) Moved to the rear door with Glacier and Guy.
2) Used [Wall of Light] to try and secure rear door.​

Wall of Light- Magic E, Magic Duration F, Barrier E, Knockback F, Energized E - Naomi releases a wave of unrefined mystical energy to drive foes back before harnessing the ambient light generated and focusing it into a barrier composed entirely of hard light that lasts for one hour.- Grade E- 0 post cooldown.

 

[DarkKitsune]

DARK
INTERACTION: Novama Gwen_Temi Voider DSLIX Goran Glacial ebonheart98 Trystan1295 Voiremine
LOCATION: VILLAGE HALL


Dark froze on the staircase as the crazed villagers broke in. First they dropped the books, deciding they wouldn't be worth throwing at any of the villagers' heads as it could cause concussions, severe or worse. They ran back down the staircase and saw several slightly smaller Glacier's. And it wasn't long before Dark felt like their eyes were blinded by light, causing them to blink for a second. Back to the matter at hand, their mind were in a bit of a frenzy. They aren't much of a fighter. As a matter of fact, their only combat skill was nullify or dark Nullification, both of which instilled caution into Dark not to use on the afflicted after what happened to the old man, Dark wished they could've been more useful after this, they'd need to learn some sort of combat skill or two. They heard Naomi asking to get help with the barricade and Dark jumped on it considering for now it would be the best they could do to help. However, they would check up on everyone if the situation was stabilized.

"I'm on it!"

They ran back up the staircase to grab the books, putting them in front of the door, which was gonna be enough. Dark started taking chairs and putting them in front of the door to try and prevent any more infected from entering.

SUMMARY: Dark attempts to come to the aid of the party. They begin their attempts to barricade the door while making a mental note to check on the others when the situation stabled.​

 

[Goran Glacial]

~Baxtor Everfrost~
Baxtor breathed a sigh at the distraction the gave some leeway and a breather at the front door before hearing a crash come from the back. Baxtor followed the others that were pushing back the horde helping in whatever way he could before they pushed them back through the doorway. then he helped barricade the door. hammering his fingers from time to time in his haste. baxtor hoped nothing else would happen as it was already chaotic enough as it is.

 

[Trystan1295]

Model ST3-LL4
[Construct], [Android], [Ryken Adventurer F]
Location: Kael Village Town Hall
Mentions: Novama , Gwen_Temi , Goran Glacial , DSLIX , Ice Ice Ice , DarkKitsune , ebonheart98 , Voider , Voiremine

Summary

Stella stays behind looking after the villagers that helped her nail the front doors shut. She gives everyone a stern warning about engaging in direct contact with the horde.
​

---

The satisfaction of having successfully nailed the front door shut was very short-lived for Stella. She had barely let go of the handles to the front door when a deafening crash rang out from one of the back entrances. Stella’s first directive was to ensure every villager within arm’s reach of her—that meant everyone that had been helping her with the nailing process—was out of harm’s way. “Hang in there, everyone,” she told the villagers. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Naomi called for backup with the barricades, but unfortunately, Stella couldn’t abandon the villagers that depended on her at the front gate. Not to mention, she lacked any methods of crowd control like Glacier’s [Foxes of Ice] or Naomi’s [Wall of Light]. She couldn’t even cause a proper distraction with magic the way Malik did. Most importantly, though, was the fact that the nature of the infection was still very much a mystery to everyone. There was no guarantee even [Constructs] without organic “flesh” of any kind such as Stella or Glacier would be spared from the same fate as these Human infected. Needless to say, someone like Stella, who focuses on one-to-one melee combat, would be taking a big risk by leaping into a crowd of what was essentially a horde of zombies that very well could add her to their ranks upon contact.

At least she had the common sense to arrive at that conclusion before leaping into action. Quite the pleasant surprise, too; it meant the intended functions for her logic algorithms had been at least mostly restored. That being said, Stella wasn’t sure what was her main prerogative: whether it was self-preservation, looking out for the villagers that depended on her, or just wanting to spare herself the embarrassment and not be that guy.

Wait.

That “Guy.”

“Oh, don’t tell me…”

Stella groaned and rolled her eyes as they landed on the hulking silhouette of the man who appeared to be the most versed in medicine, and much to her dismay, he was well into enemy territory, going as far as to [Tackle] the horde head-on. In a rather unnatural display of emotion, Stella let out a frustrated grunt. “Geez! Can I get someone to escort Guy to cover somehow? I’d very much rather our medical expert not defect to the enemy side against his will, thank you very much.”

Turning to the rest of the group, she offered a strongly-worded suggestion. “Quick reminder that we’re still really in the dark when it comes to this horde, and that until proven otherwise, any one of us is fair game for infection. Please, for the love of your deities of choice, avoid direct contact at all costs, and focus on getting that barricade up. If we really need anything thinned out, we have plenty of magic and ranged users to back us up. Don’t be that Guy, pun intended.”

 

[Novama]

Mentions: ebonheart98 Ice Ice Ice Gwen_Temi Voider DSLIX DarkKitsune Trystan1295 Goran Glacial Voiremine
OOC: Tupu skip 2. reiger skip 1, vilde skip 1 -- lets see if we can get some more posts in for next round. be a bad time to go mia
Weather: a cooling evening with occasional gusts
Time: mid evening
Cooldown:
TLDR: Malik maintains his illusion, the backdoor defenders defend but potentially at a price, the front door defenders are in danger of being overwhelmed from within.
Post Listening:

Kael - Village Hall

​

Outside the dwelling, Malik wielded his craft masterfully, as if weaving threads of sunlight. His illusion stood tall and radiant, a beacon of shimmering luminescence in the center of the square. Even as the dimming evening encroached, the visage was brilliantly stark against the twilight. Villagers, mad with whatever dark tendrils had claimed them, paused, almost lulled by the brightness. And the bugs, those vile little harbingers of mayhem, recoiled from the light. One could nearly hear the sigh of relief that emanated from the house as the immediate threat lessened.

Within the rattling walls of the building, however, a dance of desperation unfurled. Guy, with an intensity that one might mistake for madness, threw himself with abandon into the throng of maddened villagers. Every swing and gesture was an ode to survival. Beside him, Glacier's creations moved with a fluid grace only magic could grant. These ice foxes, reflections of their creator, aimed to subdue, their frosty forms moving to disarm rather than to destroy. In contrast, Baxtor's actions held a finality, his commitment to the group's safety evident in the ends met by those who faced him. Baxtor's targets were dead. Guy's madman was not immediately clear as to being alive or dead.

But in war, even one fought within walls, every action has a consequence. As the mad villagers fell, a chilling miasma, as dark as a moonless night, emanated from their mouths. Guy, Baxtor, and even Glacier's magical familiars found themselves engulfed. The darkness clawed at them, seeking purchase, trying to seep into any vulnerable crevice. (Resist an F grade attack)

The doorway nearby where Naomi rushed to was a battleground of a different kind. Her magic, potent and bright, created a wall, blinding in its purity. Yet, as soon as it manifested, the mad villagers, as if sensing a barrier to their frenzy, hammered at it with relentless force. The wall flickered under the onslaught, each hit threatening to shatter the delicate weave of magic.

Close by, Dark moved with purpose, drawing from the depths of determination. With assistance from a few able-bodied villagers, they maneuvered chairs, planks, and whatever lay at hand to seal the compromised door. Each second was precious, each nail hammered a small victory. Yet, the barricade remained tenuous, its permanence in question. The barrier and the builders would need to remain an extra round to finish the job.

And then, a fresh wave of horror echoed. From the side wing, where the dead farmer had been left, came a flood of tormented souls. Women, children, elderly—all lost to the grip of madness, their eyes void of recognition. Among them, a face known to many, Agnes, moved with the same disconcerting fervor, a reminder of how deep the malady had reached. Those in the main hall by the front door would be first to encounter the onslaught of new crazy. (Stella, Vilde, Tupu, Rieger)

The moment was a poignant testament to the delicate balance between hope and despair, a dance that seemed to favor neither side.

​

 

[Ice Ice Ice]

GUY​

Stella's exasperation resonated in Guy's ears, yet he maintained a steadfast silence, an enigmatic smile dancing upon his lips. The bold depiction of a fearless martyr was precisely the role he embraced. These were not Stella's views on him, but Guy believed that they were. His presence was conspicuous, firmly entrenched within the enemy's ranks, showcasing a daring recklessness designed to cultivate the legend, or con, he aspired to create.

Amid the fallen villagers, an ominous darkness surged forth from their agape mouths, its obsidian shade reminiscent of starless night. Guy found this a curious yet ominous revelation. The malevolent mist hungrily clawed at every opening it encountered, its intent to not only engulf the hapless bystanders but also Guy, Baxtor, and the familiars conjured by Glacier.

Guy's instincts urged him to withdraw from the onslaught of the noxious haze, a temptation he grappled with, aware that his reputation would suffer if he fled immediately after charging in. His gaze swept over the lifeless villagers, a silent acknowledgment of the gruesome task Baxtor had shouldered. A pang of gratitude for Baxtor's compassion washed over him, sparing him the discomfort of confronting his own unease about committing the act in plain view. In the absence of witnesses, he found not issue in doing so. The prospect of investigating the deceased later, once the immediate threat subsided, lingered in his mind.

With the malevolent magic's threat looming, Guy's hands extended, enveloping the frigid form of one of Glacier's enchanted foxes. In a maneuver he deemed quite clever, he wielded the ice sculpture as an impromptu weapon, a glimmer of resourcefulness flickering in his eyes as he confronted the ominous energy. The hope that the construct was more durable than delicate crossed his mind, a testament to his self-proclaimed pragmatic approach in the face of the uncanny.

"Shield me, my frozen companion," he uttered unabashedly, flinging and waving the familiar with a touch of theatricality, his aim set on repelling the malevolent miasma and the frenzied villagers.

Summary: Picked up on of Glacier's foxes, with permission from Voider , and used them to fan away both the miasma and any remaining zombie-like villagers if there were any heading their way.

 

[Voider]

Glacier​

​

Novama ebonheart98 Gwen_Temi DSLIX DarkKitsune Trystan1295 Goran Glacial Voiremine
Mentions: Guy ( Ice Ice Ice )​

---

Glacier watched over his minions as the "hostiles" were pushed back; however, the new threat from the downed people caught both himself and his minions off-guard. Just as he processed the situation, more crazed villagers burst into the room from within the building itself, presenting a new challenge. However, yet another pressing matter presented itself to Glacier, as he could feel his minions quickly expending their capacity of animation.

Thus, Glacier once again lifted his head up to howl, in order to refresh his minions' time.[1]

With that concern solved, Glacier took stock of the situation. He was a bit shocked to see Guy brazenly grab one of the foxes of ice, using it as some form of shield or weapon against the encroaching miasma; he was unsure how to feel about that, though quickly shook it off, as there were far more important things to be worried about. Seeing that the backdoors were somewhat secured by Naomi and Dark, Glacier gave new orders to his other minions as before. [Analog]: "You four, secure the new front; if imperative, utilize fatal strikes. Execute immediately!"

The foxes of ice promptly heeded the order, attempting to swiftly escape the clutches of the miasma if possible, though barging right through it if evasion meant delay. With [Fast F], they would try to quickly make there way to the new threat from the side wing, skidding to a halt in front of the new crazed people before trying to hold them back.[A] They would still use non-fatal pushes or blows, but if any still designated hostiles made their way past this line of defense and towards the others, the minions wouldn't hesitate to [Frost-Bite] them.

Meanwhile, the fox of ice being wielded by Guy would let out confused yelps while being waved around.

Summary: Glacier's minions, except for the one being used by Guy, are sent to fend off the new threat.
​

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Action [1]: Used ability [Foxes of Ice]

F Grade Cooldown: 0/0

Foxes of Ice - Magic F, Minions [Foxes of Ice] F - Glacier howls, creating up to a total 5 Foxes of Ice to act as his minions, which he can give orders to. The Foxes of Ice will crumble and dissipate by the next post, unless this ability is activated repeatedly; in which case, those still present remain and those destroyed get replaced. - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown
​

---

Current Amount: 5

Action [A]: 4 Used skill [Fast F]
Action : 4 (may or may not have) Used ability [Frost-Bite]

Frost-Bite - [Natural Weapons] F, Continuing F - The Fox of Ice in question attempts to bite it's opponent, severely freezing the area of injury. - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown​

 

[Voiremine]

He thought everything was going pretty well, a bit annoying he couldn't help with those not-zombies, but the green-skinned lady had pretty good points. So he was just sticking around at the front entrance helping to barricade, and they were just getting done with that when a horde of insane villagers busted in from the side. He was getting real antsy about this, he was put on this world to fight, not this. He wasn't going to just sit back anymore.

"Sorry lady looks like we don't get a choice," He begins running towards the new wave, trying to quickly close the gap "Cross the Water!"

He shouts, throwing a magic-infused punch at the nearest crazy and attempting to continue pushing the enemy back, wildly punching around him whilst trying to avoid headshots and permanent injury. Whether he successfully minimized injury or not was questionable. This might not have been the smartest move, but at least he was doing something.

~SUMMARY~
Rieger gets tired of waiting around, using the new wave of insane villagers as an excuse to enter the fray in spite of prior urging by Stella.

He charges forward leading with [Cross the Water] and going into a flurry of punches.

Cross the Water - Fighting Style F, Technique Core [Knockback] F, Magic F - User declares the name of this ability, infuses a fist with mana, and throws a strong punch with it, sending the impacted target flying. - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown

 

[Gwen_Temi]

Naomi Plumfoot​

ebonheart98 Ice Ice Ice Voider DSLIX DarkKitsune Trystan1295 Novama

The situation at the back of the town hall seemed to be under control.

The infected who’d invaded the building had all either been killed or driven back, her barrier was holding the horde back for the moment, and the combined efforts of Dark and the locals to rebuild a functional barricade were coming along well. And, just as things seemed to be turning in their favor, another horde emerged near the front of the building. Naomi was glad to see Glacier run off with his minions to go and handle the situation up front.

Because she had her hands full just keeping the situation under control at the back.

“Good job, Dark. Everyone. Just keep it up a little while longer.”

With her fist held high and a vibrant blue glow emanating from her ring, Naomi kept her attention focused on the rear entrance. The strain from maintaining her [Wall of Light] kept Naomi from using similarly potent abilities, and she had a feeling that her barrier wasn’t going to hold up much longer. Certainly not long enough for the barricade to be properly repaired. So, she decided to add a bit more hard light to the barrier with hopes that it would give Dark and the locals the time they needed to secure the rear.

The young wizard held position, threw her hand forward, and used [Simple Barrier] to anchor a weaker barrier to her [Wall of Light] to help fortify it.

Then she did it again.

Then one last time.

Triple reinforcing her [Wall of Light] with three [Simple Barrier]s with hopes of keeping the horde at bay to give Dark and everyone else helping to build a secure, permanent barricade at the rear all the time they needed to finish the job. Those inferior fortifications only last a few seconds, even if the horde failed to smash through them, but it would have to be enough.

“We finish the job back here, then we’ll be freed up to help the others.”

Summary
1.Held position at the rear entrance.
2. Anchored [Simple Barrier] +2 (Three uses of [Simple Barrier]) to [Wall of Light] to reinforce it against the horde.​

Simple Barrier- Barrier F, Energized F - Naomi creates a wall of hard light that lingers for a single turn or until destroyed. She can use this ability thrice in quick succession should she choose to not move during that turn. Simple Barriers can be left in place as fortifications while the caster moves around independently of them.- Grade F- 0 post cooldown.

 

[DarkKitsune]

DARK
INTERACTION: Novama Gwen_Temi Voider DSLIX Goran Glacial Trystan1295 Voiremine
LOCATION: VILLAGE HALL
During the madness that proceeded to ensue, Dark, with the assistance of some of the villagers, worked on the barricade in the back, moving furniture pieces and other objects again the door. Making sure everything was placed in a position to make it harder to move or bust down by leaning the back of a chair under the door nob to keep it from turning, as an example. Dark became worried about what was happening up front, things felt like this could simply be confirmed as magic. dark magic, ironically, Dark had a dark affinity and they figured at some point after this they should really learn more about that, not that they would inflict anything like this on anyone if they were able too. They began to get worried about their party. How were things going up front? Was everyone okay up there? Naomi's using a lot of magic too, it would surely exhaust her. Dark moved items to re-enforce the barricade as much as they could and they were also very much thankful for the aid of the villagers. The situation seemed to bring everyone together despite Dark having killed the old man earlier. When it came to surviving, everyone stuck together. After all, everyone benefited from surviving this. Dark and the villagers kept on working on it until it was finished.

SUMMARY: with the aid of the villagers Dark continues to work on the barricade in the back with worries about the party​

 

[DSLIX]

Tupu Maa

Ice Ice Ice Voider Novama Trystan1295
Interactions: Gwen_Temi Voiremine DarkKitsune
Summary:
Tupu joins the group in defending themselves and securing the downstairs of the town hall. Sharing the information he discovered from spying on the villagers to Naomi as well.


Tupu was casually spying on the maddened villagers on the second story window of the town hall hearing the villagers mumble and cackle about some beacon? His brow raised and expression became one of confusion as he had no idea what they could be speaking of and starts searching the top floor for anything that could be a possible ‘beacon’. Though Tupu’s search is quickly forfeited when he hears a crash coming from the lower floors. He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as he knows what’s coming next. Tupu quickly returns to the upper level of the main hall and looks down at the situation from what he can see. A wave of pity and indifference hits him as he sees the once friendly and grateful villagers now succumbing to the madness themselves and on the way to attack his companions. Tupu’s expression turned cold as he threw himself over the railing and dropping onto the back of a maddened elderly man hearing his back crack as the man collapses under Tupu’s weight. Tupu then quickly launched himself across the room using [Rupture Palm] to stop the new wave from trying to overtake Rieger. His open palm connecting with a maddened young women and the force knocking her back into the small gathering of mad villagers before looking at Rieger and saying casually “Cross the water you said? Not a bad move.” Tupu gazed down at the maddened villagers with a cold and pitiful expression before kicking one of the maddened villagers behind him dead in the jaw with a roundhouse kick his hands in his pockets now as he watches Glacier's little minions to come to support the group and suppress the horde. Tupu seeing things are being held down for the most part in the front with the new reinforcements he knees and kicks any maddened villagers within range of him finding them easy to maneuver around and avoid. He does his best not to kill anyone one but due to his vast strength and their frail bodies they're at rather high risk of having something shatter or rupture inside of them. He then casually fights his way over to the other side of the town hall to where he sees Naomi trying to hold back the large group as Dark and some unturned villagers try to barricade the breach. Tupu decides to help Dark and the others barricade but as he walks over to them he passes by Naomi saying “They’re on the hunt for some beacon that’s here. Feel free to do whatever with that information” Tupu immediately goes over to Dark and the others grabbing a nearby table and dragging it over to help them barricade saying to the Dark and the villagers “Good job on the barricade kid now for the cherry on top.“ Tupu lifts the table up and lays it against the freshly barricaded entrance.​

Cooldown: [Rupture Palm]- Jumping E, Martial Arts E- Tupu leaps towards the enemy striking them with his palm once in range. - 1 Post

 

[Goran Glacial]

~Baxtor Everfrost~
Baxtor braced himself as best he could when he was hit by the miasma, Unsure about his chances he did his best to defend himself with his swordsmanship hacking at the miasma with his sword trying to use the blight swordsmanship to somehow weaken and or endure the miasma that washed over him. whilst doing so he tried to push back any oncoming possessed villages back with the flat of his blade so as to non-lethally secure the barricade. but he couldn't do much being awash in the miasma whilst trying to endure it.

 

[Trystan1295]

Model ST3-LL4
[Construct], [Android], [Ryken Adventurer F]
Location: Kael Village Town Hall
Mentions: Novama , Gwen_Temi , Goran Glacial , DSLIX , Ice Ice Ice , DarkKitsune , ebonheart98 , Voider , Voiremine
Interactions: Tupu ( DSLIX ), Rieger ( Voiremine )

Summary

Stella notices Agnes among the horde of infected. Realizing she can’t bring herself to kill someone she knows, she decides to incapacitate her and hopefully bring her back alive.
​

---

Stella wasn’t sure which annoyed her more: the fact that this new face, Rieger, decided to ignore her to rush into the incoming second wave, or the fact that the sudden appearance of this second wave meant he might have a point.

Regardless, the Android swallowed her pride. The sight of so many enemies triggered the tingling feeling that had shaken her body earlier—the feeling she’d dubbed bloodlust for a moment. Just the idea of leaping into the battlefield without a care for her own well-being, much like this foolhardy young man, felt so exhilarating she could barely keep her own composure.

She watched from behind the barricades as Rieger unveiled his ability, [Cross The Water], and she noticed how fundamentally similar this punching technique was to her own [Taser Fist] ability. Not long after, Tupu stepped into the fray, presumably to back up Rieger. Stella analyzed both the warriors’ fighting styles, taking a mental note of the nimble and commanding way they moved in combat. Her body started twitching, and both her knuckles began to crackle as they charged up with bio-electricity, ready to zap anyone in her way into submission… or worse, who knows?

Just as she’d decided to allow this feeling to take her over, she noticed something—rather, someone—in the horde that she recognized. Sure enough, it was that screechy woman from earlier—Agnes, was it? Just thinking of this young lady who’d been overwhelmed with grief as a mindless goon made Stella sick. Try as she might, she couldn’t put herself in the right mindset to kill her. She turned back to see Naomi and Dark, who were busy fortifying their Barriers and the barricades, respectively, and remembered the encounter they had with the dying old man from earlier. She knew their efforts to revive the old man were in vain, but on a more physically fit target, perhaps…

“Hang in there, Agnes,” said Stella. “I’m coming for you.”

With that said, she ran onto the battlefield as quickly as her F-ranked Speed could carry her and made a beeline towards Agnes. Theplan was simple: she had to swing at Agnes and make contact, stun her with her [Taser Fist F] Ability, then hoist her over her shoulder with her [Superstrength F]. She should weigh less than 200 lbs, right? It shouldn’t be a question—she had to. Everything had to go perfectly if she didn’t want to take too much damage from the horde surrounding her target.

Once she was close enough to Agnes, she let out a battle cry and attempted to slug the young infected lady in the shoulder. Should she succeed, she’ll attempt to execute the rest of the plan as detailed above in that order.

Combat Actions:
1. Move until she’s within striking distance of Agnes.
2. Attempt to strike Agnes with [Taser Fist F].
3. Should the attack make contact and Agnes is either incapacitated or dead, use [Superstrength F] to hoist her over Stella’s shoulder.

Damage Calculation: Strength E + Natural Weapon F + Taser Fist F = 4 effective damage.

Taser Fist - Fighting Style [Incapacitate] F, Superstrength F - Stella cloaks her fists in the bio-electricity that powers her and swings at the target. If her fist makes contact, she delivers a jolt of electricity that may stun the target. Grade F, 0 post cooldown.
​

 

[ebonheart98]

Vilde Iversdatter
Vilde was only able to watch, defending the main hall to the best of her ability while Dark, Naomi, and the remaining villagers built up their barricade. She was impressed by the bravery of Guy, who truly had the spirit of a viking. While she acknowledges Stella's sentiment that perhaps rushing off into the thick of battle wasn't the smartest idea, it was beginning to look like they were running out of options.

"Look's like the flight is coming to us," Vilde braced herself, admittedly a bit eager. Hesitant to use her sword, Vilde instead steps up to the nearest of the villagers and will attempt a [Shield Bash] to try and drive them back.

Vilde was ready to fight alongside her comrades.

Actions Summary: Vilde attempts to move to the nearest villager (using [Fast F] if necessary), and attempts a [Shield Bash].

[Shield Bash] - F - [Knockback F - Action:1] - Vilde delivers a sudden strike with her shield, catching her opponent off-guard. This technique specializes in sending targets flying. The greater the grade of technique, the greater the potential distance a target may be force moved.

 

[Novama]

Mentions: ebonheart98 Ice Ice Ice Gwen_Temi Voider DSLIX DarkKitsune Trystan1295 Goran Glacial Voiremine
OOC: Tupu skip 2. reiger skip 1, vilde skip 1 --good round. sorry for the delay. feeling sick.
Weather: a cooling evening with occasional gusts
Time: mid evening
Cooldown:
TLDR: Guy now has madness he would like to share. Malik desperately tries to buy the party time. Naomi and Dark seal the back. Defenders in the front of the house stock corpses and bodies in equal measure as the dark smog rolls trying to affect many.
Post Listening:

Kael - Village Hall

In the echoing hallways of the grand town hall, silence bore a heavy weight, only disrupted by the eerie dissonance of dark smog and sharp blades.

As the minions of Glacier, constructs of pure cold and obedience, were drenched in the unholy smog of the downed crazies, they seemed to suffer an unnatural fate. Once mighty, now they dissipated into cool vapor, the town hall’s air thick with their final sighs. The one unfortunate soul picked up by Guy underwent the same transitory fate. Guy, with a "heart valiant and intentions pure", was now no more than a puppet, bound to the same strings of insanity that marred the village. The ever-present voice in his mind whispered, tempting him with a singular mission: Share this newfound ecstasy with the world.

Vilde, with her ever-watchful eyes, couldn't predict the attack by a frenzied villager that immediately following after she shield bashed a little girl flying. The assault was swift, borne out of sheer madness, and she struggled to maintain her stance. (F grade attack)

Stella, with fire in her spirit, dealt a decisive blow to Agnes. But victory was short-lived as Agnes released a dark miasma in her final moments, lashing out at Stella and those unfortunate enough to be nearby. The girls, previously beholden to Agnes, lunged at Stella with eyes devoid of reason. (F grade attack +2)

Baxtor, his hands clutching the icy blade, slashed through the dark miasma, an oasis of clarity in a sea of madness. Every ounce of his being was dedicated to this singular task, for in that moment, nothing else mattered and he was victorious and sparing himself from Guy's fate.

Amidst the chaos, Tupu proved his worth. The old man crumpled under his might, followed by a woman, both releasing torrents of dark miasma upon their fall. Rieger was not far, and his well-timed assault sent another woman flying, causing a momentary delay in the onslaught of the crazies. But the spreading miasma from Tupu's conquests became a threat neither Tupu nor Rieger could ignore. (F grade attack +1)

Dark, Naomi, and a few others acted swiftly, sealing the rear entrance. But a new threat loomed closer – a crazed Guy, consumed by the whispers of madness and they had no idea, yet.

While Glacier's minions were instrumental in curbing the crazies' advance initially now in the front of the hall, they too couldn’t resist the smog’s allure for long. As the crazies toppled over and spouted dark plumes, the minions were once again hit by the darkness.

High above, Malik wove a dance of illusions in the town plaza, a spectacle that held the gaze of some crazies, granting the beleaguered defenders below a glimmer of hope, a moment's respite. There were currently no break ins, they just needed to control the spread within the building.

The candles and lanterns illuminating the building spottily gently rattled and shook closer to the edges of their holders.

 

[Voider]

Glacier​

​

Mentions: Novama ebonheart98 Gwen_Temi DSLIX DarkKitsune Trystan1295 Goran Glacial Voiremine
Interactions: Guy ( Ice Ice Ice )​

---

The circumstances were not the worst they could be, but they certainly did not seem good to Glacier's perception. Before doing anything, though, Glacier lifted his head to howl for a third time.[1]

As five Foxes of Ice formed around him yet again, Glacier rapidly gave orders to them in [Analog]: four of them dashed to the indoor horde, attempting to assist any counterattacks from Vilde, Stella, Tupu, and Rieger, as well as to plug up any gaps in the line of defense.[A.1] [Frost-Bite F] would be used by each without pause, though they would try to push any opponents away, as to put distance between their allies and any more miasma.[A.2]

The remaining minion, however, would instead go to confront the now afflicted Guy. It would hurry over in an endeavor to block Guy's path to Dark and Naomi, snarling and snapping at the air to draw his attention.[B.1] Any approach made by the fresh crazed would be met with a swift [Frost-Bite F] in response.[B.2]

Glacier himself would remain in the middle of the room, keeping an equal distance between both is lone and group of minions.

Summary
Four minions would help Vilde, Stella, Tupu, and Rieger in their fight, while one minion would confront and skirmish with Guy. Glacier would remain near the center of the room/between points of action.​

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Action [1]: Used ability [Foxes of Ice F]

Grade F Cooldown: 0/0

Foxes of Ice F - Magic F, Minions [Foxes of Ice] F - Glacier howls, creating up to a total 5 Foxes of Ice to act as his minions, which he can give orders to. The Foxes of Ice will crumble and dissipate by the next post, unless this ability is activated repeatedly; in which case, those still present remain and those destroyed get replaced. - Grade F - 0 Post Cooldown​

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Spoiler: Foxes of Ice

​

Group A: 4 Minions​

Action [A.1]: Moved to support allies facing the indoor horde
Action [A.2]: Used ability [Frost-Bite F]
​

Group B: 1 Minion​

Action [B.1]: Approached Guy to block his path
Action [B.2]: Used ability [Frost-Bite F]​

 

[Goran Glacial]

~Baxtor Everfrost~
Baxtor sighed in relief as he cut his way through the miasma, when he reached clean air he walked to an unoccupied corner of the town hall and slumped down in exhaustion as he stabbed his sword into the floorboards. as he slumped he breathed heavily evidently out of breath after his ordeal but he made sure to watch his surroundings to make sure another miasma spewing crazy didn't sneak up on him while he was seemingly slightly traumatized after running head first into that miasma on accident now he knew to stay the hell away from the crazies as that had ranged attacks and he had no way to deal with that besides swinging his sword at it. when he caught his breath he looked around to see if there was somewhere where he was needed as they were in a crisis and every able man, woman, or animal was needed. he just wished he knew where the source was for these things because if they cut off the source they probably wouldn't need to deal with the horde that was currently troubling them. so making sure all extra entrances like windows and such were nailed shut he made his way to the front door to help.