Absolution Beyond Cloudburst

​

For a good twenty to thirty minutes, the quartet that remained of the sky whale expedition party enjoyed their respite. @Yukisa , having managed to not crack his neck after falling off from a tree, enjoyed the sensation of no longer being on the very verge of death. @Seigi , despite missing ten teeth, one ear, one eye, and various other bloody things, seemed largely unbothered about all the gore that caked her body as she did some Captainly things. @Haru , after a long, long day carrying his friends on his spiritual back, kicked back and enjoyed a short rest even as his stomach gurgled ominously. And @Corvella , reckless and restless in spite of her own wounds, went out for a stroll nearby, bloodshot eyes seeking violence to beat back boredom.

But she found nothing to sate her battle lust as she stepped around the perimeter. Shadows flitted in the corner of her eyes, the watchers of the forest amassing within the darkness of the canopy. Dark, viscous fluids seeped at a snail’s pace from the many engraved cairns that dotted their surroundings. The air was noticeably cooler despite the spring greenery, while strange tracks, days, weeks, months old, could be seen shifting away from those stony guideposts. And yet, in the eyes of the rage infused Corvella, all those details were naught but droplets of rain, innumerable and meaningless.

She could not read the storm, and even if she did, could not eat or beat it.

And so, her small stroll ended at that, the Titanic Empress returning to where her partners were. A body could only remain enraged for so long, and even she was feeling the sensation of fatigue now, after running for so long on pure adrenaline. Her legs were leaden. Her arms exhausted. The burden of the great steel plate was beginning to become too much to bear, even as her heart continued to beat against her chest over and over and over again.

She had passed the Second Wind a long, long time ago.

It was in that heightened state of clarity, however, that she, alongside Seigi, were the first to sense the incoming threat. Before them, like blinking lights, red eyes opened up, a clear predatoral intent displayed. Haru was roused from his sleep, his pelvic muscles clamping down hard even as his bladder raged for release. Yukisa was shoved into the driver’s seat once more, strapped down. It was a fun break, but they had given time for the residents of this abnormal forest to gather as well.

The ignition was turned, and the hijacked vehicle sputtered, as if in pain, the engine wailing. Its driver could sense it, how dangerously close their car was to malfunctioning. The key was turned again, more magical fumes bursting out, still unsuccessful, a firecracker pop before the rotors and gears grinded to a halt once more.

Sensing an opportunity, the horde of predators lunged out at once, rapidly gaining ground through the clearing. And what a menagerie it was.

Seigi may have been renowned as a hero, and Corvella may be the most experienced adventurer out of all of them, but neither had witnessed the sorts of monstrosities that emerged. As if stitched together or fused by some insane god, each creature made no sense at all. One had the head of a goblin, mounted on a serpentine body as its featherless wings dragged it forward. Another opened up its mouth to scream, only for its tongue to reveal that its true head rested within its uvula. Yet a third was a seven limbed mess, child-like hands slapping the ground to make it roll.

It wasn’t just frightening. It was repulsive. A box of horrors that not even the police automatons would want to stand up against. A horrid horde, united solely to slay those that invaded this ‘consecrated’ land.

The key turned the third time, the engine finally roaring to life as magical energy flooded the dozen tubes jutting out from it.

But the horde was upon them now, defects of Creation that hungered after perfected, natural flesh.

Raise your steel, steady your hearts, resolve your soul, for the barbarians were approaching and you must, must, must...

ACT.

OOC

@Seigi @Corvella @Yukisa @Haru

• Maximum 500 words, minimum 100 words. Any more or any less will mean that I smite you AND your post will be ignored. Brevity is the spirit of wit, after all.
• I will be updating every day at 4PM PST. Sometimes, cycle updates will occur earlier, depending on how quickly players post. Due to the predicted length of this challenge, I may not be available at all times.
• If you have pressing concerns (and not just meme questions), go ping me on #ask_a_dm. Seriously, you nerds.
• If you wanna talk shop and verbally dunk on your newb party members in /all chat, go here and let loose!
• If you need to roll dice because you plan on doing something drastic (or just action-y), go here and say a prayer!
• Remember, this is a semi-freeform challenge. I will provide you actions, but I am also willing to let you do other stupid things, if I don't find them super stupid. So eyyyy, good luck!
• I am a very kind person. This is not a horde of goblins, after all.

Hidden: Post Template

HTML:

[bg] [HP=100]100[/HP] [EN=100]100[/EN] [/bg]
[hr]x[/hr]
-XX EN for action
-XX HP from source
[hr]x[/hr]
Post here. Blah blah blah.


[tracker][d]Action here and target[/d]
[score]Your roll + Modifiers = Total[/score]
Tracker / Roll
Target: 000 / 000 HP
[/tracker]

 

Cycle 12: Tempest

<<Hijacked Police Vehicle>>
50/200
Progress: 0/200​

Events:
@Haru is afflicted with the Dumbasses Drank Laxatives status effect. Their stomachs rumble and it hurts pretty badly, and they really, really, really, really feel a need to spend a good thirty minutes pissing out brown water.

@Corvella is afflicted with the Drug Addict status effect. She longs for the deliciously powdery taste that comes out of that white and blue fruit. Oh, that was truly an exquisite, delectable aftertaste to accompany a good day of BERSERKing.

@Corvella is afflicted with the Berserk status effect. She cannot communicate and is extremely aggressive in this state. All physical actions performed under this state of mind gets a +25 bonus modifier.

Actions

As always, there are special actions one can take, depending on whether or not the situation demands it, or whether or not they have an Awakened mastery.

Hidden: Special Actions

Strenuous Effort [Everyone] By permanently sacrificing HP (reduce both your current HP value and your maximum HP value), you can gain a bonus modifier to your roll equal to the amount of HP spent, up to a maximum of 50. This modifier can not be applied to Support actions.

Hold Them Off [Corvella and Seigi Only] Make the sacrifice. Do what is right. Hold off the hordes and send your comrades off, so that they may live and escape even if you may die. Stand your ground and fight off the myriad of monsters, exchanging your life for 200 Progress.

Drive [Haru, Seigi and Yukisa Only] Take the wheel and make the magitech carriage go VROOM as you drift around like a badass maniac, dodging obstacles and making tight turns in order to evade and escape the damned cops. Roll a d100 + 5 per tier of Riding and add the value to Progress.

Barricade [Corvella and Seigi Only] Hold up your giant sheet of two inch thick metal and continue to shield everyone from unknown threats. Roll a d100 + 5 per tier of Shield to see how much you can protect your nakama. If you roll a total score that's less than 70, the shield is dropped on the following cycle.

Investigate EN Cost 10. Activate Investigation mode and scan your surroundings for details. Roll a d100 and state what you are looking for. Depending on the result, you may receive a DM.

Scout Separate from the group and go off in a direction of your choice. In the next cycle, you will be considered isolated from the others.

Patch Up EN cost 15. Perform a Heal action at half effectiveness, with any mastery modifiers that may apply. If you are Haru or Ivan, the Heal action's effectiveness is not halved.

Shout Scream at the top of your lungs to draw the attention of any resident that may exist in this cityscape. Roll a d100 + 5 per tier of Heroic Might or Aeromancy. Depending on the result, you may have an impact on the next cycle.

Hidden: Awakening

Heroic Aura
Stalwart Passive. No matter what maledictions are poured upon you, a hero will not falter. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Heroic Aura grants you a stack of Stalwart at the beginning of combat. Each stack automatically dispels a magical debuff, before being consumed.

Rouse Free action, costing 10 EN. Establish your Heroic Aura, the radiant banner that empowers all your allies. Grant either a +10 damage buff that stacks over other buffs, a +10 HP Shield, or immunity to a single debuff for the next cycle to everyone in your party.

Warcry Action, costing 20 EN. Can only be used once every three cycles. Unleash a devastating roar, stunning all minions on the battlefield and performing a Disruptive Attack upon all those in the same Zone as you. Use Heroic Might as the modifier. If the resulting score is high enough, enemies in the same Zone will be knocked back one space as well.

Limit Break[Seigi Only] ???

Chronomancy
Time Accel Passive. Human might may be limited to one’s muscles, but with the ability to manipulate time, even physical constraints can be overridden. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Chronomancy grants you a stack of Accel at the beginning of combat. Each stack can be consumed during your turn to double the movement speed of either yourself, or your ally. If you choose to, you can consume 3 stacks of Accel instead in order to grant one extra action to yourself or your ally.

Rewind Action, costing 20 EN and 20 max EN. Grasp the fabric of time and pull it back, returning yourself to your original physical state. Set your HP, status, and physical location to what it was in the start of the previous cycle, essentially negating everything that has occurred to your character in the current cycle. This ability can be applied to objects as well.

Terminate Action, costing 30 EN and 30 max EN. Can only be used once every three cycles. Dive into the depths of your time manipulation abilities, locking an enemy or ally in time. If this is used on an ally, they are immune to all enemy attacks for the next round. If this is used on an enemy, they are unable to act during the next cycle, and are immune to all damage from players. If this is used on an unwilling target, a d100, modified by Chronomancy, must be rolled to clear a hidden DC.

Limit Break [Ivan Only] ???

 

Absolution Beyond Cloudburst

​

As bandages scattered in the wind, revealing the twisted flesh beneath, Seigi shouted out her feelings in hopes of inspiring something in the hearts of these aberrant monstrosities. Her voice, buffered by her Heroic Aura, burst out like a clarion call, bright enough that the horde stopped for a moment. Considering. Digesting. Intellectualizing.

They were the wrong words, but they were catalysts none the less.

“Mother?”

…

“Mother, I’m scared.” “Don’t be afraid, just believe in me.” “And then there were none.” “Today’s weather forecast is sunny with a slight chance of rain.” “Shoulda aimed for the head.” “Where am I?” “With great power comes great responsibility.” “My lover shot me, bang bang.” “Don’t, don’t, stop!” “Huehuehue.” “Newton’s third law is that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” “There’s no peace without violence, but if this keeps up, there’s only going to be pieces left.” “My memories, what are you d-” “Police have arrested another suspect in regards to the recent h…” “Free the whales! Free the whales!” “Wow…wow, this is really high up, hm?” “If every byte of data in my mainframe was inscribed with ‘hate’ it STILL wouldn’t be enough to express my loathing of your race!” “AGGGGHHHH! NONONONONO!! JUST KILL ME!” “God, please…” “Fuck, shit, I can’t!” “My legs, where are my legs?!” “The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, deliver me from this…” “Just let me leave! I’ll never touch this again, so please?” “Why doesn’t this work?!” “C’mon c’mon c’mon!” “Ah…ahaha. Die.” “Kill.” “Die.” “Kill.” “Die.” “Kill.” “Die.” “Kill.” “Die.” “Kill.” “Die.” “Kill.” “Die.” “Kill.” “Die.” “Kill.” “Die.” “Kill.” “Die.” “Kill.” “Die.” “Kill.” “Die.”

Different voices, tortured, confused, commercial, quotes, spilled out of the malformed mouths of these monstrosities, their red eyes flickering on and off as some abnormal condition befell them. It was as if a dozen radio channels were playing at once. The news. Television dramas. Movies. Youtube videos. Day to day interactions. Fond memories. Everything spilled out at once in an indigestible torrent of information, before it twisted into a singular, maddening echo of fear.

A fear that triggered destruction and self-destruction, spiralling downwards as the closest of the monsters lunged out towards Seigi seeking s-

What they sought didn’t matter, Corvella rushing in to cage in their skulls in one mighty swing of her oversized shield. Perhaps they wanted salvation. Perhaps they still lusted for flesh. But as Haru became one with the car, spurring it to life at the expense of his own bodily discipline, as Yukisa slammed the accelerator once more, shooting off through the forest, Seigi knew one thing.

There would be no salvation once that loop of ‘kill’ and ‘die’ brought them to a frenzy that caused them to start tearing apart each other.

‘Such poor children…’

The orgy of violence continued with no end, until it was finally covered by verdant, nonsensical vegetation.

~~~​

They drove on, puttering as Yukisa guided them forwards, towards the Blowhole of the great sky whale. Even without much of a sense of direction, it wasn’t difficult at all to imagine where it would be. After all, before the Minerva’s catastrophic crash, they had all seen it: the sword-like structure extending from the whale’s head, and the hole that expelled magical fumes.

It was forwards. It was always and only forwards, diving straight ahead in the path lit up by the cairns until they spotted the horn.

Another clearing, this time devoid of vegetation. From beneath, the ground squished as they stood upon it, firm, but not metallic, flesh. Ahead, a hole large enough to fit a single human at once could be found, the rusted rungs of a ladder clearly indicating that this was a ‘proper’ way of descending. Further ahead, the vibrant sunset spread itself out before them, the horizon clearly in view as powerful winds whipped at their bodies.

This was the front of the Sky Whale.

This was the end of their journey.

One by one, they made their preparations, before descending into humid darkness.

How long was it? Their boots clanked against rungs.

How long was it? Their hands scraped against the rust.

How long was it? Their minds were losing track of time.

And then, they arrived, stepping into a heavy, lonely darkness, where only the deep, continuous ‘ba dump’ of the whale’s heart, somewhere within this enormous body, echoed.

Was this it? Had they come so far just to be met with darkness and shadow?

A beep sounded, the quartet turning towards that noise.

There was a single line, constructed of pulsating verdant letters, hanging in the air.

<<Welcome to Regana-Hier. Set Action to ???>>
killme

OOC

@Seigi @Corvella @Yukisa @Haru

• Maximum 500 words, minimum 100 words. Any more or any less will mean that I smite you AND your post will be ignored. Brevity is the spirit of wit, after all.
• I will be updating every day at 4PM PST. Sometimes, cycle updates will occur earlier, depending on how quickly players post. Due to the predicted length of this challenge, I may not be available at all times.
• If you have pressing concerns (and not just meme questions), go ping me on #ask_a_dm. Seriously, you nerds.
• If you wanna talk shop and verbally dunk on your newb party members in /all chat, go here and let loose!
• If you need to roll dice because you plan on doing something drastic (or just action-y), go here and say a prayer!
• Remember, this is a semi-freeform challenge. I will provide you actions, but I am also willing to let you do other stupid things, if I don't find them super stupid. So eyyyy, good luck!
• Almost there.

Hidden: Post Template

HTML:

[bg] [HP=100]100[/HP] [EN=100]100[/EN] [/bg]
[hr]x[/hr]
-XX EN for action
-XX HP from source
[hr]x[/hr]
Post here. Blah blah blah.


[tracker][d]Action here and target[/d]
[score]Your roll + Modifiers = Total[/score]
Tracker / Roll
Target: 000 / 000 HP
[/tracker]

 

Cycle 13: Echoes

<<Hijacked Police Vehicle>>
50/200
Progress: 149/200​

Events:
@Corvella is afflicted with the Drug Addict status effect. She longs for the deliciously powdery taste that comes out of that white and blue fruit. Oh, that was truly an exquisite, delectable aftertaste to accompany a good day of BERSERKing.

@Corvella is afflicted with the Berserk Fatigue status effect. All physical actions performed under this state of mind gets a -25 bonus modifier.

Important Note:
Actions are largely irrelevant now. Treat this as a freeform interaction stage. To set the scene, everything is currently in dense shadow, except for the glowing text.

Actions

As always, there are special actions one can take, depending on whether or not the situation demands it, or whether or not they have an Awakened mastery.

Hidden: Special Actions

Strenuous Effort [Everyone] By permanently sacrificing HP (reduce both your current HP value and your maximum HP value), you can gain a bonus modifier to your roll equal to the amount of HP spent, up to a maximum of 50. This modifier can not be applied to Support actions.

Command [Everyone] Ask and you shall receive. Say what you wish, and whatever strange machination that controls this whale will respond in kind. Be sure to ping me when you do so, so I can react accordingly.

Investigate EN Cost 10. Activate Investigation mode and scan your surroundings for details. Roll a d100 and state what you are looking for. Depending on the result, you may receive a DM.

Scout Separate from the group and go off in a direction of your choice. In the next cycle, you will be considered isolated from the others.

Patch Up EN cost 15. Perform a Heal action at half effectiveness, with any mastery modifiers that may apply. If you are Haru or Ivan, the Heal action's effectiveness is not halved.

Shout Scream at the top of your lungs to draw the attention of any resident that may exist in this cityscape. Roll a d100 + 5 per tier of Heroic Might or Aeromancy. Depending on the result, you may have an impact on the next cycle.

Hidden: Awakening

Heroic Aura
Stalwart Passive. No matter what maledictions are poured upon you, a hero will not falter. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Heroic Aura grants you a stack of Stalwart at the beginning of combat. Each stack automatically dispels a magical debuff, before being consumed.

Rouse Free action, costing 10 EN. Establish your Heroic Aura, the radiant banner that empowers all your allies. Grant either a +10 damage buff that stacks over other buffs, a +10 HP Shield, or immunity to a single debuff for the next cycle to everyone in your party.

Warcry Action, costing 20 EN. Can only be used once every three cycles. Unleash a devastating roar, stunning all minions on the battlefield and performing a Disruptive Attack upon all those in the same Zone as you. Use Heroic Might as the modifier. If the resulting score is high enough, enemies in the same Zone will be knocked back one space as well.

Limit Break[Seigi Only] ???

Chronomancy
Time Accel Passive. Human might may be limited to one’s muscles, but with the ability to manipulate time, even physical constraints can be overridden. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Chronomancy grants you a stack of Accel at the beginning of combat. Each stack can be consumed during your turn to double the movement speed of either yourself, or your ally. If you choose to, you can consume 3 stacks of Accel instead in order to grant one extra action to yourself or your ally.

Rewind Action, costing 20 EN and 20 max EN. Grasp the fabric of time and pull it back, returning yourself to your original physical state. Set your HP, status, and physical location to what it was in the start of the previous cycle, essentially negating everything that has occurred to your character in the current cycle. This ability can be applied to objects as well.

Terminate Action, costing 30 EN and 30 max EN. Can only be used once every three cycles. Dive into the depths of your time manipulation abilities, locking an enemy or ally in time. If this is used on an ally, they are immune to all enemy attacks for the next round. If this is used on an enemy, they are unable to act during the next cycle, and are immune to all damage from players. If this is used on an unwilling target, a d100, modified by Chronomancy, must be rolled to clear a hidden DC.

Limit Break [Ivan Only] ???

 

Absolution Beyond Cloudburst

​

"SU! Superuser. I want root access."

As Seigi spoke those words, a bright beam flashed before her, piercing into her forehead before a silver aura enveloped her entire body. A strange sense of tranquility descended upon her, and moments later, that silver aura disappeared, leaving nothing but a new message for the Sunset Sage.

<<Access Denied>>
<<User ID: Raina Raythean cannot be found.>>
<<Administrative privileges cannot be granted.>>
<<Set Action to ???>>​

The next to step up to bat was Corvella. Despite the fatigue that clung to her body, the empress’s voice was undaunted as she stated her query, promptly a momentary pause as amethyst script scrolled through empty space, before decipherable words rearranged themselves upon the black void.

<<Access Granted>>
<<Regana-Hier is the Amalgamated Control Center.>>
<<Regana-Hier is the Manifestation of User ID: Trisha Langley’s Internal Storage.>>
<<Regana-Hier is the 731st Experimental Unit realized from Special Gestation Unit [Zomoch].>>
<<Current Objective is to enter Naraka.>>
<<Current Purpose is ȟ̵̛̭̫͓̩͍͖̣͇̺̝͈́̉̓͑̋ǫ̶͕̫̘͕̩̤͖͈̻̓̉͂̕͜m̸̛̰͓͈̈́̔̀͑̈͑͐̾̑̚ͅį̶̯̠̯̠͉̮̌̂̂̍̍c̶̨̡̘͓̙̖͊͐̀̏̌̈́i̸͎̫̼͓̣̘̱̙̔̉̇͋̀ḑ̶͎͎̣̙̙̤́̌̿̋͛̕͝͝e̵̢͉͇̼̼̗̣͇̮̫̙͊̏͗͋͊̇̏̈́̃p̶̧̂̓̌͆͆̓̎̚̚͠a̸̡̛̬͚͚̖̘͌̊̈͗̌̌̍͑͑͝ť̸͙͇̝̬̮̥̜̘̞̲̝͒́̉́̆͆͗̋̉ͅr̵̙͆́͊͛͑͛̅̈́̄̀i̷̧̡̲̰̱͓̍̊̉́̊̀͘͜͝ͅc̴͈̘̥̬̳͔̍̏̀͒͘ͅi̸̩̺̠͓͇̞̙̝̠̿̃̀͒͊͠ḏ̶̤̪̙͕͇̤̲̺͍͍̽e̵̹͓̜̻̱̍͊̆̽͘g̵̨͖͠ē̵̗͈̰̩͖̃̀̀̎́͆̚͝ń̶̞̥̜̝̀̋̔̎̂͐̈́͐͘͝o̶̢̧̬̭̳̫̙̩̯̒̑̂͐̎̎̌̈́c̴̨̢̧͍̰̰͙̼̳̠̻͝ͅi̴͉̩̜͎̻̍͆͂͛d̵̡̢̘̅͜ͅȩ̶̬̜̬̮̣̿ͅd̶̼̫̖̟̖̟͇͓͑̽̈́̈́̐͛́͛͊͘͝ͅĕ̶̢̧̼͚i̷̪̣͉͖̠̟͖̰͗͛̒̓̚c̶̛̜̤̲̞̝̘͕͈͓̪̑́̽͑͛͊̈̚͝i̸̧͓̪̲͈̟̋͒̐͒̕͝ͅḏ̴̫̱̜̍̓̌̐͗ẹ̴̞̑̑̑̓̒͆̆̀s̴̨̖̩̼̫̥̼̙̾͒͌̐̈́u̶̠̪̗̝̝̗̟̻̘͖͑̊͌͋́͛́̌̍̚i̶̧̡̢͖̦͉̲̲͚̳̓̉̉̍̔͒͊͘c̶̡͇̪̙̝̺͙̩̩̍͐̃̕͜͜i̴̢̞͙͚̾͘͜ḍ̴̡͉̜̞̹̮̥̞̟͙̱̉̄̅͒̓̉̕e̷̡̢̩̣͇̪̠͕̤̙̜̅́͊ͅdisposal.>>
<<Set Action to ???>>​

Following that, Haru’s orders, more kind, more hesitant, more gentle, cut through the burst of static. This time, response was immediate, instant, a line generated without a nanosecond’s delay.

<<I will not.>>
...
<<Set Action to ???>>​

Yukisa’s voice rang out last, a mundane request for illumination in the humid, dark room.

<<Action Permitted.>>​

A gentle thrum sounded, before sparks of light ran up and down previously invisible cables, fluorescent radiance filling the room. It took a minute or two for the stinging of their eyes to cease, but once the quartet took in their surroundings, it was clear that, despite the humid temperatures, the inside of the whale was a remarkably sterile environment. Scribbles in a foreign tongue coated every inch of the white, marble-esque walls, indicating madness or genius. Occasionally, a spark of electricity would pop, indicating that this composed of the true form of the flying whale, of Regana-Hier’s computational processes, but any attempt to touch those surfaces would be blocked by an invisible wall, gently propelling invasive fingers away.

And for all the awe inspired in them by those monuments of virtuositic ingeuinty, there was a greater object behind them, as they trailed the silvered cables that lead back, back, back to the flesh-brain of the sky whale.

At first glance, just the sheer enormity of it was staggering, easily the size of a mansion or an estate. So much gray meat, a thin membrane surrounding the furrowed matter to prevent it from dehydrating. Up close, the quartet would easily be capable of witnessing the innumerable canals within the whale’s brain, and though it may be too revolting a sight for the squeamish, it was impressive all the same. Like seeing a cow’s lungs inflate comically. Like watching a dead frog’s legs twitch when you shocked it. Like witnessing the birth of a child as it digs its way out of a mother’s womb.

Truly fascinating.

But the cables did not connect to the brain of such a majestic beast.

No, in the illumination, their eyes were guided slowly, slowly, to a very small spot upon the amygdala. Against the white, it was hard to tell at first whether or not it was a mere anomaly, but as they narrowed their eyes, as they activated Investigation mode, the truth was revealed easily enough.

It was a child.

A human child.

But not just that.

A player.

The tag ‘HORIZON’ loomed over her white-haired head, while her eyes, glowing an unnatural red, were hauntingly vacant as dozens of cables, large, small, thin, wide, connected to her skull, her back, her arms, glowing amber as she gave the occasional twitch. A dead frog, electrocuted?

No, she still lived.

Even though her lower body had fused seamlessly with the brain of the great wall, even if her body had been repurposed with supple plates, she still lived. Immortal. Shackled.

A ding sounded, as a new line of text emerged before them, the greater machinery communicating on behalf of the lesser flesh.

<<Observation: Antibodies will arrive in 83 seconds.>>
<<Suggestion: Intruders should leave the premises.>>
<<Amendment: This is not a suggestion.>>
<<Close your eyes.>>
killmekillmekillme​

And then, the fluorescent lighting began to shift, gradients turning to the color of amethyst.

​

OOC

@Seigi @Corvella @Yukisa @Haru

• Maximum 500 words, minimum 100 words. Any more or any less will mean that I smite you AND your post will be ignored. Brevity is the spirit of wit, after all.
• I will be updating every day at 4PM PST. Sometimes, cycle updates will occur earlier, depending on how quickly players post. Due to the predicted length of this challenge, I may not be available at all times.
• If you have pressing concerns (and not just meme questions), go ping me on #ask_a_dm. Seriously, you nerds.
• If you wanna talk shop and verbally dunk on your newb party members in /all chat, go here and let loose!
• If you need to roll dice because you plan on doing something drastic (or just action-y), go here and say a prayer!
• Remember, this is a semi-freeform challenge. I will provide you actions, but I am also willing to let you do other stupid things, if I don't find them super stupid. So eyyyy, good luck!
• Almost there...

Hidden: Post Template

HTML:

[bg] [HP=100]100[/HP] [EN=100]100[/EN] [/bg]
[hr]x[/hr]
-XX EN for action
-XX HP from source
[hr]x[/hr]
Post here. Blah blah blah.


[tracker][d]Action here and target[/d]
[score]Your roll + Modifiers = Total[/score]
Tracker / Roll
Target: 000 / 000 HP
[/tracker]

 

Cycle 14: Naraka

<<Hijacked Police Vehicle>>
50/200
Progress: 149/200​

Events:
@Corvella is afflicted with the Drug Addict status effect. She longs for the deliciously powdery taste that comes out of that white and blue fruit. Oh, that was truly an exquisite, delectable aftertaste to accompany a good day of BERSERKing.

@Corvella is afflicted with the Berserk Fatigue status effect. All physical actions performed under this state of mind gets a -25 bonus modifier.

Important Note:
Actions are largely irrelevant now. Treat this as a freeform interaction stage. To set the scene, everything is currently in dense shadow, except for the glowing text.

Depending on this next round, this may be the last cycle.

Actions

As always, there are special actions one can take, depending on whether or not the situation demands it, or whether or not they have an Awakened mastery.

Hidden: Special Actions

Strenuous Effort [Everyone] By permanently sacrificing HP (reduce both your current HP value and your maximum HP value), you can gain a bonus modifier to your roll equal to the amount of HP spent, up to a maximum of 50. This modifier can not be applied to Support actions.

Leave [Everyone] Close your eyes to the world around you, and when you open them once more, you will no longer be within Regana-Hier.

Command [Everyone] Ask and you shall receive. Say what you wish, and whatever strange machination that controls this whale will respond in kind. Be sure to ping me when you do so, so I can react accordingly.

Investigate EN Cost 10. Activate Investigation mode and scan your surroundings for details. Roll a d100 and state what you are looking for. Depending on the result, you may receive a DM.

Scout Separate from the group and go off in a direction of your choice. In the next cycle, you will be considered isolated from the others.

Patch Up EN cost 15. Perform a Heal action at half effectiveness, with any mastery modifiers that may apply. If you are Haru or Ivan, the Heal action's effectiveness is not halved.

Shout Scream at the top of your lungs to draw the attention of any resident that may exist in this cityscape. Roll a d100 + 5 per tier of Heroic Might or Aeromancy. Depending on the result, you may have an impact on the next cycle.

Hidden: Awakening

Heroic Aura
Stalwart Passive. No matter what maledictions are poured upon you, a hero will not falter. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Heroic Aura grants you a stack of Stalwart at the beginning of combat. Each stack automatically dispels a magical debuff, before being consumed.

Rouse Free action, costing 10 EN. Establish your Heroic Aura, the radiant banner that empowers all your allies. Grant either a +10 damage buff that stacks over other buffs, a +10 HP Shield, or immunity to a single debuff for the next cycle to everyone in your party.

Warcry Action, costing 20 EN. Can only be used once every three cycles. Unleash a devastating roar, stunning all minions on the battlefield and performing a Disruptive Attack upon all those in the same Zone as you. Use Heroic Might as the modifier. If the resulting score is high enough, enemies in the same Zone will be knocked back one space as well.

Limit Break[Seigi Only] ???

Chronomancy
Time Accel Passive. Human might may be limited to one’s muscles, but with the ability to manipulate time, even physical constraints can be overridden. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Chronomancy grants you a stack of Accel at the beginning of combat. Each stack can be consumed during your turn to double the movement speed of either yourself, or your ally. If you choose to, you can consume 3 stacks of Accel instead in order to grant one extra action to yourself or your ally.

Rewind Action, costing 20 EN and 20 max EN. Grasp the fabric of time and pull it back, returning yourself to your original physical state. Set your HP, status, and physical location to what it was in the start of the previous cycle, essentially negating everything that has occurred to your character in the current cycle. This ability can be applied to objects as well.

Terminate Action, costing 30 EN and 30 max EN. Can only be used once every three cycles. Dive into the depths of your time manipulation abilities, locking an enemy or ally in time. If this is used on an ally, they are immune to all enemy attacks for the next round. If this is used on an enemy, they are unable to act during the next cycle, and are immune to all damage from players. If this is used on an unwilling target, a d100, modified by Chronomancy, must be rolled to clear a hidden DC.

Limit Break [Ivan Only] ???