Duty Session 178: The Tides of Summer

    A little north of Alne, there is a nice beach with which Merek finds a place to wait for the quest to begin. Calling his companions, there is a look about the place while the man takes a moment to nod to people that came with him, even while a call comes that assistance will be needed. "Alright, it looks like we need to prepare for that festival quest duty, I will need people that know anything about it to explain what we can expect from it," he states.

Goldenblade is enjoying the warm weather and the beach, swimming just out past the breakers as is her wont. She probably hasn't heard Merek's call, but what's the chance of a second attack of horrible sea monsters in a week. What have they got to celebrate, anyhow? So she swims up and down the shoreline, going a bit past where there are people, then turning and swimming back up the coast.

The festival is something new to Kotono, and she loves trying new things.

Especially when it involves bringing Miyako with her.

The beach looks like a nice enough place, and Kotono will have to see about returning here sometime to go swimming. For now, she arrives with Miyako accompanying her, and there's a smile on her face as she arrives in the general area. However, when Merek asks for an explanation, Kotono frowns a little. "I'm afraid I don't know much about it. Hopefully someone else can help us?"

    Miyako nods, "I haven't done this quest yet either, sorry." She shrugs, "We were just going to hang out on the beach, but this sounded like fun. So we're in one way or the other."

    She's certainly /dressed/ for the beach, she was /expecting/ to be out there today. A nice black bikini with a few extra straps for accents, black trimmed in sky blue, and a matching sky-blue sarong.

    "Maybe once it's done we can do some barbecue on the beach. Catch some fish, that sort of thing."

    While it is close to impossible to get Wake to take a day off, with proper sneakiness, her obsession with the ideal clothing can be employed to do so. Well, sort of. Wake is here, and the Right Clothes today do include a backless one piece swimsuit of pale blue. The cut is respectful, as befitting her station. It is complemented with a straw sunhat. She also wears a pair of finely crafted sandals that show off meticulously pedicured feet. The amount of thought and energy she put into preparing for this outing is best left to the imagination.

    When things start getting interesting, she moves to join the other adventurers. Her steps, as usual, are nearly silent, and she shows no sign of being slowed by her footwear whatsoever.

    "Hello everyone!" she calls out, stopping to glide into a curtsey. Her intense level of practice with the polite gesture has turned it into something of an artform. Even dressed for fun in the sun, she carries herself with the same poise she'd use with royalty. "Sounds like we have something fun coming our way."

"You think there will be a shark? Would they really be that cliche?" Shiruba muses. "Anyways, the beach is suppose to be less hostile this time of year, so more Landers come out. So if anything is going to attack, like most monsters they're probably drawn to where the Landers are populating the beach." The hunter's sharp senses notice someone swimming out in the water and she holds up a hand to wave to them energetically. "Hello there!"

You can tell Gwen already got to the wolfgirl, because she is indeed wearing an event appropriate outfit of a light blue bikini with a pattern of pawprints and arrowheads. Though she has a towel wrapped around her waist to feel a little more modest with herself, she's not use to meandering around with so much of herself on display!

Tenko is not wearing an event appropriate outfit. The kitsune is wearing her traditional garb and bringing her weapons with her. Despite this being an event, she likes to be prepared.

She rests her hand on her katana, looking across the water, mask expressionless, it seems. Who knows what she's thinking under there.

    Merek looks then to the party when all of them arrive, "Alright, well it looks like we will be... Managing the people," he then looks to Wake, "It's good to see you. And you!" He seems a little bit happy to see Tenko, and smiles to the kitsune while he waves.
    Meanwhile, the people begin to take off from the beach, they don't seem to know the way to escape, and as such the most of them are kind of working their way about. The party will need to find a way to get them to safety. "Follow me!" Merek then calls to the people about.

"That sounds like a great idea," Kotono replies to Miyako, wearing a green bikini with black cloud-like patterns on the top as well as a few extra straps as well. She kind of takes after her friend. "We can catch our own meal, how's that sound?" She looks to Gwen and comments, "Well, if there is a shark, maybe we can make fresh steaks out of it!"

Then comes the first situation: Dealing with people who don't know what to do or where to go, especially in a situation like this.

Fortunately, Kotono is able to keep a calm head and keep things going steady. "Listen to me, please," She says in a voice that is soothing enough to get them to listen in spite of what's happening. "Just follow my directions and you'll be OK." She proceeds to give directions on what to do and where to go. "You can do this! Just remember what I've told you!"

Goldenblade doesn't notice the commotion at first, swimming blissfully away, but when she turns her lap and sees everyone scrambling, she'll head shoreward as well. "What's going on?" she calls, and gets 10 different answers. Not helpful. She'll try to help sort people out, clearing up collisions, chivvy people along, but she's really not having much effect, it seems.

Shiruba puts a hand to her brow for a moment as soon as there's panic. "I hate being close to right sometimes." Oh, well, already being a guild leader she's gotten use to having to nerfherd so it can't be that bad right? "Okay people, don't panic! Just stay together and move farther inland in a quick but orderly fashion. Parents make sure you have your children with it!" She points at a couple of other Adventurers apart from the party who were also lounging on the beach. "We've got enough hands to deal with whatever the actual trouble will be, you help escort these people safely away from the shore so they don't feel like we're abandoning them to fight."

    Seeing the Landers panic, Wake nods to Merek, "Well, duty calls. Pleasantries later."

    As she heads the opposite direction of those in flight, she pauses to gently touch a shoulder here, "You, dear, please go fetch that child," and then whispers into an ear there, "Your belongings don't matter, please take your family directly inland and gather all along the way." Her voice is even, but also loud and clear. A moment later she is giving orders to a life-guard, and there's just a way about her that radiates an expectation to be listened to.

    "Send people to fetch those children and send others to each side to keep the people moving away, please." All the while, Baroness Wake is heading towards danger, not away from it.

"This way!" Tenko is motioning to Landers, directing them to where they need to go in order to get to safety, "Stay together!" She moves in and grabs a child who's panicing, and picks them up, quickly taking them up the beach to their waiting mother. Then back into the fray.

She directs a couple of people who aren't paniced to grab and escort the children. The Landers can help too, thankfully.

    Miyako sticks with Kotono, letting her take the lead for the moment as she tries to spot whatever is causing the wave. "Please, everyone, just keep calm and keep moving," she calls out, then picks a song to try to calm the panicking crowd.

    Or at least, tries to. She's having one of those moments where there are just so many she knows to choose from, and none seem quite apropos to the moment. With a sign and a shake of her head, she goes back to picking up those who fall in the hurrying crowd, before they can be trampled under the fleeing beachgoers.

    Merek manages to assist people through, he did know that the festival was a thing. Kotono manages to offer directions and negotiate, while a few look questioning, the people do follow along. Shiruba manages to be polite, it does win a few people. They listen then to Wake and begin to assist, and with that, most of the people are able to escape with Tenko's assistance with negotiation supporting. That said, Goldenblade manages to try and assist people, although in making a way along through them, a few knock the woman to the ground, which brings the woman a status that lowers agility. When Miyako sings a few of them do listen although that looks like a few will try to although the woman takes a few people that place the woman to the ground in running. It lowers agility as well.
    Then, from the sea comes the wiggly tentacle monsters, a lower level. Merek nods a bit, "I've seen this," the man notes, while he then adds, "Keep them from following people!"

Remain focused always, that's the key to keeping things going steady. Kotono manages to help get the evacuation started, but now there's something strange coming. Something that looks like they're from underwater... and they definitely don't look friendly!

"Not now!" Kotono says with a scowl. "I hate it when the innocents are threatened by annoying mobs." She shakes her head. "Gonna have to make do I guess." She gestures throwing something at the ground, and then a dark smoke screen begins to form, giving the escapees some cover. "Hurry, just keep going!" She calls out.

Okay the innocent Landers are getting out of the way and watched over. The party can get down to the business of cleaning up the beach!

Fortunately there is this wonderful mechanical called Inventory, and Shiruba has her bow and quiver in hand even though she wasn't wearing either in her arrival. The quiver is wedged in a dune next to her, and Shiruba draws a pair of arrows. Nocks them in her bow together, and fires into the crowd of encroaching sea creatures. Each arrow bursts and expands in a spherical mass of darkness to cloud the vision of whatever fiend walks into it, in an effort to keep the invasion from seeing the Landers fleeing and trying to chase them down.

Keeping the Landers out of harm's way is going to be the main goal here from the looks of it. Tenko moves into position, drawing her blade, and positioning herself between the tentacled monsters and the fleeing Landers, "Stop!" She calls out to them, shifting her weight and trying to strike at them with the katana when they come into range.

Part of the problem with always being in were-fang form is that you can't do a showy transformation.

Goldenblade picks herself up off the ground and sighs. She'd heard of the problems with festival seating, but she's not really familiar with The Who. But she knows what she can do to help those that are slow to escape. She plucks up some seaweed from the waterline, and lights it on fire it with a torch, and dumps some oil and other nasty on it, so that it smokes horribly. This is the opposite of how you barbecue, but the thick, greasy smoke does obscure the last of the fleeing beachgoers.

    Surveying the scene, with a special eye on the action of the life-guards she's ordered into motion, the Baroness strides forward until the water is at her toes.

    "Do not run! Guide those last few people from the waters to safety," she demands in a barked order.

    Her focus grows more intense on the problem before her and Wake raises her hands, her fingers extended and moving in a flowing motion, as if she were caressing spider webs. In moments, black webs do form in front of her, growing ever more dense and intricate, until at last she throws her arms wide and a vast web of inky darkness sprays in front of her, all but blinding the monsters caught in its arc.

    Miyako nods to Kotono. "Keep 'em moving," she calls out as she begins to scribe runes in the air. "We'll handle this."

    Stepping up next to her friend, she completes her spell and starts casting her own shadows out onto the beach, interposing the darkness between crowd and critters. "Just stay out there, you little buggers, we'll play with you when we're good and ready..." She scowls as she focuses, pushing more energy into the spell, the clouds of darkness billowing out.

    Merek, Wake, Miyako, Shiruba, Kotono, with Goldenblade begin to use the Dark Magic. In webs that begin extending upon the field, a smoke fog, in addition to the sphere of darkness. Shadow Field appears additionally into the magic, while the entire beach is covered in that darkness. The sand seems to be black, sparkling like twilight. Tenko takes a few strikes of the tentacle along the sword as well as the woman, though she manages to clean up the enemies even while that party fights with the magic.
    Amid all of the starless dark, there is a glitter then while from it lifts up the wave of a Leviathan while it begins to growl along into the party. Then it dives along into the sea, while a wake of water begins like a tsunami. The waves glitter like starlit diamonds along that dark magic. Merek lifts up the gauntlet which he wears to try and use the water magic to protect the beach.

The Leviathan out in the water is impossible to miss. Tenko knows they have to do something in order to re-direct the water coming in from the wave. She has an idea, but she's not sure how well it'll work.

She turns her attention to the beach, and channels her earth magic into her blade, slashing upwards and sending out a wave of sand which is kicked up, forming a large trench on the beach for the water to crash into and flood to the sides instead of directly into the fleeing Landers.

Goldenblade acks as her worried look out to sea shows the early signs of a tsunami. She's familiar, and worried. Enough so that she channels the earth, as much as she knows, and she's got a few ideas about what can stymie the water. It's about the wall coming in, but also about dragging things back out. So if she can make a trench in front of the shoreline, wide and deep enough to swallow the wave, it'll roll under, and then tear the trench up going out to sea, leaving the beach unaffected. She stomps on the ground, and makes it so, cracks opening under the water, deep enough to swallow up a fair amount of sea.

A Leviathan? Damn that is NOT a problem they need! ... Oh wait, it's going back out to sea. But not without saying goodbye and screw you by sending a huge wave rolling towards the shore.

The kitsune ronin makes a trench. That's a great idea! Shiruba joins in, firing several of her arrows into the beach just behind the trench, from which Earth Pillar and Rock Cradle formations rise out of the ground. The idea being making an earthen barrier to stall the wave, and when the water falls away from that it will follow the path of least resistance, the trench, back out into the bay.

    Well, that's the first time Wake has seen a Leviathan. At least she thinks so. It's not the first time she's had to deal with tsunamis, though. Even though it's a game, there's a knot of fear that comes with the sight of it.

    But this isn't the real world, where she could only watch and respond later. In this place, she can do something about it. Wake can see her allies digging trenches and raising walls. Rather than create another wall, she reaches into the water itself that is rushing towards these new barriers and blasts magic into it, sapping its strength directly as the deadly waves bear down on the earthworks that serve as the primary defense of the fleeing landers. At least she hopes they can turn a deadly situation into a survivable one.

A leviathan?!

Wow, he sure is big.

"You don't scare me, big guy!" Kotono says as she attempts to draw a rune in the air. "I can deal with you, just you wait and see! I'm gonna-"

The next thing we know, Kotono is soaked quite a bit as she finds herself caught by the water. "Ugh... that wasn't supposed to happen!" How embarrassing. Fortunately, the trenches did protect her, but some of the water did get through. She's all washed up now.

    Leviathan. At least it isn't Behemoth. Or ... no, no, get your mind back in the game, kiddo.

    Miyako just *stares* at the monster for a few moments, before getting her butt in gear. "Okay. Just... no, dude. You do not get to do this." Her fingers fly as she inscribes a new set of runes, this one somewhat longer than the last, and she casts a worried glance over her shoulder at Kotono.

    Apparently satisfied, she turns her attention back to the beach. "Hey! Big ugly! Go find a nice shark to chow down on, we're busy having fun!"

    She swipes her hand across the runes she's drawn, and the entire cluster breaks apart into dozens of smaller duplicates, sweeping through the air to wrap themselves around the earthen walls raised by others and harden them into solid granite. "First law, bucko! NEVER tick off the engineer!"

    Between the shielding and water magic, none of the party take a strike from that tsunami that would take them to sea, and with Tenko and Shiruba working the trench, the water begins to fill that. Kotono does take a splash of that water. With Goldenblade, Merek, and Wake managing to protect from that water, Kotono managing to benefit them with shifting a little away.
    Fish men begin to come up from the water along the beach, then they try to fight the party. Merek, being Merek, does a Merek. "RAGNAROK'S WISDOM!"

Goldenblade looks pleased with herself as the tsunami washes out to sea and no one hurt and the beach intact. That's pretty good, she figures. Then the fish men come, and she sighs heavily. "This is gonna leave a mark," she grumbles, but she clearly means 'on them' and by mark, she means burn scars, because flourishing her blades is generating curtains of burning air that sweeps over a number of the attackers, flashbroiling them right where they stand.

It's just one problem after another. But they've all done enough Quests by this point to be expecting that. Shiruba jumps up on top of the earthen formations they made to stop the wave to take advantage of that high ground, and nocks her bow with one of her specialty arrows. "Okay, so how does that saying go? Yo ho ho and blow them all down.." The arrow she fires erupts into a storm level blast of wind, indeed blowing several of the fishmen down and back out into the water.

    It's entirely possible that the tsunami has cause a reaction in Wake that she doesn't immediately recognize. There's something horrific about it that rattles her and fills her with energy. Normally, this would be the spot where, as a professional, she'd turn away and get herself cooled off a bit. She has enough self-awareness to recognize that she's not perfectly right at the moment. But there's just no time.

    The Baroness doesn't just reach out for magic this time, she draws it in like a gasping dragon, and when she breathes that magic out it's ferocity is unlike anything she's achieved before.

    Nearly invisible blades of air scream out in a wide arc, moving so powerfully that entire columns of the enemies are torn to bits and the barriers in front of the Baroness shatter. Her magic grows stronger, and soon Wake's hair is caught in the rush of wind about her and she can barely keep her footing. She finds herself moving forward, almost recklessly against the oncoming enemy, and still she doesn't stop.

    How does the saying go? Ah, right: And Then It Got Worse.

    Miyako watches as the fish-critters start to make their way up the beach. She has a new song to share as she scribbles out a new series of runes.

        ./~ It's beginning to look a lot like fish-men
        ./~ Eeeeevreywhere you go...

    "... nah. Sorry, not your day, guys." She waves a hand, and once again the runes scatter out into the air above the oncoming monsters.

                ICE RAIN!

They're coming fast and they look mean, but Kotono's got a surprise for these monsters that are coming at her.

They can't fly, but she can... sort of.

Using her agile acrobatic skills, Kotono takes to the air to catch the enemies off-guard then uses her daggers to slice-and-dice them fast. "Mmm, sushi anyone?"

It's about to be a fish fry in here, as Tenko turns her attention back to the monsters after the wave has passed safely. The keeps her blade out, but builds a ball of flames in her opposite hand, readying it for when some of the monsters near her.

Once they are in range, she unleashes the blast of flames into the group of them, cooking them and turning them into defeated sparkles in just a fraction of a second. It seems like she's not done yet, as she charges into the group with her blade.

    With the party being skilled like they are, it is easy for all of them to sweep into the fish men. They each manage to take one and more away from the field, eventually. Then, there's an octopus that lifts along from the waves, while it tries to swing into the party! Merek tries to use magical healing with which to keep the party up.

Goldenblade squares off against the squid, attacking, slashing, cutting into it. Cutting away it's health one slash at a time. When it strikes at her, she slides aside so fast that it leaves a trail of flames. Hack, slash, counterattack, SLIDE. The area she abandons catches fire, and the fire pens in the squid as she keeps hacking at it, her flames doing more damage than her swords as the process continues.

As the massive octopus breaches the beach and thrashes about one of it's large tentacles slams into the rock formations that were used as wave breaks. It results in a large cloud of dust and sand from the structure crumbling... And out of the swirling debris a now tattered towel flits through the swirling air. It's recognizable as the one Shiruba had been wearing.

Fortunately that wasn't the end of the lupin cait sith. Unfortunately she's caught in the bind of the tentacle as it draws back into the air, squirming and shouting. "HENTAI! BAKA!" Or "PERVERT! STUPID!" for the people that would hear it in English. Ick ick slimy suckers feel SO GROSS when she's got less covering on than usual!

But as she's hoisted into the air Shiruba finally stops squirming, focusing her gaze on the monsterous cephleopod and something unusual sparkles in her eyes.

"Mighty Raijin, strike my foes down with your THUNDEROUS MIGHT!"

And that's when a giant magic lightningbolt erupts from the skies to slam into the mega-octopus in the evoked name of the God of Storms. And results in a spasm that loosens the grip enough for Shiruba to slip out of the slimy grasp and scramble out of the way.

This has been your reminder that she can indeed cast magic like a typical sorcerer, she just prefers not to because magic arrows are faster and less overly melodramatic.

Into the air she goes, and Kotono goes at the giant creature. "Anyone for a little calimari blanc?" She asks as she twirls her daggers. "Because I'm gonna teach this thing why you don't mess with the best!" With that, she swiftly goes at the creature, striking swiftly while avoiding being caught in the bubbles carefully.

She finishes her attack with a final strike aimed at a (hopefully) very vulnerable spot on the creature before jumping away.

    Having put herself out as far as she has, Wake finds herself in a very unsafe position to deal with the sudden appearance of the huge sea monster. It is all she can do to keep herself alive, and hopefully distract the beast as she focused on doing so.

    In a blur she dances among the thrashing tentacles, moving just one step ahead of her attacker. In the last, she appears to be winded, but as a vast limb swings down to crush her, she simply winks out of existence, appearing several meters away, safe and sound.

    The attacks of her allies bring her considerable relief. It's hard for the octopus to keep pressing the attack against her as it blasted again and again. The fire and lightning provides exactly the cover Wake needs to finally withdraw. She's delighted that Merek is there to provide healing. It seems some of her dodging wasn't quite as perfect as it first appeared.

    "I'll have to split it with you, Ko-chan," Miyako decides. "Besides, you know I like it with spicy marinara."

    She is perhaps a little closer than she should be, but she's hurrying her way through another spell. "Maybe some nice crab cakes... that's what I really miss. Good Maryland crab cakes." She hmms to herself as she finishes the spell. "Maybe we should find someone with the Cooking skill and get some made after th---"

    Remember that bit about too close?

    Yep. Knocked aside by the flailing tentacle, Miyako goes flying across the beach, finally splashing down in the water a good few yards offshore. She goes under... and there's no sign of her for a long minute.

    Then she explodes out of the water, spluttering and swearing, tossing her head from side to side to shake the water out of her hair. "THAT. DOES. IT!" she yells, conjuring her naginata from her inventory and stalking towards the beach...

    Just in time to see the monster disappear into shattering pixellation.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Kotono says with a smile, but her smile disappears when she sees Miyako disappear under the water. "OK, maybe we should get you dried off first?" She asks, sweating a little. "I mean, we are wearing swimsuits, yes, but..." She sighs. "Well, at least we dealt with it!"

Poor Shiruba. It looks like Tenko will have to go and help her! She rushes forward, blade in hand, and then watches as the lightning comes down and strikes the beast. Well, that at least saves her the trouble of having to save her fellow adventurer.

She is already here in close quarters, however. So she's going to go to work with the sword, slashing in multiple directions, quick, practiced strikes that should sever tentacles from the beast's body. Maybe someone can cook those up after they're on the ground.

    The monster becomes a pixel shimmer along with the party managing a win. Merek nods a bit to the party while the food would be found in the pack. "Alright, it looks like a full success," the man notes. Then he takes a moment to look to everyone, "Thank you." He does add to Tenko, "It's been a while, it's nice to generally see you about," he admits. There's a nod to Shiruba, "Wonderful ability!" Goldenblade, Miyako, Tenko, with Wake, Kotono, and with Shiruba, even with Merek. The people are then safe, and guidable back to the beach.

Goldenblade is surprised anyone wants to go back to the beach after all that, but when the monsters disintegrate into pixels rather than leaving around grotesque corpses, it's not nearly as bad. "Well, that was a bit of surprise, I didn't expect it to happen again," she says weakly. To Wake, she adds, "Hey, can I talk to you about something else afterwards? Just us, I mean."

Shiruba retrieves what remains of her towel, if only so she can wipe some of the octo tentacle slime off. Then smiles at Merek. "Thanks. I -can- cast spells like most mages. Just as a Spell Fletcher the enchanted arrows are usually faster and more precise."

She pauses, lowering the towel as she lifts her head to sniff the air. "... Is someone cooking the octopus remains?" YES FOOD BEST DUTY REWARD YET

    Miyako stalks out of the surf to Kotono's side, sighing softly, and throws her arms around the other Spriggan. "Who cares, we're at the beach, we came to go swimming anyways, right?" She grins and ruffles Kotono's hair.

    "Did someone mention grilled octopus?"

    Now that she's freed of that battle... okay, honestly the entire series of battles, Wake is able to get herself centered once more. She laughs softly at Goldenblade. "I think it's one a schedule, maybe?" More soberly, she says, "I hope the landers are always getting away in time, though. This event puts them in grave danger." She sounds offended by the prospet.

    "And yes, certainly, I can spare a bit of my time. I do need to return soon, though. I'm almost done with my work, now. Or at least, the current work. It is as close to perfection as I'm likely to ever achieve." Wake lets out a soft sigh, her face turned to the waters. "And yet I shall strive always to surpass whatever we've achieved in the past."

Goldenblade chuckles to Wake, and says, "It doesn't have to be now. But sometime soon, I'd like to bend your ear." Apparently it's something kind of involved. "I hope your project goes well, though. If I can help, please let me know?" She smiles, adjusting her bathing suit and eying the water again. But what's the chance of a second invasion so soon after this one?

Giggling at the ruffles, Kotono nods to Miyako. "Yeah, that's right, we're here to go swimming, have a cookout, and overall have a great time!"

Tenko sheathes her blade, and then turns to Merek, "Indeed. I hope you are well." She is not dressed for the beach, however. So she may just sit down and meditate instead of going swimming.

Nobody wants to smell wet fox fur, after all.

    Chuckling lightly, Miyako keeps an arm around Kotono as she walks over to rejoin the other adventurers, tugging her friend along. "Everyone up for a snack?" she asks.

    "Ah, I see. Well, another time then. When I can better focus on it," Wake replies to Goldenblade. "I will certainly keep you aware of our progress. Once this is phase is done, there will be a great need for help again. Much work must be done to set the stage for the rebuilding of the castle. I would be most grateful for assistance."

    Wake looks herself over and sighs, "Well, at least I got to wear something fun for a while!" She slides once more into a curtsey, "It was a pleasure working with all of you! I hope you have fun! For now, though, I fear I must be on my way."

    "Well enough, I imagine. Been doing a lot of work," Merek then admits. The man nods a little bit to Tenko, and finds a little time to relax while he takes a drink.