Duty Session 326: Reclaim the Peko Fort

    The hunter's guild had brokered a request on behalf of the Peko Knights, apparently one of their forts on the border of the undead army's territory had been taken over. So a quest had gone out to meet up with their representative under the cover of night. In a small grove of trees just outside the line of sight of the fort, stands one peko scout who appears to be jumpy as hell. This is the type of job that only the lowest on the totem pole gets , and so this new recruit is pretty frayed around the edges.

     Setsuna is one of the first to arrive and the scout quickly turns over the entire waiting for people to the guy who will come back to life if they die. " Look they are doing something crazy on the top of that tower and normally we could handle some stupid undead but... the things that come from the top." The scout shrudders. " Handle whats at the top and we will take care of the rest." With that the scout takes off to safer pastures.

Kotono is also one of the first to arrive, swiftly as usual just like the little acrobat she is. Upon arriving she skids to a halt and looks up at the fort before looking at the peko. "Don't worry, we'll take care of this!" She says with a smile. "We're gonna get that fort back!" The girl says before she proceeds to start stretching out, limbering herself up for the upcoming battle. She even demonstrates her flexibility by planting her daggers into the ground and then uses them to push up into a handstand before lowering her legs into a backbend. Quite limber that girl is!

She may look silly doing this in a game, but Kotono will always be Kotono, even if that means stretching before doing strenuous activity.

Goldenblade has accepted the quest and arrived at the meeting place. Catching the tail end of the briefing to Setsuna, and watching the scout book, she says, "Sounds like this is going to be a rough one. Hope it's not as tough as hunting that Triffid thing." She sighs about that, that one was very tough! She blinks as Kotono zips up, but smiles and says, "Hello there!" She nods agreement with Kotono's assertions. "Let's do it!"

    Miyako arrives only a few moments after Kotono, and takes a moment before announcing her arrival to appreciate her friend's athletic prowess. She grins and starts padding up towards the Spriggan-Ninja, blatantly 'sneaking' along. A few feet behind Kotono, she turns to the rest of the group, puts a finger to her lips, and 'shhh's.

    And then, with a flick of her wings, she leaps at Kotono, throwing her arms around the taller girl's neck and shoulders and spinning round to her front. "Hey there, girlfriend. Miss me?"

     Eliza parks her peko-drawn wagon outside the fort, offering some brief applause as she sees Kotono's gymnastic feat. "Very nice," she says as she steps down from the front of the wagon. She attends to the needs of her peko, Sunny, by feeding him some nuts and berries, and smiles as she ruffles his head feathers. Then she grabs her shepherd's crook from the back of the wagon and moves to join the others. "Good evening, all," she says.

    As the group finishes gathering and the scout disappears a odd mist rolls in around fort . Maybe it is an eerie omen, maybe it is a bit of luck but it will provide some cover for what comes next. Setsuna takes a deep breath as he looks at the fort. " Ok looks like we need to sneak up on the fort or else it is just a matter of time till someone spots us and sounds an alarm. " With a huff Setsuna looks at the others. " I'll take up the rear as I am not exactly the sneakiest so after yall."

Goldenblade is, in fact, a sneaky person. She does not seem the part. She acts like a bricklayer, which is what she was in real life. The role of ninja is one she had not planned on when she came onto this game. But she's fallen into the role, and she manages to bring it off without too much issue, sneaking forward under cover, melting into the shadows when needed, and avoiding the defenders' notice.

Apparently Miyako is also good at stealth, as she catches Kotono off-guard. Nevertheless, the Spriggan-Ninja doesn't seem alarmed at all. Instead, she grins as Miyako spins around to greet her. "Well hello there, Miyako!" She giggles. "You won't believe how much I've missed you." She tilts her head to the side. "But we can catch up later. We've got work to do."

That fog looks like it could be used to Kotono's advantage if she invokes a little air magic with a rune...

Except it doesn't work if it just comes out as a short puff.

"So much for that..." The girl says with a scowl.

    Miyako smiles lightly and stands on tip-toes to kiss Kotono's cheek. "Happy New Year, then. And yeah, I owe you, I got dragged off on a little side mission. Make it up to you with dinner tonight?" She waggles her eyebrows and grins at the other Spriggan, and then it's time for business.

    While Kotono works her Air magic, Miyako is the Darkness expert, and turns to that to shadow their movement. The runes she sketches wrap shadows around her like a cloak... and then she reaches out to draw Kotono under that cloak as well, grinning merrily as it wraps around them both and hides them from view.

     Eliza presses forward, trying to keep to the dark places. She's very much not a ninja, but manages to keep herself out of sight by following the others closely and staying quiet.

    Setsuna watches the others for a moment before he does his best to wrap himself in shadows. He only had to wrap himself in shadows and walk across the hills to the fort wall. Instead his shadows are only partly there and he has to scurry like a rat caught stealing the cheese to get to the wall quickly. Others though have varying degrees of success. Looking at Miyako as the shadows protect her he sees how it is. The shadows are fickle things like that.

    Setsuna looks up at the wall, at least a couple of stories up and looks around. " I don't suppose somone has one of those ropes with the cool grapple hook thingies?" Setsuna frowns and thn looks up again. " I guess we get up their however one can. Those who have it easy help those who don't have it so easy. " The necromancer himself was considering a bunch of ledges made up of earth magic.

Goldenblade peers at Setsuna, and wonders, "A grappling hook? For -that- wall? Look, the bricks are thick, and the mortar's indented between them enough for a decent handhold." She snorts derisively, though quietly, walks up to the wall, and starts scaling it like it was stairs. Or almost like it was stairs. Her fingers grasp each stone firmly, testing it with a bit of her weight, then she lifts herself up one row. She goes straight up without pause, but at the top, after hopping over the parapet, she will look down and see if she needs to lower a rope?

     Approaching the wall, Eliza readies herself for the climb, slinging her crook across her back and taking a deep breath. She tackles the climb with ferocity, putting all her farm-grown strength into it, before reaching the top alongside Goldenblade. "Maybe I overdid it a bit..." she says.

"Dinner sounds good. We'll discuss ideas later," Kotono idly mentions to Miyako beforehand. It sounds like a nice treat.

For now this wall...

Not a problem for an acrobat like Kotono! She does a running leap and begins climbing up with little difficulty. "Always important to be strong and supple!" She comments quietly.

    Miyako hmms softly as she looks up at the wall. "Right," she says to Kotono, agreeably. She stands there and watches her friend climb, even as she starts inscribing runes for another spell.

    "Strong, supple, and -firm-," she mutters to herself, grinning, and then a set of vines bursts from the ground beneath her, lifting her up along the wall's height and providing a ladder for anyone else who might need one. And it'll be useful on the way out, too.....

    Setsuna does indeed create extra large ledges and grooved comfortable hand holds, really it is a easy climb for him and as he looks back at the others everyone seems to be making it up and over the wall. As he gets to the top he swipes his brow, " Damn that is one hell of a workout. A few more times and I may gain some physical skills. I need to start some cardio program or something. Yoga? Do they have that here?" With a smile he finds a ladder down the other side of the wall and gestures for people to meet him down at the edge of the courtyard.

     As they get to the bottom it is a good thing he didn't rush out into the courtyward. A skeleton is on guard patrol and rushes towards them and blows up a good 10 feet from them, showering them all in dirt. " It seems someone mined his courtyard with magic or chemicals or something. The Goblin Slayer had access to black powder so who knows what is under the ground. Be careful and light footed. "

Goldenblade smiles to Eliza, shakes her head, "You did fine. You do what you've got to do." Looking out over the next section, she sighs. "That one's gonna be rough, and no mistake," she says. "Do any of you remember the minefield scene from All Quiet on the Western Front?" she wonders. But that's kind of not important. She's got neither a flamethrower nor wooden pegs, and do kids today even remember the movie? Hers don't. What she does have is such an intense blazing speed that she leaves a trail of flames in her wake, which the traps she springs occasionally sproing into, lighting themselves on fire. Goldenblade, herself, is well ahead of where the traps are aimed at by the time they spring, defeating the traps with ludicrous speed.

    Miyako flashes Kotono a grin from the top of the wall, looking out over the carnage below. "Well, that isn't that bad, it's as easy as pi!" she announces. Then she leaps down, relying on her wings to slow her fall until she alights gently on the ground below. "Follow in my footsteps," she calls back, and begins hopping about across the minefield, weaving a path side to side and - eventually - forward and across the field.

Sometimes, it's better to not be caught. And that means using speed to your advantage...

Wherever possible that is.

As she's trying to avoid being caught, Kotono trips over something and falls on her face. She's back up quickly, but not before taking a couple of hits. "Oww..." She mutters with annoyance.

     "Mines..." Eliza looks nervously over the courtyard after the skeleton explodes. She doesn't have a clue about how to deal with them. Aren't they illegal anyway? ...wait, that's Earth. Yamato isn't exactly party to the Geneva Conventions. "I guess... all I can do is go for it." She watches the others make their way across, then starts her way across with a skipping step. She's almost made it across when she hears a distressing sound at her feet. She's just quick enough to avoid meeting the same fate as the unfortunate skeleton, but the explosion throws her forward, and leaves her faceplanting awkwardly in front of the door. "...Owww," she whines, pushing herself back up. Glancing over at Kotono, she's at least relieved not to be the only one to mess up.

    Setsuna nods his head, " Oh yeah I can see the pattern. Its kinda obvious for anyone who has gone hunting. " Step , step , side step, side step, back step , spin... ok the spin wasn't neccessary but still. Eventualy Setsuna gets to the tower door and looks back at the others. Some make it with out harm, others, well others are not so lucky, wincing at the face palm of Kotono's. Fortunately it should be completely smooth sailing from here as Setsuna turns around to open the door. "It's locked." Setsuna turns back to the group, "Ok who here can pick a lock? Goldenblade can you disassemble the door?" Over the shoulder of the group he sees a few skeleton archers about to take advantage of the sitting party. " Perhaps we should hurry up to , just a thought." He steps to the back of the group as he prepares to try to shield the group.

Goldenblade takes one look at the door and sighs. "Someone didn't think this through, did they?" she asks, smirking and nodding to Setsuna. Damned right she can! From her pack, she pulls out a small steel wedge and a hammer, and goes to work on the hinges, which are on the outside of the door. They're thick, well-anchored, and sturdy, but the pins holding them are just pins, and once she pops the heads off the pins, she can hammer them down and out of the hinges, where they fall on the floor, rendering the locks pretty much superfluous.

You need something unlocked? Where's Jill Valentine when you need her?

Not in this game, but there's always Kotono, who just so happens to know a bit or two about picking locks.

"Let me see here..." She does a little twisting and turning, before smiling. "There we go! They should make better locks than this."

     Looking up at the walls as she brushes herself off, Eliza spots the skeletons and moves to shield the others. She raises her crook and summons a shield of rocks to block the incoming attack. As the others' shielding attempts falter, Eliza tries her best to pick up the deficit and keep the arrows from hitting the group while they work on the door. Finally, once the others are through, she slips in behind them and follows the group up the stairs.

    Miyako glares up at the skeletons, having noted them on her approach, and waits until everyone is across the minefield before taking action. "Look out above," she calls softly, and scribes a quick shield spell to protect herself and the others. She's not quite quick enough, however, as the skeletons take notice and open fire on the adventurers, several arrows sticking into (and, to a degree more or less through) her armor. "Oh bloody hell...."

    The necromancer begins to raise his magical energy shields and , takes an arrow to the shoulder. Fortunately he can still be an adventurer as it wasn't his knee. However he is bleeding, it did hurt. With a grunt he pulls the arrow out. " Any time?!" As if perfectly timed, Kotono and Goldenblade finish at that exact same moment that the door falls to the ground. " Quick take cover." Setsuna does his best to keep the shield up but really compared to Eliza and Miyako his shield isn't helping much.

Up the stairs they go, around and around, where well everyone is pretty sure its to the top of the tower. Finally they get to the top and exit on to a large magic circle, with a bunch of vampire cultist trying to summon something. The leader of the cultist grins and points at the group, " Oh look, our sacrifices have arrived. They even brough us a snack. " The cultist bears his fang and draws his kknife and charges the party as the others do the same.

Goldenblade looks over at the smarmy cultists and sighs. "You kids missed a memo," she tells them, and then she demonstrates her ultimate technique: Ragnarok Blade. "This may leave a mark," she quips, though she's not sure if people say that nowadays. Her mother used to warn her as a child about things that would leave a mark. But it's kind of a joke statement now, anyhow. Both swords bursting into intense flame, it's hard to tell whether she's slashing things to ribbons with gratuitous burning, or hardcore incineration action with a side of slice and dice. Either way, the cultists, their summons, and their high-and-mighty attutude are all quite quickly and thoroughly slaughtered. A mark is not what she leaves. Pixels are what she leaves. And then the pixels fade away.

Vampires don't like wooden stakes... Kotono's got none of those.

Vampires don't like garlic.... nope, sorry!

They don't like holy water, and Kotono doesn't carry that.

What about bright light?

Using a rune or two, Kotono invokes a light spell to brighten up things for those cultists!

     Eliza doesn't have the time to start singing to help out the group, before one of the vampires comes at her, intent on making her a sacrifice. Quickly she strikes back, forcing the cultist away with a blow from her crook, setting her up to be blasted away by Goldenblade's burning attack. "You fried 'em like a cluck-cluck," she comments. However, from the looks of things, it's not quite over yet...

    Vampires. Why's it always have to be vampires? "Well well, gents," she purrs, drawing a pair of daggers from her belt, "Let's dance, shall we?"

    Miyako grins and charges in at the cultists, laughing as she stabs and slashes and twirls about in the midst of the crowd of monsters. "Everybody," she sings, "Needs somebody!" Stab. Slash. Twirl. "Everybody needs - " Dodge. Slash. Duck. Stab. " - Somebody to love!"

    Setsuna looks at the cultist coming for him and lets loose a ball of fire, only for it to miss as the vampire bites him. The others are doing much better however at fighting these vampires though, as they quickly are destroyed. All in fact seems to be going to well. Until suddenly the blood of the fallen vampires activate the magical circle.

     A horrible smell fills the air before from the magic circle rises up a giant black slime. Those who went to the sewers to clear the slimes may know this one as the foul smelling black flan. However a moment after the summoning it shifts to a even worse smell as if the foul odor it produced putrified. Mold and what not cover the top of the slime as it seems to be now an undead black flan according to the inspection. It reaks, it slimes, and it is coming to get you, what will you do?

Goldenblade wrinkles her nose when the undead slime uses the cultists for sacrifices rather than us. "Well, I'm glad it wasn't us, but not the greatest outcome," she observes. She coughs at the awful smell, then swirls her swords around. Her control of air isn't quite up with her control of fire, but it's enough to clear the miasma from the air to let everyone work unhindered.

     The smell is overwhelming; Eliza had encountered some pungent odors back on the farm, but this beat all of them. As the others prepare to fight, Eliza tries to raise her voice in a heroic tune, but her song quickly turns to coughs in the face of the rotten air. "Someone... get that thing out of here," she sputters.

Kotono decides to use the air magic again...

And this time it works! A tornado comes to her aid! It really breezes through things.

    Miyako smiles lightly as the last of the vampires goes down, then - she yelps and launches herself out of the summoning area at a dead run, a leap sending her rolling across the floor before she fetches up against a wall. "Right! On the count of three..." She scribes a hurried series of runes, then yells "Three! Ice Rain!" Hail pours down on the slime, crushing and freezing it!

    With a large smelly undead putrid slime thing standing infront of you, it is amazing no one on this tower top runs away in disgust. Instead they go to work , and eventually the poor slime is pushed off the tower and onto the courtyard below with a giant, loud SPLAT! The smell is gone, and below they should be able to gather their loot on there way out. With a sigh Setsuna goes to sit on the edge of the tower for a moment as he gathers some air. As he sits the sun begins to peak out over the land, and the entire group can see off into a distance. Another fort, another fort with rows of humanoid figures wearing Helena's regalia, all around a large fort. It appears they have found the main army of the undead.