I mean, maybe. But honestly we've got a lot going on right now and I still want to heal Pito (True) which Urvashi can't do so I'm almost willing to roll the dice on risking things as they are. Or spending this first turn not driving but trying to get in cover for the ice beam before resuming with the plans as written.
I still feel decent about my gut feeling of M hiding in the District + Healing Pito (True) to full being a win condition too but it seems the consensus is around driving up to the cliffside M first so I'm working within that idea.
I've been interpreting this as an Exorcism fight where our win condition is Erlkonig dead without Pito (True) dying. That's why I'm decently willing to draw aggro to ourselves and use health as a resource to speed up the fight.
That's fair, and there definitely could be multiple win conditions - we didn't behave as expected during the Sinon Death Gun fight IIRC - but my thinking is increasingly that Erlkonig!Pito, as the manifestation of Pito's obsession of being in the moment and getting her fight to the death, that actually bringing her closer to death is giving her what she wants and may even empower her as she gets closer to her "ideal." I'm hoping that healing True!Pito works in the opposite manner - it takes her further away from that state and possibly debuffs Erlkonig as a result, possibly resulting in a non-standard win condition if we get her back to full HP.
Some of P-chan's chatter about how Erlkonig can't be beaten by LLENN unless she uses the Death Gun to manifest her ideals to challenge her leads me to think there's definitely some conceptual/battle of ideals going on with Erlkonig. LLENN listening to P-chan may work in that case, but I think that's a worse outcome for Karen's mental state.
I think LLENN incarnating her ideals is a good idea, I'm not even necessarily against letting her use a Death Gun to facilitate it. It would certainly be a cool and interesting story beat. But it defiantly has negative repercussions to it that makes it better as a last resort play. Ideally I'd like to find a way to get her to incarnate without a Black Star but that feels like asking for too much atm, better to see how the fight shifts.
A perfect plan is out of reach with the information we have. Best just to do one strategy well and adjust as needed.
"Hiyori. Don't take this the wrong way, but you're actually pretty nosy." Shino says, finally. "You protect yourself with lies but use the truth like a knife. You know how frustrating it is to learn that someone you barely know suddenly just... learns all your worst secrets by glancing at you once?"
You try not to flinch at the accusation. "You think I should've kept Karen in the dark?"
Shino's response is sudden and terse.
"Hesitation is defeat. Fight with the weapon you've mastered, Hiyori. Not someone else's." Shino holds her arms against herself. "But I... I know more than anyone, how... strong ignorance makes you. When you're sure you have all the answers it's so easy to make decisions, to just blindly... pull the trigger. And look at Kyouji— that power was from his ignorance, of himself and the people around him. Incarnation and ignorance go hand in hand."
Shino continues, her voice tight and forced. "Pitohui wants to die, and she believes Death Gun will give her that chance. LLENN wants Pitohui to live so that they can fulfill the promise they made. M is stacking the deck in LLENN's favor with the Fake NerveGear, but the fundamental plan? It's to pit Pitohui's ignorance against LLENN's ignorance. LLENN simply believes that everything will magically work out if she just keeps on shooting, that's no better than what I was believing in."
M... must've realized this. His utter insistence on ensuring Karen knew as little as possible reflected an understanding of Incarnation. The less Karen knows, the more room in her heart for hope. Hope that you're dampening with the truth.
Shino turns and stares you straight in the eye. "No hesitation. You fought me with the truth. We fought Kyouji with the truth. And we'll fight Elsa with the truth."
The truth... has been your weapon all this time. The pattern you've followed thus far was just a way of giving the truth a chance. You can't overthink this, you've already succeeded twice. You've begun to notice the pattern. You know what you must do against Pitohui.
Just like Shino and Kyouji, you'll first need to break the manifestation of her Death Gun. You know the state of her delusion, the «Real Deal» of Kanzaki Elsa was not strong, was not a champion, a jester or a king.
No, somehow, the «Real Deal» of Kanzaki Elsa was a corpse.
Elsa will draw power from that twisted belief. And you need to destroy that belief with overwhelming force. That's what you win by defeating Death Gun's manifestation. By crushing them with your Persona, you violate the veneer of invincibility, and introduce the barest hint of doubt. This gives you a window without the influence of Death Gun, a small chance that will give Karen the chance to tell her truth to Elsa and force her to listen.
And for once in this morass of lies and plots, Karen's truth was pure and simple.
She just wants to see her friend.
"It looks like you've come to an answer," Shino smiles, noting the new look in your eyes. "We'll fight with the truth, however painful it may be. Now, if we're done here, one truth we can't escape from is that this damn rain isn't letting off anytime soon..."
[X] Plan: Throughout HEAVENs and Earth, I Alone Am The VTuber One
-[X] Kuro: Embody Archetype [Idol]
--[X] Stay on Helena, mount our Maxim Gun tripod in the back of the buggy. Announce to the world (Wherever M is hiding) that we have M's Skeletal Oshi and that if he takes us out, she'll die too. Use Diarama on Pitohui (True).
--[X] Having just tanked a Dyne level spell and backhanded the Cosmo Dragoon, declare ourselves the invincible Heroine come to this world to save those lost and unable to save themselves. Faux-Megidola Erlkonig with the force of our established legend.
-[X] Party: An Idol's Pyrotechnics Crew
--[X] Gwen: Drive the buggy up the cliffside in the buggy toward 'M' after we load in. Throw some grenades infused with Zionga behind at Erlkonig to give Helena a light show.
--[X] LLENN: Dump as many rounds into Erlkonig as she can.
--[X] Sinon: Attempt to Phantom Bullet 'M' to see if we can get them to abandon their partially broken cover so we can get a better look at them. Then find new cover.
[X] Speech: The Meaning of an Idol
-[X] Kuro: "Look at what you've wrought! Your selfish lust for death has hurt your friends, your manager, yourself, your fans! Look here M, your charge lies a husk. Split in two by their suffering, and your lack of spine."
-[X] "But feat not all those who weap, your Heroine, your Idol shall save all who suffer so. You are not the first, nor shall you be the last I shall save thus. Pito, why do you hide your true face in fear? This death you seek is but a streak of fog. Let this grey rider you have called to attain it dissapear with the light of the dawn. SOUL PUNISHER!"
"...That's Pitohui?" It's the question you openly ask of Gwen, as opposed to the real question you want to ask, which is why it's serving as a hood ornament.
"Unless there's another skeleton you want me to kidnap, that's our girl," Gwen says, gesturing to the open seat next to her. "Now c'mon, let's roll!"
The Death Gun manifested from Pitohui groans, slowly standing up as she leans on her weapon for support. The weapon is over half of Pitohui's height, and you immediately recognize the space-age silver rocket launcher.
Straight from the cash shop, the most powerful Optical Weapon in the game: the «Deneb Kaitos».
A direct hit from that thing will vaporize you.
"Gwen! Go, up the hill!" You brace the Maxim Gun on the outer chassis of the dune buggy, taking a firing stance as you shout directions. "I'll buy us some time!"
"Righto, hold on tight!"
Gwen accelerates with a screech, the buggy lurching forward, and the tires kick up a cloud of dust. You spray a line of bullets into the ground, a wall of dirt erupting behind you. The ancient weapon manages an impressive fire rate, but nothing from over a century ago is getting past Pitohui's absurdly high-quality armor. If you want to damage her you'll have to find a way to break it down, or at the very least bypass it.
A sudden lurch and you're nearly thrown from the dune buggy, the vehicle skidding to a halt as it reaches a sharp incline.
"I hope you have a plan, cause if there's one thing being permanently invisible doesn't help me do, it's drive!" Gwen shouts, slamming the accelerator as the dune buggy's tires spin against the slope.
There's no time to think, much less plan. Just as you peek your head over the top of the buggy you immediately see the red trail settle on your head. It tracks back to the sniper nest, a handful of space metal plates knocked loose by Sinon already tumbling down the sides of the slope. Yet before you can even react, you see yet another Bullet Line streak out from the trees.
<Sinon: I'll pin M down!>
The curved Bullet Line immediately disappears, the sniper seeking immediate cover behind what remains of their armor. It's a silent war between the snipers, complicated by the predictive systems of GGO. Sinon is pinning down M and M is likewise preventing her from moving out of cover.
It's a solid strategy, provided one doesn't just... rush the sniper.
"Keep on pushing," you call out to Gwen, feeling a bump as the buggy finally begins the slow climb up the hill.
This is the plan you've settled on, a plan to divide and conquer. So long as M huddles behind his shield like some turtle, his only choice is to keep his head down. LLENN told you about his build— big and slow. Not the type that can afford to leave cover. You recall LLENN warning you about M, painting a picture in your mind of a truly fearsome opponent.
A talented sniper who doesn't need to use the «Bullet Line».
An expert with an encyclopedic knowledge of firearms.
A skilled navigator who didn't need radar to track and hunt his targets.
A brilliant tactician with the ability to predict the moves of his enemies.
Yet you've seen nothing of the sort. His 'plan', if you could even call it that, was to set up a sniper's nest and just... snipe? But now he's suppressed by Sinon, trapped beneath his own armor, nothing but a turtle who mistakenly thinks it's safe in its shell, not wary of the car about to run it over.
It's not adding up, it's almost like...
"...That's not M..." you whisper to yourself, the realization dawning upon you.
"What was that?" You snap back to reality, Gwen shouting over the roar of the engine.
"It's not M! That's not M at the sniper's nest!"
Gwen furrows her brow, her grip tightening on the steering wheel. "Ooookay? But we still got this asshole firing on us! Doesn't change what we gotta do!"
<Sinon: M or not, if I stop suppressing them, the two of you are sitting targets!>
You see the barrel of the anti-materiel rifle pop out from behind the plates, but the flash of Sinon's Bullet Line forces the enemy sniper to duck back under. Though the weapon they were using possessed homing bullets, it appears without at least having a clear line of sight to you through the scope, the tracking ability of the weapon was ineffective.
You've got to think harder! It's not enough to realize M was trying to trick you, the question is why? He intends to draw your attention, but to what end? There's an answer you're not seeing here...
A flash of red, and your head turns. The swarm of spirits around Pitohui is practically vibrating, a wave of pure joy washing over the battlefield. You feel her getting closer, the sheer intensity of her emotions drowning out all else. There's no further time to plan, no further time to consider options, not with the Deneb Kaitos hoisted over her shoulder, an unearthly light shining from the barrel of the weapon.
You and Gwen are stuck, caught between the sniper's nest and the death ray, stuck on a slope you cannot drive up.
"Gwen! Hurry up! Give it more gas!"
"Gas!? Cars don't run on gas anymore!"
What the hell kind of cars does her family drive her around in!? You ignore the misconceptions of the rich girl, urging her forward. "I mean, floor it!"
"I am flooring it!"
You turn, the barrel of the rocket launcher still glowing with energy.
"GIVE IT MORE JUICE!"
System Call: Generate Fulminant Element. Discharge.
Gwen grits her teeth, a yellow light flickering over her hand. "You know what? You're right. LET'S GIVE THIS BABY SOME JUICE! DAJI TAKE THE WHEEL!" Before you can even question what she's doing, Gwen slams her lightning-encrusted fist against the dashboard.
There's a deafening hum, and an intense blue-white light flashes over the vehicle. Electricity sparks everywhere, and the entire frame of the dune buggy trembles, the skeletal Pitohui spasming along like some dancer at a rave.
The tires spin wildly, a burst of speed kicking the vehicle forward, and the world is filled with the roar of the engine. A stream of deep blue energy, thick as a river, slams into the ground just behind you— Pitohui's weapon just barely missing the target.
"WOOHOO, NOW WE'RE TALKING!" Gwen cheers, pumping her fists in the air instead of, say, keeping them on the steering wheel.
Your brain decides to shut down and you decide to accept it. If you tell Gwen right now that there was no such thing as an EV Dune Buggy, you suspect the buggy will immediately break down.
Down near the edge Pitohui's finally in clear view. She's laughing, her weapon already charging for yet another shot. That damn optical laser cannon is practically tailor-made to destroy your ArFA class avatar, and you have no idea if Pitohui realizes this or just really wants to play around with her arsenal.
"You all really like running away. Say, I find myself curious, Black Star Collector-chan. Why don't you use it? Bring out your true self? Heh, nah, I don't see the point. An opening act can't compare to the headliner. So why don't you drop your guns and I'll let you and M walk away? I'm not here for you, Kuro."
"Do you have any idea what you're doing to yourself!?" you shout, the skeleton that was Pitohui, bouncing with the buggy's motions. "You think a Death Game is some kind of a vacation or a joke!? You're killing yourself! Look at what you've wrought! Your selfish lust for death has hurt your friends, your manager, yourself, your fans!"
The barrel of the Deneb Kaitos glows bright white in response. "Hahahaha, HAHAHAHA, oh, Kuro-chan you are so clueless! Goushi? My fans? Myself? Who is that you're so desperate to protect? That's just an empty husk, a shell— nothing but the corpse called Elsa. You want to know the truth, Kuro!? Right now, as I am now, I am wonderful. I am alive, I am here, I am free, and I AM ME!"
Her declaration is punctuated by a flash, and then? Fire. Agony.
Your arm spasms, the force of the laser ripping through your body. It passed through the buggy, through even your weapon, the light not even reaching coherency yet somehow wracking your body with waves of this indescribable sensation. Not like pain, not pleasure, not numbness, and not electric tingles— it is all of the above and none, simultaneous and nowhere, the wave of energy scouring your body as if it were sandpaper.
Helena descends through your body, your Persona stabilizing your thoughts and washing away the chaotic sensations. Opening Act? You? Who the hell does this tone-deaf idol group reject think she is!?
System Call: Incarnate PERSONA [Helena]. ReferenceID:03.Droit
Helena hovers over your shoulders, guiding you, urging you onwards. "I've been meaning to complain. Your act? Terrible. Do you have the slightest idea how weak your presentation is? What, you're standing there just shooting me with guns while your half-assed backup dancers make spooky noises behind the curtain? God you should've seen the last guy I fought. At least he was original."
You strike out with your foot, skidding it across the pale white skull and sending it flailing like a bobblehead.
"Look at this. You too M, I know you're hiding out here somewhere!" your voice echoes through the trees, ringing out to reach the bastard wherever he may be skulking. "Look! Your charge lies a husk. Split in two by their suffering, and your lack of spine. A prince charming riding in on a white horse, that's what the people want! But instead, what do they get? An idiot like you who can't even be bothered to rescue the princess from herself."
You continue projecting your voice, ensuring that M can hear every word you say.
"But fear not, all of you who weep! Your heroine, your Idol, shall save all who suffer! You are not the first, nor shall you be the last I shall save ."
Light ever brilliant shines forth, decorative ribbons and frills glimmering forth around your coat. The cheers of a phantom crowd drown out the screeches of the Wild Hunt, and the soft glow of a distant stage light descends on your form. For the first time since ALO you feel your Persona channeling not through your weapon but through yourself.
"Pitohui, why do you hide your true face in fear?" You speak and the stage light shifts, the world darkening, while your spotlight shines upon the skeleton of Pitohui.
System Call: Generate Luminous Element. Form Element, Spotlight Shape. Discharge.
Before the eyes of the enraptured onlookers the skeleton twitches. Sinew grows around the bones, muscles, fat, and organs rapidly growing to fill in the gaps. Blood pools within the body, and at a moment's notice, the flesh of the body has returned. Yet something is amiss, the body is still limp and lifeless, the flesh a pallid grey, a corpse rather than a living body.
Not enough. It's not enough just to heal her body. The manifestation of Death Gun was akin to your Persona, but moreso the ones used by Sinon and Gwen, rather than your gifted Wild Card. The thing wearing Pitohui's face is not Pitohui, it cannot be, yet it has something of Pitohui within. This core of a twisted dream— strengthened by the curse of the Black Star.
Then you will wipe away the delusion until Pitohui has no choice but to stare at her true self.
"This death you seek is but a streak of fog. So let us clear away the clouds!"
You raise your arms, the buggy your stage, the world your audience.
"Lights!"
Gwen looks at you like you're insane, but nevertheless, she pulls out a grenade from her inventory, its surface already crackling with Daji's infused electricity.
"Camera!"
From out of absolutely nowhere a pink blur dashes in front of Pitohui, the sheer speed of LLENN leaving a pink streak as she zips into place. She takes a firing stance, her P90 aimed squarely at Pitohui, her sudden entrance splitting the attention of your target.
"And ACTION!"
The spotlight shifts and Pitohui is captured in a beam of light. Some instinct tells her she's in danger, but the moment she even considers moving a cage of electricity forms around her, Gwen's grenades boxing her in— Pitohui's Optical Shield flickering under the onslaught, the electricity penetrating the barrier like it wasn't even there.
She swings the Deneb Kaitos, trying to counter-attack but her second shot goes wide, the sheer stimulation of your newfound stage causing her aim to waver. A barrage of 28mm rounds streams out from LLENN's P90, the assault forcing Pitohui to block it with her Optical Weapon.
She's penned in— exposed. You raise your finger to the sky, this is the moment, the climax!
"SOUL PUNISH!"
System Call: Purging excess data from FLID [Pitohui] from Main Visualizer. AUTHORIZATION: [ADMINISTRATOR] [KUR0&8956— REQUEST DENIED
The heavens roar, the air splits, and your spotlight turns blood-red. A single ray, thick and heavy, light made manifest, falls from the heavens and crashes down. A beam that can split mountains, vaporize oceans, and reduce cities to rubble is all directed squarely at Pitohui's body...
Provided she believes.
"Hehehehe..."
She's collapsed onto her knees, her arms dangling uselessly at her side. The Optical Weapon lies discarded on the ground, the weapon already half-slag from LLENN's attack.
"Hahahaha!"
The full-throated laughter of the Death Gun who calls itself Pitohui, rings out like an explosion.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Her head snaps up, her eyes wild and alive. There's not a single wound on her body, not from Gwen's grenades, LLENN's surprise attack, or even your death beam. You realize it then and there— that despite everything, Pitohui did not believe.
"Was that supposed to attack my soul? Oh, you're so precious. You can't kill what isn't there, Kuro. Didn't I say it earlier? I AM ME! This sensation... this joy... this HUNT! It is all I need, it is ALL THAT I AM! Are you going to try to hurt me by attacking my feelings? Fuck that! Show me your FURY! BULLETS, BEAMS, EXPLOSIONS! SHOW ME EVERYTHING YOU GOT!"
Pitohui's voice rings out, a howl to the heavens.
"I WILL FEEL THEM ALL! THIS IS MY SENSATION, MY JOY, MY LIFE!"
A chill runs down your spine. LLENN shouts something incoherent at her friend, and with another burst of automatic fire the grandstanding Pitohui is struck clean through the abdomen, pixelated blood spraying everywhere.
"That's the way... LLENN-chan! Oh, it feels so... exciting... so... invigorating... SO LIVELY!"
Her head rolls back, her body contorting as she basks in the sensation of being shot. Her mouth opens, her arms reach skyward, and your spotlight fades. It appears that all light has faded, the faint outlines of the spirits around her now opaque, her arsenal of weapons dancing around like an orchestra. You invited Pitohui to your stage, but then... this was someone used to stages far grander than yours.
LLENN backs off, and your buggy charges forward. You feel a lightening of pressure from Helena, the spirit returning to your side disappointed and cowed by the outcome. As for Pitohui, she strolls forward at a leisurely pace, casually grabbing a small black metal tube, shaped like some kind of double-ended flashlight. Her free hand reaches for the Cosmo Dragoon holstered at her thigh, a skip in her step as she saunters up the hill.
You're struck by the thought that this may be the happiest person you've ever met.
"Uh... so what's the plan now?" Gwen whispers.
The cloud of spirits envelopes Pitohui, carrying her up the hill at a rapid pace. With an ear-piercing buzz, the strange tube in her hand alights in a dark red photonic blade, the color reflecting the sheer anticipation building behind her eyes.
"Drive faster," is the only answer you give.
Gwen responds by slapping another bolus of sheer electricity through the buggy, giving the vehicle one final burst of speed. You need to at least take out M, or the mystery sniper, or whoever the hell is on the cliff! Then you can regroup, formulate a strategy, and...
"HEEEEEEERE'S PITOOOOO!"
The buggy shakes, the air vibrating with power, and then a flash of red just behind—
*BANG*
A gunshot. Not the explosive force of Sinon's Hecate. No bullet line in sight. This is a bullet fired without any system assistance.
It doesn't land anywhere, it isn't even aimed at anyone. It passes between you and Pitohui, a veritable curtain through the air, forcing her to jump back and arrest her assault. Did M just... save you?
"M just fired! Sinon, find him!" you scream into your communicator as the buggy finally crests the hill. You hear the shuffling of Sinon repositioning, but there's no counter shot, no obvious indication where M is hiding without the Bullet Line.
You don't understand.
What is he planning? This... additional sniper, this mercenary... what was he trying to do...
Why did he stop Pitohui from attacking?
Gwen keeps charging forward. Sinon's Bullet Line finally disappears and the mystery sniper pops out of the Space Metal mini-fort, Gwen's buggy mere moments away from running the mercenary over.
It's... a girl. In an oversized ghillies suit that masked her silhouette. She's tall, almost as towering as Karen is in real life, with a bored expression on her face. She has long white hair similar to yours, with skimpy clothes monographed with a stylized X on the shoulders.
You can't help yourself. You have to ask.
"Who are you?"
"Merci. I am but a humble mercenary. You can call me Muskete—"
She never answers.
The world explodes.
A ringing in your ears. The ground beneath you is no longer the grassy hills of the forest. No. It's a crater— ash and soot blanketing the air, a charred corpse lies next to you with the unnecessary DEAD label hovering above her remains. All around you fire and slag, the plasma explosion catching everyone off guard.
"Hey, get up! Hurry, you're a sitting duck out here!"
Someone shouts from within the forest, and when you look you see no one, only the rustling of grass escaping into the forest. Gwen? Good, she's still safe. If it wasn't for the buggy partially shielding you from the blast this may have been enough to kill you.
You look up and see the towering pillar of smoke. What remains of the buggy is folded in half, wrapped around the trunk of a tree like a snake. Metal fragments, bent and broken, litter the area. The remains of the real Pitohui, now dislodged from the buggy, lie unceremoniously in a heap by the flaming wreck, its form skeletal once more.
"M?" you croak out but see no one besides yourself. "W-what did you do?"
You scream but no one hears.
"M, answer me! The real Pitohui is right here! If you kill her she'll die in real life! Do you really want that!?"
You try to rise but there's something lodged in your knee— you grit and force the shard of Starship Metal out of your body. It's a booby trap— the bastard set up explosives on his own mercenary! That was the whole plan— trick you into getting close and then blowing everyone up to smithereens. He didn't shoot to save you from Pitohui, he shot to save Pitohui from his own damn trap.
"I told you, didn't I?" a voice echoes from behind, "I am me. Nothing more and nothing less."
Pitohui walks through the ashes, a grim reaper with her Photon Sword at the ready.
"Elsa can die. It's what she wants. But I will remain. The hunt will never end, this sensation will last till eternity. Who the fuck cares about a body in a shit world I'm never going to see again? This is the new world Kuro-chan, and I intend to kill everyone in it."
Her arm extends, the blade aflame. "And I don't like to keep my fans waiting."
You stand, shaking, your strength returning in bits and pieces. The Maxim Gun lies within the wreckage of the buggy, Helena fading with the disruption of her anchor. You reach for another Persona, anything to grant you power, to regain control...!
A familiar red light streams out from behind you. Pitohui clicks her tongue and spins to the side on guard, not interested in receiving a 50-caliber rifle shell to the face.
You turn to look at your savior. Sinon has repositioned since the explosion, crouched over a ridge and providing you cover. You've come to appreciate the advantage of having a skilled sniper watching over you. She's like a silent guardian, watch—
The image in front of you warps like a funhouse mirror. Something flickers into existence behind her.
Your heart slows. There's not enough time for her to escape, and she hasn't even realized the danger.
You have to do something.
Kuro uses Diarama! +ADV rolls 6d6e4 = 5⊕ 2 4⊕ 1 2 1 → 2 successes against 4 3 HP healed
Kuro uses Faux-Megidola! rolls 6d6e4 = 4⊕ 1 5⊕ 4⊕ 6⊕ 1 → 4 successes against 4
Pito resists rolls 5d6e5 = 6⊕ 6⊕ 6⊕ 1 6⊕ → 4 successes against 5 NO EFFECT
Pito attacks Kuro with Deneb Kaitos! rolls 9d6e5 = 2 4 6⊕ 6⊕ 6⊕ 3 2 4 3 → 3 successes against 5
Kuro defends with VIT rolls 6d6e5 = 1 5⊕ 4 4 1 2 → 1 success against 5 Kuro takes 2 DAMAGE (ICE)
Sinon uses Phantom Bullet to suppress the enemy Sniper!
Musketeer X attempts to attack but is pinned down by the Phantom Bullet!
Sinon repositions!
Gwen attacks with improvised electric grenades! WEAKNESS FOUND! rolls 5d6e4 = 1 4⊕ 2 1 2 → 1 success against 4
Pito's OPTICAL SHIELD is disabled to ELEC attacks and rolls 4d6e5 = 4 1 6⊕ 2 → 1 success against 5
Kuro gets a free attack with Maxim Gun and rolls 5d6e5 = 6⊕ 4 4 4 3 → 1 success against 5
Pito defends rolls 7d6e5 = 6⊕ 6⊕ 2 3 2 1 5⊕ → 3 successes against 5
Pito (True) cannot be 'surprised'', so against Pito (True) the explosion only has 3 successes against 5
Pito (True) defends rolls 2d6e5 = 1 3 → 0 successes against 5 Pito (True) takes 3 DAMAGE (NUCLEAR)
Musketeer X has died due to point-blank detonation!
Available Personas:
Urvashi
Urmetazoan
Magdelene Helena [Maxim Gun is Destroyed]
Blodeuwedd
Ash Nazg
Heliose de Villefort
LLENN:
8/8 HP
4 SPD
[+1 SPD per scene, +1 SPD per 4HP lost]
Current Optical Shield is set to RESIST PSI and WEAK NUC
Gwen:
10/14 HP
10/10 SP
Memory Release Art Unutilized
Sinon:
10/10 HP
6/7 SP
Mode: Chrysandalos
Pitohui (True):
3/10 HP
VIT 2
AGI 0
CHT X
Pitohui (Erlkonig):
??? [4 Damage Sustained]
STR: ?
MAG: 3
AGI: ?
VIT: 4
CHT: ?
ARMOR: 3
OPTICAL SHIELD: 3
[Refraction]: Suffers 1 Less damage from MAG based attacks
[Wild Hunt]: Pitohui can track ONE target per Scene, penetrating all attempts at concealment
Neutral: Bless, Pierce
Weak: Elec
Musketeer X: RETIRED
M: ???
[Optical Camo]: Renders the wearer permanently invisible, with all the advantages that entails. Raises your CHT by +2 when active.
[Fragile]: If your weakness is struck or you take 5 or more damage in one scene, your Mantle breaks and you must spend 1 TURN repairing it. TACTICAL INFORMATION
Environment
A Warehouse sits in the middle of a District filled with shipping crates providing light cover. A fully exposed Slope leads up to a Cliffside with light plant cover; the Cliffside has a clear view of the entire battlefield below. Beyond lies a heavily covered Forest that has a poor view of the battlefield, unless one climbs a tree.
>Your Maxim Gun is damaged, Helena is disabled until it is repaired (typically at end of combat)
>Kuro is EXPOSED on the Cliffside, with Pitohui in CLOSE range and can easily be reached into MELEE range by Pitohui.
>M is judged to be in CLOSE range though is about to strike imminently.
>Sinon is EXPOSED on the Cliffside, with M in MELEE range behind her.
>Gwen is HIDDEN in the Forest.
>LLENN is on the Slope, running up it.
>Starship Metal Fragments litter the Cliffside
>The Buggy is destroyed.
Enemy Tactics
>Musketeer X (Mercenary Hired by M) is defeated by M's booby-trap.
>Pito (True) is lying in a heap at the edge of the Forest in clear view.
>M has equipped the Metamaterial Optical Camouflage Mantle and is sneaking up on Sinon.
>Pitohui is approaching with a Photon Sword and Cosmo Dragoon.
>Erlkonig is a Death Gun entity currently stealing the life of Pitohui. It appears identical to Pitohui, only pale and lifeless as a corpse, fading into a fog. She is currently walking out of the warehouse, chasing down LLENN.
>There is a thick transparent fog around Erlkonig that doesn't affect visibility. You can see countless weapons swirling within and strange specters holding them.
>Pitohui has 3/10 HP and has been transformed into a withered corpse. She is immobile and situated inside a warehouse with decent cover against small arms. Pitohui's 'real body' will not move or act. It has VIT 2, AGI 0 and CHT X (cannot be affected by CHT skills).
>Pitohui, despite being immobile, is still an object and can be picked up and repositioned. She can also be targeted by attacks and healing spells. >If Pitohui's real body dies, she dies in real life.
>Erlkonig can heal itself by siphoning life from Pitohui, provided Erlkonig is in MELEE or CLOSE range to Pitohui. >Eliminate Death Gun Erlkonig to complete the battle, and grant LLENN the opportunity to purge Death from Pitohui.
>You and your party are in a Warehouse environment. There is frequent low cover in the form of shipping crates. There is a single demolished warehouse, and an overlooking cliffside about 4 stories high with a gentle slope leading up to it.
>There are numerous Buggies and poorly exposed vehicles in the warehouse. Of your party members Lugh knows how to drive, and Gwen thinks she knows how to drive.
>M is on the field but you cannot see him. LLENN suspects he is waiting on the cliffside with a sniper rifle.
>You are in an open area, and theoretically can be attacked by other players wandering in.
>Pitohui's Black Star is lying unattended next to Pitohui's immobile body.
>M is in possession of a Black Star. You do not know if he brought it to the fight.
>You have an active bounty on multiple party members, and M is aware of this fact.
>You know, beyond a shadow of doubt, that M is planning something.
>M possesses the mentality of a criminal.
DO YOU ATTEMPT TO ENGAGE IN DIPLOMACY? [Free Combat Banter]
[ ] Try to talk to either M or Pitohui. WRITE-IN speech and who you are targeting, or if you're just shouting into the air (will expose your location!)
LLENN and Kuro can both give speeches this combat.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
[ ] I've Been Waiting! [Urvashi] Seize his heart and if he is not willing? Then...
-Marin Karin on M.
-Zionga on Pitohui.
[ ] Exposed [Villefort] Is he wise or foolish? The fact he has exposed himself means only one thing, that he is out of tricks and must now depend only on his own strength. A pity he failed to finish anyone off. Let us deal with the immediate threat and leave our dears to fend for themselves.
-Engage with Pitohui and start spamming Psio and attempt to POISON Pito.
[ ] [Bloudewedd/Urmetazoan] A vision of this hated thing, chased through the woods by all the creatures of the earth.
-Redirect enemy attacks to yourself by transforming into an Owl and then flying into the woods.
[ ] Light and Fire [Magdalene/Ash Nazg] Enough. Tricks, schemes— until they are exposed we are wandering the fog without a guide. Expend no effort, accept all costs.
-Use RR: Silence the Aeon to disable enemy passives and clear out any further tricks, if any still exist.
-The Starfall Crater whoever is closest, M or Pitohui.
OR
[ ] Write what you want Kuro to do (your GOAL) and with which Persona. Specific plans will typically be rewarded with more bonuses than general plans. Your capabilities depend on your equipped Persona.
WHAT DO YOUR ALLIES DO?
[ ] Full Assault >Tell Sinon to shoot! Sinon will ignore M and attempt to fire on Pitohui, who she has MAINTAINED line of sight on this whole fight. Then fly away if able.
>Gwen will attempt to inflict MADNESS on M to shift his attention away from Sinon. Then attack Pito with Zionga.
>LLENN will charge up and Triple Down.
[ ] Heal/Support >Sinon will immediately fly up from prone position, then if she manages to escape M's grasp will try to Stun him.
>Gwen will look for an opportunity to drag away Pito (True)
>LLENN will try to Distract M, then fire on M.
[ ] Act Freely >Sinon turn around with your warning and attempt to club him with her sniper rifle.
>Gwen will unleash her Bronze Toaster and try to attack M.
>LLENN will... Trust P-chan!
OR
[ ] Write in what you want your party to do. It helps to tell me what their short term goal is.
You can vote on COMBAT BANTER
(separate from PLAN)
And you can vote on a combat PLAN!
Tell me what KURO does and with what Persona.
Tell me what your PARTY is doing.
Oof, that didn't work. And I utterly underestimated how ruthless M is. It was never the buggy, madman's willing to blow up his own minions. Thank god we went for the VIT build and LLENN's carrying this team.
Well, that was entirely expected, which is partially why I didn't want to have everyone go in the buggy. And now we've lost Helena for the rest of this combat. Good thing we've got Magdalene as a backup healer...
[X] Plan: Basics of CQC
-[X] Kuro: Look, leap, and fire
--[X] Switch to Blodeuwudd. Taunt M and Erlkonig with Witness Me before leaping off the cliffside toward the forest, switching to Urvashi and attempting to hit Erlkonig with Zionga before she loses line of sight, manifesting the Fulminant element as a curving 'rope' of lightning. Heal Pito's body at some point using Magdalene's Dia before leaping off the cliff, but after making sure M won't attack Sinon.
-[X] Party: Controlled Chaos (less charitably, knee-jerk reactions fueled by panic)
--[X] Gwen: Tackle M and hit him with Devour until he either dies or pushes her off.
--[X] Sinon: Freila Erlkonig in an attempt to keep her penned in. Manifest the Nuclear element as a barrage of orbs from above that detonate on impact over a wide area.
--[X] LLEN: Change optical shield to resist NUC before going in close to Erlkonig and hitting her with Triple Down.
[X] Speech: Witness to twisted love
-[X] Kuro: "Wow, I never realized how you two were made for each other! On the one hand, you've got the madwoman herself who has really twisted thanatophilia. On the other, you've got the masochist who doesn't know how to say no to her! I'd be touched if this wasn't so fucked up!"
So, priority one is to heal Pito's body again before doing something...crazy. I know it consumes 4 SP, but we took Urmetazoan for a reason, and worst comes to worst, we can tank with it for a scene or two while regenerating health and SP. Second, I want to get at least one person out of range of Erlkonig's melee attacks, and why not Kuro, since she's got...options for most ranges. I was originally going to have Kuro fight in melee with Villerfort but realized that's probably a bad idea. Everything else is to either damage Erlkonig further or distract and knock M out as soon as possible (or at least get him off of Sinon).
Edit: changed order of actions around a bit to ensure Sinon won't be attacked by M.
We may still be able to turn around this...and do it with style.
[x] Plan Steal The Show
-[x] Kuro: A Star's Place is In the Skies
--[x] Combine the powers of Urmetazoan and Blodeuwedd to turn into an owl. Soar to the heavens and become once more the center of attention by soaring high into the skies and calling the attention of all enemies and be as much of a nuisance as possible
-[x] Party: Takeover
--[x] Gwen: Will move towards Pito's body and pull her away from sight while Erikonig and M are focused on you. Try to heal it.
--[x] Sinon: Will prepare to shot down her attempted ambusher while he's distracted. If he survives, will attempt to fly away to a safer spot.
--[x] LLENN: Will fire against Erikonig while it's distracted, then will use 1 Speed to charge against M if he survives. If not, will continue assault.
[x] Speech: A Dressing Down and a Message
-[x] Kuro: "...Good grief, what is it with idols being such crazy bitches? First Seven and now you...Peh! I swear, if I have to fight Yuna at one point, I'll..."
-[x] "B-but...funny you say you don't have a soul, Pito-san. Humor me there. When did your parents die in that accident? When your grandparents eventually perish as well? When Goushi, ever the stalker, stopped another of his kin from ending your pitiful life? When SAO began and you missed the Death Game? When you realized that boy you fought once in Beta would be the Hero of Aincrad, and that you missed the greatest opportunity to satisfy your wishes once and for all?"
-[x] "...heh. Maybe the answer is all of them. Or none. Maybe you think that 'Kanzaki Elsa' is but a SINONymn for 'soulless husk', that M, the bastard, was crazy for loving BACK."
-[x] "But...here's the thing. Beings with no soul...what reason do they have to care for things in the world? LLENN, over there, you could have left her with that same old NerveGear that M tried to sneak her and just go and get another with whatever money you have. Yet, you actively put her out of harm, knowing this could put the experience at risk, that your desired final battle could be tarnished by it."
-[x] "You say yourself as soulless, yet you care. If there was no soul, there would be no attachments to this world. So...to shorten up in a manner you could understand...I. Call. Fucking. BULLSHIT!"
[x] Plan Steal The Show
-[x] Kuro: A Star's Place is In the Skies
--[x] Combine the powers of Urmetazoan and Blodeuwedd to turn into an owl. Soar to the heavens and become once more the center of attention by soaring high into the skies and calling the attention of all enemies and be as much of a nuisance as possible
-[x] Party: Takeover
--[x] Gwen: Will move towards Pito's body and pull her away from sight while Erikonig and M are focused on you. Try to heal it.
--[x] Sinon: Will prepare to shot down her attempted ambusher while he's distracted. If he survives, will attempt to fly away to a safer spot.
--[x] LLENN: Will fire against Erikonig while it's distracted, then will use 1 Speed to charge against M if he survives. If not, will continue assault.
Healing syringes work very slowly. Keeping in line with how it's depicted in GGO and AGGO nobody ever uses them in combat. Logically if you were to have a flat regen item you'd pop it before going into combat in most cases, but nobody does this. So I'm ruling that if you've been out of combat then, and only then, do the heals start working. So if you kidnap Pitohui and run away I'll say heals start working but not currently in the middle of combat.
Given that Gwen doesn't have any healing abilities like Dia (remember this isn't ALO, so the throwing skill works differently if it even exists), so it won't do anything. Honestly, the problem of Pito's real body is one that solves itself if we either get Erlkonig out of sap range or just render Erlkonig unable to sap via taunting when the possibility comes up. And having Sinon try to shoot M while he's distracted by owl!Kuro might not work well depending on how far he runs. If he stays in place, that's close range, and Sinon is going to have to use her handgun attack, which is...not the best. If he runs away, he's probably going to cloak again, which opens a whole new can of worms that's going to be unpleasant to deal with.
Honestly, we should have tried flushing out the real M with wide area attacks earlier (as my plan would have done) but now we have to deal with a close-range brawl with a long-range combatant in the mix, which should be...interesting.
Well, that was entirely expected, which is partially why I didn't want to have everyone go in the buggy. And now we've lost Helena for the rest of this combat. Good thing we've got Magdalene as a backup healer...
[X] Plan: Basics of CQC
-[X] Kuro: Look, leap, and fire
--[X] Switch to Blodeuwudd. Taunt M and Erlkonig with Witness Me before leaping off the cliffside toward the forest, switching to Urvashi and attempting to hit Erlkonig with Zionga before she loses line of sight, manifesting the Fulminant element as a curving 'rope' of lightning. Heal Pito's body at some point using Magdalene's Dia before leaping off the cliff, but after making sure M won't attack Sinon.
-[X] Party: Controlled Chaos (less charitably, knee-jerk reactions fueled by panic)
--[X] Gwen: Tackle M and hit him with Devour until he either dies or pushes her off.
--[X] Sinon: Freila Erlkonig in an attempt to keep her penned in. Manifest the Nuclear element as a barrage of orbs from above that detonate on impact over a wide area.
--[X] LLEN: Change optical shield to resist NUC before going in close to Erlkonig and hitting her with Triple Down.
[X] Speech: Witness to twisted love
-[X] Kuro: "Wow, I never realized how you two were made for each other! On the one hand, you've got the madwoman herself who has really twisted thanatophilia. On the other, you've got the masochist who doesn't know how to say no to her! I'd be touched if this wasn't so fucked up!"
So, priority one is to heal Pito's body again before doing something...crazy. I know it consumes 4 SP, but we took Urmetazoan for a reason, and worst comes to worst, we can tank with it for a scene or two while regenerating health and SP. Second, I want to get at least one person out of range of Erlkonig's melee attacks, and why not Kuro, since she's got...options for most ranges. I was originally going to have Kuro fight in melee with Villerfort but realized that's probably a bad idea. Everything else is to either damage Erlkonig further or distract and knock M out as soon as possible (or at least get him off of Sinon).
Edit: changed order of actions around a bit to ensure Sinon won't be attacked by M.
For Sinon's part of the plan could we combine Kouga and her flight ability to both blind M point blank and then have her fly quickly to a safer location in the forest while using Stun Needle to hopefully pin him down?
For Sinon's part of the plan could we combine Kouga and her flight ability to both blind M point blank and then have her fly quickly to a safer location in the forest while using Stun Needle to hopefully pin him down?
Witness Me is going to taunt M regardless of what Sinon does, and Gwen is going to need a little time to get back to M, who, per my plan, is going to try to tackle him to the ground, so I don't think that's necessary (and it'll burn through Sinon's SP pool like crazy). Also, both of Sinon's rifles are FAR/EXTREME range weapons, which doesn't strike me as a good choice to use in close combat, and if Sinon moves into the forest, her view of the battlefield will become utterly garbage, and I doubt she has the balance to stay perched atop a tree without using her flight, which will burn through her SP even more quickly.
[X] Plan: Basics of CQC
-[X] Kuro: Look, leap, and fire
--[X] Switch to Blodeuwudd. Taunt M and Erlkonig with Witness Me before leaping off the cliffside toward the forest, switching to Urvashi and attempting to hit Erlkonig with Zionga before she loses line of sight, manifesting the Fulminant element as a curving 'rope' of lightning. Heal Pito's body at some point using Magdalene's Dia before leaping off the cliff, but after making sure M won't attack Sinon.
-[X] Party: Controlled Chaos (less charitably, knee-jerk reactions fueled by panic)
--[X] Gwen: Tackle M and hit him with Devour until he either dies or pushes her off.
--[X] Sinon: Freila Erlkonig in an attempt to keep her penned in. Manifest the Nuclear element as a barrage of orbs from above that detonate on impact over a wide area.
--[X] LLEN: Change optical shield to resist NUC before going in close to Erlkonig and hitting her with Triple Down.
[X] Speech: Witness to twisted love
-[X] Kuro: "Wow, I never realized how you two were made for each other! On the one hand, you've got the madwoman herself who has really twisted thanatophilia. On the other, you've got the masochist who doesn't know how to say no to her! I'd be touched if this wasn't so fucked up!"
Point taken. Okay, so to simplify, Kuro's taunts leaving Pito and Maybe-M open allowing the rest of the squad to jump them. I'll back it up, then.
[X] Plan: Basics of CQC
Seems solid, drawing Erlkonig away from Pito remains a high priority and I like the mix of pushing dmg while trying to reposition. Keep her focused on us and LLENN.
Well, that could have gone better. Could have gone worse too, I suppose. If this is actually the extent of M's plan I'm underwhelmed (even if we did walk into it.) I feel like this probably isn't over yet.
Well, that could have gone better. Could have gone worse too, I suppose. If this is actually the extent of M's plan I'm underwhelmed (even if we did walk into it.) I feel like this probably isn't over yet.
