Under the Open Sky (CWMGQ Spinoff)

[X] Twins of Duality
 
Crossworlds 10 (The Furies)
Time is short. If you want to get into the United Darkness's stronghold you'll need to ride the edge of disaster. And if you are going to take the hardest path you'll need to be as strong as you can possibly get.

A bolt of lightning strikes a point near a mountain peak. You see hundreds of large spikes reaching into the sky from the apparent position of the dome. The extensions connect and spread like a sort of umbrella, a cover against helicopters and artillery fire you surmise.

"Can we get some support to punch through these walls?" you transmit.

"I can get the nearby fairies to send something fun our way, and Shah is the best FO there's ever been." Cook responds.

"Which part of the wall should I direct them to hit?" Shah adds with a note of smugness.

"The four sections with the green flames north of the pile of rubble. There's less towers that way. I'm going to cause some trouble south of there." you direct.

"This is a very unorthodox method of keeping a low profile." Cook mutters.

You ignore the comment and rush out of the divot you're hiding in to invade the trenches. The downpour softly roars, drowning out sight and hearing. It's really quite convenient that heavy rainfall started almost as soon as you started this mission. So much easier to hide in the curtains of falling water.

Reaching out with Elsewhere you sweep a sense of the surrounding area to feel our where demons are gathered as you leap alongside a trench. It's disappointingly empty for the first two bunkers you spot, then you find a gathering of hundreds of demons (Chaos).

There's some kind of haze in the local space that you've noticed. You aren't entirely sure what it is or what it does, but you have a bone-deep hunch that it's an attack that strikes at teleportation.
**Danger
You've learned to pay attention to that hunch. You slam an arm of your Panoply on the ground and try to pick out where the tunnel that leads to the occupied room is. You strike the earth again.​

There.

You throw yourself into the empty trench, fly down for a heartbeat, grab a corner, drop the beacon for a moment, slither down a rather narrow tunnel, and slam into the stone slab covering the door into the bunker. For a moment the quarrelling mass of lesser demons looks blankly at you as your Panoply flows through the opening you've made.
**Now
The bunker isn't tall enough for the demons to stand up straight in, or empty enough for them to swing their axes. When you throw yourself among the first rank and begin snapping necks the mass that assaults you is restricted to knives and teeth. A fully swung demon axe couldn't pierce your armor, their desperate struggles likewise fail to mark you.

What it does do is to awaken something within you. A mix of fury, satisfaction, and awakened power that ticks upward with every attack that strikes your Panoply. As demons fall dead by your hand or crush themselves trying to flee or charge you it grows, then stops, apparently full. With the power surging within your blows strike with the speed of thought and the demons that dare attack you diminish.

You reconfigure your Panoply and fill the room with streams of orange light and dull explosions. In moments every demon that remained alive in their bunker was now dead. You weigh the idea and decide not to hunt down the ones that fled through the other entrance, you'll be elsewhere by the time news spreads.

(Combat Report:

177 Dead Demonic Footsoldiers
301 Dead Imps (I'd give these guys about a 10% chance of beating a housecat in mortal combat BTW)


Summit is unharmed

Ceaseless Warrior is fully charged)

You crawl out of the bunker to the sound of a 155mm shell impacting the wall. As those echoes die down you hear a heavy thud reverberate through the ground and shouts from your south. Outside the rain has gotten stronger, gusts intermittently shriek and the rain falls in heavy sheets. With a heave you resecure the beacon to yourself.

It's actually quite hard for you to get a clear look at anything. The droplets are being whipped up into a sort of fog near the ground and covering the ground features all the way to the wall. You stay low in that mess and beeline back to your bolthole.

"I stirred up some trouble. How did things go here?" you ask.

"Artillery has hit and destroyed the glowing bits you were concerned about." Shah transmits.

"The Immortals tossed an angry pile of rocks our way. It won't last too much longer though." Cook adds.

"I've gotten more powerful from fighting. I'm going to assault the northernmost point where I think the remaining flames won't target me. Once I start shooting you should leap through the middle section and try to find somewhere to-." you're cut off by the sound of dissonant horns and the grinding noise of parts of the wall opening up.

It's hard to make out figures in the rain. There's enough of them that you can see three columns of demons running behind the ubiquitous ground commanders. Bulky, rhino-sized beasts (Blood) march beside the middle column.

"You planned for this, right?" Cook sends with a strained voice.

None of them looked exceptionally powerful. Even the unknown forces holding the towers along the wall shouldn't be too much of a problem. You should be able to run away from anything you can't overpower. Worst comes to worst you can chance a hit from the UD's anti-teleport weapon to make an exit, there were a couple of bunkers in range….

"I can handle this. I'll let you know when there's a clear spot."

"We should abort before something blocks our escape,"
Shah sends as you rush away, "Summit!"

You skim the ground at a speed that won't send a noticeable shock wave then pull on the ground to make a turn and rush at you current best speed towards the advancing army. To pull this off you'll need to get the attention of all the columns of demons and lead them away from overrunning your group. For long enough that the army will be in enough disarray for Cook and Shah to sneak through them. And then you'll need to follow them somehow.
**Aim Low
It's worth the risk. It's the only way to win, anything less will lead to being turned back. You dive into a formation of footsoldiers and fire at their knee-level with a withering spray of shots in all directions.

Flying limbs and demon screams fill the air. You shake off a couple of persistent demons and jump into the thickest part of the next group to repeat your action. Fresh moans rise as the crippled demons are trampled by the battle-hungry demons behind them, and more as the demons that tripped on the fallen are themselves crushed as the dense column tries to advance.
**I love a job well done
Perfect. It's slowing them down from reaching your group but still letting them clear the gates. You dive, shoot, and rise from another knot of running demons when a burning figure (Fire) dives from the closest tower. You land ahead of the army and send out a spray of shots at the front line while waiting for the figure to arrive.


A demon with three faces and six arms approaches. In five hands she holds swords, in the sixth a small black crossbow. The face she displays to you is scowling with rage. The demonic army has stopped and is cheering her as she hovers towards you.

"You are an idiot, Dark Steel." She says briskly, then fires the crossbow at you.

(Corrosion: 4500 Base Damage, +1598 Dice, +340 Wrathful Flames, Metalslayer Ineffective! = 6438 Damage

Magical Girl Summit: 680 Resilience, +266 Dice, +965 Reactive Field, -411 Armor Pierce, +205 Adamantine, +300 Faster Combatant, +2551 Wonderwall = 4556 Damage Reduction

1882 End Damage
60% Ceaseless Warrior
753 Final End Damage

Magical Girl Summit: 12200 - 693 = 11447 Health)


Instead of a single bolt it unleashes a dark cloud that almost moves faster than you can track, a cloud that bursts into flames. It strikes you in a dozen points with piercing needles. All to little effect.

The demon is partway through raising the still-smoking crossbow to her mouth when the rain clears the cloud and you fire back.

(Full Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +84 Dice, +104 Ire Raised, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2468 Damage
Full Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +3 Dice, +104 Ire Raised, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2387 Damage
Full Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +148 Dice, +104 Ire Raised, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2532 Damage

7387 Total Damage

Asura: 3500 Resilience, +943 Dice, -700 Overconfident and standing still = 3743 Damage Reduction

3644 End Damage

Asura: 40000 - 3644 = 36356 Health

Full Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +56 Dice, +104 Ire Raised, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2440 Damage
Full Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +472 Dice, +104 Ire Raised, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2856 Damage
Full Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +147 Dice, +104 Ire Raised, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2531 Damage

7827 Total Damage

Asura: 3500 Resilience, +691 Dice, +350 Blocking with Swords = 4541 Damage Reduction

3286 End Damage

Asura: 36356 - 3286 = 33070 Health)


"Summit! Get out of there!" Shah sternly commands.

"No, I'll deal with her. Stay put until it's clear."

"Black will hand us over to elves to be crucified if you die protecting us."
Cook talks over you.

While transmitting the many-armed warrior before you speaks through the large swords she holds to protect herself. You suspect she's not a demon since the injuries you inflicted look more like they've revealed glowing coals beneath her skin. Perhaps some sort of elemental?

"It seems we've both made mistakes today. I thought you were Dark Steel and you made me bleed! Inferno Rush!"

(Super-Heated Blade: 4500 Base Damage, +37 Dice, +340 Wrathful Flames, +1019 Inferno Rush, +2250 Asura's RAGE = 8146 Damage
Super-Heated Blade: 4500 Base Damage, +752 Dice, +340 Wrathful Flames, +1019 Inferno Rush, +2250 Asura's RAGE = 8861 Damage

16327 Total Damage

Magical Girl Summit: 680 Resilience, +53 Dice, +2449 Reactive Field, -2346 Juggernaut, +1173 Adamantine +340 Seen it Coming, +300 Faster Combatant, +2551 Wonderwall = 5200 Damage Reduction

11127 End Damage
60% Ceaseless Warrior
4451 Final End Damage

Magical Girl Summit: 11447 - 4451 = 6996 Health

Rising Flame Triggers!

Asura: 33070 + 445 = 33515 Health)


With a bit of a dance she slams two of her swords together and turns into a whirling mass of flames that hits you square in the chest. When the flames diminish the elemental reappears with a blade sunk into your shoulder and turning the flesh it hit black with heat.

You, however, weren't idle during the time it took for her to grandstand her attack.

"Wave Force!"

(Wave Force: 32000 Base Damage, +375 Dice, +200 Light of Discovery = 32575 Damage

Asura: Unstoppable

32575 End Damage

Asura: 33515 -32575 = 940 Health)


The effect is dramatic. As the ripples compress and distort her body the "blood", glowing coals, burst out of her. Flames spews out of holes appearing suddenly in her figure and the arm holding the sword embedded in your shoulder is shorn off by a powerful twist in reality. She collapses before you. She turns to show her only non-ruined face with an expression of pain and fear.

"Please. Stay your hand gentle one, I'm so cold…"
**Gone
She weakly moves her only working arm to try and cover the glowing coals revealed under her skin as the rain continues to fall with extreme force. You realize that she's going to expire, be extinguished maybe, in moments as she lies the the pools of rainwater dotting the ground.

You focus on fixing the damage her attack inflicted upon you, which is substantial. The forces that had spectated your brief fight seemed unsure of their next move as you stare at them from less than a dozen meters away.

(16 Self-Repair actions: 1920 Health

Magical Girl Summit: 6996 + 1920 = 8916 Health)


Your Panoply writhes as it pulls at the edge of where your flesh lost feeling, cutting the burned and ruined parts free with surgical care. The chunks were Fused back as soon as the wound was clear. Reconstituted nerves ache as the parts fall into shape.

The two swords remaining whole and your foe's black crossbow are Fused as well. Tendrils appearing from your Panoply to grab the items of interest.

The Asura isn't handling the weather well, her shivers are growing less energetic and the steam rising from her is growing thin. A quick attack snaps out to end her suffering. A sharp spike into her skull.

(Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +323 Dice, +200 Light of Discovery, +5200 coup de grace = 6763 Damage

Asura: 3500 Resilience, Dice Withheld, -2000 Dying = 1500 Damage Reduction

5263 End Damage

Asura: 940 - 5263 = -4323 Health)


When the attack lands the nearly-extinguished coals that made up her body flare to life. And keep burning. A wave of fire bursts out in a mighty conflagration upon her death, pouring past you, into the army, and upward.

(Death Nuke: 4500 Base Damage, +976 Dice = 5476 Damage

Magical Girl Summit: 680 Resilience, +480 Dice, +821 Reactive Field, -300 Engulfed, +2551 Wonderwall = 4232 Damage Reduction

1244 End Damage
60% Ceaseless Warrior
498 Final End Damage

Magical Girl Summit: 8916 - 498 = 8418 Health

Demonic Footsoldiers: 50 Resilience, +3 Dice, +10 Armored Skin = 63 Damage Reduction

5413 Damage
x500 Target - Army
2706500 End Damage

3608 Footsoldiers perish)


"Enemy champion is down and a bunch of the army caught fire. You should move forward." You transmit.

The downpour thankfully douses the flames that tried to linger. You fire a bright line of orange into the sky to try and rouse what's left of the forces that had moved through the gates, the more you can tie up the easier time your team will have in getting to the next area.

"Summit, fall back. The army was meant to roll over us, they know we're here and continuing just exposes us to more attacks. There's things they keep in reserve just to kill girls like you." Cook pleads.

You catch a glimpse of two figures bounding towards you from the north (Chaos, Darkness and Chaos, Blood). The dark mass of the army in front of you is scattering in different directions, dispersing themselves so you can't have them trample each other again. You spy a pair of wagons attended by the larger figures of Ground Commanders when lightning dances across the sky.

The flash of lightning also illuminated the still open gap in a thick stone dome. There's still a way inside the UD's fortress.

"I'll fall back when something makes me or the dome closes. Don't give up now!"

The dark mass of you Panoply turns itself inside out as you direct it to tear down and restore burnt and broken sections. The grinding noise of your weapon drowns out the fall of rain for half a minute as the newest arrivals bound to where you can see them without relying on your ability to spot their magic through the smallest gap in raindrops.

(32 Self Repair actions: Restored to full Health)



One is surrounded by a shimmering field of darkness and an inky black hooded cloak. The other is garbed in intricate armor.

The hooded figure points at you and lets out a dry groan. The armored one throws a dart that you throw yourself out of the way of easily.

(Bloodstained Arsenal: Attack negated by Inhuman Skill!

Dark Lance: 2000 Base Damage, +514 Dice, +500 Blood Bond = 3014 Damage
Dark Lance: 2000 Base Damage, +658 Dice, +500 Blood Bond = 3158 Damage

6172 Total Damage

Magical Girl Summit: 680 Resilience, Dice Negated, +925 Reactive Field, +300 Faster Combatant, +2551 Wonderwall, +400 Resistant to Darkness Effects = 4856 Damage Reduction

1316 End Damage
60% Ceaseless Warrior
527 Final End Damage

Magical Girl Summit: 12200 - 527 = 11673 Health)


A dull ache springs up where the spike of darkness that erupted from the hooded demon struck you. You respond with a shout.

"Ramming Speed!"

(Ramming Speed: 1700 Base Damage, +105 Dice, +100 Death from Above = 1905 Damage

Pollux: Armor of Darkness Triggers!

Damage Negated.)


The shadowed figure is slightly shoved by the attack, but seems otherwise unharmed. You leap back in an instant and spray a fusillade of orange light at the pair.

(Full-Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +408 Dice, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2688 Damage
Full-Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +84 Dice, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2367 Damage
Full-Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +387 Dice, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2667 Damage

7722 Total Damage

Castor: Armor of Blood Triggers!

Damage Negated.

Pollux: 1800 Resilience, +417 Dice, +500 Blood Bond = 2717 Damage Reduction

5005 End Damage
50% Out of Phase
2503 Final End Damage

Pollux: 17000 - 2503 = 14497 Health)


The shots plink harmlessly off of the armored figure, but the hooded one grunts and tries to avoid your fire.

"I'm engaged with a pair of tough champions. Where are you?" you transmit.

"My protection be yours brother. Destroy the intruder!" The armored figure shouts and holds his fist to his armor.

The shadowy hooded demon has a haze of magic appear around it (Blood), "I am Pollux. My brother is Castor. Know the names of your destroyers."

Another sweep with the ranged fire of your Panoply doesn't inflict and notable harm on the pair. Could they render each other completely invulnerable?

And you haven't heard back from your team, after you sent a question.

A bad feeling takes hold in your gut. They might be in danger! You need to keep them alive if you want to succeed.

You take note that the armored demon, Castor, hasn't moved since sharing his protection with his shadowy brother. A weakness perhaps?

You force your way through intervening space to take to the sky and dive for the bolt-hole where Shah and Cook had been waiting. Something tries to grab you and keep you from teleporting, as well as working to rip you apart while doing so. You grit your teeth at the pain and force your way through.

(Summit: 2440 Teleport backlash damage

Summit: 11673 - 2440 = 9233 Health)


The distance is crossed swiftly, but still too slow for your tastes. Thankfully you arrive to the sound of your teammates blasting a charging group of demon footsoldiers to ribbons with their shotguns.

(Mohammad Shah -- Lawgiver Shotgun: 850 Base Damage, +2 Dice, x6 Anti-Infantry = 5112 Damage
Lysander Cook -- Lawgiver Shotgun: 850 Base Damage, No Dice, -100 Poor Visibility x6 Anti-Infantry = 4500 Damage

9612 Total Damage
x2 Rain of Lead
19224 Total Unified Damage

Demon Footsoldiers: 50 Base Resilience, +7 Dice, -50 Into the Jaws of Death = 7 Damage Reduction

19217 End Damage

All 18 Footsoldiers perish.)


"Radio's out! We've been spotted! Run!" Cook shouts while reloading and swinging his head around to look for targets.

Shah pulls the pin out of a grenade that then vanishes from his hand.

Your sense of magic spots demons crawling along the ground to surround your group. And a flicker of an unwelcome magical signature (Light, Darkness, Legend) to your east, probably ducking through a trench.

You don't think that Magical Girl is here to help you out.

The constant roar of rain grows harsher as hail begins falling all around you. It drowns out the thud as you land by Cook and Shah, the pair still nearly invisible in their armor.

"That way. It has the most demons, but it takes us away from the Magical Girl I spotted." you point.

"Fuck! I knew this was going too well. I'll hold her off-" Cook curses, but is cut off by his companion.

"We're right behind you." Shah says crisply.

As is a pair of rather irritating demons and probably a Legend-class Magical Girl, you think to yourself as you set the pace along your chosen direction. It's thanks to the weather that you think you have a shot at getting away from all of this and back to the Unified Light's lines.

As if your thoughts triggered something a quintet of figures (Blood, Horror) appears in the air above you.

"Filthy thing."

"Her mother died from her foolishness."

"Her father died from her stubbornness."

"Her mouth is still stained from subsiding on filth."

"Her soul is black from her betrayal of her sworn oath."

"Submit to our judgement filthy oathbreaker."

Their words cut into your soul. You see them descend, but you are trying to cover your eyes as guilt overwhelms you. You also see your mother falling into a void you failed to spot until it was too late, your father promising to catch up after helping to evacuate people from Boston's suburbs, the oppressive darkness that covered you after you signed Marax's agreement and promise to serve -- before he ordered you to stay in the dark and live in regret until the demon called for you.

The taste of bitter crickets and muddy water raises on your lips. The grounded figures belittle you as four wrap barbed whips around each of your arms and legs. The largest draws back her lash-.

Everything goes white and your ears briefly ring from a flashbang tossed in your face.

"Summit!" Cook shouts.
**NO

You will not be trapped in this manner.

The Furies make condemning noises and visions come and go, but you are ready for them now. You will prevail. If you have to drag your limp body along with your Panoply it is what you shall do.​
----

Status of Forces:
Magical Girl Summit: 9233 Health, Cursed, Stunned, Blinded (Only Curse is currently effective). Wonderwall active for 2551 points of Damage reduction. 21 bonus Attacks per Turn from Ceaseless Warrior. 4 of the Furies have barbed whips attached to you.
Lysander Cook: Unharmed, starting to panic.
Mohammad Shah: Unharmed, trying to use his radio.

Pollux and Castor: Trying to figure out where you went. Angry.
Magical Girl Star Lancer: ███████ ████████.
Furies (x5): Unharmed.
Lesser Demons: 87 Footsoldiers nearby, 2 Ground Commanders nearby. Lots more seeking shelter from the hailstorm.

[X] Plan?

Furies have a retaliation attack and lingering damage. Engage with caution.

[X] Destination?
-[X] Head north to where Commander Black and other Magical Girls were fighting. It's your best chance to get useful reinforcement that can get you out of trouble.
-[X] Head west to where Moral High Ground's defences are. It's the quickest way to get out of the area where the UD can teleport thing on top of you.
-[X] Head east. They won't expect you to keep trying and you don't know when to fold 'em.

+300 EXP Killed an Asura!
+50 EXP Killed ~4000 Demonic Footsoldiers
+200 EXP And various other support forces when the death nuke went off.
+75 EXP Things went wrong.
+10 EXP Traded blows with Castor and Pollux
+50 EXP Fused an interesting item.
+1 EXP Showing off the Super Ability

506 + 686 = 1192 Total EXP

[X] EXP Plan?
 
Last edited:
Fury (Lesser Nightmare)

Stats

Health: 5,000
Base Damage: 750
Base Resilience: 200
Magic Modifier: 500

Affinity: Blood | Horror
Weapon
Scourge
Level 4
Attacks Per Turn: 1
Affinities: Blood
Ability: Rend
Spells
Condemn
Level 10
Base Damage: N/A
Magic Modifier: N/A
Affinity: Blood
Ability: Stun | Curse | Blind | Channel
Abilities
Flight
Level 8
-Allows flying at 70 miles per hour.

Being of Spite
-When attacked, make a free counter-attack that deals double damage.
 
Since Cook and Shah are definitely enemy targets right now and we've got tons of attacks per turn available, I think now is a good time to equip Intercept (melee) as one of our Protean abilities and purchase the Fierce Protector ability.

Purchasing Horrorslayer would also be effective against these Furies, but not against any of our other nearby enemies.
None of them looked exceptionally powerful. Even the unknown forces holding the towers along the wall should be too much of a problem.
shouldn't
You shake off a persistent demons and jump
Either "a persistent demon" or "some persistent demons".
The hooded figure points are you and lets out a dry groan.
at
Another sweep with the ranged fire of your Panoply doesn't inflict and notable harm on the pair.
any
 
Mkay, unless I'm missing something I don't think the furies can even scratch us between Wonderwall, Aegis Field, and our resilience. If I did my math right ((680 + 2551) /0.85) it should take 3801 damage to actually hurt Summit, and the Furies can only crank out 2000 with a maxed out MM and double damage from counterattacks. What does Rend do though?
[x] Plan Smackdown
-[x] Panoply to Intercept and Crush
-[x] Use Elsewhere to bring the Furies into melee range and thrash them
-[x] Try to Self-repair the Curse off
[X] Destination?
-[X] Head north to where Commander Black and other Magical Girls were fighting. It's your best chance to get useful reinforcement that can get you out of trouble.
[x] EXP plan Reinforce
-[x] Fierce Protector (350 EXP, 842 remain)
-[x] Elsewhere to level 13 (810 EXP, 32 remain)
 
Mkay, unless I'm missing something I don't think the furies can even scratch us between Wonderwall, Aegis Field, and our resilience. If I did my math right ((680 + 2551) /0.85) it should take 3801 damage to actually hurt Summit, and the Furies can only crank out 2000 with a maxed out MM and double damage from counterattacks. What does Rend do though?
Rend is a debuff that does damage over time but is affected by our Resilience. The damage of each tick is equal to half the damage dealt by the attack that inflicted Rend. It sticks around until we get healed to more Health than we had when the debuff was inflicted.

Curse isn't actually a huge deal. It just halves our magic modifier. We don't need to get rid of that right away.

Four of the Furies having barbed whips attached to us probably will affect damage calculation in a way that isn't good for us. That also means that Crush might not be a good choice, because it could be rather hard for us to use both hands right now.
[x] EXP plan Reinforce
-[x] Fierce Protector (350 EXP, 842 remain)
-[x] Elsewhere to level 13 (810 EXP, 32 remain)
While this does bring us a lot closer to finally grabbing Inchoate Wave, I'm not sure it's best choice right now.

Another very solid option is grabbing an extra level of Protean for 490 EXP.
 
Another very solid option is grabbing an extra level of Protean for 490 EXP.
Good idea. Rain of blows, Intercept, and Collateral damage? Our first attack should be uninterrupted, by virtue of us suddenly yanking them in close with Elsewhere. If we do Crush + Collateral Damage that should stun all of them for a second hit, if not we've still done around 2,500 damage depending on MM and situation modifiers. And if On Wings of Imagination means we can still use Crush even while being restrained we should definitely use that.
How would your plan react if something dispelled the buff? Hypothetically.
Depends on whether we can intercept or not. If we can intercept, we're talking something like 200 damage tops. per hit. If we can't intercept and lose Wonderwall we pretty much die.
 
Good idea. Rain of blows, Intercept, and Collateral damage? Our first attack should be uninterrupted, by virtue of us suddenly yanking them in close with Elsewhere. If we do Crush + Collateral Damage that should stun all of them for a second hit, if not we've still done around 2,500 damage depending on MM and situation modifiers. And if On Wings of Imagination means we can still use Crush even while being restrained we should definitely use that.

Depends on whether we can intercept or not. If we can intercept, we're talking something like 200 damage tops. per hit. If we can't intercept and lose Wonderwall we pretty much die.
I don't think using Collateral Damage on melee attacks is a good idea when the two people we're supposed to protect are standing right next to us..........

We could however do something like purchase Double Hit to use Double Hit + Rain of Blows + Intercept.

We could also equip something that will be useful when something unexpected happens, such as something to help our ranged attacks or something to improve our defense.



We don't necessarily need to be able to intercept stuff. The biggest dangers (other than enemy reinforcements) are "what would happen if Ceaseless Warrior's attack count got reset" and "lots of Spells get tossed at our group".

Remember that right now we have 25 attacks per turn. There's only 5 Furies and they each only have 1 attack per turn. We have Inhuman Skill. If none of the Furies use Spells, we can negate all their actions while still having 15 attacks remaining!
How would your plan react if something dispelled the buff? Hypothetically.
Assuming that only Wonderwall is removed, Inhuman Skill 5 times in one turn, followed by 5 attacks that each get a one hit kill on a Fury. And then 10 actions remaining to either heal up or GTFO.
 
You've learned to pay attention to that hunch. You slam an arm of your Panoply on the ground and try to pick out where the tunnel that leads to the occupied room is. You strike the earth again.​
There.

You throw yourself into the empty trench, fly down for a heartbeat, grab a corner, drop the beacon for a moment, slither down a rather narrow tunnel, and slam into the stone slab covering the door into the bunker. For a moment the quarrelling mass of lesser demons looks blankly at you as your Panoply flows through the opening you've made.
**Now
The bunker isn't tall enough for the demons to stand up straight in, or empty enough for them to swing their axes. When you throw yourself among the first rank and begin snapping necks the mass that assaults you is restricted to knives and teeth. A fully swung demon axe couldn't pierce your armor, their desperate struggles likewise fail to mark you.

What it does do is to awaken something within you. A mix of fury, satisfaction, and awakened power that ticks upward with every attack that strikes your Panoply. As demons fall dead by your hand or crush themselves trying to flee or charge you it grows, then stops, apparently full. With the power surging within your blows strike with the speed of thought and the demons that dare attack you diminish.

You reconfigure your Panoply and fill the room with streams of orange light and dull explosions. In moments every demon that remained alive in their bunker was now dead. You weigh the idea and decide not to hunt down the ones that fled through the other entrance, you'll be elsewhere by the time news spreads.

(Combat Report:

177 Dead Demonic Footsoldiers
301 Dead Imps (I'd give these guys about a 10% chance of beating a housecat in mortal combat BTW)

Summit is unharmed

Ceaseless Warrior is fully charged)
Summit v. The Mooks of Hell. No contest.
"You planned for this, right?" Cook sends with a strained voice.
Eh. Kinda? There was almost no way in hell anyone would make it in without getting spotted. Summit, while fast, powerful, and adaptable, does not really do 'subtle' anyways.

Perfect. It's slowing them down from reaching your group but still letting them clear the gates. You dive, shoot, and rise from another knot of running demons when a burning figure (Fire) dives from the closest tower. You land ahead of the army and send out a spray of shots at the front line while waiting for the figure to arrive.

A demon with three faces and six arms approaches. In five hands she holds swords, in the sixth a small black crossbow. The face she displays to you is scowling with rage. The demonic army has stopped and is cheering her as she hovers towards you.

"You are an idiot, Dark Steel." She says briskly, then fires the crossbow at you.

(Corrosion: 4500 Base Damage, +1598 Dice, +340 Wrathful Flames, Metalslayer Ineffective! = 6438 Damage

Magical Girl Summit: 680 Resilience, +266 Dice, +965 Reactive Field, -411 Armor Pierce, +205 Adamantine, +300 Faster Combatant, +2551 Wonderwall = 4556 Damage Reduction

1882 End Damage
60% Ceaseless Warrior
753 Final End Damage

Magical Girl Summit: 12200 - 693 = 11447 Health)

Instead of a single bolt it unleashes a dark cloud that almost moves faster than you can track, a cloud that bursts into flames. It strikes you in a dozen points with piercing needles. All to little effect.

The demon is partway through raising the still-smoking crossbow to her mouth when the rain clears the cloud and you fire back.

(Full Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +84 Dice, +104 Ire Raised, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2468 Damage
Full Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +3 Dice, +104 Ire Raised, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2387 Damage
Full Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +148 Dice, +104 Ire Raised, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2532 Damage

7387 Total Damage

Asura: 3500 Resilience, +943 Dice, -700 Overconfident and standing still = 3743 Damage Reduction

3644 End Damage

Ma the Asura: 40000 - 3644 = 36356 Health

Full Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +56 Dice, +104 Ire Raised, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2440 Damage
Full Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +472 Dice, +104 Ire Raised, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2856 Damage
Full Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +147 Dice, +104 Ire Raised, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2531 Damage

7827 Total Damage

Asura: 3500 Resilience, +691 Dice, +350 Blocking with Swords = 4541 Damage Reduction

3286 End Damage

Asura: 36356 - 3286 = 33070 Health)

"Summit! Get out of there!" Shah sternly commands.

"No, I'll deal with her. Stay put until it's clear."

"Black will hand us over to elves to be crucified if you die protecting us."
Cook talks over you.

While transmitting the many-armed warrior before you speaks through the large swords she holds to protect herself. You suspect she's not a demon since the injuries you inflicted look more like they've revealed glowing coals beneath her skin. Perhaps some sort of elemental?

"It seems we've both made mistakes today. I thought you were Dark Steel and you made me bleed! Inferno Rush!"

(Super-Heated Blade: 4500 Base Damage, +37 Dice, +340 Wrathful Flames, +1019 Inferno Rush, +2250 Asura's RAGE = 8146 Damage
Super-Heated Blade: 4500 Base Damage, +752 Dice, +340 Wrathful Flames, +1019 Inferno Rush, +2250 Asura's RAGE = 8861 Damage

16327 Total Damage

Magical Girl Summit: 680 Resilience, +53 Dice, +2449 Reactive Field, -2346 Juggernaut, +1173 Adamantine +340 Seen it Coming, +300 Faster Combatant, +2551 Wonderwall = 5200 Damage Reduction

11127 End Damage
60% Ceaseless Warrior
4451 Final End Damage

Magical Girl Summit: 11447 - 4451 = 6996 Health

Rising Flame Triggers!

Asura: 33070 + 445 = 33515 Health)

With a bit of a dance she slams two of her swords together and turns into a whirling mass of flames that hits you square in the chest. When the flames diminish the elemental reappears with a blade sunk into your shoulder and turning the flesh it hit black with heat.

You, however, weren't idle during the time it took for her to grandstand her attack.

"Wave Force!"

(Wave Force: 32000 Base Damage, +375 Dice, +200 Light of Discovery = 32575 Damage

Asura: Unstoppable

32575 End Damage

Asura: 33515 -32575 = 940 Health)

The effect is dramatic. As the ripples compress and distort her body the "blood", glowing coals, burst out of her. Flames spews out of holes appearing suddenly in her figure and the arm holding the sword embedded in your shoulder is shorn off by a powerful twist in reality. She collapses before you. She turns to show her only non-ruined face with an expression of pain and fear.

"Please. Stay your hand gentle one, I'm so cold…"
**Gone
She weakly moves her only working arm to try and cover the glowing coals revealed under her skin as the rain continues to fall with extreme force. You realize that she's going to expire, be extinguished maybe, in moments as she lies the the pools of rainwater dotting the ground.
I like this fight. My only regret is that we didn't get to see what she was really capable of. I can totally see her going out and wrecking face with the power she has.

Your Panoply writhes as it pulls at the edge of where your flesh lost feeling, cutting the burned and ruined parts free with surgical care. The chunks were Fused back as soon as the wound was clear. Reconstituted nerves ache as the parts fall into shape.
Ow.
The two swords remaining whole and your foe's black crossbow are Fused as well. Tendrils appearing from your Panoply to grab the items of interest.
Did we get anything out of Fusing them besides XP?
When the attack lands the nearly-extinguished coals that made up her body flare to life. And keep burning. A wave of fire bursts out in a mighty conflagration upon her death, pouring past you, into the army, and upward.

(Death Nuke: 4500 Base Damage, +976 Dice = 5476 Damage

Magical Girl Summit: 680 Resilience, +480 Dice, +821 Reactive Field, -300 Engulfed, +2551 Wonderwall = 4232 Damage Reduction

1244 End Damage
60% Ceaseless Warrior
498 Final End Damage

Magical Girl Summit: 8916 - 498 = 8418 Health

Demonic Footsoldiers: 50 Resilience, +3 Dice, +10 Armored Skin = 63 Damage Reduction

5413 Damage
x500 Target - Army
2706500 End Damage

3608 Footsoldiers perish)

"Enemy champion is down and a bunch of the army caught fire. You should move forward." You transmit.
Jesus. While nowhere near the amount of destruction Anna could wreak unopposed over the course of a battle, that's actually kinda terrifying. If she died in the wrong spot, a line could have very easily been torn in the Light's lines.

One is surrounded by a shimmering field of darkness and an inky black hooded cloak. The other is garbed in intricate armor.

The hooded figure points are you and lets out a dry groan. The armored one throws a dart that you throw yourself out of the way of easily.

(Bloodstained Arsenal: Attack negated by Inhuman Skill!

Dark Lance: 2000 Base Damage, +514 Dice, +500 Blood Bond = 3014 Damage
Dark Lance: 2000 Base Damage, +658 Dice, +500 Blood Bond = 3158 Damage

6172 Total Damage

Magical Girl Summit: 680 Resilience, Dice Negated, +925 Reactive Field, +300 Faster Combatant, +2551 Wonderwall, +400 Resistant to Darkness Effects = 4856 Damage Reduction

1316 End Damage
60% Ceaseless Warrior
527 Final End Damage

Magical Girl Summit: 12200 - 527 = 11673 Health)

A dull ache springs up where the spike of darkness that erupted from the hooded demon struck you. You respond with a shout.

"Ramming Speed!"

(Ramming Speed: 1700 Base Damage, +105 Dice, +100 Death from Above = 1905 Damage

Pollux: Armor of Darkness Triggers!

Damage Negated.)

The shadowed figure is slightly shoved by the attack, but seems otherwise unharmed. You leap back in an instant and spray a fusillade of orange light at the pair.

(Full-Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +408 Dice, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2688 Damage
Full-Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +84 Dice, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2367 Damage
Full-Auto Panoply: 1040 Base Damage, +387 Dice, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +208 Full Auto, +200 Light of Discovery = 2667 Damage

7722 Total Damage

Castor: Armor of Blood Trigger!

Damage Negated.

Pollux: 1800 Resilience, +417 Dice, +500 Blood Bond = 2717 Damage Reduction

5005 End Damage
50% Out of Phase
2503 Final End Damage

Pollux: 17000 - 2503 = 14497 Health)

The shots plink harmlessly off of the armored figure, but the hooded one grunts and tries to avoid your fire.
With how these two are functionally invulnerable, I'm not sure this is a fight we can really win right now. We need information, or an appropriate Slayer ability to have a chance at fucking these two over.

"My protection be yours brother. Destroy the intruder!" The armored figure shouts and holds his fist to his armor.

The shadowy hooded demon has a haze of magic appear around it (Blood), "I am Pollux. My brother is Castor. Know the names of your destroyers."

Another sweep with the ranged fire of your Panoply doesn't inflict and notable harm on the pair. Could they render each other completely invulnerable?
And now we know the Twins' names.

The constant roar of rain grows harsher as hail begins falling all around you.
Uh... Kell? I thought you said that there was a team whose primary purpose was to manipulate the weather around Milidia? So then why is it raining and hailing?
As if your thoughts triggered something a quintet of figures (Blood, Horror) appears in the air above you.

"Filthy thing."

"Her mother died from her foolishness."

"Her father died from her stubbornness."

"Her mouth is still stained from subsiding on filth."

"Her soul is black from her betrayal of her sworn oath."

"Submit to our judgement filthy oathbreaker."

Their words cut into your soul. You see them descend, but you are trying to cover your eyes as guilt overwhelms you. You also see your mother falling into a void you failed to spot until it was too late, your father promising to catch up after helping to evacuate people from Boston's suburbs, the oppressive darkness that covered you after you signed Marax's agreement and promise to serve -- before he ordered you to stay in the dark and live in regret until the demon called for you.

The taste of bitter crickets and muddy water raises on your lips. The grounded figures belittle you as four wrap barbed whips around each of your arms and legs. The largest draws back her lash-.

Everything goes white and your ears briefly ring from a flashbang tossed in your face.

"Summit!" Cook shouts.
**NO

You will not be trapped in this manner.

The Furies make condemning noises and visions come and go, but you are ready for them now. You will prevail. If you have to drag your limp body along with your Panoply it is what you shall do.​
Oooooh no. Fuck you bitches. You don't get to say those hurtful things. YOU SHALL DIE!

[X] Plan Screw You In Particular
-[X] Hit hard and hit fast while the Furies are blinded by the flashbang
-[X] Negate their counter attacks with Inhuman Skill or by Intercepting them
-[X] Try to kill them all if possible, but if it seems that they're breaking off and it'll take too much time to kill them, let them go

[X] XP Plan Setting Up the Pins
-[X] Panoply to Level 30 (1100 XP)
-[X] Danmaku (60 XP)

[X] Destination?
-[X] Head west to where Moral High Ground's defences are. It's the quickest way to get out of the area where the UD can teleport thing on top of you.

So basically, what I'm hoping to do is fuck up the Furies to get the initial threat out of the way and then scramble back to Moral High Ground and just generally de-ass the area. We can't do shit to Castor and Pollux around right now, so we'll have to go for another round with them later. As for my XP plan, I've come to realize that in terms of lethality, what is needed is Panoply at level 30, grabbing a couple of the abilities on the ability ladder and then getting Chaosslayer. While I wouldn't say we be untouchable, we'd very easily wreck any demon that is Class-4 or less without the need for Wave Force. Presumably including Castor and Pollux.
 
I like this fight. My only regret is that we didn't get to see what she was really capable of. I can totally see her going out and wrecking face with the power she has.
The Asura and the Twins are the sort of things the UD keeps around to try and match the odd Magical Girl or armored advance. Both of the bosses featured can do terrible things to an Anti-Demon Tank -- the Asura had to cut her way in first because of the Elemental Relays the Akashic Pillar likes to fit their stuff with.

:V And it's rather hypocritical for Summit to comment on the Asura's grandstanding when she took a major hit to the face so she could use her super move.

With how these two are functionally invulnerable, I'm not sure this is a fight we can really win right now. We need information, or an appropriate Slayer ability to have a chance at fucking these two over.
Summit has a hunch that the following is true:
  • The spellcasting one (Pollux) is immune to spells (Armor of Darkness), and the fighty one (Castor) is immune to things that aren't spells (Armor of Blood).
  • They empower each other with their presence. If one is killed the fight will be much easier.
  • Those immunity Abilities can be granted to the other twin if the one with said immunity focuses totally on sharing it. If they both spent effort they would both be immune to everything, but couldn't act otherwise.
  • Unstoppable may leak through with a small fraction of damage.
  • They both hit too damn hard.
Uh... Kell? I thought you said that there was a team whose primary purpose was to manipulate the weather around Milidia? So then why is it raining and hailing?
Yep. The Hailing is pretty localized at the moment. Someone is trying to help you and hoping it's the right thing. The demon twins would actually be able to spot you right now in more clement weather.

There's also friendly Magical Girl that gets much stronger in a thunderstorm.
 
  • The spellcasting one (Pollux) is immune to spells (Armor of Darkness), and the fighty one (Castor) is immune to things that aren't spells (Armor of Blood).
  • They empower each other with their presence. If one is killed the fight will be much easier.
  • Those immunity Abilities can be granted to the other twin if the one with said immunity focuses totally on sharing it. If they both spent effort they would both be immune to everything, but couldn't act otherwise.
Huh. Seems I actually understood that correctly when reading the update.
 
This is what you had to say on Slayer abilities a long time back.
Slayer; breaks through unconditional defenses when it applies, probably does mean things to all defenses.
Would an appropriate Slayer ability (Chaosslayer in this case) break through their immunity abilities?
 
I don't suppose I could get another couple votes here? For EXP spending if nothing else?

Right now I have two votes for EXP that pull in dramatically different directions. There's some consensus to smash the Furies and head home(ish), but beelining Wave Force upgrades or cranking Panoply to the next breakpoint both use gobs of xp.
 
[x] Plan Smackdown
-[x] Panoply to Intercept and Crush
-[x] Use Elsewhere to bring the Furies into melee range and thrash them
-[x] Try to Self-repair the Curse off
[X] Destination?
-[X] Head north to where Commander Black and other Magical Girls were fighting. It’s your best chance to get useful reinforcement that can get you out of trouble.
[x] EXP plan Reinforce
-[x] Fierce Protector (350 EXP, 842 remain)
-[x] Elsewhere to level 13 (810 EXP, 32 remain)
 
[x] Plan Smackdown
-[x] Panoply to Intercept and Crush
-[x] Use Elsewhere to bring the Furies into melee range and thrash them
-[x] Try to Self-repair the Curse off
[X] Destination?
-[X] Head north to where Commander Black and other Magical Girls were fighting. It's your best chance to get useful reinforcement that can get you out of trouble.
[x] EXP plan Reinforce
-[x] Fierce Protector (350 EXP, 842 remain)
-[x] Elsewhere to level 13 (810 EXP, 32 remain)
 
[x] Plan Smackdown
-[x] Panoply to Intercept and Crush
-[x] Use Elsewhere to bring the Furies into melee range and thrash them
-[x] Try to Self-repair the Curse off
[X] Destination?
-[X] Head north to where Commander Black and other Magical Girls were fighting. It's your best chance to get useful reinforcement that can get you out of trouble.
[x] EXP plan Reinforce
-[x] Fierce Protector (350 EXP, 842 remain)
-[x] Elsewhere to level 13 (810 EXP, 32 remain)
 
Long enough for a Tally:

Plan Smackdown wins. In the next update Summit will trash the Furies until interrupted and try to regroup to get in touch with the rest of Milidia.

Here's the Receipt for your XP Store Purchase.

Ability Purchased!

Fierce Protector
+75% damage when attacking a target that means to harm something other than yourself.
Ability Upgraded!
Elsewhere
Level 5 -> 6 -> 7 -> 8 -> 9 -> 10 -> 11 -> 12 -> 13
-Summit may expand or contract distances 130 meters during her action


162 EXP Remaining
I was anticipating Decim's spending plan to win myself...

Anyone have some ideas for more Protection-flavored ideas? I didn't plot out into that tree very far :V
Adhoc vote count started by kelllogo on Aug 8, 2017 at 9:16 PM, finished with 822 posts and 6 votes.

  • [x] Plan Smackdown
    -[x] Panoply to Intercept and Crush
    -[x] Use Elsewhere to bring the Furies into melee range and thrash them
    -[x] Try to Self-repair the Curse off
    [X] Destination?
    -[X] Head north to where Commander Black and other Magical Girls were fighting. It's your best chance to get useful reinforcement that can get you out of trouble.
    [x] EXP plan Reinforce
    -[x] Fierce Protector (350 EXP, 842 remain)
    -[x] Elsewhere to level 13 (810 EXP, 32 remain)
    [X] Plan Screw You In Particular
    -[X] Hit hard and hit fast while the Furies are blinded by the flashbang
    -[X] Negate their counter attacks with Inhuman Skill or by Intercepting them
    -[X] Try to kill them all if possible, but if it seems that they're breaking off and it'll take too much time to kill them, let them go
    [X] XP Plan Setting Up the Pins
    -[X] Panoply to Level 30 (1100 XP)
    -[X] Danmaku (60 XP)
    [X] Destination?
    -[X] Head west to where Moral High Ground's defences are. It's the quickest way to get out of the area where the UD can teleport thing on top of you.
 
Last edited:
Anyone have some ideas for more Protection-flavored ideas? I didn't plot out into that tree very far :V
Well, Impeller is able to be reflective in BAHSCQ
Warp Countering
When Intercepting, <45+5*lvl>% damage countered by resilience and the intercept attack is reflected towards the attacker.

And Anna does have specific types of dynamos (and the "Selective Nullification" Impeller skill), maybe we could get that reflected?
Dynamic Defense
Spend an action to gain an additional 5 percentage points of Aegis Field versus attacks with a certain affinity. Limited <lvl> stacks total and <lvl/5 +1> stacks per affinity

Based on the intercepting we see Anna do the first time in the simulator:
Retribution
Anna may reserve ranged attacks for Retribution, allowing her to make attacks against enemies targeting her allies with their own ranged attacks during their own turns. Attacks based on Retribution have a chance to interrupt the attacker, making them waste the attack.
Fast Concealment
Spend a ranged attack to kick up the ground, creating concealment for a turn for low-flying or ground-based allies. This prevents line-of-sight effects and can cause attacks to miss.

There's the Demipotence Impeller Skill over in BAHSCQ
Defensive Demipotence
Spend 7% max health per round to neutralize all attacks with a chosen affinity against yourself or your allies.

High levels of spatial manipulation can apparently reduce incoming damage or increase outgoing damage.
Slowed impact
Add <Elsewhere*10> to the resilience of yourself. Spend an action to extend this to a nearby ally.

Also don't forget BAHSCQ Anna has a medical module integrating, so we should get a "heal others" spell as well.
 
Back
Top