Wiccan interrupted your plans
(also, low voting turnout...)
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"
Ramming Speed!"
Your velocity doubles and you spin in the air to kick the clone square in the mouth.
(Ramming Speed: 1700 Base Damage, +138 Dice, +50 Stop Talking = 1888 Damage
Val-Kroppi clone #3: 1000 Resilience, +624 Dice, -750 Juggernaut = 874 Damage Reduction
1014 End Damage
Val-Kroppi clone #3: 20600 - 1014 = 19586 Health
Born for Battle Triggers!
Val-Kroppi clone #3: 19586 + 8000 = 27586 Health)
He laughs as he tumbles away, you parry a strike from the other clone. Kicking off the ground moves you away from his reach while Crimson's Hound slams an very oversized clawed double-fist on him.
(Bloodstained Glaive: Attack Negated by Inhuman Skill!
+1 Stack of Ceaseless Warrior! (+2 Attacks per Turn)
Claws of the Monster: 3333 Base Damage, + 510 Dice, +300 Rogues do it from Behind, x2 CRUSH! = 8286 Damage
Val-Kroppi clone #2: 1000 Resilience, +537 Dice, = 1537 Damage Reduction
6749 End Damage
Val-Kroppi clone #2: 35711 - 6749 = 28962 Health
Born for Battle Triggers!
Val-Kroppi clone #2: 28962 + 8000 = 36962 Health
Vampire: Nightmare of Crimson restored to 50000 Health)
Rock fragments fly and a solid thud is felt even in mid-air. For all the force used it still didn't seem to faze the target.
The far clone shouts, "It may take a while, but I shall prevail. Or abandon you to a horde of monsters!" then disperses into the cloud of circling birds.
More birds appear. Crimson's Hound had started approximating the shape of a hydraulic press over the other instance of Val, which was enough to scare it into dispersing.
"You weren't kidding about getting stronger. How can we make something stick?" Crimson Hood asks quickly.
Looking into the vortex of birds gives you a sinking feeling, "I don't know. He's gotten too strong to overcome in one blow."
"
Delusional Illusion."
All the birds vanish.
(Burn: Summit takes 145 Damage
Summit: 12913 - 145 = 12768)
"Wiccan! I lost track of you!" Crimson Hood cheers.
"Pity…" the Hound mutters.
Hood's grin thins, "I haven't forgotten about you. Why don't you split off part of yourself and pick a fight with some of those chasm monsters?"
The monster starts to slide into a more humanoid form, stretches its arms above its head while yawning, and a host of horrors hurl from its back towards the gap that leads to the chasm. Winged, fanged eyeballs, starfish-dog hybrids, something that's all legs and teeth, and dozens more things that defy any description other than repulsive.
Hood gives you a thumbs-up, "I think we're done here. Great work, I was worried for a bit."
"It is getting rather warm." Wiccan shouts.
(Burn: Summit takes 145 Damage
Summit: 12768 - 145 = 12623)
The chamber rumbles. Where Aer fell there's a ring of glowing red stone around the prye of dark fire.
"Your monster can split, I didn't realize that." you state.
The Hounds grin grows wide enough that only the very back of its head is connected to its neck, "Yes. I could be anywhere…"
With a crash of shattering stone a Titan Worm brusts through the roof and starts eating the still-aflame corpse of Aer. You swing out your Panoply to Hood, who latches onto it, and fling her to Wiccan's broom. Then you chase her and the Hound towards the ceiling shaft used to enter the chamber. The parade of horrors scatters about on it's way to the chasm.
"Anywhere else!" it finishes over the beating of a dozen hastily-grown wings.
You run over the layout in your head. It should be possible to Shift past the metal tunnel and reduce the time to leave.
"I can make a portal, it will get us to the surface quicker."
"Please do." Wiccan says.
(Burn: Summit takes 145 Damage
Summit: 12623 - 145 = 12478)
"Give me a moment." being on fire has gotten old.
A small detour lets you dive into a corner where water has pooled. You splash water everywhere to avoid getting coating by the black flames that keep burning water.
Rushing away from the steam, you lead the group to change course once you've gotten to the top of the shaft. There's a passage that will put you underneath the tunnel and let you Shift to the top. A quick portal, the others jumping through it, and then passing through yourself has you there. From there you follow the Hound, he bulks up considerably and bashes through the main gates.
Crimson Hood fishes out her radio, "We're done here. Please send a pickup for Crimson."
"Sit tight for a few minutes, things are a bit chaotic and the Light Warriors are busy."
You hear a roar echoing. It might be best to try beating that time. Space starts straining as you start setting up a Gate.
"It's going to be a few minutes. I don't like waiting here after," she gestures at her Hound, "put effort into antagonizing a cave full of monsters, but we need to stay here so we can get picked up. Stay alert, we're almost done here."
Wiccan drifts closer to the ground and looks around carefully. Crimson's Hound lies on the ground and grows three new heads, one of them winks at you.
A plume of hot air rises, past the edge of the mountain.
Wiccan spots it, "Oh, that was quick."
"Stay quiet, no reason anything will look here first." Hood says.
That's more optimistic than you think is warranted, "What about the road? And gate?"
Hood frowns and talks into her radio,
"We're exposed here and there's a mob of monsters nearby. Expedite the extraction."
"Forces are engaged, we can't get to your location. Seek cover."
Hood lowers her radio and scans the surrounding area, "Forget what I said about staying put. Did anyone see a hiding spot?"
"It's barren between the gates and the road. No good spots to hide from something tall." You offer.
Wiccan points down the road, "We can follow the road around the mountain."
"No, That would run into the teeth of the UD defenses." Hood shoots a glance back at the gate, "Arrgh, and Overseer couldn't use radio, so hiding in there is also bad."
"There would also be a large number of monsters outside even if we did hide." you point out.
"Wiccan? What's the other side like right now?"
"A bit sticky. The Whump-Whump trees are migrating, I wouldn't want to get their attention." Wiccan answers.
Hood points up, "Summit. I believe the only way out is up right now. Please follow us until Wiccan says things are clear."
You finish manifesting the gate, "We can get back to base right now."
"Wonderful!" Wiccan starts diving.
"Wait! Ground on the other side!" Hood shakes Wiccan's shoulder. The latter of the two slows and pauses.
A large figure of Darkness and Fire clamors over the edge of the mountain.
"My wrath is contained no longer!"
"Never mind, just go." Hood says quietly.
The Hound springs off of a snake tail to vanish into the iridescent orb you're maintaining. A few seconds later Wiccan dives through. Right after she vanishes you pass through as well.
The courtyard looks a little different. Less occupied, for one thing. Crimson's Hound is prancing around where Primary Wiccan and Crimson Hood faceplanted into the ground. There's a girl by some benches, next to Destined Lightning, saying something you don't quite catch.
"-わたし は まほう しょう じょ
Raging Heart! Dess."
(watashiwa maho shojo Raging Heart des, for those who don't want to look up syllabary, blame Daze
)
Oh. That explains it, even if you aren't sure what she was saying beforehand. Insight isn't anywhere to be seen. You have a hunch that the interior and surrounding trailers are full of activity, leaving the area where the Magical Girls had been mustered as an oasis of calm.
"What's going on?"
Destined Lightning looks around for a moment, "I'm off rotation for a little bit, the others have gotten pulled to support the offensive. What does your officer say?"
"Hood? Can you tell them we're back?"
"That," she raises her arm into the air without getting up, "Was a dirty trick."
"Ouch..." mumbles Primary Wiccan.
Hood locates her radio, "This is Crimson. Summit got us back to the base. We no longer need extraction."
"Good. We'll-uh, that's good."
Hood lets go of the radio and gives a thumbs up, face still on the grass, "It's good. Good job all, we did it."
"Tell Summit she needs to be available in the courtyard in a few minutes. Things are a mess right now."
"I'm going to fly around for a little bit. Stretch my wings and see what's happening." you declare.
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Transparent attempt to buy time Event Vote (pick one):
[X] The Noble
[X] The Fragment
[X] The Schemer and the Vessel
[X] The Angel
[X] The Witch
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+50 EXP Exiled Val-Kroppi
+300 EXP Taunted a Trickle of Titans to Test UD Defenses
+1 EXP Accidental Pratfall
2599 + 351 = 2950 EXP
[X] [EXP] Plan?