Event #06: ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE MISSION LOG

[vivalamods]

EVENT #06: ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE MISSION LOG

With wind at their backs, the Corsairs fully expect the Imperial resistance. Knowing that they’ve made even the Emperor himself take notice has been heartening, they are well-prepared to go to war. And war finds them soon, with Imperial Strike Forces dispatched to scatter their resistance. With Flotsam under heavy attack, the great fleet has split, hiding in coves around the Eternal Ocean.

As the Corsairs fend off the Imperial Attack, they also look forward to the future. Keeping up their information warfare against the Empire is, of course, vital, as is finding new space to settle refugees and new recruits for the cause. February may prove to be a deadly month for the Corsairs, but if they play their hand well it can be a month of great strides.

These missions are occurring over the course of the month, there are no limitations on the characters who can take part, the size of the logs, or how many logs a character participates in.

MISSIONS

Imperial Warfare: Flights of airships and armors have been dispatched to sink as many Corsair ships as possible. The Corsairs have already split their fleet, but are hoping to catch these roving attack squadrons and quickly overwhelm them, protecting their fleet and, if possible, capturing airships and armors for their own forces.
Conflict: Strike forces will typically consist of two airships holding 4 armors each. These ships can be boarded and disabled, or fought directly depending on the preference of the combatant.
Role: Combatant
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read IMPERIAL WARFARE
Extra: You may specify the type of combat as well, such as BOARDING for more on-foot or ARMOR or SHIP for battles in mechs or from the decks of ships.

Investigate Targets: The Larendt labor camps have a lot of low-class and servant labor. With their presence in the Eternal Ocean and their involvement in some of the more menial but sometimes necessary manufacturing, gaining a foothold in these camps could be a huge boon for the Corsairs.
Conflict: These camps are heavily guarded, and while the inhabitants are extremely oppressed, inspiring them to revolt en masse will be a tough sell. Infiltrators will need to sneak in with either stealth or guile and determine who in the camps can be trusted and start into a major subversion effort to bring them to the Corsair side.
Role: Infiltrator, Supplier or Negotiator optional
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read INVESTIGATE TARGETS
Extra: You may specify the approach for your infiltration, such as STEALTH or DISGUISE

INFORMATION WARFARE: The Corsairs must keep up the pressure by creating a counternarrative to fight the Emperor’s messaging. This can be done a number of ways, such as hacking radio networks to broadcast messages, distributing subversive literature, or giving flash speeches.
Conflict: Guards are on high alert and will heavily crack down on people seen pushing banned messages or materials. Chances are high they will try to arrest or even kill on sight.
Role: Negotiator, Infiltrator or Combatant optional
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read INFORMATION WARFARE
Extra: You may specify the approach for your infiltration, such as HACKING or PAMPHLET DISTRIBUTION

Scout Settlements: The Corsairs need to establish a new settlement in order to house the growing number of refugees. An old ruined city has been identified as a potential site, an underground dwelling with some concealed farmland could easily be built in the area which has remained relatively untouched since the continent fell. Suppliers need to go in and set up a basecamp to begin construction.
Conflict: The ruins themselves will require a great dea of effort to get in order, with repairs to the infrastructure concealed within the ruins. The aqueducts still appear to be mostly capable of function and could be a great boon to the Corsairs if they can find a way to make them work. The ruins themselves have become quite dangerous in the intervening time, there are subterranean monsters such as bullettes and ankhegs that have taken up residence and can be quite dangerous when confronted. Additionally, it seems some Imperial deserters and n’er do wells have taken to using the place as a getaway after making it to Elysium, they will need to be dealt with, or perhaps even recruited if that can be managed.
Role: Supplier, Combatant or Negotiator optional
Requirements: To participate in this mission, your thread header should read SCOUT SETTLEMENT
Extra: You may specify the approach for your infiltration, such as REBUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE or CONVINCING DESERTERS

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[newmemorywhodis]

Link had given Shu a nod, before mirroring her as he circles around the theatre. A quick glance in each archway, but in all of them...nothing.

But he's still on high alert, still tense and waiting for something, anything to attack. He knows something is coming, he just doesn't know where or how...

...And then one of the archways erupts. Instinctively, Link moves in front of Shu, pushing her to one side as he holds out his shield.

Which means that's it only Link that the beast crashes into, knocking him to the ground.

[singlemilletgrain]

"Link!"

Tch! She understands the intention behind his actions the moment she finds herself tumbling to the side, out of the path of danger. No doubt he was a knight. But no doubt, too, he was still hung up on that last conversation, hellbent on preventing her from suffering any possible mortal harm whatsoever. Shu finds herself sprawled on the ground, none the worse for the wear, snapping her head up as the creature rushes forward with terrible force to smash through Link.

It is a horrific thing. Some sort of serpentine monstrosity perfectly sized to slither through the tunnels they had no chance to access, undulating across the ground now with far too many teeth and spikes in all the wrong places. It swiftly performs a U-turn at full speed, its maw gaping wide once more as it arcs into the air like they're at a dolphin show, diving towards the ground mouth-first to consume Link in a single gulp.

Shu is running even as it turns, and she has reached Link's side by the time it performs its helldive. It surely is appreciative of this two-for-one deal, but with a quick scattering of her seeds in a wide radius, the two blink out of its jaws just a moment before it strikes.

They reappear about 20 feet to the side.

"Link! Are you alright?"

[newmemorywhodis]

The side of Link's face has been scraped raw, from the sheer force with which the creature pushed him across the ground. But despite this, Link nods.

He's still got all four limbs. He can move. He can fight. As far as he's concerned, he's fine.

Perhaps if Link were alone, he would charge in recklessly. But he's not - Shu's here. And she's right, he is concerned with protecting her. So he keeps his shield up, and...goes utterly, completely still.

He's never seen this creature before. But it reminds him of a molduga, with the way it tunnels through the ground. And molduga, he knows, don't see. They sense vibrations.

He can't see any eyes on this monster. And Shu moved them away in an instant - if they don't move, will it be able to tell where they are?

[singlemilletgrain]

Shu is sagacious, philosophical, wise, and thoughtful at all (...most) times.

Regrettably, she is not an expert on the Multiversal Bestiary. As Link raises his shield and stands stock still, she glances at him quizzically and proceeds with what she doing, which was first to heal Link's surface wounds and second to create distance between the two of them so they aren't both caught in one snap of the jaw. The healing creates less of a disturbance, as her seeds are already scattered and simply need to release their innate energy.

The distancing requires her to step quickly away.

Link will need to communicate if he wants Shu to follow with his plan.

In the meantime, the worm, having burrowed down into the earth, makes its presence known by swimming through the soil very much indeed like a Molduga, throwing rock and dirt in all directions as it circles. Link's hypothesis might be borne out - it circles a few times before making a beeline towards Shu. It is possible it's a coincidence, but the evolution of Giant Sand Worms may perhaps be fairly limited.

[newmemorywhodis]

He doesn't quite realise, focused on the creature, that Shu is moving away from him. It's only once she's started moving that he realises.

"Wait!" He says. Though by this point, it's far too late - the creature is already moving towards her.

But maybe, if it is like a Molduga, he can distract it like one. Swiftly his Sword and shield are returning to his back, as he swaps it for his bow. A bomb flower is quickly fused to the arrow - before he shoots it, away from Shu.

The blast explodes in the middle of the coliseum - hopefully distracting the monster. But if it doesn't, well...there'll be nothing for it but to just run on out and try to make himself a more attractive target.

[singlemilletgrain]

Well.

Link just fired completely in the wrong direction. Shu squints back at him briefly, careful not to take her eyes off the behemoth for too long. And yet when her gaze flickers back, she finds that she has lost the creature, for it is voraciously surging towards the bomb blast that had just shaken the earth.

It takes her a moment.

" -- Ah!"

Of course. It did not require knowledge of the multiversal bestiary to know that subterranean creatures characteristically had a terrible sense of sight. Link was, of course, a genius to utilize such a weakness to his advantage with only a few seconds' thought. Her opinion of his combat talent, already high, revises upwards significantly. (He does not need to mention that he has fought an analogue of this monster before.)

So it was attracted to vibrations in the earth. That being the case, they could theoretically direct its attention anywhere in the area... And it seemed to like to swallow its victims whole...

"Link, do you have a half-dozen or so of those flowers to spare?"

[newmemorywhodis]

There's a lot of reasons why Link was good at what he does, but one of them was most definitely experience. What made a warrior a warrior wasn't just technical skill and ability; it was the sum of all the battles the came before.

And Link had been in a lot of battles. He was just fortunate that some of them bore a strong similarity to this one.

He also does have bomb flowers to spare - with a nod, he reaches into the pack and pulls out a handful more, holding them out towards Shu.

[singlemilletgrain]

"Excellent."

Shu... quietly tiptoes back to Link's side as carefully as she possibly can to examine the flowers carefully. Although she had never used them before, their resemblance to a cartoon bomb drawn by a 3 year old means the method of utilization is fairly obvious. Rummaging around in her pockets, she pulls out something that Link will no doubt find familiar - one of his flame fruits, with which she had lit her torch earlier.

"You will have to bear with me."

And then, with the six bombs placed at her feet, she begins to jump up and down as loudly as she can.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link's used bomb flowers in many varied and unusual situations. He's exploded enemies with them. Circumvented puzzles with them. Used them to launch himself into the air.

But he has never laid them out in a circle and then started jumping.

Okay, and sure, he trusts that Shu must be going somewhere with this...or, well, he hopes she is. But he's going to stare at her with a very bemused expression.

It's a stare that's only broken by quick glances towards the monster - which has most definitely turned around, and started heading directly towards Shu.

[singlemilletgrain]

Jump. Jump. Jump.

As the creature surges through the earth towards them, Shu quickly throws the flame fruit down and sets all the fuses alight at the same time. Then she takes hold of Link's hand.

"Trust me."

It is déjà vu from a few minutes ago. There is the mighty leap - the sudden teleportation - the dolphin dive through the air with jaw unhinged...

Except this time, the creature does not swallow a mouthful of dirt. Somewhere within the spirit of Link, the soul of the Hero of Time might approve of this tried and true Dodongo-repelling strategy. When it sinks into the earth, the six bombs are gone.

From their new vantage point in the stands of the stadium, Shu holds up a finger for them to wait.

Tick.... tick......................

B O O M

[newmemorywhodis]

Link does trust her. So even though he doesn't know exactly what she has been planning, he nods, and allows her to take his hand.

Then the space around him changes - in a way that's just like shrine teleportation, but also completely different. Now in a new position in entirely, blinks, taking a moment to adjust.

But the moment he has his bearings back, he leans forward, hands gripping the edge of the remnants of railings as he peers down below. Now he knows what Shu was planning - and he absolutely wants to see.

[singlemilletgrain]

The effect is rather satisfying. While the explosion itself is not fully visible, owing to taking place inside the digestive track of a giant worm deep underground, the force of the blast does send it skyrocketing up into the air with an ear-curdling screech. It is difficult to see through the shooting debris, but it is just possible that the creature has gained a few new orifices in its carapace as it lurches up into the sky like a grotesque firework.

For a moment, it seems to hang in mid-air.

Then comes the fall, and a terribly satisfying thudding noise as it crashes into the ground and flops.

Once. Twice.

Then still.

When the dust clears, the arena has gained a few new renovations by the way of some shattered rubble. Shu peers over the edge at the corpse of their opponent.

"...I believe it is dead."

[newmemorywhodis]

Oh, that was a good explosion. Who knew Shu could be so great at blowing things up?

And Link thinks she's right - it's probably dead - but for some reason monsters in this world don't disintegrate when they die, so Link paraglides down.

The supposed corpse receives a poke from the Sword that Seals the Darkness. It doesn't so much as twitch - so Link raises a hand and sends Shu a thumbs up. It's all clear!

[singlemilletgrain]

Instead of using any supernatural means, Shu just gingerly lowers herself over the edge of the balcony, dangles for a moment, and lands gracefully on a protruding piece of rubble. She picks her way through the earth and rocks to join Link's side, upon which she heaves a great sigh.

"That was more harrowing than I anticipated for this expedition. But if this area can support such a large monster, it may be useful for our proposed settlement. Let's go examine that water source..."

((Should we fade to black here and maybe pick up in the current event post with a time skip to making the settlement?)))

[newmemorywhodis]

Link nods. A bit more excitement than expected - but nothing they weren't able to handle.

And he'l follow Shu in search of a water source soon. Just first let him see what he can scavenge from the monster...surely there'd be some use for a collection of those teeth, or those scales...

[[sounds good!]]