SeeD field exam

[wrnpcs]

Incongruous architecture and reports of suspicious noise around ruins recently unearthed on a Trabia farm have led the local town council to suspect off-world involvement. SeeD has been hired to provide a thorough safety assessment of the site, with an eye for potential future development.

[The town council, who hired SeeD for this mission, have supplied a check list for Namur and Maria to refer to, things like monsters, structural integrity, and other hazards. Amid whining about the overnight appearance of these ruins "DEVASTATING!!" his potato crop and some sideeying of Namur, the farmer with sudden ancient ruins on his farm has shown them to the entrance, handed them flashlights, and gone back to his work.

[The entrance is actually a small cave, half-sunken into the ground; Trabian excavators have dug up enough of the earth around it to get inside. It's dark and dusty inside, but well away from the entrance, one can start to make out what may have once been a city (note: visual guide for architectural style and atmosphere only, not layout) in the stone, about ten metres down: Crumbling walls of a blue stone not found in Trabia, ornate stone doors in the most solid-looking wall with a sign carved nearby, worn pavement in that same blue stone, the ends of clay pipes sticking out of the ground, large boulders dotted around the area.

[There happens to be a ladder down to this level, though one that's seen better days.]

Comments

[wrfiends]

[Mammalian, but fading in and out - smells a bit like a GF in physical form. Deep enough inside the building that these senses of it are only faint.

[Perhaps a bit more pressing is the sound of a pack of rats swarming out of the dark and surrounding the pair as best they can considering it's six rats vs. a human and a shark. There's something a bit odd about these rats, though, and it's not just that they're the size of cats...]



[Two of the upright and armed rats, four smaller and armored. Screech, screech. Scared rodent rage!]

[om_nom_namur]

[Lord of the Sea those tinyass fuzz things are seriously going to attack them. Since they're bitty they probably have some crazy stupid trick that will kill him instantly, too. Shit...

Namur nudges Maria with his elbow and shows her his interface with Scan highlighted, then points from her to one of the small armored critters. He then uses the ability himself, on one of the big ones.]

[wrfiends]

[If Maria chooses to Scan as well, they'll turn up both of the following:

Scan data:
Rat Soldier: A skittish monster that favours group tactics. Intelligent enough to use simple tools. Weak against fire. Resists water.
Rat: The Rat Soldiers' uncreatively named subordinate. Mutated by exposure to a certain crystal. Small, but tenacious. Weak against fire. Resists wind.
Draw list: Rat Soldier: Fire, Water, Confuse; Rat: Cure, Protect, Shell.

Skittish, at least, is right. No sooner does it spot Namur doing something it isn't sure how to respond to than one of the Rat Soldiers squeaks even louder than it did on spotting the intruders, signalling its upright comrade. The two of them promptly turn tail and flee, tiny footfalls pattering impressively fast down the weathered remains of pavement that stretch out ahead. (Actually, did one footstep just splash for a second, out of sight?)

Following them before they escape under cover of the dank air and enshrouding darkness might not be a trivial matter. These Rats aren't much to look at, but they are a lot larger than most run-of-the-mill, uncapitalised rats - each around the size of a cat - and now they seem to be bunching up to block the path toward the larger structure, chittering as if to taunt Namur and Maria into making the first move.]

[gunbladegrrl]

[Weak against fire. Draw list: Fire. These creatures didn't exactly impress her with their strength and resilience...]

[Namur might be in charge, but Maria runs a private assessment of her own stock and Junctions anyway. Until such time as he reassigned them, she had plenty to get by on, including Fire and Fira. So this didn't rank as a major threat to her.]

[om_nom_namur]

[Oh, good, she's checking her device. Saves Namur from having to tell her to do it like she's some kind of moron or something. He switches his element attack junction to Ifrit, then continues moving around the side of the building. He heard one of them hit water, or something similar, and Namur wants to get a better idea of what they're facing, both in terms of the creatures as well as the terrain, before they head in.

Though it would probably be good to tell Maria what he knows while they still have some distance. Whatever's inside knows they're there, considering if he can smell it, it can almost definitely smell them. Namur keeps his voice down regardless. The less he gives it to work with, the better.]

Hey, so we got an idea what the little rats're all 'bout. But there's somethin' bigger inside the buildin'. Can't tell much 'bout it from here but it tastes like a Guardian Force, poppin' in an' out a bein' summoned. Kind a far in the buildin', so slippin' 'round back might get me a better taste. Ain't makin' promises on that, though. Tastes like a mammal, too. Not sure what kind an' I ain't never been good with the furry shits anyway. There's a whole bunch a little groups a them rats runnin' 'round, so stay sharp. They're scared a us so they'll prob'ly keep their distance 'til they got a shit ton all together. If we can get a bunch a them taken out quiet like it'd be best, so next group we come across jus' dive in. Y' got fire spells an' a couple revives jus' in case, right?

[gunbladegrrl]

I'm prepared. Did I ever mention I'm a paramagic specialist, too?

[Seriously she can do almost everything.]

If it is a Guardian Force, your orders?

[She asks this expectantly, lifting an eyebrow. There's a right answer to this question, Namur; can you provide it?]

[om_nom_namur]

Catch that damn sucker!

[Duh.]

[wrfiends]

[While they're talking, two of the Rats hunker down, pulling their plating down so it's all that faces our heroes. The other two, however, go in to tackle Namur and Maria's shins respectively, with the force one might expect from a dog.]

[om_nom_namur]

[Okay well, fine don't group up, see if Namur cares. How do they take to flying? Because the one coming for his shins is going to find itself launched into the air like a soccer ball.

Namur looks at Maria, then motions off to the side with his head. He's serious about wanting to circle around. If they want to fight, they'll have to bring it to him. For now.]

hur hur 'raw fish'

[gunbladegrrl]

[Maria, probably not unexpectedly, had the exact same reaction Namur did. She may not have raw fishman strength, but those legs had enough muscle to make a kick count. She took his gesture as an order and immediately began moving perpendicular to their route, circling the building as he preferred.]

[wrfiends]

[One after the other, the unfortunate Rats thud into what probably used to be a wall opposite the building they're facing. For a second, the only sound is that of settling dust, the gritty kind that gets right into your sinuses - but then, a couple of telltale metallic clanks echo from somewhere closer to the ground. Tenacious was right, too.

As the two closest monsters launch themselves at their respective targets once more, their two friends inch closer, still curled up behind their plating, which scrapes unpleasantly across the old paving as they move. And more of those scraping noises are fading into earshot, swarming from the shadows of the surrounding ruined buildings, hoping to hem the unwelcome strangers in...]

[om_nom_namur]

[Namur turns and sucker punches the one that launched itself at him, sending it back. He switched his elemental junction to Ifrit earlier, so not only is the poor thing getting a giant fist to the face, it's a giant flaming fist to the face. He cross punches Maria's assailant to the side as well, moving around between her and the nearest bunch.]

Well shit that was fast.

[Okay, then. There's a lot of them and they're weak to fire, so. He advances on the group in front slowly, letting them gather up more if they want. When a good bunch of them are close enough, he stops.

Then he summons Ifrit.

How do the rats feel about Hell Fire?]

[wrfiends]

[There's a piercing smell, recognisable as burning hair and meat but with a distinctly metallic edge. Apparently, the answer for the Rats on the front line is that they don't survive long enough to feel much of anything. The luckier ones huddled behind them seem to lose their nerve; they disperse, a panicked mob rather than a unified wave, some of the more singed-looking stragglers trampled as the rest of the Rats scatter beneath the smoke. Within seconds, the ruins are as silent as they've ever been.

The smoke itself is another matter. Down here, in the depths of a cavern that may not have felt a real breeze in hundreds of years, it lingers, clinging to clothes and the omnipresent, choking damp. Nobody's going to be smelling anything useful for a long while unless they clear out of here fast.]

[gunbladegrrl]

[Sounds like Namur has them covered. Maria breaks into a quick jog, intending to circle the large structure they'd been blocking off, to find another path to and in it -- or failing that, report back that none exists.]

[wrnpcs]

[The building is larger than it might initially have seemed in the dim torchlight - but apparently not as large as it once was, because after Maria turns a corner onto the desolate remains of a grand courtyard, she'll find the area so thoroughly buried in rock and fallen stone that this side of the structure looks more like it grew out of the side of the cavern than something that suffered a landslide. There's clearly no way any human could get inside from here... at least, not from ground level.

If she shines her flashlight in just the right direction, however, she may just be able to spot the outline of a balcony high up on what appears to be the third floor, complete with one window that doesn't seem to be blocked off. But how to get up there, faced with walls this sheer?]

[om_nom_namur]

[Any stragglers still alive will find themselves the targets of drawcasted Fire spells, until they manage to drag themselves out of range.

And well, there's something to mark on the list of shit to tell the people outside, at least: NO AIR FLOW IS BAD NEWS. Also air quality is shit for some reason. It ain't his fault.

But hey! Now their scent is masked. Namur coughs, drops to a low crouch, and follows Maria around to the back of the building just in time to see the balcony at the same time she does. Or rather, the vague shape of what he intellectually knows is probably a balcony. Whatever. It's pretty high up. Namur could probably get Maria up there with no problems- one of the advantages of having ridiculous upper body strength. Getting himself up there will take a bit more doing.]

Hey, run yer light over the wall 'gain.

[Boarded up windows and irregular ledges make for excellent handholds, after all.]

[wrnpcs]

[The other windows visible from here aren't boarded up, but all of them appear to be blocked by debris either inside or out, and the stone walls of the building itself are eerily smooth given what's become of the city immediately around it.

A little more squinting at the balcony may turn up the silhouette of something dangling off one edge that doesn't quite fit the shape of the rocks strewn around this area, but it's too far away to make out any other details from this side of the structure.]

[om_nom_namur]

[And squint he does, his head cocked to one side. Maybe he can use it to climb up.]

Think y' can make that if I chuck y? There's somethin' hangin' over there, I'll try an' get up that way.

[gunbladegrrl]

I was afraid you'd say that.

[No, she wasn't. She'd been about to suggest it herself, since she knows she can't climb that sheer surface and she can't jump that high unaided.]

I can make it, though. [She pops the flashlight back between her teeth again, the better to have two hands free, then readies herself to go up however he cares to send her.]

[om_nom_namur]

[Namur kneels on one knee and leans forward an bit, trying to get down to a workable height but still have his feet solidly beneath him.]

Climb up on my shoulder, then once I get stood up, climb on my hand. Prob'ly only fit one foot, but that's the best I got. Toss y' overhand t' get y' some momentum an' then y'll have t' jump.

[Oh, right. Backup plan if this one fails.]

I'mma stick 'round here 'til yer up, jus' in case it's higher'n it looks. Once yer over, though, head 'round aft an' see if that hangin' thing's secure. Got it?

[gunbladegrrl]

That's a lot more subdued than I expected from you.

[Seriously, she'd figured he'd just grab her by the stomach and heave. Grabbing onto his shoulder, Maria hauls herself up. She's heavier than she looks, of course; she's one seriously solid girl.]

When you're ready!

[om_nom_namur]

[Namur's had Ifrit junctioned to do elemental attacks for awhile now, and it's likely beginning to affect his body in subtle ways- like raising its temperature. He isn't in dangerous territory yet and won't be for awhile, but the change would be noticeable.

Maria's weight doesn't surprise him in the slightest. Most women he's lived and worked with have been of a similar build- strong and lithe from a life on the sea. He puts a hand on her side to support her as he stands, trying hard not to shake his shoulders as he laughs.]

Sheheheh! Ain't always got kelp for brains, jus' most a the time.

[Once he's got his feet under him and feels steady, he moves his hand around and gets it in position for her to step on, palm up and open. This is going to be the hardest part, and they'll have to move quickly. It'd be nice if they could stick to the wall for support but then he'd be tossing her at the bottom of the balcony rather than the side.]

Ready on three. One, two, three!

[The three is almost more of a loud grunt, as he swings his torso around and launches her from his shoulder like a shot put. Good luck up there!]

[gunbladegrrl]

[She turns a neat flip in midair to land on the balcony. One gunblade flips out like it has a mind of its own, and she quickly sweeps the balcony with its tip to ensure she has it to herself.]

[wrnpcs]

[She does indeed, and it's so quiet up here that the sound of her feet touching down on the ancient stone almost seems to ring. If there was any audience to her acrobatic landing, it certainly isn't coming out of the open window to greet her.

From up here, it's easier to make out what the object covering the side of the balcony was: an enormous vine, thick, tangled and very much alive, spreading from this overhanging ledge across the wall behind it and down the back of the structure, out of sight. How odd.]

[om_nom_namur]

[Odd or not, Namur's heading that direction and tugging experimentally on the stalks when he gets there. They feel pretty tough and secured...]

How's it look up there?