2019-02-22: The Waste Land

• Log: 2019-02-22 L - The Waste Land
• Cast: Dispellado, Talise Gianfair, Riesenlied, Cyre H. Lorentz, Ethius Hesiod, Lily Keil, Ashton Anchors, Layna Manydays, Josephine Lovelace, Elhaym van Houten, Fei Fong Wong, Noeline, Xantia, Chime Isa, Gwen Whitlock, Elvis, Leon Albus, Hellion Amalgam, Gryndille, Captain of the Royal Guard
• Where: Krosse - Sunlight Square
• Date: February 22, 2019
• Summary: Following the attack on the borders of Krosse by an amalgamation of Hellionized Wels, Drifters head toward the capital of Krosse, seeking to investigate its source as well as, perhaps, put an end to the Malevolent Domain that has taken hold of the land. Before they can reach the castle itself, however, they meet resistance in the form of the Captain of Krosse's Royal Guard...as well as an unexpected foe.

---

========================<* Krosse - Sunlight Square *>========================

Krosse is a walled city, and the killing grounds inside the entry to the castle have been given a much nicer spin than is typical. Known as the Sunlight Square, it is a wide-open plaza with a fenced-off grassy park in the centre. The square occupies the same sort of role as a village green, and residents of the city frequently gather to socialize, work, or even kick off their boots and enjoy a nap in the sun.

Small shops surround the edges of the Sunlight Square, offering a variety of goods and services to travellers. A three-story building in the northwest offers lodging at a reasonable price, and a stone cathedral in the northeast is one of two surviving houses of worship of the Warrior of Light remaining on the continent.

DC: Elhaym van Houten switches forms to Gebler Deserter Elly!
DC: Riesenlied switches forms to Novice Heritor of the Fereshte!
DC: Lily Keil switches forms to The Red Witch!
DC: Talise Gianfair switches forms to Alexander!
DC: Talise Gianfair switches forms to Bladesinger Talise!
DC: Josephine Lovelace switches forms to The Dedicated Archaeologist!

<Pose Tracker> Dispellado has posed.

Some weeks ago, a strange and terrifying creature attacked at the borders of Krosse. A Wel - a Reaper - and yet... not. A horrifying thing of Malevolence and Symbology and pure, destructive potential.

It was not born. It was made. And investigation has led to one conclusion: it was made by someone in Krosse. Timotheus Lovelace. Which means it could only have come about by one thing...

The Anomalous Orb.

Information has been disseminated. And now? Now...

The time has finally come to return to the Kingdom of Krosse.

---

The nation of Krosse has seen better days.

For the city of Krosse, this is a quintessential understatement.

It has been over half a year since the rolling tide of Malevolence had sunk its paranoid claws into the lands of Krosse, all sparked by a dream, and a worry -- a noble, selfless even, concern for the people of a kingdom in a time where it seemed all there was, was worries. All this started with a fear. With a desire to protect innocent people from the hazards on the horizon.

It is funny, in its own way, how drastically a thing can warp from its original intentions.

Whatever it was that inspired Krosse and its king down their current path, the situation could not be further from it now. Suspicion and protectiveness have mutated into paranoia and fearmongering. Areas closes to the capital are heavily patrolled, and now even its own citizenry are under constant scrutiny at best.

And this is no more true than in its capital. Getting in is not difficult -- despite the increasing fervor of Krosse's royal guard, the paranoia, in-fighting, and general anxiety-induced fatigue have perhaps ironically produced many holes and weak links in their borders.

Getting out, though...

The city is a changed place. Nearly all the Royal Guard here have been Hellionized. Those that have not largely work in secret as best they can to protect the citizenry, and many more who have been caught have been less lucky besides. Citizens are prisoners of their own city, finding refuge where they can.

Malevolence is pervasive in Krosse, in a way that would remind those who have been of kingdoms in Lunar, and the continent of Glenwood specifically -- and like those places, there is no location more densely packed with the foul dissonance than the capital. This, however, is different. The flavoring of it specific. Its induction unnatural. Anomalous. And there is no point more clear of that than the castle itself -- still enshrouded in the dense miasma of the Anomalous Orb's Domain.

It is here where things are at their worst. It is here where the cataclysmic Wel came from. It is here where the problem of Krosse can be -- must be -- solved. Before they do anything more brazen with that Orb. Before things can get any worse.

It is possible, now, to resist the spiritual pressure of the Domain. To brave the castle. Getting there, though...

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Foreigner that she is, few problems on Filgaia fall solidly into Talise's bailiwick. Malevolence is one of those problems.

Not that her last run-in with the plague of Krosse was all that successful. Only Sorey prevented there from being a Hellion Talise arc sometime in Act 3.

"I didn't think it would be this thick," mutters Benedict Greygust as he tightens his grip on his loaded crossbow. Behind his massive, squared-off black beard, the farseeing courier's face is more pale than it normally is, his rough sun-baked tan appearing washed out with the tension of this place.

Talise hasn't gone pale. Resting an armoured shoulder against the wall beside her, she scans the street beyond her vantage point, a deep frown creasing her face. "The Trial Knight's had a long time to work on this place. Besides, there'd have to be a lot of Malevolence for that Wellion to have formed."

The courier lets out a low, tense rumble in the back of his throat. "Right. Then we'd better put a stop to it."

In spite of the situation, Talise can't help but crack a pinched little smile and glance back over her shoulder. "Is that what our mysterious benefactor would want, d'you think?"

Benedict blinks twice, thrown by the question. But it jars him out of some of the grimness of the place. He smiles lopsidedly. "This is on the high end of your pay grade."

"The Company Fund thanks you," Talise sasses with a wink before taking another look past the wall. Mirth quickly cedes the ground to focus and professionalism as she checks for signs of the royal guard.

"Coast's clear," she says, before moving out of the alley and into the open. Benedict's right behind her, crossbow at the ready.

The two got in by riding in on barrels loaded onto a wagon. The barrels were supposed to contain wine. Some Malevolence-addled drunk is real disappointed right now.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

        I'm headed to Krosse to settle this.

        It was bad enough that Riesenlied was trapped in the fight against the giant Wels-Reaper, so embroiled in Malevolence but worse, possessing the mark of Symbology upon it that empowered -- and pained it further.

        Bad enough that she was unable to do anything but to give it a quick death, along with the others' efforts. She still remembers hearing its lament--

        it's... cold...

        And now worse enough that Josephine's gone off ahead of the others to go finish this -- and she well remembers her anger as she burst when she heard her father was involved in this.

        She couldn't leave things well alone.

        Riesenlied shudders as she holds her hand to her chest, as they collectively make their way to the gates of Krosse. The Fereshte is inbound as she expects it to need to make a presence to evacuate citizens and other bystanders caught in the crossfire--

        But they needed to make sure it was safe, first.

        She's amped up at present on a cavalcade of Jacqueline's brews that's allowed her, along with the training to just stand in the last several months, to function... sort of. She's hobbling a little as she paces up to whisper:

        "K.K. ... is this what you meant, when you spoke to me last?"

        She lowers her head, as she clutches the Tear further.

        It emanates with a low anxious light.

        "... I am not yet resolved ... yet this cannot be left alone ..."

        She glances to Noeline, since she's likely to have come beside her to support her all the way up here. She bites her lip. "Let's work quickly. I do not know what else may be here, and I know there are people who will still be trapped inside..."

        She reaches her hand out to her partner.

        "I hope you're safe, Josie..."

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

Is it particularly safe to let someone with a hell of a grudge march their way into the Malevolent miasma surrounding Krosse? Like, that seems like a recipe for pretty rapid hellionization, doesn't it?

Tell that to a Cyre who doesn't know that the King of Krosse is personally responsible for almost drowning his entire village in a tide of choking despair.

Now that there's finally an opportunity to break through the blockade and give King Krosse a piece of his mind--

Well, you couldn't keep Cyre away from the place.

But how'd he get in, exactly?

Easy!!

CYRE CAN FLY.

It's a lot easier to get past plot barriers when you can metaphorically wallclip through the geometry (by virtue of being hundreds of feet above it).

Of course, that only got him so far as the outskirts of the city. As far as how he actually got in--

A wagon nearby to Talise makes a quiet 'clack' noise. Someone rolls out from underneath a great big pile of cloth, covered in another great big pile of cloth. "Ugh, for once I'm glad Waffles sheds," he grouses, covered in... downy dire-wolf fur. Was Cyre hiding in a fur shipment??

Yes. Yes he was.

He glances around, then hops down next to Talise. "Hey, fancy seeing you here. Need some support?"

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        The next item on the frequently evolving (and, dare say, lengthening) list of Things That Need Addressing - Krosse. Ethius has had his hands full, here and there, trying to deal with the aftermath of Mother's fall, what with all the very interesting lingering questions, events, and other day-to-day realities he knows he doesn't like. Some matters are beyond his present reach, if not his notice. Word comes of a a terrible sorcerous construct having come from Krosse some time ago - a reminder that maybe Krosse should be bumped up a lot higher on the to-resolve list.
        He has no doubts about what must be done. He slips into the borders easily enough through an understaffed security checkpoint, much like a similar way Talise has - hitching a ride in a wagon. He narrows his eyes ever-so-slightly as he journeys deeper into the miasma-soaked nation. He knows full well there is a capability among some in which to deal with the miasma itself - that there is a means available at all to the people of this world brings him confidence and, in some way, comfort. (That a man who carries themselves the way he does has access to the word 'comfort' and understands its meaning without looking it up in the dictionary, though, that's a feat...)
        Ethius may be part of some esoteric organized plan with other Drifters. Whatever his part of it is, he seems to be in position as he comes to rest behind a stack of crates. To some vague distance, to some as-of-yet-unwritten landmark about the streets, he raises up his left hand with a series of hand signals to describe the number of guards on patrol, which direction, and estimated length of time in which the coast may be clear - all with a trained precision for what seems to be an impromptu outfit of Concerned Individuals(tm).
        In his other hand, a gaudy, kind of evil-looking staff weapon with eight insets, one of which is filled with something or another. His eyes stare ahead, devoid of passion or heightened emotion as always. The eyes that keep taking what it sees, and giving nothing back.
        Soon, he surmises, it will be again time to move.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily Keil remembers those Symbols, and she remembers how Josephine Lovelace reacted when she saw them. ...More to the point, she remembers that giant Reaper, Hellionized and all. This is not something she will allow to continue. So, not only Riesenlied is here. And Lily...

Lily walks quietly, and quickly. Her posture, her gait, all are much like walking into enemy territory, because that's exactly what she's doing. Dressed in dark reds, the sorceress carries a strange staff and does her best to shrug off the Malevolence here in the city, and she can; they have power enough for that now, though Lily has tested her magic to be sure, conjuring handheld examples of power. But just this instant, she moves from cover, a building wall--and then forward.

"Come on," she says to the others with her, looking to Elly iin particular--then to Riesenlied again. "You may have a chance to ask. ...But don't count out Josie."

Lily steps forward again, taking point. Lily walks, but--

Dog isn't here. ...Lily's not about to bring Dog into a miasma of horrific Malevolence. She'll have to stand herself, instead.

DC: Lily Keil switches forms to The Red Witch!

<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

Being a Drifter means being part of a community - one sometimes at odds with each other, but one still tight-knit at the core. When something starts to happen, word filters through. In time? What is known to one is known to all.
 
At their core, Drifters are people of story and legend - and those exist to be told. And for some? Lived.
 
Thus comes Ashton Anchors to the scene - and with the same twists and turns of fortune one would expect from the man. Someone looking for him wouldn't spy the young sellsword among those coming to the gate or even readying to attack the castle. He's not there.
 
SEVERAL HOURS AGO
 
Ashton takes a deep breath after handing over a pile of coin to the merchant. "Thank you, sir. You shan't regret this - not merely for your purse but also your soul." The man looks at him oddly but doesn't argue. The money's more than enough to pay for animals, cart and barrels of wine.
 
NOW
 
The barrel-merchant keeps the hood low over his face as he rides into Krosse. Trying hard to keep his disguise, he completely fails to notice two of his wine barrels disgorging Talise and Benedict.
 
Cyre's words do attract his attention, however. The barrel-merchant turns his head and green eyes widen as he notices those near him. "....What?" Wow, he's better at this sneaking thing than he thought!

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

In another time, Layna Manydays would have come in guns blazing, using her Gear to make an opening for herself to invade. She had been furious - Krosse's army had attacked her crew's settlement, burning it to the ground and abducting several of her crew members including Dahlia, the crew's Quartermaster.

This was an offense she could not stand for.

Time and cooler heads, however, have convinced her to take a more cautious approach. Even if she somehow managed to raze it to the ground, it did no good if she didn't make it out alive. If they were creating things like that monstrous Hellionized Reaper, then she would need to be careful. She couldn't underestimate them.

Even so, now was the time to take action. Several other groups had decided this. It was time to strike while the iron was hot, as the saying goes. And so, a shape in a black cloak hops across the rooftops. She seems to be looking for something. Something specific.

She reaches the top of one building and stands up to her full height. A wide, malicious(but not Malicious, a very important distinction to make) grin crosses her face.

"Aye...aye. Now's the time." She says. And then, she vanishes...

...Only to reappear behind Talise, Benedict, Cyre, and a certain barrel merchant, leaning against a wall with her hood down and her arms folded in front of her.

"Looks like we've got others on the move, too. Now's the time to do it, if we're ever gonna, aye?" Layna says, offering a wave of greeting before cracking her knuckles. "I'm eager to some skulls, m'self, but I won't move 'til you're ready."

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

        "You'd better not count me out."

        Cigarette in hand, the archaeologist in question steps out from the alleyway that until now had obscured her from sight.

        Josie had entered alone.

        The fact that she has mostly traveled on foot means that for the rest of her merry little band -- along with the note she left behind -- catching up wassn't hard.

        But being on foot, as a citzen of Marze, and an unrepentant wanderer has given her quite the advantage when it comes to crossing borders, even if they had been closed to her.

        ...And apparently, given the side of the object leaning against the wall in said alleyway, with that cannon in tow.

        "So," she asks, as if inquiring after the weather, "What took you all so long?"
        She takes a drag from her cigarette.

        "Let's go find my old man."

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

 
Elly van Houten has familiarity with Malevolence. She wishes she didn't - because having purple fog from another planet appear on YOUR planet is always a problem, as well as the unique and horrible circumstances in which she encountered it for the first time. It was a place and a time where even the Gebler forces' reaction was along the lines of 'oh, how horrible.'

Fortunately, they helped* all those people, and Elly doesn't worry about them too much.

She travels with Lily. Where Lily is wearing red, Elly has on blue. She has, sadly enough for Fei's wallet, another dress of new vintage on, although this is a denim-woven farmer's dress, with a cheap gray cloak over it, the hood up. She nods to Lily, once.

Elly looks to Riesenlied, and with only a slight effort, gives her an encouraging smile. Then back ahead.

"I had to pick up a jewelry order," Elly tells Josie. "Things got a little out of hand."

She appears to absolutely mean it. But then Josie proposes finding her old man, and this gets another, graver nod from Elly.

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Last time Fei was in Krosse he got chased out by guards and arrows and more malevolence than you can shake a stick at. Since then, Fei has found Uzda Il Jam, traversed its trials, defeated its challenge, fought a good boy turned bad boy, and then went on to challenge Linaweyul and--barely, but successfully--pushed through those challenges as well.

And now he has a pair of gauntlets--really more like armored gloves--that shimmer with a faint taint of malevolence that is sealed away within. For the moment. If he brings them to a place like this, he has to wonder what might happen.

Best to find out now rather than later, he reasons as he slides them on. Resisting the malevolence is easy, but...

'It still makes me feel uneasy.'

Of course it does. You may be more resiliant, but you are more awake. The more awake you are, the louder the malevolence is. Its whispers become screams as a city's, a world's contradictions spear into your eardrumds

Fei exhales faintly. He isn't looking forward to that.

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sQ8R54C53o

"But." Fei says to himself. "We gotta free this city from itself."

And restore the pact.

Fei arrives, wearing the new gear along his arms. It's nerve-wracking to think how comfortable they are. He might forget to be wary of them if he's not careful.

He comes up behind Lily and the others, looking to Riesenlied. "Riesenlied. I can't promise it'll be fine. But you won't have to face any of this alone." He rests a hand on her shoulder. "Draw as much strength from us as you need." He smiles faintly. "And don't worry about Josie. She's the Wolf with the sharpest eyes. She'll probably end up bailing us out."

He looks across the city before them. He sees many Hellions even from this distance. It's almost unreal how worse and worse Krosse has gotten while they were sent to Lunar and, later, the Photosphere. They have to end it now or perhaps it will never end.

He closes his eyes in thought.

MONTHS AGO

"But I have to say," Josephine says. "I was a little surprised. Never took you for an ammateur archaeologist, Junior."

Fei was looking out over the devastation the demon of elru had wrought and he finds himself looking back at Josie. "Well. I guess circumstances have turned me into one. Definitely not an expert unless breaking half of what you find is what passes for archaeology these days."

"Honestly, you'd be surprised. I could tell you a story of a jackass who went to excavate a fabled city site and ended up wrecking all the city ruins that had been built atop that one. Then again, I'm hardly one to judge these days. Necessity makes fools of us all, eh?"

NOW

Fei hears Josephine's voice and he opens his eyes. "You know me," He smiles. "I drag my feet. But I'll keep up. Don't worry about that."

He nods, once to Elly. He spares her outfit compliments considering the situation doesn't really call for it.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

        Noeline had known all too well that Riesenlied wouldn't stay away from Krosse for long. She hadn't been there to face the Wels-Reaper - only to pick up the pieces in the aftermath, and recover Riesenlied - but she's been able to pick up and discern enough in the way of details to understand how much it meant to her partner, and how much it affected her.

        This time, not only is she at her partner's side, but she's positively geared for war. Noeline seems practically incapable of giving up all of her flamboyance, but the black and silver armor she's found for herself still manages to look solid and functional despite the occasional bit of knightly Crimson Noble flair. She doesn't carry any weapons... but then, she doesn't need to, able as she is to shape them from herself at a moment's notice.

        Her gaze is held steady on the city in front of her; she's silent for a moment as she tracks left and right, studying the scene with eyes that aren't just focused on the physical. Not that that really helps her in any way; such is her connection to the Medium buried within her that she can't easily separate her own perception and that granted to her, the latter of which is mostly just telling her...

        ... that it's a mess in there.

        She finds Riesenlied's hand with hers, drawing in an uncertain breath as she laces their fingers together. Her own feelings on the Trial Knight are fairly simple, for all that they might be contradictory as well: Noeline owes the Trial Knight a favour for what they've done for Riesenlied, but she cannot let destruction of this magnitude stand.

        "I sincerely hope the Fereshte will be needed," she admits after a moment of silence. "There is so much Malevolence here - I'm worried that even the regular townsfolk will find themselves too mired in jealousy and fear to listen to us. ... I suppose all we can do is try."

        She pauses a moment longer - then starts to step forwards, automatically helping Riesenlied along with her. "I'm at your side," she promises, concentrating on the ring at her finger for a moment, hoping that the slight light that emanates from it might stave off Riesenlied's fears as she reaches for her headset. "Wayside, we're going to try to establish a perimeter."

        At least it isn't the two of them against the world this time. She offers a solemn and respectful nod of recognition towards Lily's order", then a more relieved one towards Elly and Fei as they offer Riesenlied their support. Finally, she sniggers openly, despite her wariness. "What, you really thought I was looking forwards to helping you lug that thing around? There's got to be better ways to carry a entire cannon around that don't involve asking the closest Hyadean or Veruni." It's not the greatest of jokes... but it helps her cut through the tension in her own way as they head further into the city.

<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Xantia is here too. A few days ago she went out to find Lily, and joined her in camping out in the area for investigative purposes. She helped to scout ahead a little bit, but drawing conclusions from what she reported seeing, that was pretty much left to Lily. Xantia's main reason for being here is pretty obvious: she wants to solve this whole mess in the only way she knows how. For her, the time to fight can never come soon enough.

That much, she could look forward to. She's been looking less forward to the potential awkwardness involved with meeting up with certain people again. There was the little matter of that... Incident in Dazil that happened a few weeks ago. She didn't yet get around to apologizing to everyone who got caught up in it when, out of nowhere, she kiiiiind of blew up part of the market and tried to kill everybody. She obviously wasn't herself at the time, but... yeah, awkward is a word for it.

Fei and Lily can vouch for Xantia being back to her old self again, but she's still on the quiet side, especially for her. Considering where they are, exposed to all this Malevolence, it would be enough reason to be uncomfortable, but that has comparatively little to do with her current discomfort. It's just more motivation to get to the fighting already, in the end. That's simple, no need to think about anything, just do what comes natural. And... hopefully prove that she's still just as ready and willing to help people as she was before, to anyone who may be worried about that. When she finally says something, it's in a softer voice than usual.

"...You can count on me. Just tell me what to do and I'll take care of it, if I can."

Her only other direct interaction is the moment she pauses to regard Fei's new gauntlet, smiling faintly in appreciation. But still being pretty quiet and succinct about her verbal commentary. "Nice gloves."

<Pose Tracker> Chime Isa has posed.

        Going where they aren't wanted is one of the best traits and skills a Drifter can acquire. Most Drifters don't acquire it, because it's always obvious one of the most dangerous skills a Drifter can succumb to. But when did danger ever stop a true Drifter.

        On foot wearing a simple dark green cowl and cloak, Chime Isa made her own way to Krosse. Hardly the only, and probably not the last nor the first. So when the short and cheerful ARMs Meister comes down a street spotting the crowd, she cheerfully greets them saying "Hello~" before becoming instantly distracted.

        "Ooo~ Cannon~" the elf says drifting through the crowd, into the alley to give Josie's cannon a much closer inspection. "Is it loaded? With what? Mobile?" the questions cheerfully asked despite the malevolent air even if it sounds less naturally done than normal for her. "Also, I imagine word will spread of a congregation this big soon."

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

        Quite a lot has changed since Gwen was last here. Last time, there was...

        There was an alleyway. A man, with impossible blue eyes, who danced with her beneath a sky of buildings.
        The blank emptiness of what was left, when his sword stabbed her through, slicing, stabbing straight through her heart.
        How the stone felt so cold against her body, like there was no warmth left in the world that could ever bring her back.
        A blank spot, like an inked over section of frames in a reel of images.
        A blurry figure, approaching, coming closer, faint wisps of memory bringing the notion of safety.

        And then, the long, long journey back to a semblance of health. At least, it felt like that.
        
        So Gwen naturally has been avoiding the entire notion that Krosse even exists, letting it drift away like it was just some botched delivery job.

        Ragnell was finally the one who filled in Gwen on the vague details that she had missed, whether due to being barely conscious of it or just ignoring that there could possibly be some unfinished business.

        Sure, Gwen could do some scouting. What's the harm in that?

        Which leads the fearless(?) courier to now, scouting out a possible entrance (and subsequent exit, perhaps) where she realizes that, uh, there's some familiar faces coming in, whether through bribery or other trickery. Scouting isn't going to be worth a damn if people are already going through!

        And now Gwen is choosing this time to reveal herself to the assembling party, minus Gulliver (for the same reasons as Lily). She tips the brim of her hat upwards. "Saw you guys walking in and I was just thinkin' 'hey they could use *more* help' so, uh, mind if I crash the party?"

<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.

Where there is smoke, there is fire.

This saying of sorts can be taken any number of ways. It could be used to warm people. A foreboding omen. A valuable life lesson.

In this case, it would be in reference to all of these, as well as the signs of something interesting happening in the lands of interest to a certain Veruni. Considering his actions as of late, there are multiple reasons to head to Krosse as the call to arms rumor passes through his ears.

A) A chance to learn more of the greater powers at work that he understands little of

B) A fince chance to test the MALEVO-LENS 1.22A (patent and function pending)

C) CAROL COULD BE IN THERE THATS WHY SHES MISSING AHHHHHHH

---

Surprisingly, an airship ride would be the quickest way in. And fancy that, having recently visited a pair of ladies in possession of one, offered help where he could in this endeavor. Especially as rumors grew in intensity at New Petra. Each one making him worry more.

The man stands aboard the Fereshte, adjusting a monocle with a tiny set of tools-- ones people wouldn't think he could handle with... well, look at those hands! "this time," he says, applying it to his face. "The real test begins! Gahaha!" He seems rather pleased with himself, though inside, the man is girding himself for combat. This was going to be another long day for certain.

He hasndwraps were kept close, and as a master of Veruni combat, he needed little more to be a one-man army. What would this day bring...?

---

Somehow, Elvis has arrived unnoticed by various guards and watchmen, all of which seem darkened, twisted. The man walks up toward a forming crowd. Some faces he recognizes. The man taps on his monocled device. "Grrh... More calibrations needed, perhaps. ANYWAY."

The man looks toward Noeline, having seen her recently. "Did someone say cannon and Veruni?" a pause. "This place has changed much since the records have been updated. The stink of that strange power is all over the place, even if I cannot percieve it fully yet."

At the center of the crowd, is... "Young lady," the man says with a bob of the head toward Josephine. "Looks like you won't need to point thos ARMs at me today, eh? I'm here to help where I can."

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Leon Albus, all told, is here because Josephine Lovelace is.

The Captain of the Black Wolves stands by his fellow Wolves. Part of that means he has to protect them; part of that means he has to be there, when their troubles come to the forefront. He is ill-equipped to contend with the likes of Malevolence. He cannot perceive it -- nor, for that matter, can he see Seraphim -- but he can see the effects.

The city that is that without life, the city that is damaged by the influence of that terrible Wel. He walks a little after Riesenlied -- and his eyes glance, meaningfully, to Lily. He nods.

"Josie'll be fine," he says. "And if she's--" He stops, and he glances sideways, back to Josephine. He tilts his head, to the side. Then, a small smile crosses his face. "...As you say, Josie. Let's get to it."

He glances at Fei and Elly, too. Then, to Xantia. There's a moment's hesitation... but Leon nods to her.

<Pose Tracker> Hellion Amalgam has posed.

        The town is eerie, to say the least. Everything seems warped by Malevolence, to a degree--shadows look longer, and all of them look as though something is hiding in them. As you draw closer to the castle, the Malevolence thickens into something resembling fog. The Domain doesn't seem to be a problem, though; maybe things will be easier, now?

        "HALT!"

        Or not.

        Without warning, a squad of Royal Guards emerges from the fog, in a parody of an orderly formation. All are Hellions--most are lupine or reptilian, but a handful stand out as more specific examples of contradiction. In the lead is young man in full armor and a lieutenant's tabard--

        --In the lead is a Hellion that looks like nothing so much as a volcano in human shape, a figure roughly-hewn out of igneous rock. Malevolent lava pours from his eyes and mouth, hardening to black glass as it hits the ground. He radiates blistering heat, and acrid, fearful Malevolence.

        "HANDS IN THE AIR! NO SUDDEN MOVES!" the Hellionized guardsman screams. His voice is like an avalanche. He draws a blade of volcanic glass, and it glows with blazing heat.

<Pose Tracker> Hellion Amalgam has posed.

        Something moves in the fog. The captain's head jerks back, and he opens his mouth to issue a command. All that comes out is--

        "hghk"

        It happens so quickly, and it still plays out at an excruciating crawl. A single, razor-sharp point, honed to a flawless edge, punches through the guardsman's chest, cutting through reinforced armor and Hellionized, rocky flesh like butter. His whole body jerks forwards from the impact, thrashing around the weapon impaling him like a fish on a spear. Malevolence-laced blood slicks the ground, and pours from his mouth. More of the spear-thing appears from the fog: a long, sleek limb, all smooth lines and armor plate. A brilliant red eye ignites, shining through the fog.

        The thing glides forwards, into view. It moves on an armored, six-legged chassis, each of its lower limbs tipped with a rotary tread. From the waist up, it looks vaguely humanoid--its right arm terminates in an immense cannon assembly, while several sub-arms bear blades and strange, glowing bits of circuitry.

        "Contamination," the thing remarks, as its head swivels to inspect the dying Guardsman. Its voice is dispassionate, electronic. "Contaminant unknown. Containing anomaly."

        The thing lowers its arm, and drops the Guardsman's body. Malevolence billows off it like steam, leaving only an all-too-human corpse. One of the other Guards shouts a warning, but it's already too late. The armor around the thing's optics slides apart, exposing a bank of glassy lenses. Machinery hums. The thing's eyes ignite with blazing energy, and its torso twists a full three-sixty degrees, bathing the area around it in searing light.

        The motion stops. Screams and howls echo through the fog as the Hellions fall back, many dead or wounded. The thing rises to its full, immense height, still splattered with blood.

                            Ancient Containment ARM Gryndille

DC: Gryndille switches forms to Ancient Containment ARM Gryndille!

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

        Other Drifters have gathered; Riesenlied quietly nods to Talise and Cyre, as they roll about on her wagon with someone she remembers from his time in New Petra with the Outreach's own quartermasters. She even looks agog as she spots Ashton, and Layna along with them... and Ethius in the distance.

        The Hyadean tiredly looks to Lily, as she also comes by her flank and urges her along. "Maybe. I can't... I can't dither here. I need to be resolved."

        Josephine soon calls out, and she blinks her eyes as she expresses with relief, "Josie!" she bites her lip as she murmurs, "I am sorry we could not be here sooner--" she looks to Elly with a nod, quietly sighing at her account. "That it did..."

        Elly's smile, and Fei's encouragement in turn is giving her strength. Even if Fei's weapon is giving her pause, because why does he have a pair of gloves that she can sense Malevolence off of...? "That is not dangerous, is it, Fei...?" She catches Xantia sharing the same look. She heard what'd happened, but was not personally there for it--

        But she does spare a moment for the young martial artist. "I'm here to help if you need it, Xantia. I believe in you."

        Seeing Noeline clad in new armour -- perhaps an outfit they've both collaborated on -- gives her new inspiration as well as she smiles wider as she says, "This isn't the first time we've had to rescue citizenry from such a situation with Malevolence -- recall Wehaca, and our other struggles in Lunar..."

        She looks to the airship in the distance, as Elvis joins them and prompts a soft smile from her as the Sentinel joins them. "I know they can do it."

        "And... thank you, Fei, Elly. I know it won't be easy -- but I know I won't be alone."

        She nods further at Leon's encouragement. He's with them too. Her lips purse. Then, as she holds her hand aloft--

        The Heritor's heirloom weapon, an old crystal sword the swordsmith Prissa christened 'Mistilteinn' for her, flashes into her hand in a soft shower of <3 hearts <3 and * stars * and ~sparkles~.

        ... well, it's very ... Riesenlied.

        "I... know this is what father would've wanted. Together, we can all do this."

        Her expression is one of more reserve when the Royal Guard arrives; she tenses gently when they arrive, the Malevolence swarming from around all of them. Lupine, reptilian... and at the centre, a creature of igneous rock that prompts her eyes to widen. "We're--"

        But the look turns one of shock as her eyes widen further. The Captain is impaled, and there's an alarmed gasp as she expresses, "No!" as she turns towards the razor point that's pierced through the Hellionised guard...

        ... and her face further drops as she sees the familiar six-legged armored humanoid from the Summer Palace.

        From Leon and Lily's past.

        "Why... why is it--" she whispers. Instinct takes over as she hurries to the fallen Guard's side and checks on them, but she's too late.

        "Is-- is Gryndille seeking to contain the Malevolence?"

        She looks to Noeline, as the first of the sparks emanate from within her and overflow to her partner as she starts to focus, and the rest of the Black Wolves. They have a job to do here...

<Pose Tracker> Dispellado has posed.

It's there, in the distance.

Can you hear it?

Can you see it?

Can you feel it?

Like the taste of metal at the back of someone's mouth. The pungent aroma of gunpowder invading the nostrils. The feel of electricity worming its way through your nerves like a jolt to the nervous system. That moment where you decide to run, or fight. Run, or fight. Run --

Contaminant unknown. Containing anomaly.

-- or fight.

It's there. It's coming. It can be seen, a giant, shadowy silhouette of limbs and weapons and glowing red eyes amidst the foggy haze that billows around the Ancient Containment ARM known as Gryndille, in hot pursuit like a maddened predator in pursuit of something that will never be its prey. It can be felt in the shuddering swell of Malevolence that suddenly pervades the area even as the Hellionized Guardsmen die, as if something was feeding off of their deaths, off of the very Malevolent energy that releases from their torn and battered and burnt bodies. Getting closer, and closer, and closer --

"You do not BELONG here!"

Until something -massive- lunges out of the darkness to collide with the Gryndille's bulky armor at full speak. Bleak, black, with thrumming lines of yellow light pulsing throughout its onyx body like veins of fearful lifeblood, the thing is strapped with the tattered remnants of a Captain of the Royal Guard's armor -- and an assemblage of weaponry possessed in each limb that would put anyone's arsenal to shame. Its eyes burn with radiant yellow light as it collides with -explosive- fury, churning buildings and pavement in its wake. Its entire body seems almost amorphous, vaguely non-euclidean -- inconsistent, as if multiple things were vying to express themselves within a single body.

And the Malevolence. So much. Too much, just for one individual to possess on its own. Almost as if...

Wisps of contradiction rise from the fallen bodies of the fallen soldiers. They wind and twist towards that massive Hellion. Being absorbed. Being consumed. Cannibalized.

The beast grows noticeably bigger.

                        Captain of the Royal Guard
                                 Venomized

The castle lies beyond -- but if these two monstrosities are left to their own devices, who knows what -- or who -- might be caught in the crossfire of all this madness?

DC: Dispellado switches forms to Venomized Captain!
DC: Leon Albus switches forms to The Black Wolf!

<Pose Tracker> Chime Isa has posed.

        From beside the cannon which is the subject of endless curiousity as if thinking of ways to make it better, Chime calls out in a singsong voice "Told you so~". No giggle through. Through when the guards are ambushed by something much bigger and worse, it's followed by "Un. Didn't see that coming." with a sagely nod. Followed by the clacking of armed and drawn hand crossbows.

        "That's big." she says looking over the massive form of Gryndille, "And interesting." with a little nod. The elf then winces and steps back as yet another massive thing bursts into the seen. "That's also new..." tilting her head her voice neutral for once as she watches. "Well. This got messy quick."

        Chime pushes her cowl back so it's out of her face as she looks over the monsterous new form of the Captain of the Royal Guard and the clearly ARM like Gryndille. The elf doesn't move to attack just yet, as she watches surveying the situtation to see where she can best help out and support what looks to become a very chaotic brawl.

GS: Chime Isa has attacked Chime Isa with Survey!
GS: Chime Isa has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Chime Isa has completed her action.
GS: Chime Isa takes a solid hit from Chime Isa's Survey for 0 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Leon recognizes Gryndille in an instant.

He recognizes Gryndille a moment before the guardsman that thought to oppose them dies, bloodily, with a wicked point stabbed clean through his chest. The Black Wolves' captain takes one step backward with well-remembered fear, with the faces of the dead that have not left him. He may have found a modicrum of peace -- he may have been able to move on, to focus on other things, but he never forgot.

The fear is the first thing he feels, when he sees that menacing, crimson-armored monstrosity. Fiery hot light boils through guardsmen, though, and Leon dives into action. He dives forward, dropping down in time to roll under it, and turns his head back over his shoulder.

"LILY!" he screams.

He doesn't know why. He doesn't know what they're going to do. They have no grand plan; in a way, this is what happened before. This monstrosity came and killed all of them, taking them unaware. Now, though, it speaks. And it carries new arms.

"Contain appears to be synonymous with extinguish!" Leon calls to Riesenlied. His hand reaches to his side; he tears Argent Divider away from its holster and snaps the weapon with his hand -- and the barrels unfurl, its blade telescoping outward. His head snaps, to look back at the thing coming from the darkness.

The thing that smashes into Gryndille. He gasps, once, and then lowers his head. His eyes narrow as he looks at Gryndille. "...We have to stop them. Before it destroys the city. Before both of them do. Come on, Wolves."

His blade swings back in both hands. "Let's put an end to this, once and for all."

Leon surges forward, leaping off a chunk of broken stone in the city street, and then comes crashing down -- his blade slashing out in a single, clean arc aimed at tearing into the thing's newly built arm.

<DICE ROLLER> Fei Fong Wong rolled 1d100 <68> + 0 = 68

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

"Stealth in a group takes time," Lily answers Josie when they spot her, glancing over the cannon and then Josie again in turn. "...But let's do it."

It's true; a group this large will inevitably run into trouble... but trouble is what they're looking for. Lily turns to Elvis as he mentions the ARMs, though. "That's true. I can't complain if you're on our side this time, but as for the strange fields here--"

Leon doesn't see them either, after all. "Follow our lead; it'll be like spotting for you, if it's necessary. Assume everything around you is more dangerous than it looks."

Lily doesn't seem to hold Volsung against Elvis. So, there's that. She just turns her head forward, and begins to walk again, as she'd directed the others. Again, she tests the Domain, violet crackling about her hand as a tiny knife of darkness appears and then disappears--until the Guards emerge suddenly from the fog, and Lily pauses in place--and narrows her eyes.

To Leon, "Hellions," she identifies under her breath, and lets it double for Elvis, too. "Fire powers," she says, apparently ignoring the instructions of the guards. Until...

Lily could swear she feels it before she sees it; the point through the chest, just like she's seen before. A red eye, smooth lines, armor plating...

But it isn't the same. "What--"

Lily's golden eyes track over familiar lines to see new armoring, a replaced cannon arm, changes to the great ARM bfore them. Its lenses focus, and it is...

"Gryndille!" Lily calls, "Everyone, move--!"

Already she can imagine it; already she can see in her mind's eye, the assembled combatants--not even just the wolves--cut down by great claws and thundering cannon fire. But she shakes it off quickly when--

The other crashes into it. "What on--" It becomes obvious, quickly; a monster trying to fight Gryndille, feeding on the deaths it causes... It could get worse. It could get much worse, quickly, and Lily is forced to make a decision; which problem is the greater threat? Which is the more urgent? ...Could they just leave this conflict to take care of the problem?

...And doom Krosse in the process.

None of that matters because Leon calls for her, and in an instant Lily is standing beside the Captain of the Black Wolves. "I'm with you," she tells him, when he pulls his sword. She breathes in.

"...This ends!"

Lily surges forward alongside Leon, on the ground instead of leaping like him, and along the way she conjures a great sword of black power, a hole in the world itself, and hacks in time with Leon, synchronized.

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

The last thing Talise was expecting was a kitty.

"Oh, hey, it's you," the swordswoman says with a surprised blink and a smile. It fades to a smile and a quick wink. "From you? Definitely. Come along." Riesenlied's there too - Talise sends a quick wave her way, brightening slightly at the signs that the woman seems well enough to be here.

When Layna appears, Talise grins and turns back to look towards her. "Well, good! Some skulls need cracking. So we'd better get moving--"

        'HALT!'

"Maybe not," Talise sighs, her shoulders slouching a little beneath her armour. She turns towards the sound of thudding feet.

The guards are every bit as twisted as those who put the torch to the Fox Company's pirate base in Krosse a year before - not one of them human anymore. Not for the first time, it occurs to her that they know not what they do, and that they could be saved.

Until a giant robot shows up and starts butchering them. Talise's mouth opens slightly and stays there.

"Damn." Talise blinks, once. "Kind of brutal there."

Something else, though, quickly occurs to her - the pulse and flow of darkness in the air. Her eyes go wide as she realizes what's happening. Each death is empowering the haze of darkness. "Damn it, that's bad," she growls as she whirls away from the encroaching guard captain and bears towards Gryndille --

"Talise, this is suicide!" Benedict shouts from behind her even as he raises his crossbow.

The swordswoman doesn't look back, merely whirling Rastaban into a ready stance and dropping into the standard attack posture that the self-derived School of the Thousand Stormless Tides tends to call for. "So is letting that thing feed that Guard Captain every Hellion in town. It's gotta come down. See if you can peep inside it and find a weak point or something!"

With a swift bound, Talise lunges forward, kicking aside a barrel in her way. Quick eyes dart over the huge legendary ARM to take stock of what Gryndille's bringing to bear on them all. The claws look bad enough. Guns will only make things worse.

Leon leaps in. Talise sweeps in to the opposite side. Rastaban snaks out once, twice, as she attempts to flank Gryndille and carve into one of its other legs, aiming to bring her weapon up into what looks to her like exposed machinery behind its calf plates.

"Hey LEON!" she shouts over the noise. "Is this thing piloted?!"

oh talise why did you not read the lore on this one

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        Ethius finds one unwelcome surprise with the call to 'HALT,' in that it turns out his position is nowhere near as secure as an earlier examination reveals. The disarray and disorderly way the Royal Guards come... they embrace the contradictions and the dicordance in such a way that a man with a logical and pragmatic approach to it all can't fully measure. In a sense, Ethius has set himself up for an ambush.
        He switches his weapon into his dominant hand, his left, and stands defiant. He has no qualms with--
        ...His head turns. He knows he hears something that... doesn't sound like anything Krosse has ever been known to have--
        Ethius does not stand dumbstruck as the captain is run through. He can see the red eye a split-second before most would be able to comfortably identify the color through the fog - let alone acknowledge it as an additional 'extra' to the situation. Ethius dives into new cover by an abandoned produce stand, doing his level best to not be within the presumed range of sight of the mechanical eye. He knows how many legs it has just by hearing them perform their locomotion. His fingers flutter as he starts to repeat the first two syllables of a lower-yield heat-based spell, as if gauging and preparing the need to sling something of that sort at a moment's notice. He stops, in favor of attempting to communicate what he can glean of the danger.
        "Be for--" Ethius' attempts to call to the others are cut off by the baleful roars of the venomized Captain of the Royal Guard, and he has to move again to avoid a building collapsing on top of his head. This forces him into the open by necessity, because his way to a better, more secure position is blocked off by debris.
        Leon rallies his Wolves to action, and then there are some words that catch Ethius' attention as he finds himself crouching down low in an attempt to keep a low profile.
        'Let's put an end to this, once and for all.' Leon leaps forward into the mechanical monstrosity.
        It is joined by a sudden explosion of a dust cloud, and the 'paf' of an expended satchel hitting the ground, hurled straight for the red eye.
        "Mister Leon," comes Ethius' voice through the cloud of dust that obscures him. Somehow, the drab gray and brown of the swirling mass of dust particles seems to keep the purple at bay - a dramatic choice for art direction - as Ethius' silhouette steps much more calmly into action than is warranted. He's just a weird Symbologist with a mismatched vocabulary, according to his ruffian-like appearance. He does not look equipped in the least to stand against something like this. He must have witnessed what it did to the Hellions. He should not be this composed.
        The butt of the odd weapon taken from the yellow crystal labyrinth of fear slams against the ground, deafeningly, as if to rally. The man who has butt heads with some members of the Black Wolves from time to time for reasons unexplained and mysterious comes up their flank as he holds out his free hand anew in preparation for further casting.
        "You will have my cooperation."

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

"I don't know," Fei says to Riesenlied which is probably unnerving enough but then he makes it worse. "That's why I figured I'd bring it into the most dangerous place to take them to make sure they're safe." This is an excellent plan.

And then guards! Fei raises his hands up since it means he can hit things with them more easily if something comes at him. But then something unusual happens. To say that the sudden appearance of Gryndille is a surprise is an understatement. Gryndille's presence was perhaps the last thing he'd expect in Krosse of all places. Was it still under control of Lt. Keil? Could be. It looks upgraded. But rather than being used to murder Lily's friends, it seems to have reverted back to its original purpose.

Containing malevolence? But if it came from Lunar....did it, in fact, originate on Filgaia only for it to be banished away? Or is whomever controlling this thing a way better programmer than he would ever expect?

To make matters worse, the captain of the guard arrives not to front on the killer robot literally murdering his men, but on the drifters. Fei looks stunned, briefly, and then annoyed. "You're pissed at us right now?"

He closes his eyes for a moment.

...It's just doing its job.

It killed Lily's friends.

It was made to. Like they tried with Emeralda.

Fei steps back uncertainly, fear in his eyes.

What if there is an identity there like she has? It doesn't look human, and it isn't acting it right now, but even if it's not like her, it might be like Asgard.

Fei takes another step backward. "Please..." He murmurs to himself. "If this is just to hurt me..."

No. This is an actual concern.

Fei looks down, hesitating further. You can make Fei face his face his face his fears but he is still ultimately Fei. He doesn't like hurting people and he can't be entirely sure this isn't a person.

But Leon speaks up and Fei raises his head. He puts the situation down in simple terms: 'Contain means extinguish.' It reminds Fei of what will happen if it is allowed to continue.

'Let's put an end to this, once and for all.' It reminds Fei of what must be done.

Fei straightens up, standing firm now as he steps forward. "Gryndille." He says. "I don't know you, I don't know what you were made for and what you have lived your life before you were taken by Keil. However..."

He shifts into an offensive stance. "You did your best, but it's time for you to rest! It's our turn now!" He charges forward and strikes rapidly at the construct in a series of quick palm strikes. "Xantia! You know what to do!" Fei shouts to her. "Let's save the city!"

Time to see what the Demon Arms: Ouroboros Fangs can do.
GAME: Lily Keil has established signups for The Waste Land!

GS: Leon Albus has attacked Gryndille with Raze Slash!
GS: Leon Albus has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Leon Albus has completed his action.
GS: Talise Gianfair has attacked Gryndille with Gathering Tide Stance!
GS: Talise Gianfair has entered a Reflect stance!
GS: Talise Gianfair has completed her action.
GS: Lily Keil has attacked Gryndille with Blade Rush!
GS: Lily Keil has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Lily Keil has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

        Noeline pauses at the sight of Xantia looking significantly subdued; she's not entirely aware of what happened in Dazil, having been a little blinkered when it comes to taking care of New Petra as of late. But she's not heartless either, and it's enough for her to make a little note in the back of her mind to invite the girl back to New Petra once things die down a little. When it comes down to it, she's finding that a lot of problems are solved by offering a distraction.

        "Miss Josie is our specialist when it comes to cannons... and a dab hand at getting me to carry them from time to time, as well. Why we can't just mount the thing on the Fereshte for her and be done with it, I simply don't know," she grumbles towards Elvis, doing her best to keep her tone light.

        That lightness fades in the space of an instant as the Krosse guards come across them, and bark their order to halt. Immediately, Noeline hisses softly under her breath, sucking air through her teeth; her hand flexes at the air for a moment as if to call out her sword, but something draws her up short. Despite the collection of Hellions stood facing their group down, it doesn't yet feel like the right time to go on an all-out attack; she settles for pacing just a little in front of Riese, ready to shield her if necessary.

        That time comes an instant later, as Gryndille appears from out of nowhere to skewer the Malevolent guard.

        Immediately, Noeline swears under her breath, her eyes wide as that analytical part of her mind tries to pick out available courses of action. If they're lucky, she wonders to herself in the blink of an eye, the ancient machine might prove to be an asset, a distraction that might allow the Outreach to begin evacuating the townsfolk. On the other hand, she's certainly not about to discount the possibility that the golem might decide to be equal opportunity when it comes to picking targets - not to mention, Leon and Lily are rather unlikely to leave it alone. Which really all sums up to:

        "--I don't know!" Noeline calls back to Riesenlied, her teeth gritting as her instincts suddenly blare; she dives to one side just in time to avoid the earth-shaking impact of the Venomized Guard Captain, its form pulsing and growing in an ominous fashion. "But--"

        Somewhere to her side, Leon shouts his orders; as she expected, his sights are set firmly on Gryndille. Of course, that's only half the problem; if the golem is down, they still need to deal with the Captain, and who knows how many reinforcements - be they separate, or consumed by the creature in front of them.

        Noeline's hand goes up to her radio as she skids behind a fallen beam, tugging Riesenlied with her for the sake of cover as she glances around it. "Fereshte! Open warfare in the city! Stick to the perimeter - gather those that flee, and watch out for crossfire!" She looks to her partner for a moment, her expression determined and their link positively thrumming with her conviction as she continues: "--I will keep Riese safe."

GS: Fei Fong Wong has attacked Gryndille with Hoten!
GS: Fei Fong Wong has completed his action.
GS: Noeline has spent 1 Combo on Reload, including 0 on Gatling!
GS: Noeline has attacked Riesenlied with When I'm With You...!
GS: Noeline has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Noeline has completed her action.
GS: Riesenlied takes a solid hit from Noeline's When I'm With You... for 0 hit points!
GS: Reload! Riesenlied gains 15 extra FP from Noeline!
GS: Riesenlied has spent 1 Combo on Reload, including 0 on Gatling!
GS: Riesenlied has attacked Noeline with ... I am not Afraid ...!
GS: Riesenlied has entered a Reflect stance!
GS: Riesenlied has completed her action.
GS: Riesenlied heals Noeline! She gains 100 temporary hit points!
GS: Reload! Noeline gains 15 extra FP from Riesenlied!
GS: Gryndille critically Guards a hit from Leon Albus's Raze Slash for 15 hit points!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Leon Albus has lost 1 Combo!

<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

Ashton is surprised at so many others being here - he knew there were more Drifters moving to this place, but he wasn't expecting so many familiar faces so suddenly. It is not an unwelcome surprise.
 
Throwing the hooded cloak off (which was questionable to start with given the robe he has on under), the Double Dragon Duelist rises to his feet. He's maybe going to say something - but everything goes sideways. First Gryndille and then the Venomized Captain arrive. These are sufficient to knock Ashton for a mental loop.
 
The stunned reaction doesn't last long. Ashton's an experienced enough Drifter to act even when he's taken aback - it's an invaluable survival trait in their way of life. In a flash, the mercenary is off the cart and rushing towards the fray. He doesn't know what Gryndille is or how hostile it might be, but that... thing? That mass of Malevolence? He knows that monstrosity needs to be ended and quickly.
 
Twin blades are drawn with a ring of steel as Ashton closes with the Captain. Under the robe, green tattoos flare to life up and down his arms. "The lady is right! We must strike it down before it grows ever stronger!" A sweep of his blades - and Ashton hurls a whirling tornado of sorcerous energy at the Captain. "Someone! Try to seal the paths so no more may come to reinforce it!"

GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Gryndille with Powder Grenade!
GS: Ethius Hesiod has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action.
GS: Gryndille critically Guards a hit from Talise Gianfair's Gathering Tide Stance for 20 hit points!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Talise Gianfair has lost 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille takes a solid hit from Lily Keil's Blade Rush for 104 hit points!
GS: Gryndille critically Guards a hit from Fei Fong Wong's Hoten for 24 hit points!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Fei Fong Wong has lost 1 Combo!
GS: Ashton Anchors has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Hurricane Slash!
GS: Ashton Anchors has completed his action.
GAME: Lily Keil has established signups for The Waste Land!

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

Wow, is everyone sneaking in on the same wagon? Talk about putting all your cuccos in a coop. Cyre double-takes as Ethius clambers out after him and the driver ends up being the double dragon guy.

Suddenly Cyre feels a lot more safe on these mean streets, with the double dragon at his back.

That feeling doesn't last neeeaaaarly long enough.

"What the--" Cyre begins as a twelve-foot-tall colossus smashes through a nearby building and subsequently extinguishes a cluster of Hellionized guards. It looks like... it looks like people know what the heck this thing is and what it's doing here? "Gryndille? What the hell's a Gryndille?" It's... containing the Malevolence?

Or... trying to?

But 'contain' here seems to be synonymous with 'murder everyone who even has a little bit of it.' But... "How... how is it even seeing this? A machine that has the resonance needed to see Malevolence? That's..."

That's just bizarre.

Also bizarre, that awful monster that barrels right on through and sucker-punches the behemoth ARM. THAT is something Cyre knows all too well. Its habit of eating its friends, not so much, but the act of consuming the bodies of dangerous foes to inherit their power is... a really, REALLY old and out-of-date (mostly) Wehacan superstition.

So, you know. He gets it. Cyre understands.

Cyre also understands that there's no way in hell that all these people are Hellions just yet, and letting these monsters have their way just isn't something he can do. So while the others deal with the giant robot, Cyre does what a shaman has to do.

He goes to exorcise some demons.

The godwalker gestures toward the twisted guard-captain. It just ate a walking volcano, so maybe it's still weak to cold. "You. Do you even recognize what you're doing? That tabard means you're a guard-- look what your rampage is doing to this place! If you can't hold back, then...!"

A cloud of blue-white mist fills the air before suddenly exploding into a hail of razor-sharp icicles. "As a man of the land, I'll have to free your spirit myself!"

GS: Cyre H. Lorentz has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Freeze Arrow!
GS: Cyre H. Lorentz has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Cyre H. Lorentz has completed his action.

DC: Leon Albus switches forms to The Black Wolf!
DC: Talise Gianfair switches forms to Bladesinger Talise!

<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Xantia briefly looks down when Leon looks at her. She's conflicted, feeling like she should start the apology she still owes him right then and there, but on the other hand, this is probably not the best time for it. In the end, she only returns his nod with one of her own. Later, she'll definitely explain later, as best she can.

Elly... somehow she gets the sense that Elly'd forgive her before she even starts the apology. Or start apologizing herself, for some reason?? That's a whole different kind of awkward to think about. But that doesn't mean that she shouldn't still apologize when she gets the chance. Later, for sure.

When Riesenlied speaks to her, Xantia looks surprised. Not because of being spoken to, but because, "Oh... you're standing!" That causes some measure of cheer to return, that's always easy when you feel happy for other people. She shakes her head a little, replying, "Don't worry about me needing help, let me know if YOU need help, I'll be fine!" That's more like something Xantia would say. Riesenlied's vote of confidence is already helping her plenty.

That fire dims a bit when Gwen approaches. Now it's awkward again. "Gwen..." she begins. But you can't just simply say 'sorry for trying to break the thing that I know is keeping you alive', that won't do for something like that at all. Instead, she promises, "...I'll send you a message later, okay? I'll explain everything, everything I can anyway."

'Halt' is probably not a word most people like to hear shouted at them. But Xantia is pretty relieved when she hears it. She knows what that means. It means there's about to be a fight. She turns to the approaching guards with a confident smile. She's so ready to get to this part.

Then, she frowns, rubs her eyes, and blinks at the approaching platoon, suddenly seeing them - and in fact the city - in an entirely different light, to put it mildly. Perceiving the influence of Malevolence works a little different for her, but she's definitely seeing it now. It doesn't really dampen her motivation, though. This just means that she'll get to hit things a bit harder. That's never a bad thing.

She only gets as far as cracking her knuckles before something else very rudely kills the things she was planning to punch. She just... kind of stands there, struck dumb by this sudden violent interruption. Until Lily yells to move. Then she moves, leaping back to a more safe distance. Repeating in a questioning tone, "Gryndille...?"

She's heard a lot about that death machine. And of course said that she'd help deal with it, should she ever have the opportunity. She's not about to back down now. Not that anything could have stopped her from leaping straight at a big obvious threat anyway.

Fei shouts to her, and Xantia is quick to follow along with his assault. He makes use of his new handguards; she decides to employ her ARM. An red energy blade of a size suited for dealing with a larger opponent emerges from her bracer, and she literally leaps into action, darting around the massive machine while delivering several quick slashes.

GS: Xantia has attacked Gryndille with Frenzy Dance!
GS: Xantia has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Xantia has completed her action.
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard takes a glancing hit from Ashton Anchors's Hurricane Slash for 46 hit points!
GS: Disrupt! Statuses applied to Captain of the Royal Guard!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard takes a solid hit from Cyre H. Lorentz's Freeze Arrow for 113 hit points!
GS: Gryndille has adjusted their boss level for 9 opponents!
GS: CRITICAL! Gryndille guards a hit from Ethius Hesiod's Powder Grenade for 58 hit points!
GS: Jam! Statuses applied to Gryndille!
GS: Gryndille guards a hit from Xantia's Frenzy Dance for 73 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Two things happen within short order. From within the Malevolent fog, a squad of Royal Guards emerge with a command.

"...Looks like they found us, aye? That's fine, I wasn't planning on-" Layna starts, but she's interrupted suddenly as something else emerges from the fog. A machine, skewering and murdering Krosse's guardsmen.

She can tell it's no friend of theirs, but even so Layna can't help but crack a wicked grin.

"Well, damn. That hunk of junk's getting started without us." She comments. But then, something else emerges. Many things? It was...hard to tell, but it's massive...and it's consuming the Malevolence of the fallen, gorging itself on their contradictions.

Layna's grin vanishes as she sees this...replaced with seething anger.

"...You." She says, her fists clenched tight. "I'm going to break you."

She's not in the right mindset for anything wittier or more dramatic than that. It'll have to do.

As Talise rushes toward Gryndille, Layna separates to go after the venomized Captain. Talise is right, it'd be dangerous to let it continue to feed...and with Gryndille slaughtering Guardsmen by the bucketload, it'd have plenty to feed on.

Well then. This meant she could focus her wrath for a good cause. Namely, she rushes toward it and, with a flying leap, aims a fist right toward its face.

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

        "Have it your way, Tiger."

        Elly apologizes; Josie waves her free hand (her bad hand) dismissively. "Don't worry about it, Red. You're here now, right?"
        Sidelong, her dark-eyed gaze glides Fei's way. "Though maybe I should have waited. Carrying this thing," and she here stiffly thumbs towards the large canvas-swathed object, "sure was no picnic."

        For good measure, she takes another long drag, gaze resting on Xantia, Noeline, and Leon in turn as they make their appearance in the city streets. "Only if you're gonna let me fly the Fereshte, Sugar," she comments, apparently having overheard that comment from Noeline.

        But she shrugs. "Let's go. It's already a pain in the ass with these guys around," 'guys'? does she mean hellions, "and it's not gonna be a walk in the park in the castle." Her nose wrinkles. "The city's gone rotted to the core."

        Case in point: the monstrosity of a young-man-turned-walking-volcano who comes striding--

        The cigarette drops from Josie's fingers, landing to smolder silently against the cobblestones.

        "...well, shit," she says, eloquently, once she rouses herself from her immediate shock. "Hey! Lion! Tiger!" she shouts, already stepping towards the large wrapped object and hoisting it against a shoulder. The wince she bears for the instant possibly betrays how heavy it is.
        ...After she had taken pains to ensure that it was as light as it could be made to be.
        "Hold the line a moment or ten--"

        They're already on it. A moment -- only a moment -- of silence passes as the archaeologist watches them.
        Watches, too, with a slightly darker look, Ethius' approach. "Looks like we've got ourselves an Owl about, eh?"

        She shrugs, a gesture that betrays at the edges a lingering resentment of a sort. "Just keep it off me. Can't exactly run about carrying a cannon, if you know what I mean."

        As it is, she sets up shop -- as it were -- here in the middle of the avenue, dropping the cannon and pulling the canvas from it.
        It's a good match -- if with some alterations -- the alloy used in the strange war machine they're currently facing down.

        Josie slams the core into the back of the cannon; lights shine in a dull red.

        "Gonna see... if I can get this hunk of junk to charge more quickly," she mutters, to no one in particular.

        And then, slightly more (regretfully) audibly: "...May thine eyes traitors be." An small sphere of light appears over her left palm, to quickly rise overhead in an arc, until it rests just above the machine.

        "Light Flare!"

GS: Layna Manydays has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Vengeance Rush!
GS: Layna Manydays has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Layna Manydays has completed her action.
GS: Josephine Lovelace has attacked Gryndille with Light Flare!
GS: Josephine Lovelace has completed her action.
GS: CRITICAL! Captain of the Royal Guard takes a glancing hit from Layna Manydays's Vengeance Rush for 62 hit points!
GS: Cripple! Statuses applied to Captain of the Royal Guard!
GS: Hyper and Quick! Statuses applied to Layna Manydays!

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

 
HALT!

Someone shouts. Elly looks towards the lieutenant and she sees his true form, the face that is really there. She wishes she didn't, although, she thinks to herself, it will make it easier, won't it? If they have to - to -

Part of her wants to take Fei's hand, but at the moment she knows that his hands are committed to something else. There would be no warmth there, only dire metal. She tightens her head and THEN she jumps at the sudden lunging forwards of the spike that leads from GRYNDILE, the great mechanical entity speaking dispassionately. Her mouth hangs open for a moment in total surprise, before --

Leon calls a name, but not hers. Elly feels her spine tighten. In that moment, though Elly does not, exactly, realize it until later, her heart joins a family without condition or pretext.

For her this doesn't take the form of an interior dialogue. Leon and Fei pretty much say what needs to be done. HEr hands tighten again, almost uselessly. Fei could strike telling blows against this thing, but Elly has no delusions - and by the time Vierge could arrive to a summon, Krosse would be a crater.

But her shoulders tense.

Her posture rises upwards.

She tosses her head back, the hood spilling away.

She throws her left hand forwards, silver at the last finger twinkling as she draws on what she does have.

What Elly does, does not strike Gryndille directly. Many people are doing that. She is hesitant to reach for fire, which has always come to her slightly easier than everything else. She fears to add to the flames already rising among Krosse. She does not want, cowardly though the thought may be, to feel like an arsonist. So what is left to her?

Earth.

A pit opens without much fanfare, three meters deep and about one in diameter, right in front of one of Gryndille's forward legs.

"Josie," Elly says.

"If the armor plating is weakened... can you take advantage of that?"

GS: Elhaym van Houten has attacked Gryndille with Please... I'm serious.!
GS: Elhaym van Houten has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Elhaym van Houten has entered a Reflect stance!
GS: Elhaym van Houten has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.

Eyes turn towards Lily. Ah, he remembers her well! A small, fatherly smile peeks from under that moustache. "This place is under a horrid spell, and needs be cleansed." A look toward Noeline. "Or a significant Gear or Golem," he adds. Could be possible. "If you talk her into it, I can help install it," he adds.
Elvis crosses his arms as he lets the rest of the group deliberate at this point. He bides his time estimating possibilities and crunching numbers, thinking of ways to reach further in this territory. Of course, he doesn't need to do anything to provoke a fight. One comes to them.

They accost the group, demanding they surrender. "Are they serious? I mean, I was never one to turn down a debate of this caliber, but--"

Machine precision and emotionless assassination ensues over the space of what feels like a few seconds. It is over so fast. "Oh. Well then. What a magnificent specimen of a machine!" he declares. The man reaches for a tome, and quickly thumbes through it. "Nothing-- a unique unit, perhaps?" he comments. This warrants further research at a later date. And despite his kind words, it does seem intent on murdering them all as well.

Bit it isn't alone. And while the Lens can only see funky swirliy patterns everywhere (still incorrectly programmed) His unoccupied eye sees energy, and a shape, moving through the haze. A creature, low enough to feed on brethren still passing through their death throes. "Figures it wouldn't be quite that easy!" he mentions. The man looks between the two threats. Calculations fly, and in the end... "I'll attack the Hellion creature!" he says. "As much as I want to tussle with such an immaculate machine, if more creatures come to the fight and die in the swirling melee, it will only grow stronger off their deaths! The automaton has set parameters."

A turn to the multi-armed creature. Elvis is already wrapping his hands. He eyes those weapons, and rotates the Lens' frame three clicks. Maybe he can learn a bit about them mid fight. After all, he is always looking for a weapon that he can't break in a few serious swimgs! Such is the curse of this kind of MUSCLE.

"Okay, let me see what you can do!" he barks, charging the creature. He hasn't fought properly in a good while! It will be nice to stretch for once.

GS: Elvis has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Rapid Punch!
GS: Elvis has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Elvis has completed his action.
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard takes a solid hit from Elvis's Rapid Punch for 164 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

        There's many familiar faces here. Elvis, for one. Josie, being the center of it, is there as well. Lily. Fei. Many people, who Gwen's met in one capacity or another. Of course, there's no Ragnell here, but should Gwen expect that? It's not like invitations were sent, after all.

        And then, there's Xantia. Happy, cheery Xantia, packing as hard a punch as Gwen does on her good days and- oh. Oh yeah. The drama of the past few days has swept a lot of the other struggles her friends have been faced with from Gwen's mind. Being reminded of Xantia's struggles puts Gwen's in perspective.

        Gwen's left hand reaches out and touches Xantia on the shoulder. "We should catch up soon." Her grin widens. "Over cake." Xantia wouldn't be the first to have tried killing Gwen that way, whether due to being controlled, or of her own free will.

        She is, however, one of the few who have tried to reach out to her afterwards.

        'HALT!' The moment is ruined as a natural consequence of everyone gathering leads to the result of a very unfriendly welcoming part. Gwen's hand draws back. "Let's support them, okay? They need our muscle!" Or maybe not, since Elvis is here, but _encouragement_.

        It shouldn't be too bad. Just fight/talk to/deal with/etc this guards annnnnnnd no, what is that, seriously, what is that

        _AND WHAT IS THAT_

        Gwen watches, gobsmacked, as the two entities fight. The first notion is to let them fight it out, but Noeline raises the very real concern of casualities.

        Because there's still people here, in this hell. They never could leave in the first place.
        
        "I'll deal with the... other thing!" Rolling her sleeve up, Gwen flicks some bullets into the crook of her right ARM. "Somehow!"

        Ashton comes up with a decent plan. "I can shoot down some debris to block the exits, but I'll need some pointers. The layout's gotten all changed, n' I don't wanna expose anybody fleeing." What she can do, however, is limit the Captain's(?) field of motion. Aiming at what seems like a leg, Gwen runs to a better vantage point and fires. "I could maybe remember, but you'll need t'give me some time."

GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Crackshot!
GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action.
GS: Gryndille guards a hit from Josephine Lovelace's Light Flare for 0 hit points!
GS: Slow! Statuses applied to Gryndille!
GS: Gryndille guards a hit from Elhaym van Houten's Please... I'm serious. for 77 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

        The sphere then detonates in an explosion of blinding white light.

GS: Captain of the Royal Guard takes a glancing hit from Gwen Whitlock's Crackshot for 44 hit points!
GS: Cripple! Statuses applied to Captain of the Royal Guard!

<Pose Tracker> Gryndille has posed.

        The massive Hellion slams into Gryndille, metal groaning as it tries to break through the automaton's armor with main strength alone. Gryndille braces, its legs sliding into position to soak the worst of the impact. Its bloody spear-arm splits apart along hidden seams, revealing a set of five claws, thinning to points at the edges. It spreads them wide, and lashes out with that arm, trying to rake the Venomized Captain even as it nimbly shifts out from underneath his bulk.

        Gryndille's head swivels upwards, and for a moment, those glassy, emotionless eyes meet Leon's. Its other arm--the one replaced and upgraded after the Black Wolves tore it off--snaps upwards in a heartbeat, blocking Argent Divider with a screech of steel grinding against steel. A proximity sensor registers Lily's presence a moment too late. The sorcerous blade chops into the outermost layer of the ARM's armor, sending shreds of advanced alloy skittering across the street.

        The automaton doesn't retaliate immediately--it's too busy with Fei and Talise, its sub-arms sweeping out to intercept open-palm strikes and blade alike. The smaller, nimbler limbs move in perfect patterns, arresting the forward motion of blade and open-palm strike alike. Gryndille moves with inhuman speed and fluidity, as if it's anticipating their strikes and moving to counter them in the span of heartbeats. The machine's torso swings, and that massive claw rushes at the two of them--

        Ethius Hesiod's powder grenade explodes in its face. Its arm hitches, ever-so-slightly, as joints seize for a few crucial seconds. Josie's magic goes off like a magnesium flare, and the automaton twists away, its gait auto-correcting for sensory data that isn't there. As it shakes off the flare, Xantia comes right up on it and clobbers it one. There's enough force behind her strike to send Gryndille back a whole step or two, with a brand-new dent in its casing for its trouble. Then the earth drops right out from behind it. The automaton stumbles, one of its legs wrenching in an awkward direction as it tries to compensate.

        And then its eyes are clear. Immediately, it retaliates. The claws on its right arm lengthen, their tips extruding into monomolecular filaments that sway and weave as it swings them at Talise, Fei and Leon. Gryndille abruptly surges forwards, gunning its engine as it rushes Xantia, trying to run her down even as it gets out of the middle of the melee. Its head twists towards Josie and Chime, the firing apertures scattered among its optics flashing before letting loose with a torrent of searing light. It rakes the beam across the battlefield, across the two of them, and the massive Hellion engaging foes across the field. Its touch is enough to flash-boil water, to vaporize flesh.

        Another eye flares. A pale blue-green dot lands on Ethius Hesiod's chest, a targeting sensor. The pulse of the Ley might be tainted, here, but it grows ever-so-slightly brighter. Is the machine focusing on it? Or is it drawing on it? Either way, it lets fly with a blazing arc of plasma, aimed right at the head of the obvious threat.

        And then--only then--does it turn to Lily Keil. It raises itself up, staring down at her with unfeeling, glassy optics.

        "Identity Confirmed: Dr. Sharon Wyatt. Good evening, Doctor. It is now 1930 hours. Please enter your security passcode."

        It doesn't move, except to defend itself. It just looks at Lily, expectantly.

GS: Gryndille has attacked Xantia with High-Speed Ram!
GS: Gryndille has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Talise Gianfair with Close-Quarters Filament!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Close-Quarters Filament!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Leon Albus with Close-Quarters Filament!
GS: Gryndille has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Josephine Lovelace with Ocular Beam!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Chime Isa with Ocular Beam!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Ocular Beam!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has spent 3 Combo on Headshot, including 0 on Gatling!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Ley-Targeted Shot!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Talise Gianfair critically Guards a hit from Gryndille's Close-Quarters Filament for 26 hit points!
GS: Talise Gianfair has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has lost 1 Combo!
GS: Leon Albus guards a hit from Gryndille's Close-Quarters Filament for 93 hit points!
GS: CRITICAL! Ethius Hesiod guards a hit from Gryndille's Ley-Targeted Shot for 141 hit points!
GS: Hyper, Quick, and Shield! Statuses applied to Gryndille!
GS: Chime Isa has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has lost 1 Combo!

DC: MISS! Chime Isa completely evades Ocular Beam from Gryndille!

GS: Josephine Lovelace takes a solid hit from Gryndille's Ocular Beam for 187 hit points!
GS: Fei Fong Wong critically Guards a hit from Gryndille's Close-Quarters Filament for 25 hit points!
GS: Fei Fong Wong has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has lost 1 Combo!
GS: Xantia takes a glancing hit from Gryndille's High-Speed Ram for 77 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

"No," Leon answers Talise, as he runs. "It has some sort of mind of its own." His teeth are gritting togther; any veneer of his usual dry humor is gone, replaced in an instant, by the familiar, old business-like sense and cold rage at facing Gryndille again. He looks to Ethius, and then nods. Maybe it would be enough. Maybe it would not.

Moving with Lily, Leon slams into Gryndille. His blade meets Gryndille's own armor, sparks flying as they do. His silver eyes narrow, as he meets those emotionless red ones. There is a flash of something in his eyes -- and then Leon kicks away from Gryndille.

He lands a distance from Lily. His silver eyes meet her gold ones. There is a knowing look. Beaten back once, perhaps, but they aren't through yet. He doesn't spare a long look at the sword of crackling dark power in her hands. He doesn't even spare a long look as Fei rushes in, then Xantia with her new ARMs.

He nods his head, with a stern expression in his eyes. "We'll get you the time you need, Josie. Let's try it, Elly."

Last time, they managed an arm. This time, they have to manage the rest of it.

Monomolecular filaments whip out for him--

And the glimmering threads of light slam into a shield of aquamarine energy, suspended between a trio of floating, bronze-colored triangles. The Raid Funnels twist and turn, holding them at bay. That gives Leon a good view of the monstrous robot, as it addresses Lily directly.

"What did you just call her?" he asks. He snaps Argent Divider with his hand; the barrels snap and fold into place, as the blade telescopes down, and then he levels the ARM for Gryndille. Leon pulls the trigger, putting a round in its armor.

He fires again. With each shot, his grip tenses and his eyes look angrier -- wider, and his entire countenance becomes less focused.

For once in his life, Leon is enraged.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW HER!?" he shouts. "And why, for fuck's sake, NOW!? AFTER ALL THIS!?"

GS: Leon Albus has attacked Gryndille with Shotgun Blast!
GS: Leon Albus has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Leon Albus has completed his action.
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard takes a solid hit from Gryndille's Ocular Beam for 170 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Captain of the Royal Guard has posed.

This was once a man. But whatever it once was, what it is now is something wholly removed. Inconsistent and inconstant, the mass of black limbs and weapons seems to shiver and tremble like gelatin that cannot affix to a set shape, a quality that seems to simply intensify as the morass of Malevolence from his fallen brethren feed the Captain all the more. Those glowing lines flowing through the Captain's Hellionized frame grow brighter. As the claws and beams of Gryndille tear through him and sheer off chunks of his body, it and more is regrown off the backs of his brothers and sisters of the Guard. His mass grows ever greater.

His wrath --

"You are a foreign intruder and WILL BE ELIMINATED."

-- all the more irrational in its mounting intensity.

He seems to have no care or cause for concern for the growing collateral he may very well inflict on the city proper, so lost is he in his Venomized madness. But it is just as he is winding back a blow that would doubtless launch -both- he and Gryndille further into the city and -further- into 'anomalies' to be 'contained' by the ARM --

As a man of the land, I'll have to free your spirit myself!

-- his wrath is delayed by the sheering slam of icy shards impaling across his back.

"gnaaARGH"

The roar is hideous, contained with a flanged, echoing quality as the Captain of the Guard -lurches- forward violently. The force of Cyre's magic is enough to send the Hellion to his knee, back decorated by pinions of crystalline ice like quills jutting from his figure. One of many hands presses to the ground with an impact that makes the cobblestone streets crack and cave mildly beneath it. Yellow eyes widen...

... and then they turn a shimmery blue as the ice magic slowly sinks into his muscled, gelatinous frame.

Lines of energy once yellow bleed into that same icy hue as the Guardsman lifts onto his feet. As he turns his baleful glare on Cyre. As he points one hand, holding a scepter now crackling with frosted spite, towards the shaman.

"You are a foreign intruder," he repeats, as if the mantra was his only source of stability. The ground beneath Cyre starts to grow colder, and colder.

"... and WILL BE ELIMINATED."

Until two tremendous blades of ice EXPLODE from the paved earth at oppositionally diagonal positions before -cleaving- in towards each other, and Cyre, like the violent sweep of a pair of scissorblades.

More magic swells. The temperature starts to drop rapidly. But before he can generate yet more Malevolent spells, he notices something from the corner of his gaze. Something -- someone -- vaguely familiar, even after all this time, even through the haze of his Malevolence-induced madness. Someone notorious.

"Layna Manydays!!" booms the voice, like the revelation of her name was some joyous moment of clarity in a sea of uncertainty.

"You are a foreign intruder and will b"CRACK

"gnuh"

And this is the sound of the Captain's jaw dislocating under the sheer force of Layna's attack. He -snaps- to his right, stumbling with steps thaat shudder the earth beneath him. His jaw, cracked awkwardly to his right, shifts amorphously -- and then reasserts itself with a bubbly, viscous crack as one of his many hands grips tighten onto the haft of a truly tremendous great axe.

"You will not escape this time, pirate!"

<Pose Tracker> Captain of the Royal Guard has posed.

And that curved blade screams upward, charged with poisonous Malevolence in a cleave that will carve through flesh and spirit alike and knock Layna further into the air if she cannot outmaneuver it in time.

"This time you will face the same fate as your co-conspirators! Lovelace will put you to good use! I--"

But any further talk is, blissfully, interrupted by whirling twister of magical strength. The winds -rip- through the inconstant shape of the Captain, churning him in a way that makes the black mass of his arms literally -wobble-. He hisses out in pain and agitation, and instantly he is wheeling upon Ashton, blue eyes wide in confusion and anger.

"What are you?!"

It is a question, perhaps, that does not seek an answer -- not, at least, if the way he -slams- weapons into the ground moments later has anything to do with it. The motion is delayed but briefly as Gwen fires off that round into one knee, staggering the creature that was once a loyal soldier of Krosse and sending him staggering. The heft of his weapons supports him as he snarls out. As Malevolent magic seethes coldly around him. As symbols etch the earth, blue and bubbling --

-- and twin, spiraling serpents of pure water EXPLODE from his magical forge, twining around each other like double helix strands of fear and hate to RIP through Ashton and Gwen. To tear through -them- -- threatening a path that will blow through Riesenlied and Noeline both in turn and carry on --

-- straight towards Gryndille.

"Foreign elements! Your sickness must be purged!"

It is a roar that cracks out like a thunderclap as Elvis charges -- and the beast charges -him- in turn, broiling with Malevolent energy that encases him like a reflective shield and -channels- into one tremendous, flat-tipped broadsword, spun into a churning bubble of Malevolence...

... that is subsequently SPIKED into Elvis like an extremely malicious fireball JUST as his powerful blow lands clean, sending the Captain bending almost perpendicular as he launches into the rubble, the . This area is clear -- there's no risk for casualties or collateral here.

But if they can't be contained...

GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has activated a Force Action!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has spent 3 Combo on Headshot, including 0 on Gatling!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has attacked Cyre H. Lorentz with Ice Reaver!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has attacked Elvis with Devil Flare!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has entered a Reflect stance!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has attacked Ashton Anchors with Aqua Serpent!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has spent 1 Combo on Poison, including 0 on Gatling!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has attacked Layna Manydays with Endless Infliction!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Aqua Serpent!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has attacked Gryndille with Aqua Serpent!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has gained 3 Combo!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has attacked Riesenlied with Aqua Serpent!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has attacked Noeline with Aqua Serpent!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has completed their action.
GS: Riesenlied critically Guards a hit from Captain of the Royal Guard's Aqua Serpent for 23 hit points!
GS: Riesenlied has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has lost 1 Combo!
GS: Noeline critically Guards a hit from Captain of the Royal Guard's Aqua Serpent for 25 hit points!
GS: Noeline has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has lost 1 Combo!
GS: Layna Manydays takes a glancing hit from Captain of the Royal Guard's Endless Infliction for 62 hit points!
GS: Toxin! Statuses applied to Layna Manydays!
GS: Gryndille guards a hit from Leon Albus's Shotgun Blast for 51 hit points!
GS: CRITICAL! Gryndille critically Guards a hit from Captain of the Royal Guard's Aqua Serpent for 27 hit points!
GS: Poison! Statuses applied to Gryndille!
GS: Quick! Statuses applied to Captain of the Royal Guard!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has lost 1 Combo!

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

The bad news is, Talise can see a whole lot of weapons on this monstrosity.

The worse news is, she's not even sure her sword can damage something of this size and mechanical complexity. Especially when it's got all those sub-arms. They're moving much more quickly than she expected, and when they come to bear with blades, she's finding herself defending at angles she's fairly sure she couldn't manage to defend if they were coming from a human.

Steel dances and weaves as Talise sweeps Rastaban about like a striking serpent. The flat of the blade deflects a couple of sub-arm strikes aside. Another strike is guarded, but barely, the blade screeching across the shoulder of her armour and leaving a mark against the polished plating. Hissing a breath through her teeth, Talise sweeps to one side, the massive claw in her vision--

Ethius Hesiod, of all people, saves her further defense. The grenade goes off, and Talise inhales, taking a step back to re-assess the fight.

"Well, that's alarming," she huffs in the moment of downtime, calling back to Leon. "So what's the plan, Josie's gonna blast this thing?"

The ARM doesn't give her time to regroup in any serious measure before those microfilaments come sweeping in, and again Talise plants herself and swings Rastaban in a blur of defensive parries, batting that arm aside when it comes in, then again, another filamentary blow scratching her shoulder armour but not hitting solidly enough to punch through.

But it's stopping for Lily for some reason. Talise opens her mouth a little, then closes it. She doesn't have the heart to tell it that's not Lily's name, as far as she knows. She frowns deeply. "What the vile fuck's it on about?" she murmurs to herself, momentarily baffled.

But it doesn't change the fact that Gryndille needs to go down, now - and if Josephine can bring it down, buying her time to charge seems like a wise idea With a grunt, Talise circles again, tracking Gryndille's movements and trying to keep herself in a flanking position. Dividing its attention all around it might be their best chance, as far as she can tell.

"Hoooaht!" she shouts as she bulls in and swings Rastaban overhead in a massive, shearing blow at its nearest flank.

GS: CRITICAL! Ashton Anchors guards a hit from Captain of the Royal Guard's Aqua Serpent for 89 hit points!
GS: Poison! Statuses applied to Ashton Anchors!
GS: Quick! Statuses applied to Captain of the Royal Guard!
GS: Talise Gianfair has attacked Gryndille with Infinitely Rippling Waters!
GS: Talise Gianfair has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Talise Gianfair has completed her action.
GS: Elvis critically Guards a hit from Captain of the Royal Guard's Devil Flare for 18 hit points!
GS: Elvis has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has lost 1 Combo!

<Pose Tracker> Chime Isa has posed.

        It's fortunate for Chime her initial response was to drop back. The space proved useful as she moves with agility to dock the raking torrent of searing light that destroys several crates, stalls, and gouges paths down walls and across the street.

        "Fancy~" Chime chimes cheerfully. "But a problem." as she brings up both her crossbows and begins to unleash a steady torrent of bolts at Fryndille's head trying to focus the barrage of bolts onto the mechanism for those beams of light.

        Maintaining her fire, she moves up slightly calling out to Josie "Lovely cannon~ What does it need to speed it up since I don't have time to dismantle it and find out myself. Chances are I can help with it." finally clashing the two strange crossbows together manually rearming them with the end of her barrage of bolts and looks to Josie slightly without taking her sight off Gryndille.

GS: Chime Isa has spent 3 Combo on Gatling, including 2 on Gatling!
GS: Chime Isa has attacked Gryndille with Heavy Barrage!
GS: Chime Isa has completed her action.
GS: Cyre H. Lorentz has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has lost 1 Combo!

DC: MISS! Cyre H. Lorentz completely evades Ice Reaver from Captain of the Royal Guard!

GS: Gwen Whitlock critically Guards a hit from Captain of the Royal Guard's Aqua Serpent for 25 hit points!
GS: Gwen Whitlock has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has lost 1 Combo!

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

        Riesenlied's eyes widen as her question is best answered by Leon -- and she steps back as the fallen bodies around her start to pulsate outwards.

        The Malevolence swarms around her feet and forces her to hurry away with a gasp; she turns and watches, as the mass of Malevolence rises into a singular, venomised form.

        "Is-- is this what happened to the Wels...?"

        She lets out a yelp as the former Guard Captain slams into Gryndille with force, bracing under an arm as she's nearly knocked off her feet from the sheer power of the two titans.

        Talise's encouragement doesn't go unnoticed, even as she breathes hard even before battle erupts. The Malevolence is so thick here that she's still struggling, even with the fortification from Uzda il-Jam; she was always vulnerable to it. Perhaps it was why she was so bothered by the Hellion Wels' struggle...

        "I trust you all to take care of Gryndille... Noeline and I will try to stem the--" Riesenlied winces further, "Hellion off!"

        She hears Xantia calling to her, and nods as she encourages her in response. "Yes! Please take care of Leon and Lily, Xantia!" She knows they're feeling most raw about this at present.

        There is a quiet pause as she feels something throb at the back of her head. A voice she's inexplicably linked to, as she looks to Fei as he joins Leon. She doesn't understand it in particular, but Id shares the same concern too.

        ... I want to hope so, Id. Maybe... that would give Leon and Lily some peace.

        She blinks and is snapped out of her confusing reverie as Noeline does the repsonsible and takes her under cover of a beam and orders the Fereshte. She looks to the airship with concern for a moment-- then nods to her as she reassures that she'll keep her safe.

        Ashton suggests blocking the roads off to prevent reinforcements; Elvis is already immediately charging the creature with powerful strikes. "It is an ancient machine that Lily and Leon have pursued for years... we faced it once-- in Kislev," she tries explaining for the Veruni Sentinel. "And now it seems to have... regained its mission."

        A furrowed brow.

        Her heart beats harder as she murmurs, "Sorey isn't here... but... now I have this Medium-- and Catenna's instruction. Could I possibly do it?"

        Purification. Would it be possible? It wouldn't be immediate... they'd have to weaken it--

        Foreign elements! Your sickness must be purged!

        "Careful!" Riesenlied exclaims, as she raises her hand and rattles as splashes of the Ley seep up and through her Medium, pooling into the ripple-like surface of a barrier of life that allows her to just very faintly endure through the blast of the Aqua Serpent forcing them back.

        "Lovelace... do you mean-- Timotheus Lovelace? What has he done to you?" Riesenlied's eyes widen.

        She makes the decision, in her heart. She wants to make her fellow shaman proud.

        The Hyadean glides forward, carried by what seems like a soft updraft of the shimmering Ley as she moves closer to the one the Guard named -- Layna Manydays. It seems that she'll be drawing ire from the creature due to a past relation...?

        "I'm with you, Miss Layna...!"

        The Ley washes over the pirate and once more surrounds into a faint mandala that dissipates -- and becomes a strengthening barrier around her as she looks towards the creature.

        "I... would like to purify the Hellion, with the power bequeathed to me by the Life Medium, by the instruction bequeathed to me by my senior shaman. But I know it would not work until it is much weaker... I will pour all my energy to aid you... please, everyone! I need your aid!"

GS: Riesenlied has attacked Layna Manydays with Life Arcana - Border of Life!
GS: Riesenlied has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Riesenlied has completed her action.
GS: Riesenlied heals Layna Manydays! She gains 200 temporary hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        Gryndille appears to compensate for the tactics employed and the maladies suffered right quick. Ethius, for a split-second, can pick up Elvis' boisterous voice saying something very curious to him - expressing unfamiliarity but fascination with it. He's out of time to linger any further on that as keen eyes catch an out-of-place color sweeping through the dust and the miasma and resting upon him. He throws his right forearm inward to a shouted set of syllables, slurred but precise, lowering his posture and raising his forearm for when the dot travels upwards. Lights and sound go off indicating a successful Symbological cast.
        Plasma flies through the air, and there is a blinding light and a deafening electrical discharge as plasma disperses in a colorful blossom.
        There is a pained yelp. That there is a yelp at all is weird. There should be a missing head. Hell, let's account for Ethius raising his forearm. There should be a missing forearm and a missing head, and also a long narrow white-hot tube of missing matter in any of the buildings behind him. Not only is the space behind Ethius fully intact, there is still an intact head on his shoulders. Smoke rises from where the plasma impacted on his forearm. His... bare forearm. He's not wearing 'adequate' armor for this technological threat. His flesh is human. The painfully scorched flesh from the point of impact is... all the colors burnt flesh should look like.
        Even knowing he has a Symbological spell for this purpose, 'should' he have withstood that?
        Ethius exhales loudly from behind the bandanna covering the lower half of his face, the pain of it managing to pass his threshold of tolerance as such that he comes off as stunned (as opposed to being... dead), taking three idle steps towards his right while using his newly-acquired quarterstaff for balance as he watches some of the exchanges continue while soaking the searing pain.
        The name it speaks is interesting, in that it does not match the one he knows of the mysterious witch-sorceress Lily. He loses sight of some of them for a while as he staggers back to avoid being caught in the collateral of the Captain's twin water serpents. He is not certain how Gryndille will compensate for the blow, but he sees an opening.
        Ethius clenches the fist of his wounded arm, in a rare show of unrestrained body language, as if fighting the screaming of the nerves of his right arm as he starts to twist and contort his fingers into various sorcerous gestures as he skillfully fights past the pain to complete the incantation for--
        "Recurrent Current." More lights and sound go off, as electricity jumps from his outstretched hand towards the great machine, looking to shock it over, and over, and over, and over, in wake of that blast of water from the other target of interest.
        Watching as Talise - a transplant from Lunar - moves in swinging against something of this nature, he re-doubles his focus and starts to regain his wind and step. Something like this... the whole picture of this, compels him to stand firmer. The context is missing, but the end of how he feels about it is certain.
        This compels him yet to fight through the pain, which re-ignites with every sudden movement.

GS: Ethius Hesiod has spent 1 Combo on Poison, including 0 on Gatling!
GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Gryndille with Recurrent Current!
GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action.

<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

There's an odd pull in the air. Ashton can feel it. Like something tugging on his soul. It makes him feel queasy and raw at the same time, like an infected wound.
 
The hurt grows worse as twin snakes of bubbling water barrel down at him. One strikes Ashton full on - he braces against it, feet planting on the cobbles as he does his best to endure the blow.
 
He does, but on the other side the swordsman gasps for air as he can feel (though not identify) the Malevolence thick in the air. It hurts just as much as the punishing blow did.
 
"What am I?" Ashton pants out the response, trying to straighten up. It's a fair question, he reminds himself. He doesn't even know the answer for certain.
 
But giving such a monster the satisfaction of that answer is out of the question - even if it's unclear that it retains the faculties to process a reply.
 
"I am a far better being than you could ever hope to be, creature. Three yet one, debased but still more pure than your foulness." Two blades trace in the air, creating lines of ice that expand out into a diamond-shaped barrier. "It is you who shall be purged!" Small shards of ice launch off from the barrier, a cloud of chill flechettes that pale to Cyre's previous blast but still contribute to the rising assault that the Drifters pile on.

GS: Ashton Anchors has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Northern Cross!
GS: Ashton Anchors has entered a Reflect stance!
GS: Ashton Anchors takes 6 damage from Poison!
GS: Ashton Anchors has completed his action.
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard takes a solid hit from Ashton Anchors's Northern Cross for 105 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Layna can tell there's a lot going with Gryndille over there, but right now, the Captain of the Royal Guard has her attention. It's not an opponent she can take her eyes off of for long - only long enough to ensure that there aren't any attacks from Gryndille coming her way.

She grins in grim satisfaction as she feels her fist collide with his jaw, dislocating it temporarily.

She's a little surprised - and a little proud - that he recognized her, but she doesn't have time to recognize it. She moves to bounce off but he catches her first, a curved blade slicing upwards. With a grunt she projects herself backward with a burst of wind, but the edge of the blade still manages to catch her across the mid-section. She can feel the spiritual poison seeping in. Fortunately, she's been hardened against the worst of its effects, but she can still feel it sapping away at her strength.

"Aye! Layna Manydays, Captain of the Ruby Empress, Notorious Pirate, and Public Enemy Number One!" Layna replies, spinning once before touching back down on the ground. He mentions a 'Lovelace'. Hm...she heard about this one, didn't she? As she's readying herself, she hears Riesenlied calling out to her and sends a look in her direction.

"...You want to purify it, aye...?" She comments with a frown. A part of her wanted to see this Hellion dead. But...if Riesenlied wanted to try and purify it, was willing to risk herself to do so, then maybe she ought to give her that chance. "...Alright, lass, I'll accept your help. But if the situation's starting to look too rough, I'll finish it my way."

With that said, she turns her attention back to the venomized Captain.

"You call us 'foreign intruders', but look at yourself! Can you still call yourself a man of Krosse? Hell, can you still call yourself a Captain? You ought to show your subordinates more respect." She comments. He was still somewhat coherent. Maybe if she worked that angle, she might be able to distract it. Get it to make a mistake.

With that said she rushes in, delivering a sweeping kick toward his legs. He was pretty top-heavy with all those weapons - if there's a chance she can make an opening, she'll take it.

GS: Layna Manydays has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Swab the Decks!
GS: Layna Manydays takes 14 damage from Toxin!
GS: Layna Manydays has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Xantia wouldn't be Xantia if she didn't approach any fight with full confidence of being able to win. So what if it's huge, and made of metal, and heavily armed? That just means it'll be a fight that won't be over quickly. That's a good thing!

She does tend to be a bit laser-focused however, and completely failed to notice until the moment she launches her attack that oh hey, there's also some kind of giant Hellion monster that wants a piece of Gryndille. That's a bit confusing. Hellion monsters are Bad, but are they still bad if they're attacking the thing that you know is Very Bad, and seems to have it out for people you care about in particular?

It might be better to make up her mind about that later, as for the moment, she's directly in Gryndille's path as it suddenly rushes forward. Unfortunately for Gryndille, Xantia has effectively become invincible. She was promised cake by Gwen just now, so now obviously she cannot die until she gets that cake. That's just not happening.

Thus, with a fraction of a second to react, she manages to attain the optimal result in only getting clipped in mid-dodge. Though she's sent to the ground, she goes into a roll and immediately back up to her feet from there, rubbing a lightly injured shoulder for a moment before preparing to resume the assault.

She pauses in this when Gryndille says something wholly confusing. Was that directed to Lily? That can't be right. The only thing it was right about is that Lily is a doctor. And possibly the time, who knows, she never pays attention to what time it is.

Her hesitation only lasts for as long as it takes her to figure out what she should do next. For that, she looks to the other Wolves. Leon and Lily in particular, having been told specifically to take care of them. And Leon is preeeetty angry right now, continuing the assault unabated. This must be this 'leading by example' thing that he's doing.

Naturally, she follows suit, closing the distance between her and the machine while it's standing there looking at Lily, aiming to thrust the energy blade forward while briefly increasing its length sharply. It might be called a backstab, if Gryndille has anything that might be called a back.

"So, uh... do you know what that's all about?" she asks Lily afterwards, far too casually.

GS: Xantia has attacked Gryndille with Crimson Flash!
GS: Xantia has completed her action.
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard takes a solid hit from Layna Manydays's Swab the Decks for 156 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

        "For me, Red? Why, you shouldn't have~" is, unfortunately, her comment even under current circumstances. "Give it a shot and I'll follow up!"

        Between the Venomized -- something is clearly incredibly wrong with that Hellion -- captain and the rest of the horde she can feel twitching off the edges of her senses here, this situation even outside Grendel is already bad. "Here's hoping," she states, summarizing the situation with a shrug.

        Which is followed by her slotting in the core and casting that spell. And watching, waiting, as the core begins to lend the ancient cannon its power. She'd made sure to take all three -- all retrieved from that ruin, Ash Hare -- with her to this place. Just in case.

        Their aggression doesn't go unremarked upon. And with the cannon charging, though she can see the incoming warning of the array of beamfire, there's nowhere to run with it. Letting it get damaged while it's unpowered would be a self-defeating action. So instead, Josie leaps in the way of the oncoming beam, lifting her bad arm and coat -- and following up that interposition of body and flesh with a short bolstering incantation. It might be enough--

        And when it's done, her coat is nearly half what it had once been. Blood stains her pantlegs; she stumbles a moment when she takes that step backwards towards the cannon. But for now, she's still doing good enough for horseshoes. At least the wound cauterized as fast as it was delivered.

        The cannon's light is now amber.

        "...'Sharon Wyatt'? Wonder if it's got a screw loose somewhere. Or..." Her brow furrows, but now is perhaps the poorest of times to dwell on the matter. She glances down at the charging cannon. Hurry up.

        "Better not," Josie comments to Chime, shaking out her ruined longcoat with a wince. "If anyone's taking this thing apart, it's me."

        As for what it needs to power up faster?

        "I'd say a boot in."
        Which is when she kicks the ancient cannon with the heel of her boot.

        Instead of detonating in an enormous fireball or (worse) it breaking, the amber light quickly cycles up through a yellowish hue into a...
        pale green. Good enough!

        'Lovelace', the Venomized captain says across the field, ringing out in the way only one's own name can. Josie's expression is flat as she kneels alongside the cannon, gives it a comforting pat, and then lines up a single quick shot.

        When the shell rockets forth, it sounds like a detonation.

DC: Josephine Lovelace switches forms to Repurposed Ancient Cannon Nostos!

GS: Josephine Lovelace has attacked Gryndille with Set On Ruin!
GS: Josephine Lovelace has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Josephine Lovelace has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei looks at the large canvas-swathed object. He looks faintly nervous for a moment but it's brief. It's funnier if you don't have the context as to why.

But even as Fei uses his 'nice gloves' to smack away the filaments before they can wrap around his fleshier parts and slice him to ribbons, his focus--so recently discovered--is shattered again. It's really unfair. All these plot twists keep on coming and he has to figure out what he's going to do about them in moments let alone the 'never' he would very much prefer.

But even for all the strange developments this is something of a KO punch.

He doesn't like the possibilities floating into his head. He doesn't like the idea that maybe Gryndille was trying to PROTECT Lily the day it murdered her friends. Maybe it was all a lie that it was her father controlling it to do just that. Maybe maybe maybe.

Truth be told, he doesn't blame Leon for being upset.

'Did you know about this?'

I didn't know. She knew more about artificial intelligence than anyone, though.

Fei's expression goes deadpan.

Well, more than anybody besides me.

Fei's expression goes deaderpanner.

Healthy rivalries are a good thing, Fei.

Fei's expression goes deadestpannest. It's really not appropriate considering the situation.

She worked with interweaving the human mind with machines. We had a lower opinion of humanity.

Fei places his hand on his face. Id is saying between the two of them, HE was the mad scientist. This is not something that is filling Fei with good feelings.

"Wait...But...if that was her specialty then..." His eyes widen at Gryndille with newfound horror. If her specialty was interfacing the human mind with machines then... "Is there a human mind in that??"

Unlikely it's gotta be a billion years old dude.

"Oh." Fei says. Yes it sounds like he's talking to himself like a crazy person.

Course... Id says. That doesn't mean it didn't once have a human mind in there. Or that they couldn't put a new one in. With the right contacts.

Fei's eyes narrow sharply and he looks towards Xantia. "I'm getting a bigger picture." Fei says. "There must have been some kind of contamination on Filgaia and Sharon Wyatt built this to get rid of it. Whether it's malevolence or something else, it's treating it as one and the same."

And with that he darts back in to unleash a hefty wave of ice from his arms as he channels ice through his arms and into Gryndille in an attempt to keep it pinned down. Maybe Lily can just say a password or something and shut it down.

"Try 'Password'!" Fei suggests to her.

GS: Fei Fong Wong has attacked Gryndille with Suikei!
GS: Fei Fong Wong has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Fei Fong Wong has completed his action.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

        Noeline grits her teeth, hanging back for a moment longer as she tries to figure out the best way to manage the situation they've found themselves in. She is a Black Wolf, at least nominally - it's not as if she or Riesenlied have ever been formally inducted into the unit, but the support the two groups have provided each other have formed bonds stronger than she would have expected. Still, something about the sheer number of Drifters converging on Gryndille gives her pause, and makes her wonder if perhaps it would be better to try to divide and conquer, to take advantage of the confusion on both sides of the fight.

        (The same part of her wonders, a little bitterly, if you can even apply such labels to a mess like this one.)

        Her thoughts are interrupted when the golem abruptly stops dead, turning with a bizarre slowness to address Lily directly. The words that it speaks make her suck in another uncertain breath; it isn't exactly a noise of surprise, but more one of uncertain dread. Has it just riled up Lily unknowingly? Has it mistaken her for someone else, or dredged up old memories of family or past deeds? What will be her response?

        Leon's reaction is at least plain to see and hear - and it spurs Noeline forwards before she even realizes that her feet are moving, slipping from behind her cover in a low and darting run as she tries to close distance. She knows of Leon as the unflappable soldier, and the rage she can hear in his voice is perhaps the most uncertain and dangerous thing about this entire battle. She's faced down Mother's anger. She's faced down Alhazred's sick delight. This is somehow worse.

        Instinct takes over as she senses an incoming attack - she pushes herself down towards the ground, collapsing into a skid as she brings up her blade as it appears out of nowhere in her hand. Thankfully, the dive and accompanying skid is low enough to let her slide under the bulk of the spiralling water, bringing around her sword in a rising sweep as she does so, deflecting it upwards in hopes of sluicing it away from Riesenlied for good measure.

        An instant to catch her breath, and she pushes herself back up to her feet. She grasps inside of herself as she does so; muted though it may be in the midst of the Malevolent domain, it's somehow easier to reach for the connection to her Medium. Why, she isn't sure - but she'll still take it, the edge of her blade shimmering with a vivid and almost sickly purple and green light.

        "Soldier! Keep your damned head! Don't let it get to you!" she roars as she does so, hoping that it might at least cut through a little of Leon's temper; she sweeps her sword downwards at the same time, carving an almost-physical line in the air in front of her. It shimmers, twisting in place - then rockets outwards towards the Guard, air boiling in its wake.

GS: Noeline has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Starless Sea!
GS: Noeline has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Noeline has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

There's something amazingly satisfying about seeing your attack have such an impact. It's a deep primal sensation, a burst of endorphines from the part of the brain that thrives on the violent impulse. That sensation is even stronger here amidst the Malevolent haze. Give in to fear, to the urge to dominate and shatter all that would stand against you. Surrender to emotion.

The Nahual of Wind's expression hardens. He feels the impulse, and allows it to pass through him.

"The only thing foreign here is the pollution clouding your mind. You must be someone who loves his home. If you weren't, if you didn't have that deep need to protect what you hold so dear... Then this foulness wouldn't have taken such deep hold. I understand." The air chills around him. Yellow lines covering the Hellion turn blue, and Cyre quickly understands something else as well.

"--Elemental adapation...?" Cyre's eyes widen in sudden understanding as the twin blades scythe up to carve his head from his shoulders. He surges backwards on a sudden gust of wind, heels skating across the ice as he narrowly whirls clear of the attack. "Careful, everyone! He can absorb and adapt to our attacks! We'll need to stay alert and keep changing things up if we want to keep hitting him!"

BBut, first...!

"Open your eyes, captain!" Cyre yells as he darts forward, drawing on the whirling winds to bolster his charge. Currents of air churn around one arm as he dives up and over another deadly blade. With a roar, he slams his palm into the ground, sending a devastating pressure-wave racing across the ground toward the Hellion. "Look at what you're doing! This power you're wielding is destroying your beloved home. Isn't IT the foreign force, here? The wind! The cold! These are aspects of your home, but this-- have you ever seen this taint in Krosse before!? Open your eyes and look! You must stop before too much is lost!"

His eyes flicker toward Riesenlied, then. "I'll do what I can! But if we're going to strip the taint from this soldier's soul, then he needs to help us! We're no wielders of the Silver Flame, and the land of Krosse may be too saturated with Malevolence to drain it away! If we're going to siphon it, he has to push too! We need to reach the man within the monster!"

He... might be speaking from experience, Hellion-wise.

GS: Cyre H. Lorentz has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Grand Pressure!
GS: Cyre H. Lorentz has completed his action.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

        Noeline feels Riesenlied's plan in her heart more than she hears it in words; as distracted as she is by the fight in front of her, it isn't enough to stop the surge of conviction and hope that gets signalled through the link she shares with her partner via the piece of the Dragon's Tear she wears. As she pushes off the ground to chase after her attack, intending to press whatever advantage she can find, she finds the time to close her eyes - to issue a quiet confirmation under her breath, and let her own faith and trust carry back along the link.

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

 
Elly sees Gryndille lurch. She clenches her teeth and takes a deep breath as she steps forwards, eyes gleaming.

Gryndille pauses to address Lily as an authenticated doctor. "..." is Elly's remark, along with a slow, astonished blink.

And this gets under Leon's skin. For a moment Elly wonders: Did Lily even know? She knows surprisingly little of Lily's life and thoughts, even after everything. However, while the whirl of battle spares her for a moment, the hollering and carrying-on of the economically-insecure Captain of the Guard tells Elly that this is not an ideal turn of events. No sir.

She presses her left hand's knuckles to her forehead. Lightning crashes. Riesenlied places her trust in them. How can she argue with something like that? Especially when her intention is so sincere, so authentic? There may be no help for the Wels but this man perhaps can be saved. Don't they have to turn into dragons or something before it is too late? Elly recalls hearing that, somewhere...

But Josie seems to be down for the plan. "Right," Elly tells her, and she...

Well, that's the downside for her: When she does this, it mostly looks like she's looking intensely. However, this one is a standing-wave of Etheric output and may thus be a little less discreet than the prior. A ring of flame suddenly emerges, behind the tip of its tail - perhaps a hands-length within. The ring of red fire brightens to orange, reaches a blue-white, and then tightens inwards - to hug the metal.

Hug it and heat it.

GS: Elhaym van Houten has attacked Gryndille with Thermo Misericordia!
GS: Elhaym van Houten has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Elhaym van Houten has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.

It is quite the beautiful thing to watch Gryndille fight-- not insomuch in having to do with potentially killing drifters met, it is merely a difficult sensation to describe that those dedicated to such kind of craft feel watching perfected machinery in motion.

Noticing Gwen here though has the Sentinel hesitant. A good thing she helps with the Hellion combined, keeping tabs on her otherwise might be hard! "What are you doing here?!" he calls toward her. If she got hurt...!

The fact that the device recognizes Lily is duly noted.

A blow resounds as Elvis lands a hit, but the malevolent being, as though a makeup of many, acts as though it is many. Including preparing a counter-assault as he attacks. A negatively-charged blade takes a swipe, offering a superheated report of energy on contact!

A flurry of motion, and Elvis manages to deflect the blade proper and bring up a cross-guard, though the detonation of energy sends the man skidding back with incredible force. Blouse sleeves are fried and skin sizzles as Elvis firmly impacts a nearby wall, grunting as he exhales. Twin lines are gouged in the groudn where heels dug in. "Strong! ...I can appreciate that!" The man says, as he sets his jaw.

A thought of the earth and ground below to concentrate one's mind and soul. A fist is raised, and slammed down into the ground hard enough to cause everyone nearby to feel a ripple. Hexagonal pillars begin to crash out of the ground in a vauge line pattern directed at this would be Captain!

"Lay down your arms while you have the chance!" he says, though reasoning, Elvis figures, is beyond it at this point.

"Interesting, so they have seen it before?" he asks Riesenlied, rhetorically. "Wonder what it wants? Is it searching for something, or..." His mind is already working. His mind races to think if anything amongst tomes at Locus Solus may have covered something of this nature. The Verun iwere the peak of technology, besides that of... well, he doesn't like to think about them. Still, doesn't resemble their work either.

Then where did it come from? A look toward Cyre. "I'll assist in alternating!" he comments.

GS: Elvis has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Hi-Crush!
GS: Elvis has completed his action.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

"Hesoid--Acknowledged!" Lily shouts over the din of battle to the strange Symbologist, mentally updating her map of the battle to include his strange ARM-targetting sorceries. But it is more than him, or her, or the Wolves; for better or worse, the battles are joined.

And Lily can't hold herself apart completely.

As Josie requests, Lily works to hold the line. Sorceress she may be, but she's up in front. The explanations will have to wait, as busy as Lily is moving with the incredibly fast machine, diving down as its arm moves, rolling in place, hopping up--she has to find an opening, and doing so engaged with this many targets is difficult, to say the least. Holding her conjured blade, Lily sidesteps again, teeth gritted, preparing to strike in the same instant that Gryndille turns towards her--

And it stops. It stops, and Lily herself pauses in place, staring upward as she hears... a voice. Its voice. "...Wh," she starts, shocked enough that her conjured weapon winks out. "My..." Pause. It looks at Lily; Lily looks up at Gryndille. And the name...

Lily stumbles, falling a couple of steps backward before she catches herself, unsteady on her feet. Fei said...

"I don't--" Leon's rage echoes in her ear, along with that strange name. Sharon Wyatt. Doctor? But why...?

Lily shakes her head to Xantia's question, at a loss; for once her emotions are writ on her face, and they are tangled and taut. "What do you know? How--How do you know!?" It might as well be ripped free. But Fei's suggestion brings Lily out of her confusion, and Noeline's words may as well have been meant for her.

"Right," she starts, breathes--if it's ancient... What could it be? What else? Talk of Lovelace using them comes to to her ears, and she tries to block it out. So her words shift into a language few here could hope to understand.

"<...Authorization...>" What? "<Fuck,>" she says under her breath, and then louder, "<Wyatt One! Sharon! ....Leon!>"

"Damn it, <Password!>"

So she ends up opposite Elly on the other side of the monstrosity, staring up at it. ...Addressing it?

GS: Lily Keil has attacked Lily Keil with Confusion!
GS: Lily Keil has completed her action.
GS: Lily Keil takes a solid hit from Lily Keil's Confusion for 0 hit points!
GS: Gryndille guards a hit from Fei Fong Wong's Suikei for 90 hit points!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard takes a solid hit from Noeline's Starless Sea for 156 hit points!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard takes a glancing hit from Cyre H. Lorentz's Grand Pressure for 63 hit points!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard takes a glancing hit from Elvis's Hi-Crush for 59 hit points!
GS: Gryndille critically Guards a hit from Chime Isa's Heavy Barrage for 24 hit points!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Chime Isa has lost 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille critically Guards a hit from Talise Gianfair's Infinitely Rippling Waters for 30 hit points!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Talise Gianfair has lost 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille critically Guards a hit from Ethius Hesiod's Recurrent Current for 21 hit points!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Ethius Hesiod has lost 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille guards a hit from Xantia's Crimson Flash for 69 hit points!
GS: Riposte! Statuses applied to Xantia!
GS: Gryndille guards a hit from Elhaym van Houten's Thermo Misericordia for 71 hit points!
GS: Break! Statuses applied to Gryndille!

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

        Gwen's focus narrows down for the sake of the courier's own sanity; the beast the Captain has become is gruesome enough on its own. Gryndille's acknowledgment of Lily, if possibly mistaken, does not escape her notice, however. "So in other words, Riese... somehow, that machine found its way here, and it's considering Malevolence its mission?"

        They'll just need to deal with the captain, to keep them separated so that Gryndille isn't activated to fight again.

        "Hey Elvis! Long time, no see~ Jus' doin' the same thing you are, real-" Malevolent liquid crashes into Gwen, pressing her backwards with the force of a crashing wave. "...."

        The corruptive force attempts to sink its fangs into her, but Gwen's psyche is not so tender as it was so long ago.

        The courier SWATS the final amount of the blast aside with a yell, Gwen emerging on the other end with a gasp.
        
        'This time you will face the same fate as your co-conspirators! Lovelace will put you to good use!'

        Lovelace. Josie? Gwen chances a look over the battlefield, confused. Well, there could be more than one Lovelace, right? Riesenlied's mention of a Timotheus answers Gwen's initial confusion.

        And also- Noeline and Cyre give Gwen a vital reminder: that beast was a man, once. Is still a man.

        "Riese." Gwen raises her voice slightly as she nods towards Riesenlied, in order to attract her attention. "I haven't much practice, but if you need a boost, I'll try to supply it." Even as she turns her attention back to the fray, Gwen continues speaking. It's the Guardians' power that allowed me t'survive, so any way I can give back..."

        The real context of this may be lacking, but the sentiment is still the same.

        She turns to the Captain. "Our friends'll take care of Gryndille, while we deal with your sickness." Her ARM begins to crackle with an abundance of electric energy, which Gwen throws in a widening space around her, favoring the side the Captain is on. "So stand down! We want to help you!"

GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with St. Elmo's Fire!
GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action.
GS: Gryndille guards a hit from Josephine Lovelace's Set On Ruin for 99 hit points!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard takes a glancing hit from Gwen Whitlock's St. Elmo's Fire for 45 hit points!
GS: Jam! Statuses applied to Captain of the Royal Guard!

<Pose Tracker> Gryndille has posed.

        The ARM's torso twists, putting heavy armor in Leon's immediate line of fire. Its gaze stays locked on Lily's, even as buckshot slams into it, carving tiny chips into its hide. Two of its sub-arms lash out at Leon, one tipped with monomolecular claws, the other with a blunt end; the former goes for the hand holding Argent Divider, trying to cut through the tendons on the back, while the latter races towards Leon's throat. And as if being hit in the throat weren't bad enough, that rod--should it make contact--unloads with a jolt of electrical power, more than enough to stun a fully-grown human.

        "Good evening, Doctor," the machine intones, in that robotic voice. "Please enter your security passcode." Lily tries. Gryndille stares down at her, even as Fei comes in from another angle. Two of Gryndille's sub-arms race in to intercept, slamming into Fei's gauntleted fist.

        "Incorrect passcode."

        Ice crackles from the martial artist's gauntlet, encasing both of the limbs in a thick coat of atmospheric moisture. Malevolence-tainted sorcery roars across the field a moment later, and Gryndille braces. The serpent's watery form slams into it--

        And into a brilliant flare of light, a shield encircling the automaton like a bubble.

        "Incorrect passcode."

        The shield flickers and flares as Chime's bolts--otherwise perfectly well-aimed--slam into it, one after another. Gryndille doesn't even look at her directly. Its focus stays locked on Lily. Talise's blade slams into the shield hard enough to strike up sparks, but it doesn't look at her, either. Despite the power being thrown its way, it seems focused on one thing, even as it defends itself.

        "Incorrect passcode. Incorrect passcode."

        That barrier's under stress, though. All the pressure is mounting; the bubble falters and fades as Gryndille's capacitors fill, leaving the machine open to Xantia. The young woman's blade stabs into Gryndille's armor, punching a hole the size of a one-gella piece in its back. It swivels away, twisting. Ethius tries to fry Gryndille from the inside out, only to find out it's thoroughly hardened. Electricity surges across its cannon-arm, and it twitches, spasms, and goes right back to normal operation.

        "Incorrect passcode. Tampering will be met with escalated force."

        Gryndille's frozen sub-arms break free of the ice with a dry, splintery crack. It spreads them, the glow in its circuitry intensifying as energy flows from node to node. It shield expands outward like the corona of a star going supernova, as if reality were breaking apart into a waveform of light and heat and raw white noise. Talise, Lily, Xantia, and Fei are right in the way.

        Firey Ether boils the ice clinging to Gryndille's frame. The plating beneath begins to warp from the sudden shift between hot and cold, straining to keep its shape. It begins to deform, visibly. Gryndille's head swivels to track Elly, letting loose with a snapshot of searing plasma from its optics. It fires a second burst at Josie, even as it shifts up its stance, surging forwards again as it tries to ram into Chime.

        "Escalating offense." That head swivels one last time, and fires a beam of Ley-laced force right at the biggest knot of Malevolence on the field--the Captain of the Guard.

GS: Gryndille has attacked Gryndille with DIRECTIVE - S E E K - !
GS: Gryndille has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Gryndille takes 8 damage from Poison!
GS: Gryndille has completed its action.
GS: Gryndille takes a solid hit from Gryndille's DIRECTIVE - S E E K -  for 0 hit points!
GS: Gryndille gains Restore, shortening negative statuses by 3 turns each!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Leon Albus with Adaptive Tactics!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Talise Gianfair with Siege Breaker!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Siege Breaker!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Xantia with Siege Breaker!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Lily Keil with Siege Breaker!
GS: Gryndille has spent 3 Combo on Headshot, including 0 on Gatling!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Ley-Targeted Shot!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Elhaym van Houten with Ocular Disruptor!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Josephine Lovelace with Ocular Disruptor!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Chime Isa with High-Speed Ram!
GS: Gryndille has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Talise Gianfair guards a hit from Gryndille's Siege Breaker for 142 hit points!
GS: CRITICAL! Leon Albus guards a hit from Gryndille's Adaptive Tactics for 127 hit points!
GS: Hyper, Quick, and Shield! Statuses applied to Gryndille!
GS: Gryndille has lost 0 Combo!
GS: Lily Keil takes a solid hit from Gryndille's Siege Breaker for 200 hit points!
GS: CRITICAL! Fei Fong Wong critically Guards a hit from Gryndille's Siege Breaker for 95 hit points!
GS: Hyper, Quick, and Shield! Statuses applied to Gryndille!
GS: Fei Fong Wong enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Fei Fong Wong has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has lost 1 Combo!
GS: Elhaym van Houten takes a glancing hit from Gryndille's Ocular Disruptor for 97 hit points!
GS: Disrupt! Statuses applied to Elhaym van Houten!
GS: Xantia critically Guards a hit from Gryndille's Siege Breaker for 84 hit points!
GS: Xantia has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has lost 1 Combo!
GS: Chime Isa takes a solid hit from Gryndille's High-Speed Ram for 166 hit points!
GS: Josephine Lovelace takes a solid hit from Gryndille's Ocular Disruptor for 182 hit points!
GS: Disrupt! Statuses applied to Josephine Lovelace!

<Pose Tracker> Gryndille has posed.

        For the first time since the fight began, Gryndille brings its massive gun-arm into play, raising it at Ethius Hesiod. Light crackles around the barrel, and then a line of white-hot energy races outwards, scattering and breaking apart. Each gobbet of energy is laced with more explosive force than an entire crate of TNT.

GS: Gryndille has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Gryndille Dynamite!
GS: Ethius Hesiod takes a glancing hit from Gryndille's Gryndille Dynamite for 114 hit points!
GS: Break! Statuses applied to Ethius Hesiod!
GS: CRITICAL! Captain of the Royal Guard takes a glancing hit from Gryndille's Ley-Targeted Shot for 146 hit points!
GS: Hyper, Quick, and Shield! Statuses applied to Gryndille!

<Pose Tracker> Captain of the Royal Guard has posed.

Lovelace... do you mean-- Timotheus Lovelace? What has he done to you?

As the Venomized Guardsman rises from his prone position, his massive, tremulous frame tilts towards Riesenlied. His gaze is baleful -- it has the distinct impression of a person staring at a wasp, a well-mixed cocktail of contempt, disgust and fear. The paradox of something so small inspiring such terror.

The Malevolence seethes with greater intensity.

"Metal Demon," hisses the Captain. He turns. The ground trembles beneath his step, like a sympathy pang to his gut instinct of fear. "You and your Mother would try to destroy us all. We know what happened at Adlehyde! It will not happen here!" He talks like he was living in the past -- removed from sense, unaware of recent happenings. Trapped by phantom fears of what once was and could have been.

"Lovelace has worked hard to prevent it. By order of the King! He will protect all of Krosse soon. All of Ignas! Our people will finally be safe! We will have nothing more to fear from your kind!"

An arm bearing a tremendous, spiked club lifts; the weapon crackles with sickly black electricity as those blue eyes widen in fury and fear.

"No more! w-why is it so cold--?"

It swings.

And seconds before it can hit its mark, the dual strikes of chilled flechette shards from Ashton and the brutally strong CRACK of Layna's sweeping boot against his provide more than enough counter-force to completely divert his momentum. Losing his footing, his weight serves to his disadvantage; ice peppering his face, he snarls and -swipes- at his jaw, just as Layna's assault sends him -crashing- under his own weight. It's an opening; distracted and pained as he is, the Venomized monstrosity can not even form a coherent (for a given value of the word) response to Layna and Ashton's rejoinders. It is an opening.

One that Noeline, Cyre, and Elvis capitalize on expertly. The shimmering blade rendered by Noeline's fluid swipe flies free and fast, -carving- through the Guardsman in a way that makes him lurch -heavily- towards his right even as he attempts to drag himself up. An arm is carved free off his upper back in the wake of bubbling air, the cauterized wound burbling like heated oil before it ripples and starts to regrow.

"i am" he mumbles, his voice faint and uneven, warbling between tones of worry and wrath as if one could not dominate the other for long in an eternal, parasitic struggle. "PROTECTING Krosse! Its people! Its sanctity! If the King demands sacrifices be made, then sacri--sacri-- my subordinates...? W-we're all here, a-aren't we--? i can hear them but i can't see them"

<Pose Tracker> Captain of the Royal Guard has posed.

And it is through this haze of confusion that Cyre cuts through, with words and winds in equal measure. Pent up pressure -crushes- across the ground beneath him, compromising the Guard's footing and sending him crashing once more violently to his knees. Chunks of rubble crack and ripple across the ground beneath him, racing wildly in fissures of cobblestone debris that lodges into his shadow-slaked body.

"My eyes are open" he seethes, "foreign elements must be purged, foreign elements must be purged -- i-it didn't seem right, but he said it would make me stronger -- s-stronger--?"

The lines of his body shift towards a sea-green glow, as if combining elements into one. As it does, as uncertainty rules him, Elvis' assault draws pure power forged in hexagonal hurt to HAMMER into his fallen figure in a way that DRIVES him into the ground. The street concaves into an asymmetric crater beneath his feet. A flanged snarl slips past inconstant lips.

"I SHALL NEVER LAY DOWN! I SHALL NEVER FAIL KROSSE!"

And sorcerous runes begin to scrawl the earth beneath him in glowing, violet lines.

Gryndille, Gwen says, and that blue-green gaze affixes to her with a spiteful stare. "I-I see. You are in league with the golem. Yes. It must be. It must be? It must be." The sigils expand outward. Faster. Faster. Until they practically cover a city block. Electricity disgorges from the pent-up palm of Gwen's ARM, surging through the kneeling, Venomized Guard in a way that makes his entire, daunting figure -seize- and seizure with the wild dance of plasmic arcs. It delays what's coming. It might help.

"I WILL MAKE YOU HURT"

And, the haze of confusion subsides for a brief moment, his weakness and clarity seeping away once again as all of those sigils IGNITE. Swords of pure Malevolence bearing the branding of Krosse like sickly parodies of patriotism skewer the air and anything -- anyone -- caught in their path, creating a field of war and fear and intolerance that stretches from its epicenter at the guard all the way to Gryndille. They crackle. Wobble.

And then EXPLODE into a haze of pure, red *hurt*, disgorging malevolent magic throughout the battlefield just as a ley-focused beam of light courtesy of the Gryndille CLEAVES the Hellion into an ugly, bisected smear across its middle.

Silence. For the longest time, there is silence. And then,

"#-1 INVALID ANSI DEFINITION: +xtrm57 hungry..."

Through the haze, he moves. A silhouette in red. Walking. Walking.

"why am i so hungry--?"

Looming over Riesenlied.

"there's something -- something -- strong. Warm. I can hear them. Why can I hear them? I need... I need--"

And from the depths of that haze springs the Captain of the Guard, so fast for his size.

His entire midsection separating into a gleaming maw of black and churning violets that seeks to -sink- sharpened fangs of inky black into Riesenlied that will sink into flesh and deeper still -- trying to chew past the physical into the intangible light of the spirit.

GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has activated a Force Action!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has spent 6 Combo on Poison and Gatling, including 4 on Gatling!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has attacked Riesenlied with Hunger!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has spent 4 Combo on Disease and Headshot, including 0 on Gatling!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has attacked Gryndille with Hurt!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has attacked Layna Manydays with Hurt!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has attacked Gwen Whitlock with Hurt!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has attacked Ashton Anchors with Hurt!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has attacked Noeline with Hurt!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has attacked Elvis with Hurt!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has attacked Cyre H. Lorentz with Hurt!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has completed their action.
GS: CRITICAL! Layna Manydays takes a solid hit from Captain of the Royal Guard's Hurt for 197 hit points!
GS: Layna Manydays has been weakened by Disease! They take 40 damage, and burn off all temporary hit points!
GS: Disease and Poison! Statuses applied to Layna Manydays!
GS: Quick! Statuses applied to Captain of the Royal Guard!
GS: Riesenlied critically Guards a hit from Captain of the Royal Guard's Hunger for 41 hit points!
GS: Riesenlied enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Riesenlied has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has lost 1 Combo!
GS: CRITICAL! Noeline takes a solid hit from Captain of the Royal Guard's Hurt for 181 hit points!
GS: Noeline has been weakened by Disease! They take 15 damage, and burn off all temporary hit points!
GS: Disease and Poison! Statuses applied to Noeline!
GS: Quick! Statuses applied to Captain of the Royal Guard!
GS: CRITICAL! Cyre H. Lorentz takes a glancing hit from Captain of the Royal Guard's Hurt for 96 hit points!
GS: Cyre H. Lorentz has been weakened by Disease! They take 0 damage, and burn off all temporary hit points!
GS: Disease and Poison! Statuses applied to Cyre H. Lorentz!
GS: Quick! Statuses applied to Captain of the Royal Guard!
GS: CRITICAL! Elvis critically Guards a hit from Captain of the Royal Guard's Hurt for 39 hit points!
GS: Poison! Statuses applied to Elvis!
GS: Quick! Statuses applied to Captain of the Royal Guard!
GS: Elvis has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has lost 1 Combo!

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Leon is blinded, in the moment, to tactics. His answer to Talise is to fire again, though this shotgun round slams into the armor on Gryndille and bounces away with a shower of sparks. He's aware of the Hellion -- of Riesenlied's and Noeline's efforts to buy the Wolves time against Gryndille -- but his focus is on the thing that, until a moment ago, did not speak and did not seem to care if it shattered their lives.

Instead, it bears some connection to Lily. It is a change to his world that is most unwelcome.

It is some small comfort when Nostos fires, the crack-boom sending a ripple through the air. That comfort is dispelled by Fei talking to himself, and knowing what that might mean. His anger only grows, as he hears Lily's mounting confusion and fear.

The two sub-arms snap into Leon. He manages to raise Argent Divider and deflect the monofilament claws, but the blades dig through his coat and into his bicep instead. The blow to his throat, though, lands true. Electricity rockets through him -- and pitches him backward. He hits ground, in a three point stance, gasping for breath.

It is Noeline's voice that cuts through everything, and brings him out of his anger. He has a surprised expression on his face; it softens, though, and the Kislevi soldier nods in Noeline's direction. "Right you are," he says to Noeline, though when he exhales, there is an on-edge shudder to it.

He scowls at Gryndille. "Whatever is happening, it hasn't changed what we have to do! It will kill everything in the city!" Leon shouts. He snaps Argent Divider again. The barrels unfold -- and mid-leap, the blade telescopes out -- and Leon leaps. He comes down at Gryndille's massive back, trying to plant his feet on it near the base of the thing's head. Then, he slams the weapon downward, trying to bury Argent Divider's blade into the mechanical systems in the colossal ARM's neck.

GS: Leon Albus has attacked Gryndille with Riot Crash!
GS: Leon Albus has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Leon Albus has completed his action.
GS: CRITICAL! Gwen Whitlock guards a hit from Captain of the Royal Guard's Hurt for 127 hit points!
GS: Gwen Whitlock has been weakened by Disease! They take 0 damage, and burn off all temporary hit points!
GS: Disease and Poison! Statuses applied to Gwen Whitlock!
GS: Quick! Statuses applied to Captain of the Royal Guard!
GS: CRITICAL! Ashton Anchors guards a hit from Captain of the Royal Guard's Hurt for 118 hit points!
GS: Ashton Anchors has been weakened by Disease! They take 0 damage, and burn off all temporary hit points!
GS: Disease and Poison! Statuses applied to Ashton Anchors!
GS: Quick! Statuses applied to Captain of the Royal Guard!

GS: CRITICAL! Gryndille critically Guards a hit from Captain of the Royal Guard's Hurt for 33 hit points!
GS: Poison! Statuses applied to Gryndille!
GS: Quick! Statuses applied to Captain of the Royal Guard!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has lost 1 Combo!

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

"Old murderbot, L and L want it dead. Got it," Talise calls back to Riesenlied over the noise of combat.

In any other circumstance, the prospect of further researching and studying the history of an ARM like this would preoccupy her. Now's the wrong time for it. It's here and it wants to kill her, and it's going to be either them or it.

More to the point, she can hear the Guard Captain yelling about Lovelace, and Riesenlied explaining. Talise does a bit of mental math.

She hadn't calculated that it has shields. Her sword kicks up sparks, and she recoils from Gryndille with a grimace. "Damn it, it's got tricks," she grumbles.

Fei's saying something; Talise frowns as she overhears it.

"...You mean it's a maid robot and we're the dustbunnies?"

        'Tampering will be met with escalated force.'

"Aw, Althena's gilded hat," Talise swears as she hoists her sword across herself in a defensive stance, hunkers her shoulder armour up, and braces herself for what she can only assume to be pain.

The shield bursts forth in a coronal blast. Light and heat roll over them all. The force of it sears across Talise's body and armour. Pain races across her cheeks as the pressure threatens to throw her off her feet and blow her away. It does drive her to a knee, before the light expands, spreads, heats her armour and swallows her up.

Something steely surges out of the energy field.

"URAAAAAAAAAAAAAA," Talise screams as she powers through the coronal death. Scorch marks lance across her cheeks and forehead, and smoke pours out through what seams in her armour exist. The edges of plates glow subtly as if only beginning to cool from being superheated. But Rastaban hasn't been touched.

Leon lays out the stakes. Talise doesn't need to shout anything back. She just lunges. Rastaban snaps out, biting like a cobra's head.

It is not a heavy stroke. Talise plants a toe against the ground, swinging Rastaban in a series of blindingly fast, feather-light strokes that don't even seem to touch Gryndille. She shifts her weight to the toes of her other boot, then hops back. Her swings come with such speed and delicate control that the sword almost seems to sing in the air, like several different notes of vibrating heartstrings. There is no sound of metal on metal. It's like Talise is just waving her sword at Gryndille for some reason, as if trying to impress it with an exquisite sword dance.

Talise jumps back after a lot of swings. She exhales. Her breath smokes. She mentally counts down five seconds.

Only when five seconds have passed will what she did become clear: Gryndille's armour may suddenly spawn a series of incredibly tiny micro-cuts, each one a whisper-thin straight line. They don't really hurt it. They don't really damage it.

But they just might create cracks in that armour. Perfectly straight, cobwebbing cracks.

GS: Talise Gianfair has spent 1 Combo on Disease, including 0 on Gatling!
GS: Talise Gianfair has attacked Gryndille with Parting of the Seas!
GS: Talise Gianfair has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Talise Gianfair has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Chime Isa has posed.

        Chime does giggle, flashing a bright cheerful smile at Josie. "Boots fix a number of things." with an agreeing nod as she watches the blast launched at Gryndille. "Do you have a steady ARMs Meister to work on it for you? I could help with that~" her voice playful till she notices Gryndille's shifting attention.

        "Meep!" the short elf gets out, attempting to dodge aside but getting swept up by the barreling machine instead. By the time Chime bounces off the ground from the ramming still in front of it, she coughs and shakes her head looking wrecked. "Unpleasant." She remarks, tightening her grip on both her crossbows and aiming them straight up.

        Twelve bolts flash into the sky, only to come back down as javelins smashing into the area around not only Gryndille but the Captain as well. "Eat those, both of you annoyances." Chime grumbles quietly as she lets out another cough before nimbly getting back to her feet with a wince and then dashing to the side so she's not in front or next to the contain-via-termination machine.

        As she moves, she calls out "Who needs a hand staying up? I can probably manage some healing."

GS: Chime Isa has attacked Gryndille with Arrows of Light!
GS: Chime Isa has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Arrows of Light!
GS: Chime Isa has completed her action.
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard takes a solid hit from Chime Isa's Arrows of Light for 160 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        Ethius' solution to the problem, to make use of the residual splash of the watery assault, comes up short of shorting - he's not the only one having difficulty finding an 'in.' He finds himself having to keep moving as the three-way battle continues to move and evolve while his mind captures unfavorable realities about the safeguards and other defensive mechanisms available to the war machine. Its capabilities are nothing short of astounding. Its power... he already had a fair taste from that plasma shot.
        When the great cannon arm levels on him - him specifically - his eyes widen momentarily. He gets a hold of his emotions fast enough to fire off a moving heat spell under duress, pointing it upward and away in a do-or-die gambit to hope it is tracking by heat.
        He goes into a dive as the gun-arm takes its shot. It passes just above him, but even being in proximity of something so hot is like a split-second exposure to heat the human body is not intended to experience.
        It does not pass through the nearby architecture. It explodes it, the backwash hurling Ethius bodily closer as he is pelted by some of the debris. He may not comprehend the depths of his fortune as to what he just avoided a direct hit from. His head rings as he finds himself at a crouch not too far off from a number of the others trying to address what has seemed an unstoppable nemesis for them.
        He watches as several seem to jump on the machine to try and physically pick it apart, as though the only means available to them. It might be. He does notice some of the plating has been damaged by temperature extremes in play from others. He feels the wave of hurt pass by and around.
        The mysterious Symbologist comes upright, once more sucking in the pain from a scorched right forearm. The air is stingingly cool against it. He falls again to a crouch as he tries to read the swivel of Gryndille's head movements, as if attempting to stealthily reposition by their four o'clock. Once more, another heat spell is cobbled together. This isn't thrown at them - he has the uptick in heat streak the air above, and try to turn their head in a direction away from where Leon might be going in for the kill, away from where Talise is hoping to break open the shell.
        ...
        This is so he can take his quarterstaff in both arms, and just stick it against one of the more exposed-looking joint mechanisms near one of its legs. Never mind that it looks like an almost ornate piece that faintly thrums with sealed Malevolence - he seems very sure of where he's trying to stick it, accounting for the asymmetry of its upper body construction and how it might mess with its balance if one leg-limb were damaged.
        It seems less desperate a gambit than it ought to, less emotionally charged - and just something he up and does even after yet another brush with mortality.

GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Gryndille with Ground Gain!
GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action.

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei is briefly distracted by tales of Josie's dad but he turns his head away before the true horror of the Guard Captain can unnerve him. He has to focus on what's currently trying to murder him. Sometimes you can avoid san rolls by not looking at the lovecraftian horror.

But...Do they not know Mother is dead? They might not realize that that war is even over with all that they have done to block out the rest of the world.

His eyes widen as Gryndille unleashes an assault on Lily of all people. He has absolute faith in Xantia's and Elly's ability to survive this situation but in the current circumstances, Lily has been unbalanced. Even regaining it, she might need extra care. He is grateful Noeline is there to be the stable rock in a field full of wavering wills.

But Lily is under attack.

Fei closes his eyes. He doesn't feel unstable. Plenty of anxieties right now, but they aren't overwhelming him. He can feel the guardsman's hunger, he can FEEL the guardsman's pain, their confusion, their hesitation. Tears well up but Fei tightens his eyes even more shut until the impulse fades. He is here. He is not going to be a Crying Breakfast Friend.

Fei raises his hand as power expels out from Gryndille in a wave of light, and heat, and noise, and fury. It's going to immolate him, isn't it? His blood will boil and his eyes will burst and his flesh will melt.

But that doesn't happen. The energy ripples around Fei as it connects with his hand and he starts walking forward towards it. In the heat, his hair looks like it's glowing faintly red, his eyes with a yellowish tint to them.

"I don't know how you were reborn, Sharon!" He shouts. "But don't worry, I'll give it a spanking!"

Ugh really?

"Shutup." He murmurs to himself and keeps on grinning as he moves forward, pressing through the energy blast with his hand.

"But you made your decision already when we went into Xantia's mind, didn't you? Didn't all of you?"

He is close into melee range as he suddenly leaps up and throws both hands in a slamming motion for both of Gryndille's optics, fingers still glowing with the hot energy of Gryndille's own death laser as if he made its power his own.

"You're not responsible for your past lives!"

And with that he throws one less slugging strike for the machine's chin before that power fades from his body and Fei tumbles off, dropping into a crouch and panting for breath.

'What changed your mind?'

When Emmy recognized us...she stopped trying to hurt us. This is no child. Just a lost machine.

GS: Fei Fong Wong has attacked Gryndille with Shatter The Karma Slave's Chains!
GS: Fei Fong Wong has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Fei Fong Wong has completed his action.
GS: Gryndille guards a hit from Ethius Hesiod's Ground Gain for 51 hit points!
GS: Slow! Statuses applied to Gryndille!

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

        Layna answers with the affirmation, though tells her that if it's starting to look rough that she'll end it her way. Riesenlied winces for a moment, but... quietly nods as she looks towards the scattered guards that have fallen. She may very well be undertaking a fool's errand, with how she hasn't done this before... and in the midst of a Malevolent Domain too.

        "I understand," Riesenlied whispers.

        She looks to Lily and Leon, and the ensuing, embroiled battle with Gryndille; she bites her lip further as she finds herself without the capacity to hear further, even as she hears Noeline's clipped yell for a distant moment. There's a wince as she panics, for a moment, less certain about what to do about the ancient automaton as memories of their close encounter in the past shore up--

        "I have to trust they can do this, Noeline..."

        She turns as well as Gwen does, to the Captain. She's honestly not certain, but she recalls the time at Castle Rabenstein and how the other Mediums were able to resonate with one another. "I trust you, Gwen. I'm just as much a novice... but I won't give up--"

        She shakes her head.

        Riesenlied listens to Cyre's explanation, as the Nahual keeps goading the captain and spurring him onwards. He explains to her that he'll need to push against it too--

        And the Captain addresses her. Her heart wrenches, as he mentions Adlehyde.

        "I... I-- Adlehyde was..."

        Her distraction from such words is such that she notices a bit too late that the Captain has pushed past all obstacle... only to be struck again by Gryndille's ley-powered beam that disgorges malevolent magic and hurt.

        "Cold... it is cold, is it not?" Riesenlied whispers in pain, "It's... it's okay, it'll be--"

        She makes the mistake of reaching for the Hellion, but suddenly everything goes wrong.

        The Captain's midsection explodes outward into a gaping maw that Riesenlied doesn't have much time to escape from, yelping as she threatens being devoured whole into the Hellion form that he has assumed.

        "Remember the warmth... remember all that Krosse is! Your friends, your comrades..." A pause, as she shrivels and pushes against fang and flesh alike even as she cries aloud from where it's sunk into her arm and started to rattle against her spirit.

        It was like the sensation of Malevolence once more.

        "I failed Adlehyde. I failed its people, and there are too many that cannot be brought back. But I won't fail Krosse! And I need you to be there for your city, for your people, Captain!"

        And she has burst into light once more as she flees the vicinity of the creature under extreme duress, recombobulating into physical form with a harrowed, trembling gasp next to her partner, supporting her through her pain as well.

        "Noeline... I-- I'd like to try to channel and synchronise our power... just like we practiced."

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

        Ducking and weaving forwards from cover to cover, Noeline is quick to grimace to herself. Maybe it isn't time to give away the whole game, but-- "It is their enemy, and a bitter one. More than that, you'd have to ask them - it would not really be fair for me to say," she chuckles under her breath as she addresses Elvis; her smile is slightly rueful, in as much as she has any real time at all to concentrate on other things than fending off the Malevolence all around them.

        Gwen is someone she hasn't seen in a significant amount of time - and truth be told, Noeline doesn't get to see her much right now, either, slipping past in the courier's shadow in the blink of an eye. "Pin him in place, if you can!" she calls as she circles, sending another sweeping wave of black light forwards from her blade - and it takes a moment to realize that's exactly what she's trying to do as well, in an attempt to corral the fight away from more populated areas of the city.

        Riesenlied's words are not so much a reproach, more a reminder - and Noeline nods in recognition of that fact. "I know. I-- do as well," she mutters under her breath, doing her best to shake away the quiet worry. "But a little reminder never hurt." A beat, and she winces softly to herself as she watches Leon regain himself, feeling at least a little comfort from that much. "I hope."

        From another direction, the Captain suddenly and abruptly raves. Noeline had been expecting something more directly physical; she hadn't expected the very air around her to shimmer with the feeling of hurt, the sensation tearing at her connection to her Medium and briefly blinding her spiritual senses into so much static. On impulse, she retreats - towards a safety she knows, the core of warmth of her link with Riesenlied, and-- to someone who has literally just reappeared in her arms, shaking and in pain but full of conviction.

        For a moment, Noeline hesitates at Riesenlied's request. It would be wrong to say that it's due to old fears, more that it's due to old perceptions. A deep and buried part of her still looks up to Riese with no small amount of reverence, and to do something with her like this, in so crucial a moment-- a tiny little doubting part of her, the neonate that once was, whispers 'is this really okay?'

        But she's come a long, long way since those days, and when she reaches over to grasp Riesenlied's hand it's with a fierce and wordless nod.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

        'it'll be okay,' whispers a little unit to that neonate.

        The Hyadean reaches to her partner and channels energy to her through their rings. After @emit a moment, Riesenlied relents as she feels her body's movements synchronising with Noeline's, alighting to the air and drawing in bright and colourful flight towards the six-armed Captain.

        She's relying more on Noeline's much sharper combat instincts to guide her through the Captain's flurry of attacks, through the defence of his weapons.

        She jukes, and draws in from Captain's right, where the sun would rise. Hers is a shining star, illuminated upon the tip of Mistilteinn as her star-spangled movements incandescently bring her on path of daybreak, and a path of twilight. Closer and closer, she worries less and less about their trajectory, trusting Noeline's guidance as the two flank the Royal Guard from each side with a flurry of light-buoyed strikes from Mistilteinn--

        "I won't fail you... I know you're in there somewhere! So, together..."

        And at the apex of their twinned assault, Riesenlied's sword shining with indefatigable light, she announces:

        "Together, with Noeline...!"

        The sword descends, bringing forth the light of--

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

        One pale eyebrow is arched Chime's way as Josie gears the machine up the best way she knows now. Lopsidedly, she smiles. "Trust me, I've got it covered," she tells the elf.

        Before things begin to escalate in a wildly different direction.

        Lily says something, words that Josie can't parse.
        But she knows it for what it is: Zeboim.

        But none of them are the right answer.

        "Try and stall it, Tiger! Keep it busy! Got to line up this shot--"

        Her next shot, another shell to send reeling for the still ambulatory machine. Her heart heart pounds in her chest.

        The light on the cannon begins to dim, back down to an amber. Her dark eyes narrow, and she stands to once again boot the cannon the old-fashioned way -- perhaps in some hope that jostling it may realign some connection or another? -- as explosions unwind around her.
        Her gaze dips upwards.
        Dark eyes go wide.

        There is green light again.
        Before a bolt of plasma lets fly.

        Josie staggers backwards, falling to one knee beside the cannon; a hand touches to her shoulder. There is no blood. Just burned cloth and, ah, flesh.

        She reached for the burning beam to shove it aside.
        Not enough. Not enough! Ash and cinder rained down upon her as she struggled. And screamed.

        As if in a trance, Josephine blinks and reaches for the cannon, propping herself against it as she inches forward.

        Squints through the crystal sights.

        And, still staring through Gryndille than at it, urges it to let fly another shell. The cannon screams its hymn, something within winding up and releasing, as it releases this one--

        Low. For the legs.

GS: Josephine Lovelace has spent 1 Combo on Disease, including 0 on Gatling!
GS: Josephine Lovelace has attacked Gryndille with A Heart Of Iron!
GS: Josephine Lovelace has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

        The rush of power is immediate as their link redoubles itself and buoys them upwards; she gasps at the sheer force of it, feeling herself lifted into the air along with the other Hyadean, a spiralling rise that fills her senses in a way she's never experienced before. The disorientation only lasts an instant before her instincts take over, fuelled by Riesenlied's trust; any other time she might pull the other Hyadean into her arms protectively, but here she pushes with her mind instead, feeling for the sorcery and guiding it - and the two of them - into a complicated dance.

        It is almost too much for words, her senses working on overdrive, but it's clear to see the synchronicity between them as they move in concert - as Riesenlied sweeps around one of the exploding sigils with grace, as Noeline matches her movements in a mirror image.. When they both sweep in, Noeline announces her presence with three heaving swings - three crackling, twisting lines of sorcery that seek to pin the Captain in place between them.

        And then she's rising in a breathless climb, reaching after her partner. Her sword blazes as it touches that light, as it twists with the shadow cast by it - and then Noeline drags it downwards, tearing with the twilight--

GS: Riesenlied has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Eosphoros - The Morning Star!
GS: Riesenlied has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Riesenlied has entered a Reflect stance!
GS: Riesenlied has completed her action.
GS: Noeline has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Hesperos - The Evening Star!
GS: Noeline has entered a Reflect stance!
GS: Noeline takes 7 damage from Poison!
GS: Noeline has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

The attack is coming - Ashton braces behind his icy shield.
 
Yeah, no, he's not stopping that.
 
An aura of pure H U R T explodes all around, hurling the young swordsman backwards. He crashes - perhaps ironically - into the cart full of barrels. His safe space. The barrels - his dearest loves - sacrifice themselves to cushion his fall and save him just a little more harm.
 
Ashton groans. He fights his way to his feet again. The others are talking about purification. That is not in Ashton's vocabulary right now. This is a horrific monster - an assemblange of That Which Should Not Be. His soul hurts just looking at it.
 
Cyre shouts something about mixing up elemental strikes. It adapts? That's not good. Nor is how it seems to be shrouded in a red haze and full of teeth now.
 
Ashton needs a moment to gather himself, however. Two hard hits in a row have left him bleeding and unsteady as well as out of position. They can't let up, however. If that.... that THING continues to absorb more of the fallen, it's only going to get worse as time goes on.
 
Creepy? Weepy? I need your help.
You usually do.
Not the time. You have it, Ashton.
 
Amongst the smashed barrels, Ashton braces himself. The two dragons on his shoulders grow - sorcerous power fills them as Creepy and Weepy shift from being shoulder-companions to full sized dragons once more. Their bulk soon vastly outmasses Ashton's own in clear defiance of the laws of physics. But dragons obey no such laws.
 
The pair roar with battle fury before unleashing their power: twin clouds of dragonfire and dragonfrost, pouring at both the monstrosity that was once a Guard Captain and at the berserk Gryndille. Perhaps there is sorcery that could preserve them - but Ashton is a hunter of monsters. And these are most certainly monsters. There's nothing here to save.

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

 
Elly receives a wonderful present from Gryndille - PAIN!

The swivelling head comes to her attention a moment before it fires which helpfully explains why she does not die. Elly has seen that burning ray spread outwards and though her heart screams for Fei's safety she is forced to focus on a simple and direct and immediate course of action: hit the dirt.

She throws herself down onto her belly, hard. The passing heat is enough to put blisters and red skin on the back of her hands, her hair thick enough thankfully to spare her neck and well tended enough to not begin to smoulder. The impact takes the breath out of her, before she rolls to one elbow and pushes up...

Unfortunately this period meant her attempt to superheat part of Gryndille has temporarily ended. Oopsie! Hopefully it was enough to either damage something or set up Josie, because Elly, for a moment, is down here.

She can hear Fei. He's so brave. But it seems the password isn't being accepted.

Elly feels her gut tighten and her mind races as she rises to her feet again, shaking just a little. Am I having some kind of a crash? she wonders, jaw tightening. It's going to stomp around and kill -

        Elly blinks once.

Her eyes turn towards the Captain of the Guard, then back away, thankfully missing the horror of the attempted devourment of Riesenlied. She can smell the aftermath of electricity in the ai
r. Elly's hands raise --

With hissing twirls of snow and mist, heavy objects of ice, jagged and drawn from the atmospheric moisture above Krosse, fall down, trying to smite Gryndille, where Elly can see an opening. The spell is swift, almost trivial, but it is leaving chunks of ice laying around, which, Elly thinks (with a desperate prayer for everyone's safety) will be the key.

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

"Protecting it? Look around you! Does Krosse look protected to you!?" Layna shouts. He asks about his subordinates and Layna laughs mirthlessly. "That metal monster over there killed them...and then you ate them. Without a second thought!"

She shakes her head.

"A Captain supports the crew! Works with them! They're not sacrifices to be used and discarded!" She shouts, incensed. "Is that what your king asked you to do?"

As she speaks she begins to move, listening carefully to his words. And then he roars, sending blades of Malevolence flying everywhere. One flies right toward Layna and she attempts to dodge out of the way...but the Venomized Captain is already fixated on her. It follows her movements to the second, shearing right through the Ley barrier Riesenlied had placed over her and embedding itself in her left shoulder. Layna lets out a gasp of shock and pain, backpedaling...and then it detonates with crimson pain, sending her flying backward violently. She crashes to the ground, thankfully on her good arm. She lays there for a second, but then with a wince forces herself to get up. She can handle pain, but this was something on a different level entirely.

"Ugh, damn that hurts..." She hisses. She's a bit unstable at first, her left arm limp at her side...but she can't stay down right now, even if she's down an arm.

She rushes to close the distance once more, red energy gathering in her right hand.

"But if you won't take my word for it...feel it for yourself!" She moves to slam the fist forward into the Captain's midsection, seeking to turn his power against him.

GS: Layna Manydays has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Plunder Power!
GS: Layna Manydays takes 9 damage from Poison!
GS: Layna Manydays takes 12 damage from Toxin!
GS: Layna Manydays has completed her action.
GS: Elhaym van Houten has attacked Gryndille with Aqua Setup!
GS: Elhaym van Houten has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Elhaym van Houten has completed her action.
GS: Ashton Anchors has attacked Gryndille with Dragon Breath!
GS: Ashton Anchors has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Dragon Breath!
GS: Ashton Anchors has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Ashton Anchors takes 9 damage from Poison!
GS: Ashton Anchors has completed his action.
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard takes a solid hit from Riesenlied's Eosphoros - The Morning Star for 150 hit points!
GS: Cover! Statuses applied to Riesenlied!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard takes a solid hit from Noeline's Hesperos - The Evening Star for 160 hit points!
GS: Mighty! Statuses applied to Noeline!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard takes a glancing hit from Layna Manydays's Plunder Power for 36 hit points!
GS: Weaken! Statuses applied to Captain of the Royal Guard!
GS: Mighty! Statuses applied to Layna Manydays!
GS: CRITICAL! Captain of the Royal Guard takes a glancing hit from Ashton Anchors's Dragon Breath for 112 hit points!
GS: Gryndille critically Guards a hit from Josephine Lovelace's A Heart Of Iron for 38 hit points!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Josephine Lovelace has lost 1 Combo!

<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

So Lily doesn't know either. Xantia takes a moment to ponder what this might be all about, and can only immediately arrive at one possibility. This must be a clue about Lily's mysterious past! Then she mentally chastises herself for attributing her own problems to people who don't even have amnesia. Again.

...Then again, Lily was worried about remembering things that didn't happen, wasn't she? So maybe...

So maybe she shouldn't just keep standing there right next to Gryndille while thinking about these things. An energy field starts to rapidly expand, prompting Xantia to reflexively shield herself with her bracer. But what's that tiny thing going to do?

To the surprise of even Xantia herself, the answer turns out to be 'quite a bit'. Rather than wash over her, the expanding barrier seems to crash into an some kind of an invisible, opposing barrier. Xantia gets violently flung back as a result, and makes a rather painful landing, but... all told, it's much preferable to getting caught right in the eye of the storm.

Xantia picks herself up as she looks to Fei, nodding in apparent understanding. "So... it's there to clean up messes? That doesn't sound too different from what we're doing." Not that she's about to sympathize with Gryndille. It's obviously doing a pretty bad job of it if it thinks the messes include regular people. And besides, she concludes as she deactivates her ARM. "Then it's not needed, we can clean up a mess just fine."

Even if Gryndille seems bent on proving her wrong, with that massive beam doing a number on the Hellion monster, Leon concurs that it's got to go. See, even Id agrees.

...wait a minute. Xantia's eyes light up, and a big smile appears on her face when she fully realizes what just happened, and she waves exaggeratedly like an enormous goofball. She can't help herself, it's so good to finally 'see' Id again, sort of. So she just sort of... cheers him on. "Yay, Id! Go get him!"

This of course doesn't mean that she isn't going to do anything herself. Far from it. Electricity bursts from her body as she speeds off towards the mechanical menace. "My turn~ Watch this!" Diving towards Gryndille, she subjects it to a series of rapid, lightning-charged punches, topping it off with a kick that launches her into the air. She raises her arms to the sky, pooling the electricity towards her hands, shaping it into the form of a giant hammer, then comes back down to SLAM the massive lightning construct down, which explodes into a rain of sparks on impact.

She looks back in Fei's direction for approval afterwards, looking incredibly pleased with herself. If you ever need Xantia particularly motivated for something, all you have to do is get Id involved. Some things never change.

GS: Xantia has spent 3 Combo on Headshot, including 0 on Gatling!
GS: Xantia has attacked Gryndille with Megavolt Hammer!
GS: Xantia has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Xantia has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.

Elvis watches that violet earthen effect take hold after being struck by rising and falling pillars. "Even the earth... quite interesting." The being seemed to reach out to all kinds of magic., twisting it to its own accord.

A look across the battlefield. The robot seems to be repelling everyone attacking it, yet still verbally engaging with Lily. Despite the lack of success. But what kind of passcode might it want? A shame there wasn't a way to peel back time to find out.

In retaliation, the Hellion unleashes a miasmic wave of negative crimson in all directions. Blocking does little, as it infuses everything it touches. A sickening feeling overtakens the Veruni, but he has no choice but to fight through the wrongness. Eyes widen as the creature moves to bite Riesenlied, though she manages to fight it off regardless. "Get away from her!" he shouts, moving in to throw a powerful straight leveled jsut above his midsection, a powerful enough strike that concussive corve would move through them and keep going. "Submit and listen!" he shouts at the being.

People here seem to know more about this than he-- that despite their condition, they can be reached. "Others are trying to speak to you, and you try to harm a young lady!" he scolds.

He backs off, seeing Riesenlied and Noeline come in. He worries for the former. But perhaps he can help her somehow! It would take a moment to channel the proper energies however.

GS: Elvis has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Dropping Straight!
GS: Elvis takes 8 damage from Poison!
GS: Elvis has completed his action.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Incorrect. Incorrect. Incorrect, incorrect, incorrect, incorrect, i--c--t-
                ttttttttttt wrong

Light, heat, and noise; these are the answer. Whatever strange moment persisted where Gryndille was still, it has passed, and Lily can feel that passage in the achingly slow instants as the shield explodes into her, exciting molecules, drowning out all sound, slamming her backwards. Through the air she goes, slowly and then all at once to her mind--right into a building whose wall cracks audibly with her impact. Her head lolls as she slides down, crumpling to the ground in a heap on her side. She's breathing, to judge by the rise and fall, but around her falls further debris, bricks tumbling to either side before the section of street she's in is still. For the moment.

She remembers. Back then; out of nowhere. The death that came, desperate, desperate attempts, calling on magic the scale of which she'd never before managed. It wasn't enough. It couldn't have been enough.

She remembers; learning of her father's involvement. A sick, sick feeling, that it wasn't a mistake at all, that it had been planned... the blood coating that room in Ash Hare.
        She remembers, the Great Hall; the battle against Gryndille where she was able to beat it back, with the others. Where they could do something.
                She remembers; lessons from her father. Wisdom, from her mother. Days at school, stretching back, the streets of Nortune, a house of soothing tones, snow, snow, a schoolyard with fire--
nothing

Lily's hand twitches, along the ground. The words pierce the haze of her mind as Fei says them. 'I don't know how you were reborn', he says. 'You made your decision already when we went into Xantia's mind.'

Another twitch of Lily's hand. "You're..." She murmurs, and her hands scrabble against ruined cobblestones as she finds her bearings, pushes herself back upward again. "You're right." She cannot think now, of Riesenlied and the purity she hopes to bring. She can think only of one thing, in the moment. The sorceress rises, to her knees this time, and stares upward, slowly. She remembers...

A shell of power erupts around Lily's form on the ground, shattering debris and collapsing the rest of the wall behind her. She begins to float upwards again, breathing. It seems so easy, in the moment. She remembers, facing this thing. She remembers...

"After all that... After all that, you tell me... I could've done something. if I'd known. Well..."

Lily extends her arms--and suddenly the markings on her body pulse. There is a feeling of motion, and a brilliant light crackles between her and Gryndille for an instant before her eyes go black. It's quiet--before the patterns draw from her eyes outward in the span of a heartbeat; in the next heartbeat, wings of energy, circuits on nothing, erupt behind her. "<Limiters released. Ether output...>"

"<Undefined.>"

BGM - Ironspy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e223ADJAJE

"Machine, I will show you..."
                        "Hate."

The witch floats upward, black hair flowing behind her, a streak of the same strange colors as before in it. She doesn't so much as move her hands, simply staring with strange bright-pupiled black eyes, and in an instant it begins. There's a terrible roar, and a sense of twisting to those who can feel magic, as it pushes through; it is not a clean effect, not some sequential combination. The air about Gryndille instead tears itself apart, gravity distorting visibly as the center of the effect bursts into star-hot flames, nuclear blaze met with frigid winds and the void itself, a horrific maelstrom of power unfocused.

"NO MORE!"

GS: Lily Keil has activated a Force Action!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard takes a solid hit from Elvis's Dropping Straight for 115 hit points!
GS: Shieldbreak! Statuses applied to Captain of the Royal Guard!

DC: Lily Keil switches forms to Omega - Awakened!

GS: Lily Keil has spent 3 Combo on Headshot, including 0 on Gatling!
GS: Lily Keil has attacked Gryndille with The Island-Grinder - Maelstrom!
GS: Lily Keil has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Lily Keil has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

"Stronger, yes. What's that strength doing now, though...? Your struggle to protect your home is destroying it! Just like paranoia. Hah! If that isn't the most poetic thing, I don't know what is...!" Cyre whips back, riding his own shockwave as the onslaught continues to pour in. It's working. They're getting into its head, slowly. They just need a little more--

No.

Something's wrong.

It's impossible to miss the meaning of those words, those hateful, bleeding names carved into the world. Patriotism turned into paranoia, a desire for peace, for protection, twisted into aiding and abetting tyranny. Cyre winces as the sigils ripple across the world-- in so many ways, they're anathema to everything that he is. Where the wind is fundamentally tied to freedom, this power is... Anything but...!

Agony rips through his body, pain sets fire to his nerves. The world burns red hot as that power tears at flesh and will alike. It would be so easy to give in, and yet--!

With a deafening howl, with a shout that can shatter stone, Cyre answers. The Silver Medium of Fengaon shines even from within the folds of Cyre's robes, shedding a brilliant light that roars freedom into the fabric of the world...! Cyre tears free of the malevolent magic, standing at the eye of a brilliant storm as a vortex of spiritual force unfolds all around him. Euphoria surges through him, rushing through his body with the joy of limitless flight...! It cuts through the pain, through the hurt, and beyond the haze of suffering, Cyre can see the thing that used to be the captain of the guard. He can see it go after Riesenlied as it unfolds into a thing of hunger and teeth, desperate to replenish its own hollowed soul.

How long will that creature last at this rate?

Even if they succeed, what might be left behind when the Malevolence is stripped away?

No. They must still try.

"Captain, you love your home just as I love mine. We're here to help it, but if its people can't stand on their own, then it'll all be for nothing," Cyre breathes, letting the windstorm spool out from him, pressing out in a great wall of emerald force. "A country... a home isn't just a place, it's a people, isn't it? A people, not just surviving, but living together, sharing together-- community, solidarity. I can undersstand what you're doing, what you think you're protecting, but what is a country if it rejects the world!? What is there to have pride in, then!?"

        "You, soldier who has become avatar to that accursed strength called isolation!" Cyre yells, his voice resounding in the gale, calling out to whatever fragment of humanity might still sleep within the monster. "Remember the camaraderie of your fellow countrymen! Remember that none of us live alone! Breathe, take in this wind, and remember the home you loved as it was, and as it can still be again! Do you hear it--!?"

GS: Cyre H. Lorentz has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with The Wind is Calling - That Voice Heard Once Before!
GS: Cyre H. Lorentz has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Cyre H. Lorentz takes 8 damage from Poison!
GS: Cyre H. Lorentz has completed his action.
GS: Gryndille guards a hit from Chime Isa's Arrows of Light for 102 hit points!
GS: Sneak! The true nature of Cyre H. Lorentz's attack becomes clear!
GS: CRITICAL! Captain of the Royal Guard takes a solid hit from Cyre H. Lorentz's Cyclone Joker for 192 hit points!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard suffers Infect, extending negative statuses by 1 turn each!
GS: Cripple, Jam, and Mute! Statuses applied to Captain of the Royal Guard!
GS: Hyper and Quick! Statuses applied to Cyre H. Lorentz!
GS: Captain of the Royal Guard has Fallen! They is no longer able to fight!

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

        His eyes are open.

        Did this Lovelace person open those 'eyes' for him? Was he the one who cleaved this man's soul down and reshaped it?

        And does Josie know this man? And would Josie tell Gwen, if she thought to ask her?

        "Look around you! I *know* what this place used t'look like. I ran my courier business through here! Now, everything's so changed that I can't even begin t'recognize what anythin' is here!"
        He's a lost cause. He'll only find true peace in death.
        Gwen grimaces back, hesitation plaguing her thoughts, when Noeline's command, whether it's to her, someone else, or anyone who can hear her, shakes Gwen back. "I'll try as best as I can!"

        But first, she needs to survive. As Gwen attempts to tackle the captain, the sigils that the captain had spread around like flowers seeds in spring now bloom forth, shooting red, skewing flesh and soul. Gwen cries out, her body arcing backward before she even has a chance to even touch the Hellion.
Purify him.

        Visions of the past few days, both good and bad, flood her mind. Her ARM twitches.

        "... I could..." If she did this, then maybe Riesenlied could just rest...

        Gwen hesitates, providing the time the Hellion needs to make his own move, towards the Hyadean. But Riesenlied is not alone. Noeline is right there, supporting her, as Riesenlied does the same back.

        "Grgh!" There's a giant flash of light, Gwen's ARM reaching towards RIesenlied through the the whitened landscape.

        There is no Medium there, if and when Gwen lands a hand on either Riesenlied or Noeline's shoulder. There's only Gwen, and the energy being pumped through that ARM of hers. It's rough, it's unpracticed, and neither of the two are anicent terminals in heal berry caves.

        But maybe it'll be enough.

GS: CRITICAL! Gryndille guards a hit from Xantia's Megavolt Hammer for 183 hit points!
GS: Gwen Whitlock has spent 1 Combo on Reload, including 0 on Gatling!
GS: Gwen Whitlock has attacked Riesenlied with Soul Spark!
GS: Gwen Whitlock takes 7 damage from Poison!
GS: Gwen Whitlock has completed her action.
GS: Riesenlied takes a solid hit from Gwen Whitlock's Soul Spark for 0 hit points!
GS: Reload! Riesenlied gains 15 extra FP from Gwen Whitlock!
GS: Gryndille guards a hit from Elhaym van Houten's Aqua Setup for 74 hit points!
GS: Gryndille takes a solid hit from Talise Gianfair's Parting of the Seas for 0 hit points!
GS: Gryndille has been weakened by Disease! They take 0 damage, and burn off all temporary hit points!
GS: Disease and Shieldbreak! Statuses applied to Gryndille!
GS: Gryndille guards a hit from Ashton Anchors's Dragon Breath for 94 hit points!
GS: Sneak! The true nature of Fei Fong Wong's attack becomes clear!
GS: Gryndille guards a hit from Fei Fong Wong's Ultra Idstinct for 127 hit points!
GS: Gryndille guards a hit from Leon Albus's Riot Crash for 86 hit points!
GS: CRITICAL! Gryndille guards a hit from Lily Keil's The Island-Grinder - Maelstrom for 175 hit points!
GS: Hyper! Statuses applied to Lily Keil!

<Pose Tracker> Gryndille has posed.

        The Captain's Malevolent power washes across the battlefield. Gryndille is blind to the symbolism--it knows nothing of this place, and of the struggles of the people living there. Malevolent ichor condenses on the automaton's carapace, sweating off it like emotional condensation. The weight of the Captain's suffering is enough to crush anyone who is unprepared. It surges towards Gryndille, and then parts, like a rock in the stream. The barrier flares, having emptied its kinetic capacitors, but that's only part of it.

        Gryndille is a machine, and it was made for a single purpose. Colonel Keil's tampering overrode its directives, but that programming is now gone. It senses a mounting threat, an eldritch phenomenon its database can't identify, and acts against it.

        Gryndille is a pure vessel.

        Ethius rushes towards Gryndille while it's focused on the Captain, jamming the butt of his weapon into one of the machine's knee-joints. That he knows where to hit on this armored, hardened machine is the only reason he gets away with his daring gambit--something wrenches and pops in Gryndille's leg as a stressed joint gives way. The ARM sags, lurches, and swings a hand full of razor-sharp monomolecular claws right at Ethius's face. Its head swivels, then, as if it senses something rightfully its in Nostos' frame, and its whole body turns to face it. The shield flares yet again, and Josie's shell slams into it head-on with a thunderous crack louder than the actual gunshot. Even through the shield, Gryndille lurches back a step or two, moving unsteadily thanks to Ethius's tampering.

        Ice ripples across Gryndille's body, once again. Metal groans under the strain, almost as tortured-sounding as the Venomized Captain. Elly's tactics are bearing fruit, albeit slowly: despite all its high technology, not even Gryndille is immune to the principles behind thermal expansion. Chime's arrows slam into its weakened hide, one after another, punching through its armor. Superheated air wafts out of the holes, as if she'd hit something near a heat sink--or maybe the heat sink itself. It lets out a horrible electronic shriek.

        That shriek is almost as awful as the sound it makes when Xantia falls on it. Electricity crawls across Gryndille's carapace, its entire upper body thrashing as the enthusiastic martial artist lays into it with fists, feet, and hammer. It rips itself away from her, its shield flickering like a lightbulb on the verge of burning out.

        And then that shield detonates, once again, into a wave of static--static that swallows thoughts, sensations, awareness. Some sort of neural disruptor?

        Talise's blade hacks into Gryndille's armor in a cacophony of shrieking steel. Bits of it shred off, falling to the ground like confetti. Gryndille shrieks again, surges forwards, and drives that massive claw right towards Talise's center of mass. The individual claw-bits thread together, forming a single, spear-like point that only unfurls once again once it's hit something. Dragonfire rakes across the automaton's hide, once again. Armor cracks and buckles, shredding apart even further to reveal bundles of dense myomer 'muscle'. Gryndille's torso swivels around, and it drives that massive claw at Ashton, aiming right for him--

        But Fei gets in the way. He charges right between Gryndille and Ashton, giving the machine a different target. His fists slam into Gryndille's battered torso like pile-drivers, pummeling its endoskeleton and knocking loose chunks of armor. Gryndille lets out a static-laced hiss and counterattacks, driving its claw for Fei. It opens mid-strike like the blooming of a hateful metal flower, as if the machine somehow deemed it optimal to eviscerate Fei in order to continue operations.

        Leon's blade slams into the machine's neck before it can do anything more. For a moment, it looks at him, oil and coolant seeping out from severed myomer bundles; it twists its neck, trying to extract Argent Divider, but the weapon is lodged in there deep. Gryndille has nothing to say to Leon Albus, a man who has every reason to hate and despite it. It has no explanation for its actions. It simply obeys.

        'Machine, I will show you...'

        'Hate.'

        Gryndille's head turns to look at the woman it called Dr. Sharon Wyatt, but this time, there's no recognition in its eyes. It braces, but there's only so much it can do when Lily is pouring everything she has into ensuring it doesn't exist anymore. Gryndille's body superheats. It flash-freezes. It's shorn by gravitic forces and the energy of the void. When Lily's fury abates--for the moment--the automaton is left sagging, reeling, its armor gone, most of its myomer bundles ruptured. Inside are small, well-armored boxes, still labeled with old Zeboim script.

        Gryndille trains its main gun on Lily, and fires. A dozen white-hot beams race towards her, streaking at her from all different angles. A calibration shot? Is it analyzing her? Data spills through its damaged optics as it takes in every aspect of her response. Gryndille fires again, and still more of those energy bursts race towards Leon, towards the Captain. They bleb apart in mid-air, forming more of those explosive energy globules.

        And that's not all. Something seems to reach critical mass in Gryndille's brain.

        "Escalating force," it says, its voice a dry creak. Its cannon-arm shifts, revealing a single aperture the size of a human head, crackling with radiance. It half-stumbles, half-charges backwards. It raises its cannon, and opens fire. Obliterating light pours into the air, a tidal wave of energy that has no right to come from something that small. In its wake it leaves nothing but ash.

GS: Gryndille has become ENRAGED!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Josephine Lovelace with Distortion Field!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Chime Isa with Distortion Field!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Xantia with Distortion Field!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Elhaym van Houten with Distortion Field!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Lily Keil with DIRECTIVE - A D A P T - !
GS: Gryndille has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Leon Albus with Gryndille Dynamite!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Gryndille Dynamite!
GS: Gryndille has spent 3 Combo on Headshot, including 0 on Gatling!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Talise Gianfair with Blood-Red Claw!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has spent 3 Combo on Headshot, including 0 on Gatling!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Fei Fong Wong with Blood-Red Claw!
GS: Gryndille has gained 1 Combo!
GS: CRITICAL! Talise Gianfair guards a hit from Gryndille's Blood-Red Claw for 175 hit points!
GS: Hyper, Quick, and Shield! Statuses applied to Gryndille!
GS: Josephine Lovelace critically Guards a hit from Gryndille's Distortion Field for 0 hit points!
GS: Josephine Lovelace has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has lost 1 Combo!

<Pose Tracker> Captain of the Royal Guard has posed.

"warm... hungry... eat... confused... w-where am i?"

Can he be reached? Can someone this far gone be saved? Piled with so much Malevolence it almost seems like whatever he once was, whatever good man he might have been, has simply dissolved into the collectivesea of paranoia that he has been drowned in?

For a moment, for all their words, it seems as if coherency has been lost to the Captain. His burning green-blue eyes are unfocused, the Malevolence in the land reacting to him innately in a way that causes it to shift and churn. The ravenous maw in his abdomen bites -down- -- and chomps into little more than empty air. Confusion and frustration snarls from both sets of mouths as he looks, wildly, gaze snapping one way and then the other. Wild. Manic. Beyond saving.

"Krosse. Must protect Krosse. Must protect friends--?"

Save for the tiniest kernal of hope, nestled in there.

Weapons swing. He turns towards Riesenlied and Noeline, uncertain and yet carried by Malevolent inertia to remove outsiders from the beating, sick heart of his homeland. And he might well have disrupted them, too --

-- if it weren't for twin torrents of flame and frost courtesy of Ashton, pouring a twining path into the horrifying Hellion that was once Captain of the Royal Guard. It freezes and melts in equal measure, a sharp contrast of temperatures that causes extraneous limbs to freeze over and then literally explode from the sudden and dramatic influx of heat. He hisses, lurches, attempts to struggle even as weakening spirit flesh feebly works at reassembling limbs --

When Layna, Chime and Elvis' combined assault waylays any effort to renew his offensive. Arrows-made-javelins rain from the sky, IMPALING through the tremendous, multi-limbed monster in a way that makes him rip forth a roar of frustration. One arrow shoots straight through his leg, pinning him into the earth as Layna's fists and furious words cut to the quick, the red right hand of the infamous pirate PUMMELING into that maw with reflected hurt that all but -shatters- the spiritual fangs that compose it.

"i -- i -- Lovelace -- king krono -- i only wanted to serve-- why is it so hard to think--?"

Cracks form in the facade. Cracks that deepen as Elvis' straight blow redoubles the efforts Layna had made in that very same spot. The Hellion Guard doubles over in pain, the churning mass of malevolence in his gaping midsection BLOWING outward in an expulsion of violet fury as his arms, what remain, clench at his body. "sickness m-must be-- i was so afraid, what was i afraid of --purged, must be--"

A gaze both baleful and afraid turns upwards. And there he sees it. Noeline and Riesenlied, soaring throguh the air, a synchronous image of shadow and light. A tempest of raging winds forge a great wall. Cyre's vortex and the twining lines of sorcery capture him.

Riesenlied and Noeline's blazing blade of twilight pierce him.

But it is their words that reach the core of him, drowning in a morass of Malevolence.

"I don't want to be afraid anymore.

Wind, shadow and light. All of them combine and obscure and -batter- a form that is as metaphorical as it is literal. Everything is lost in the tempest's twilight haze --

-- in the aftermath, there is a slim shadow. All but two arms and two legs lost, looking almost gaunt, hollow eyes staring at the ground. Black, inky lips parted. Dark electricity begins to churn around him, weakly, but gaining momentum. Malevolence draws towards him once more, incoherent, volatile.

It's a tipping point. A moment where anything can happen.

A moment where a man's soul can be damned irrevocably --

-- or saved.

GS: Leon Albus has activated a Force Action!
GS: Leon Albus guards a hit from Gryndille's Gryndille Dynamite for 136 hit points!
GS: Break! Statuses applied to Leon Albus!
GS: Elhaym van Houten takes a solid hit from Gryndille's Distortion Field for 0 hit points!
GS: Elhaym van Houten has been afflicted by a Curse!
GS: Break, Cripple, Jam, Mute, Slow, and Weaken! Statuses applied to Elhaym van Houten!
GS: CRITICAL! Fei Fong Wong guards a hit from Gryndille's Blood-Red Claw for 205 hit points!
GS: Hyper, Quick, and Shield! Statuses applied to Gryndille!
GS: Fei Fong Wong enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Lily Keil has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has lost 1 Combo!

DC: MISS! Lily Keil completely evades DIRECTIVE - A D A P T -  from Gryndille!

GS: Chime Isa takes a glancing hit from Gryndille's Distortion Field for 0 hit points!
GS: Chime Isa has been afflicted by a Curse!
GS: Break, Cripple, Jam, Mute, Slow, and Weaken! Statuses applied to Chime Isa!
GS: Xantia takes a glancing hit from Gryndille's Distortion Field for 0 hit points!
GS: Xantia has been afflicted by a Curse!
GS: Break, Cripple, Jam, Mute, Slow, and Weaken! Statuses applied to Xantia!

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

        Riesenlied hears the voice of the Captain as he becomes less and less certain, tears flowing from her eyes as she whispers, "You don't... you don't have to be afraid anymore..."

        She sucks in a breath, as she hears his every word. Warmth... hunger... coldness... confusion.

        "I will do all I can-- no--"

        Riesenlied's eyes are drawn to a close as she abandons the Mistilteinn -- as the weapon disappears in a wink of light and a cascading shower of tarnslucent stars. She instead draws both her hands to the Medium focused at the base of her neck, as the weave of the Ley starts to charge through her entire body.

        "We will do all we can."

        It's an enormous amount of power, and it's something a vessel like hers can't contain for long.

        She well recalls Alhazred's anger, of all people -- that Mother wanted to make her a fire-and-forget weapon.

        But if I can help these people... then the risk is well worth it...

        Because she still well recalls how that Reaper felt. How helpless and pained it was...

        Riesenlied has never been a learned magician. Even amidst other shamans, her tenuous connection to the Medium of Life has been through that of empathy; through an intuitive understanding, through emotion and a connection to the spiritual channel of the world--

        The Ley.

        But she has learnt from the best, from Lydia and Catenna and now Cyre on the fly, and working through with Noeline has her role model in what it means to be a Hyadean with a Medium within you...

        She feels Gwen's energies flow from her ARM, as some measure of Dragon Fossil interacts with her own makeup and a tinge of sympathy flows on through. And it is not just her Medium either -- because Noeline's, Cyre's, and those others who are joined here with her... the Guardians are not a singular entity in this kind of work.

        For a moment, she feels distinctly terrified of the very energy coursing through her very body--

        And Fei's words from before come back to her.

        She doesn't have to do this alone. She can rely on them.

        She hears Layna's encouragement of how a Captain supports her crew; how she challenges him directly on what he's doing, as Ashton continues to work with Creepy and Weepy in a synchronicity that even Riesenlied feels heartfelt and appreciated for. She hears Elvis' words berating the Captain, with a tone that she feels familiar with - the tone of a proud parent.

        And further away, people are struggling with Gryndille. With a machine that bears links to the past...

        She has to buy them time.

        "By the rite of passage granted to me as Heritor...
         Let but this small vessel become a conduit for the whole."

        From each end of Krosse's cobblestones, the Ley seeps out as they centre upon her, as she shudders further at all the energies vested upon her. For just a brief moment, she opens herself as the conduit of Life--

        "Carry forth the Life from the land, by the vestige of Odoryuk.
         Be hale in body and in spirit and in mind...
         So as I speak--"

        A familiar bright blue Flame erupts. It starts to consume her, draw pain from her lips as she threatens to kip to one knee.

        She pushes on, even as she coughs. Because she is not alone.

        "Be one with Life once more."

        What comes isn't an attack of any particular milieu; it is just light.

        Light, which softly cascades like the first teasing rays of a bright and radiant dawn from the cracks of a most dark night. Warm and soft... fit to make one hale once more.

        But as Cyre himself worries...

        What might be left behind, when the Malevolence is stripped away?

        They must still try.

        And that isn't a concern Riesenlied can worry about right now, so spent as she is after her channeling as she drops to her knees; the effects of Jacqueline's medicines fading, as she reaches to Noeline for support and encouragement.

        There isn't anything more she can give.

GS: Riesenlied has attacked Captain of the Royal Guard with Everyone's Purification!
GS: Riesenlied has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Riesenlied has completed her action.
GS: Gryndille has spent 5 Combo on Gatling, including 4 on Gatling!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Elhaym van Houten with DIRECTIVE - P U R I F Y -!
GS: Gryndille has spent 5 Combo on Gatling, including 4 on Gatling!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Leon Albus with DIRECTIVE - P U R I F Y -!
GS: Gryndille has spent 5 Combo on Gatling, including 4 on Gatling!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Fei Fong Wong with DIRECTIVE - P U R I F Y -!
GS: Gryndille has spent 3 Combo on Gatling, including 2 on Gatling!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Lily Keil with DIRECTIVE - P U R I F Y -!
GS: Elhaym van Houten takes a solid hit from Gryndille's DIRECTIVE - P U R I F Y - for 263 hit points!
GS: Elhaym van Houten enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Fei Fong Wong takes a solid hit from Gryndille's DIRECTIVE - P U R I F Y - for 257 hit points!
GS: Fei Fong Wong has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight!
GS: Lily Keil takes a glancing hit from Gryndille's DIRECTIVE - P U R I F Y - for 122 hit points!
GS: Lily Keil enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Leon Albus guards a hit from Gryndille's DIRECTIVE - P U R I F Y - for 145 hit points!
GS: Leon Albus enters CONDITION GREEN!!
GS: Leon Albus has Fallen! He is no longer able to fight!
GS: Gryndille has attacked Ethius Hesiod with Gryndille Dynamite!
GS: Ethius Hesiod has gained 1 Combo!
GS: Gryndille has lost 1 Combo!

DC: MISS! Ethius Hesiod completely evades Gryndille Dynamite from Gryndille!

GS: Talise Gianfair has activated a Force Action!
#-1 FUNCTION (ANSI) EXPECTS 2 ARGUMENTS BUT GOT 1 Leon Albus withstood the attack!

GS: Leon Albus withstood the attack!

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

        For a wild, confused moment, Noeline isn't even certain where she is. Still carried by the emotion and the force of their combined assault on the Captain of the Guard, she feels like she might still floating even as the errant wisps of their attack carry the both of them safely back to the ground. Overloaded with sensation and feeling, she stares at the power that Riesenlied gathers, agog for a blissful moment before she gathers enough of herself to push, sending what power she can dredge up through her link to her partner.

        Somewhere in the midst of it, she's clutched back onto the other Hyadean's hand; for a dizzying moment she feels connected to something enormous, and then it slips out of her grasp as the world reasserts itself around her. She goes down to one knee, and only partially on purpose; the better to cling to Riesenlied and keep her upright instead, to try to withstand the purifying fire in her place. She stares; if there are times when she still hero worships Riese a little more than she ought to, it is times like these.

        When they both collapse, when the light ends, she whispers her support as she gathers Riesenlied into her arms-- and then enough awareness filters back in. Whatever happens, Gryndille is still up - and she launches the two of them for cover, hissing as all of her muscles protest.

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

There's something there - a small portion of that seems coherent. A small portion of sanity, that might very well be consumed within a matter of moments.

They hammer into it, and it goes even further. Until...there's a breakthrough, with Riesenlied and Noeline's combined blade. The form disperses somewhat, reduced to a slim, humanoid shadow.

The power is weakened, but still there. If this doesn't work, then he might renew his assault...and who knew if they'd survive it?

Maybe she should just kill him now - it'd be safer that way. For a moment she's tempted to, but...she resists.

"It's time! Do it now!" She shouts, moving to interpose herself between it and those performing the purification, even wounded as she is. She had to trust them, if they believed it was possible. Layna exhales and readies herself.

Just in case.

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        As feelings, resolves, and powers churn, Ethius catches one very quick truth that he already intristically knows - he is not safe standing this close, and only narrowly avoids the raking of monomolecular wires. That he can see them swing in this song and dance of flame, dust, malevolence, and all the swirls of color and blares of sound and cries of voices... it speaks to some intristic knowledge, some familiarity with the concept of what's being wielded at him.
        These two have never met.
        Ethius knows to clear his space when he sees Lily show sheer anger, expressing a power he knows not to stand in near the point of impact, and once more dives away as a massive Hellion stands to be quelled by Riesenlied's leading efforts.
        The same woman he professed to try and kill back on the plains of Elru, and yet, there seemed to be some sort of unspoken understanding by Riese's words - what was it? This was never clarified.
        There is no time to dwell, as Ethius is in a low crouch while things play out. Escalating force, as the cannon arm shifts. Ethius watches it struggle with its balance. Bracing? Compensating? The power that has brought so much to ruin, that has brought tragedy to the lives of Leon, Lily, and so many others...
        Ethius' gaze levels as he stands upright again.
        Silent for the most part, with no musing or open speculation with the others, he once again has it in him to speak, level.
        "This does not belong here." His sentiments, in some way, echoes that of the (former) Captain of the Royal Guard. What Ethius does next, though...
        He runs at it?!
        He sure does. He dares to run point blank into the leveled weapon, where intense heat and power builds. He's offering his head practically at point blank, as the cannon is raised. Once more, Ethius brandishes only a polearm - even with the mysterious mystical tidings that the weapon bears from that yellow crystal labyrinth of fear beyond the unexplained doors, it is just a polearm.
        "Far Point!" Ethius calls the technique name as he lunges from beneath, thrusting it underneath the cannon to try and force it upwards - into the sky - away from the ground level to attempt to minimize how much of that force spills onto the field.
        Even in a worst case scenario, he just evades being incinerated by an impossibly thin margin, by some miracle of daring positioning and... madness. What this man is doing is mad.
        "Miss Talise," Ethius tries to call - she's physically the strongest one here among them, and he doesn't have time to pick and choose how or why certain people can or can't be here, "push it upwards."
        Even knowing intristically how he can work leverage and Gryndille's balance woes, he might not be strong enough to deflect the cannon's aim - no, almost certainly not.
        Talise might be their best hope in helping survive the onslaught coming.

<Pose Tracker> Chime Isa has posed.

        Chime comes to a stop not to fair from the still raging fight, leaning against a wall as she surveys the battlefield quickly looking to see what she can do to help. Which means she's not in a position to react nearly as quickly as she could when the energy erupts off Gryndille without warning. Well, with enough warning had she been paying more attention to it.

        The short elf winces as she's knocked into the wall, then shakes her head standing back up. "It's almost broken, it can't function much longer." she calls out, eyes narrowing as she focuses on Gryndille. "Hit it hard, fast and it'll go down before it can react again. Don't stop, push through!" her voice filled with something probably foreign in the deeply stifled, malevolent air of the city. Hope, unfiltered unconcerned pure hope and a touch of cheer.

GS: Chime Isa has attacked Leon Albus with It's Okay!!
GS: Chime Isa has attacked Chime Isa with It's Okay!!
GS: Chime Isa has attacked Xantia with It's Okay!!
GS: Chime Isa has attacked Elhaym van Houten with It's Okay!!
GS: Chime Isa has completed her action.
GS: Chime Isa takes a solid hit from Chime Isa's It's Okay! for 0 hit points!
GS: Chime Isa gains Restore, shortening negative statuses by 3 turns each!
GS: Ethius Hesiod has activated a Force Action!
GS: Ethius Hesiod has activated a Force Action!
GS: Leon Albus takes a solid hit from Chime Isa's It's Okay! for 0 hit points!
GS: Ethius Hesiod has attacked Gryndille with Far Point!
GS: Ethius Hesiod has completed his action.
GS: Elhaym van Houten takes a solid hit from Chime Isa's It's Okay! for 0 hit points!
GS: Xantia takes a solid hit from Chime Isa's It's Okay! for 0 hit points!
GS: Xantia gains Restore, shortening negative statuses by 3 turns each!
GS: Gryndille takes a solid hit from Ethius Hesiod's Far Point for 139 hit points!

<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.

Even after the stern talking to mid combat and a deck to the chest region. Elvis senses greater powers at work. Namely, Riesenlied and her power of Life. The man backs off from further violence, to watch it play out. THe man furrows his brow slightly as the lady pains herself to do it, but she manages regardless, through sheer determination.

It was time to see what her power has wrought. He will need to make a note of hwo the energy affects her. Perhaps there is something that can cause her to be accepted by the Ley better.

His mind wanders to his theories. Could it have something to do with her ancestry? If that were the case, then... Hm, probably not the time to think of it.

Any notes gained with the use of anything relating to Mediums is well-observed.

A murdery robot still remains as well. "Perhaps that should be dealt with instead now...!" he says aloud.

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Time rewinds a bit (not literally).

Id waves back at Xantia and--no wait, he's giving her a high five right then and there. "Nice." He tells her. "Your flow is a lot tighter than before. I think you hit that thing harder than I did. Only had a few seconds this time. See you around."

The presence fades and it's Fei again. He doesn't look confused so it must have been a tag team effort there. But there is still always a moment where Fei has to get back into the rhythm. That's the weakness of this technique (that and the potentiality of simply going berserk). He needs a moment to catch his breath and recover and steady himself to a new fighting pace.

Gryndille takes advantage of that in a sense. As it drives its claw for Ashton, Fei has only moments to maneuver into the way. His hands come up too slow to catch the claw and it slams him BAM right into the gut and tries to open up and murder Fei. Even Fei can't handle a claw opening up inside of him while it's still in his chest.

Blood splatters everywhere. It gets on Gryndille's claw and on his hands as Fei through pure strength and will tightens his grip on the claw and pushes the claw in on both sides, preventing it from opening and murdering him.

"Ghkk...Lily... Leon..." Fei says. "You...You can do this. You can save everyone. This time you can save everyone...! Just a little more! I believe in you!"

He turns his head back towards Ashton, confirming that he's okay. "Even now..." He grins at him, more blood dripping out from his mouth. "I'll be okay." He says. "I'll...hold this still...for a bit...!!"

He starts pulling the claw out of his body. "You can save this city... you can save your friends, you can save me...!"

He pulls the claw out all the way, screaming in agony as he does so, shaking his head ferociously like it might fly off in a vague attempt to distance himself from the pain.

He pants for breath when it is done. But he did it. He might need to go lie down, but he doesn't think that was a mortal wound.

But then it turns out there's a followup. Fei's eyes widen as it raises its cannon. Fei KICKS ashton out of the way--he doesn't have time to even turn towards the swordsman and it's not gentle in the slightest, but it is definitely better than whatever would have happened if he stuck around to face the brunt of that strike himself.

But Fei? Of course wounded as he is, he can't get out in time. The light envelops him and he presses against it in an attempt to endure Gryndille's assault--

--The strength gives out in Fei's arms and he is sent flying away. He crashes against the floor, his body burned, bleeding, and broken along the floor.

Frankly, if he survived that it'd be a miracle. He's rarely taken worse than this, the exception maybe when Siegfried Negative Rainbowed him and then nearly drowned him by destroying the boat they were on.

And yet...

And yet...

"It's...not...your fault... You've got this...You gave me...a home..." He says, seemingly more concerned with Lily's emotional state than his physical well being. "It...doesn't...stand a chance..."

And then his body relaxes and he passes out. Dead this time? Hard to say from a distance (he isn't, though).

AND YET.

AND YEEEET.

The voice within can't quite reach Leon. For better or worse, he's done far less prancing around inside Fei's brainmeats than other friends and his spiritual awareness doesn't seem exactly super keen.

But Lily...

Lily gets a message.

We're alive.

But we won't be for long without medical care

I can't do it.

You have to break the cycle.

Make a new world, Sharon.

...

Lily. you've grown a lot.

You are like Yin and Yang. Healer and Destroyer.

Master your Ether. It can't stop you.

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

A reincarnation, Leon thinks, as he listens to Fei. His thoughts are vague, half-formed things -- gripping and holding onto the back of a titan is no time for a deeper introspection. There is a certain brutal sense to it, though. Lily was always special; special in a way that Leon is not.

He witnesses that with his own eyes, staring as Lily floats upward -- speaking to Gryndille in the modern tongue and that strange, ancient one that only the two could speak. He manages to duck past the streams of nuclear fire and gales of cold wind alike, though he can't simply dodge the terrible mien of the Captain.

But he hears Fei's words. Leon cracks a smile, lowering his head. "Well... I can't really disappoint, now, can I?"

Gryndille turns its head to look at him, and Argent Divider is wedged in deep. Leon stares back into those emotionless, dead red eyes--until it turns to look at Lily. The huge gun comes up as Leon stands on its back. There is a massive, thunderous crack-boom and a flash of fire, smoke, and heat. Leon vanishes on its back.

As the smoke clears, the Raid Funnels are lift there -- swirling and twisting, a crackling barrier of blue-green light between them. Leon lets out a long hiss, through his teeth -- and he jerks, hard, on the blade still buried inside of Gryndille's neck cables, to twist the main cannon a little further from its effort to shoot Lily.

He rocks and shakes, blade still buried in the back of the neck of the automaton, as it rampages forward and gets punted into the sky by Ethius. Leon's fingers grasp Argent Divider, tighter still. The energy wave blows into him; it slams into his face, snapping his head back. Hair burns to cinders; his left eye is blackened and shut; blood runs down his face. He looks down at Gryndille with his one eye that's not shut.

"This is for Roanie," he spits, through the blood. "For Jann. For Greta. For all of them. For every life you're not taking away after today. For me. For Lily."

Argent Divider flashes, when Leon flicks the trigger. Then a shimmering field of silver light explodes off the length of the blade and stabs into Gryndille's neck as it takes form -- breaking out the front of it. Leon shouts, wordlessly, as he twists the hilt around -- and then tears the energy blade upward and outward.

He tries to decapitate Gryndille in one, final stroke as he leaps away.

He comes down, landing in a three point stance. The energy blade from Argent Divider, ensconcing the thinner sword, flickers and dies.

GS: Leon Albus has activated a Force Action!
GS: Leon Albus enters a Counter stance!
GS: Leon Albus has attacked Gryndille with Code.29 JOYEUSE!
GS: Leon Albus has completed his action.

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

        It's the firing of the shell that brings Josie back to herself. Another blink, a subtle shift in her posture. Her gaze returns properly to the scene before her, as if she's completed a million-mile journey in but a heartbeat.

        The shell cracks off the shielding, the reflection of the impact there darkly cast against her eyes a moment; the construct may stagger, but Josie knows ARMs like the back of her hand -- has learned much of Gears, of machinery formerly unavailable to her -- and she can see that Gryndille's improvements have extended beyond weaponry and appearance. That shielding...

        Elly has done her best, but as much as they have honed their talents, so has Gryndille.
        Somehow.

        Somehow...

        "Tch-- this is... a problem..." she utters, shifting against the cannon. Leaning against it, as something -- some damaged tissue, now sealed -- writhes in pain within her shoulder. But she's no stranger to pain. She breathes out, the gloved fingers of her bad hand scraping against the surface of the cannon as she tries to attain a sort of equilibrium.

        Gryndille fires again.

        She drops low behind the cannon, trusting perhaps in its shielding -- now powered by the core -- to similarly keep her safe.
        The effect corroscates a moment, sizzling along the length of Gryndille's once-armoring. And with a hiss, it fades away. Slowly, Josie inches her way back up to a kneeling posture.

        Her gaze flickers across the battlefield.

        "Gonna... knock it away, Owl?" she murmurs.

        "Not a bad plan--!"

        She and he may have their differences, but on this, they are aligned.

        The cannon is warm with power -- what remains to it, what it hasn't consumed from the core to fire or to shield. She jerks it upright, wincing all the while, perhaps allowing it now to be more mortar than cannon. If she's right about the timing of Ethius' spell--

        Right about the direction--

        Then maybe this will work.

        "FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

GS: Josephine Lovelace has activated a Force Action!
GS: Josephine Lovelace has spent 2 Combo on Gatling, including 1 on Gatling!
GS: Josephine Lovelace has attacked Gryndille with In A Cruel Rage!
GS: Josephine Lovelace has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

        And so, as twilight dances upon the whirling tempest stage, the darkness is stripped away. A man remains. No, not a man anymore. He might be a man again someday soon, but for now he is only a tired, broken husk.

        But they haven't much time, do they? It's not so easy. They can't rest on their laurels having done only that much...!

        "Fear. I can understand fear. I can understand the desperation that it creates, the ends it drives a soul toward. But there's always something beyond. We have to believe that beyond the horizon is a better day--!" Cyre says, the churning storm ebbing, but not fading. It weakens as its summoner tires, his breaths coming ragged and tired-- but still they must. They still have a job to do.

It's not just about victory.

It's about returning hope to the people of Krosse.

It's about a doing justice to a man who wanted so badly to protect his people that his humanity was stripped away.

It's about saving a life.

        And as Riesenlied weaves the light of life to restore the flagging strength within them all, to return strength and will to what seems nothing more than a living husk, Cyre too has to do his part.

        As the arks and sparks of malevolence seem to crash inward, the Wind Shaman surges forth to meet them. His hands are held outward, fingers curled in benedictive mudras.

        "Let us hear the words of our ancient fathers.
        Let us hear the songs of our ancient mothers
        That across the aeons they may live again
        The wind sends me as its messenger
        I rejoice as I become song."

        The wind around him gathers. It sweeps through the cloying, clinging, creeping tendrils, it gathers the malevolent sparks and pushes upwards in a vortex of emerald light, rising higher and higher into the heavens. Cyre's voice rises as if he were singing a hymn, a song which becomes as one with the rising wind.

        "May the wind be at your back, o' weary traveler
        And may the storm wipe clean your tears,
        For when the clouds part, blue skies await

        Sweat beads against his brow. There is so much corruption here, it's impossible for one man to hold the tide forever. But he is not one man. And he does not need to hold it forever. He must only become the kiln that nurtures the flame. He need only give Life the time it needs.

        "With heavens calm and earth made clean
        The world is made anew.
        Our voices lift this rising wind
        And become again the song of hope"

        Up, up, up, the tornado rises, creating a siphon that draws the spiritual taint far into Filgaia's sky. The wind takes it, sweeps it away like dust into an infinite void. The silver medium shines, pulsing with its soothing, green light as the shaman focuses and recites the ancient hymn. But will it be enough...?

...It has to be enough...!

<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.

Past lives are generally lost on Talise. She's not even sure she had one. She's more concerned with her life and the lives of her friends and comrades at the moment.

When Lily unloads the sorcerous darkness upon the death machine in front of her, Talise lurches back with a blink, throwing a look back towards the sorceress. There's a lot more power there than Talise and her sword could bring to bear - and certainly more magic than she could ever dream of, fueled by emotions more personal than the academic strategizing whirling through her thoughts as the fight drags on.

She can't match Lily and Leon passion for passion. She certainly can't hang in a magic-off with Lily Keil.

Okay. So how can I help them put this thing down, Talise asks herself.

Getting stabbed. That's how Talise can help.

Gryndille makes a move she's... probably expecting, but somewhat faster than she thought it could actually make it. Slamming her hand downwards, Talise attempts to grip the huge ARM's spear-limb and shove it to one side - but against something with that much force, it's impossible to stop it. The claw punches through the steel of Talise's armour, hitting a crease between two places solidly and ripping through the flesh behind it - and it's only the impact of steel and claw creating just enough blunt force that Talise doesn't just die impaled right there. She's thrown backwards before the blow can rip through her. With a choked cry, her eyes going empty for a moment, she hurtles back and hits the ground, steel scraping over pavement as she skids a distance. Blood oozes down her green and white surcoat in a gory mess.

But it accomplishes one thing. It throws her free of the blast of destructive light that is levied in the direction of Leon, Lily, Fei and Elly. As she pulls herself to one knee, Talise stares with an open mouth into the destructive corona of the light of Gryndille. Only fate kept her from its direct path.

Fate that could very well rob this world of the four of them. Most of them she knows merely as acquaintances - except Fei. Fei, the man who she manhandled out of a jail cell two years prior - the kind man who helped reconnect Sephilia Lampbright with her parents. A good man whose straying steps into her path have not always been frequent, but have always left Talise with a heart full of joy. Talise's mouth hangs open a little at the sight of him hurtling away, his body broken and bleeding, landing in a heap.

Talise's heart plunges in her chest at the sight of Fei coming to a landing, unmoving. Dead...? She can't tell from here. She can't tell from here. She's killed and injured so, so many people over the past two years but she's never truly watched a friend die.

        Why does it tear me apart to see that?
        I've never lost anything to this ARM.
        Not like Leon and Lily have.
        It's just more senseless loss, isn't it? Another dead body.
        I've got too many bodies already. My parents. Uncle Piet.
        But they always died when I wasn't looking.

 "Fei," she says, her voice distant and hollow in her own ears.

        There is a sudden fiery spark of green.

        [BGM:] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apaJ3A56XbM

"That man is too good to be thrown on the pyre," Talise rumbles, her voice too low for the sudden surge of righteousness to carry beyond the few metres in her vicinity - but the green surge can be seen clearly enough. It doesn't emerge from Rastaban. It's coming from her - crackling green light surging around her and pouring down her arms in arcs of electricity. They gather around her hands and swell to race up the blade of Rastaban. The light is startlingly bright, enough to illuminate her face and cast long shadows in green around her.

Ethius gets the best view of what's happening, even as he calls out to her - an unlikely thing. Talise Gianfair, the most forsaken Lunarian, with no Blessing from Althena, is charging a spell. Rastaban shimmers with that green halo of thunder.

She nods towards Ethius. She can hear him. All of them. She can tell he's counting on her to help salvage this. Even after all that's happened, Ethius has a belief in her she would not share in most circumstances.

She can't think about doubt now - only what's right. Her eyes stay fixed on Gryndille as she starts forward. The pain throbbing through her side is fading into the background beyond a surge of righteousness and an old thought:

        This is what Lady Chloe would do.

Within a second, Talise is charging. She bears down on Gryndille head-on, coming in like a speeding freight train. Wending both hands around Rastaban, she bunches her shoulders and surges forward. Her voice rises like the roll of thunder.

                       "RUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAHT!!!"

Talise swings with as much strength as her body can muster. Rastaban slashes through the air, pouring green courage into the rising blow. Green-tinged silhouettes of the blade crackle behind it. It is a stroke intended to rip Gryndille open like a butterflied piece of meat.

If ever she needed a reason to pour her passions out upon Gryndille, a friend's agony is it. If ever she needed a tool with which to do it, her newfound courage is all she could ever want for.

GS: Elhaym van Houten has activated a Force Action!
GS: Talise Gianfair has spent 3 Combo on Headshot, including 0 on Gatling!
GS: Talise Gianfair has attacked Gryndille with Cascading Steel Dragon!
GS: Talise Gianfair has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Talise Gianfair has completed her action.
GS: Elhaym van Houten has activated a Force Action!

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

 
Oh no, Elly thinks further as Lily draws on that... that hidden side of herself. The secret darkness within. Her true form? Another one? Elly doesn't know. Her cheeks puff out as she focuses.

Externally, the ice lumps that Elly just dumped on Gryndille fall off and bounce a little as they slide out around the area, providing small amounts of cover. They begin to glow from within but this is perhaps the nineteenth least strange thing after the battle intensifies further yet. Elly focuses herself. What she focuses on...

Is not entirely clear.

This is silly, Elly thinks.

I'm not even going to accomplish what I want, if this works.

Maybe, if I can draw the vortex - yeah, that... that should work... If it breaches the ice, then...

                                fei

Elly loses a few moments in time as Fei falls. She ends up, without knowing quite how, near him, cradling his body. She is holding his hand. It's wet with blood. Elly holds it, and she is silent, and then someone encourages them.

Elly breathes in deeply and looks towards Chime. "... Don't worry," she tells her.

"I suppose it's kind of a cheap trick... and I don't even know for certain if it would work. In the face of everyone's courage... all I really have is my 'Ether ability'... I don't even have the bravery and moral courage that Riesenlied is showing, right now, seeking to help this man. I didn't even come up with this idea... I feel as though I'm remembering something that someone else tried to do and couldn't quite bring off."

The wind rises, seeming to exhale from the cracked-open ice crystals. They were breached by the merest inconcievable near occasion of Gryndille's lethal ray, but the crystals were down low, near the ground, sharing its thermal characteristics. They are melting... but it is clear that they were, for the most part, hollowed out within.

The wind whips lightly... drawing upwards...

"... I still don't know... if it will succeed. Miss... while all of you were fighting so bravely, all I could think to do was to... to electrically decay water... do you understand me? Water's made of two chemicals, plus the little things in it... it's those little impurities that make water have a taste, that support our lives... salt, minerals... the tiny droplets of life... but they're a seasoning. The water itself is just made of two materials. 'Oxygen' and..."

Elly turns her head, halfway towards Gryndille.

"'Hydrogen.'..."

Gazing at the monster, Elly tells it quietly, "This is the red line," and then there is a small "Thermo" effect...

Which touches off the spiralling vortex of gaseous hydrogen that has 'pillowed' partially under the huge creature and which has 'pinches' in it, forming a series of hot explosions! And hot here is literal. The fire is immensely bright, and the backpressure of superheated air is considerable. Yet it is not until three hundred or so feet up in the air that the 'pinches' begin to get tighter, that the hydrogen forms a sort of pre-staged, pre-prepared mushroom cloud. The breezy vortexes of Wind Ether, of course, died in the opening moments of the explosion.

But with that much oxygen, the burning was not slow at all.

Improbably, it drizzles, in the aftermath.

GS: Elhaym van Houten enters a Counter stance!
GS: Elhaym van Houten has attacked Gryndille with Sacred Elemental Boundary!
GS: Elhaym van Houten has gained 2 Combo!
GS: Elhaym van Houten has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

Pulling forth the power of the dragons is always exhausting. Creepy and Weepy, mighty as they are? The amount of raw sorcerous power needed to return their strength is tremendous.
 
The dragonbreath does what is needed - it throws the Malevolent monster off for just long enough. It's up to the others to capitalize, however. To everyone's thanks? They do.
 
Even as the creature is beaten and impaled - even as it shrinks to something once more resembling human - the Symbological Swordsman doesn't look. His head lolls, mind fuzzy through it. Ashton's in no position to handle the claw that comes for him.
 
Fei saves his life. There's no debating it: the claw would have taken Ashton with his guard entirely down. Gryndille is not messing around, and Ashton was a sitting duck.
 
He still is, as Fei kicks him with a fierceness and dumps the sellsword into the barrels again.
 
From the ground, Ashton hears Fei's words. He struggles to rise again with eyes wide. Not with shock now - but with anger. "Fei... FEI!" Hands scramble for swords that were knocked away in the fall.
 
Ashton won't get them in time. Not before the others pile on to the rampaging machine and finish the job. All he can do is shout in futile range. "Damn you, worthless machine!"

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

        It's a small thing, really. A moment of time.

        The contact, in the framework of everything surrounding it, what is on the line, and what's at stake, is a small piece of the entire puzzle.

        In the mind's eye, through the sympathy of dragon fossils, a heart beats where flesh had been before. It has made its presence known before, but with the physical veil lifted, all that stretches is the beating heart, the idea of a human's willdragon's stone memoryhuman's heart translated through the logic and code of an ARM.

        A miracle beat (a heart), beginning the line that reaches through some angle (a shoulder) and then flow down (an arm), into the stream that flows through Riesenlied.

        For a moment, Gwen wants nothing more than to keep holding on, to will that rivulet to grow, get larger, pour in more, to give everything for the very feeling of being a small part of something bigger. She could do more, she could conduct more, she's certainly more powerful enough to do so, and... and

        she feels
                        so tired

        Some tiny inch of self-preservation causes Gwen to push away before it becomes too late, the courier not realizing just how easy it would be to give her all in that very moment. She staggers back, the world slowly beginning to make sense around her.

        "The Captain, is he...?" Cyre is there, singing, spreading wind through the air like nets.

        She can't look back behind her, at the other half. Just focus on what's here. She stands nearby, at the ready.

        She knows her friends have got her back, with a sureness that could only come from that momentary drunken spending spree of energy.

<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Xantia basically stopped paying attention everything else as soon as Id appeared. She didn't even really stop to process what he was saying upon appearing. She's just happy that he's there. At least somebody's always happy about that. She accepts that high-five and compliment with a big grin. She starts to respond, "Hehe, well, you're not completely You you right now, so that's probably--"

And then it's Fei again, whoops. Oh well, she'll roll with it. She shrugs, grabs one of Fei's hands while he's recovering and holds in the air, so she can high-five it with her other hand. "You did good too!"

She kind of forgot to check if that actually put a stop to all this, though. Before she full well realizes what's going on behind her, Fei's also on the move. She turns just in time to see the claw through Fei's body.

"...Fei?"

That's all she gets out, before she abruptly drops like a rock. As ready as she was to deal with straightforward physical threats, Gryndille just sent out a mental one, which caught her completely unawares. It looks like it just flat out knocked her unconscious. And yet, this proves to be good fortune. Whether ignored as an already disabled target, or missed because of her prone position, she escapes the fury of Gryndille's following barrage entirely.

Unfortunately, it also leaves her on the ground. Not actually unconscious, just... severely mentally scrambled. The last thing she saw before that happened isn't helping her mental state any. Though she tries, she can't manage to get her focus back. That is, until she picks up on one voice, somehow coming through loud and clear. Telling her, urging her to hit it hard and fast. Oh, is that all? She can do that. That happens to be her specialty!

The cobwebs abruptly evaporate from her mind, and Xantia rises, slowly, shaking her head a few times to clear out the remnants of... whatever that was. She looks around, puzzled about what just happened. Fei... maybe she just imagined that happening...?

One glance in that direction is enough to prove that particular hope false. All she's able to see now is the aftermath, which looks even worse than before. Others were hurt too, but... her eyes are glued on Fei's unmoving form, pure shock evident in her expression.

And then it twists, into a mask of pure rage. It may not be the kind of raw hatred that Lily is capable of channeling, but it sparks much the same: a massive surge of Ether bubbles to the surface, manifesting in an aura of fire.

There are no words, only a primal yell, as she dives from Gryndille, a hand extended. From her palm, a gout of flame springs forth, coalescing into an elongated shape, which she drives towards the machine's torso, aiming to pierce it straight through. If successful in this, then with both hands, she grabs the newly formed handle of this lance of pure fire, -twists-, and drives it through further, before the weapon explodes into flames.

GS: Xantia has activated a Force Action!
GS: Xantia has spent 4 Combo on Gatling, including 3 on Gatling!
GS: Xantia has attacked Gryndille with Inferno Lance!
GS: Xantia has completed her action.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Distantly, Lily feels the Life Riesenlied calls forth, the power of the Ley that both she and Gryndille seem to draw upon. But it can only be distantly; Lily's presence fades in and out to her, notable by the way it pulls at the magic around it more than its own character. ...And right now, she is focused--focused on this enemy.

Power erupts; blow after blow, familiar and otherwise, Ether and steel and wood and everything. Gryndille does not have to speak. Because...

...It strikes Fei.

Lily's inhuman eyes widen. "FEI!"

The word is half-scream, at least as much loud noise as anything--but Lily's magic has already begun working. She sees the creature turning towards her, and her magic erupts forward in an uncontrolled mass. ...The armor is gone; it is worn, nearly destroyed. But already it moves. Lily cannot just stop; the beams crash towards her, and Lily banks out of the way, soaring through the air around it. The data it gives is significant, of course. The next blast--

The next blast she can't evade. In passing, it strikes her in the side, causes a great explosion in the process, forces her to touch down on a broken roof for an instant--and look. "Fei--"

...He speaks to her. To her, of all people, in the moment, as he's able to pull that claw. For a few instants, Lily can't continue; she is stuck, hesitating, seeing it happen again, and again. And yet...

And yet.

Lily breathes, as she hears her other friend's voice, the one who she kept secret for so long. By... By that name. Her name? Lily looks down, lifts a hand to her chest, still glowing with power. "...I..."

Her head lifts. She sees Leon, charging; she hears his words. For all of them... and for her. For them. Lily nods, once, and rises again. "...For the Wolves," she promises, and floats forward, sliding to the side midair without worry for how wings should work; they have no real substance.

"If this is who I am..." Lily stretches out her hands, and breathes. She watches Elly's Ether--'just' Ether, even, and remembers, as it superheats. She watches, as Ethius leads the movement to crash Gryndille up, up, up. Josie's cannon--

"This ends," Lily intones, her voice taking on a dark weight, and the patterns on her body gleam too brilliantly to conceal even through fabric.

Lily extends both of her hands, and the air between her and Gryndille grows dark; it becomes cold, even near the great machine, and sound in its immediate vicinity begins to die completely for one long second. Then--

Red light erupts from Lily's hands, streaming in arcs like lightning until it hits her opponent; this time, there is no spillover. Xantia, in melee crashing forward, is untouched; every speck of the magic goes straight for the machine.

And arc it does--the red light is only the beginning, the same light as her healing, and a column of black snakes, unsteaddy, between the two of them. No, not a column--a conduit.

"<Protocol:>"

"Death."

GS: Lily Keil has activated a Force Action!
GS: Lily Keil has activated a Force Action!
GS: Lily Keil has spent 4 Combo on Gatling, including 3 on Gatling!
GS: Lily Keil has attacked Gryndille with The Slayer of Life's Duration - Death!
GS: Lily Keil has completed her action.
GS: Gryndille takes a solid hit from Xantia's Inferno Lance for 198 hit points!
GS: Gryndille takes a solid hit from Talise Gianfair's Cascading Steel Dragon for 229 hit points!
GS: Gryndille takes a solid hit from Josephine Lovelace's In A Cruel Rage for 164 hit points!
GS: Gryndille takes a solid hit from Elhaym van Houten's Sacred Elemental Boundary for 228 hit points!
GS: Gryndille takes a solid hit from Lily Keil's The Slayer of Life's Duration - Death for 219 hit points!
GS: Lily Keil drains Gryndille! Lily Keil gains 100 temporary hit points!
GS: Gryndille has Fallen! It is no longer able to fight!
GS: Gryndille takes a solid hit from Leon Albus's Code.29 JOYEUSE for 186 hit points!
GS: Gryndille has Fallen! It is no longer able to fight!

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Red and black energy erupt behind Leon as he lands. He sees them shining on the ground -- bright enough to make the colors out. He laughs, once, flecks of blood and sweat falling to the ground.

Then, he pitches forward, face-first, into the earth.

<Pose Tracker> Gryndille has posed.

        Gryndille's head twists towards the Captain. There is an anomaly within the anomaly--the ambient psychic resonance field is decreasing in strength, correlating with a sudden outpouring of Ley energy with no natural source. The automaton notes this, dispassionately. It does not stop trying to murder everyone on the field.

        To some, it might seem like Ethius is risking incineration for something trivial. He's not trying to disable the raging automaton with his sorcery, nor is he trying to melt it to slag like he did Diablo. Instead, he drives his weapon for the barrel of Gryndille's gun, knocking the massive weapon off-course. The beam of incandescent rage shoots up into the sky, missing Ethius by less than three feet. The heat is almost unbearable. Gryndille's blade-arm reaches for the Symbologist, still dripping blood--

        Rastaban comes down. The blade chops through Gryndille's torso, cutting through the myomer bundles sheathing its internals. Its cannon-arm sags under its own weight, the supports holding it in place severed. One of its sub-arms falls loose, severed from its mounting. Xantia's spear slams home, and the air fills with greasy chemical smoke as the myomers and electronics start to burn. Gryndille's body seizes and shudders, and it bucks free of Xantia before she can completely core it through. Flames still lick out from the gaping, molten hole in its chest. It raises its cannon, tries to compensate for the severed lines, but that's when Elly reveals what she was planning all along. Hydrogen erupts beneath Gryndille's treads, and the force of it literally hoists the massive automaton into the air in a bloom of white-hot flame. For a moment, it looks like it might be finished.

        Wishful thinking. A tremendous metallic crunch echoes through the fog, and a massive figure emerges from the crater made by Elly's magic. Gryndille's body is ruined, a mass of superheated carbon nanotubes and exotic polymers and advanced alloy. It drags itself forwards anyway. Josie takes aim at center-mass and fires. This time, there is nothing left of Gryndille's shield to soak her shot. It slams into the construct's body, ragdolling it backwards. Molten metal and shards of black material spray from the wound. It plants its claw on the ground, struggles to get up.

        'This ends.'

        'For every life you're not taking away after today. For me. For Lily.'

        Lily's magic washes out, and across Gryndille's body. The invincible frame that shielded its core begins to decay, crumbling away and rusting at her touch. Bits of it shrink, and go brittle. Gryndille buckles, sags, starts to collapse. The decay spreads, curling inward. Hardware fails as the delicate mechanisms inside disintegrate. Gryndille looks at Lily one final time--

        Argent Divider comes down, and severs Gryndille's head from its shoulders. It rolls across the ground, and stops at Lily's feet.

<Pose Tracker> Captain of the Royal Guard has posed.

He cannot move. But the Malevolence moves for him regardless of his own will, like a puppet on strings. A hand lifts as spiritual unwellness threads throughout it, builds on ligaments and muscles of contradiction to gain mass and once more assume its old form. He teeters on the brink. He is cold. So very cold.

But then he sees a light.

"...?"

The feeble shade looks upward, uncertain. Winds whip at his wispy figure, making it seem to almost bend like a reed in a storm as Cyre's tempest refocuses, strains to last long enough. He hears their words.

        You don't have to be afraid anymore.
        We will do all we can.
        I can understand fear.

        We have to believe that beyond the horizon is a better day.

His head bows, and a quiet sigh heaves past his lips, a far cry from the desolate and wild panic that once possessed him. Almost... resigned.

Accepting.

Green eyes shut as siphoning winds and a radiant light envelope him like the gentle, refreshing embrace of spring's first sun-warmed breeze.

...

When it all fades, there he kneels. His captain's uniform a grim joke of a ruin, tatters of it clinging to a gaunt figure of skin and bones. He looks unhealthy at the most generous estimation; Malevolence has eaten away well at him, without a need for food or drink that has suddenly become shockingly necessary in a short amount of time. Sandy brown hair is matted with sweat, his brown eyes bloodshot and sunken with fatigue, his lips cracked and dry.

But air is passing through them, the sweet exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide that proves the spark of life.

Life free from Malevolence's taint.

The Captain looks up, slowly. Towards Riesenlied, towards Cyre, an almost confused lack of recognition there within the fading throes of Malevolence's taint. Towards the others. Towards the city.

Bown eyes widen. And he remembers. At least --

He remembers enough.

<Pose Tracker> Captain of the Royal Guard has posed.

"please," he whispers, his voice faint, weak, a slip on the wind,

"you have to stop them. save krosse. they're going to take everything--*"

And he falls, fatigued and fallow, as the last vestiges of consciousness slip away from him. All is silent for a brief moment. It's tranquil, in a way. As if a sense of relief could be indulged in.

Before it happens.

A little tingle, in the primal part of the brain. A worrisome feeling. A premonition of ill tidings, perhaps. Like the feeling animals must get when they know there is a storm on the horizon.

The spiritual twinge of something terrible on swift approach.

And then comes the light.

It screams upward from the very top of the highest tower of Krosse Castle. A great pillar stretching with all the audacity of Babel towards the heavens. Gray clouds spool away from the light as if shirking in fear from its presence, creating a grand hole in the center of a stormcloud blotting sky that stretches further and further beyond sight.

It comes with an ill feeling. A feeling of fear that exists in everyone. Fear of the unknown. Of the different. Of wanting, with all great earnestness, the strength to protect that which is important to you, that belongs to you.

And every awful thing that can be inspired by such earnest wishes.

And that is precisely when those with the spiritual sense to tell might notice something important. Something worrisome. The Guard mentioned it, if not in so many words.

That they would protect Krosse.

Protect everyone.

        BGM: https:'weatherfactory.bandcamp.comtrackwe-call-upon-the-watchman

The Malevolent Domain of Krosse Castle begins to expand.

It is dramatic, at first. Shockingly so. It balloons out until it is enveloping the streets of the city, washing over the Drifters, over Gryndille, with sublime spiritual pressure -- able to be resisted by all assembled thanks to their experience, and yet...

... it is not only expanding.

It is growing stronger.

Once it has enveloped the capital of Krosse, it slows down. But it is still growing. In size and strength. And there can only be one source.

The Orb. The King. The Sorcerer.

The Castle.

And whatever their intentions, it must be stopped before it swallows up -everything-. It is time to end this.

It is time to save Krosse.

(OOC: The Domain of Krosse Castle is growing slowly but surely! Investigation into the Castle itself will reveal the way into the imperial throne room blockaded by protective, symbological runes that must be dealt with before entry can be achieved. Almost like you have to go through some sort of convoluted final (???) dungeon before you can reach the final (???) boss. Hmmmmmm...)

(OOC2: While the Domain is getting stronger, you are able to resist it! Hurray! this is mostly a flavor thing for sense of stake; if you want to add it into poses during the Siege of Krosse, feel free. Otherwise--)

                                                To be continued...

DC: Josephine Lovelace switches forms to The Dedicated Archaeologist!

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

???

Fei sits in the chair.

Fei sits in the chair. Id is standing nearby, resting an arm on it. The screens are off. The lights are dim.

"I can't see them." Fei says.

But can you feel them?

It's strange, Fei thinks, to close my eyes in this place. I don't really have eyes in here.

Ah--

Just like there aren't really screens.

Instead Fei feels. He feels his sister's rage. One of his first friends.

She thanked him. She thanked him so earnestly just for giving her some jerky. Fei can't help but smile at that.

He can feel Talise's friendship. He would regret it if he died here, he thinks, having so rarely intersected with her path. He can feel Ashton's pain.

He can feel the determination from Lily and Leon as they strike Gryndille down. He can't help but feel proud of them for finally breaking free of Gryndille's shadow...even if its words will no doubt linger.

And Elly...

He wants to reach out to her hand and hold it, and smile up to her. He wants to do all these things, but he can't. He isn't conscious. He is in his own head. He can't get out of it until his wounds are tended to.

But as he feels Elly, and his friends, Fei makes a small resolution to himself.

"When I die... I want it to be smiling, thinking of all of you."

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        Ethius risks exposure to a lot of things. Unbearable temperatures is one of them. He has to face away as he makes that dramatic lunging strike to push that gun upward. Once Talise steps in with the assist to carry in the extra physical (and beyond) force he can't, he starts to step off. He is surrounded by passion and emotions - an involvement and collective communal feeling that he may well be a fixture.
        ...And yet, still, the detachment remains, that detachment that allows him to keep the head he does in situations like this. His comfort in maneuvering around and dealing with an opponent he's never met, taking familiar cues in terms of their outward visual construction and movements, making specific movements and plays in which to disable and disarm.
        ...The backwash of scalding heat and loosened dust kicking up all around him, a dramatic silhouette of an orange glow around his person as the gray and brown of the earthen dust overpower the purple, momentarily, around his person. It casts something of a nefarious air unto itself.
        He is in his element in this ruin. This sort of destruction.
        He knows he is here to destroy, as he grasped when the greater Drifter community descended upon the Photosphere. It might not have been Gryndille - but he is here to destroy.
        ...
        There is a force, opposing, that is there to 'protect Krosse.' The Domain expands.
        Ethius, though the wound on his right forearm is numbingly cool, though his body stings from the scalding of heat backwash, though bruising wants to speak up and say 'hey, stop, you're hurt,' something compels him forward. The 'something' that was tested and tempered throughout the trials that began and extended through Lunar, through that yellow crystal labyrinth.
        He has the will to destroy. The thickening, strengthening Malevolence and its discordant whispers will not sway him from that.
        It cannot, as he wordlessly parts company towards the next task at hand.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

        It isn't in a state where she can walk that Riesenlied sees the fruits of all their labours; it's in Noeline's arms as she draws them to cover that she sees the taint of Malevolence actually lift--

        Not just because of her Medium... she can sense, but all their powers, from what spiritual strength they attained elseworld.

        It's a well kindling of hope.

        "We will... we..." Riesenlied whispers, in attempt to reassure the man as he whispers towards them, her eyes stained in tears. "Rest now..."

        She remembers promising to K.K. That she would try. No matter what happened... that she would, that she would let no cloud hinder her, no matter how dark and foreboding it may blot the skies above.

        She rests in Noeline's arms, as she supports her through the enduring torrent of the Ley's flames; she doesn't have to be afraid of her incompatibility to the world, because no matter if the world turns against them...

        ...as the Domain begins to expand, rattling and piquing away at the fears within her mind, she reminisces upon that for a moment.

        Her fear... her principal fear here...

        That she may not be able to truly reach the one who has become such a pivotal parent figure in the year Siegfried left her life.

        With glistening eyes, still with tears as she looks to the Castle, she reaches out as she feels the last vestige of energy leave her.

        "This bird... will fly. For you. No matter what."