[KQ] [SE] scatter the ashes

Sohalia

"Alright, everyone ready?" Sohalia asked, standing somewhat nervously with her glaive held in trembling hands. The last time she'd participated in trying to cleanse a region of the Void, she'd nearly died, and she wasn't keen to repeat the experience. Still, this was her home, and in order to retake it, they would have to clean it out first.

It was mid-afternoon on a sunny Leafchange day. The temperature was just right, and the skies above and around Stormbreak were clear of any lingering morning mist. They'd chosen their day well, it seemed, and Soh's nerves relaxed ever-so-slightly at the thought that perhaps she wouldn't nearly freeze to death this time. Still, even with that knowledge, she wasn't sure she was the best choice to lead their group. Everyone else - Koa, Zavien, and Melita - were much better equipped for this particular task than she was.

Still, she was determined to give it her all. 

At a silent command, Tarak launched from his place on Soh's shoulder to scout ahead, with strict instructions to retreat should he see anything amiss. In the meantime, Soh glanced at Koa, happy to defer to his leadership given his experience in battle. "Everyone be careful," she said before ceding the floor to him.

---

KQ to cleanse SB! The participants are Sohalia, Koa, Zavien, and Melita. It's mid-afternoon and sunny, so the streets are clear of mist.

Tarak is scouting ahead. He's staying high to avoid anything that might be lurking on the ground, and will retreat if anything pops up in the air.

Sohalia has everything on her profile, and a basic glaive.

Regional Score bonus: +15 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +15 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.

Melita

they should have checked the ashes
of the women they burned alive

If Melita felt any apprehension, she certainly didn’t show it. Emboldened and audacious, she flickered her way into the City Area with the Stormbreakers, determined to assist in the need to cleanse the region. There was no sense in leaving it as it was; not with the Family gone, and no one to occupy the area, save for those remaining infected.

Chin tilted upward in a seditious expanse, she’d long since armed herself properly; quiver on her back, bow already in her hands. Her companions had been left at home, the Firecracker docked nearby at the port – having no intentions of ruining anymore chances like the last iteration. The Honeybee didn’t like the feeling of being utterly useless.

“Ready,” she inclined to everyone with a brief nod, waiting for the inevitable.

--

Melita arrives with her bow and quiver ready to go. She has everything else on her profile (except for her companions).

Regional Score bonus: +15 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +15 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.

because it takes a single wild ember
to bring a whole wildfire to life

Zavien

Zavien could feel the stones beneath his feet that screamed 'HOME' with such a resonating depth that he felt powerful and energized, like the hopes and dreams of the people had nestled into his heart, giving him strength he didn't know he had. The nerves weren't as noticeable as when they'd approached the desert, a fiery determination smothering them into submission, because they would succeed. They had to.

Sending Sol forward to patrol, with strict instructions not to engage, Zavien made his own preparations. Pulling out his sword, he adjusted his gear to make sure everything was properly activated and in place. Once he felt sure nothing was missing, he gave the others a sunshine grin and a nod of his head. "Okay. I'll call in some extra help then we can see what we're working with." What kind of beast might be hiding in the rubble or what hellish creatures the Family had left behind for them to dispatch.

He cleared his throat before reaching for the thread of channeling. "Hey Hadama, mind giving us another hand? And maybe you could call Remi so he and Ronin can come as well? This might be a tough fight."

---

Zavien arrives with everything on his profile, two extra daggers, and a small pack of emergency supplies (healing items, rope, food/water, etc.). He activates his cuff and stands with his Starblade at the ready, assessing for danger then channels Hadama, asking him to call Ronin and Remi to help!

Sol flies above to scout, staying out of range for sneak attacks and planning to retreat at any signs of trouble. 

Channeling (Accepted) : Allows an Accepted to channel a herald/demigod/spirit during a time of crisis (2x a season). Can be combined with other accepted channeling to increase power.
Type: Light | Rank: Upgraded

---

Type: Light | Style: Defensive | Level: Basic
Leather Armour | Leather armour capable of blocking physical damage. Can only be used 1x per thread.

---

Type: Grey | Style: Other | Level: Basic
Starlight Cuff | A leather cuff intertwined with threads of starlight that when activated, extend the movement of the user's hand to 5ft total. Includes effects from items/weapons.

Type: Light | Style: Offensive | Level: Upgraded
Starblade | A sword that glows with inner starlight and burns on contact.

Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic
Golden Healing Ring | A golden ring capable of delivering healing via touch.

Type: Light | Style: Defensive | Level: Basic
Dragon Shield Bracelet | A shield contained within a golden bracelet shaped with a dragon's head clasp. Blocks magical damage at a Basic level. May be used 1x per thread.

---

Regional Score bonus: +1 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +1 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region. (Every bit counts. XD)

I learned that in suffering,
we find the true measure of our strength.

So tired trying to see from behind the red in my eyes
No better version of me I could pretend to be tonight

There's something to be said for fighting on one's home turf, for the rush of confidence and righteousness it brings. This, more than any other, is Koa's fight to win: a battle ages in the making, for the Dragoon and his friends to reclaim their stolen home. "Let's fucking do this," he tells his friends, clapping hands on the shoulders of Melita and Zavien before stepping up to stand at Sohalia's side.

The expression he wears is one of eager, hungry anticipation, his ringed fingers twitching at his sides as if itching for the fight. But he isn't flighty, isn't foolish: this is Koa in his element, shining like the young commander he so aspires to be. "Mel, if it would help to fire from elevation there's a ladder behind that building," he says, indicating the building ten feet behind them, where around the corner a ladder leading up twelve feet to the roof can be found. He doesn't know if the demigoddess intends to use her arrows or not, but figures he'll provide his expertise on the area just in case. Certainly can't hurt.

Silently sending Pip to join the scouting companions, Koa flashes a fierce grin to Zavien as his friend calls the cavalry in, readying himself into fighting position. Even if the heavy hitters are due to arrive and clean up whatever might be lying in wait, he's determined to get some blood on his hands today, to take advantage of this opportunity to land one last blow against the Family.

---

Koa brings everything on his profile already equipped. He sends Pipsqueak to join in the scouting (but not engage anything she finds)

Regional Score bonus: +1 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +1 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.

Koa

No other version of me I would rather be tonight
And, Lord, she found me just in time

A large raven lands atop a nearby ledge, its feathers impossibly dark and its four wings stirring an unsettling breeze. Its call, deep and hollow, echoes with voiceless warnings—each caw a shard of dread that burrows into your heart.

For a Friend of the Family, the same raven’s call is a gentle murmur. It drops a single, black-feathered plume at your feet—a token of urgent counsel carried from realms unseen—before taking wing in silent solidarity.

As Stormbreak has been taken over by the Family, remaining in this area will be dangerous as the flora/fauna will continue to grow increasingly hostile toward you unless you're a FotF!. Remaining in this thread for a prolonged period of time will likely trigger a KQ.

---

You’ve encountered a Void Messenger. This counts as an uncommon creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention. If you choose to follow this creature, you do so at your own risk, however, just having it in this thread is enough to satisfy your levelling requirements.

Void Messenger (uncommon): Feathers as dark as the void they traverse, these ravens serve as messengers for the infected, carrying whispers tainted by the void's influence. To the uninfected, their cawing echoes with an otherworldly dread, an unsettling harbinger of impending darkness. Where their 4-wings cast shadows, anxiety follows, a manifestation of the void's unsettling grip.

This time he was awake when the summons came, stripped to the waist (nothing unusual there) and carrying a large pane of glass carefully in his calloused hands. Vox's parting gift to Haulani had left the town in a state of... disarray, and certain repairs were still ongoing. His expression as he appeared in the street of Stormbreak was bemused.

And sharp, the jolt of a prayer for assistance sending emerald eyes sweeping the vicinity for threat but finding only a departing Void Messenger. He noted Sohalia, Melita, and the Dragoons, and his gaze settled on Zavien with an unamused weight as the man's words sank in.

"I see no enemy," he rumbled. "But I will do what I can."

A moonlit mist rose around the group, though no one was injured to benefit from its healing. Any enemies that arrived within range of them in the next few seconds might be disoriented, however. Without a target to hit, it was the best he could manage.

And then he turned his attention to Remi, pulling on his new tether to Caido's demigods as courteously as he was able.

"Apologies. I believe the phrase is: "tag, you're it?" he offered to the Bastion with a pulse of resigned, wry humor through the Attuned Bond before the Tidebreaker vanished as unexpectedly as he had arrived.

---

Hadama arrives, uses Turn the Tide to forestall any surprise attacks, and then uses Time Dilation to call Remi to the party with Rescue.

Magic: Turn the Tide | Can cause a moonlit mist to rise in a 30 ft radius that heals allies while causing enemies to roll with disadvantage for one round. Has a 2 post cool-down between uses.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered

Magic: Time Dilation (FEAT) | Twice per combat (e.g. KQs, PQ+s, PVP) Hadama may use two actions in one turn.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered

Magic: Rescue | Hadama can bring a fellow Old God demigod to his side in a time of crisis for three concurrent posts. One use per thread. If the summoned demigod also has mastered this ability, they can remain until the end of the thread.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered

REMI

the alchemist

What good are hands
if there's nothing that they hold

Remi arrives in a blink of golden light and powdered sugar, barefoot in the middle of Stormbreak with one hand still loosely clutching a wooden spoon. Icing clings to his curls, dusts his chest hair, and smears across the well-worn apron tied over his sweatpants, which, by sheer fortune, are at least decently secured on his hips. The scent of vanilla and cinnamon trails him like a guilty halo.

Blinking, the Bastion takes in the scene—the gathered fighters, the pulse of residual magic, Hadama’s departing form—and exhales a slow, deliberate breath through his nose. Despite the ridiculousness of his attire and the flour on his forearms, his expression sobers as his eyes sweep the City Area. He can feel the tension here, like static threaded into the stones—anticipation, readiness, the kind of quiet before battle where every breath feels a little too loud.

"Ronin is going to hate this," he sighs, more to himself than anyone else, before closing his eyes and reaching inward toward the bond he shares with the Knight. The thread of gold is always warm in his chest, humming like a well-tuned string, and with a flicker of emotion—fondness, exasperation, urgency—Remi tugs sharply on it.

---

Remi uses Rescue to bring Ronin to the party as well!

Magic: Rescue | Hadama can bring a fellow Old God demigod to his side in a time of crisis for three concurrent posts. One use per thread. If the summoned demigod also has mastered this ability, they can remain until the end of the thread.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered

And what good are hearts
if you bury them all alone?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

RONIN

the white knight

light is easy to love.

Ronin arrives in sandaled feet and a pair of cut-off shorts, his axe slung low in his belt, his body streaked with soil where he'd been taking care of the cascade of lavender that covers much of the Northaven's roof and hull. His eyes sharpen immediately, of course, at finding himself on Stormbreak's cobbles, a group readied nearby and Remi by his side, though as he glances around, he sees no sign of an enemy to fight.

"...Am I missing something?" he asks, his voice low and urgent but strong enough to carry to the group, an arm reaching out to snake around the Bastion to draw him close. "It's not fucking invisible, is it? Because I had a dream about an invisible werewolf once and it was the worst."

---

Uh, Ronin arrives?

Unfortunately, because he's entirely missed Hadama being there to begin with, and without any knowledge that the group would like him there as well, he doesn't know to bring him back.

Magic: Foe of the Family | Is able to see the true form of the Family and those who are Friends of the Family. Void damage is super effective.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered

Regional Score bonus: +15 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +15 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.

show me your darkness.

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Yes, yes, blah, blah, everyone is so badass and cool (even you, the baker and the gardener showing up at the last second). Whatever, anyway. The cry that shatters the skies overhead is all mournful fury, as if something has been minding its own sweet business up here until you lot showed up. Perhaps you'd have gotten away with a little sneak attack too, but there's something about three whole ass demigods popping by within seconds of one another that shifts the balance of power in the air. It does to a void dragon, anyway. Like Drogon after Dany gets murdered, the big reptile has been sulking about at The Tower since the Family's departure, but now? Now it takes to the air.  The cloudless vista means you'll see it coming and then some - a warped, ridged and violet-veined beast on the wing, maw parted and sizzling with void energy. Tarak, under Sohalia's command, wisely gets the fuck out of dodge, but the rest of the group can expect the draconic equivalent of a drive-by. Its roaring shriek is enough to puncture eardrums and shatter glass, and with it comes a blast of crackling void so potent that it keeps the air charged with unease long after it glides past and back into the sky. The majority of the group are able to get low and get out of the way, but Sohalia and Koa are both caught in the blast. Oh, and that Void Messenger? It's not retreating. Invigorated by the appearance of it's much, much larger back-up, it swoops back and tries to hassle Melita. Unfortunately in its excitement it rolled a 1 misses and smacks into the ground, giving itself a little headache in the process. Welcome to the Key Quest. This is a hard Level 8 Key Quest to try and cleanse Stormbreak! (On completion, if successful, 1/2 requirements will be complete to fully cleanse this region). Your randomly assigned posting order is: Sohalia, Koa, Remi, Ronin, Mel, Zavien Sohalia 157/240 Koa 189/272 Remi 1800/1800 Ronin 450/450 Melita 546/546 Zavien 264/264 Void Dragon: 830/830 Void Messenger: 180/200 Remember to include a summary at the bottom of your post with all action taken. If weapons/upgrades/abilities/items/shifts/etc are used, please include their desc. from your profile at the bottom of your post as well. REMEMBER: KQs are rewarding but dangerous. They may cause death and/or permanent changes to your characters. whatever doesn't kill me better run

Sohalia

Soh was well aware of the abilities of the others, but it still surprised her when first Hadama, then Remi, then Ronin appeared as though from thin air. What did not surprise her was the appearance of the Void dragon. That, after all, was what they had been waiting on and preparing for.

The Void blast had Soh staggering back, and with the dragon in the air, there was little that she could do to help. Grasping her glaive tightly in her hands, she retreated from any remnants of Void energy to stand near Zavien. Then she summoned three hawks from their nests in the city. She compelled them after the dragon, and they dove for its eyes, talons outstretched. Meanwhile, Tarak joined the fray, shooting a plume of flame at the dragon’s side.

—-

Sohalia stands near Zavien and compels three hawks to attack the dragon’s eyes, hoping to blind and/or distract it. Tarak attacks the dragon’s side with fire breath. 

Regional Score bonus: +15 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +15 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.

So tired trying to see from behind the red in my eyes
No better version of me I could pretend to be tonight

Things start out well, with the chain of demigod blinking into existence like a cavalry of incredibly buff figures ripped straight out of a myth. "Sorry for the lack of warning," he has time to say--

--before a blot of void blots out the sky, and Dahlia's dragon appears.

"Fuck!!" A bolt of void hits him squarely, enveloping Koa in static pain. He snarls, furious, but the dragon is too far away for him to do anything in retaliation. Instead he turns his wrath to the Void Messenger, punching down at the idiot bird that's tried to attack the Honeybee. "I've got this guy - shoot the dragon!" Koa calls to the demigoddess, before glancing back at the summoned men. One, two... fuck, where's Hadama?!

"Hey Ronin! Could you get the Tidebreaker back, please?"

---

 

Koa punches at the void messenger, and asks Ronin to re-summon Hadama

Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Mastered
Starlit Bracers | Bracers that when activated extend the movement of the user's hand to 15ft total. Includes effects from items/weapons.

Type: Grey | Style: Other | Level: Upgraded
Taijitu Boxing Wraps | When landing an attack on an enemy (via an unarmed strike), may EITHER cause Upgraded Damage to the enemy, OR may give Upgraded Healing to the user.

Type: Dark | Style: Offensive | Level: Mastered
Gravitine Band | A ring made out of dark starlight that inflicts gravity damage on a successful hit.

Type: Light | Style: Offensive | Level: Basic
Static Electricity | A ring that when worn adds lightning damage to whatever item is held in that hand (or to an unarmed strike).


ARMOR
Type: Grey | Style: Defensive | Level: Basic
Mothman Scale Shirt | A soft, lightweight shirt made from the scales of a slain mothman. Blocks Physical damage and downgrades incoming Upgraded dark magic to Basic level. Can be used 1x per thread.

Regional Score bonus: +1 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +1 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.

Koa

No other version of me I would rather be tonight
And, Lord, she found me just in time

REMI

the alchemist

What good are hands
if there's nothing that they hold

What began as flour-dusted curiosity and a quiet sense of foreboding erupts into full-blown chaos the moment the dragon tears through the sky, a guttural cry rattling the bones in his chest. One breath he’s brushing icing from his apron, the next, he’s faced with an airborne void monster and the blistering scream of energy parting the sky.

Remi’s eyes flash, and the air around him stills with a sudden hush—like the moment before a tidal wave breaks. "I’ll take the hits!" he calls out as he raises one hand toward the group and lets his magic unfurl like a net—protective, unwavering. "If you stay within 60ft of me, I can take whatever the dragon throws our way."

The Bastion shrugs his shoulders, wings bursting forth in a flare of brilliant gold and white. Apron flapping wildly in the updraft, he leaps skyward with a beat of his wings, ascending in a ten-foot arc that puts him between the group and the oncoming dragon. "Well, come on then," he yells to the beast, waggling his spoon back and forth in the air.

---

Remi casts

Magic: Spread Thin | Can soak the damage cast at all allies within 60ft. Cannot use any other actions.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered

and flies into the air ~10ft off the ground to draw the dragon's attention.

Regional Score bonus: +15 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +15 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.

And what good are hearts
if you bury them all alone?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

RONIN

the white knight

light is easy to love.

"Wh--"

Ronin has just started to think that this is a false alarm (which is his first mistake, given where they are) when the void dragon's shriek tears the sky asunder. Flinching automatically and clutching Remi closer, only when he realises they're clear of the danger does he reluctantly release his husband - which is when Koa's voice hits the air.

"...Are we not enough for you?" he calls back, gesturing between himself, Remi and Melita, looking uncharacteristically incredulous, before with a grumble he turns to get to work. They can play how many demigods does it take to change a lightbulb kill a dragon later.

Casting a sharp look at Remi as the other man so readily volunteers his own wellbeing away, at any other time he might have been appreciative, but this afternoon? Not so much.

Taking a long, deep breath and reaching within himself for that goldspun thread of magic, he pulls it taut as it locates Hadama, and calls him forth. "Your assistance is requested to slay a void dragon!" he calls, wings already bursting from his shoulders before he rockets into the air as well.

Bringing himself within range of the dragon, Ronin lances out with a whipcrack of air magic, knowing better than to rely on anything else against such creatures.

---

Using his feat to perform two actions this turn, Ronin uses Rescue to bring Hadama back into the fray. He then gets himself in range of the void dragon and tries to hit it using Zephyr!

Magic: Once More With Feeling (FEAT) | Twice per combat (e.g. KQs, PQ+s, PVP) Ronin may use two actions in one turn.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered

Magic: Rescue | Ronin can bring a fellow Old God demigod to his side in a time of crisis for three concurrent posts. One use per thread. If the summoned demigod also has mastered this ability, they can remain until the end of the thread.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered

Magic: Magic: Zephyr | Ronin may summon forth a gale blessed by the God of Life. If directed at an enemy, strikes with Air damage. If ally directed, provides healing. 15ft radius.
Type: Light | Rank: Basic

Magic: Foe of the Family | Is able to see the true form of the Family and those who are Friends of the Family. Void damage is super effective.
Type: Dark | Rank: Mastered

Magic: FEAT | Now You! | When Ronin successfully hits a target, the next ally who posts gains advantage on their attack.
Type: Light | Rank: Basic

Regional Score bonus: +15 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +15 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.

show me your darkness.

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

A thoughtful Hadama had at least had time to set the window pane down and step back, contemplating the chances that--

A slightly different tug pulled at his soul and he found himself once more within Stormbreak's borders, surrounded by his young friends - and now by his fellow demigods as well.

Oh, and a Void dragon.

Well. Now there was something for him to hit.

"It is good to see you again," he rumbled as he reappeared, inclining his head politely to Ronin and Remi before turning his attention to the Void dragon. "This is my first dragon. Do they have a weak spot?" As he spoke the space above the dragon warped in a line along its sinuous spine, sending four spears of compressed gravity towards its body. Eyes narrowing with concentration, he grasped the remnants of twisting space and held it with his will, sending a second rain of Gravity Spikes down upon the masterless creature.

---

Hadama asks Ronin and Remi where he should aim on a dragon as a free action and then hits the dragon with his Gravity Spikes+Singularity. Then he uses his Time Dilation to do it again.

Offense

x2 Magic: Gravity Spike: the user borrows a sliver of the moon's power to summon up to three gravity lances that appear above a target within 60ft. Control is excellent.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered

x2 Magic: Singularity | Adds additional spike at mastered level on a successful hit when Hadama uses his Gravity Spike.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered

Feats

Magic: Time Dilation (FEAT) | Twice per combat (e.g. KQs, PQ+s, PVP) Hadama may use two actions in one turn.
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered

Magic: Hammer the Gap (FEAT) | When the ally before Hadama in the turn order successfully hits a target, Hadama gains advantage on his attack against
Type: Light | Rank: Mastered

Luck

Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Upgraded
Lucky Ring | A ring that when worn grants +5 luck. Must be included in all PQ/PQ+/KQ/DROP posts to be counted.

Regional Score bonus: +15 in all shrine visits, drops, PQ+s, KQs, etc. (You must post this at the bottom of any post where a +15 should be included). Residents cannot be cursed at shrines in this region.