World Tree MUSH

 The village of Ziekden is far less remarkable than it's more famous Fort that formerly existed here. Once the strong walls kept out the chill of the ever-falling snow in this area. It's a portion of Ivalice rich in natural resources, and so it's become an important place to defend. But this village is merely a town dedicated to mining and excavating things both legal and quasi-legal for the benefit of many in Ivalice. 

 The ruins of Fort Ziekden are within walking distance of the village itself. The village was far easier to rebuild from the damage done. Right now, the Order of the Southern Sky has taken up the space between ruined Fort and village. A proper military camp is on the edges of town, with all that accompanies it. But it's a far lighter detail than it requires. Thus, workers, mercenaries, and other sorts have been hired to fill the gaps. 

 The General overseeing this project is holed up in the single decent hotel of the area. A two story building, decaying but at least worthy of a noble. If barely. The man is on the lower floor, secluding himself to plan what will become of the Fort once it's rebuilt. His guard consists of two soldiers. Surely no one would dare attack him here near a ruin! 

 A far more secretive call for mercenaries has been put out as well. A caravan rolls into, and past town. It offloads everything to the soldiers. Security is light. One or two hooded figures step off and make their way towards a tavern. A few drinks later? They slip out the alleyway in opposite directions. 

 Claudia Kinborrow, leaning against a wall and heavily cloaked in nondescript brown robes of a commoner, waits her fellow contacts. 

 Meanwhile, in the camp, boxes are beginning to be uncrated. Mostly they seem to be wood and steel and stone, to match what's already been arrived. In the camp, a few more exotic things dwell: crystals, excavated tech from the Calamity that was uncovered by the explosion. 

 The last few crates are oddly warm. Surely that's just some enchanted coats sent this way to a cold climate, right?

    "Kind of a hole, isn't this? Don't even get signal here," Aranea offhandedly comments to Claudia, pocketing her smartphone as she follows the templar. She'd taken the simple cloak for a disguise, having nothing especially bulky to disguise; her armor's pretty sleek, after all, and it doesn't look out of place here despite being magitek. It's not like it's covered in cool Tron lines or anything, it just looks like regular steel and cloth.

    And without her spear or helmet, she looks normal enough not to attract attention anyway. It's not too hard.

    "So what's my role in all this? Kill the general? Just make a mess? I don't do civilian murder, just so we're clear on that."

    Better stated now than later.

    She's still waiting for that signal Claudia mentioned. Something about explosions. Easy enough to spot once it happens, no doubt.

Complications always arise to mar the attempt to complete any great work. 

Still, to be somehow thrown from his world completely... That is not something Lezard Valeth expected. Even his tome said nothing about such a possibility, something that brings up... disturbing elements indeed in his thoughts. 

 Still, the most dangerous assets he possesses are always with him. When in an unfamiliar location, what is one to do but to gather information? 

And so it is that the Sorceror steps into the village, heading for the local inns. People enjoy talking, and perhaps a couple coins can purchase enough ale to loosen tongues to wag. At least Lezard himself doesn't seem to stand out excessively from the locals in this place. More finely garbed than the peasants, yet not as well as the better-off Templars, he shouldn't raise /too/ many eyebrows as he enters the very hotel that the unwitting target is staying in and moves to the front desk. "Pardon me." He asks, adjusting his glasses. "I seem to be in need of directions. Could you tell me where this place is, and where the nearest alchemical laboratory can be found?"

'Operater are you /absolutely/ sure this is nessicary?" Ordis asked as Ash looked at the village of Ziekden. Then the Cephelon sighed, "I suppose so. Better we learn about this... Magic now rather than get surprised by it. The lander will be on standby if you need a quick evac."

"Understood," Ash headed towards where the Caravan was in the process of offloading. Part of him wanted to stay and help, but that wasa very small part. His task was patrol. Theirs.... something else. 

As part of his contribution ash had loaned radio gear out to the General to distribute as he saw fit. The radios themselves were more earpieces than traditional walkie talkies. Little beads and a cradle to keep them from falling out and activated by voice. THe range wasn't great and signal might not propigate through thick walls. However Ordis's advise wassound. He disrupted things here far enough just by being here. GIVING these people technology could turn ugly. So keep it simple, keep it from being easy to exploit if it goes 'missing' and make sure it actually can survive what it would go through. So robust short ranged gear was the order of the day. 

"Caravan in sight." Ash then proceeded to describe what was being offloaded, who was staying. And then ended the field report before tossing a smokebomb down and using what few seconds of invisibility he had to sprint to a nice quiet perch to look over the likliest avanue of attack with his sniper rifle. It was ornate, gilded, and very out of place but enough like the guns of this place that the General wouldrecognize it as such. As much as Ash loved his Corinth shotgun, the vectis would serve him better on this field until the distances closed and his sword would need to speak instead.

A small town needing to build up it's defenses to protect itself and the nearby resources. A story a a certain Ranger was familiar with. And even after that less than stellar situation with the prison breakout a while back it looks like the locals are still in need of some folks willing to help and not worry too much about it. They were busy enough just getting their supplies in order.

Rather than wander around aimlessly though Dillon had parked himself in a spot that a good clear view of the way in and out of the encampment without actually getting in the way of those working. The caravan's arrival is noted, but with several already going to work with unloading and sorting he contended himself with just standing guard as he was.

    Goku did not have a very nice time the last time he stepped foot in Ivalice. But it left him with a lot of uncomfortable questions. And anger. And worry. Who was that incredibly strong woman, and why is she willing to do such terrible things but say it's for the better? A far cry different from what Goku's run into before! Aren't cruel people usually out to rule the world or something?

    Whyever you'd want to do that. He still doesn't get it. But whatever.

    One thing lead to another, and Goku has ended up helping out the building team rebuilding the fort! And so the boy with the tail, all bundled up, is hauling huge loads of building materials back and forth, pushing himself to quite a sweat despite the chill!

    He needs to be stronger the next time he meets that woman. Or anyone else like her. "Next time... I won't lose!" He grunts, while tugging at the enormous chains looped around a massive stone block that's destined to be a replacement foundation stone. It slowly budges across the frozen ground, foot by foot.

>> SUMMARY[Goku] >> Ended up here quite by chance and joined the construction crew for a workout and some food!

 Claudia chuckles and waves her hand. "Oh don't you worry your pretty head, Miss Highwind! I wouldn't ask you to attend to such a grisly task! No Heretics here, well, aside from maybe those Order knaves. What /you're/ going to do is make a right and proper mess of things. Attack any Southern Sky soldier that gets a bit too...brave for our holy and right operation here! And any hired fool that looks like they need a good drubbing." 

 A swift nod, and then she waits. 

 Ash would find his radios accepted...with very mixed reception. Some outright refuse and curse him for a heathen. Others? Are more shifty and take it reluctantly. The General though seems the most receptive after discovering just what they do. 

 Yeah, he still is judging Ash, but silently so. Utility over faith for this one. 

 After a mic check, it seems everything is in order. The hotel has thin walls at the best of times, and so there's no interference. It's not even a long patrol, unless you really want to go through all of the town. 

 Lezard would find the entrance to be smooth indeed. He's just another mildly rich merchant (!?) entering this town where the Order is setting up shop. Earlier than most, but maybe he has connections. The old woman at the hotel's front grins with her toothless smile. 

 "You get lost on the road, lad? Don't know anything about that 'alchem-lab' stuff. You some kinda chemist? Don't matter none. This is Ziekden Village. Why don't you stay a night? If you're a chemist, you'd be right at home with the Order. Short of hands, they are. Soldiers always need healing." She nods. Clearly going for a few gil to swindle from the man. Sharp old hag. 

 Dillon gets a lovely view of the exit to the village, as well as the camp itself. Oh, and Goku too is hauling /gigantic replacement blocks/ out to be worked on or transported. The duo of monkey and armadillo get odd looks occasionally, but the soldiers seem to be alright with this in this frigid hell. Dillon especially seems to garner respect with his no-nonsense attitude. Goku's looks are a bit more...well, see nothing know nothing. Maybe he's a monk. A really young one. 

 The soldiers get to those last crates, and they all open at once. Floating, burning orbs with grinning faces and spikey 'hair' rise up. Wherever they touch fire blooms. In the camp, people burn instantly, soldiers leaping to arms. A few shoot arrows and stabs. Civilians flee as the town catches alight. Order is instantly disrupted. 

 And then a lucky shot, and one of the many, many Bombs that now tear through the city explode with enough force that a pair of knights are slag all at once. 

 Claudia winks. "And there's your signal!" 

 Aranea might now know that 'subtle' isn't Claudia's specialty. She leaps up to a second story window, hauls herself into the hotel, and starts walking calmly as the world burns outside. She just has to find where the general is. That info isn't hers yet.

    Before the Bombs detonate, there's noise. And smoke. Is that coming from the caravan's general direction? Aranea frowns, pointing Claudia in that direction.

    "Yeah, I got it. You keep an eye out, someone made noise over there. Either someone started a fire or someone deployed smoke for cover at the sight of the caravans." Timing matches too well. Not that it matters, moments later, when the round, fiery monsters are unleashed.

    She'd frown more, if she could, because those things are daemons on her world. They don't seem to be here, so that's a small mercy, but consider her knee jerked with regards to judging the situation.

    As signals go, at least, that's pretty clear.

    Aranea's spear flashes into her hand, appearing from a burst of red light. She hops up atop a building, opposite Claudia, perching on a chimney to get a feel for the area. Half-finished buildings, not a lot of high ground. There's that hotel, taller than most of the other buildings, but the templar's already headed there, so there's no sense doubling up unless it's requested.

    Here eyes actually stay on the Bombs for the most part, with the Order's men not having made themselves a good enough target yet. Seems she's trying to see whether civilians are getting caught in the crossfire right now.

    And whether she needs to jump in, quite literally, to pull any of them out before she moves on to her proper objective.

... What is it with fire around these parts? First the prison, now this.

One minute it's calm while work is getting done, the next it devolves into chaos as monsters erupt forth, people scatter and flames spread. "Figgers," Dillon drawls as he gives his hat a tug in typical pre-fight adjustment. Though he doesn't get two steps towards getting involved when one of the creatures explodes and puts soldiers instantly out of the fight. That does get a moment's pause out of it. So the things can blow up like Boomgrocks? Peachy. Gonna have to take them out faster than they can take anyone else out.

A Ranger's work is never done. Dust and snow kicks up as Dillon rushes to put himself between the fleeing labor and the fiery monsters. "Back off." And take a swipe at one of the Bombs to keep it from giving chase. His rugged claws can take it, it's hardly the first fiery monster he's had to deal with.

iT was not Ash's place to condim condone or otherwise judge the behavior of the army regulars. He made sure those that accepted the gear knew how to use it. ANy questins or color commentary spoken behind his back was also not his concern. He accepted what orders were given to him and made what reports were requested of him.

And then all hell broke loose. Ash saw bombs rising. Animate seemingly almost AWARE of the best places to detonate at. "Ordis! Are you getting this feed?" His voice was tense as he observed, unsure on if he shouldl eave his post or watch for a follow-up attack.

"I am, Operator." The Cephelon's voice was eerily calm. "FIre on unexploded hostiles? Maybe they require an internal mechanism to detonate?" Ordis's voice was threaded with uncertanty.

"General!" Ash's voice was tight. "We're evacuating the area. Immediately!" He threw a smokebomb down to conceal his departure from his perch. When the invisibility ended he was already running towards the hotel. It was unfortunate he didn't have a thorough catalogue of the locals or other friendly units, so Bladestorm coudln't be used as he would have liked. Targets of opprotunity were slashed at, but only in passing. He could not afford to stop to skermish if this was a decapitation attack rather than a terror strike.

Then she heard a man screaming. Ash turned and saw a quartet of bombs converging on the poor fellow. Cursing under hsi breath, "Diverting to evac civilian caught in crossfire. Advise you continue with etraction. Will assist." He brought up his rifle and sighted, hoping to catch more than one of the bombs in his line of fire. Hoping he wouldn't kill the man himself in the attempt.

    It doesn't take much to make Goku happy! He's been pushing his body to the limit and stuffing his belly on and off. His strength has improved a bit! How much though, he's not so sure. Will it be enough?

    Those thoughts weren't on his mind. Not much really was besides the task at hand.. until the peace is broken by a thunderous explosion and the roar of nearby-flames. Heat washes over the boy, who immediately drops the harness to his load and hops atop the block for a better view!

    "Wh-what are those?! More demons?!" Monsters, demons, whatever. They look sinister and are causing mayhem, so they gotta be demons. "... th-they're attacking the town!!" The moment's a bit flaily because he has no idea what those are... until one of them explodes. His gaze hardens fiercely... and he understands quickly that these things, whatever they are, are too hot to touch. Too dangerous to get near them.

    So he reaches up behind his head and draws the Power Pole from its holster!

    "I've gotta beat those things back!" And so he sets about doing this. Goku leaps clear into the fray towards the nearest conglomeration of Bombs... "POWER POLE EXTEND!" And his weapon grows longer! With this added reach of about twenty feet he sets about beating the Bombs over the head and trying to thwack them high into the sky, away from buildings and people!

>> SUMMARY[Goku] >> Goku's startled by this turn of events, but wastes little time hopping to the town's defense. Uses his LENGTHENED POWER POLE to beat up Bombs without closing into Explosion distance!

Lezard looks on the old woman with an arched eyebrow. "Yes... I am something of a 'chemist'..." He replies dryly. "So this is Ziekden Village... Good to know, then." He sighs, "Perhaps I might. What can you tell me of this 'Order' I am from a distant land and would appreciate the lay of the land He asks the woman. With a smooth motion, he pulls out a couple Midgardian silver coins and holds them up. Perhaps an incentive? 

A few moments later, there is an explosion. Lezard, no stranger to sudden explosions, flinches and reflexively draws up his cloak, perhaps to ward off shrapnel that doesn't come. "What the devil?" He exclaims... And then sighs. "It appears we won't have time for niceties." He says, withdrawing a vial of a blood-red powder from his coat... 

When one of the guards inevitably rushes out into the lobby, they heat a thick, pained choking noise behind the counter. There, the woman lies, trembling. "It hurts..." She hisses, trickles of crimson powder flowing from her mouth. "I feel... I feel..." 

Her eyes snap open, blood-red as her jaw cracks, jaw distending as she utters in a voice that can only be called 'unholy'. 

                                 HUNGRY...                                  

The woman's flesh warps, bones twisting and popping as she howls in agony, weathered skin ripping as muscles reforche themselves in spasmodic trembling, The process is, to hear it, agonizing... To call it mercifully fast would be a misnomer, however, as the end result is a hulking, crimson-skinned horror, long of limbed, twisted and terrible with massive claws and distended visage. The last remnants of that old woman's humanity left there in vague lines as if to churn the stomach with knowledge of what it used to be. 

The demon's hand opens, and two sivler coins drop from it as it shrieks incoherently, lunging with demonic force towards the guard. 

Above, Lezard climbs out onto the roof to look up at the sky. "Can you hear that, milady Valkyrie?" Lezard asks the uncaring void that stretches above him. "The howls of the damned? Will you seek to silence them even here?" 

His gaze turns down below to the Bombs and those fighting them while inside, the Demon rages, crashing about in search of flesh to tear and consume.

>> SUMMARY[Lezard Valeth] >> Lezard doses the nice inkeeper with Ghoul Powder for her trouble, and while the horror begins tearing up the first floor, Lezard goes to the roof to be a Villain. Oh, also to look and see what's going on from a dramatic vantage point.

 "Always someone wanting to have a little fun before the party starts, Miss Highwind." She says with a sigh, and a wink. A little less confident than before though. This was not according to plan. 

 Nothing ever is. 

 Credit due, most of the bombs make their way to the soldiers that they fry to a crisp. Claudia runs a tight ship, but this was riskier than most. One bomb breaks from the pack as Aranea leaps to the skies...and then a woman with her child runs out. Right into the path of the bomb, and the civvie only has enough time to drop to her knees, and offer her back to protect her child. It'll only be a few moments before the inevitable chomp happens. 

 Dillon acts directly and intersperses between a bomb and some laborers! Slice! The creature gets a big, flame-gouting wound! It wobbles, writhes, and....falls to the ground. No explosion. Seems you have to hit it with the right amount of force to explode! What that is? Who knows. One or two soldiers are on fire near Dillon, crawling to him for help! 

 The radio is chaotic to say the least. Screams, death, combined with untrained users, even soldiers? The General's voice barely breaks through. 

 "...Ull...ut..." Over the din. The orders are garbled over the sound of fire and something else in the hotel. But it seems that Ash has the right idea! 

 Ash takes a shot, and two bombs go down. But that blow catches the hostage, and he dies instantly. The other bomb begins tearing into his body, then reushes for the source of the shot! 

 Goku reacts quickly, and smartly! His Power Pole is a good thing to employ, as it's pure length smashes into a trio of Bombs about ready to head to a crate full of something black and sand-like! Gunpowder! Smash! One of them outright dies. The others? 

 One explodes harmlessly. The other goes high into the sky, but a small spark falls below! 

 Hisss. KABOOM! No one's near it, but Goku will have to contend with flying rocks in his direction from the blast! 

 Downstairs? Two guards come rushing. They're armed with Defenders, the enchanted swords at the ready. But that massive bulk of an unholy horror even gives these brave knights pause! A barking voice behind them? And the General pulls out a crossbow, aiming for the creature's head! A long, accurate shot to the being! 

 Upstairs, Claudia Kinborrow feels the entire building shake, and that horrible voice howl out. She makes for some stairs in time to peek over smartly and eye both target, guards, and that /unholy thing/! 

 The Templar takes a second. On the one hand, there's an abomination to kill. On the other? Said abomination is looking like it's ready to kill her target. 

 She hangs back smartly. She can always just kill whatever's left, and take the credit for the other.

"Tch," Ash sent a followup shot towards the onrushing bomb. He took the failure in stride and shelved any second guessing til later. He couldn't afford to freeze up. He saw another bomb headed for civilians and risked switching targets, gambling on his frame's shielding and overal toughness to hold if the first target continued towards him. If he could get the attacking force's attention on him.

Wait a tic.

No that won't work, secondary bomb is out of bladestorm range. He took the secondshot anyway before throwing a smokebomb down and falling back.

"Remember yoru training you worthless den of ubrows!" Ash's voice was harsh over the airwaves. "Remember your training and evac! I will stay and try diverting enemy units."

In Ash's transferrence pod the youth breathed deeply. "Ordis. Is there any way to boost the signal? THey need to coordinate if they're going to have any chance at gettign out of this." He knew other offworlders were on site, but what he wouldn't give for a few other Tenno on hand. THose at the very least he could set waypoints for and directly collaborate with.

    Bombs, now screams and a demon. This isn't doing Claudia any favors in Aranea's eyes, but luckily it'll take more than that to earn her ire outright. She still works for Niflheim despite all the stuff that way, after all.

    Nothing in her contract with Claudia said she couldn't take five minutes to herself and save some children, at any rate. She'll use that liberty for a moment there.

    The dragoon leaps off the roof, but doesn't angle down to strike the bombs headed for the woman and her child. Bombs, awfully volatile creatures, those. You whack them with a spear and they blow up. You whack them with magic and they blow up. You have to do it in one strike, or else you're not going to have a good time. Magitek armor or not.

    Instead her landing seeks to take her between the woman and the Bombs, spear used to block the gaping maw of the beasts, before stomping her foot down and releasing a shockwave of pulsing red light (dark-elemental, oddly enough) from her spear, which hums to life with the blow, red streaks lighting up across the weapon. The shockwaves don't hurt - they knock back. She's not going to strike the bombs and risk an explosion.

    "You two hold on to me, I'm dropping you off away from this mess." If she can get them to comply - and it shouldn't be too hard, she looks more like a guard than someone with ill intentions - she'll make another jump, this time for safety, spear dismissed once airborne to hold onto her cargo.

    But that's quite enough of that, she thinks. People are gonna be at risk until Claudia gets what she wants - assuming that demon is even with her. That means the faster Claudia gets what she wants the faster they can leave. That's incentive enough to rejoin her as soon as she drops off the woman and child.

They don't -always- explode. Good to know.

But pursuing that farther will have to wait, as Dillon's attention is grabbed by the soldier's crawling trying to deal with being in conflageration. Can't use an freezing crystal on living folk like he did the prison walls to put out flames. Going to have to improvise.

"Hold still." With a grunt Dillon hunches down and starts digging into the ground with his claws, throwing up the dirt and snow behind him to smother the flames from the men. "Don't try and fight, just get folks outta here."

With that done and said the armadillo doesn't stop digging, disappearing just far enough underground to make his way across the camp without aggrivating any more of the Bombs while he's looking for more people needing help. Some things are more important than just fighting the bad guys.

    With a happy laugh for his brief victory, Goku grins triumphantly. Down with those monsters! Then the flame drips down into the gunpowder and -- BOOOOM!

    The boy's pelted by rocks, gravel, and debris. Enough to bowl him over and leave a nasty bruise on an arm.

    Really though. Until he sees anyone who might be in CHARGE of this chaos, all the young Saiyan can do is charge at great speed through the growing chaos and repeat that performance of beating bombs way up into the sky with his Power Pole and trying to keep them away from any of the people here!

    "They've gotta be coming from somewhere!" So if he can find where, maybe, and close it off....