The space tower has been shut down for the past few nights. Now trolls are gathered around it, shuffling and nervous. By the door, a few drones sit, nursing fresh injuries - beside them various frazzled trolls scowl over blueprints and frown at hastily drawn maps. Beyond the large, unfinished entrance, the humming of equipment and machinery running can be heard. A sore looking security guard slumps against the frame, muttering explanations to any troll who comes in range of their slightly unfocused vision.
It seems that they were guarding a side entrance of the space tower during the lockdown, to ensure no trolls got in or got out. Just before the announcement began in the Central Hub, they were approached from behind and knocked out. When they came to, their id was missing, the side entrance was open, and the machines inside were running.
When they pushed the door open to go inside, they were forcibly ejected - with bruises to show - by the space tower's defensive systems. These were built in to defend the tower in the future should any trolls take it in their mind to try and cause trouble, but were prematurely activated before their controls were fully put into place. Now the system thinks everyone is hostile, and is violently repelling all those who try to enter the tower and deactivate it.
They assure you that if there was anything that volunteer workers were needed for, this was it. With production already falling rapidly behind schedule, if delays take any longer, it could cost the city not only the competition, but any future patronage from the military on future scientific ventures. Time's ticking away, and they need some brave troll - they pause to try and make eye contact with you - to get in there and shut down the defense systems!
"Oh ho ho ho ho! Insert derisive mirth! You cannot stop the progress of science insert_target_name_here!! Error." You've encountered a rogue AI defense system! HP ????/????
You must advance through the half-constructed tower to try and find the central power system. Doing a full reboot of the system by powering it down, then turning it on again, should get the systems to reset and the security defenses offline.
However, the defensive system's AI will most certainly do everything in it's powers to try and prevent this from happening, as it sees you as an invading threat.
In addition, while there was an initial blueprint of the tower, construction has been a bit hectic and disorganized. Things have gotten built that might not have been in the initial plans, and other rooms and elevator shafts might not yet be in existence. Therefore all trolls are recommended to try and keep track of their path through, as the inside has become a bit of a maze.
IMPORTANT FIGHT MECHANIC INFO! READ THIS FIRST!
If this is your first boss battle, or you need some reminders, remember to read our boss battle how-to in the battle thread.
Each boss battle post that contains damage dealt should be submitted with the google docs form, like the rest of the meta! You all know how this goes by now.
New round attacks and half hour attacks using offensive abilities must be reported. Posts that contain rp only/defensive/supportive abilities should not be reported.
Each new round attack is your troll arriving at a crossroads inside the tower. The path will branch off, and you will be given a choice as to what direction you would like to go. Next round, you will be told if you arrived at a new crossroads, or at a dead end. Trolls at dead ends can only return in the direction they came from. You're in a maze with no map!
Each half hour attack is your troll progressing through the half-constructed space elevator's base to their next crossroads/dead end.
Unlike usual boss battles, new rounds will begin at any time of the day (with exception to 11pm-11am EST) as long as the majority of trolls on a side have posted, and two hours have passed since the last round. After round 1, this will reduce down to the majority of the trolls who posted in the previous round, and continue on for the rest of the battle. Missing rounds is fine, your troll simply is considered to have taken a bit of time to catch their breath and look around.
Trolls may choose to purposefully skip rounds if they want to wait for another troll to meet up with them/any other reason. If you skip a round you cannot attack in half-hour posts relating to that round.
While the boss's hp is unknown as they consist of an entire building, at set damage milestone helpful things may happen to assist all trolls inside the space tower's construction site.
As always, rp can be done at any time and is unrelated to the round structure.
As you push farther, you happen to glance out one of the gaping, unfinished walls. You can see down below, trolls gathered around the site, a few waving their arms in either support or warning. Their faces are slightly blobby from the distance, and you realize how far up the construction site you've climbed.
All trolls gain one use of second wind.
Quote:
ROUND 8
"Hello, hello? This is Dr. Casini. I've patched in through the intercom and have access to the power room security cameras..." You can hear her taking a shaky breath.
"Now, don't panic or anything, but there may be some kind of large black box with a timer on it in there, and it's not ours. It seems to be counting down, rapidly. I'm sending up additional forces, but... You know, do what you gotta do to stay safe!" Her voice shudders. "We have to save this project!"
ROUND 9 A large, multifaceted window gives you a view stretching out over the city, getting close allows you to see the trolls gathered below, now a shapeless blobby mass of grey and black. A few of the pains have yet to be fitted in, and a breeze lifts small strands of hair off your face, bringing in the smell of the world outside. It fills you with DETERMINATION vigour.
All trolls who have used their previous second wind gain another.
Quote:
ROUND 12
As you step out into an unfinished section, the wind hits you and makes you take a step back. You're high up now, and can see clearly to the edges of the horizon, with the city stretched out far below. In the sky, the moons hang like two large round rocks floating in a void. If this tower gets built, you might be able to walk on them some day soon.
All trolls who have used their previous second wind(s) gain another.
Quote:
ROUND 14
You can hear sounds filtering up, through the hollow sections of the space tower. Adult voices, and boots marching in unison - it sounds like backup has finally arrived! Their shouted words can't be heard, but maybe, just maybe, they're yelling words of encouragement at the trolls who helped them stay filled with morale throughout the entire competition. Or maybe they're just angrily fighting off bees coming out of doors.
MILESTONE ACTIVATED! Distribute 50 morale.
They'll catch up, you don't doubt, but what if they arrive too late? What if, whatever's counting down, hits zero first? You can make it there in time, you know it. If you can just ... get back up and keep going ...
As you walk down the corridor, red lights follow you as cameras swing in your direction on the wall. Suddenly a laser grid snaps on in front and behind of you, red beams crisscrossing in an attempt to block your path. At the end of the path, more cameras watch. If you can damage the video surveillance equipment, the ai might have a harder time keeping track of where you are.
If you rolled a 1, you trip and fall wildly as you try to pass through the beams. Thankfully, the lasers don't have enough power to cut, but they do have enough to burn. Take 5 dmg.
If you rolled a 2, you inch through the lasers, sticking close to the wall to see where they emit. When your foot catches a loose tile on the floor, you grab the wall to steady yourself and don't hit /too/ many lasers. Take 4 dmg.
If you rolled a 3, you raise your leg to climb over a beam. The beam raises with your foot. Quickly, you leap over it in time, but catch your leg on the beam. Ow! Take 3 dmg.
If you rolled a 4, you can a camera at the far end swiveling and turning to follow your every move As you bend to ease under a laser, the beam suddenly drops down to your height, singing you. Take 3 dmg.
If you rolled a 5, you get down on your stomach and crawl under the lasers. When you climb out on the other side, you catch sight of your burned hair and horns in a shiney wall panel and blanch. Take 2 dmg.
If you rolled a 6, you leap and tumble and get through the lasers, breathing heavily and bruised, but unburned. Take 2 dmg.
Caiden is attacking Half-constructed Tower and Going Left If you rolled a 5, you get down on your stomach and crawl under the lasers. When you climb out on the other side, you catch sight of your burned hair and horns in a shiney wall panel and blanch. Take 2 dmg. Hp: 18/20 Damage Dealt: 4 Power Novice Agility A 1/1
The building's entry way was bare and sleek. Caiden gulped as he looked down the smooth, empty hallway. There were no hiding spots here, and that was terrible. CamoDad's advice and lessons ran through the orangeblood's think pan. A place without a hiding spot was the most dangerous place of all. The boy tried to get down on his stomach, to make himself a smaller target, and scuttled along the metal flooring. Caiden smelt something burning and crawled faster, looking for something, anything, to hide behind. He felt himself wishing Engrav was there, the yellowblood always had the best ideas.
Caiden is attacking Half-constructed Tower MISS Hp: 18/20 Damage Dealt: 0 Power Novice Agility A 1/1
Caiden tried to crawl faster, to find a safe spot. This place was not fun. Somehow the brownblood managed to trip while crawling, and landed right in the middle of a large angry beam. Caiden's bandana had a big burnt hole in it now. Caiden started to sniffle, that was his favorite, that bandana. CamoDad had picked that one out special. Caiden remembered the day, it was when they were visiting chittentown on a fine market day. Caiden reached up and felt the burnt spot. "ENGRAV!! PERORE!!!" The brownblood sobbed, "HEEEELP!" Caiden lie sobbing on the metal floor, he just wanted his friends. And Forera always seemed so confident, she would have an idea on what to do too.
"What's going on?" Leeroi barked to no one in particular. For the defense systems to be up and running, before they had been tested? It would make everything a big mess of panic— they could lose the space race! Leeroi wouldn't allow it.
"How do we shut this thing down?" It wasn't a question that had an easy answer. But from what Leeroi gleaned, it involved a lot of punching. Leaving his backpack of gerbils in the safety of trolls who were staying behind, Leeroi readied his shotgun and ammo for a hell of a fight.
Without wasting another moment, he charged in for a fight, taking the right path on a total whim of choice.
There had been issues before, with the scientist and buggy and robots and all. Upsetting, distracting, but likely harmless. Hemera didn't see how they could be connected. However, when the PA flicked on, she stopped and listened. After the bomb threat, her pumpbiscuit skipped a beat. A threat, a hoax- a break-in. It was a decoy. Whatever might be going on was happening now.
She ran to the space ladder, only halting to note the security. Taken out. More Civisect nonsense? No. Even when they had attacked before, they didn't play that dirty. She doubted anyone on that side was capable enough to go after Chittentown's security... She wished she could contact the trolls on the other side. Mera cursed under her breath.
This was wrong wrong wrong, bad. All their work, potentially for nothing! Where was the rest of her team?!
The tealblood scanned the crowd, finding nothing. Too hectic. She did, however, catch a familiar blueblood run in without much planning. Leeroi was a brute, but capable. She took a chance and jogged after him.
But, lasers. Now that was a defense system. Somehow, without even a stutter in her step, she jumped, rolled, whatever, to avoid touching any of them. She exhaled.
"Furore!" Hemera flagged Leeroi down. "Someone is trying to sabotage our efforts, and we need to stop them immediately." Before it's too late... "Will you work with me?" Her eyes scanned him, more frantically than usual. She was desperate, and clearly afraid of whatever might happen if they didn't do something about the system.
There's less fire this time. He remembered his last real battle, where he defected. There was a lot of fire then, from all the gunshots and bombs. A rogue AI seemed so much tamer than that! All they had to do was find the core, and shut it down right? How hard could it be. Lanata helped him navigate the lasers, picking him up when he slipped and fell, landing in enough lasers to feel their burn before he scrambled away. He wasn't sure where he was going but at the first corridor, he took a turn, running down the hall as quick as he could.
Poe dealt 1 damage to the Defense AI He is taking a RIGHT!
Xavier had kept his head down long enough. Most of the fighting that had been going on, he'd tried to keep out of site, but things had taken a turn for the worse. With increasing demand for volunteer work, and noting the fact he really hadn't done all he could, Xavier had decided early that morning while there was still sunlight out that he would look into the matter. Being away from Amonee and Nucleo had proven more taxing then he'd initially believed, or given himself credit to consider. Seeing a lot of the teens around and older trolls who had fought off the various dangers of the days made him worry. Where his friends okay? Were they eating right?
Taking a deep breath, he looked first to his lusus who waited patiently beside him, ignoring any strange look the pair might otherwise have received. "If it gets to much...we'll get ourselves ejected alright?" He frowned with a nervous expression. Looking back towards central hub to Eilidh he smiled softly.
"You can come with....but yuh know I feel like we need to do something..more than we have. I don't know if this is a good idea..but I want to help. Yuh know?" He explained before making his way towards the tower. Nearly as soon as he entered the jadeblood couldn't help but yelp in dismay. What was he THINKING? There were lasers all over. The sound of machines was deafening on his sponge clots. Cringing he tried to move forward, only to end up tripping and falling wildly as he tried to pass by the beams.
Before one of the burning lasers could find it's mark in the smaller troll, Anu's claws entangled around the smaller boy, lifting him up off the floor as one of them grazed her. While they drew no blood, the burn it left behind was enough to make her wince.
Xavier's face paled as he noted the burn on his lusus, plagued with guilt for having been so clumsy...she'd had to double back to get him. "I..I'm sorry!" They were moving, heading towards the left there wasn't a lot of time..he looked back to see any sign if teal companion had stayed, or if she had decided to come with. It was dangerous...more than he thought was best for children to even handle, but it was too late for second thoughts.
Mum deals 1 DMG. Xaveir is going left!
Hobo Pixi.
you dont have to jump in! but quoting you just encase
If you rolled a 5, you get down on your stomach and crawl under the lasers. When you climb out on the other side, you catch sight of your burned hair and horns in a shiney wall panel and blanch. Take 2 dmg. Forera dealt 7 damage. Forera is moving LEFT.
The moment Forera heard a strange rumbling, the teal bloods eyebrow lifted, slightly irritated. What was this new pop-up? A quick announcement from the quirky lady in orange left Forera speechless. A nod and a glance to her team was all that was needed to kick-start them, and Forera immediately hurried over, seeing from afar how shitty the situation was. "Holy crap-- Guys, we need to go in!" It could potentially fall and crush a lot of Chittentowners, as well as ******** up all of their hard work. Forera wasn't willing to lose that. A familiar scream from a friend made the teal blood's eyes widen, and Forera's eyebrows shot up. "s**t. I'm goin' left, you guys!" Forera exclaimed, quickly rushing over to Caiden and easily lifting him up with one hand and seeming a little irritated. "What did I teach ya?! You need to stop bein' a wimp and just hit s**t! This place ain't gonna accustom itself to ya, y'need to stop cryin' and whinin', just run or somethin'! I'm serious!" Forera exclaimed, knowing very well his deal. Although she didn't want to be the one to tell him this, as she wasn't his lusi-- She still felt like she should lessen the blow. His sweet attitude was going to go sour, and troll society was going to crush his naive heart. It was best to have at least some warning, beforehand.
HP: 20 - 2 = 18 HP Military Level Gauntlets Adept Agility Style B Artifact (2) Novice Offensive Style B Trinket (2)
Defense B 2/2 Agility B 2/2 Support A 2/2 Support B 1/1
No s**t they needed to go on. Forera was only spouting stuff Luxara already knew. She pulled her crossbow strap over her shoulder and ran after the tealblood. Etsali should be with them, too. So much fighting, endless conflict. And this didn't even have anything to do with sides. Competition wasn't as always kind as Bloodfest, apparently. Luxara idly wondered if it was their fault that the tension got so bad, because clearly no one else would have set the AI on them except for Civisect's team.
Someone yelled, Forera directed them left. Well, if anything, Luxara didn't want to leave her. Not again. And, admittedly, the greenblood was impressed that her tealie friend was being so proactive. Like her friend was finally coming out of hibernation.
'Ardais' smiled to herself as 'Perore' gave the younger lowblood a hard time. The...uh...guy from the one raid? Yeah? Cool. She hadn't realized he was such a weenie. And Rera had taken a shine to him? Interesting. She put a hand on Rera's shoulder while also staring Caiden in the eyes.
"What Pery is trying to tell you is, if you don't smarten up, this place will kill you tonight," she stated in her usual cheery, humored tone, while her gaze stonily stayed on Caiden's. "Fight or die, kid. You up to it?"
If Etsali hadn't already been a little on edge from fighting robots throughout the main hub, she might have just laughed at the entire situation. Climbing a Chittentown tower, dodging a security system, it all seemed so terribly familiar. Granted, Cerpin's hive hadn't been quite so advanced with the lasers and insane AI, but the idea of the thing was all there. That night, she'd come out with the boy's beetles and a few things he wouldn't notice missing. Who knew what she might get out of this tower if she made it through and helped deactivate the system?
As soon as they were in, she didn't hesitate to take off after Forera and Luxara, unwilling to lose sight of her friends. The red lights of the cameras were alarming enough that she hadn't entirely been shocked when the corridor filled with its own particular defense mechanism. The others had gotten through alright, if not perfectly, and she took a second to eye the empty spaces before hurtling through after them. No shocks, though she might have a couple bruises from the way she'd hit the floor.
When she came to her feet, Caiden was there. The thief raised an eyebrow as the other snakes gave him a hard time, wondering how Forera knew him. Then she shrugged, gave the brownblood a smile. They weren't wrong, but they'd done enough to make the point that she didn't need to rub it in too.
"Hey, Caiden! You got tall since Bloodfest, huh?" She had to reach up to ruffle his hair, but she wasn't going to let the fact that he'd gotten taller than her stop her. "Just keep your eyes open and push on, you'll be fine." She turned to eye the path ahead, considering. "Shame about the bandana though."
If you rolled a 1, you trip and fall wildly as you try to pass through the beams. Thankfully, the lasers don't have enough power to cut, but they do have enough to burn. Take 5 dmg. Kolako dealt 1 damage. Kolako is moving RIGHT.
Kolako didn't feel comfortable the moment she heard the speech get cut short. Feeling her palms begin to get sweaty, the brownblood could feel her mouth grow parched, rubbing her hands together slightly before her eyes widened at the emergency call out the orangeblood exclaimed. Koko looked up to Papion, eyes laced with worry as he merely huffed and bent down, allowing her to cling onto him and climb up as he began the short journey toward the malfunctioning space elevator. A panicked gasp fell from her mouth as she heard it speak, clinging to her lusi with a frown before tugging on his hair and pointing at the building.
Papion shook his head. Kolako fumed, sliding off him and immediately charging inside. Familiar horns made the brownblood slightly frantic. Papion growled loudly, bounding after her as she entered and followed after them. "HEY! MERA!" Kolako boomed, running toward her and grasping on to her leg so as to stop her. "Do you think this has any ree-lay-schun to--?!" Kolako gulped, eyes wide. What if this had something to do with the information they'd found in their travels?
HP: 40 - 5 = 35 HP Novice Support Style A Artifact (2)
Damage to Tower: 2 Damage Taken: 5 Direction: Left 1 damage each roll after until a support power is used on you.
Novice Support B Trinket: (Charge 1/3, 1/1 per battle) On a 1, 2 or 3, heal another troll by a quarter of their max hp, on a 4 heal them by their max hp
Sephos wanted to go home. Badly. But he knew something bad was going to happen, and that was all that kept him here. Since he was here, however, Maku had one focus - the machines. Though he had calmed down since the initial... hubbub... with the robots and the runaway cart, the treebeast was distinctly more alert than usual - faster, stronger, quicker (much quicker) to threaten, and he viewed all machinery with suspicion.
And now, those suspicions were confirmed. Sephos walked through the hallways, nervously clutching his basket as he watched his father behave.. oddly. Maku was using energy to wake up that should have gone into flowers to wake, despite it being full night. This wasn't good for him at all, but in the long run the treebeast knew that it could restore itself. Keeping the ecosystem safe from whatever poisons might come into play thanks to this machine, and keeping his troll safe from danger were important, near-term goals. If there was no ecosystem, if there was no Sephos, then there would be no sapling this cycle to join him in maintaining the forest.
Maku was ready to rip and tear for his future.
Sephos just wanted it to be over.
Nervously, he started to the Left path. Towards, it seemed, a smell of burning flesh. "Hey!" he called, moving faster, "You, uh... you okay over there?"
Caiden is attacking Half-constructed Tower HIT Hp:18/20 Damage Dealt: 5 Power Novice Agility A 1/1
Caiden squealed as the tealblood picked him up and saved him. The boy gave Ferara a big hug and then froze. The greenblood adult was saying some things, and oh man did she look angry. Caiden shrunk behind Forera and sat down. Caiden looked up and squeaked out a noise as he sat on the floor. There was the orangeblood Caiden had joined on bobsledding during Bloodfest! And the tealblood Perore and the cool greenblood adult he had join in graffiti-ing the other town's building. Even Xavier was there, joining Caiden in the hallway. Through sobs and tears Caiden greeted all the friends. "HI! OH MY GOSH IM SOO HAPPY YOU GUYS ARE HERE! This place is CRAZY! And not fun! LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BANDANNA!" Caiden rambled as he tried to distract himself from the dangers around. The orangeblood went to hug his new team mates, trying not to hinder their efforts too much. Caiden then looked at the greenblooded adult. "Um, er, i mean everything is fine. Lets keep going."
Hemera turned from Leeroi, hearing a somewhat familiar voice behind her. Before she could fully twist herself around, something had clung to her leg. Mera iced up a little. She let out a halted breath when she saw it was just a young troll. "Kolako." she said. Now she had to pull herself together, for the kid's sake.
She awkwardly tried to pat the brownblood's head. That's how it was done, right? "I think it is, but we'll get it sorted out." Mera eyed Leeroi again. If he was game, anyway.
