He hadn’t heard Pendour the first time she spoke, but he heard her the second time. He took another breath, a little deeper. A little more grounding.
Lyndin did not flinch at Caliban’s words, nor Andronicus’s, nor Scylla’s.
He was proud of Vyn and Aliez, from what he could make out within earshot, but he did not raise his voice to praise him. Instead, his eyes fell on Gavean. Understanding, maybe. Disappointed, certainly. Sad, undeniably.
“Gavaen,” he commanded,firmly but gently--like a parent advising not to play with fire, “Step back. You don’t need to see this.”
To Silvera and Vaylin, “The mission is as it always was. My orders have not changed. You will understand, but you need to trust me. All of you, go. Find somewhere safe to wait this out. Stay together and look after each other.”
Perhaps Lyndin did not think he owed any of the White Moon any explanation, or perhaps he knew there wasn’t time to get into things. His response to Andronicus was short: “I act out of necessity. You should be fighting them, not me.”
And yet, he did not attack her. He was undeniably strong in body alone, but he used nothing more than his arm to brush her aside, as gently as he might have brushed away a curious bumblebee.
Scylla’s threat was less charming, but he didn’t attack her either. “The same goes for you. You would be better off elsewhere. I don’t want to hurt you. You can’t kill me,” he said, with confidence but not hubris. It was a fact he thought she should know before she did something foolish.
Caedus heard Lyndin’s words but he didn’t understand them.
The field was covered in battle after only a moment, and it seemed to worsen as the seconds ticked on. Lyndin did not seem fazed by the battle; instead, he almost seemed like his mind was elsewhere.
Caedus was the opposite of Lyndin’s calm; even with friends nearby, even with the reassurances of Gavaen he was becoming undone. He fumbled for his ComTech for a moment before he managed to activate it. His message was amplified to every Vanguardian from their ComTech. “Stop!” he yelled, to anyone that would listen--and everyone who wouldn’t.
Maybe he wasn’t loud enough, or forceful enough. Maybe no one was ever meant to listen to him.
When his words did nothing, he turned to the machine in desperation.
The generators around the perimeter were buzzing with life, and the machine in the center of the field began to hum with a low, building power.
Frantically, his hands moved over the console, as if there were answers waiting to be found if his fingers brushed over the right button. For all that he had spoken about the Vanguard, for all the faith he’d had in them, he had never asked how it worked. He simply trusted.
“Turn it off!” he commanded, but Lyndin was unyielding. He looked at Caedus with the same cold, tired eyes. He didn’t move.
Until Caedus reached for the lever on the machine.
Lyndin was fast--faster than Caedus, faster than anyone around them. Before Caedys’ hand could make contact, Lyndin had intercepted him.
When Caedus tried to jerk away, Lyndin gripped the front of his uniform and heaved him off the ground like he weighed nothing. The movement was mechanical, a necessity, not a pleasure. Instinctively, Caedus kicked and flailed, within reach but without doing much damage. He wrapped his hands around Lyndin’s wrist, dug his nails in, but there was no response. Confused, and reeling from all of this, he didn’t seem to want to hurt Lyndin.
The same was not so obvious from Lyndin.
He did not seem to derive any joy from this, but as he held Caedus a few inches off the ground, he searched his face like there was the answer to some unasked question.
Caedus’ face held only alarm and confusion and his mouth fell open with more questions than he could think to ask.
Lyndin’s expression changed; guilt was already visibly gnawing at him, and beneath the calm exterior he worked so hard to project, he seemed desperate to justify it all. “You know I have to do this, Caedus.”
“You do not.” Caedus’ voice trembled; he couldn’t even pretend to keep himself composed. “Whatever you have done, we can fix this. Call it off. You cannot think they will not betray us, whatever you are planning, you are wrong. They are not your allies, you cannot trust them! They tried to kill us before, they will do it again!”
When Lyndin did not respond, Caedus kicked twice his chest to try and force himself away, but Lyndin hardly even seemed affected by the assault.
Physically, at least.
“No,” he said, and the pause was excruciating. The words festered in his throat before he spoke them. “They didn’t try to kill us. Just you.”
The battle roared around them, but they were in their own world. Caedus’ communicator was still on; the entire conversation was projected to every Cadet, and everyone within earshot of them.
Lyndin continued, “This would have been easier if you’d just died when you were supposed to. They were going to help us. We had an alliance then, and they will fulfill it now. Your selfishness has cost us so many years, Caedus. You knew we needed our Senshi. You knew it, and you never did anything about it.”
For the first time, Lyndin seemed mad, but it was as much at Caedus as it was himself. He shoved Caedus into the machine, next to the lever he’d reached for, pushing him into it to hold him still. “It has to be like this, Caedus.”
“No,” Caedus protested, but his voice was strained and gravelly again. He was gasping for breath, even though Lyndin wasn’t holding him tightly enough to hurt him.
Lyndin was not unsympathetic. He was just desperate.
He was trembling as he spoke. “We tried everything else, Caedus. You know that. You know we don’t have time. We can’t keep playing guessing games. I didn’t want to have to do this. You said they could help. The White Moon has nothing--no structure, no support, no leadership. They’re as lost as we are, they’re just on a planet that can support them. In all these weeks, we’ve uncovered nothing. Caedus, Velencya is running out of time.”
Caedus was pale. He wasn’t breathing. He opened his mouth to protest again, but Lyndin cut him off. “I’m sorry, Caedus.”
There was pain in his face, in his voice
The gauntlet he wore flared to life, and a sickening, chaotic energy flowed through it. He held him by the collar of his uniform and raised the gauntlet to Caedus’ chest. His fingers spread, rested across it, like he meant to reassure him--and then it sank into his chest. He was inexperienced when it came to starseed pulling, but he found his mark easily enough. He extracted the crystal--a hideous, mangled thing that pulsed with sickening, volatile energy.
Caedus’ starseed was not normal.
The second it was pulled from him, Caedus let out a strangled breath and tried to claw it back into his chest, but Lyndin was far too strong. The starseed began to pulse erratically, and a wicked, warped energy radiated from it. It lashed out like lightning as soon as it was out of Caedus’ chest.
The burst hit Lyndin once, and he barely flinched. It hit a patch of grass that sizzled until it turned brown and wilted.
In a better universe, this might have been the starseed of a Royal Senshi.
In this one, it was a twisted, mangled experiment. A failure. A catastrophe waiting to happen.
“You should have given this up a lifetime ago,” he said softly, and it looked like he cared about the battered and ragged starseed. Like he was afraid to speak too loudly and upset it. The starseed was cracked and had strange growths, and synthetic shards fused to it.
“As soon as they knew you’d never awaken, you should have done the honorable thing. We have all suffered because of you. Do not think I don’t care for you, Caedus. It kills me to do this. But I would die for Velencya. You should have been prepared to do the same.” His voice was bitter, hurt. “I couldn’t do it on my own. I thought Beryl could do it. I thought it would be fast. I never wanted you to suffer, Caedus. I didn’t want this.”
Lyndin spoke quickly, like he needed Caedus to hear. “I am sorry, my friend. I hope you can forgive me. I’ll see you in the next life. Things will be better then.”
Caedus' hands squeezed around Lyndin’s wrist; he hadn’t broken eye contact, but his grip was weakening. He was weakening.
His starseed seemed just as eager to abandon him as Lyndin was to take it.
Quote:
Commodore Lyndin has revealed that Caedus was intentionally abandoned on Earth with the intention of being killed by Queen Beryl and the Negaverse. He has been in communication with the Negaverse and rekindled something of their ancient alliance. His goal seems to be to recover Caedus’ starseed--a volatile Senshi crystal that has been grotesquely mutated and is pulsing with immense energy. Their conversation has been broadcast across the field through the Cadet’s ComTech; everyone in play is free to learn this knowledge.
Lyndin’s intentions from this point on are still unclear, but it’s obvious that the Vanguard is still expected to guard the generators, and the Negaverse are expected to continue fighting the forces of Order.
And, more than that, the generators are flaring with energy. The machine in the center of the field seems to be coming to life and is drawing energy from them.
Whatever’s going to happen with it, Order should really be careful.
Mauvians, now is your chance to shine! The burst of energy has revealed several weak points in the generators. Order Mauvians can do +20 damage to any generator they are attacking; this is a bonus on top of any damage rolls to the generator. Chaos Mauvians can restore a flat 20 HP to a generator and can still roll to attack a target.
If a character reaches 0HP, you may play them as unconscious or incapacitated; they do not have to lose consciousness but they can no longer do damage or move squares. A character with 0HP can be healed to recover HP and continue making actions.
A Spreadsheet has been made available for a more visual representation of character location. Please do not edit the grid sizes or change font. You can use this to post where your character is going. Players do not have to utilize this resource, but the spreadsheet will be updated with the most recent location posted for a character by a staff member at the time of the next mule post.
The next prompt will be posted in ~48 hours. Order Characters can join at any point in time but it must be handwaved that they have been here since before the Negaverse arrived. No one can arrive late ICly or leave as of this prompt; Queen Laurelite is in the Northeast corner blocking exit, General Queen Hessonite is in the Southeast corner, General King Axinite is in the Southwest corner, General King Lepidolite is in the Northwest corner, and. Engaging these characters is ill-advised; they are very powerful and seem to only be there to hold the line for the time being. They are indicated on the map with a starseed of accommodating color that also showcases their range.
There is no penalty for not responding to this prompt, however you will not be able to make up for missed rolls.
When you are posting your character, you must use the following code at the top of your post if responding to this prompt:
Rolling for Damage:
Lyndin’s intentions from this point on are still unclear, but it’s obvious that the Vanguard is still expected to guard the generators, and the Negaverse are expected to continue fighting the forces of Order.
And, more than that, the generators are flaring with energy. The machine in the center of the field seems to be coming to life and is drawing energy from them.
Whatever’s going to happen with it, Order should really be careful.
Mauvians, now is your chance to shine! The burst of energy has revealed several weak points in the generators. Order Mauvians can do +20 damage to any generator they are attacking; this is a bonus on top of any damage rolls to the generator. Chaos Mauvians can restore a flat 20 HP to a generator and can still roll to attack a target.
If a character reaches 0HP, you may play them as unconscious or incapacitated; they do not have to lose consciousness but they can no longer do damage or move squares. A character with 0HP can be healed to recover HP and continue making actions.
A Spreadsheet has been made available for a more visual representation of character location. Please do not edit the grid sizes or change font. You can use this to post where your character is going. Players do not have to utilize this resource, but the spreadsheet will be updated with the most recent location posted for a character by a staff member at the time of the next mule post.
Small Generators have 250 HP F4: 181/250
Large Generators have 400 HP B2: 374/400, B4: 218/400, B6: 354/400, D6: 315/400, F2: 316/400, F6: 324/400
Large Generators have 400 HP B2: 374/400, B4: 218/400, B6: 354/400, D6: 315/400, F2: 316/400, F6: 324/400
The next prompt will be posted in ~48 hours. Order Characters can join at any point in time but it must be handwaved that they have been here since before the Negaverse arrived. No one can arrive late ICly or leave as of this prompt; Queen Laurelite is in the Northeast corner blocking exit, General Queen Hessonite is in the Southeast corner, General King Axinite is in the Southwest corner, General King Lepidolite is in the Northwest corner, and. Engaging these characters is ill-advised; they are very powerful and seem to only be there to hold the line for the time being. They are indicated on the map with a starseed of accommodating color that also showcases their range.
There is no penalty for not responding to this prompt, however you will not be able to make up for missed rolls.
When you are posting your character, you must use the following code at the top of your post if responding to this prompt:
[b]Character name, rank, and a link to their journal[/b] (Vanguardian Cadets do not need to post a link)
[b]HP[/B]: First stage characters, PC Youma, and Cat/Humanoid Mauvians have 50 HP, Second stage characters and Mauvian Senshi have 75 HP, Third stage characters have 100 HP and Fourth stage characters have 150 HP. If you were contacted via PM about a special Negaverse role, please use the HP and damage information from the PM. Once a character reaches 0 HP they pass out.
[B]Action[/b]: Please summarize whatever action you are doing; if you are attacking a specific target, please indicate that here. You must be in the same square as someone/something to attack them and can only move two squares at a time per round (horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or a mix). Teleportation is not permitted.
[B]Damage[/b] When calculating damage: roll the base dice, add rank bonus, add faction bonus, add accessory bonus.
[b]Location[/b]: Include which grid square they are moving to. You can move to any square at this point in time, however column 1 and 7, and row A and G are being guarded by General Sovereigns securing the perimeter. It is unwise to engage, but not impossible.
[b]HP[/B]: First stage characters, PC Youma, and Cat/Humanoid Mauvians have 50 HP, Second stage characters and Mauvian Senshi have 75 HP, Third stage characters have 100 HP and Fourth stage characters have 150 HP. If you were contacted via PM about a special Negaverse role, please use the HP and damage information from the PM. Once a character reaches 0 HP they pass out.
[B]Action[/b]: Please summarize whatever action you are doing; if you are attacking a specific target, please indicate that here. You must be in the same square as someone/something to attack them and can only move two squares at a time per round (horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or a mix). Teleportation is not permitted.
[B]Damage[/b] When calculating damage: roll the base dice, add rank bonus, add faction bonus, add accessory bonus.
[b]Location[/b]: Include which grid square they are moving to. You can move to any square at this point in time, however column 1 and 7, and row A and G are being guarded by General Sovereigns securing the perimeter. It is unwise to engage, but not impossible.
Rolling for Damage:
- Each character can roll to do damage once per prompt. If you miss a roll, you cannot make it up. If you have a special IC RP Item, like an Article of Resilience or an Article of Power, please factor these into damage done and taken and note this in your posts.
To roll for damage, all characters will roll one ten sided dice.
RANK BONUSES:
- Mauvians in their Cat Form: No Bonus
First Stage Characters, Vanguardian Cadets, Humanoid Mauvians: + 3 damage
Second Stage Characters, Mauvian Senshi, PC Youma: +5 damage
Third Stage Characters: +7 damage
Fourth Stage Characters + 10 damage
FACTION BONUSES:
- Mauvians: +5 damage to a target when using laser; can only use laser once. Mauvian Senshi should use Super Senshi magic rules if casting their magic.
Negaverse Agents: Lieutenants +3 damage, Captains +4 damage, Generals +5 damage, General Sovereigns +6 damage
Half-Youma: Lieutenants +3 damage, Captains +4 damage, Generals +5 damage
- Half-Youma Magic: Lieutenants can use magic bonuses once, Captains twice, and Generals three times; offensive magic, buffs, and debuffs give +5 damage to a roll for themselves or an ally in the same square, healing magic heals 10 HP from one target in the same square, and shield magic deflects five damage from two targets in the same square. This bonus does not stack on top of standard non-magic bonuses. Do not roll dice if healing or shielding; these effects are automatic and you cannot attack in the same round as you are healing or shielding. Captains and above can use their half-youma magic multiple times in the same post but it must be on different targets. Some Half-Youma have two magical abilities; the number of uses is split between the two.
- Youma Magic: Youma can use magic bonuses three times; offensive magic, buffs, and debuffs give +5 damage to a roll for themselves or an ally in the same square, healing magic heals 10 HP from one target in the same square, and shield magic deflects five damage from two targets in the same square. This bonus does not stack on top of standard non-magic bonuses. Do not roll dice if healing or shielding; these effects are automatic and you cannot attack in the same round as you are healing or shielding. Youma can use their magic multiple times in the same post but it must be on different targets. Some Youma have two magical abilities; the number of uses is split between the two.
- Knight Magic: Squires can use magic bonuses twice, Knights three times, and Royal Knights five times; offensive magic, buffs, and debuffs give +5 damage to a roll for themselves or an ally in the same square, healing magic heals 5 HP from one target in the same square, and shield magic deflects five damage from one target in the same square. This bonus does not stack on top of standard Knight bonuses. Do not roll dice if healing or shielding; these effects are automatic and you cannot attack in the same round as you are healing or shielding. However, you can heal or shield multiple times (or for multiple targets) per round until your magic is exhausted. Healing or shielding two targets at once is considered two uses of magic, even if used at the same time.
- Healing Magic: +5 HP to one target when using basic magic, +10 HP to one target when using super magic, +15 HP to one target when using eternal magic, +15HP to everyone in the same square, and all adjacent squares, when using Royal magic. Do not roll the dice if using healing magic; you cannot attack and heal in the same round. However, you can use healing magic multiple times per round until your magic is exhausted. This can be done in the same post or different posts. Healing magic can revive an unconscious target; healing magic cannot heal someone beyond max rank health.
Shield Magic: - 5 damage to one target in the same square when using basic magic, - 5 damage to two allies in the same square when using super magic, - 10 damage to three allies in the same square when using eternal magic, - 15 damage to everyone in the same square, and all adjacent squares, when using Royal magic. Do not roll the dice if using shielding magic; you cannot attack and shield in the same round. However, you can shield multiple times per round until your magic is exhausted. This can be done in the same post or different posts. Shield magic can negate previous damage from this round OR prevent future damage done during this round.
Damage/Buff/Debuff Magic: +2 damage to one target in the same square when using basic magic, +3 damage to one target in the same square when using super magic, +4 damage to one target in the same square when using eternal magic, and 10 additional damage to all targets in the same square, and all adjacent squares, when using Royal magic.
A Spreadsheet with this same information has been organized to help calculate damage; if you have any questions, please reach out to The Space Cauldron or ask in the event-planning Discord channel and we can help!
The Negaverse has been instructed not to summon youma; they need to maintain organization and youma would clutter the battlefield and the strange energy waves in the area have distorted youma control and Negaverse teleportation. Only PC youma capable of handling complex instructions may be used in this battle. They have been told not to bring starseeds or energy orbs due to the unpredictable nature of the energy in the area.
If you are interacting with any NPCs or examining the environment, please quote The Space Cauldron!
Please do not reserve posts in this thread to backfill later! We are doing our best to be transparent about post and run time so players can plan ahead. If you reserve a post, you must fill it out as soon as possible. We understand accidents may happen or things may pop up, but we are asking players to be considerate of each other and only post when they are able to write something along with it! Posts can be as short as one sentence if need be but should clearly detail what your character is doing or saying.
removed quote wall
