Player Plot: Bizarre Bird Behavior!

[moechocobos]

Should you happen to have missed it, the plotting and information post for this event can be found here.

A. Choco-Chaos!

Perhaps the first thing anyone notices is the noise, the incessant squawking and warking of so many startled and disgruntled chocobos. Then comes the smell. Ew! In the early morning hours dozens, maybe even hundreds of chocobos invaded many of the cities of Vaikuntha, and while for the first few minutes some may have been elated to see them, attitudes quickly change. The chocobos are panicked, running around without much rhyme or reason, trampling on flower beds, knocking over merchant stands, and making such a ruckus even the dead couldn’t sleep through it. Any food they find is destroyed within minutes, and anything they’re curious about meets the sharp end of their strong beaks. While they’re generally harmless birds, they have the capacity for devastation.

And none of that mentions the, uh, other mess live animals tend to make.

Despite being within the city limits, they are far from tame. Any attempts to approach the birds will be met with either an angry warning wark, a display of puffed feathers, or the chocobo just straight up bolting away. This seems great, as maybe they can be corralled, but… Nope. While this works to an extent, as soon as the birds get too close to the city borders they turn tail and jump straight over the heads of the people attempting to be rid of them, running back into the city to make even more of a mess in their renewed panic. What is there to be done about them?


B. Lurking Lunchers

Should anyone be so inclined as to find out why the chocobos feathers are so ruffled, they need only walk to the edge of the city. Stalking around just beyond civilization are fearsome beasts known only as chocobo eaters. Based on the feathers stuck between their huge teeth this is probably an apt name. The monsters have little interest in humans, but become very interested when a chocobo wanders too close to the outskirts of town. The chocobo eaters are quite aggressive and will gladly take on anyone bold enough to make a challenge. Adventurers may attempt to fight them, but it seems like just when you send one packing, another bigger monster shows up. Was that a baby chocobo eater you were just fighting? You could have sworn it was an adult, with how big it is!


C. Fight or Flight

At last the time has come. A gold chocobo trotted in from off the horizon and rounded up what she believes to be able fighters, herded them into groups, and partnered them with a chocobo that will fight by their side. Ironically it seems to be the feathered member of the party that actually knows what to do, and the teams are led by their respective birds out into the battlefield to take on one of the ferocious beasts waiting out there for lunch. Fight as hard as you can and don’t let the birds down. Defeat might not mean death for you, but it certainly would for the chocobos!


Once the battles are won and the flocks free to return to their natural habitat, some of the brave battlers will find themselves with new feathered friends. Others will not, but everyone will have a handful of greens. If you missed this opportunity to get a chocobo, or you have a taste and want even more, head on over and check out the chocobo capture/breeding system that will be available from now until Eternity.

Comments

[shinra_dog]

Reno nodded curtly. "Get behind it, be a pain in the ass. Got it."

He used Transcience before charging the Chocobo Eater, prepared to slide beneath it. The way it was eyeing their chocobo friend was no good, but maybe it would be distracted just one second too long -- one second long enough for Reno to get in close.

"Don't fuckin' die!" he called back over his shoulder.

[lordshield]

The older knight hesitated a moment, taking just a second to study Johnny, but the stance gave him confidence and he nodded before moving to try to get around to the side of the monster. Lucky for them, the Chocobo Eater seemed focused on the chocobo, and said chocobo was remaining beside Johnny. The monster lunged forward to try to hit the human between it and its meal with a physical attack, though the dark shroud made it fruitless.

Pleased with being protected, the chocobo ran forward to peck at the chocobo eater before retreating back beside Johnny.

Clarus found his opening near the rear and slashed at the beast with a shock break attack.

[charming_jerk]

Johnny wanted to stay back at the target, so from his stance he could fire off a Light Arrow to further continue annoying the monster from his spot, while the other two rushed forward.

[shinra_dog]

Sliding under the beast as it attempted to attack Johnny, Reno slammed his daggers into its belly and prepared for the ride. With Clarus at the rear and himself under the vulnerable squishy organs, Reno grit his teeth and prepared to finally be seen as a threat. Or at least a bigger distraction than the chocobo for the immediate future.

[lordshield]

The Chocobo Eater was confused and annoyed, but ultimately Johnny and the chocobo held its attention. Clarus took the opportunity to continue to slash at the monster's back.

Johnny was targeted next by a physical attack from the beast as it charged forward and tried to knock Reno off in the process. Whatever damage was done wouldn't be too lasting as the chocobo cast a choco-cure on anyone in range, being Johnny and Reno.

"You alright there, Reno?" Clarus called out, striding in to keep close to the monster and the party.

[charming_jerk]

Johnny gave the chocobo a thanks. Since Clarus and Reno would probably have an easier time getting in some attacks than him, he decided keeping the Famine Stance aura would be a better use of his time. His Light Arrow attack wouldn't be as much as anything Reno or Clarus could dish out, and this way he wouldn't need heals wasted on him.

[shinra_dog]

Reno grit his teeth. "Ngh...! Still -- yep!" he managed. The cure helped. He'd started collecting a good amount of scrapes and bruises. For his next trick... well, he had to hope that the videos he'd watched on iMog of others fighting these things were accurate.

"Eat this!" This was probably going to hurt. Using Ninjutsu, he cast a fire spell, channeling it through his daggers straight into the chocobo eater's belly.

[lordshield]

Reno's attack was the literal tipping point, and the monster flailed and fell onto its back with an angry cry. Thanks to its very short legs it seemed unable to right itself and was left flailing for a bit.

"Now's our chance," Clarus encouraged, rushing forward for another shock break straight to the monster's upside down face.

The chocobo warked eagerly at the opportunity and stepped in to mercilessly claw at the soft underbelly of the beast with its hard talons.

[charming_jerk]

That was Johnny's cue to drop the Stance. While the monster was down, he ran forward with a Last Charge towards the creature, keeping pace with their chocobo companion.

[shinra_dog]

Reno actually took the opportunity to roll free of the beast and catch his breath for a moment, happy to let his comrades get in some good blows without being in their way. The sight of it finally down, finally toppled and flailing, gave him a second wind.

"Fuck yeah!" One more Ninjutsu of flames is hurled at the monster's belly for good measure. "An' stay down, ya nasty!"