Event || Mysterious Fathoms Below

[eternitymods]

Who: All characters who signed up
When: June 23rd-25th
Where: Ka'Pandol, the underwater city
What: While the outworlders and their guides are touring the new arena at Ka'Pandol, the city begins to flood. It is up to them to activate the ancient drainage system beneath the city before the Blitzball Association is forced to cancel the upcoming tournament.



The Zora guide, Pharce, is leading the group from the Curti Center through the center of town, waxing poetical about the legend of the First Zora, when the sirens begin to wail. At first, the residents of Ka'Pandol wave it off as a drill, but the sirens do not stop, and as they walk, the visitor shoes are beginning to get soaked through with sea water that is slowly rising.

"Come along, quickly, all of you!" the guide calls, leading the group to the Bureau of Tourism near the city center. As they walk, the group will see the aquatic residents quickly deploying bubble helmets around their 'exotic' pets -dogs, cats, parrots, squirrels- heads, just in case City Management takes their time righting whatever issue the dome is having.

"Inside, please. Safety first is our motto, so let's get you outfitted," Pharce says, waiving them inside. Each person is given one of the patented Ka'Pandol Bubble Helm, which will allow them to breath comfortably for several hours. Those that cannot swim are issued an emergency life vest as well.

The water had reached knee-level now. An emergency evacuation message broadcasts from loudspeakers.

"Well, yes, you could...but where's the fun in that?"

Pharce waves at the Hypello gift shop owner, and the two bow their heads in discussion for a moment. When they part, Pharce pats the Hypello (whose nametag declares him 'Shtan') on the back.

"My good friend will lend us some of his wares, if you will join me in saving the city. We wouldn't want this little mishap to delay the big game, after all."

Those that agree to hold off on fleeing the city will be split into groups and given instructions on where to go in order to help the sinking city of Ka'Pandol.

Comments

[garyoutensei]

-Baiken kept any cutting remarks to herself as she followed in behind the rest of the group, bringing up the rear, but she looked a little less than impressed that it took an entire group conversation to come to the obvious conclusion about how to move forward.

She cut through the rest of the group once the door was clear, stepping to stand near Emeralda, regarding the darkness.-

Who's volunteering for vanguard here? I will if none of the rest of you are up for it.

[righthandstand]

I vote for Baiken!

[Out of all the adults in the group, she was the only one Okuyasu knows well enough to trust. He steps back to let the others have space and casts Levitation on himself.]

I'll keep a lookout in case somethin' sneaks up on us. [What a great idea he has. Illusionist is pretty useful.]

[eternitymods]

[The splinters of door are pulled down into the passageway and carried away by a lazy current.

The now-open passage drops down into the Oubliette, which is filled entirely with water. Glowing algae grows sporadically in the hallways, providing the warriors enough light to make their way underground.

Their path leads downward and back to the east, below the city’s center. The current is not strong, and they can easily resist it and progress down the hallway at their own speed. At the end of the hallway, they will find an open chamber, which for now is empty.]

[sonoftenebrae]

[Ravus glares at Baiken implies the rest of them aren't 'up to' leading the party. His power is greatly reduced for now, but that doesn't mean he plans to cower behind others.

The swordswoman seems to command the boy Okuyasu's loyalty, though. If the others agree, it would be a waste of valuable time to argue against it.]

Lead, then. We will follow behind to support you.

[hashtagdaddy]

[Having a front row seat to the view, Gladio uses his height to his advantage and takes in all he can see. It looks relatively easy to pass, but he knows looks can be deceiving.

He passes the borrowed axe back to Emeralda with another 'thank you' and is about to make a suggestion before Baiken ... offers to be Vanguard. He doesn't know much about her at all, but he can tell she's testier than Ravus on a bad day. So he lets her comment about no one being up to it slide.]

Pretty sure some of us would be up for it, but how can we turn down a volunteer? Take point and we'll keep our eyes peeled for surprises.

[Alright, maybe he wouldn't let it go. At least he didn't bite her head off though. Not that he would have - this wasn't the time for petty squabbles. His broadsword in hand, he prepares to follow behind, and slightly to the left of, Baiken.]

[transect]

Be my guest.

( rutile doesn't have any intention of taking point, apparently. which is probably for the best, since they're here to maintain your livelihood. they're taking up a position in the back, content to take in the formations of the glowing algae as they make their way down, down... )

I'm curious, how long are you all able to survive without oxygen if it comes to that?

( just the sort of questions you want to hear from your party's healer, right? )

[remnantofzeboim]

[Emeralda took her axe back with a muttered 'thank you' and hooked it back onto her back, then stepped out of the way as Baiken declared she would go in first.]

Okay! [Bright and chipper.] Emeralda follow.

[She was a berserker, right? She was supposed to stand in the front, she was pretty sure. But she made to head in after the taller woman, only pausing long enough to glance at Rutile.]

Uhm. [She didn't actually know the answer to that.] Few hours?

[She's definitely not a robot what are you talking about? And then she'd follow after Baiken and Gladio.]

[garyoutensei]

-Any comments about Baiken's remarks were left largely ignored, or at least she didn't give any noticeable reaction to them. In fact, she seemed to be ignoring the others entirely, keeping herself purely focused on the path ahead, noting the algae that seemed to light the way.-

There's a chamber ahead. Seems empty, but I can't tell how big it is... -And she at least had a visible excuse for her lack of depth perception, given the lack of a second eye.-

[eternitymods]

[There is only one direction the party can go without doubling back, and that is forward. Their path leads them into the empty chamber.

As the group enters, one of the side walls lifts to allow a giant shape to swim in. It is a giant shark, snapping its teeth and lashing its tail aggressively.]

BOSS BATTLE: Megalodon
It’s a giant shark. Quick and deadly, it will become frenzied and increase its attack as the water around it becomes more bloodied. Best to strike hard and take this foe down as quickly as possible!

[garyoutensei]

-Well. Big enough to hold that thing, anyways. Given she was out in front, she took the opportunity to test just how big and bad this murder fish was, using her air jet to dash in quickly, drawing her sword and slashing in a side arc aimed at whichever fin was closest. Damage that, she figured, and it wouldn't be nearly as mobile, at least.-

No time to waste! I'm not digging anyone out of this thing's belly!

[righthandstand]

Holy shit, this is like Jaws!

[Didn't they need to blow up the shark in that movie? There had to be someone here smart enough to make one!

But his first instinct is to attack with Demi, something far-ranged and strong that doesn't require much thinking.]

[transect]

( the 'few hours' comment from emeralda stirs a bit of interest in the doctor, who looks to her with renewed interest... human lungs usually had more demanding requirements than that, didn't they? what with the brain needing oxygen to...

ah, but there's no time to question it now, what with the large creature of the sea making an entrance like that. unbothered, rutile simply opens their tome as a fairy springs forth, casting a shimmering shield of adloquium around baiken, who was looking to make first contact. )

[sonoftenebrae]

[Ravus uses his air tank to rush forward and stab his blade into the shark's body in a physical attack. He jets back a few feet, still staying on the front line and offering the others cover behind him if they need it. Counter is the only usable ability he has for his job class, so making himself a more enticing target than they are is the best strategy he's got.]

[hashtagdaddy]

[Emeralda's words about holding her breath for a few hours makes Gladio's eyebrows raise, but he decides to hold off on asking her about it until they are topside again.

He doesn't know what Jaws is, but that massive shark is definitely not friendly. So Gladio uses his broadsword and surges forward to hit it with Shock Break, because if this is anything like the aquatic monsters back home, striking hard and fast is the best way to keep it from going into a blood frenzy.

After his attack, he darts behind Ravus to make use of the offered cover.]

[remnantofzeboim]

[Emeralda swung her axe off her back as everyone else started moving, but she hung back at first, unsure how to actually help. She was still adjusting to the idea of fighting without her old abilities, and so far 'Berserker' had just meant hitting things with an axe.]

[Well, she was good at that, at least!]

[When there was a space between the others, she darted forward to bring her axe down in an overhead physical attack at the shark.]

[eternitymods]

[The Demi spell seems effective on the giant shark, leaving it thrashing for a moment, but the spell will, by nature, decrease in effectiveness with each recasting in this battle. The bladed attacks and Shock Break also hit, managing to pierce the shark's thick skin and, in Baiken's case, nick the fin. This attack slightly reduces the shark's agility, as well as dealing damage. The blood in the water, though, leaves the shark chomping even more menacingly than before.

The shark surges forward to Bite at Rutile, who the dice were unkind to by nature of their unique physiology, does not add to the blood in the water.]

[garyoutensei]

Damnit, keep the healer safe! -Not an admonishment of anyone in particular, but more a directive they all needed to follow. As for Baiken, she fired off Shooting Star, still aiming for the fin more than anything else. She figured if they couldn't stop it from bleeding, they could at least dull its teeth a little.-

[transect]

( looking up, rutile narrows their eyes as the sharks dart straight for them. there's a small smile, and a jump— as they move their body to flip backwards in the water, slower than expected, thanks to the water. with an annoyed— )

Tch.

( as an ankle catches in the beast's mouth, a loud enough CRUNCH sounds from the point of impact but... it's true, there's no blood.
landing, though now favouring that leg, rutile waves an arm forward to cast advanced libra, assuming a defensive stance, and relying on the next moves of their team mates. )

[righthandstand]

[Okuyasu is no tactician. He sees that his initial Demi spell worked, and despite the drain it took on his magical energy, spamming the same move repeatedly seems like a viable strategy.

He releases another Demi, this one much weaker.]

Redhead! Your leg! [He stares at the injured leg with no blood gushing out of the wound. This is weird. What is happening.]

[hashtagdaddy]

[Damn, he'd let himself get distracted and missed the shark heading for the group's healer. This is no place for stupid mistakes.]

Comin' to cover you, Rutile! [Gladio's shout reverberated through the cavern as he darted around Ravus to use Shock Break again, though this time he moved to take up a defensive stance in front of the redhead who ... wasn't bleeding from the jagged gash in her ankle.

More questions for later.]

[sonoftenebrae]

[Ravus spares a sideways glance toward Rutile, impressed with their composure in the face of that attack. He'll leave the healer's protection to Gladio. It's a good use for the man, who is built like a damned wall.]

Do not lose focus! Keep attacking. [There will be time for bandaging their wounds once the threat has been eliminated. Until then, they do not have the luxury of distraction. Ravus jets forward and aims a bladed attack at the shark.]

[eternitymods]

[[The Demi spell does less damage than the first go-around, but the Shooting Star and and Shock Break are still effective. As the swords swipe at the shark, more blood swirls in the water around them.

Rutile's Advanced Libra will reveal the following information:
-The Megalodon is a little over half of its max health.
-The Megalodon's speed and attack power have both been reduced by 10%.
-The Megalodon's weakest point is its underbelly.
-The Megalodon has no elemental weaknesses, but is vulnerable to physical attacks.
-The Megalodon's physical power will increase as it smells more blood.
-The Megalodon's fins are used as ingredients in several traditional Hypello recipes.

The Megalodon darts at Okuyasu and delivers a brutal tail swipe attack.]

[hashtagdaddy]

[Damn this thing is tough. If he had Iggy or Noct maybe he could do a link strike or something, but there's no way he can -- wait.

Gladio may not be able to link strike here, but he can try something similar.]

Tiny! Emeralda! Come here, I've got an idea.

[He straps his blade as the adorably small Berserker heads to him and quickly grunts out his plan, wincing when he sees the shark attack one of their other party members.]

If you're game, I can throw you so you can hit it even harder with your axe. [With her approval, he hooks one arm through hers and spins the two of them once, twice before letting her fly straight towards the giant shark. Hopefully her attack makes up for his lack of one this go around.]

( (OOC: For a reference, it's a version of the throw you see at around 8:09 of the linked video.) )

[remnantofzeboim]

[Emeralda had dropped back after her last attack, trying to find an opening, and wound up out of the way as the giant shark darted forward and bit Rutile through the leg. She winced in sympathy, and started to move towards him, weaving her way through the group and had just about gotten there when Gladio was calling her over.]

What?

[She slid to a stop, eyes wide. Throw her? He was going to throw her? That was crazy! And...and actually sounded like a lot of fun? And he was right, she'd hit it harder!]

Okay! [She grinned, practically bouncing in place at the thought, and then hooked her arm through his. She was quite light, and he was easily able to spin her around and hurl her down the tunnel at the shark.]

[She made an excited shout as she shot through the air, swinging her axe with both arms as hard as she could at the shark.]

[transect]

( gloved fingers press against a temple as rutile concentrates on the information, eyes moving as though they were reading words on an invisible page.
the launching of emeralda didn't seem to faze them in the meantime... the gems at home did ridiculous things like this too... )

The underbelly, aim for it's underbelly! ( surely it would lead to more blood and perhaps an even greater frenzy... but without being able to control their environment, perhaps a quick and steady offense was their best chance.

illuminating the water around them in a up-winding spiral, a fairy materializes, with a fae's blessing of healing for okuyasu. ) And be prepared for it's counter-attack, the blood in the water makes it stronger.