lucetilogs | DRAFT - The Battle of Vaskoth

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DRAFT - The Battle of Vaskoth

Who: Anyone on the draft
What: The Battle of Vaskoth! Zombie uprising!
When: 25th to 28th (a second log will follow)
Where: Vaskoth
Summary: Please read here for event information
Rating: Z for Zombies

On the 25th, Lucetians are ushered in to join an already growing army to repel the Cultists.

On the 26th, strange symptoms are reported. The first Runners appear and by nightfall, the hospital is lost.

On the 27th, the cultist horde is completely lost to the virus. They send no more reinforcements.

On the 28th, the situation is grim and an evacuation is called. But the battle is not over.

Notes: There will be two NPC threads. One for Specialist Davis and another for Carol.

If you like creating your own NPCs, then check out this spreadsheet and be sure to contribute! This was originally set up by Griff for the Kin'cora event. It's been revised as a semi-official tracking spreadsheet for characters created on the fly.

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[In the middle of transporting food supplies over to Old Town, Shikamaru has been monitoring the news about the oddly behaving cultists with a heavy frown. He hasn't run into any with those described traits yet, but he's on the lookout, not far from the highway near downtown.]

[Lee had just finished a skirmish with such cultists when he came to find Shikamaru, partially to provide himself as an escort for the supply run and partially to relay his firsthand news.]

Shikamaru-kun!

Oi, Lee. [Glad to see you looking all right, bro. Shikamaru stops his run, crouching down nearby a tree so Lee can catch up - not that it should take long.]

[It indeed does not take long to catch up. And he bears a serious expression, although this is somewhat expected on missions. There is a certain kind of intensity there that is different than usual... but at the same time he's relieved to see Shikamaru.]

Are you well?

Aa. I've gotten into some scrapes, but nothing to write home about.

[He looks Lee over and makes his own assessment.] You don't look so worse for wear yourself.

I see. Yes, I myself have not received any major injury. Yet, just when I thought I was used to this enemy's tactics... They took me off-guard.

[Shikamaru lowers his head. Elaborate bro?]

Some of the enemies... They moved as though they had no control over their bodies. They attacked their own, even. Wild, and uninhibited. They listened not to their peers' protests. And the look in their eyes? Something about them seemed to... lack life. It is similar to the way that... that they looked. Those under the control of the edo tensei...

Edo Tensei? The forbidden technique?

[He's familiar with it, but judging by his reactions this is more in the learned sense.]

[A soft and firm nod.]

Shikamaru-kun... I know you have not yet lived the war, but I must apologize for assuming you were already aware. It may be best to stop for just a few moments.

[Shikamaru frowns, but glances around their area. There doesn't seem to be any threats in sight. Still, they'd best shoot for cover. He nods, pointing with his chin to those trees in the distance. Let's do this there. It sounds serious, so he'll hear him out.]

[Lee quickly follows him without question and winds up crouching atop a tree branch. A rare look of disgust crosses his face as he goes into detail.]

There is some difference between those I encountered here and those under the effect of the edo tensei, but... It should be important that you know this. The edo tensei... That has been Akaktsuki's cruelest weapon. They have been... using the dead to fill their ranks.

[You know, Shikamaru hasn't asked a lot about the war. Some details pertaining to Tobi, when he was here, but not much aside from that.

So crouched in his separate branch, this promotes a stunned response.]

What?

I am sorry you had to learn like this. But it is the harsh truth of our war. We know little of the means... but they have raised so many ninjas, almost every who left a body... to fight for them. It is a nightmare. My own division did battle with the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist... including Zabuza and his partner, Haku.

[He has no idea who those two are. More still, what Lee said before that makes his blood run cold, and indeed he seems to lose focus, sick with dread.

"...almost every who left a body..."

Could they have...?]

Is that what you think is happening here? You said it didn't look the same.

[He can't think about that right now. He just can't.]

[It is best to keep him away from such a realization, yes. To keep focused on the relevance to the current task.]

I do not believe it is the edo tensei, precisely. Those who Akatsuki disturbed... they acted under a central control. While the figures I encountered, they seemed to be moving independently, targeting anyone who still had a rational mind, even their apparent allies. Yet they had that same look... of being dead and alive at the same time. It gives me cause for much concern. Yet I realize that... perhaps similar strategies could be helpful in dealing with these enemies.

I haven't encountered any yet. [He shakes his head.] Not here.

[On that mission, he fought the dead. But they were controlled by the flesh creature.]

What's your suggested tactic?

I see. Then this type of enemy may be new? The others I fought against had never witnessed such behavior and symptoms before.

But as for the tactic... It seems fortunate that you were here. Once of the Seven Swordsmen was taking down by three men. I distracted the enemy with physical attacks. Your clansman, Ensui, was able to restrain him, and Sai-kun was able to use a sealing technique on the enemy.

[There's a flicker of a smile at that, despite the situation. He thinks of his father and mother often, but it's been so long since he's seen any of his family, like Ensui. Ensui, always proficient in advanced Nara techniques. Lee would've been in good hands.

But then Shikamaru grows serious again.]

The Kage Mane and subsequent techniques will be useful. But we have no one here familiar with sealing techniques, aside from Jiraiya-sama.

I suspected as such. Then perhaps we should try to find him for a most complete strategy. But then again, unlike those under the control of the edo tensei... these unusual enemies do not seem capable of regeneration. When struck fatally... the enemies stayed down.

Define fatally.

Attacks on vital organs. They still are... highly resilient, though. Moreso than the peers who exhibit normal behavior.

[So it's different. They don't get back up if you hit hard enough. Target weak points...]

If this is the cast, maybe we can do it without a sealing team.

This is true, Shikamaru-kun. Your skills as tactician are certainly ideal for sorting out the most precise method of dealing with these enemies.

It's no good without verifying what their nature is exactly. We should search them out, to be certain.

26th

niceguypose - 2012-11-09 20:55 (UTC) - Expand

26th

endgames - 2012-11-11 04:02 (UTC) - Expand

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