Things are Changing - Endgame

[ateratmods]

Who; The Five (Main Fight), anyone for other prompts
What; Bringing down the Demon Bear and dealing with the other things it’s brought with it
Where; (Little Terrors) All over the city; Main Event: Abandoned Square, Noble District
When; Halloween Night (when else?) for the main fight, leading up to Halloween for the others
Warnings; As the DB (Demon Bear) can manipulate the mind and cause hallucinations based on fears, general warnings for scarred characters apply. This will be updated if anything more specific occurs.

Please see threads below for individual prompts.

Note: The Main Event is only for those who volunteered on the event plotting post. It will determine whether the bear is defeated or retreats (retreat is obviously the worse outcome).

The event will affect the rest of the city as well to a lesser extent! Have fun with it!

Please leave all questions here! Any and all questions are welcome, but this thread is actually tracked so I should get a notification for it!

Comments

QUESTIONS

[ateratmods]

Please ask any questions you may have here!

Da bear

[faithfulsupport]

- Does it have any weaknesses such as elemental or is this a typical 'it's immune to everything damn it' boss fight?

- The surroundings - Anything in particular that could be used against it in the area/nearby?

Re: Da bear

[ateratmods]

1) While it doesn't have any specific weaknesses it's only immune to sleep and fear status effects.

3) It's an abandoned square, so there's a rundown fountain, some benches, cracked pavements. There are several buildings around in various states of disrepair, and to the north of the square is a well which may or may not be dried up.

[skyward_eyes]

-Will Nida be able to draw any magic from the demon bear to use against it/stock?

-Nida’s shell spell normally reduces the affect of attack magics. Would it make the aura of the bear less potent? (Happy for either way, and honestly he’s casting the spell on himself first as a test).

-And as a general note, Nida will likely be using protect spells for his team, these should hopefully reduce damage a little. Just wanted that in the mind for reference.

[ateratmods]

- He can draw sleep from it.

- The aura isn't a magical effect, so no, not really

- So noted, thank you!

[skyward_eyes]

Haha haha a spell the thing is immune to. Love it. Perfect.

Prompt 1 - Little Terrors | Open to All | Ongoing

[ateratmods]

Beginning today, new creatures will be noticed. As the description suggests, what will be experienced first is a change in mood for the darker. People who are possessed by these entities will have a sick, afflicted feeling to them perceivable by those who are sensitive to magical energies or have a sensitivity to the spiritual energies or can sense non-corporeal entities.

These entities can be purged with even low-level healing spells or by those who are capable of expelling demons or other spirits. There is also a new advertisement found pinned to the Notice Board and posted in random places throughout every district of the city and outside every residence building:

Feeling under the weather? Suffering from the night before? Have a headache? Fever? Minor possession? We have the cure for what ails you! Stop by Grave Concoctions! You won't be disappointed!

(OOC: Added to the bottom of these flyers in a scrawled hand is the following)

We're located just south of the Cemetery! You can't miss us...me. You can't miss me!

Jagger Crowe | OTA | The Gullwings Office

[asthecroweflies]

He was going to blame the lack of sleep and the fact that Caelan was missing, but it seemed like today every little thing was pissing him off. He'd had a nightmare the night before, which was more and more common as of late, but this one had been different, had felt strange. He couldn't remember the details, but he'd woken up angry and he hadn't shaken it since. Every little thing was irritating him, which was only causing his life to be worse.

At least the paper around here was too thick for papercuts. It was a small blessing and did little to lift his foul mood. When someone did walk in, he didn't look up from his desk, instead snapping a 'greeting' which he flipped open a file folder.

"What do you want? We're not taking new clients."

[soulsword]

The lack of sleep was starting to get to her. For a while she had attempted to deny that it bothered her; thinking that if she just ignored the feelings of exhaustion it would go away. It was easy enough to do when she was traveling from one timeline to the next fighting hoards created by the Elder Ones. This was different though. There was nothing specific to fight here and it somehow made the exhaustion more intense.

Eventually she found herself curious how others were handling it. Specifically one person in particular found himself crossing her mind. It was a strange feeling to actually care about someone new. For so long she had felt blunted and dulled emotions. This was...uncomfortable to say the least. Still, curiosity won out eventually and she searched him out with a short scrying spell and then teleported to the office. She had an oversized black shirt, black pants with holes torn in them and large black combat boots.

"How unfortunate. I was planning on offering a large reward as payment."

[asthecroweflies]

Normally he'd be happy to see her, but today the appearance of anyone was getting on his nerves more and more. Illyana herself was complicated, making him question a lot of things he'd rather not focus on in the first place.

He did look up when she approached, though, frown deepening.

"What would you need help with?"

[soulsword]

Something stirred her mystical senses but at the moment she could not quite tell where it was coming from. Whatever it was it made her hairs stand up with a prickly sensation. The smallest hint of a frown touched her lips and she gave a shrug.

"Not much." At least she had confirmation that she was pretty bad at jokes. "I came to check on you."

[asthecroweflies]

He tilts his head to the side. "Sure, pet. There's something running around killing people, people are missing, I can't sleep. How do you think I'm doing?"

[soulsword]

"There are numerous things running around doing something. I can feel them," she said with a lack of emotion. "Not sleeping is for the best. The Demon Bear in my universe could gain power in your nightmares."

[asthecroweflies]

"Good for you." He pinched the bridge of his nose with a frown, feeling a headache coming on. "Anything else I can help you with?"

[soulsword]

"Someone is grumpy," she said with narrowed eyes. Grumpy or perhaps something else. "Perhaps I should be asking you that."

[asthecroweflies]

He clenched his jaw before running a hand back through his hair.

"You came here for me. I'm fine so what do you want?"

The Main Event | Oct 31 | Ignis, Aragibal, Sam, Yuna, Nida

[ateratmods]

Seething with hatred for those who have tracked it, the massive bear stands firm. Cornered in an abandoned area of the northwestern district of the city, it turns to face the creatures insolent enough to stand between it and its waiting meals. It stands on its hind legs, three inch claws on its forelimbs bared. It stands several feet in height, towering over those gathered to face it, eyes blazing in hellish fire. The abandoned area is illuminated by the full moon hanging overhead and the sparse torchlight afforded this neglected area of the city, casting the surroundings in flickering shadow, and the beast itself exudes an aura of fear, just standing in its presence causes the hearts of those gathered to quicken, to feel as though maybe running is a better option.

And then it opens its massive maw, and a roar of fury and challenge rips from its throat, loud enough to vibrate the glass in the windows of the closest buildings.

[faithfulsupport]

Ignis managed to track the thing to the square and took a look at the demonic bear. He thought about running, but even if Noct or the lads weren't here, the advisor could see out of the corner of his eyes the others. One member in particular caught his attention but he gave no outward indication.

Unlike fighting Dead Eye there was nothing to ignite sadly. However, there would be opportunities for him to get in both long and short ranged. And as it roared, Ignis summoned his drain lance. There was a bit of places if he could get bit of ground, he could jump if needed.

"Best prepare ourselves for the long haul so we'll need every one here. And I have healing if it's needed."

[arroganceandangst]

They had tracked the thing to here, and here it stood in all its glory. This creature was definitely not the largest thing that Aragibal had ever fought, nor was it particularly the most intimidating. Aragibal felt his heart quicken at the sight of it nevertheless. In one smooth movement he moved his hand and all of his clothes shifted into a full set of plate armor and his sword. The blade rested comfortably across his shoulders as he held it in place with one hand.

He could feel hesitation at the sight of the bear, but then he wondered how many parents this bear might of killed, how many children it threatened. He took in a breath, then let it go, trying to let the tension go. It only halfway worked. He couldn't stop thinking of his kids, and he felt an uncharacteristic anger.

"It's just a bear, right? Surely this won't take too long." His tone and expression suggested he felt otherwise.

[notarambler]

Sam studies the bear, not an ounce of fear on his face. He's faced down God and so a demon bear was pretty much a cake walk. He turns 5o his fellow hunters and smiles slightly. "We just have to tire it out then send it back to Hell...this place has a Hell right?"

[whereishe]

A menagerie of emotions gathered and knotted within Yuna's chest. Fear, anger, excitement, worry, and some that she wasn't able to put a name to. Her heart hammered violently against her rib cage but she wasn't focused on that. Her own status didn't matter. There was only one thing that mattered, one thought that passed through her thoughts: Caelan. Her friend was missing and she knew that it was somehow this Bear's fault.

Her grip on her guns tightened as a soft silvery glow of magic gathered at the tips of her fingers. She wasn't good with subtleties.

"Don't underestimate it." That was all Yuna said before she stepped forward. The Bear already knew that they were hunting it, she didn't see a reason to try and be stealthy. Instead, she lifted her guns and released a barrage of bullets towards the Bear.  

[skyward_eyes]

A long day, that’s what this was. But hey, hunting monsters wasn’t just his job here with the guard, but one from back home. And now came the hard part. He felt the panic flutter in his chest, a fluttering that he knew wasn’t natural. He’d been through worse, seen worse, feared far greater things. Whatever was happening was because of this thing.

For now, he stays back a step, certain there were plenty of hot-heads to take the lead. Despite the naginata on his back and the halberd in his hands, he had other plans for the moment. In this case, a barrage of spells he launches off, one after the other. Doing them earlier would have been silly.

Nida gathered power in his hands, his eyes flashing with brassy light as he let off the first burst of magic, the warm tingle of protect spells settling over skin as blue light formed rounded shields before them and then faded away. But the power was still there, a barrier to help lessen the strength of physical blows against them.

“What is hell?” He asks, catching his breath as the burst of five spells in a row left him slightly staggered. He’ll need a moment before he can launch others. “Keep it away from anything flammable if at all possible. I’ve got other spells, but it will need some time to bring it to bear. Pun unintended.”

[faithfulsupport]

Ignis looked over at his first companion and couldn't help but a fraction of a smile. The man's attitude reminded him of Noct and Gladio, stating they'd be done with a monster in no time at all. This was Iggy's first bear, though he'd seen his fair share of monsters that were this size or larger. There had been that one Zu that Prompto that said was half-bird, half-airship, and half-storm, making Gladio report that was three halves.

To his second companion, the blonde head shook. "I'm not quite sure, but I'm more than willing to bet we're going to send it somewhere." Hell was a place he'd heard of while being here and upon listening in on the conversation had been enlightened. But he hadn't added anything to it.

With Yuna here, Ignis worried. He just didn't want to see her or anyone else for that matter get hurt. But his innate chivalry was bound to get him into trouble with her because it did with Aranea. However unlike the dragoon, he knew Yuna could heal. And the advisor had been about to tell her to be careful, but then she started shooting it. So much for that link.

And as he was about to move, Ignis felt a warm sort of magic overcoming him. He then turned to Nida and smiled, nodding at the instructions before taking off. He couldn't show the worry he had for the man and instead hopped up on a ledge before leaping into the air to come down onto the bear, shoving his lance into the back of its head.

DEMON BEAR ADVANCE

[ateratmods]

It's just a bear, it shouldn't take long. The creature enjoyed the mirth of some of the hunters' underestimation. Others were warier and it made note of their locations. It bared its fangs at the young thing who deigned to attack it so brashly, bullets burning into fur and steaming glowing orange liquid dripping from wounds that sizzled as they laced into its hide. The growl that had been growing turned into a howl of rage as moved to charge her, dropping down on all fours and moved, lightning-fast.

Nida's spells were glancing blows as it moved, narrowing missing Ignis' attack as it bore down, claws extended, toward the woman who'd so quickly opted to attack it. It would pick these insolent mortals off one by one, as it had done for eons.

But it would do so slowly, so they felt the pain of their failure.

[arroganceandangst]

"If you have a way to banish the beast it may be worth trying whether any of the Hells are here or not." As the protect spell settled on him he gave a small nod to Nida as a silent thank you and an acknowledgement to keep away from flammable objects.

The moment he heard the gun fire Aragibal hefted the huge sword on his shoulder and launched himself at the bear without a moment of hesitation. He moved faster than one might expect: as if the wind itself were helping push him and carrying his limbs to make them lighter. The goal of the plunge was to land him between Yuna and the bear and for him to raise his sword as a rampart between him and the claws.

Should he manage to intercept the bear on its way to Yuna shadows would coalesce around him as a barrier of protection should his sword not be enough, otherwise if he realized he wouldn't manage to put himself between the bear and Yuna the shadows would coalesce around her as an extra barrier of protection from the claws.

Either way, he would move from defensive to aggressive and go on the attack in an attempt to encourage the bear to look at him instead of anyone else.