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BOARDMASTER ([personal profile] boardmaster) wrote in [community profile] pawnstorm2016-06-20 08:54 am

WAR ♞ OPERATION DASVIDANIYA

OPERATION DASVIDANIYA
20 JUNE (ROSA) 2016



On the 20th of Rosa, the weather god Sylvant weaves somber clouds over Lasker like an omen. Ryder is scheduled to arrive at Ostrov Station; the civilians around you are excited to meet their idol, yet you can’t bring yourself to match their enthusiasm. Unlike the howling gales of Gisela, Lasker's grey skies come with only the occasional gust; but they’re still enough to chill you to the bone. Dust storms are closing in—shockingly, it seems the newspaper forecasts have gotten it right for once—and it won’t be long before everything becomes one big blur of grit and roar of wind.

As you get your affairs in order for the big operation, codenamed Dasvidaniya, Commander Lisbrand and Secretary Verdoni are on their way into the station. A Blanc soldier stops the two at the entrance and, after saluting Lisbrand, holds out a sheaf of classified documents.

Lisbrand
Thank you. You are dismissed. [ peruses the documents with quick movements; Verdoni is reading over her shoulder ] New intel: Ryder is not aboard the target train. It seems Noir has gotten their dirty hands into our information network. However, we will proceed as planned. All we need do in response is change the task force’s route.

Verdoni
Let us take the details inside. Noir has eyes and ears everywhere.

The hour for the briefing draws nearer and as soon as you arrive at the station, you will find your two commanders waiting with marching orders. The change of orders was so smooth, Noir will never suspect that Blanc has discovered the truth.

After every Hero and the military support assigned to the task force boards the train, Lisbrand stops Verdoni.

Lisbrand
I will be investigating the original train under suspicion. I have a bad feeling about all of this. Noir’s plans are rarely so straightforward; we must be prepared for all contingencies.

[ a pause, before she goes on, a bit stiffly ]

I’ll be leaving the task force’s operation to you. See that they turn this around, or it will be all our heads on the line.

Verdoni
[ a heavy sigh. ] That is quite the expectation to meet for a mere government official…

As much as I would prefer that you stay with our Heroes, there is no argument watertight enough to convince you otherwise. [ after all, he knows Noir better than anyone. ] This goes without saying, but watch yourself. I am wary of how our technology will hold up against Noir’s magics.

Nevertheless, I have confidence in your abilities — both Heroes’ and the military’s. Besides, you always were a stubborn woman. [ with a smirk ] Perhaps that iron shell will protect you.


Basic info on the war can be found here. All OOC questions about the event may be directed to the thread below.


ONE Not Just Another Role Play
On the outside, the train our Heroes will be boarding looks just like any other. Once you step inside, you’ll quickly understand the true meaning of luxury. It’s a shame you won’t have any time to appreciate the plush leather seats or those fanciful Mahbusan rugs your feet sink right into! It’s time to get down to business.

Your mission: board Ryder’s train and stop Noir’s attack. During the few minutes in which the Heroic train and Ryder’s train will run parallel, you must jump aboard with the use of your magic and weapons. You have a measly two hours before your Heroic train departs, but there's no need for nerves. Blanc’s military is here to cover you. While they aren’t well-versed in magic, they’re absolutely trained and equipped for all kinds of battlefields, including one moving at several dozen miles per hour!

This is a good time to catch up with your teammates and come up with possible plans of attack. Heroes are unable to explore the target train in advance, but they will be given detailed maps and schematics. And while you won’t have much time to appreciate the grandeur, you can still tour the Heroic train’s layout, as it will likely resemble the target train.

Being a train geek won’t hurt, either. Experts will give Heroes a crash course on the train mechanisms vital to this mission’s success. Hundreds of lives are at stake if you don’t know how to keep the railcars together! You should know how to work—or break—the steampunk security locks to give yourself the advantage of mobility in enemy territory, too. Everyone, pay attention! Especially you, Support Team.


TWO High Speed Turnover

Verdoni
I trust you know what we are about to ask of you. In ten minutes, we will be passing the target train. You will have less than two minutes to hurl yourselves across the gap and board. There will be no second chances; fail the jump, fail the mission. The methods you employ are up to you. If you are not confident about the leap, I suggest you ask your Rooks for aid. Take your positions now.

The storm shows no signs of letting up. It’s going to make the jump precarious at best, fatal at worst. Not only do you have to worry about bad weather and steep terrain, but the window of opportunity is so small that boarding is going to take some impeccable timing. Or a lot of faith.

Your train is fast approaching Ryder’s, and soon, the steam engines will run parallel to each other for a small stretch before continuing in their opposite directions. Jump aboard while the opportunity is ripe! Making the landing is just the beginning—Noir forces man every car and corner. It’s time to put those strategies you cooked up during preparations (from Option ONE) to the test.

ENEMY ♟ Masked Noir Soldier
Weak against
None
Strong against
Wind, Earth
Immune to
None
Skilled magic users from the Noir Empire who specialize in EARTH AND WIND MAGIC. They are equipped with ENCHANTED GAS MASKS that not only hide their identities but protect them from dust and smog alike. A few spells they might be throwing your way:

SLAPETO is a wind spell that can take the form of gusts or small storms, which soldiers will use to suck in dust from their surroundings and OBSCURE YOUR VISION. Keep your guard up, as they will then attempt to launch an ambush or make their escape!

In metal-rich areas (like, say, a moving train), the STALKOPYE spell is your worst enemy. It MANIPULATES METALS INTO SPIKES that the user can stab or launch at their targets.

A select few who have exceptional magic control will cry “ZEMLETA,” a spell that will SHAKE THE TRAIN CAR to throw the Heroes off balance.

Beware: those with the greatest mana reserves will know the spell MURYAKA SMERTI. As the name implies, it casts a poisonous SMOG: victims die a slow death, writhing in agony as their airways fill with black sludge.

DROPS: Enchanted Gas Mask, Mossy Earth, Flask of Vodka, Crude Gas Mask Guy Double Duo Card (feat. Crazy Haircut & Mild Resistance to Poison)

Your problem now isn’t so much getting on the train as it is staying on. Noir forces will do anything they can to barricade Heroes out of the train and throw them off the railcars before they can make their way inside; the most difficult points of access are the balconies or the emergency exits on the roof, particularly up in first class where everything is reinforced.

Don’t have the patience? Break down doors, make your own doors, or shatter windows to climb in—Noir may still have barricades and ambushes waiting inside, but that’s what everyone in front of you is for. The property damage is small change compared to the million-dollar lives of these VIPs; surely they can spare some pocket money to cover a few dramatic entrances (or exits).

Support Team, some of you will need to stay on the balconies in order to be on the lookout for Noir reinforcements—or just Noir soldiers that will attempt to divide the Heroes by detaching cars and taking the train apart.


THREE The Caboose Countergambit
This is where our main event begins. Noir’s preference for underhanded means should be obvious by now, and they’re more than prepared for the Heroes’ arrival. They will assault Heroes with magic from every nook and cranny of the crowded passenger cars with no regard for anyone who might get caught in the crossfire. Time to remember your role, Heroes!
STRIKE TEAM, focus on ferreting out all Noir soldiers on the train and don’t let them escape! Use any means necessary to pin down and neutralize them; you may coordinate and work with the other teams to accomplish this. Rescue Team can watch any prisoners you take; Support Team can keep you from walking into traps. Commandeer the engine and control rooms and keep Noir sabotage from dooming the train.

RESCUE TEAM, follow the panicked screams and rescue those passengers! Secure and guard areas that can be used as safe zones for civilians, VIPs, and injured fellow Heroes alike; it may also fall to you to guard the Noir prisoners. But don’t get complacent. The soldiers that slip past the Strike Team will also come for you or attempt to rescue their comrades, and it’s much more difficult to fight with targets as well as enemies behind you!

In addition, some train cars are rigged: they will automatically lock down via a magical mechanism as soon as you enter, transforming themselves instantly into lethal gas chambers once Noir soldiers cast their poisonous spells. Smash your way out while you have the strength, or rely on someone to rescue you from the outside. While Bishops are a likely candidate for lockpicking duty, a Queen’s Charm magic may also be a great asset against those magical locks.

SUPPORT TEAM, find and disarm bombs and traps. Traps may include the rigged cars above as well as weakened walls, floors, and latches. Communicate with the other Teams to prevent them and the passengers from falling into traps.

Your priority will be the Albin Bombs, small steampunk bombs infused with magic. They can be identified by the glowing red and blue mana crystals hidden beneath a black, rose-embossed shell. Some may be tucked in innocuous spaces such as passenger seats and luggage bags, but others are planted in hidden compartments under the floor or outside the train altogether. If you do locate them, Noir will be alerted and will send forces to intercept. Call on your fellow Heroes to distract them as you wrestle with the eternal question: the red crystal or the blue?

Breaking the wrong crystal or breaking them in the wrong sequence will detonate the bomb within seconds, so evacuate the car as fast as you can and try not to damage your bomb by accident. A single explosion is powerful enough to destroy the entire car. Choose wisely!

FOUR Lasker Landing
Many of the civilians on the train will return home safely thanks to your hard work. Some of those esteemed VIPs are giving you bedroom eyes, but there’s no time to answer their call; the remaining Noir forces have bloodlust in their eyes. Before they can attack, they cry out in pain and fall to the ground, revealing a Gammonian man and his looming bodyguards. The Gammonian seems largely unconcerned with the situation, simply stepping on the bodies as he enters.

Ryder
...hm. I seem to have dirtied my shoes.
Ryder's Bodyguards
[ together: ] We’re sorry, Mr. Ryder! We’ll get you new Ryde shoes!
Now that Ryder has been located, the Rescue Team will be keeping an eye on him. Support and Strike Teams are on cleanup duty: take care of any Noir stragglers on the train or bombs and traps you might have missed. At this point, the remaining Noir soldiers will most likely avoid encounters and attempt to escape. Soon, a calm, recorded female voice echoes through each rail car.

We will be arriving at Ostrov Station shortly. All passengers must remain seated until we arrive at our destination. Please secure all your belongings in advance to ease the boarding process. Thank you for choosing Rokirovka Railways, and we hope to travel with you again.

The train pulls into the station within a couple of minutes. Is this mission accomplished? Perhaps it’s too soon to celebrate. People are still searching desperately for their families, and many are injured and hysterical from the trauma and loss. And is that smoke in the sky above Lasker…? Reinforcements from the Blanc military are stationed on the platform, ready and willing to lend aid to both Heroes and civilians.

Ryder
Such a mess… I’ve no patience to deal with this. [ leaves smugly, bodyguards following ]
One soldier, however, comes rushing over, looking harried as he tries to catch Verdoni’s attention. The young serviceman is pale as a sheet and unsteady on his feet. If you watch closely, you’ll see Verdoni’s composed expression flicker several times as his subordinate makes his frantic, whispered report. It settles to a masklike calm once he turns back to the Heroes.

Verdoni
We will take care of it from here. You are all dismissed.
Somehow, although the uninjured civilians and a crowd of Laskeri people cluster around you in tearful joy and relief, this doesn’t feel much like a victory. Your part in this is over for now, but a sense of dread takes hold of you and lingers. You will undoubtedly be debriefed on the mission’s bigger picture soon.

In the meantime, the welcoming Laskeris sweep you out of the station and into the arms of the city. You will at least have a few moments to rest.
sky_shark: (Bullshit)

[personal profile] sky_shark 2016-07-03 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
[Personal space bubble, he has it. But he also recognises when someone's taking the measure of him, so rather than step back, his eye simply narrows a little as he looks up at her]

Akito's my other half and the sole reason I exist. I was born to protect him.

[So if she ever hurts the light, they're going to have a problem]
ateaist: pixiv id=74573578 (Default)

[personal profile] ateaist 2016-07-07 12:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Hm...you're making that stern expression, but how can I take it seriously when you've given me such a cute answer?

[She can't imagine ever being in a situation where she'd have to hurt Akito...he's the most inoffensive person she's met here so far.

Well.

Maybe one or two people contest the spot, but either way.
]
sky_shark: (Bullshit)

[personal profile] sky_shark 2016-07-13 10:16 am (UTC)(link)
[Why are you calling him cute, he is not cute]

Take me seriously or not, I could give less of a damn. I don't care what people think of me.

[Which is sadly true. He doesn't matter, after all. Only Akito does]
ateaist: pixiv id=74573578 (Default)

[personal profile] ateaist 2016-07-17 12:16 am (UTC)(link)
Umu! There's no need to be so serious lad, I'm only fooling with you. [She even nudges him playfully.] I'm rather fond of him, you know. I can't imagine ever having to hurt him.
sky_shark: (Bored)

[personal profile] sky_shark 2016-07-18 12:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Tch.

[Sorry Nobunaga, unlike Akito, Agito's a bit of a stick in the mud]

Good. He doesn't need more people betraying him.
ateaist: pixiv id=74573578 (Default)

[personal profile] ateaist 2016-07-19 01:22 pm (UTC)(link)
So it's happened before?

[Not that that surprises her.]
sky_shark: (Explaining)

[personal profile] sky_shark 2016-07-21 03:35 am (UTC)(link)
It's why I was born. His older brother treated him like a tool and threw him in a cage.

[Just thinking of Kaito is enough to piss Agito off, really. God he hates the man]
ateaist: pixiv id=74573578 (Default)

[personal profile] ateaist 2016-07-23 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
I see...older siblings really are a pain no matter where you go, huh?

[Her older brother wasn't that great.

Neither was her younger brother, but in that case, she was the shit older sibling as well as him planning against her, so.
]