Arcane Outbreak (Open RP)

Muskrat City

A small-to-mid-size polis of approximately 50,000 people, Muskrat City has been notable for really only one thing: it’s renowned research university which specialized in civil and environmental engineering. It was this prestigious institution which had spearheaded what had recently become the city’s crown jewel: a state-of-the-art water treatment facility, capable of providing potable drinking water to the local citizens more quickly, cheaply, and in greater volumes than any other facility of its kind.

Naturally, this facility was identified as being a likely target of bioterrorists, mutant extremists, and any number of other malcontents, so the city ensured that it had top-notch security protocols in place, including a staff of highly trained guards.

It wasn’t enough.

Even as the shambling monstrosity that had once been Sergei Ivanovich crushed the throat of the facility’s last protector, Cy’ian stood before his goal, the massive main tank for all of the city’s drinking water. Time was limited, after all. Of course, he only needed a few more moments before that limitation ceased to apply; the city was about to have far greater concerns that losing contact with its water treatment plant.

A hand extended from his voluminous cloak, holding an ancient relic he had liberated from a museum in London, largely featureless brooch or amulet that was unremarkable save for its apparent age. The Necrommander spoke, his lips forming words that no human mouth had ever intoned. As he spoke, the relic seemed to take on a faint, purplish glow. Finishing his spell, he simply dropped the object into the swirling waters below, where it was quickly swallowed up by the engineered maelstrom.

A malevolent grin spread across the evil being’s face. Soon, the vile energies that he had awakened within the relic would infuse all the water that passed through this facility, and into the city...where it would be consumed by the unsuspecting populace, transforming them into mindless, feral creatures, consumed with no thoughts but to rend and devour any living beings unfortunate enough to catch their notice.

He turned and strode towards the exit; his attention was now needed elsewhere. He paused briefly, gazing at his monstrous servant who stood obediently, staring ahead with the gaze of a being bereft of any will of its own. “Guard.” That one word was all the command that was required; the undead horror would remain here and ensure that the obscene plan was allowed to complete. With that, the inhuman sorcerer completed his exit, vanishing into the night.

It took less than an hour for the screams to begin.

Rules:

• This is an open CVnU RP. Feel free to jump in.
• Thousands of the city’s inhabitants have been turned into ghoul-like creatures due to cursed energies in the water. The turned humans are now largely mindless and will attack anything that is not one of them. They possess strength in the on-ton range and while not especially durable, they are largely immune to pain and ignore what would normally be debilitating injuries.
• This is a largely unstructured RP, if you want to kill ghouls, protect innocents, take advantage of the chaos to steal things, feel free.
• Feel free to flesh out the setting with anything you’d typically find in a city of this size. You want a park, school, amusement park, or whatever? Go ahead and put it in.
• Can the curse be reversed? Can the ghouls be turned back into humans? Who knows? Try something and see if it works. >;)
• All standard RP and CVnU rules apply.
• Have fun!

This is neat! Beautiful job, Nordok!

@somebody_: IC, but some OOC chatter is fine. This is just a fun little one-shot I felt like throwing out, with Halloween coming up.

@shield-maiden: Thank you!

@killerwasp: Excellent!

@killerwasp: Pretty much anything. I mean, if you make a world-breaker, you probably won't have much fun, because there won't be any challenge, but powers are certainly welcome. ^_^

Xiuhtonal

History

Weapons

Stats

Roleplay

Xiuhtonal made her way to the top of her people's temple. There she was greeted by several elder men giving her a respective bow towards the mighty warrior. With a soft spoken tone, one said

"Xiuhtonal, ill news is upon a city. We have called you forth to destroy those who are evil and save those who are pure."

After hearing the elder mean speak Xiuhtonal had said

"Then I shall go fourth and punish those who dare spread evil and all who worship it. I will end every single one of them with a smashed head and a torn up body."

The Elders grinned as they saw one out of many mighty warriors ready to handle the task at hand. Another had asked

"Do you have all that you need, Warrior?"

Xiuhtonal had simply replied

"Yes."

"Good, cause the time is now. Open the portal!" shouted the Elder

With a mystical steam coming fourth as the gigantic device opened up and split began to split reality a new, everyone had celebrated and Xiuhtonal was eager to not let them down. She took one last look back on her people as it could very well be the last. She walked into the portal and was transported to Muskrat city itself.

Xiuhtonal was alarmed by all the sudden screaming and there she must of been transported to the quiet part of time as it was far too quiet despite all the distant and near by screaming. When she arrived she used both hands to hold her sword and listened cautiously to her environment. There she'd begin her walk and as she took steps at a steady pace a grin formed on her face.

Look's fun ^_^

Aww, I was holding onto that song for sometime when I wanted to go for a certain posting vibe.

But also...interested. Okay, I owe one right now, then I'll see what's up.

@rosso: I was hoping. >:)

@_dirge_: Thank you!

@killerwasp: I like the cut o' your jib, friend! Going to give others a chance to jump in, and then I'll respond. :)

Not this one

@necrommander:

The onset was quick. It came without warning. Several reports spread over the town meant no one was sure what'd caused...whatever was going on in Muskrat. Reports were scarce and mostly confined to brief accounts on social media, most of which fell silent within a short period of time anyway. Even the local news crew seemed to have gone AWOL. What the hell could've caused that? The mayor was holed up in his office with his loved ones and close friends, issuing only the standard bullshit address to the frightened populace.

"Shit name for a city," said Arthur, glaring down from the cabin of the chopper."With a name like that, you almost feel like it was made to be hit by disaster. Like...specifically for it," he suggested, glancing back over his shoulder at the heavily armed men who rode with him.

"Yeah, then I guess you're a dumbass for takin' the contract," Wilkins, his second, declared, to a round of laughter and applause from the group.

"Oi! It's a high-payin' contract," Arthur retorted, chuckling."Shit like this keeps you worthless chumpstains from all bein' stuck flippin' burgers or juggling student loan debt. You're allwelcome."

"But sir..." One of the officers spoke up, looking around at his rifle, then the rest of the crew and the gear they all bore. "I mean, I'm not being a ᛈ*$%ᚤ or anything, but doesn't this seem more like a job for the authorities? If the guys at Murtagh and Fentworth and B&H aren't checking in, and we think it warrants...this kind of response, wouldn't we be better off calling in the authorities? I mean, they have SWAT teams for a reason."

His name tag said H. Walker. Young guy, athletic. ROTC, til he failed outta college. Arthur drafted him personally and he, like the others, would be receiving hazard pay equalling what was, for most, more than twice their standard rate. Arthur eyed him stoically, then shrugged. "Nope." Another chorus of laughter. He'd pull the kid aside later, before they got started. "Good leader," he reminded himself, shushing his knee-jerk "I-don't-owe-you" reaction.

"Well, gentlemen...Here we go. Touchdown."

The chopper landed on the rooftop of the one building available to serve as a foothold for GRIMSEC's little operation. After a quick briefing they were loading up into three vans to serve as ground transport. The landing facility was fenced in and barricaded, and Arthur did a full sweep around the perimeter himself after the others had started to drive off a ways. Expelling his own homebrew pheromones about the area, designed to repel any animals and even subconsciously influence any humans who might be wandering through for any one purpose or another.

They completely ignored the mayor's office. He wasn't paying them and they were neither law enforcement nor military personnel (though he had to admit, Walker had a point - it did feel like it at times). The only concerns of the security company were their contracts. B&W - the mechatronics facility, Murtagh - the historical downtown site, and Fentworth - the university-run water treatment plant secured just last year. All failed to check in at the top of the hour and all failed to respond to phone calls.

All at once? No way they were looking at a coincidence.

@grimsrud: In life, Sergei Ivanovich had been highly trained and not lacking in cunning. As the van rolled into the facility he had been tasked to defend, the change that his undead state had wrought upon him became even more evident than his rotting appearance had made it. Where once he might have stalked the invaders from the shadows, snapping necks and slicing throats, he now simply charged from the shadows, barreling into the vehicle as it came to a halt.

In life, the metahuman was powerful enough to bend steel in his grasp. In undeath, his strength had enjoyed an arcane boost which took it to truly unholy levels. If his charge connected with the vehicle, meaty paws would grip beneath the front end, effortlessly lifting and flipping the large van onto its back. Then, he would simply begn to circle, like the predatory beast he had become, seeking for any who were still whole enough to attempt to escape the wreckage.

@killerwasp: Unfortunately, the quiet sections of town were not static, and a peaceful neighborhood often meant that whatever humans had been turned had simply not been agitated...yet. As Xiuhtonal advanced, she would come across just such a pack, a group of young athletes who had evidently congregated at an outdoor basketball court for a pickup game, only to have been transformed into a subhuman state when they took a break and availed themselves of a nearby water fountain.

Catching sight of the newcomer, they responded as only their now-degraded brains allowed: by charging her en masse, ten strong, the fact that she was clearly armed and capable of defending herself entirely lost on them.

@necrommander:

As the infected basketball players charged her, Xiuhtonal swung her mighty weapon cutting three heads in half with the most utter ease, before more came in trying to tackle her down. She once again cutting three more heads in half.

However, she braced herself for the impact of one keeping her Macuahuitl pressed up against him preventing him from causing any harm as she briefly stalled the attack only to whirl around with one of her axes to his dome causing his head to be cut in half after a few swings while still keeping her Macuahuitl in pace using her foe to block the other on coming foe advancing onto her.

She would push her now dead foe unto the last one, and the last one fell over due to the weight of the other, she came up and

a few times until his head was completely flattened like a pancake. With all 10 basketball zombie players dead, she hadn't even broken a sweat and she knew the night was young. After getting only but a taste for what's to come she rolls her shoulders and is eager to kill more in the name of her people and gods. She continues her pace and keeps on trailing on through the neighborhood.

@necrommander:

"—grass is green and the girls are pretty! Oh won't you please take me hooooome!" They sang in unison, armored van making a ruckus of its own as it sped through the streets blasting old rock music from a personal playlist. Anyone who happened to catch a glimpse through the front windows could be forgiven for assuming all those in the van had lost their minds or were blissfully unaware of the situation around them.

The Soldiers of Hel stopped for nothing. No civilians--nor anything that looked like one (it only took one encounter to learn that lesson), no traffic lights, no signs nor speed limit signs. At least three humanoids and one quadruped had fallen victim to the Sons, leaving the hood of the bleach-white vehicle stained a dark purplish-red.

Grimsrud drove. He was the only one with the reaction speed to handle the trip as they were rushing it. The most important of all three sites, with a history of trouble and marked a risk for more, and the most lucrative contract? Of course he was heading for the university. Not that he expected to be doing anymore business in the city after seeing...whatever the fack those things are. Still, matter of principle. Anyone who messed with his or Hughes' money and men could expect a size 13 boot up the ass at the very least.

The fence around the place had already been torn down. Everyone snapped to attention and the music went down. The van crept forward into the complex. "Ssshhh..." Arthur whispered as though the slightest uptick in his voice personally would cause an entire enemy force to converge and assail their position. The others quieted too, and looked, but as they approached the plant itself only he saw it, for his minimal absolute threshold and overall visual acuity were many times greater than theirs. Standing there, breathing. Waiting, in the near-total absence of light.

"Brace for impact."

The humanoid beast sprung. Tires screeched as Grimsrud hammered on the gas, intent on meeting it with as much speed and force as the vehicle could achieve through acceleration.

CRSSSHH!

Bodies tumbled inside like pinballs as they collided with a seemingly immovable object in Sergei. Arthur's foot kept pressing. Even as the front tires lost contact with pavement and the whole thing went belly-up with another disorienting crash.

All groaning in unison, the men struggled to get their bearings - and their arms - about them to prepare for combat. By the time they fully came to, Arthur had already vaulted from the vehicle, both blades drawn, door slammed shut behind him. He circled away from the van, looking to not only buy time for the others but allow them to engage from a blindspot, forcing the undead enforcer to battle on two fronts.

@killerwasp: Love your use of gifs, incidentally.

The city's first challenge had been met and overcome; the twisted remains of the zombified basketball team left behind as the warrior advanced deeper into the suburban jungle. But danger did not only come in large, fit forms; sometimes numbers and an added element of repellent horror were more perilous than the strongest arm of a foe.

Xiuhtonal's next barrier presented itself as she passed a local school, the doors bursting open and disgorging twisted creatures that were once children in a macabre mockery of what transpired each day when the last bell rang. Now, the bell was silent, but the smalls ghouls more than made up for it, howling in fury and hunger as nearly forty of them charged the mystic warrior, every bit as heedless and fearless as the previous pack.

@grimsrud:

Arthur succeeded in his goal of drawing once-Sergei's attention, the abomination turning towards him with a hoarse roar, his decayed mind still possessing enough cunning to tear the rear bumper from the van. Brandishing the now out-of-warranty auto part like some primordial savage wielding the first bludgeon, he charged at his blade-bearing foe, swinging the bumper on high and bringing it downwards in a two-handed haymaker of a swing.

@necrommander: Several expressions flashed and faded on Arthur's features in rapid succession, culminating in recognition and apparent satisfaction as the ex-Retriever of the New Rock's now-deceased warden plucked a piece from the armored vehicle with no more effort than picking an apple from a tree. This was what they came for. It was almost a relief. Dealing with a singular brutish foe (albeit a really strong and fast one) instead of a coordinated force of many meant they could hopefully wrap this up early. Although he hadn't discounted other possibilities such as a diversion, Arthur preferred open conflict over search and destroy.

What it lacked in cunning or technique, the abomination more than made up for in sheer physical ability. It tore through the distance and even the first-rate super soldier just barely slipped out of the arc. Moonlit steel flashed as, in the same motion, Grimsrud swung his adamantium blade in a downward arc at Sergei's wrist with a force that'd effortlessly bisect that of any normal man.

Simultaneously, the others emerged from the vehicle, ultimately unharmed. Not a chance. Should the conflict draw out more than a minute or so he didn't trust most of them to survive against...whatever it was. "Wilkins, with me!" he shouted. "Rest o' you, fan out! This could be a distraction! Search for others! Shoot first, questions later!"

@necrommander: Thanks a lot of experienced rpers seem to use them as well, so I thought why not XD

Knowing the numbers were too great, for even her skills. She decided to not risk being infected, for she may of been resistant to evil and infectious diseases she was not immune, not yet anyway. She booked it running faster than even the world's fastest runners. She spotted a house with a door open and made a run into the house, especially their to be infected inside, she quickly closed the front door and although the house was dark and with the power out. She whispered a few words, and the tattoos on her body lit up the darkness. Right as this had happened barreling down the hallway and down the stairs came forth two more, soon to be victims of her blade.

She slashed and hacked them down and almost entered into a bloody frenzy as instead of fear running through her veins it was excitement.

Xiuhtonal must of thought those two infected citizens were attracted to all the noise out side and herself as well. In the end though she thought to herself it was a good thing she was prepared or it could of turned out bad. Regardless she checked out the house as the ghoulish kids scratched and banged at the door with such unholy strength. She knew the door wouldn't hold forever, not with this many foes banging on it. She was surprised as she checked the house out that they hadn't broken any windows, and just then she could hear some starting to break. Xiuhtonal had to make her search for any left over victims in the house quick, before the little ghouls would get he best of her via their superior numbers.

Once she checkd all the down stairs she quickly raced up with speed to find one last victim who had managed to get himself out of the bathroom and into the hallway, they must of been about 20 or 30ft away from each other tops. He howled at his new prey, the infected citizen charged her, but little did could he do in being cut in half as Xiuhtonal swing her mighty blade down cutting him perfectly in half. It was this moment as she cleared the room fast enough, to hear more windows break. She sat the hallway as the little ghouls raced around the house in search of her. She awaited up stairs quietly listening and preparing to swing at the first one to come up the stairs.

Sure enough one raced up on the stairs and spotted a slight glow, as the minion raced up to the top he was met with a Macuahuitl right to the head as Xiuhtonal who was crouched at the time brought it straight down onto her victim. She then kicked the body down the stairs,

the tumbling body made a lot of noise and and brought the attention of the other ghouls to where all the commotion was being made. Xiuhtonal placed her Macuahuitl to one side of the hallway entrance and pulled out her dual wielding Aztec like axes and as the ghouls came up two or three at a time stumbling upon each other, Xiuhtonal turned into a murder blender. For the next ten minutes she spent the vast majority of her time using the choke point to her advantage but would soon turn into a frenzy crazed woman chopping heads, limbs, and other body parts into pieces as quickly as they rushed her. There was no safety. Others tried to attack from all sides, but were met with an axe to the head or gut and being slung around the room. After finally finishing the last one by smashing his head in repeatedly with the axes. Once she was done she took a moment. Then she said,

"Now that, that was entertaining. *she smells the hair* Ah the smell of death and blood has never smelt so good! I miss the wake of battle!" She rolled her shoulders and held both her weapons in her hands until she reached for her main weapon. Once she made sure the coast was clear, listening and hearing for any noise what so ever. She put away her dual axes and picked up her Macuahuitl once more. After that she spoke to herself saying,

"As much fun as that was. I must continue my journey. Whoever is responsible for this clearly has no morals. If children are even used as a means of war then clearly this user of evil holds no one of value. That's okay though, for I have no morals either." Xiuhtonal chuckled, and resumed her guard as she walked out the door of the once peaceful house before it was turned into a crime scene. She returned to the school where she had once been chased by the kids and remained on her path.

@killerwasp:

From one of his sanctums, located a very safe distance from the chaos he'd unleashed in the city, the Deathless Master observed the fruits of his handiwork through several intricate scrying bowls. The warrior Xiuhtonal had already caught his attention; not simply for the cunning and feocious way in which she fought, but also because there was an air of something...mystical surrounding her. Her weapons were clearly relics of a bygone era; she was either the most afanatic history buff this world had ever produced, or...there was more. And this was worth investigating.

It was a simple enough incantation. Step within a casting circle created for this very purpose, light the candles made of corpse tallow, sprinkle a bit of dust from the ashen remains of a long-dead psychic, and with a few words in a dead language, an image of himself would be projected directly into Xiuhtonal's path. As tempting as it might have been to see how her skills matched up against his own swordsmanship, there would always be time for that later. There was no power greater than knowledge, and he intended to gain exactly that.

"Greetings, stranger," the shimmering illusion spoke with a theatrical bow. "I've been admiring your handiwork. How do you like mine?"

@grimsrud:

The man's agility saved him, and his adamantium blade fulfilled its purpose perfectly; even Sergei's enhanced durability could not resist the exotic metal, and his hand neatly separated from the rest of him. The beast roared, not in pain, but in dull fury, and he swung again at Arthur, this time in a sweeping blow from left to right at chest level, his one remaining hand wielding the bumper to which his detached appendage still clung, as though it did not realize that it had been released from service.

Several hundred yards away, a small group of about twenty of the more standard ghouls had gathered, lured by the cacophony of the acrobatic vehicle. Seeing movement, and sensing the unacceptable presence of living humans, they began to approach, fanning out more out of some feral instinct than any sense of strategy, sweeping towards the group like some caricature of a wolf pack.

I'll be throwing something up tomorrow.

@necrommander:

"Shit, nice!" Arthur exclaimed as his blade cleared the wrist with what felt like hardly any resistance at all, briefly surveying the residue of his handiwork on the blade. Not for long, but just long enough that the deceased goon was too fast to avoid, forcing a guttural growl as it batted him in the ribs with a blow that seemed to reverberate throughout his skeletal structure.

Still the attack presented an opportunity. Grimsrud rolled with the blow, landing himself just alongside the rear doors of the van. Brandishing the Kukri like a secondary defensive implement, in his right hand he now brandished a steel sledgehammer. Wielding the bludgeon as a one-handed maul near its very end for maximum range, he beckoned once more.

But there was no wait. Bullets whizzed on either side of his head as Wilkins lined up his own shots, head and body, firing on the mindless monstrosity at range. Shouting over his shoulder between shots, "Jorgenson, on me! Spotter detail. Don't let anyone sneak up on us."

And as the designated man assumed his position, the others clustered in a makeshift circle and began distancing themselves from the conflict while firing on the crowd, as both individuals and in flurries. If nothing else they could take out as many as possible, while themselves making as much noise as possible to draw any further attention away from their comrades.

@necrommander:

It was at this moment, she felt some mystical evil radiating off of him. She would instantly close the distance, ignoring his calm gesture as instant bloodlust had taken over due to her inner ability to fend off evil had been triggered the extreme. The mysterious figure found it amusing that she would try to strike at only but a projection of himself. He would repeatedly inform her that she was only wasting her time, striking a shadow that suffered no damage, even from her magical weaponry. Regardless it would last for a solid 30 minutes before she could remotely regain control of her body, and bare to listen to what he had to say.

she spoke in a unsettled tone "Perhaps this trick of yours is indeed impressive. Maybe for world breather on this planet, yet where I come from it is only but a easy spell practiced by those who are mere children. I feel this is obviously not the best you can do, as you've seemed to easily have infected this city, which is actually a worthy feat. Regardless what do you want, you have my attention for only but a moment."

She silently awaited for the man's response.

@killerwasp:

"A cantrip is a cantrip," the bemused sorcerer replied, unfazed. Then this warrior did come from a culture of mysticism, even if she was not a mystic, herself. "And you are quite correct; this is spellcraft that any child could easily replicate. You give me one moment? Very well, then; heed my words. What you see around you is nothing more than an experiment. A test. Not a test of my powers, for I have traveled far beyond this world and learned of esoteric techniques that would shatter the sanity of most archmages, but a test of how humanity responds to this manner of annihilation. This city, and all within it, are lost, for I have corrupted the very building block of the life upon which they depend. If you wish a glorious, if futile death, then by all means continue, warrior. But if you would see your rage serve some greater purpose, then withdraw and save your last stand for another day."

With that, the projection vanished.

@grimsrud:

The skillful fire into the crowd of charging monstrosities was brutally effective; no shot wasted, the once-humans dropping at a staggering rate, whether to lie still or attempt to drag disabled limbs along the ground, their degenerated minds having room for no motivations beyond an infuriating desire to kill. But even as the first wave of attackers was reduced to so much quivering flesh on the ground, other packs began to gather in the distance, drawn by the unmistakable sound of violence. Heedless of the gory fate that their predecessors have suffered, they surged forth with the same tactics, into the same withering field of fire. The defenders position was good: a solid choke point with a clear line if sight, and it was likely that they could hold out for as long as their ammo did.

The bullets did not, however, have much of an effect on Sergei. In life, his hide allowed him to shrug off my projectiles not calibrated for armor penetration, and in his current state of undeath, with his nervous system all but a dull memory, the creature scarcely reacted to the impact of the slugs. They did, however, get his attention, and as his dull gaze turned towards Wilkinson, his ponderous body followed suit, starting to build up speed through little more than momentum as it charged at him, makeshift weapon held high for a crushing downward stroke.

They weren't doing too bad, all things considered. While understanding the odds mounting against them, the squad of GRIMSEC officers conducted themselves with the discipline and resolve of a trained military force. They had one goal - draw as much of the enemy force away from their leader as possible so that he and Wilkins could handle the big fish.

Like a modern Spartan troupe at Thermopylae, they held off the larger, unskilled force at a singular choke point. Beyond that, venturing deeper into the facility seemed almost superfluous; they'd already seen the presumable cause of the disappearances. Finding the bodies could wait until Arthur'd dealt with the main threat. Hopefully most of them would still be around to see it. To this end, each man took to a particular task. Two gunners held position, while the bulk of the others made a makeshift barricade of any large stray items - desks and file cabinets, mostly - to hold off the horde; two more watching their flanks in case any dwelt within the facility; and intermittent swaps planned when a man needed to reload, or just needed to catch his breath.

It only took a few shots for both men to realise the ineffective use of even high-caliber bullets on Sergei's hide. Very well, thought Wilkins. He didn't waste much more after that, but even serving as an attention-grab held strategic importance. While the reanimated Retriever charged, he stood unflinching, deep breath after deep breath. Legs loaded like springs to—

"Batter up, bitch!" Arthur shouted as he sought to intercept the blow in time with Wilkins' leap; entering at an off-center angle himself and making a horizontal swing for Sergei's ribs. Followed by another targeting the back of his kneecap, which--regardless of success--he followed with a slash of the kukri blade at the available Achilles tendon, continually moving off-line to keep himself just out of the direct line of any retaliation.

@necrommander:

Xiuhtonal spent little time willing to even hear the words of the demon who dared confront her and inform her to abandon her post. She was sworn by duty her people and culture thrived by either glory on the battlefield or death by their own hands for surrender and retreat were not ever educated by her people. However, she would see this town as well as the earth punished for allowing such a wicked man to walk among them and if that meant every human was to be murdered in preventing the spread of corruption it was to be done. She willed it, her gods willed it, her people willed it.

She resumed on her path, her path of jungle fury and continued on into this new type of jungle. Filled with victims ready to be cured by either her weapons or her words.

@killerwasp: @grimsrud: Let's make this extra interesting. ;)

Xiuhtonal's path would lead her to another large group of the shambling monstrosities. Unlike previous groups, however, this pack of loathesome ghouls seemed far more focused on what was on the far side of their pack: a small, but obviously heavily-armed and well-trained squad of still-living humans who were using superior positioning and firepower to keep the wave of necromantic doom at bay.

Beyond them, two of their number engaged with a half-rotten monstrosity that was clearly a number of calibers above the rank-and-file fodder. The reanimated Sergei swung in vain at Wilkins, only to have the spry target leap out of the way as the blade-wielding Arthur delivered expert slashes to midriff and tendon. The hulking zombie was largely unfazed by the sudden metamorphosis of some of his innards into outters, but even though the blow to his tendon seemed to cause him no pain, it did cause the abomination to suffer the loss of even more mobility, and it now tottered a bit uncertainly as it swung its bludgeon, no longer able to trust to the sureness of its footing.

@necrommander: Sorry for the late response! I've been getting called in like crazy, but alright just dont want you to think this is boring XD

As Xiuhtonal walked down her path, she took note of the loud cracks that lit up the night. She heard the shouts and screams of men followed by the strange noises of the monstrosities they were fighting. Thinking to herself, " Should I help them or should I not?"

she quickly came to the understanding that she should as they were indeed fighting her enemies. With a sudden warcry that overshadowed all the previous noises, she charged right into the thick of the fighting. Using Macuahuitl she cleaved and landed repeated strikes down on her monstrous foes even soon cutting them in half.

Once she threw her Macuahuitl and stunned another large ghoul, she pulled out her dual wielding axes and began to turn into wind storm of sharp blades, chopping, slicing, and cutting her foes into tiny pieces.

Of course despite all what would seem as blinding rage, there was a form to it, a skill. Although it was hard to practice, but every attack was also a defensive strike for the next ghoul that would attack. The saving grace of course was she had the element of surprise this time, and didn't get ambushed herself.

She kept on slaughtering making her way slowly to the group as the group of soldiers from what she could tell before coming across the last bit of them as the human group began to finish off the last bit of Ghouls.

With the fight now over Xiuhtonal walked over to the last alive Ghoul with her Macuahuitl buried in the vicious monster and returned to the group of humans that she had saved.

With a strong voice to match her body she spoke one word, "Hello."

@necrommander: @killerwasp:

It was an untenable position, long-term. They knew it. Eventually their arsenal would run out, most likely before the enemy ran out of bodies. But GRIMSEC's men were no damsels, and at least for now they had a position they could hold, remaining so-far untouched behind their six-point barricade. There was no screaming. That said, whatever she thought she heard that motivated her to action, Arthur's men weren't the ones to scoff about it. Thus far, they'd had to be perfect. Every base covered from the way they fired, at whom, the timing of their swaps and how much of everything applied at each point. Just one mistake, one moment of slack--one enemy over the barrier, would've snowballed into a much bigger problem growing exponentially worse.

This woman changed that. Although her style of dress seemed archaic, as did her weapons of choice and...Shit, not sure what to make of her fighting. Next to no strategy nor tactics, 'less she's also just hell-bent on making as much noise as possible. But effective. That much, every single man could appreciate. One of those metas, apparently. And that was just fine.

There was a silent pause as the men all looked around at each other, all wondering roughly the same thing. This wasn't exactly the time nor place to exchange pleasantries, but it felt a little harsh to just leave her hanging. "Oi!" The vast majority of the group turned and continued on their way deeper into the facility without a word, save for one, apparently designated envoy to the outsider in some wordless communication. "Come along if you want," said Walker, nodding in the direction of the group, which he'd started to follow himself. "Just a little investigation."

Outside, Grimsrud and Wilkins continued putting in work on Sergei. While still nearly as fast as before, the loss of his mobility and reckless abandon with which he swung seemed to have effectively reduced the efficiency and threat-level of the undead hulkling. Arthur maneuvered around him efficiently by contrast, just barely outside of the sweeping arcs of Sergei's limbs. Yet he remained engaged the entire time, never far from armslength.

Meanwhile, Wilkins ran back to the truck and had begun rummaging inside for something...heavier. Tough break. As ineffective as the standard fare was, they didn't have much more than that except for high-yield explosives and Arthur's personal armory. But, Wilkins mused with a glance at the situation over his shoulder, Boss-man might be enjoying himself a little too much out there.

@grimsrud: @killerwasp: You're doing great, Wasp. Don't sweat the response time; this is all fun! And I'll have a response up either tonight or tomorrow.

@grimsrud: @killerwasp: a little short, but you two have been really effective. ^_^

The battle was largely over.

Caught between the fury of the mystic warrior and the calculated fire of the elite team, the once-humans were massacred en masse. Only the Sergei revenant still stood, and it was left largely in tatters, continuing to attempt to fight, animated by vile magics that, having wrenched him from death already, seemed opposed to allowing him to slide back into its cold embrace.

In one last-ditch effort, the shambling monstrosity hurled its improvised bludgeon at Arthur before flinging its maimed and crippled form at the bladesman, seeking to overwhelm and crush the human with its sheer size.

@necrommander:

He was a cut above the rest, it was undeniable; and though a shadow of his former self in many ways, some traces of Sergei's former self remained clearly visible to the keen eye of the super soldier. Despite being reduced to a mindless, raging corpse, some traces of the fellow soldier remained, subconscious implants of muscle memory ingrained so deeply that they didn't even require a functioning brain. Even crippled as it was, the undead enforcer was possessed of a speed and precision of movement that would've easily been the end of an even slightly lesser man. But against Arthur's physical enhancements and elite training, the accumulated damage and lack of mobility were damning. In truth he had been indulging himself, all the while glad that even his nearest comrade was several yards away from the threat.

"Well—hunh—much as I enjoy the workout," Arthur said, sidestepping another wild swipe, "got a real job to do—huh!—so let's say our g'byes, yeah?" And in what could have been a quasi-honorable act of recognition between warriors the ex-Retriever obliged. Arthur bent back at the waist, letting the weapon whoosh over his head, popping up just in time to see the hulking form converged on him. The counter was simple. All he had to do was manage the timing. Doing so, he thrust the blade up between them, understanding that the unthinking creature would most likely do half the work impaling itself, aiming his blade up through the neck where its angle would ideally place it into and through the cranial nerves, severing all communication through the spinal cord and – assuming this part of its body adhered to the rules of conventional biology as the others did – shutting everything down one last time.

@grimsrud: @necrommander: Sorry for the long wait guys, however I can't respond to both of you at the sametime I needed to finish my rp with grim, necro. Before I could work on yours so mine has to be left off where we meet up and then go from there, and then we can edit it from there. Again its apologizes on my behalf, but still I love you rp so ill try my best to focus on this more! :D

"And where are you planning on going?" spoke Xiuhtonal as she was putting the puzzle pieces together to see if their alignment would be on the road of removing evil from the world. She didn't speak often as her warriors required little communication to one another due to their long and intense training. It was said her people could not even so much as speak a word, give notion, or show any body language in order to perform their tasks. Although to be fair they had 100 years of solid training 24/7 to master this before performing on the battlefield.

She would follow the group silently as she could, with her tense muscles and armor making soft shifting noises. Despite the men being much more quieter as they made their soft foot steps from their boots with good speed covering ground as they went about their mission.

Xiuhtonal awaited the answer in hearing what the young men had to plan, as they went out and about doing whatever mission they were going to do.

@killerwasp: @grimsrud: No need to apologize for anything, Wasp! I myself have not exactly been a dynamo of productivity, these days, and I'm glad you jumped in on this! Since you're not currently fighting anything but speaking to Arthur's team, I'm just going to have Sergei respond to Arthur's attack and turn things back over to Grim, if you don't mind.

It would not be Sergei's first death, if the destruction of the abomination that he had become could even be called that. Nor was it his most gruesome; Arthur's sense of honor was giving him a much cleaner demise than the family of one Alexandra Steele had done, back when he was a living, if not much more wholesome being. During his first death, he was still possessed of a living mind, and as he was telekinetically crushed, he'd had the barest of moments to ponder his own fate, and his violent life. He had even had time to gasp out a few last words, though not enough to form a full statement.

The same was not true, this time around. Though some low instincts and cunning remained in his necrotic cranium, any semblance of a personality or true mind was long gone. As his ponderous momentum cariied him through his own attack and right into Arthur's, there was no spike of fear, no sudden regret of his choice of attack. Even as the exotic blade pierced his neck, his remaining hand had already released his bludgeon and was seeking to lock about his attacker's throat, a desire to inflict death his sole motivation. As the connection between his brain stem and the rest of his body was severed, that hand and arm would simply fall limp by his side, as his entire massive form crumpled to the ground like an exceedingly large and pungent rag doll.

He did not even feel any sense of confusion at the loss of control of his body, or the fact that the darkness that he had been called from now once again swept over his sight. The Necrommander's tool now had no further use, and was discarded like any other broken object.

@grimsrud: @killerwasp: @necrommander: I know I'm not part of the RP, and you guys don't seem to have an OOC thread, but wanted to say you guys are doing amazing! I'm really enjoying this rp and some of the others that are going on right now.

@merulezall: Thanks man!

@necrommander: Wish you came back tbh, your few rpers and your rp looks awesome

@swa2point0: Thank you. I never left, though; I just haven't used that character, lately.

Arthur and crew were a lotta fun to write. Should start roping them back in too.

@nordok: Can I just say that I appreciate the RPGs that you lay out for us?

(OOC: :D I'm tempted for a Ghoulish Altiar

You should cause the RP is waiting on you man :)

you guys should, the rp here was going pleasant tbh. I'm kinda annoyed how it stopped

@swa2point0: These things happen. RPs end, new ones begin. It's just the way things go.

@rosso said:

Of course, but it ended with a question I do believe ha. Its fine i just enjoyed these kind of rps that are more free reign and so on