The Dying of the Lift
Synopsis: Bad stuff happens at The Great Lift.
I missed some of the onset of the escapade, but here's what I did see.
--[ The Great Lift (Lower Platform) ]-----------------------[ Amber City ]----
The Great Lift of Amber City is the sort of elevator that only raw
determination and a great deal of ox-power can accomplish. It is a
complex, dangerous set of platforms and pulleys, and a set of spokes
onto which sturdy, shaggy oxen have been slaved. It is used to move
heavy cargo that comes in via the docks into the city above.
Surrounding the lift proper is a warehouse district, kept in good
repair and often guarded privately by the warehouse-owners.
Harbor Road lies to the east, and leads to the harbor district and the
docks proper. To the south lies the Little Market, the maelstrom of
trade and poverty at the heart of the lower city. To the west, the
road becomes Canal Street, an often-narrow narrow thruway of
ill-repaired cobblestone that leads into, and through, the City Below,
the lower district of the city nestled in the shadow of the cliff.
--------------------------------------------------------[ Exits: S E W U ]----
Anae's expression is impassive as she takes in the scene. She meets Kincaid's gaze for a moment offering the slightest inclination of her head as acknowledgment. Then she's stepping forward to take up Anon's right flank as he moves forward.
Felix and Petrus are both on the lift when Kincaid yells up at them. "Will do!" Felix calls back in regards to preparing to slow the lift if need be.
Taleyn begins crowd-control in earnest, signaling her people to form a chain and hold the mob at bay so the supplies won't be rushed in a massive wave of humanity. There is a lot of shoving and pushing. The Defenders are well-trained, but there are too few of them to keep down a food riot.
The supply cargo is burdened with only a select few soldiers, who work under Felix and Petrus's orders in loading the lift. But should the mob break from their confinement the lift will have to be stopped else the loose of supplies could be devastating to those in need amongst the chaos!
Ethan takes a seat on the side of the lift, rolls his shoulders back... loosening up.
Anon moves to take a spot among the defenders - the man's giant frame easily fitting in to add a bit more mass to postpone what is perhaps inevitable.
Petrus's bandages are at odds with the cold looks he casts to those looking his direction in the wrong way. Somehow, he looks like he expects there to be trouble.
Its a menacing sight from the Great Lift, near a hundred people in force clamoring, their eyes on the prize. Taleyn's men and the Others, now loosing ground and authority in wrangling the starving people of Amber's lower city. Rocks are now beginning to be thrown! and the force of dozens pushing as one begin to out weigh the small numbers of soldiers, along with a few punches from the front line.
Where Anon goes, Anae goes. It may be a result of feeling orders to him are extended to her, it may be a choice that would be made beyond orders. It hardly matters. She shifts to cover his left, however, in this line. Hungry people are not calmed by words but she speaks anyway. The words are likely lost in the cacophony.
Taleyn has ordered the Defenders to use their shields to keep the crowd back-- no swords are drawn. The increasingly tests the Defenders' line. Taleyn turns to Anon and Anae with a grateful look when they adds their weight to the line. She is doing a fair bit of hollering orders to her men over the crowd-noise, more for inspiration than for instruction. When the rocks start flying, the mailed fists of the Defenders come out in self-defense. "HOLD THE LINE! HOLD!" But slowly, surely, they are pushed back.
But quietly behind the obvious, there is ware and tear; the lift that was used to evacuate people and supplies over and over again has had its time.
At first a quiet snapping sound can be heard from one of the ropes, as Felix and Petrus descend with supplies. The sound, steady and growing louder, til a snap! And the Upper wooden pulleys and anchor can be heard, that clear sound of wood bending and stretching. One of the four main ropes snaps! Shaking the lift and stopping its descent in mid air!
Felix nearly tumbles when one of the main ropes snap, the whole lift precariously held in place. He braces himself as best he can. "Kincaid we've got a problem!" he yells, glancing towards the other men and motioning for them to brace themselves.
Taleyn, despite being in a near-riot situation, cannot help but look up at the horrible groaning, snapping sounds. Some of the crowd do, as well. There seems to be a collective holding of breaths for an instant...
Anon makes a noise - he has no shield, so he redoubles his efforts. But no amount of strength can halt such a crowd, and without a shield the large frame of his back tightens as he puts his arms behind those near him, to reinforce as much as he can.
Robin, having remained at the top of the Lift after traveling up previously, returns to the cliff edge just in time to see the rope break. He goes pale, calling at once for more rope, and measures the distance down to the descending platform by eye.
Screams rise from the mob, "The Food!... Get the food!" And with a resurging vigor to gather some of the supplies that have fallen off. The frenzy begins!
Kincaid is left helpless, torn tween helping with the mob lines and performing the impossible to save the lift. "Hold on you two!" He cries!
But its with each captured breath the lift bends more, sending another main cable breaking and swinging the lift right into a building. The devastating crash shakes the ground and some of the mob fall to their knees!
Felix nearly falls when the other cable breaks. Before he does, however, he turns and slams the axe he's carrying into the lift, thus making himself a grip which he holds onto as the lift slams the building.
Anae's hand falls to her sword, though there is no drawing here and now. She braces herself for the flood, expression calm.
Anon perhaps could take a lesson from Anae - his face shows a flurry of emotions as his foot digs against the ground, his boots unable to keep the man braced still, inevitable emotion snaking from the overwhelming force.
Taleyn shouts to the mob and to her men, "BACK!!! GO BACK!!! THE LIFT IS BREAKING!" She strains, pushing with all her strength...
The horror of the day it seems, has just begun! The mob confuddled briefly by the now collapsing lift is left pause, for only a moment. As from the wreckage of the building, comes a crawling a black mass. A nest has been woken! Screams fill the air, "Oberon's beard! Bugs!!!" Shouts one, "Save US!!" cries another, the crowd beginning to retreat in terror, stampeding over any who can not keep up. The agitated bugs search for the cause of the disturbance, setting upon all in their sight. Black waves of tiny pincers rush likes ocean waves to the nearest targets.
Robin's gotten a thick, heavy rope hauled up to the cliff edge and is tossing coils downward as fast as his arms can work -- there's no hope of salvaging the Lift platform, of course. But some of the people /on it/ might welcome something to cling to.
"Freakin bugs," Felix says under his breath. He glances down to where they pour out onto the ground below him. For the moment he keeps holding onto the axe which is buried in the lift, though he glances at the rope when it comes near and motions first for the few men still handing on to climb up first.
Men have indeed fallen from the lift but their screams are not from falling. Rather the bugs that have swarmed over them, as they are eaten alive!
Taleyn knows that noise, without even turning around-- the noise of the swarm. She grits her teeth and whirls to meet the new enemy. "DEFENDERS-- TO THE REAR, ATTACK!" She smashes her shield onto the waves of insects, and begins swatting and stomping to try to keep the bugs from getting onto the civilians-- a prospect about as hopeless as ten Defenders plus Anon and Anae quelling a riot of hundreds.
Seeing this desperate turn of events, Ethan's grin fades into a stone facade of grim determination. He hoists himself down to the side of Taleyn, saving a skinny lad from certain doom, and hurls him, literally up to a rooftop. "This... should not happen."
RPG: Ethan declares that he has the Guardian (SKL-GU) gift. Use '+gift SKL-GU' to view the gift description.
RPG: Ethan used the following +declare targets: The Great Lift (Lower Platform) - Amber City
Anae does not immediately move at Taleyn's order, though her weight shifts to ready for it. No, not at all. There are certain things to be made sure of and one of them is that bared backs will not be taken advantage of. It is unlikely that the mob will continue mindlessly forward to attack either Anon or the companions closest to Anae. She, however, will make sure of it. A subtle mark of her priorities.
Robin and the crew of laborers up top struggle to keep the rope anchored until the far end can be secured to something relatively immobile, like a building. They aren't about to start hauling it upward until everyone who /can/ get on, /has/ got on, which may put a dangerous strain on things.
Felix looks up towards Robin as the last of his men clambers onto the rope. "Robin pull them up then throw it back down for me! I'm not moving until they're safe and I can hold on!"
Something sparks to a blaze in Ethan's hand as he attempts to hold back the crawling waves of death. Another commoner is shoved behind him. "Climb!" he shouts, as a fist sized beetle bites into his oil soaked for-arm.
Taleyn lashes out at the insect horde over and over. Once there is any kind of break in the onrush, she looks around at her Defenders to take a quick stock. "DEFENDERS, DELTA-WAVE-- ATTACK!... READY... ATTACK!" she calls, making sure her men use a rhythm which gives them space to see the Enemy, and to minimize panic-responses. Though her eyes suggest she would like nothing more than to flail around wildly swatting the voracious pests.
Dirk hears Taleyn and looks around. He grabs another rope and throws it down to catch anyone who's not already on the way up. He braces himself and readies to pull anyone up.
Ethan follows Taleyn's lead and moves forward with the defenders. Burning Hacking, Stomping. Working in tandem with the soldiers to keep those around him safe. He is bitten more than once in place of other men. The pain seems to fuel him more than slow him.
Kincaid moves to meet the swarm, if only he had a tennis racked or some bug spray, alas its only a two handed blade;no longer than a broad sword. "Robin! The Nets!" He cries, "Curb the Swarm!"
Delta-wave has no meaning to Anae. Attack? That most certainly does. The woman slips forward, sword sharp and precise. Anon, whom she still works in conjunction with, may or may not be a wave of motion. Anae is the subtle gap-filler. Quick, clean, and brutal.
Felix notes another rope coming down and grabs it with one hand. His other yanks his axe free before he looks up and waves that he's clear.
Robin, teeth gritted, does not look happy at Felix's response -- but he /does/ haul away on the first rope, along with the gang of laborers aiding him. Every pull gets the workers a little closer to safety. And, when Dirk throws down a second rope, relief lights his eyes, even if he can't spare the breath to say anything.
Terror! In form of gnawing, gnashing, pinching black insects descend upon the vigilant warriors. Fist sized beetle like creatures working like ants begin to bring down the first of the soldiers they meet!
Taleyn says, "JAMESON! MOSS! HELP HIM!" she points at the overwhelmed man being swarmed over like a river crossed by army ants. But sometimes no commands are good enough. The man stays down, flailing and writhing, and his fellows all have problems of their own. They all begin to swat wildly now, Taleyn included! "Ethan! Kincaid! We have to burn the hives!!! ANAE, ANON-- GET TO THE ROOFTOPS!""
Dirk concentrates on pulling the rope back. He stays focused and concentrates on keeping his footing so he doesn't fall. Dirk's face has a rather angry look as he furrows his brow and keeps on pulling.
Moss, an unknown soldier, one of Taleyn's finest screams out as more than a dozen insects crawl over him. The soon muffled scream becomes a buzzing as a beetle spreads its small wings to fly out from his mouth!
Felix takes a firm grip of the rope and pulls himself up along it, feet moving on the building as he helps Dirk pull him up.
Petrus slowly comes back to his senses, and takes in the scene. It seems he's been thrown free of the lift when it slammed into a building, and found his way onto a rooftop. Wiping blood from his brow, he considers his options for ascent, and an unappealing descent onto the street.
Robin can't keep his gaze from straying downward to the carnage at the base of the cliffs, even while he hauls the rope upward one arm's length at a time. When the first worker reaches the cliff edge he reaches down with one hand and pulls the man bodily up to safety -- without much concern for where exactly he lands. Each man off the rope makes it easier and faster to pull up the rest.
Anae kicks one of the skittering things away, following with a sharp stap. Then she's whirling, following, as Taleyn's cry is obeyed. The rooftops are sought. Sadly, it is not an unfashionable thing to be seeking out that sanctuary now. Hands strain for safety. Anae sheaths her sword, elbowing her way through, and begins to help others in the process of lifting people up as best she can. Gray eyes spot Petrus and she shouts something to him. Only syllables will be made out, but the request is not likely hard to guess.
Ethan's eyes are fires of white hot hate, but he hears Taleyn's order, and oil cask in hand, ignites another torch. He stomps a beetle and its' ichor splats under his heel. Spotting a hive, he grimly charges forward dousing his cloak, in the oil. His boots splatter the insects like a one man stampede. he fumbles with the clasp as one of the things black pincers dig into the flesh of his wrist. the cloak begins to ignite...
Dirk keeps pulling until there doesn't seem to be any weight on the rope anymore. He growls and stays on his feet.
RPG: Taleyn challenges a difficulty of 6, using her Grace plus SKL-GU SKL-SW. Taleyn overwhelmingly succeeds.
Felix grabs the edge when he nears it and pulls himself up to where the others are. There he lays for a moment before he stands and shakes his head. "Thanks," he says to Dirk.
RPG: Ethan challenges a difficulty of 6, using his Force plus SKL-GU. Ethan overwhelmingly succeeds.
Petrus staggers toward Anae, and offers a hand in helping people up. He looks pale and dizzy, but he's good for this much, at least.
Dirk smiles. "No problem. We should go help. What happened?"
RPG: Anae challenges a difficulty of 6, using her Wits plus SKL-SW SKL-GU. Anae succeeds.
"You trying to be a hero!" Kincaid calls out to Ethan, as he practices golf swings with his sword. Not killing every bug but sending them flying away from him as he helps to clear the swarm back from the Crazy man with the burning cloak.
Felix glances down over the edge. "Lift broke and smacked into the building, sending bugs spilling forth. Apparently there was a nest inside the building."
It looks extremely likely Taleyn and her Defenders unit will still be in harm's way of both bugs and fire once the hives are burned. There are only a handful on their feet now, struggling, stomping, whacking-- and mostly, bleeding.
The blazing cloak is spread over the hive under Ethan's feet as he douses the small mound with the remainder of the oil cask. He is covered in bites and singes as the bugs get their own retribution for the burning death he has brought them. Ethan is swarmed as the blaze engulfs him.
RPG: Ethan studies a Trump.
Robin pulls the last of the workers to safety, so forcefully the poor man's lucky not to have his shoulder dislocated. "Get a repair crew here at once!" he directs one of the laborers; "To start on correcting the damage as soon as the lower platform is cleared." He dusts his hands off and glances to verify that Felix is all right. "My lord, I am pleased to see you safe. Sir, my sincerest thanks for your timely assistance."
Dirk nods and starts to look around to see if he's needed elsewhere. "Oh." He looks rather worried.
Anae grunts as she helps lift another person up towards the safety of the roofs. She's shoved to the side, perhaps leaving Petrus with all the civilian's weight. The man who did the shoving is screaming, clawing at the person already being hauled up. Anae steps forward to pull him off and gets an elbow to the face for her trouble.
"I'm fine, Robin. Takes a lot to take me down," Felix says, clasping the man on the shoulder briefly before he glances over to where the others are pulling whoever they can up onto a rooftop. "Burn the bugs. Seems to work."
Robin glances down to the base of the cliff. "I heard Lord Kincaid mention nets -- have you means to reach the ground quickly? I should not wish to try to set them alight from this height, as we might not be so accurate as we would wish."
Petrus catches flames in the corner of his eye. Dizzily, he turns and chants. Those near him who know a bit about Alhambra may learn something peculiar. He chants louder. The blaze around Ethan grows somewhat in intensity, perhaps in response, though Ethan should miraculously escape much of the touch of the flames licking at him.
RPG: Petrus declares that he has the Second Binding of Kelam (JIN-SK) gift. Use '+gift JIN-SK' to view the gift description.
RPG: Petrus used the following +declare targets: The Great Lift (Lower Platform) - Amber City
Felix nods to Robin. "Tie a rope around my waist and then tie it off to something up here. Give me the nets and I'll see to confining as much of the mass as I can."
Whatever the building is that laid over the nest, as Ethan's flaming cloak comes to smoother out the creepy crawlers, so too does fire begin creeping along the edge of windows and floorboards. The fire now taking on a life of its own, piles smoke billowing skywards. Orange and yellow growing in haste over the near fallen building!
Taleyn is fighting hard to keep the bugs from gaining any ground into the Lower City toward the peasants. The enraged insects are feeding on the soldiers they have brought down-- it seems to act as a gruesome bait. Much of the swarm doesn't seem to have moved beyond the immediate area as a result. Whether she or any Defenders remain standing, or whether all will be burned or devoured in the line of duty, remains to be seen.
Kincaid calls back, now having to beware of fire and bug, alongside Ethan, "Taleyn! Fall back!" Shaking off a few bugs crawling up his arm and turning back to the Lt, "Thats an order!"
A quick fist and a strong arm assist Anae from the potential consequences. The woman has no time to thank, but is lifted up towards the rooftop. From that vantage the process of helping civilians out of the way begins again with her reaching down now. She does not look happy with this. Not at all. Gray eyes note the fire however and her lips thin at the possibilities.
"At the base of the cliff," Robin tells Felix. "I believe he left them there. Quickly, my lord -- here is the rope -- be certain it is securely knotted -- "
Arising from the swarm is a figure wreathed in flame he looks down at his hands briefly before disappearing inside the burning building. The base beams above the door collapse and burning embers drift through the air about the scene. There simply will be no time to stop the collapse of the rest of the building that is sure to follow.
Felix takes the rope and ties it around his waist, pulling the rope as tight as he possible can. "Tie the other end off," he says as he moves to find the nets.
If Taleyn briefly thinks of pretending not to overhear Kincaid's order, it is only *very* briefly. She barks a command, and she and her men begin to back out, with agonizing slowness...
Kincaid eyes slink up the burning building, a brief look to Ethan, then past to Taleyn, "Nooo!" erupts from the knight as his legs push off the ground, becoming an armored suit of speed towards the Lady of Feldane as her command steps under the falling weight of the building.
Dirk moves to grab anyone he can get ahold of and pulls them up to the roof. He is in pure reaction mode and does his best to throw people back to safety.
There is an inexorable snapping and popping. The entire building groans and sways, then it collapses in a fire-wreathed heap of burning rubble.
Petrus watches that burning building, still chanting something or other. After it collapses, he pauses, he shakes his head dizzily, shuts up, and starts to resume helping people up.
Robin's got the rope secured in mere moments, and, once Felix is prepared, he willingly lowers him downward -- as quick as he can without the risk of sending the man crashing into something on the way. Partway there, he freezes in place for several long seconds, eyes fixed by the building collapse, before he redoubles the speed by which he pays out the rope.
Taleyn and her entire unit are lost from view under the burning heap.
"Keep going, Robin! No time for stopping!" Felix calls back up until he's in the prime position for tossing the nets. "Alright stop!" That said, he takes the nets and proceeds to throw the first one down as accurately as need be given the size of the mass of bugs.
Kincaid concentrates upon a Trump, and begins to fade away.
Taleyn grabs ahold of Kincaid and begins to fade.
A pained scream echoes out as Ethan emerges from a section of the collapsed and burning roof. He leaps and rolls to safety... smoking, covered in soot, and coughing. He hacks and wheezes from the ordeal as he pushes himself back up to his feet.
Kincaid fades into nothingness, leaving behind a rainbow afterimage.
Taleyn fades out with Kincaid.
The bugs are scattering, now; the collapse of the building has confused them, and many are now wandering aimlessly. The thrown nets ensnare a good portion of those, to be easily crushed by those willing and able to do so; the building's remains continue to burn, with the flames now licking up toward its neighbors. The cries and groans of the wounded are everywhere.
Anae hisses, but can do no more to acknowledge the collapse. She pulls back away from the edge of the roof and places hands on knees, taking a moment to regain her breath.
Felix grabs onto the ropes after tossing the nets and releases himself to drop to his feet on the ground. He promptly smashes a few bugs and then runs towards the collapsed building running to jump to the roof. "Everyone alright?" he calls, mostly towards Anae and any others near her.
Petrus finds a nice spot to rest, himself. He looks like he could use it, dizzy and a bit green in the face. Toward Felix he offers, "Dunno. Maybe some of the people we pulled up."
Anae is bruised and bloody, but she straightens and nods, "Civilians. These? Trample wounds I should think." Her gaze is already going to what might remain of the soldiers. "Worse down there..."
Most of the wounded, at least, are being tended, and the unwounded Defenders are already organizing themselves to carry their injured comrades to the Hospital. The fire gutters a bit in a strong breath of wind, then flares up again. Those bugs not trapped in the nets have nearly all scattered, now, so there isn't much left but wreckage. The damage to the Lift is the worst, though; supplies brought to the top now have no easy way to the bottom.
On the roof Ethan hacks up something black from his lungs. He loses his feet and slumps on the floor. He has burns, but oddly not nearly so bad as he should.
Dirk seems a little out of his element now as he stays out of the way. He glances around with a raised brow.
Long distance to Kincaid: Petrus laughs. I like how even when repairing stuff, we destroy stuff.
Felix nods at this and looks down towards where the soldiers were briefly before he glances to Ethan. "I think he needs a hospital," he says before he jumps back down and moves to kill the bugs in the nets. "Clean up detail!" he calls out. "Kill as many bugs as you can get to, but focus on clearing out the wounded and dead." That said he turns to look back up towards Robin. "Robin see if you can get some more lines down here, would you?"
"At once, my lord!" Robin calls down. There's plenty of rope up there, and in short order a half-dozen more lines are being tossed down from the top of the cliff, well-secured up top.
RPG: Felix accepts a Trump call.
Felix says, "All's well. The bugs are scattering, trapped, or dead. The fire's burning still. We're starting to clear out the wounded and dead now. You two alright?"
Anae once more takes the position she's carved out for herself. She'll shadow Anon, assisting where he assists, until all is settled and done.
Felix says, "Alright. We'll keep on top of things until you arrive."
GAME: Petrus changed the setting to: The Great Lift has taken a lot of use and abuse in the past weeks, and it looks like it has had its fill. From the structural damage near the scene, it looks like some of the lines snapped and the Lift went slamming into buildings and damaging other parts of the lift apparatus. The wreckage of a burnt building sits near its base. The scene also shows evidence of a riot and a messy encounter with some bugs.
OOC) Petrus says, "(feel free to edit.)"
The fire is like to spread, if not extinguished; but the wind is low enough that the process is not a quick one. Some of the Defenders are making moves in that direction already, though the supply of water is limited.
Felix continues to direct the clean up efforts. He motions those that can be spared to work on the fire before he starts helping with taking the wounded over to be lifted with the ropes. The bugs in the nets have been killed and none are left to be seen except for the dead ones.
Ethan struggles to stand again, but realizing the pain it causes him, thinks better of it. He resigns himself to lie there, one half more alive than he probably should be, until he is hauled up the cliffside and taken off by soldiers in the care of medics.
I missed some of the onset of the escapade, but here's what I did see.
--[ The Great Lift (Lower Platform) ]-----------------------[ Amber City ]----
The Great Lift of Amber City is the sort of elevator that only raw
determination and a great deal of ox-power can accomplish. It is a
complex, dangerous set of platforms and pulleys, and a set of spokes
onto which sturdy, shaggy oxen have been slaved. It is used to move
heavy cargo that comes in via the docks into the city above.
Surrounding the lift proper is a warehouse district, kept in good
repair and often guarded privately by the warehouse-owners.
Harbor Road lies to the east, and leads to the harbor district and the
docks proper. To the south lies the Little Market, the maelstrom of
trade and poverty at the heart of the lower city. To the west, the
road becomes Canal Street, an often-narrow narrow thruway of
ill-repaired cobblestone that leads into, and through, the City Below,
the lower district of the city nestled in the shadow of the cliff.
--------------------------------------------------------[ Exits: S E W U ]----
Anae's expression is impassive as she takes in the scene. She meets Kincaid's gaze for a moment offering the slightest inclination of her head as acknowledgment. Then she's stepping forward to take up Anon's right flank as he moves forward.
Felix and Petrus are both on the lift when Kincaid yells up at them. "Will do!" Felix calls back in regards to preparing to slow the lift if need be.
Taleyn begins crowd-control in earnest, signaling her people to form a chain and hold the mob at bay so the supplies won't be rushed in a massive wave of humanity. There is a lot of shoving and pushing. The Defenders are well-trained, but there are too few of them to keep down a food riot.
The supply cargo is burdened with only a select few soldiers, who work under Felix and Petrus's orders in loading the lift. But should the mob break from their confinement the lift will have to be stopped else the loose of supplies could be devastating to those in need amongst the chaos!
Ethan takes a seat on the side of the lift, rolls his shoulders back... loosening up.
Anon moves to take a spot among the defenders - the man's giant frame easily fitting in to add a bit more mass to postpone what is perhaps inevitable.
Petrus's bandages are at odds with the cold looks he casts to those looking his direction in the wrong way. Somehow, he looks like he expects there to be trouble.
Its a menacing sight from the Great Lift, near a hundred people in force clamoring, their eyes on the prize. Taleyn's men and the Others, now loosing ground and authority in wrangling the starving people of Amber's lower city. Rocks are now beginning to be thrown! and the force of dozens pushing as one begin to out weigh the small numbers of soldiers, along with a few punches from the front line.
Where Anon goes, Anae goes. It may be a result of feeling orders to him are extended to her, it may be a choice that would be made beyond orders. It hardly matters. She shifts to cover his left, however, in this line. Hungry people are not calmed by words but she speaks anyway. The words are likely lost in the cacophony.
Taleyn has ordered the Defenders to use their shields to keep the crowd back-- no swords are drawn. The increasingly tests the Defenders' line. Taleyn turns to Anon and Anae with a grateful look when they adds their weight to the line. She is doing a fair bit of hollering orders to her men over the crowd-noise, more for inspiration than for instruction. When the rocks start flying, the mailed fists of the Defenders come out in self-defense. "HOLD THE LINE! HOLD!" But slowly, surely, they are pushed back.
But quietly behind the obvious, there is ware and tear; the lift that was used to evacuate people and supplies over and over again has had its time.
At first a quiet snapping sound can be heard from one of the ropes, as Felix and Petrus descend with supplies. The sound, steady and growing louder, til a snap! And the Upper wooden pulleys and anchor can be heard, that clear sound of wood bending and stretching. One of the four main ropes snaps! Shaking the lift and stopping its descent in mid air!
Felix nearly tumbles when one of the main ropes snap, the whole lift precariously held in place. He braces himself as best he can. "Kincaid we've got a problem!" he yells, glancing towards the other men and motioning for them to brace themselves.
Taleyn, despite being in a near-riot situation, cannot help but look up at the horrible groaning, snapping sounds. Some of the crowd do, as well. There seems to be a collective holding of breaths for an instant...
Anon makes a noise - he has no shield, so he redoubles his efforts. But no amount of strength can halt such a crowd, and without a shield the large frame of his back tightens as he puts his arms behind those near him, to reinforce as much as he can.
Robin, having remained at the top of the Lift after traveling up previously, returns to the cliff edge just in time to see the rope break. He goes pale, calling at once for more rope, and measures the distance down to the descending platform by eye.
Screams rise from the mob, "The Food!... Get the food!" And with a resurging vigor to gather some of the supplies that have fallen off. The frenzy begins!
Kincaid is left helpless, torn tween helping with the mob lines and performing the impossible to save the lift. "Hold on you two!" He cries!
But its with each captured breath the lift bends more, sending another main cable breaking and swinging the lift right into a building. The devastating crash shakes the ground and some of the mob fall to their knees!
Felix nearly falls when the other cable breaks. Before he does, however, he turns and slams the axe he's carrying into the lift, thus making himself a grip which he holds onto as the lift slams the building.
Anae's hand falls to her sword, though there is no drawing here and now. She braces herself for the flood, expression calm.
Anon perhaps could take a lesson from Anae - his face shows a flurry of emotions as his foot digs against the ground, his boots unable to keep the man braced still, inevitable emotion snaking from the overwhelming force.
Taleyn shouts to the mob and to her men, "BACK!!! GO BACK!!! THE LIFT IS BREAKING!" She strains, pushing with all her strength...
The horror of the day it seems, has just begun! The mob confuddled briefly by the now collapsing lift is left pause, for only a moment. As from the wreckage of the building, comes a crawling a black mass. A nest has been woken! Screams fill the air, "Oberon's beard! Bugs!!!" Shouts one, "Save US!!" cries another, the crowd beginning to retreat in terror, stampeding over any who can not keep up. The agitated bugs search for the cause of the disturbance, setting upon all in their sight. Black waves of tiny pincers rush likes ocean waves to the nearest targets.
Robin's gotten a thick, heavy rope hauled up to the cliff edge and is tossing coils downward as fast as his arms can work -- there's no hope of salvaging the Lift platform, of course. But some of the people /on it/ might welcome something to cling to.
"Freakin bugs," Felix says under his breath. He glances down to where they pour out onto the ground below him. For the moment he keeps holding onto the axe which is buried in the lift, though he glances at the rope when it comes near and motions first for the few men still handing on to climb up first.
Men have indeed fallen from the lift but their screams are not from falling. Rather the bugs that have swarmed over them, as they are eaten alive!
Taleyn knows that noise, without even turning around-- the noise of the swarm. She grits her teeth and whirls to meet the new enemy. "DEFENDERS-- TO THE REAR, ATTACK!" She smashes her shield onto the waves of insects, and begins swatting and stomping to try to keep the bugs from getting onto the civilians-- a prospect about as hopeless as ten Defenders plus Anon and Anae quelling a riot of hundreds.
Seeing this desperate turn of events, Ethan's grin fades into a stone facade of grim determination. He hoists himself down to the side of Taleyn, saving a skinny lad from certain doom, and hurls him, literally up to a rooftop. "This... should not happen."
RPG: Ethan declares that he has the Guardian (SKL-GU) gift. Use '+gift SKL-GU' to view the gift description.
RPG: Ethan used the following +declare targets: The Great Lift (Lower Platform) - Amber City
Anae does not immediately move at Taleyn's order, though her weight shifts to ready for it. No, not at all. There are certain things to be made sure of and one of them is that bared backs will not be taken advantage of. It is unlikely that the mob will continue mindlessly forward to attack either Anon or the companions closest to Anae. She, however, will make sure of it. A subtle mark of her priorities.
Robin and the crew of laborers up top struggle to keep the rope anchored until the far end can be secured to something relatively immobile, like a building. They aren't about to start hauling it upward until everyone who /can/ get on, /has/ got on, which may put a dangerous strain on things.
Felix looks up towards Robin as the last of his men clambers onto the rope. "Robin pull them up then throw it back down for me! I'm not moving until they're safe and I can hold on!"
Something sparks to a blaze in Ethan's hand as he attempts to hold back the crawling waves of death. Another commoner is shoved behind him. "Climb!" he shouts, as a fist sized beetle bites into his oil soaked for-arm.
Taleyn lashes out at the insect horde over and over. Once there is any kind of break in the onrush, she looks around at her Defenders to take a quick stock. "DEFENDERS, DELTA-WAVE-- ATTACK!... READY... ATTACK!" she calls, making sure her men use a rhythm which gives them space to see the Enemy, and to minimize panic-responses. Though her eyes suggest she would like nothing more than to flail around wildly swatting the voracious pests.
Dirk hears Taleyn and looks around. He grabs another rope and throws it down to catch anyone who's not already on the way up. He braces himself and readies to pull anyone up.
Ethan follows Taleyn's lead and moves forward with the defenders. Burning Hacking, Stomping. Working in tandem with the soldiers to keep those around him safe. He is bitten more than once in place of other men. The pain seems to fuel him more than slow him.
Kincaid moves to meet the swarm, if only he had a tennis racked or some bug spray, alas its only a two handed blade;no longer than a broad sword. "Robin! The Nets!" He cries, "Curb the Swarm!"
Delta-wave has no meaning to Anae. Attack? That most certainly does. The woman slips forward, sword sharp and precise. Anon, whom she still works in conjunction with, may or may not be a wave of motion. Anae is the subtle gap-filler. Quick, clean, and brutal.
Felix notes another rope coming down and grabs it with one hand. His other yanks his axe free before he looks up and waves that he's clear.
Robin, teeth gritted, does not look happy at Felix's response -- but he /does/ haul away on the first rope, along with the gang of laborers aiding him. Every pull gets the workers a little closer to safety. And, when Dirk throws down a second rope, relief lights his eyes, even if he can't spare the breath to say anything.
Terror! In form of gnawing, gnashing, pinching black insects descend upon the vigilant warriors. Fist sized beetle like creatures working like ants begin to bring down the first of the soldiers they meet!
Taleyn says, "JAMESON! MOSS! HELP HIM!" she points at the overwhelmed man being swarmed over like a river crossed by army ants. But sometimes no commands are good enough. The man stays down, flailing and writhing, and his fellows all have problems of their own. They all begin to swat wildly now, Taleyn included! "Ethan! Kincaid! We have to burn the hives!!! ANAE, ANON-- GET TO THE ROOFTOPS!""
Dirk concentrates on pulling the rope back. He stays focused and concentrates on keeping his footing so he doesn't fall. Dirk's face has a rather angry look as he furrows his brow and keeps on pulling.
Moss, an unknown soldier, one of Taleyn's finest screams out as more than a dozen insects crawl over him. The soon muffled scream becomes a buzzing as a beetle spreads its small wings to fly out from his mouth!
Felix takes a firm grip of the rope and pulls himself up along it, feet moving on the building as he helps Dirk pull him up.
Petrus slowly comes back to his senses, and takes in the scene. It seems he's been thrown free of the lift when it slammed into a building, and found his way onto a rooftop. Wiping blood from his brow, he considers his options for ascent, and an unappealing descent onto the street.
Robin can't keep his gaze from straying downward to the carnage at the base of the cliffs, even while he hauls the rope upward one arm's length at a time. When the first worker reaches the cliff edge he reaches down with one hand and pulls the man bodily up to safety -- without much concern for where exactly he lands. Each man off the rope makes it easier and faster to pull up the rest.
Anae kicks one of the skittering things away, following with a sharp stap. Then she's whirling, following, as Taleyn's cry is obeyed. The rooftops are sought. Sadly, it is not an unfashionable thing to be seeking out that sanctuary now. Hands strain for safety. Anae sheaths her sword, elbowing her way through, and begins to help others in the process of lifting people up as best she can. Gray eyes spot Petrus and she shouts something to him. Only syllables will be made out, but the request is not likely hard to guess.
Ethan's eyes are fires of white hot hate, but he hears Taleyn's order, and oil cask in hand, ignites another torch. He stomps a beetle and its' ichor splats under his heel. Spotting a hive, he grimly charges forward dousing his cloak, in the oil. His boots splatter the insects like a one man stampede. he fumbles with the clasp as one of the things black pincers dig into the flesh of his wrist. the cloak begins to ignite...
Dirk keeps pulling until there doesn't seem to be any weight on the rope anymore. He growls and stays on his feet.
RPG: Taleyn challenges a difficulty of 6, using her Grace plus SKL-GU SKL-SW. Taleyn overwhelmingly succeeds.
Felix grabs the edge when he nears it and pulls himself up to where the others are. There he lays for a moment before he stands and shakes his head. "Thanks," he says to Dirk.
RPG: Ethan challenges a difficulty of 6, using his Force plus SKL-GU. Ethan overwhelmingly succeeds.
Petrus staggers toward Anae, and offers a hand in helping people up. He looks pale and dizzy, but he's good for this much, at least.
Dirk smiles. "No problem. We should go help. What happened?"
RPG: Anae challenges a difficulty of 6, using her Wits plus SKL-SW SKL-GU. Anae succeeds.
"You trying to be a hero!" Kincaid calls out to Ethan, as he practices golf swings with his sword. Not killing every bug but sending them flying away from him as he helps to clear the swarm back from the Crazy man with the burning cloak.
Felix glances down over the edge. "Lift broke and smacked into the building, sending bugs spilling forth. Apparently there was a nest inside the building."
It looks extremely likely Taleyn and her Defenders unit will still be in harm's way of both bugs and fire once the hives are burned. There are only a handful on their feet now, struggling, stomping, whacking-- and mostly, bleeding.
The blazing cloak is spread over the hive under Ethan's feet as he douses the small mound with the remainder of the oil cask. He is covered in bites and singes as the bugs get their own retribution for the burning death he has brought them. Ethan is swarmed as the blaze engulfs him.
RPG: Ethan studies a Trump.
Robin pulls the last of the workers to safety, so forcefully the poor man's lucky not to have his shoulder dislocated. "Get a repair crew here at once!" he directs one of the laborers; "To start on correcting the damage as soon as the lower platform is cleared." He dusts his hands off and glances to verify that Felix is all right. "My lord, I am pleased to see you safe. Sir, my sincerest thanks for your timely assistance."
Dirk nods and starts to look around to see if he's needed elsewhere. "Oh." He looks rather worried.
Anae grunts as she helps lift another person up towards the safety of the roofs. She's shoved to the side, perhaps leaving Petrus with all the civilian's weight. The man who did the shoving is screaming, clawing at the person already being hauled up. Anae steps forward to pull him off and gets an elbow to the face for her trouble.
"I'm fine, Robin. Takes a lot to take me down," Felix says, clasping the man on the shoulder briefly before he glances over to where the others are pulling whoever they can up onto a rooftop. "Burn the bugs. Seems to work."
Robin glances down to the base of the cliff. "I heard Lord Kincaid mention nets -- have you means to reach the ground quickly? I should not wish to try to set them alight from this height, as we might not be so accurate as we would wish."
Petrus catches flames in the corner of his eye. Dizzily, he turns and chants. Those near him who know a bit about Alhambra may learn something peculiar. He chants louder. The blaze around Ethan grows somewhat in intensity, perhaps in response, though Ethan should miraculously escape much of the touch of the flames licking at him.
RPG: Petrus declares that he has the Second Binding of Kelam (JIN-SK) gift. Use '+gift JIN-SK' to view the gift description.
RPG: Petrus used the following +declare targets: The Great Lift (Lower Platform) - Amber City
Felix nods to Robin. "Tie a rope around my waist and then tie it off to something up here. Give me the nets and I'll see to confining as much of the mass as I can."
Whatever the building is that laid over the nest, as Ethan's flaming cloak comes to smoother out the creepy crawlers, so too does fire begin creeping along the edge of windows and floorboards. The fire now taking on a life of its own, piles smoke billowing skywards. Orange and yellow growing in haste over the near fallen building!
Taleyn is fighting hard to keep the bugs from gaining any ground into the Lower City toward the peasants. The enraged insects are feeding on the soldiers they have brought down-- it seems to act as a gruesome bait. Much of the swarm doesn't seem to have moved beyond the immediate area as a result. Whether she or any Defenders remain standing, or whether all will be burned or devoured in the line of duty, remains to be seen.
Kincaid calls back, now having to beware of fire and bug, alongside Ethan, "Taleyn! Fall back!" Shaking off a few bugs crawling up his arm and turning back to the Lt, "Thats an order!"
A quick fist and a strong arm assist Anae from the potential consequences. The woman has no time to thank, but is lifted up towards the rooftop. From that vantage the process of helping civilians out of the way begins again with her reaching down now. She does not look happy with this. Not at all. Gray eyes note the fire however and her lips thin at the possibilities.
"At the base of the cliff," Robin tells Felix. "I believe he left them there. Quickly, my lord -- here is the rope -- be certain it is securely knotted -- "
Arising from the swarm is a figure wreathed in flame he looks down at his hands briefly before disappearing inside the burning building. The base beams above the door collapse and burning embers drift through the air about the scene. There simply will be no time to stop the collapse of the rest of the building that is sure to follow.
Felix takes the rope and ties it around his waist, pulling the rope as tight as he possible can. "Tie the other end off," he says as he moves to find the nets.
If Taleyn briefly thinks of pretending not to overhear Kincaid's order, it is only *very* briefly. She barks a command, and she and her men begin to back out, with agonizing slowness...
Kincaid eyes slink up the burning building, a brief look to Ethan, then past to Taleyn, "Nooo!" erupts from the knight as his legs push off the ground, becoming an armored suit of speed towards the Lady of Feldane as her command steps under the falling weight of the building.
Dirk moves to grab anyone he can get ahold of and pulls them up to the roof. He is in pure reaction mode and does his best to throw people back to safety.
There is an inexorable snapping and popping. The entire building groans and sways, then it collapses in a fire-wreathed heap of burning rubble.
Petrus watches that burning building, still chanting something or other. After it collapses, he pauses, he shakes his head dizzily, shuts up, and starts to resume helping people up.
Robin's got the rope secured in mere moments, and, once Felix is prepared, he willingly lowers him downward -- as quick as he can without the risk of sending the man crashing into something on the way. Partway there, he freezes in place for several long seconds, eyes fixed by the building collapse, before he redoubles the speed by which he pays out the rope.
Taleyn and her entire unit are lost from view under the burning heap.
"Keep going, Robin! No time for stopping!" Felix calls back up until he's in the prime position for tossing the nets. "Alright stop!" That said, he takes the nets and proceeds to throw the first one down as accurately as need be given the size of the mass of bugs.
Kincaid concentrates upon a Trump, and begins to fade away.
Taleyn grabs ahold of Kincaid and begins to fade.
A pained scream echoes out as Ethan emerges from a section of the collapsed and burning roof. He leaps and rolls to safety... smoking, covered in soot, and coughing. He hacks and wheezes from the ordeal as he pushes himself back up to his feet.
Kincaid fades into nothingness, leaving behind a rainbow afterimage.
Taleyn fades out with Kincaid.
The bugs are scattering, now; the collapse of the building has confused them, and many are now wandering aimlessly. The thrown nets ensnare a good portion of those, to be easily crushed by those willing and able to do so; the building's remains continue to burn, with the flames now licking up toward its neighbors. The cries and groans of the wounded are everywhere.
Anae hisses, but can do no more to acknowledge the collapse. She pulls back away from the edge of the roof and places hands on knees, taking a moment to regain her breath.
Felix grabs onto the ropes after tossing the nets and releases himself to drop to his feet on the ground. He promptly smashes a few bugs and then runs towards the collapsed building running to jump to the roof. "Everyone alright?" he calls, mostly towards Anae and any others near her.
Petrus finds a nice spot to rest, himself. He looks like he could use it, dizzy and a bit green in the face. Toward Felix he offers, "Dunno. Maybe some of the people we pulled up."
Anae is bruised and bloody, but she straightens and nods, "Civilians. These? Trample wounds I should think." Her gaze is already going to what might remain of the soldiers. "Worse down there..."
Most of the wounded, at least, are being tended, and the unwounded Defenders are already organizing themselves to carry their injured comrades to the Hospital. The fire gutters a bit in a strong breath of wind, then flares up again. Those bugs not trapped in the nets have nearly all scattered, now, so there isn't much left but wreckage. The damage to the Lift is the worst, though; supplies brought to the top now have no easy way to the bottom.
On the roof Ethan hacks up something black from his lungs. He loses his feet and slumps on the floor. He has burns, but oddly not nearly so bad as he should.
Dirk seems a little out of his element now as he stays out of the way. He glances around with a raised brow.
Long distance to Kincaid: Petrus laughs. I like how even when repairing stuff, we destroy stuff.
Felix nods at this and looks down towards where the soldiers were briefly before he glances to Ethan. "I think he needs a hospital," he says before he jumps back down and moves to kill the bugs in the nets. "Clean up detail!" he calls out. "Kill as many bugs as you can get to, but focus on clearing out the wounded and dead." That said he turns to look back up towards Robin. "Robin see if you can get some more lines down here, would you?"
"At once, my lord!" Robin calls down. There's plenty of rope up there, and in short order a half-dozen more lines are being tossed down from the top of the cliff, well-secured up top.
RPG: Felix accepts a Trump call.
Felix says, "All's well. The bugs are scattering, trapped, or dead. The fire's burning still. We're starting to clear out the wounded and dead now. You two alright?"
Anae once more takes the position she's carved out for herself. She'll shadow Anon, assisting where he assists, until all is settled and done.
Felix says, "Alright. We'll keep on top of things until you arrive."
GAME: Petrus changed the setting to: The Great Lift has taken a lot of use and abuse in the past weeks, and it looks like it has had its fill. From the structural damage near the scene, it looks like some of the lines snapped and the Lift went slamming into buildings and damaging other parts of the lift apparatus. The wreckage of a burnt building sits near its base. The scene also shows evidence of a riot and a messy encounter with some bugs.
OOC) Petrus says, "(feel free to edit.)"
The fire is like to spread, if not extinguished; but the wind is low enough that the process is not a quick one. Some of the Defenders are making moves in that direction already, though the supply of water is limited.
Felix continues to direct the clean up efforts. He motions those that can be spared to work on the fire before he starts helping with taking the wounded over to be lifted with the ropes. The bugs in the nets have been killed and none are left to be seen except for the dead ones.
Ethan struggles to stand again, but realizing the pain it causes him, thinks better of it. He resigns himself to lie there, one half more alive than he probably should be, until he is hauled up the cliffside and taken off by soldiers in the care of medics.