Vinomorph battle (closed and ota threads)

[loveandsin]

WHO: Vincent Valentine loveandsin; Cloud nimbuster; Toph fieldtrip; Knife rudelanguage; Gustave demainvient; Aliarra lockdownbuild; Scott laserguy; Dwayne will_chase_balls; Quentin querulous; Hernan sonofzod; Bossie nottheboss; Gaia hammerbearer; Octavia plangona and OTA option!
WHEN: Immediately post-fog event.
WHERE: Bramble Valley (various)
WHAT: After being transformed into a xenomorph-like-creature during the fog event, the berserkered Vincent Valentine runs loose and must be stopped.
NOTES\WARNINGS: Threads contain graphic violence, language, and horror-related elements/gore.



- > How it works!

The log is split into two stages. Stage One contains initial tracking and fighting of the vinomorph monster. The creature is unharmed and in its strongest state. Those who are in this group will make initial contact, fight it (most likely), and signal to the second team that it's been found. Stage Two contains the second half of the fight and getting Vincent to revert out of monster form.

Rather than go with a set tagging order, this will be (an attempt at) free-form style. Both teams tag into the scene and act as you see fit, but don't feel the need to tag every round. I will tag when it looks like the thread is ready to move forward. If you want to fight and tag a lot, do it! If you want to stand by and wait for your most epic moment, do it! The goal is to keep the log moving.

Chronologically, the scene goes from Stage One directly into Stage Two, but both threads will be running simultaneously. If you have a great idea and want to try something, feel free to DM me, comment to the plotting post, or ping me on Discord (I'm on the game server as Signal).

Finally, if you want your character to get hurt, you are welcome to get super f'ed up by the creature but no deaths, please! Vincent will feel terrible enough, already.

The Stage One and Stage Two logs are closed. The Aftermath is OTA (including those who participated in the previous stages). You could have been searching/trying to help and arrived after the battle ended. Or want to check on your friends who were involved. Or simply want to see what's going on because you're curious! Maybe you're here to offer treatment to the wounded. You are also welcome to start your own top-levels for all of the mentioned reasons! Consider Vincent K.O.'d at this point. He will also need medical attention (please take care of him).

See STAGE ONE thread for a description of the monster.

Comments

[loveandsin]

STAGE ONE (Closed): Gaia, Dwayne, Quentin, Scott, Hernan, Bossie

[ After leaving the wreckage of the burning home that once belonged to a killer, a creature, large and vicious, traveled south into the more populated areas of the Bramble Valley. The original alien that inspired its transformation was a xenomorph, black as obsidian with a slim body, a fast and efficient killer. This creature, on the other hand, is an amalgam. It's tall like a xenomorph, but it's skin is more of an earthy ochre color. Its body is still highly resistant to damage, but rough like cracked earth rather than smooth. Its form is bulkier, but it still retains its speed. The claws at the end of its hands are more pronounced, and its tail is longer and stronger, able to skewer something or grab it and beat it down.

And it's hunting. Because that is the only thing it knows how to do. Its singular instinct is to find. Kill. Repeat.

So when it spots Gaia walking alone past the trolley station, it follows its instinct and begins to stalk her. It may not take her long to realize something is amiss. Eventually, its drive gives the creature away. From above her head, the creature is spotted clinging to the underside of the trolley tracks, looking down at her from above. A low hissssssss, and then a shrill SCREAM announce it as it leaps down, trying to pounce her to the ground.

What the beast doesn't know, is that it is also being hunted tonight. Those who are tracking it may arrive soon to help. ]

Just another day in Novrandt.. no Kamurkia... wait, Etraya?

[hammerbearer]

[ Many people would question why anyone might be out sightseeing when there's such a dangerous threat on the loose. But for people like Gaia, this has been her life. Even after the Lightwardens were defeated and her world saved, the ripples of those past hundred years still remain. And then there's the normal threats. Monsters are a part of life.

Going out to observe anomalies lined out by area in a bizarre 'bingo' game was a way to pass the time. And seemed fair trade for the prizes. It could be this casual acceptance of danger had let her temporarily lower her guard. She is stalked long enough to be alone and vulnerable; open. She's lost in thought, muttering to herself, just as a creeping tingle rolls down her back. Some form of aether sense, the focus of a malicious predator. She's no military trained warrior, but she has a certain level of awareness.

...Of course as she looks up and spies the thing, it hisses at her and leaps. It's too late to dodge. The morph lands heavily on her, pushing her down to the ground face first with its weight.

It will know the feel of flesh bending to the will of razor claws. The touch of warmth when blood bubbles forth from its complex web of veins and muscle and even perhaps a clip of some resilient bone. It will hear the cry of anger and pain.

But then the source of this will literally vanish from its grasp, leaving behind thick whisps of black and purple aether where it once was thrust to the ground. Of many skills Gaia has come to know as hers, that of teleportation was one she made most use of.

It serves her well in the moment, but the sudden nature of the attack, the shock of pain, both have allowed only a short, life-saving hop.

The smell of her is still in the air. What attracted the morph before. And the blood. She's out of immediate reach, even of the tail and somewhat off-sides to where the eyes should be. Does it even have eyes?

Her own water a little with pain but clenching her teeth, she summons out her hammer and prepares for a fight. Odds are bad, if she was honest. The monster had managed to cut a ragged wound over her left shoulder and down her back, doing a lot to disable that side of her. Two handed swings might be out.

She doubts it'll give her time to cast a spell. With a flick of mental effort, Gaia activates the connection to the network. Audio and video. ]

That creature. Or Vincent or whoever you called him. It's here!

[ She once met a Vincent on Kamurkia. But she has no reason to expect this and he are alternate versions of the same person. And honestly, she'd only met him a few times there. Anyway. ]

[will_chase_balls]

[Fortunately, she doesn't have to wait for people to find her from the network post. Dwayne doesn't even know about her post, because he was already tracking Vincent's scent. He knew he was in for a fight once he found the subject of his search, so he'd worn his leather armor and made sure all three axes were in their scabbards. Then, once he knew what he was supposed to be sniffing for, he shifted.

Technically, he could have followed the scent in human form, but since tracking a scent requires he crawl along with his nose to the ground he decides it would be much less awkward if he does so in his wolfman form.

The smell of blood in the air puts Dwayne's fur on edge and he realizes he's close. He also realizes there might not be much time to get there before someone gets killed, so he stands up on his hind legs, running toward the scent. Before long, Dwayne bursts out of the shadows behind Gaia and lets out a long, loud howl to call for back-up.]

[loveandsin]

[ There's a predatory hiss as the creature pins its prey down. The feel of warm blood and coppery smells makes it trill with excitement. But then, it's gone? Confusion at first, as it lifts its head to look around, only to find Gaia has moved a safer distance away. It searches her out with sound, scent, and yes, it has eyes. Alien in their own way, one crimson and the other like a solar flare, but they're not the eyes of an actual xenomorph.

There's a soft reverberating growl in the creature’s throat as Gaia summons a weapon. The long tail of the monster swishes slowly across the pavement behind it. Leaning down, its head moves closer to the pool of blood that was left behind. Its jaw opens and a long, eel-like tongue slides out and bathes itself in the blood, then returns to the creature’s mouth. Delicious.

Dwayne's sudden arrival is a surprise. One that displeases the monster, since the wolf-man obviously means to be a problem. He'll make a fine meal, as well.

Another growl, and the creature slowly raises itself to its full height on two legs. With a sharp cry, it begins to dash forward, heavy feet pounding the pavement as it makes a run for the pair with both clawed arms lifted to slash at them once they're in range. ]

[nottheboss]

[Bossie is up above, two hundred yards, a good distance to hunt from. He takes a shot at the thing's head--doesn't know if this counts as murder to Harold, hopes not, but he can't just let the monster run loose.]

[hammerbearer]

[ It's probably, academically speaking, a relief that Gaia has never been graced with the knowledge of what a xenomorph is until this moment. For all she knows, they have eyes. Red eyes, uncanny in their mismatched mutation.

But she knows what a monster is. What's a threat. With that, Dwayne's arrival is an unfortunate and worrying distraction. ]

Not another!

[ Though the bipedal beast is armed and armored, the 'morph is supposed to be a person too. The odds aren't looking good. The hunting howl doesn't reassure her. Is the wolf-man hunting her? Vincent? Both?

She mutters something under her breath. Have good ears? ]

I'm going to be quite cross if you're not an ally.

[ This is probably directed at Dwayne. But now, there's no more time.

She'd been fortunate that her distracted glance had not triggered an immediate attack; with the monster likewise distracted. But most of Gaia's attention remained upon the 'morph and much to her disgust and alarm, she fully witnessed the way the thing savored her blood. Her wound burned and throbbed. She tried to push it down.

With one arm, the hammer swings from ground and into an upward vector while the girl makes an effort to sidestep at the same time. The strength of the attack can still be impressive, though certainly not with the full force; her hope is to at least knock the dangerous claws away and perhaps follow up.

That she tries to put the 'morph between herself and Dwayne is probably intentional. Just to be safe.

The sound of gunfire is distant enough that she might almost miss the crack; and certainly the results of that shot, the sound of the whizz as the bullet cuts through the air will probably be processed before she's aware that it happened. Fortunately, she didn't dodge into the line of fire. That much is a saving grace. ]

[will_chase_balls]

[Dwayne's hearing is good enough that he can hear Gaia's comment, and he's about to reply when the xenomorph gets up and races toward him. The swing of the hammer and the bang of the gun let him know that he's not the only one who will be dealing damage, but he can't focus on that right now. The creature is attacking and if he stops to assess what the other attacks are doing, that will only leave him open.

Dwayne pulls the battle axe off his back and swings it, but remembering that he's not supposed to kill this thing turns the axe to it's side, so the broad side will slam against the creature's head instead of the sharp edge. Then, using the momentum of the swing, Dwayne shifts his upper body forward and attempts to bite the creature's arm.

Oh. Ow. The unexpected movement does allow him to dodge the claw attack in the nick of time, but this creature's skin is much harder than expected, and biting down is painful.]

[loveandsin]

[ For it's large size, the creature moves fast due to its long legs. Its nimble tail makes it agile, too, able to maintain its balance, even at such a rushing speed.

As it's about to slash its claw down at Gaia, the shot from Bossie strikes it in the side of its elongated head, causing the creature to flinch, but the bullet doesn't pierce its hard skull. It's unable to tell where the shot came from at such a distance.

That momentary pause is the window Gaia needs to swing her hammer upward. It strikes back the creature's claw, and it recoils, only to receive a follow-up strike with the side of Dwayne's axe.

Were it a man, he'd be out cold, but the monster takes the hit like a prize fighter absorbing the first punch of what will be a much longer match. Its raised arm is then grabbed by Dwayne's teeth, which don't break through the chitinous barrier of its exoskeleton. The beast, which is several feet taller than Dwayne, turns its head to look down at the wolf-man as if a small pup had grabbed hold of it and was gnawing for attention.

There's a low, clicking sound at the back of its throat, and then a screech! The creature turns fast to try and either yank its arm free or hurl Dwayne to the ground if he refuses to let go. As it turns, its long tail swings out at Gaia, seeking to swat her away with a hard knock. ]

[hammerbearer]

[ Oh thank goodness Dwayne went after the 'morph. While Gaia wasn't completely sure it's supposed to be counted as help she will take it as a temporary alliance.

The monster is terrifyingly strong. And she knows it would have likely overwhelmed her given the result of the opening ambush. ]

What was that?!

[ Her cry is born from whatever caused the monster's head to rock to one side briefly with its impact. Gaia knows guns. Really. In theory. Something something aether charges. She just isn't sure where it came from. She didn't waste the opportunity either and managed to knock away the arm.

Just as quickly, the tail whips around to strike back. Gaia has the skills to bring up her weapon to block; and those who might wonder what she expects to do with a handle of a weirdly artistic hammer, but as the tail connects, it is not with the weapon itself, but a barrier of hexagon that briefly ripple with prismatic colors at the point of contact.

But there's proof this shield is not an absolute barrier. The pain in Gaia's shoulder amplifies; she'd ignored it to brace but as the hit comes in, that side of her body spasms, unable to bear its share of the burden. She's knocked off her feet and sent back a foot or so to the hard ground.

Movement shows that she's able to pick herself up and is trying to, but it'll take her a moment more. ]

Accompanying Network Conversation - Video and Audio allows for view of Vinomorph

[hammerbearer]

[ Video and audio follows Gaia's POV for these events. Pickup point after she connects to the network. ]

That creature. Or Vincent or whoever you called him. It's here!

[ Her voice sounds strained, as if she's biting back pain. ]

voice; un:kidomega

[querulus]

Oh, uh. Shit.

[Could Quentin have found Vincent before somebody got attacked if he hadn't gotten distracted by arguing with preteens on the network? Probably. Oops.]

Hey, do me a favor and think really loudly about something! Like, I dunno, "help I'm being attacked by a terrifying monster"? I'll pin your location and psychically transfer it to anyone who wants it. Then I can tackle the big guy.

Re: voice; un:kidomega

[hammerbearer]

[ Sometimes you just get accosted by preteens. ]

What? Oh!

[ The first word was probably for Quentin. The second for whatever situation she was in. It is also followed by a muttered comment. ]

I'm going to be quite cross if you're not an ally.

[ Then. ]

Oh, not you. Thinking!

[ It turns out Gaia can manage a very clear and focused thought for a non-telekinetic.

Here, I'm being attacked here by the whatever this thing is! Hurry.... oh no!

There may be a sense of sharp pain at the moment of the tail impacting her efforts to block and the subsequent failure of her injured side as she is sent tumbling back to the ground. Depending on what Quentin can pick up. ]

[querulus]

Scanning... Ah, there you are—fuck, ouch.

[So that's a yes on him picking up on her injury. Ah, the joys of telepathy. In any case, Quentin's next words echo directly in Gaia's head.]

/Got your location pinned. On my way. Just, uh, try to keep him busy I guess./

[He does sense more signatures in the area, including whoever Gaia is probably talking to, so... yeah, that whole "quite cross if you're not an ally" thing? Same. It's really gonna suck if Quentin has to deal with a monster and some random assholes.]

Clearly telepathy when there's a perfectly good network...

[hammerbearer]

[ Gaia doesn't appear to be a stranger to voices other than her own in her head. That's either a relief because it isn't distracting or worrisome.

It's probably fine. Quentin will get a message back if he keeps that thought-channel open. ]

/Obviously./

[ If a teenage eyeroll can be conveyed telepathetically then pain or not, Gaia does an impressive job of doing so in that one word.

Seems she's used to bearing pain or battle or both, too. ]

[loveandsin]

STAGE TWO (Closed): Cloud, Toph, Knife, Gustave, Aliarra

[ With the creature injured from its initial battle, after attempting to attack Gaia, it makes a fast move to escape. The creature dashes into the cityscape of the Bramble Valley and begins traveling east in the direction of Charronway. A signal and network communications are used to alert the second group to its movements.

Before the creature can find a path across the waterway, however, it becomes aware that it is still being chased. It feels the vibrations of footsteps coming after it, so it makes a dash into a large, empty warehouse on the side of the river. A trail of black ooze, which may be its blood, marks its path, making it easy to determine where it has gone.

As the group of fighters enter the warehouse to confront it, the creature turns and screeches at them. Its long tail lashes back and forth like a cornered animal, ready to tear into anything that threatens it. Enraged and without any sensible thought, the beast grabs hold of a small forklift as if it were nothing more than decoration and hurls it in the direction of the group.

From its initial beating by the first team, the creature looks as if it's getting tired. Even more notable is that waves of magic aether are wafting from its body, as though it's seeping out of its skin. Whatever infusion of magic that has caused this transformation is beginning to weaken. ]

[nimbuster]

[Cloud's been following the comms closely and is already on his way when the message comes that Vincent's on the move again. It's easy enough to meet up with the other folks who were out looking, and soon they're closing in on the warehouse where the trail of what's probably blood indicates it's gone.

A concerning trail of blood. But from what Cloud recalls, Vincent heals about as rapidly as he does - maybe more so. He'll be fine, as long as nobody does anything rash - but Cloud doesn't know any of these people well enough to know how likely that is. He calls out to the group.]

Back each other up in there, don't let him isolate you! He's weakened and cornered, but that means he's got nothing to lose, so stay sharp. And remember: he's not a real monster. No killing blows.

[Cloud takes the lead as they enter, snatching his huge sword off his back as he dashes directly at Vincent. Without missing a beat, he leaps into the air and slices the forklift clean in two so that the pieces fly off to the side and crash into the walls instead of hitting anyone.]

Hey, Vincent! Eyes on me, big guy, you remember me, right? It's Cloud.

[rudelanguage]

[Haha. Ha. Oh. Okay. What the fuck is going on.

only once Knife-as-Pending has darted safely into cover do they have the chance to start thinking; one minute it was them and the eerie, empty acoustics of this warehouse, and now...this, all heralded by the monstrous shrieking and carried on with a cacophony of noise from it and others.

from the base of a steel ladder installed into a pillar, Pending crouches behind some infrastructure safely out of sight, watching to get a lay of the fray, as it were.]

[loveandsin]

[ Vincent might need a little treatment and, depending on the number of injuries he sustains, a few days of sleep, but he should recover. Will everyone else recover quite so easily, though? It may be best to worry about the helpers rather than the target, which looks extremely pissed at having been fought once already.

The forklift is cut cleanly in half, and at Cloud's call, the creature does make him the focus of its attention. Pending is not noticed where he's ducking behind some of the metal beams.

With a loud screech, the monster dashes, covering ground fast as it makes a leap toward Cloud with clawed hands ready to slash him to ribbons. Does he remember Cloud? No, it would appear so. ]

[lockdownbuild]

[Aliarra would love to ask what the forklift did to Cloud to earn his ire, but she doesn't know the term 'forklift'. So instead, she flings herself forward to intercept the creature, if 'flings' mean 'shoots forward in midair, thanks to her mask providing its flight magic. She'd make for a noble sight, in full armor and with a heraldic Landsritter banner whipping behind her from its mount between her shoulders... if the spiked armor didn't really go a long way towards a more villainous look. Well, you can't win them all.]

[Sensitive to not trying to kill him, she doesn't unleash Skeldric's might with her strike -- instead, her guisarme stabs out not to impale, but to hook the back of its curved blade around anything she can so she can yank him off-balance. Which is what she's going to continue to do if he does... well, literally anything. Move? Don't move? Attack her? Attack someone else? Outside of dramatic smiting, keeping an enemy off their feet is her greatest strength.]

[nimbuster]

[Good - the longer Cloud can keep Vincent's attention, the less he'll have to worry about anyone else getting hurt.

He braces for the oncoming attack and then learns two things in quick succession: Aliarra can fly, and Toph can manipulate the terrain. He learns the second one because as he's preparing to defend himself, the concrete floor beneath his feet suddenly launches him into the air above Vincent's head in time with Toph's movements.]

Whoa--

[It's unexpected, but he adapts quickly, twisting in the air and doing his best to keep his blade between him and those wicked claws. He sees what Aliarra's trying to do with her weapon, so he holds back a bit on his offense for now to see if she can create a good opening for him to press the attack.]

[rudelanguage]

[the rumbling of the ground gives Pending cause to move - ain't no fuckin' way he's getting a bunch of bullshit shaken and dropped on him. he hastens up the ladder and onto the catwalk-like walkway, hastening across, getting a good overhead of the conflict.

The fuck is all this?! Fog's over, time to send in the beasts?

he crouches, one hand on the railing, one hand on the hilt of an unsheathed sword that catches ambient light has it glinting every which way not unlike a prism. it's not a glaring, abrasive flash, but it is enough for a beset-upon, hostile creature to note that they're being mobbed on from above and on the ground.]

for the record, cloud is a total snack

[loveandsin]

[ As the monster makes its move towards Cloud, Aliarra valiantly jumps into the fray to defend him! She is quite a sight in all that armor. Watching her confront the beast is the stuff bards sing songs about.

Although it may be appreciated (to an extent) that the fighters are not trying to kill him, that does leave them vulnerable, in a sense, because Vincent is not pulling any punches. The curved end of the weapon hooks around the creature's waist, but the yank does not pull it off its feet. At 10ft tall, it's quite large. Those legs may look spindly, but they're actually quite strong, and combined with a long tail to keep its balance in check, it's far more agile than it looks.

The attempt does get it to respond to Aliarra rather than pursue Cloud, however. With a twist of its body, the creature shrieks and tries to strike Aliarra away with the force of that large tail. It would feel as though she were struck by a car to take the hit, which could send her flying.

In the midst of all of this, there's a flash of light from above due to Knife's weapon, and the creature looks up to see, oh, hello, Cloud. Knife does not appear an immediate threat, so the monster bares its teeth, dripping with saliva up at Cloud. Come on down, Cloud. You look like a snack. ]

[demainvient]

[ The Vincent-creature is just as aggressive, tenacious, and sturdily-built as the one he recalls from the basement of that abandoned, too-silent house. Strikes seem to glance off its armor, doing nothing but angering it, and it looms above all of the fighters, easily the size of the larger, more difficult Nevrons.

But it's only one, and they are many, so as the creature's attention shifts upwards to where Cloud has been flung through the air, Gustave shifts in, the long glimmering sweep of his sword flashing in two, three successive strikes at the creature's legs, trying to throw it off balance before Gustave leaps away. He's conserving his chroma, building the charge in his arm, the metal glowing first blue, then orange, and now shifting steadily towards red as the fight continues.

With a little luck, it'll have shaken the creature enough to let Cloud land without issue, but Gustave has seen how fast it is, how adaptive. They need to bring it down, as soon as possible. ]

[loveandsin]

AFTERMATH - OTA!

[ This empty warehouse on the riverside of the Bramble Valley is in shambles (or what's left of it?).

At the end of the battle, there's an intense scream, but of a man rather than a creature, as wafting smoke-like aether tinged in colors of black and crimson is released from its body. When the smoke dissipates, a man in black leather clothing and a tattered red cape staggers a few steps, then collapses to the ground, bleeding from his wounds. Eyes closed, Vincent appears to have lost consciousness. ]

[will_chase_balls]

[It takes him a while to figure things out with Gaia's injuries and to track the creature down again, but once he gets to the warehouse he knows he's at the right place. The place is positively saturated with the smell of the vinomorph. Ready for round two, Dwayne bursts inside in all his wolfy glory, his stance tense and prepared to fight...and then he looks around. The fight is very clearly over, and he realizes what he'd been smelling was a whole lot of the vinomorph's blood, and...wow, that was a lot.

He begins shifting back to human.]

What happened? I thought we were supposed to not be killing him?