descent

[cancrymods]

growing heavy for the vintage

Like flakes of snow, the days spent in the Sloth Layer slowly but surely begin piling up. Life here is quiet and easy, even with the anxiety that comes with needing to move onto the next layer. But as the days drag out, so do the mysteries at play here – with the gradual uncovering of the odd doppelgangers and the seeming lack of any way to proceed to the next layer, it leaves the Executors at a loss for what to do. Until one day, everything changes. It comes entirely without warning – the ground lurches under everyone's feet in a sickeningly familiar way as a brief but violent earthquake rattles through the town. Then all of you feel it; a snapping sensation deep from the very foundations of Purgatory followed by the most cataclysmic impact any of you have experienced in your lives – or unlives. Snow explodes up from the ground, houses creak and lurch and the whole layer seems as though it might shatter apart under your feet. It seems like it's going to last forever. Then, finally, it stops. The silence that follows is even more pronounced in comparison to the hell-rattling noise from before, but as some semblance of calm starts to return, you realize several things. First is how eerily quiet the town is. Surely after all that, you'd hear a Specter or two... but there's nothing. Secondly – a splash of something wet strikes your cheek. Then again. Until it becomes clear that the weather has taken a sudden drastic turn and in place of the gentle snowfall from before, the heavens have opened with a torrential rainfall. Why? Possibly because of the steadily growing heat you suddenly feel burning up through the foundation of the layer and radiating out through the town. Will you investigate?

Comments

[cancrymods]

[ With the massive amount of power stirring under their feet now, it's not at all hard to identify. It's an Authority – the Wrath Authority. But that's all she's able to get, not because there's not enough to identify – but because there's too much. It's like trying to analyse a mountain range with a magnifying glass.

Beneath everyone's feet, the ground begins to shake even more violently. The scorched rock ruptures, opening huge fissures and there's the deep, resonant pops and cracks of massive glassy structures splitting apart and shattering in the distant.

Let's get a head count! Executors who are present, check in. ]

[crypddyd]

[Lion is here and looking just as feral and ready to throw down as ever]

[emberserker]

[Wolfsbane's ready to murderize this thing on a moment's notice.]

[daughterofthemark]

[Veil is here and she has regrets! She might be helping the nearest other Executor embark on an exciting new career as a handrail. The ground is doing things that it should not do and she does not approve!.]

[discutio]

[what the hap is fuckening]

[swordofajerk]

[Might as well do this. What the hell is going on?]

[twibeast]

[ You know maybe he was better off in Acedia after all ]

[mementomoritz]

[She's here, she's queer, she's ready to meet the beast. ...Not you, Achilles.]

[ourtomorrow]

[ Monarch is present! Horrified, but present.

And determined. Horrortermined. ]

[syrinfacet]

[ you know what, she shifted back once we got everyone down here but she's starting to regret not staying a fucking dragon for this ]

COMBAT . . . ? – SAMAEL

[cancrymods]

[ It's like watching a mountain rise out of the ground. Heralded by a plume of violet flame, a vague but enormous shape begins to rise from the ground, shedding glassy and rocky debris as it breeches the surface. The ground slants under your feet as more earth cracks and groans, making way for the emergence of this massive shape. It's so huge and the haze of the heat makes it hard to get a good look... but then a pair of massive wings unfurl from its back and it gives a horrible shriek as it flaps them. And you realize.

It's a dragon.

It flaps its wings once, twice, as if to test them out before taking flight with an enormous blast of wind. Light glances off its white scales as it makes a direct beeline for the group of Executors.

There is no turn order. Just survive. ]

[discutio]

[Who needs to get a good look, it's overrated. That sounded horrendous, Phoenix gripping his sword a little more tightly.]

I strongly advise we get the hell out of here.

[mementomoritz]

Oh wow-

[Listen, yes this is very dangerous, but it's also really fucking cool, okay.]

I don't see any way back up except by flying- and it can, too! [A thoughtful pause.] She can? All the other Authorities were women, but that's correlation, not causation...

[crypddyd]

[So, they should make a plan of some sort. Or maybe just run.

Lion just rushes forward, using the destroyed ground as a ramp to run and jump up off of, Areadbhar raised, charging Atrocity.

...yes he's intending to literally try and baseball bat a dragon in the face. Nice knowing you buddy]

[daughterofthemark]

Sir Lion, stop being absurd and retreat!

[I think technically this counts as a Guard Order?]

[swordofajerk]

[Well, Phoenix isn't wrong but also...yeah, no, not with Lion going feral like he is.

Sword goes after Lion.]

Unless you want to try and stop the damn boar, I don't think we have a choice!

[daughterofthemark]

[HEY DAME GALEA HOW SOON CAN YOU BE A DRAGON AGAIN]

[syrinfacet]

[ her head's been killing her the entire time she's been here. is it the weight of her sin dragging down her shoulderblades like hooks? it's that too, but it's something else. something familiar, just at the edges of her senses.

the earth splits. wings unfurl. something like this...

galea doesn't waste another second. there's a flash of light as amethyst encases her and her form twists and reshapes, color and light dancing off her stained glass wings. ]

MOVE!

[ hey guys, let's fucking hustle and start this jrpg ass shit proper ]

[daughterofthemark]

[YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL VEIL TWICE. IT'S DRAGON RIDING TIME.]

Are we retreating or fighting?

[emberserker]

[The wind blows the cloak Wolfsbane was wearing over her Executor outfit open and back, revealing a probably-concerning array of blue gem shards sticking out of her torso. That's new!

But that aside, Wolfsbane just rears her head with a feral look and casts a spray of fireballs at Samael.]

You think you can go any further?

[mementomoritz]

[WOLFSBANE AS YOUR FRIEND AND PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A TALK ABOUT THIS SITUATION LATER]

[cancrymods]

[ Wolfsbane's fire bursts apart and scatters over the dragon's scales, leaving behind deep black scorch marks but no indication that the fire has gone any deeper than the surface. It's probably no surprise – for it to have survived this long in the oppressive heat of Ira, those scales must be built to resist heat. It certainly succeeds in drawing its ire at least as the dragon lets out another one of those bone-rattling roars and swoops down towards the Executors.

Lion meets it first quite literally head on with a stomach churning collision. Areadbhar WHAMS into the side of the dragon's face, managing to scrape a few scales loose and Samael gives another shriek... then responds by clamping its teeth tight around Lion and giving him a furious shake.

Oh dear. ]

[mementomoritz]

[As your doctor, her professional opinion on this is "oh jeez oh jeez oh man".]

[She sends one of Mantle's tendrils up towards the dragon's mouth, just trying to touch the jaw enough to start draining energy from her. She's pretty sure she can't drop this enemy, but maybe it'll loosen the jaw enough for Samael to drop Lion? Or at least for him to push his way out on his own.]

[crypddyd]

[Oh, you think you can out Wrath him you big lizard? The shaking makes him lose his lance sadly, but fuck it we ball.

So he starts super strength punching her teeth, screaming (in pain? In anger? Who can say!) before sinking his teeth into her... lip? Do dragons have lips? In that vague area.

Black sparkle blood is flying everywhere it's very gross]

[discutio]

[Oh, fuck it.]

[Everyone's shouting and yelling and getting eaten but it's not hard to pinpoint the Giant Fucking Dragon(?) which is the source of the problem. So, sword sparking into a blazing assault, Phoenix rushed in to take a flying leap following Lion's path, aiming for Samael's left wing in an attempt to bring her down.]