Redcap Raid!

[abyssbound]

Who: Anyone who wants in on the raid
Which: Open mingle log
Where: One of the redcap-infested ruined castles in the wildlands. More information in This OOC post!
What: An assault on one of those troublesome iron-thieving Redcap hives
Warnings: Violence. So much violence.


[As noted on the Dream Board, Redcaps have become a serious problem of late, filching all the iron they can find and creating a severe shortage of the critical material. Asura has spent the last few days recruiting people to launch an assault on the largest hive in the arean; a large ruined castle in the wildlands where much of the stolen iron has been stashed.

Today is the day of the raid, and Asura gathers the recruits in a clearing in the dense forests of the wildlands to brief them. He looks at each of the gathered recruits in turn before beginning his explanation on the plan...


Group 1

The scouting party will travel in pairs to survey the exterior castle grounds. This group should avoid detection if at all possible, but if spotted, then they should immediately neutralize any redcaps who find them to prevent them from alerting the others. If you find any traps that can be quietly dismantled, then do so, and mark the locations of those that can't be destroyed in your journals to let everyone else know where they are. Also note any entrances and exits you find, as this intel is crucial to the second phase.

After the scouting party is done with their survey, phase 2 involves setting up gunpowder charges around each of the discovered entrances, with the exception of a single doorway through which Group 2 will launch their assault. After setting a charge, note it in your journal, and once all charges are set, ignite them and retreat.

---

Group 2

With the fires started, the redcaps trapped inside the ruins are sent into a state of panic and confusion. This is the signal for Groups 2 to begin the attack, rushing into the ruins through the single remaining entrance.

Once inside, you should be wary of any traps the redcaps have set. Falling rocks, log traps, and pit traps are all things to look out for, as well as magic--if it's in an Indiana Jones movie, it's probably here. Combatants will need to contend with these hazards as they clash with the redcaps themselves. As per Asura's order; show no mercy and leave none of them alive. The goal here is to completely purge the hive.

---

Group 3

As with any battle, there are bound to be injuries and casualties. Group 3 has set up a camp a short distance from the ruins with medical tents to tend to the wounded. There will need to be a few combat-capable people in this group as well to both guard it from attack from any redcaps who happened to be outside of the ruins, and also to run into the ruins themselves to look for any wounded who can't make it out on their own two feet.

Additionally, there will also need to be supply runners going to and from Reverein to transport food, water, and medical supplies--anything that the camp might need.

------

Once the raid is complete and the last of the redcaps slain, a large stash of iron ingots and tools will be found in an underground store room, along with several casks of wine.]

Comments

Asura | Onmyoji

[abyssbound]

A.

[Asura himself joins the assault in the second phase, rushing into the ruins with those bladed tentacles of his swinging at every flash of a red cap that he spots. Redcaps turn into red smears as they slice through them like a hot knife through butter, and Asura's maniacal laughter echoes through the halls of the ruin, seeming more monster than man.]

Show no mercy! Leave none of them alive! [He shouts to the others joining the attack as he runs deeper into the ruins.]

---

B

[Though Asura seems lost in a berserk rampage, he actually remains completely aware of his surroundings. When he spots another member of the raiding party injured and struggling, he immediately rushes over to cover them.]

Hey! Holding up alright? [He asks, ready to drag the wounded party out of the ruins and to the medical camp if necessary.]

---

C

[Once the raid concludes and the last of the Redcaps in the hive is dead, Asura returns to the camp to be seen by a healer. Normally, he could heal almost immediately from even the most grievous of injury, but for some reason, his wounds are much slower to close up than usual.

He flops down onto a cot to rest as a deep gash in his side slowly but visibly stitches itself closed. He doesn't look terribly bothered by the pain, but he is bleeding everywhere.]

Re. C

[thousandcraneswish]

[ Chizuru has kept busy, going back and forth between the cots set up, checking on the patients' comfort and picking up soup bowls as needed when Asura enters and just falls onto the nearest empty cot. She's close enough to see a wound begin closing much like her own will, but really there's too much blood on him to really tell how deep it is.

That's not good.

She sets the stack of dishes down on a makeshift table and returns a few minutes later with a bucket of warm water and some rags. Sitting in the chair next to him, she wets the first rag. ]

Asura-san, is it the wound I see on your side where you were hurt the most or is there another place besides that I need to know about?

[abyssbound]

[Truth be told, Asura hadn't really been expecting to be fussed over when he'd collapsed into a bed. He'd expected he'd rest long enough for it to close up on its own and then be on his way, but apparently Chizuru had had other ideas.]

That's the worst of it. [He assures her, starting to push himself up to a sitting position and causing him to wince from the movement.] I normally heal faster than this.

[thousandcraneswish]

Well, that isn't what's happening right now, so stay put.

[ Chizuru wastes no time in pushing him back down. It's not a light shove either. She's had too much experience with fools that think they're invincible and has learned that a light push isn't always enough to keep them down, even when they're bleeding all over the sheets. ]

Until it's dealt with, one way or another, you're not moving from this bed.

[abyssbound]

[The temptation to fight back and insist he'll be fine is definitely present, don't get him wrong, but he also knows that this isn't his normal rate of healing, and he can tell how stubborn this girl is going to be if he does fight her about it (and it might make the wound worse), so it'll just be less troublesome to at least let her look over it.

Obediently, he lies back down on the cot and raises his arm so she can get an unimpeded view of the gash. It is deep, with a slight glimpse of white showing that a redcap's lucky strike had managed to cut to the bone and hit his ribs. It hadn't punctured any vital organs, but it's still very serious.]

It will heal on its own, but it's still slower than it should be.

c

[shakra]

[ he is definitely bleeding everywhere, and taishakuten cannot just leave him be.

he's seen so, so very much -- being a part of the assault against the redcaps means having to see asura's mighty prowess up close. he is a veritable god of war, magnificently deadly, and how oddly exhilarating it is, watching him rip into the redcaps, that laughter --

-- that laughter.

taishakuten recognises it, deep, deep down inside. he knows that laugh, he knows the back of him, the flare of his spiritiual entity, so powerful and breathtaking, and taishakuten knows, without a doubt, that this is the man who would belong by his side, protecting the celestial realm.

when it all dies down, taishakuten goes to tend to him, heading over to the cot where he is and sizing up his injuries. he has with him clean towels and a basin of water, and he sets it carefully on the stand beside the cot, rinsing the towel. while he might not be able to heal the wound as quickly, he could alleviate it, share the pain.

and so he puts his hand in asura's, fully prepared to share his pain. ]

Let me.

[abyssbound]

[Now if this isn't nostalgic...

Asura no longer needs Taishakuten to tame his spiritual entity, to pull him back out of his madness when he loses himself in bloodlust. Even so, his presence alone is a comfort, and one Asura finds himself craving far too much given the roles they both should now have.

Asura raises his head a bit when Taishakuten comes to him after the battle to see to his injuries. He knows what it is that Taishakuten wants to do, and when his hand touches him, Asura gently rebuffs it.]

It's fine, I can tolerate this. [It does hurt, but he's always hated seeing Taishakuten in pain when he takes the burden of the injured and dying upon himself. And aside from that, he's had a lot worse than this before.] Just clean it, please.

[shakra]

[ taishakuten is quiet for a moment when asura gently rebuffs him. of course, the wound would heal on its own; celestials like them are special that way, but to refuse even the slightest alleviation of the pain -- it's not quite pride, because asura will insist on cleaning it himself, too.

then it must mean that asura is very aware of what his touch entails, the deeper meaning of his gift. nonetheless, he does as requested, delicately but conscientiously cleaning the blood and the dirt, rinsing the towel in the basin to begin his task anew once he's halfway through.

he's intent, focused, but doing this gives him a chance to contemplate asura and his inscrutable ways. instead of querying his past again, however, taishakuten chooses to ask: ]

Will you tell me something about you?

[abyssbound]

[Despite how it stings, Taishakuten tending to his wound paradoxically relaxes him, and Asura allows his eyes to slip shut to... not quite enjoy it--for that would imply it felt good at all--but the mere fact that it's Taishakuten who tends to him is soothing enough that he could easily doze off like this.]

You should know that such an open-ended question won't get you an answer that will satisfy you. [Asura chuckles, eyes still closed.]

jiang yanli ▶ the untamed ▶ group 3

[soups]

⇢ tending to the wounded

❰ at this point in her stay in this new universe, jiang yanli has let herself relax into assuming danger isn't around literally every corner. truthfully, her previous world also wasn't a constant torture chamber, but the anxiety surrounding waiting for the next horrific event to occur meant there was never time to really consider yourself safe. comparatively, this quaint village setting is more surreal in some ways, less nerve-wracking in others.

battle and danger also exist in any world, so this issue with the redcaps doesn't immediately set back her growing confidence in being in a new place, but it does remind her that there cannot be a world without conflict. and while she doesn't have many skills necessary to attack or defend in the case of a raid, she is capable of helping with the aftermath. it seems the dutiful thing to do — in these strange worlds, everyone must come together to help each other as best they can.

medicinal work still isn't her forte, but it doesn't keep her from doing the best she can to tend to anyone who arrives in the camp's medical area. she can dress wounds, wipe the sweat from a wounded warrior's brow. jiang yanli has already sanitized and bandage a particularly nasty cut on someone's forearm, and she's preparing gauze and antiseptic when she hears someone else approach, ❱

Please, come in, rest. ❰ if help is needed, she can help to prop someone up and get them inside. the wound, however, is the biggest draw to her attention, ❱ Show me what has happened.

⇢ feeding the troops

❰ with the raid close to over, the wounded tended to as much as they can be for the time being, jiang yanli turns her attention to preparing a meal for everyone still staying around for all the spoils of 'war'. she'd brought some ingredients and spices to the campsite, not sure of what all tools would be available.

in truth, there's not much to work with. she hasn't come to use dreamotion magic much at this point, but it proves useful. using it to start a fire is a simple task; this is something she's done before. but there's no pot for her to prepare anything in. it's then that jiang yanli realizes how exhausting dreamotion magic can be, as she focuses with all of her might, a glowing pot slowly materializing from the base up in the space she creates in between her hands.

after a good while, a stew is boiling within her creation. it's an exhilarating thing to have done, but she's also extremely drained. jiang yanli stirs the contents with a dazed expression, brow beaded with sweat. it's partially the steam rising to heat her face, but also this sudden sense of exhaustion that means standing and focusing on a task takes a lot of energy for her.

it did occur to her that she should bring bowls and utensils, which saves her from having to create more objects to serve food with. people come and go to receive a serving of stew, and jiang yanli grows more and more weary as time goes on. ❱

For you. ❰ she serves up another portion to hand out, breath airy as she takes a deep and tired breath. ❱ Please enjoy, and don't hesitate to come back for more.

Feeding the troops

[abyssbound]

[The raid had been a success, but everyone is exhausted, and Asura is no exception. His wounds have already been tended to, so now the worst of his pain is in his empty stomach.

He waits his turn in line, and when he reaches Yanli, he accepts his portion of soup graciously with a slight bow of his head.]

Thank you for your hard work. [He tells her and steps out of line to let the next person up, but he doesn't go far. Asura stays near the kettle while he eats his own portion.] This isn't half bad.

[soups]

❰ thankfully the crowd is thinning. there remain only a handful of people in line, and she feeds them as quickly as they move forward. ❱

The honor is mine — you were the one truly at risk, after all, so it should be I that thanks you. ❰ another person fed, jiang yanli wipes her forehead with the sleeve of her dress. ❱ This is the best way to accomplish such a task, I think.

And you're of course welcome to more if you so desire it.

[abyssbound]

The saying 'an army marches on its stomach' isn't just hyperbole. [Asura chuckles and tilts the bowl back to drink the broth. It's warm and feels good going down. When he finishes, he lowers the bowl from his mouth and surveys the camp with his eyes. It really does bring back memories.]

Everyone has their own part to play even if they can't fight. Those who can fight wouldn't get far without support--don't sell yourself short.

Group 2

[iracorn]

Standard Combat

[Most of Ira's experience is against monsters and the like, though usually heartless and the many forms they take. Though the last time he truly fought would have been against his fellows. Shoving those memories aside, Ira grips his keyblade and prepares for an onslaught.

But, there is a reason that Ira is a Master and it shows. He moves quickly with precise strikes of the keyblade, a combination of physical blows and elemental magic with streaks of light coming off of him as well. Eventually, he stops to catch his breath.]

Are there any left in this area?

It's a Trap

[Not every area he's found contains red caps, but even so he's on his guard. But even the most careful can make mistakes. And in this case, he can feel as a stone gives and there's a sudden woosh as swinging blade suddenly start criss-crossing down the rest of the hall.

He reaches out to grab anyone who has gone on ahead of him.]

Wait!

Returning to the Front Lines

[It's not the fastest process, but Ira figures he at least has the stamina to be a runner and has made his way back to the base camp. He waits impatiently on the outskirts though for more supplies.]

Is there anything else I should bring?

[This would be so much easier if he could open a corridor.]

Re: Returning to the Front Lines

[thousandcraneswish]

I'm sorry! Wait just one minute. Let me check.

[ Chizuru sets down another bucket of water on the ground next to the fire and picks up a checklist from a chair nearby, running her ink brush down and mumbling to herself as she glances around her at the supplies in the tent. It's piling up nicely. But her guts are telling her that there was something lacking.

It hits her and she smacks her head, leaving an ink stain on her forehead. ]

That's it! More bedding! There's only enough for the first bunch of patients. We should have extra. ( She places her hands together and lowers her head. Please, can you get more sheets and pillows for us?

[iracorn]

Sheets and pillows. Yes, that should be easy enough.

Do you know how much you'll need, or as much as I can carry?

[He'll probably do the latter, just to be safe, but at the very least, he can ask.]

(I don't know how I missed this one. Sorry. )

[thousandcraneswish]

[ Chizuru hums to herself, wondering if there is anything negative for him to bring as much as possible. But her inspections of the tent don't reveal any glare problems for her to fix. ]

If it's not too much trouble, I think as much as you can carry would be the best. There's enough space for us to put them in a clean spot until they are needed, and being wounded is hard enough on people without being given some form of comfort.

It's A Trap

[the_obedient_servant]

[Chara hears the click of the stone before they hear Ira's voice. A trap, either arrows or blades probably... A boulder, perhaps, but this mine is hardly spacious enough for such things.

And there's the blade. They jump back quickly, unbothered by the presence in and of itself and land easily on their feet.]

What troublesome ants these creatures are.

[iracorn]

[Ira, in the meantime, has managed to recover from his earlier mistake. The blades are definitely an obstacle, but hopefully they'll stop soon enough.]

They are rather determined to keep us out.

But, are you alright? You weren't caught by them, were you?

[the_obedient_servant]

Their determination is nothing. They don't know the meaning of the word.

[* They resist the urge to scoff at the man's concern. It is after all likely extended with good intentions.]

I'm unharmed. Shall we continue? They would not have left this area so heavily trapped if there was nothing inside. [* Some basic video game logic for you there, stranger.]

Chara | Undertale | Group B

[the_obedient_servant]

I.

[* Chara isn't a flying hurricane of blades or a wave of destruction or anything like that, but they are a steadily moving predator and within moments every Redcap they meet is reduced to an empty corpse. Even when they think they're clever enough to surround them, their attacks aren't enough to diminish Chara's healthbar when paired with the Heart's Locket.

And with the flashing of a red dagger an entire group of five redcaps falls to the floor dead.]

Only six remain in this area.

II.

[* The search continues as the raiding party treads deeper into the heart of this dungeon. The traps are easily spotted, if cleverly placed. They must admit that their use is a lot more intelligent than the traps that Chara once guided Frisk through in the Underground.

Something about that is unsurprising to Chara, but they're beginning to question what it is. They have no time to ponder this as they reach a narrow corridor. There's an obvious mechanism on just about all the tiles.]

My guess is that as we continue the walls will start closing in on us. How bothersome. We will have to find a way around.

Come. [* They begin to walk past the entryway and start looking for hidden levers or mechanisms.]

III.

[* When they return to the base camp they don't seem too badly injured or traumatized. Their clothes are fairly bloodied which seems to be making them uncomfortable.

They wish they could use a SAVE point to reset their HP to max and return to an unblemished state but unfortunately that power was lost alongside their life.]

It appears we were successful. [* They look around for food.] ...I don't suppose there's any chocolate?

Alastor | Hazbin Hotel | Group 2 | VIOLENCE WARNING

[lonelysmiles]

-- Insert Admiral Ackbar Here --

[Alastor is a firm believer in using what's on hand if things weren't going entirely his way. Given he was finally learning his full limits here, he felt it'd be very entertaining if the redcaps got caught in their own traps.]

[He deliberately baits the redcaps into each trap, deliberately triggering it and then teleporting to where his shadow has positioned itself behind the redcaps to pick off any stragglers that don't get caught in the crossfire. His teeth are on full display as his grin grows impossibly wide at the shrieks of the creatures that realize too late that they're about to fall to their own traps. The man is an absolute sadist, and this little adventure is satisfying his need to torture and torment greatly.]

-- Leave None Alive (VIOLENCE WARNING) --

[It's a shame he can't achieve his full demon form here. It'd definitely give the redcaps pause. As it stands, they smell the blood on him and immediately go in for the kill, like sharks that have smelled blood in the water.]

[It's something they very quickly regret.]

[Alastor's claws dig into flesh to grasp and hold as his teeth move in to rend and tear. There's red everywhere as he gulps down each bite of meat. It's not entirely unpleasant and it'll certainly keep him going through this fight. Especially as some redcaps start to understand that the smell of blood on him should've been a warning, fleeing from his reach only to be met by his shadow driving them back his way.]

[It's no venison, but it'll do~]

-- Aftermath --

[Alastor sits on the edge of the encampment with a roll of bandages, taking care of his own wounds. There's soft jazz emanating from him as he hums along, periodically lapping up a bit of blood here and there that definitely isn't his.]

[He's pretty sure no one will want to get near him now that they've seen the carnage he can wreck, so he'll just take care of himself.]

-- Wildcard --

((OOC: Got something else you want to thread here with the Radio Demon? Feel free to post it here or poke me on the plotting post!))

Leave None Alive

[abyssbound]

[To be honest, Asura kind of likes this guy's style.

Any who manage to slip past Alastor's shadow are met by the relentless arms of Asura's Spiritual Entity, the six bladed tentacles shredding through flesh and bone as if they were made of tissue paper. A few especially unlucky ones are snatched up only to be tossed back toward the gorging demon for him to catch and devour as he pleases.

It's almost nostalgic.]

You look like you're enjoying yourself! [Asura laughs in Alastor's direction.]

[lonelysmiles]

[Even though he's been gobbling redcaps, he certainly doesn't look like it. Part of his punishments in Hell due to having consumed human flesh in life, he supposes: a body always looking on the brink of starvation and a hunger that is never fully satiated.]

[He catches one of the redcaps and bites its neck, snapping the bones with his fangs as he drinks deeply of the blood. He can feel himself threatening to slip into a full-on frenzy. He hasn't had anything fresh in over a week now. It might not be his preferred meat, but it more than whets his appetite.]

[He swings his head about in the direction of the voice, a string of flesh dangling from his fangs. He wipes his mouth before answering.]

Absolutely! Thank you for inviting me to the delicious buffet!

[abyssbound]

[Truth be told, Alastor reminds Asura of the monster-gods of the Abyss; constantly hungry and never satisfied no matter how much flesh they devoured. It both disgusts and thrills Asura at the same time to see that kind of carnage even as he indulges in it himself. Centuries ago, he would easily have lost himself in this, and even now the madness claws at his mind as it tries to wrest his control from him--the only thing tethering his own sanity to him being the heart that doesn't belong to him beating inside his chest.]

These ants are liable to give you indigestion. [Asura jokes as one of the tentacles from his back runs another redcap through the face before flinging the limp body toward Alastor.]