KAIJU FIGHT #1

[synfluxmods]

KAIJU FIGHT #1

CONTENT WARNINGS: thalassophobia, natural disaster, drowning, body horror, violence, blood & gore.

▶ 001. SEAS THE DAY.

On the morning of the 1st, sirens will blare, forcing every Outsider and Neo Tokyo civilian awake. While it hasn't been activated for a while, every citizen within the city knows this alarm all too well - it wails through the city whenever a Kaiju has been detected, ordering everyone to return to their homes immediately and stay there until they receive further information. Outsiders gazing at Neo Tokyo will see the armored city in its full technological splendour for the first time today. Once the civilians have returned to their homes, machinery within the buildings will work like clockwork, sinking each and every LILITH-augmented building beneath the ground. Just in time, too, because the waves are starting to roar again, crashing beyond the shore and flooding the city once more. Observant Outsiders may note that not every building has been modified. The older ones remain standing, vulnerable to the impending flood. Does anyone live in those buildings? The answer is yes, but that's not a priority at the moment.

Every Outsider will receive a summon, ordering them to prepare for battle. The Kaiju has been identified and located. It's show time.

"Angels of LILITH. We have located the Kaiju coming from beyond the sea. A full mission brief including the information we have gathered will be sent to you immediately. For now, make your way to the bay where your transport will be waiting. Be prepared for anything, but mostly, be prepared to swim."

Waiting for the Outsiders at the bay appear to be ... expensive-looking, personal yachts? This has to be a mistake, right? It's no mistake. Through intel LILITH has exchanged with international companies, it appears that this particular Kaiju has a fondness for overturning civilian yachts, and there's no better way to attract it than to leave it its favourite bait. The goal is to attract these Kaiju towards the boats and then attacking.

The ships may look like they're outfitted for a fancy yacht party. In fact, some exploring down below deck in the lounging room, one may find caviar on fancy ritz, oyster tower, little finger sandwiches with the crusts cut off and bougie smelly cheese that nobody in LILITH's pay grade can identify. On another table, there is fancy ramen spoons filled with microgreens, crystal jelly vinegarette, and a thin slice of parmesan cheese. Some further looking may find some fine aged wine, but you're not here to drink and party, you're here to fight a Kaiju! Right? Right.

Despite the fact everything about these yachts just look like... fancy yachts... they are actual warships that are mounted with naval artillery such as swivel guns, missiles and torpedos. Spears, harpoon guns and fishing nets can also be found and used if an Outsider is more comfortable getting extremely close to the monsters. There's no time for a proper seafaring course, so Outsiders will be given a quick run down on how the controls work, and be sent on their way. They will also be given a special jewel-like implant that attaches to the skin, right along the forehead, and told to wear it if they need to go into the water. "Don't worry about it," the LILITH crew says. "But it'll be one hell of a ride if you use it."

Alongside the crew, Seok Dang seems to be also assisting (?) though he's gotten a hold of the reception food down below. Did he smell like fine wine? Possibly. But that's definitely a fancy, half eaten cracker in his hand. He's also got on a bright, neon life preserver. Maybe someone doesn't know how to swim.

"WHOOO HELLA YEAH, MOTHERFUCKERS. Don't know how to swim? Don't'cha worry. Daddy Dang has got you covered. I know CPR! I give the best CPR! 💖 I'll rescue ya. TONIGHT, WE BALL!"

Nobody uses that phrase anymore, but you know what? You do you, SD.

▶ 002. WHALE WATCHING.

Minutes into their ship's course, the boats will rock violently, as if those already violent waves have somehow come alive. There is something in the water! The mission brief would have been shared with them sometime during their trip, but maybe Outsiders want to pull up on their implant the image and debrief shared once again now that there is some action. The orca-like Kaiju trying to reach the shores of Neo Tokyo is called Shachimon, and she's been the cause of the violent waves and flooding we've seen for the past few weeks. Alongside of her and are her children orca who love to mimic everything their mother does. The biggest one, the matriarch of the pod, is over 60 meters in length - large enough to swallow a boat whole. The younger ones are smaller but just as ferocious, spanning from the size of a car to the size of a bus. The youngsters are a size small enough that they can leap out of the water, sometimes crashing down onto people and ships. Beware!

Shachimon will be fighting to knock over boats, or climbing on boats with their amphibious legs. Once they get their hands on humans or Outsiders, they pull them into the water, tearing them limb from limb to feed. Their control over the waves are no joke, either. With a powerful swing of their tail, they can conjure up tsunamis capable of overturning ships. The matriarch, if left to her own devices, seems bent on submerging Neo Tokyo to make food of all its citizens.

█ █ █ MONSTER DEBRIEF SHEET
NAME: Shachimon
HEIGHT: Younger whales are 4 - 18 metres. The matriarch is 60 meters in length.
WEIGHT: 1500kg - 5000kg
CLASS: Highly dangerous.
LOCATION: Large bodies of water
ABILITIES: Use of sonar to detect any water movement. Fast swimmer. Very sturdy body thanks to all that whale blubber. High intelligence - commonly works together as a pod to take down prey. Capable of creating tsunamis that overturn boats. The largest Shachimon can sink a city if not stopped.
WEAKNESS: Electricity (since it will be inside water), dissection, spearing its eyes or blowhole. Loud vibrations within the water can stun or confuse it.
EXTRA NOTES: Dislikes and will attempt to overturn civilian yachts. Carnivorous, eating marine life and human flesh. Sadistic personality, may play with their food prior to eating.

█ █ █ MISSION OBJECTIVE:
✖ Lead the Shachimon away from the shore.
✖ Extermination of Shachimon in the water and if they reach the shore.
✖ Protection of nearby fishermen's boats and civilians within those boats.
✖ Teamwork to destroy the matriach Shachimon.
✖ Bring back specimens (live or deceased) for research purposes.

█ █ █ ATTACHED PHOTO:

As a note, Outsiders who wish to remain on land and help civilians there may do so. There are waves flooding the city, and some of the smaller, quicker Shachimon will have made it to shore. They will need to be taken care of before they can terrorise the city.

▶ 003. OCEAN GEMS.

Shachimon are most deadly in the water and their go-to strategy is to pull others into their turf, where they have the advantage. That's where those jewel-like implants come in. These implants, called OCEAN GEMS, when attached to the skin, temporarily modify the body. Once activated, nanobots will invade the bloodstream and alter the user's lungs, giving them a set of breathable gills. Their legs will also be altered, giving them fins and the tail of a fish. This is a recent invention by LILITH ever since the first Shachimon was spotted a few years ago, and the technology is still experimental. This means that the transformation process will be significantly uncomfortable, feeling a bit like being asphyxiated and having your legs sewn together at the same time. Deactivating the gem and turning back feels just as uncomfortable, and being experimental technology, it can take a while before the user can successfully revert back. Those who want to fight in the water and lack any weapons or abilities that can be used can request Seok Dang for a weapon. There's a limited supply, but they will be given a special trident. Directly driving the spear into one of the kaiju will electrocute it, giving a higher chance for higher damage. These tridents will be handed out to those who want to use their Ocean Gem and ask.

It's up to Outsiders whether they want to use this new technology or not. Being able to fight the monsters on their own terrain is certainly an advantage, so LILITH would highly encourage it.

▶ 004. MEDICAL BAY.

Healers and those with medical experience will be placed on the warship with a red flag on it. Dr. Spim & Alex will also be present on this ship to assist any major injuries to both LILITH and civilian fisherman alike. This ship is bigger than the others, and while stocked up with the same artillery, it is also stocked with beds and medical supplies. This will be the Outsider's naval medical bay during the siege on the Shachimon and all injured Outsiders or civilians will need to be transported there. This ship will also need to be protected heavily, because once the Shachimon catch on that all the injured, vulnerable prey are being transported to the larger ship, they will start to target that ship in particular. Characters that need immediate medical help should be transported to this ship via a dataportal. Each yacht has a dataportal that can teleport anyone instantly to the medical ship. The dataportals are also located down below deck to prevent them from getting damaged.

▶ 005. THE CALM AFTER THE STORM.

It's a bloody, soggy and gruesome battle and the seas' waves begin to calm down, the sea filled with kaiju carcasses. LILITH's clean up crew is working hastily to collect these corpses, but with the Outsiders' occupied and recovering from their fresh battle, help is limited. Search and rescue scavenges the sea to find any civilians who didn't make it or may need medical help. Meanwhile, the valiant teamwork and effort has paid off. After many hits from many different weapons, artillery, natural abilities, etc. the matriarch kaiju has been downed and sank to the bottom of the ocean floor. LILITH's team will work to retrieve the massive carcass, though it will take awhile. Those who put in notable effort will receive praise and a little extra payout. Outsiders will see an instant transfer of funds to their account: 340,000,000 KRYPTOS. This is roughly about 2500 USD.

The intense battle will have lasted several days and Outsiders are free to go from land to sea as little or as often as they like. It is all over, though, and Outsiders will be called to return to the MAIN BASE for rest and recovery. LILITH will also be searching for the rift where the kaiju came from while Outsiders recover. A message from an unknown voice will pop up an hour or so after all Outsiders have returned to the MAIN BASE. Outsiders may use this time to socialize in a commons area, wash up in the showers, get a meal in the cafeteria or rest.

"Good work."

▶ 006. AFTERWORD.

Welcome to our first Kaiju log! All prompts are highly encouraged but OOCly optional. ICly, characters can choose to fight in the ocean, on the ships or stay behind on land and protect the city. At the end of the siege, characters who accepted an Ocean Gem will be asked to return it. It's experimental technology, so LILITH will need to do more tweaking before they can properly release it. Outsiders who use the gem may have whatever fish tail they like, as long as it is a sea creature.

Feel free to NPC your characters' fights with the smaller kaijus. The main fight with the Shachimon matriarch will be determined via a HP-based system (See below).

Please note that all tags in this log count for 2 reward points each. Ask any further questions below!

Below is also the month at a glance. We understand the CALENDAR has been a little inconsistent, but the mod team is sorting all of this out. Expect a FEEDBACK POST this month as well so we can check in with the playerbase and make any adjustments to the game. This log, even if the time stamp says JANUARY, will count for FEBRUARY AC.

FEB 1st: Kaiju Fight Log in LOG COMMUNITY
FEB 15th: Text Post in NETWORK COMMUNITY
FEB 25th: Mod posted MEME COMMUNITY; FEEDBACK POST is live.

Thank you all for being a wonderful and understanding playerbase!

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Comments

Taryon Darrington | Critical Role

[likemybooks]

A. Prep

[So. They are going to fight a monster underwater. Using boats, thankfully, but it was to avoid a beast that moves swiftly in the vast ocean. Taryon recalls bringing up the Kraken he fought back home, and how the party was close to dying multiple times thanks to poor planning. It's superstitious to believe that his mentioning it summoned the Shachimon, but boy does he regret dwelling on it.

This time, he'll do better. He's learned. Before they even head out into the water, he must be aware who is working where. A few are using the gem-like devices (he's confused at first and wonders if LILITH employs artificers because the "nanobots" are explained to him) and directly fighting in the water - Taryon doesn't have raw firepower, so he decides to remain on the boats as long as possible. Some people may need a boost to their speed or evasion, others will want to be more nimble if one boat gets destroyed.

That's a lot of coins to enchant before a fight. Taryon thinks he will get 10, at most. But 10 spells could mean 10 lives saved.

But it sucks when there's a lovely set of food and drink and he's stuck on the couch, one ankle resting on his knee, supporting the hand-etched metal coins that he's infusing magic into. It takes time, with two fingers pressed against the surface, to enchant it with a spell that's ready to be pulled out at a moment's notice.]

Can someone get me a plate? And maybe a bit of wine? I'm a bit busy. [A pause.] So, who's going into the water?

((ooc: Taryon can infuse small tokens with one-time use support magic that anyone can use. If your character would be interested, here is a list of what he offers)

B. Battle on the High Seas

[Fighting on a moving boat isn't easy, but it sure is less stressful for Taryon to run around with his sword in one hand, swinging at orcas while he has his shield activated. Really easy! And they have weapons!

It's still terrifying! Taryon stabs the smaller kaiju and slashes off bits of their fins with practices effort, but his face reveals someone who has yet to be calm in the heat of battle. A baby charges at him with his mouth open. Taryon screams. He holds out his ring shield just in time for the orca to bump into an invisible force and throw Taryon onto his back.

In the rare times the coast is clear, Taryon takes the helm. The concept of piloting is complicated, but when it comes to turning the yacht in a vague direction, he gets it. And there's a pod headed towards the civilian fishing boats. Obviously, he has to lure the monsters away.] Sorry! But I promise I'll send us back! [The boat hits a choppy wave and jumps a few feet in the air.] Just- shoot those things if you want to get back so fast!

C. Boss Fight

[The fight has been underway for a significant chunk of time, and Taryon hasn't focused on the largest foe yet. It's time to change that. All he has on him is a basic melee weapon that doesn't even shoot electricity.

But this yacht is filled with weapons. Harpoons, he doesn't get. But guns? Those, he can do. He jumps onto the swivel gun seat and grabs onto the handles of the weapon with all the strength of a man who knows this is his lifeline. There's a massive shape in the churning water below, doing gods know what, but eventually, she has to breath. Taryon points the barrel of the gun at the spot closest to the surface of the water and follows it for a good few minutes.] She has to get out. Come on... [It's not going to be as effective if he shoots it underwater. The kaiju needs to breathe, and damage to the blowhole would force her to stay above water more often.

A black, shiny mound peeks over the waves. Taryon slams his fingers on the trigger, and a volley of bullets fire at the surrounding water, with most striking the sensitive skin opening up. The shape quivers, and there's a low roar coming underneath the boat.]

a,

[domitrix]

( everyone's scattered to the nine winds with their preparations. with some watching the angry seas, some anxiously pacing about, and some like her who's taking the lackadaisical stroll about picking up the miscellaneous hors d'oeuvre here and there.

the call for wine and food is heard, of course, but the best she does is pick up the whole platter arrangement and a bottle to pair with to set the arrangement by him. the assortment of finger foods should be easy enough to pick at while working, and she does at least pop open the cork before taking a lounge herself. )

I am. ( but more importantly, a gesture at the coins, the tilt of a curious head. what's he even doing? ) Good luck charms?

[likemybooks]

[The full plate and bottle comes as a surprise, but what else should he have expected from his buddy Kafka? A true fried goes above and beyond.

He takes one of the fancy sandwiches and sits up straight, leaving his work lying on his lap.] Of course not. How would they be used in battle? [What even is Luck? How is that helpful in any way?] I'm infusing them with magic.

[He holds up one coin between his forefinger and middle finger.] This one will increase your speed for a few minutes. It'll be helpful in an emergency if you're underwater.

What Is Luck Anyway made me cry laughing

[domitrix]

( it was also simply So Much Easier to just take the whole platter and deprive everyone else of what was on it,

anyway, she's swiping the bottle to pour herself a glass for a second, then sets it back by him with a hum. )

It makes people feel more secure to have a trinket to hold onto. Sometimes having that confidence is all they need to pull through.

( but enough philosophy. )

They all do something different, then?

[likemybooks]

[Taryon leans over to pour half a glass for himself, raising the bottle high to create a cascade of aerated wine.]

I guess. But I can't say much on how to create confidence in yourself. [Apart from faking it, but that's not what people want to hear.] I can do a lot of things. Do you want to jump higher? Fly? Maybe grow some gills? You'll need something if you're fighting underwater.

[domitrix]

Don't trust yourself on the field?

( if she's surprised, she doesn't much show it. LILITH took on people with some degree of capability for fieldwork so there's at least some threshold to meet before they're swept up in all of this, though she supposed not everyone could be blasé about the whole deal.

still curious, she's also going to go on ahead and take one of the laid out coins to toy with it as a charlatan might between fingers - partially to examine it, partially just to have something to fiddle with as they wait for the bait to do its work in drawing out their quarry. )

I took one of the gems they were handing out. ( just in case. it doesn't hurt. ) Fighting these things in their preferred terrain is bound to be interesting, and there's nothing wrong with being a little over prepared. You sound like you've got enough versatility to be alright, though.

[likemybooks]

[Taryon opens his mouth to answer "kind of", the shuts his mouth. Then opens it again.

He sits up straight and swirls his glass of wine in the classiest manner he can muster.] I'm very capable in battle. I've survived many battles with horrendous monsters, rescued friends from death's door, and stared down powerful men. It's a matter of sticking to what needs to be done, not how you feel.

[He'd have run away so many times by now if he listened to his lack of courage, and never have traveled to hell and bonded with the others, never have helped Keyleth collect the lodestones, never have changed Deastock.]

Oh, yes, water is a whale's favored terrain. If you want to out-swim them, I would recommend a Haste coin. [He holds out another one with different engravings.] That one you're holding contains the Blur spell. It'll make you harder to hit.

[domitrix]

( either he truly is simply more adapted to provide support, or he gives himself far too little credit. he seems well-accomplished enough despite his fear, and isn't that worth far more in comparison to the achievements of a woman who knows it not? the additional hurdle of dread tends to lock up even the most experienced. to be able to push past that is not a small feat.

or so elio says. )

So the wine is liquid courage, then? Perhaps I can look for something a little stronger.

( not that it seems likely, given the spread. she also doubts that their higher ups would think to give them access to something incapacitating mere moments before showtime. )

Blur and Haste, huh. Seems handy.

( a coin she flips in her hand, just to play with it. but she does wonder about the limits of it, given its convenience. )

Is combining the two not feasible?

[likemybooks]

Oh, no no, that's fine. I prefer wine to whatever else they got. [He defensively holds his glass a bit closer to his chest.] Most strong spirits taste terrible, anyway. I like to have a good time with my drink.

[Perhaps it works as liquid courage to Taryon, but rather than by dulling his sense of fear, it's to give him a brief burst of joy and relaxation. A refined man samples his wine like a pro, thus a refined, calm man Taryon shall be in the upcoming fight.]

You...could. I don't usually give two coins to anyone, but if I'm not worried about using up my magic, then yes. That would be an interesting combination. [It would take two turns in combat for Kafka to use both coins, but with all these boats, she could spend many turns focused on movement instead of attacking.] How do you usually fight? Is it up-close? So you don't want to get hit while you're in the middle of it all?

b

[stresspoint]

[ Nanami happens to end up on the yacht Taryon is piloting as he catches sight of the threatening pod. When the ship suddenly takes a sharp turn, Nanami has to grip the side of the ship to keep from being knocked entirely off of his feet. Luckily he doesn't get tossed overboard, but it's not an easy ride. And after they essentially go through one of the waves, Nanami looks a little like a cold, drowned rat. They haven't even reached the pod of kaiju yet. ]

Take the turns easier! Where are you going?

[ He only knows that Taryon must have decided to change course for a reason, but from his point on the aft deck, Nanami doesn't see the fishing boats or the kaiju charging at them. ]

What's going on?!

[ He still needs to catch up to the plan. ]

[likemybooks]

There's a pod headed that way! [Taryon grips the handles, as if that will speed up the boat. He knows, in theory, there are other speed settings than "no" and "really fast", but he's figured there's not enough time to play around with the levers and buttons when gas pedals are still a novelty. There is movement on the nearby fishing boats as the fishermen notice underwater movement in their direction, panicking as they unfurl sails.]

They're getting too close to the city. They said we need to keep them from hurting civilians! [He jerks the steering to the left, right towards the middle of the pod.] I'm going to grab their attention! Can you fight them off? Please fight them off! [He didn't really plan after "sail over here", but Nanami's a great fighter.]

[stresspoint]

[ Nanami rights himself, running toward the front of the yacht to get a better view of their situation. It's not great with just the two of them headed in that direction, but they are definitely the closest--by the time the others get to the pod, they'll probably already be in trouble. ]

All right. Steer us close to them and we'll cut them off.

[ He's already loading one of the mounted harpoon guns on the side of the deck. If they have to fight the pod off, then that's what they'll have to do. Nanami arms several of the weapons in a line, aiming them toward the shachimon. ]

If you can keep the boat nearby, we can hit them.

[ It's going to be a risk, but he's definitely aiming to fire and then jump into close combat. They'll have to fight in person once the monsters get onto the yacht. ]

Just don't let us sink, got it?

[likemybooks]

I'm trying not to! [Two orcas spot the oncoming ship and split from the rest of the pod, their mouths wide open with anticipation to chomp on the large, wobbling yacht. To the right of Taryon are the fisherboats. To the left, open sea. They need to lure more.]

Hang on. [He turns a hard right. The roar of the engine catches the attention of most of the pod. Eager for a fight, they - apart from two more interested in the civilian ships - dart away from the oncoming path of the boat and circle around, prepared to attack from the side.

Taryon makes a hard left, spraying water towards the fishermen.]

[stresspoint]

[ Nanami is left clinging to the railing of the deck as Taryon weaves around, trying to catch the attention of the pod. He sees the split in the group as most of the shachimon at first pay them no mind, but the way Taryon drives the boat and makes the engine growl gets the attention of most of their targets... except the two who seem too stubborn to change course.

Angrily, Nanami grabs one of the harpoons laid out and leaps from the yacht railing, using Taryon's gift of magical coin for the first time--just trusting it will work as he leaps first--and jumps with all his strength onto the back of the nearest shachimon. And then he keeps jumping, running over their back to reach the two monsters that are still headed for the fishing boats. He lands on one, driving the harpoon down into the blowhole, and leaps again as it rears and screams. ]

We're not done yet!

[ He nearly loses a leg to the kaiju's partner as it lunges, but thanks to the momentum and the coin's ability, Nanami is able to jump over shachimon backs as they try to snap at him, reaching the yacht again and bringing the pod behind him.

...Okay, so maybe that was only half good. They did some damage? ]

Keep driving!

[ The benefit of the shachimon flanking the boat at least means Nanami can fire the artillery along the deck at them. Several shots immediately hit home as the nearest kaiju rush forward, but the ones following keep rushing in, intending to capsize them. Nanami can only load and fire the next rounds so fast, and without Taryon steering them out toward open water, they'll be surrounded. ]

[likemybooks]

[Nanami leaves the yacht, and Taryon can only hope that the coin is enough to safely get him across. One glance across the water has his heart sinking as Nanami apparently leaps into the water...and lands on the back of a shachimon. He leaps again, onto the next. This is a level of acrobatics he had only seen in one other group of people, and Vox Machina didn't have to rely on his coins to regularly pull stunts like this.

Not that Taryon would have as good a time as Nanami, even if he were enchanted to the max. That guy was dexterous enough to stand on a moving target and athletic enough to jump far enough in the first place.

He pries his eyes away after a few too many close calls with a kaiju's teeth and focuses on keeping the boat on a straight path forward. Steering wheels are a unique concept to him, but a few panicked minutes in battle has him better acclimated to turning the wheel to have the boat gently curve away from the fishing boats.]

Where to?! [Their friends? The big one?]

[stresspoint]

[ Nanami scans the waters, trying to find a good way to face their now angry pursuers. They succeeded in playing bait, but now they have the numbers to deal with, and maybe this wasn't the best thing for them to do... too late now. Nanami points ahead, between the mother shachimon and some wreckage already left from other boats unfortunately being crushed by the monsters. ]

Head toward the debris.

[ That will at least slow down the whales and stop them from completely surrounding them. ] If you can weave through it, take us as close as you can.

[ He aims his artillery gun at the kaiju, trying to wound some of the closer ones to give them a bit more distance to get away and make it easier to pick them off individually. ]

[likemybooks]

There? [Taryon turns towards the mess of metal and wood bobbing on the water. It's dangerous, and he hasn't the experience to expertly weave through the wreckage, but he hopes the yacht can handle bumping into sharp objects. The boat takes another sharp turn, and the pod follows it. Shachimon want to destroy everything their mother wants to, no matter the obstacles.

He steers them past the first block of metal, then looks for the nearest way out. Taryon swerves over large chunks of debris, bumping into smaller ones and tossing aside planks of wood as he turns.

One of the small kaiju is hit, and disappears under the water. Its brethren continue to chase.]

b/wildcard. so sorry for the delay, i got sick

[frostfist]

[ When the real fight finally happens it is, as expected, nothing like the simulations.

It lasts so much longer for one, and the sheer volume of kaijuu rising from beneath the water's surface is nothing compared to what the simulation room has been conjuring up whenever he goes to visit. Wriothesley makes a note to himself, in the midst of trying to grapple one of the smaller kaiju off the ship's railing, to up the number of times he visits the sim room after this and also to increase the difficulty.

Assuming he makes it out of this in one piece.

A fierce punch knocks his current opponent off the railing, but there's no break to be found. Instead he turns just in time to hear a scream and see Taryon fall backwards onto the deck as a small Shachimon stumbles backwards after an invisible impact. Oh, not on his watch— ]

Hold on!

[ He shouts this to Taryon before sending a blast of ice straight at the kaiju, pivoting on his heel so he can race over and try and punch the thing back into the water, a move made far more effective with the modifications made to his gauntlets. The good news: he manages to land the punch. The bad news: he completely fails to register the presence of a third (why are there so many of them) kaiju that's made it onboard and has decided that now is the perfect time to tackle him to the ground, knocking the wind momentarily out of him.

Looks like things might get a little messy. ]

no problem!

[likemybooks]

[Taryon rolls up and pushes himself onto his feet. In the few seconds he's exposed to attacks, the offending kaiju is knocked into the water thanks to his loyal friend Wriothesley. And his own inventions. Pride wells up in his chest, knowing that he helped defeat one monster, only to disappear when a third pops up and slams Wriothesley onto the floor.]

Hey! [He runs at the monster, his shield down and his arms swinging, ignoring the fact that its teeth are incredible sharp. One more good hit could break a man's bones, and they were too far from a medical tent for that.

Taryon swings his sword at the creature's head. It creates a deep cut before his hand bounces off the kaiju's head, and the small Shachimon swings its head into Taryon, sending him crashing into the railing. Taryon grabs the bars with one hand as the rest of his body attempts to fall over the side.]

[frostfist]

[ Well, this isn't going well.

Not that Wriothesley's really thinking that because there's not a whole lot of room to think in general when the sounds of combat are ringing loudly through the air and he's being pinned to the deck by an oversized whale-shark-monster-thing. At this point it's mostly a combination of gut instinct and reflex driving him forward as he grapples with the kaiju to try and wrest it off.

The good news: A well-timed strike from behind knocks the kaiju off balance just enough for Wriothesley to shove it partially off.
The bad news: All the jostling and fighting means that his savior takes the brunt of the next attack meant for Wriothesley.

He unearths himself just enough to see Taryon sailing towards the railing. Oh no way— Another shove and he's picking himself up, dashing towards the other man to try and tug him back up. But there's too much going on and too many monsters around them. With some effort he manages to get Taryon back over the railing but his diverted focus means he misses the kaiju that's clambered back around to ram itself into his back and send him toppling over the railing instead of Taryon.

It looks like it might be his turn to go for a swim now. ]

[likemybooks]

[Taryon is yanked back onto the deck and given just enough time to gather himself before a shachimon zips past him and into the other man. When the monster rears back, Wriothesly is gone.]

Oh no. [Taryon takes a step forward and glances at the kaiju's teeth - no sign of having eaten his friend, but the alternative isn't good. The Shachimon seems to be grinning at its victory, though the curve of its mouth may naturally create that slasher grin.] Oh, no.

[The kaiju is distracted momentarily and doesn't notice another man clamber over the railing and jump into the water with a loud splash.] Hey! Where are you?! [The choppy waters reveal little, only managing to bob Taryon up and down and knock some salty water into his mouth.

He swears under his breath and slaps his hand against his neck to cast Alter Self. A pair of gills form just above his plugsuit, and his fingers gain webbing. He instinctively takes a deep breath and dives under the surface, his weapon transformed into a spear in case any the kaiju get too close.]