To go with your crew...

[highseasmods]

Who: Everyone who is fighting in the battle to kill the witch.
Where: The Black Fortress in the East
When: Jan 24th-25th
What: The grand battle to get back what you have lost, get revenge for what was taken, and avert disaster.
Warnings: Language. Death. Victory. Defeat. True love. Miracles.
Style: Text or prose
Status: Open to all



The black fortress ripples with shimmering iridescent energy, the piles of black coral heaped on roped together barges around it, bobbing in the waves. On the largest barge stands a slender man with a copper belt, wearing a face mask, orange red hair flecked with black from ash or dust. As the dawn slowly folds over the ocean, he'll look up, as if hearing some hidden voice.

At the top of the fortress, a figure climbs into vision, a woman, dressed in gray, features obscured by a hood with impenetrable darkness behind it. She staggers a moment as if she is weary, then straightens to her full height. As she speaks, her voice comes out of the journals, echoing over the water, low but clear.

"This is no small task ye do. She that rots within'll do anythin' ta stop ye. Don't hesitate to kill what ye find. If they were human once, they hain't no more. Watch out for her golems, too, or they'll drain ye dry quicker'n a wink. But if ye can get rid of 'em, it'll weaken her." She hesitates, cants her head to the side. "And if ye lot aren't as much of a bunch'a idiots as usual, ye might come out alive through this."

That said, she raises her hands. After a moment so does the man on the barge. For a moment, nothing seems to happen and then iridescent light shimmers over the coral, seeming to match that which surrounds the fortress. It crackles and dances like a fire, and then without warning bursts into a furious life, slamming against the energy of the fortress. There is the sound like thunder and light snaps and crackles, zipping with energy. Then with a woosh the light flies upward, taking the figure with it. The man on the barge lets out a cry like a seagull and dives into the water as if intending to swim after her.

For the boats that remain, a part of the fortress will crumble away into the sea, revealing a small harbor and an open doorway. Enter all ye who dare.


[If things become too crowded, feel free to make another thread outside of these. Just put where you are in the header.]

Comments

Locations

[highseasmods]

[a list of important locations you can fight at, though feel free to make up your own. This is where all general tagging in the log goes.]

The Armory

[highseasmods]

You will also see a portrait of a man that looks like a certain ghost, standing tall and proud behind the wheel of a ship. There is a large red gem hanging from a plated gold chain around his neck. Just behind him and to the right is a proud woman with pale skin, red lips and russet red hair, her posture tall and her eyes hooded.

[serving_love]

[Rummaging around in here, looking for something he can use to get this shitty collar off. He heard that clap of thunder and felt the sudden rush of energy, so he's pretty sure now's the time.

The gig is up, their way out is here, though the thought of facing any member of his crew actually makes him feel physically ill and weighed down with overwhelming guilt. Still, he expects soon there'll be all sorts of idiots running through these halls looking for their missing nakama, not to mention the prisoners he knows have already escaped their cells. It's about to become a fucking battleground, and this thing around his neck is a damn nuisance.

In any case, he's done pretending to serve the Witch. And besides, there's something he still has to do...]

[breakfastmetaphors]

[The captain had left them to their own devices, so upon entering the fortress, L-Elf's first priority had been to search out the armory. Ammunition is expensive in this place and the knife he carries, while usually sufficient, is limited in its range. He examines the assortment of blades the armory offers, looking for anything easily concealable or that won't weigh him down too much. Ultimately, he settles for a pair of wicked looking daggers and what seems to be some sort of short sword. It's not what he's trained in, but against largely mindless opponents, he doesn't foresee any difficulty.]

[OOC: Underarmed? Not armed at all? Have someone who can figure out what you need.]

[forthevillage]

Checking here before had found him nothing, but with all the current commotion Itachi found himself back here again. Surprisingly, where before there had been nothing but broken and useless weapons, there now seemed to be a fair amount in working condition.

How peculiar.

At this point it wasn't easy to tell if things were an illusion or not, so he kept the rusty sword from before at his waist as opposed to tossing it aside and grabbed up a sword in better condition. There were daggers, but it seemed a waste to try and use them as replacement kunai for now, so this would have to do.

[ex_automobiles598]

[The armory would have suited Asami's needs more had there been more advanced weapons. She wasn’t all that well versed in using any of the present weapons properly, but they would have to do for now.

She picked up a pistol and tucked it away under her belt and then picked up a longsword, flipping it both ways before standing up]

Alright...I think I have what need from here.

[Now hopefully she could move to another area without too much trouble]

The Kitchen

[highseasmods]

There is food that can be found there, rough, simple fare that tastes far better than it has any right to. It seems as if someone is looking out for you in this place.

In the center of the room, on a silver platter, is an ornate cake, black and looped with red frosting. Do you eat it? Do you dare? How good are you at poison? A helpful, if shakily scrawled note can be found by the cake, reading:

Do not eat.

Re: The Kitchen

[delicate_maiden]

[Why would you label a cake "Do not eat?" Not that Kai is going to eat any of this stuff. After that incident with Sanji, she's not trusting any food for a while if she doesn't know what went in it.

Still, she's been fighting off zombies since they busted their way into this place, she's sweaty and gross and probably has zombie bits in her hair and now here's a room with a beautiful cake.]

But why...?

[What happens if you eat the cake?]

[heartismyown]

[Hey look, a cake! Roxas wanders over and looks at the cake curiously. It looks pretty delicious, and it's probably sweet. It's not hard to find a fork, and he holds it over the cake before seeing the sign.

Do not eat.

Huh. Why not? He pauses to ponder it over, he could still eat it, no one was watching him, or he could move on.]

[willwork4sugar]

     He'd lost track of the girls for a moment, but he doubted it would take long to find them and Hubert again. What with all the commotion that had come up, the thief had the feeling that things were going to get pretty loud and messy really soon. Did that mean they were found? Or was something else up?

     Best he went and found out before they all ran headlong into zombies or something.

     Ducking down a hall, he swept right past the doorway to the kitchen....and then a few seconds later backtracked to look inside.

     Gaius could probably spot a cupcake on a battlefield several miles away.

     And then he suddenly found himself inside the kitchen, approaching the cake like he would a treasure vault. It was ominous for its black and red coloration, but at the same time.... Well. Cake.

     "...." He paused as his eyes fell upon the note nearby, that of which he picked up to read, frowning. "Of course."

Treasury

[highseasmods]

Deep down in the blackness down a steep set of spiral steps, something catches the light and glimmers in the darkness. Upon reaching the bottom, you'll find a room full of treasure, light glinting off gold coins, jewels, pearls. In the center is the statue of a man that may seem somewhat familiar to you. If you've been to the armory you've seen his portrait, stern of face and wearing a red gem around his neck. If the eyes watching you from the statue's bronze face seem too real to be true, it may be because they are.

Collect all the treasure you wish. It is there for the plucking. But you are not the only ones alive down here. In short, watch out for giant tentacles.

[bless_me_bagpipes]

Under the circumstances, it might have been a bit foolhardy to enter the fortress alone but Scrooge was never one to let ominous circumstances dissuade him from accomplishing what he set out to do and he wasn't about to start now. This witch, had taken this nonsense of hers too far and innocent people were being harmed in the process. He'd done his part in gathering black coral, and ideally he'd at least be able to discover what had become of the missing outsiders, maybe even help rescue them if they were indeed here and in their right minds.

Someone needed to put an end to this whole curse nonsense.

Although he'd been focused up to this point something caught his eye that threatened to throw him horribly off course. The way the light was being reflected was intriguing, drawing him ever nearer. "Wait... what's that now?" He sniffed the air and was met with a pleasant and inviting scent. "Why- it's gold! Lots and lots of gold!"

"Ha ha!" He exclaimed in elation, rushing as fast as he could to get down the staircase. Catching sight of the chamber in front of him, he paused admiring it all in a state of awe. "Not just gold either! It's a motherload!" Unable to contain himself any longer, he dove off the staircase in a perfect diver's stance. He wasn't concerned with the height or the material he was about to come in contact with. When he reached the bottom he sliced through the treasure as if it were water. Burrowing through it like a gopher, he sporadically leaped out of it only to dive right back in. Finally he settled on the backstroke after he was already covered in jewels.

[hoodwinking]

The thought of working in a crew, as opportune as it was for her at the moment, still bothered B.B. quite a bit. Though the hunter had worked in groups before, having to pledge her loyalty to someone else was irritating-- not to mention, her first action as a part of the crew was to save them! What the hell was that about?

As she trudged along the fortress, there was a faint glimmering light beckoning her to investigate. The hunter bit her lip, seeking out the room. Of course, the one perk of becoming a pirate!

"Treasure?! I found treasure!" She called out to hopefully no one, as she scrambled inside. Doubloons, gems, it was enough to nearly make her faint! Well, she wasn't getting paid for this job, but it wouldn't hurt to take a cut. As she knelt to start scooping up loot to put in her basket, she momentarily turned her head. Strange, she thought she heard something...

Well. It was probably nothing. For now, she'll return to nabbing what she can.

[seadevil]

[He'd gotten a little distracted cutting a swath through the zombies at the harbor and in the halls of the fortress. Yes, he's supposed to be headed after the witch, but who knows where she might be found, right? After all, the whole fortress is her lair. Who's to say that there's no reason she might be waiting in her treasury?

It's not the most solid of excuses, but for a man who'll steal whatever treasure he can get his hands on, it's good enough. He's even come prepared with a nice sturdy pack (stolen from the navy raid and thankfully left untouched when Xun Yu raided their stores to set her traps) to store as much in as he can shove in.

So shoving things in is exactly what he's doing when a tentacle starts making its slimy way across the chamber, displacing coins and jewels as it goes.]

[missvicegirl]

After breaking into the fortress, Luka, still clad in her Gokai Red uniform, had begun to canvas the area with Marvelous. She almost ran past the treasury, not noticing what was inside...

... until she doubled back, and let out a sound high enough only dogs and most Anubis-seijin could hear.

"HOLY CRAP!" she squealed. "IT'S THE MOTHERLODE!"

[failguardian]

[After a few hard battles, Anise finds herself needing to take a break, and searches for a quiet, out of the way place to do so. But, always alert to the glint of gold, she finds herself making her way cautiously down the stairs, heart beating fast with hope.]

[When she sees the mounds of gold and precious gems, she lets out a whoop loud enough to draw the attention of anyone nearby.]

Yessss! Finally! My reward!

[She starts picking up whatever she can reach, but stops, face falling.]

Dammit, I don't have a bag! How can I carry all this stuff now...?

[serving_love]

[Later in the battle, much later, like after the still-possessed have been fought and defeated, Sanji comes crashing through one of the walls in the Treasury.

...He probably could've used the door, but it was all the way around the corner and down the hall, this seemed faster.

Also it just feels good to be able to kick the crap out of things again now that there's not some shitty collar around his neck draining all his strength.

Anyway, he comes flying in and lands in a crouch before darting a quick look around the place.]

OI! ANY ASSHOLES STILL IN HERE NEED TO GET THE FUCK OUT RIGHT NOW!

[And that's really the only warning you're going to get. Sanji charges forward after that, heading straight for that familiar looking statue in the center of the room. When he's just about there he falls into a sudden spin, looking like a mini-tornado for a second, and when he comes out of it the bottom half of his right leg is a bright, blazing red.

He jumps up, swinging that burning leg around at the statue, and his foot smashes clean through it, shattering it into pieces that crumble and begin to fall. Another kick sends the remainders soaring across the room where they crash into another wall and break completely.

Where the statue used to be there is now a large, gaping hole in the floor. Beneath it, you might hear a sloshing sound, like maybe there's water down there.

Then come the tentacles, rising up from the deep and creeping out of the hole. They're huge, and strong, and the thicker they get, the less room there seems to be for them to come through.

Which is when the floor around the hole begins to crack and split apart.

Beware the sudden tremors -- that isn't an earthquake and they're not going to stop anytime soon.]

[reluctantjinrou]

[Awhile before Sanji gets down and destroys the place, Natsuno finds himself heading down into the treasury. There's more gold in here then anyone can carry and the odds of this place coming down around them is pretty high. Logically, they need more funds for the crew, and for himself so he jumps down into the coins and starts filling the pockets of his pants, glad for the cargo pants having two extra pockets. The weight is nothing right now.]

[willwork4sugar]

     Given that the cake was a bust, Gaius decided he wasn't going to leave this place empty-handed, especially not for all of their troubles. And of course, if there was a treasure vault to be looted, then one could naturally expect it to be visited by the thief.

     This was his specialty, right here. Well, aside from sweet things. Shiny was the next best. Gaius heard others within as well, but he wasn't worried about them emptying out the place before he could get a share. After all, there was quite a load here.

     He could do without the creepy statue though. As if being in some witch's fortress wasn't enough reason for him to be on his guard. Maybe if he blindfolded it then it wouldn't be as bad. He hated working with someone watching.

Harbor

[gokai_red]

A bright flash visible off the deck of the Charming Murderess signals the appearance of Gokai Red, as Captain Marvelous marches up to the side railing of the boat. He places a foot upon it, and leans over.

The harbor looked... unfriendly. As in, "teeming with undead," giving necessity to probably clear an entrance from where the Murderess was coming up.

Well, that certainly explained the "human once, but not anymore" crowd.

"Gonna have to make a mess before we head in!" he shouted over his shoulder, drawing out his Gokai Gun and Saber. "Imagine we're not gonna be the only ones. Luka, you're with me! Everyone else, either do what you know you gotta, or cover those other crews that're light on help!"

He ran the gun's barrel across the blade of his sword.

"You find those prisoners, blow something up," he said, and then followed quickly after with: "More than you're already gonna."

Finally, he hopped up onto the railing completely.

"So then, pirates! Let's make a show of it!"

And with that... well.

He jumped straight off the side of the ship, right down onto the docks, and into the fray.

[allendsmeat]

Luffy runs to the end of the figurehead, propelling his arm along the way before shooting it out to dig into the doorways opening.

"GUM GUM NO ROCKET!" The rest of his body follows and he lands, skidding along the rock and punching a zombie in the face. He's not in the mood for burying anyone today. Then he'll lean back, caging his arms at his sides and bellow:


"SANJII WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Fortress

[dersite_dj]

[To anyone running around the fortress, there's an exceptionally high chance they'll encounter Dave Strider, once or twice. Making a number of time-based parallel clones of himself by traveling in and out of the streams of time around the fortress, Dave goes through the busy task of searching for his captain and obviously, loot.

In his wake, he leaves pieces of undead torn apart and turning to dust from his legendary holy ultima fantastical sword. Occasionally, he flash-steps down bare and empty hallways, but that would get tougher as the number of people running around would increase.]

The Prison

[wavesoakedlegs]

Above all else, the priority here is to rescue those taken by the Witch... or at least, it's what Mitsuhide considers to be priority. No amount of treasure or jewel shards could draw him away from rescuing those currently trapped in the imposing fortress.

With this objective in mind, it's inevitable that he and those who have come with him should end up in the prison. Many have probably left that area already, but plenty are almost certain to remain; the danger that the 'guards' might present to those without weaponry or combat experience is great, so it's almost certain that there are some poor souls left in the dark spaces of the cells.

Mitsuhide already has some unfortunate stains on his blade and armour; getting this far has required fights with various undead men and women, some of whom bled as a living person but others who seemed to be filled with little more than dust and black, corroded flesh. The fights were unpleasant and not the easiest in such enclosed spaces, but so far they have triumphed without injury.

In one cell-lined corridor it seems they have been granted a brief reprieve, because the shumbling creatures are nowhere to be seen in this small part. But perhaps in one of these cells...

That doesn't mean any samurai would let down his guard, however, and Mitsuhide is all steely warrior right now. His expression is serious and focused as he looks around, hand on his sheathed sword.

"We may have better luck finding someone here," he murmurs, quiet but clear. "I think a thorough check of the cells is in order."

ENTRANCE HALL

[oneofthelost]

[The last hours of daylight were consumed on the harbor, fighting when she could and hiding when it was appropriate. She's only so good when the sun's up, though she's tried to help.

Come nightfall, though, Alex actually breaches the castle herself.

Those who might have seen her a few hours ago? They'll notice the different. Her skin is deathly pale now, and her posture is far more catlike. She moves with unnatural grace, almost completely silent. Nearly every arrow she fires hits its mark. Her vision and hearing are sharpened greatly, allowing the better focus.

Throne rooms, dungeons... None of those matter. Just eliminating all of the undead she sees.

And she is ruthless. She fires arrows, usually piercing the heart. Those, she leaves. When the arrows are finished, her sword comes out, and there's a lack of hesitation as she stabs and slashes. And beheads.

But even with the near-vampire abilities... She can't take them all at once. The injuries on her -- even as they knit up but more appear before they're done -- are proof of that.]

Hallways and Beyond

[donthithimintheballs]

[Logan hasn't joined the others (for... reasons) and hasn't hunted down the Witch yet. His concern is the others. The none fighters. So he's on search and rescue right now. Claws out and mucked with zombie gunk, fists raw and sore knuckled. His shirt is missing, so please don't mind that.]

[He's helped a few out already, Having left the crumbled wall and the harbor once more, and darting like an animal, back into the fortress, searching hallways and other rooms for people who might be in trouble.]

[Feel free to run into him in a hall, or name a room and he will come across it.]