QUEST: The Plight of Prometheus[Permanently Open]

[Heroic Bilby]

Loki

Current Location: Prometheus' Prison

Items of Interest

Prometheus

Prometheus' Bonds

Prometheus stirred in his chains as the ancient titan sensed yet another arrival. His signal flare was still burning brightly in the sky, attracting as many people as possible. It was in Prometheus' best interest to do so. This area of the land was long forgotten by both man and god alike, and even the residents of Olympus no longer bothered to turn their eyes this way. That was as Prometheus intended in waiting so long before making his attempt.

The old, grey-haired man suspended and held against the rock wall looked with dulled eyes at the tiny being before him. He took the appearance of a human child not even past their first decade of life, but of course one a sold and wise as Prometheus was not a judge of appearances, but of hearts and souls.

"You have come following my call for help young one," Prometheus said to Loki in a tired voice. "My name is Prometheus, and I have been chained here for many centuries. I have set a fire in the sky to ask for anyone willing to attempt winning my freedom. Many have come and accepted my plight already and are exploring the mountain, but they will need help."

The former giant paused to breath wearily and consider his words. The same basic speech as before, but now for such a young creature. Not a human, he knew, but still young.

"If you are willing to lend aid I will reward you as best I can... but if not I only ask that you find a hero of men after you leave and ask him to lend an ear to my plea."

Area Exits: Mountain Descent[Forfeit Quest], Treeside Path, Snowside Path, Lowering Wall Climb[Dexterous characters and flight-capable characters only], Mountain Summit[Flight-capable characters only]

[Akito]

Easley's fingers danced, as if he were playing a piano orchestra all on his own. He had a simple but effective strategy to get himself across with minimal effort. His wires would provide him the means to transverse the narrow path and the crashing snow boulders, yet it would take a little white to set up. All good things come with time, after all. This was no exception.

Unconcerned with whatever the Elf girl behind him was doing, he still keept a mindful awareness of her. After all, Easley had a great disdain for turning his back to others. He trusted very few people indeed with his back and no-one at all with his life. Certainly not some go-lucky Elf. Her excessive happiness was...irksome. A tinge of envy on Easley's part? Perhaps. In any case, his fingers didn't stop moving as he set up the necessary perimeter...

[gouki]

Tidus was around the midway point of the tree tunnel when he could feel that he was no longer alone. Turning around but still walking backwards the blond hero could see off in the distance one of the two people that he saw talking to Prometheus.

"I guess they decided to help him after all." Tidus said with a smile on his face. It was a cool thing for them to help that Titan out, even if they only did it for their own specific reasons...

Stretching out his arms Tidus let out a big yawn then swung his arms around. This pathway was quite a sight who would have thought that trees still grew around here? Being the ever curious person that Tidus was he took a moment to go and look at the trees and climb one of them of course. With a running start Tidus took off to a nearby tree running up the body of it before jumping off to grab a branch. Once he had a firn grip he lifted himself up climbing the tree until he reached the top.

Poking his head from out of the tree Tidus took a look around just to see how much further he needed to go. Once that was done he jumped down and ran the rest of the way there.

[Exit to End of Tunnel]

[~||WhiteSong||~]

Loki looked in shock and saddness at the God's plight... His tail was limp in sorrow as his eyes shined with saddness. The poor man, bound like this in the realm of mortals... Loki would do what ever it takes to help the god! Suddenly the "Tales of Five" glowed white and pulsed twice once more... Loki nodded.

"So thats what you wanted me to do... baka! you could of just said so!" Loki glowered at his beads, as it made a half-pulse. A form of a 'dismissive shrug'. Loki glared at the sentinet beads before looking at the Titan in human form. "I'll do what I can! Since the "Tales of Five" wills it to be!" the green-haired demon spoke determined once more. Saddness gone and instead strong will took it's place.

"Um.. where should I go?" Loki muttered looking around he spotted a cracked and cressed surface wall structure. Perfect! Loki's dexterious as well as nimble hands and feet would be able to climb the 'wall' and bring him to wherever he needed to go! "I know where to go!" Loki yelled excited. As he turned his head back towards the Titan God, as he sprinted to the wall. "I'll help you! You can count on it!" And thus Loki clambered to the stone wall.

[Exit-Lowering Wall Climb]

[Heroic Bilby]

Empty

Current Location: Prometheus' Prison

Items of Interest

N/A

'He is young, but I shall not turn down aid now,' the titan thought as yet another potential rescuer departed the site of his open air imprisonment. 'At the least, perhaps his sacrifice will make a bridge for others to cross.'

Area Exits: N/A

***

Easley; Faye

Current Location: Snowside Path

Items of Interest

Snow Drifts

Sealed Door

Snow Boulders

As Easley went to work instead of trying to beat the rolling obstacles across the remaining pathway the waves of snowy hazards did eventually reach the walkway known as the Snowside path and begin to crash into it before either breaking apart of bouncing/rolling off over the edge. None seemed intent on coming over the mountain peak towards his and the girl's current location, so they remained safe for now.

Area Exits: Prometheus' Prison, Snowy Plateau, Mountain Summit[Flight-capable characters only]

***

Tidus; Enaad; Neo

Current Location: Treeside Path

Items of Interest

Live Trees

Dead trees

Tidus made his last dash towards the exit of the Treeside Path, but as he moved along he would eventually pass by one of the short, grey husks of former trees near the central pathway. Without so much as a sound or a warning act one of the withered roots of bark would suddenly pop up into a high angle off the ground just as Tidus reached it, as if aiming to trip the potential athlete up and send him falling down.

After the strange pop up of the root though the tree itself showed no other signs of action and certainly none of sentience. It simply sat there, as quiet and inanimate as before.

Area Exits: Prometheus' Prison, Through the Trees, Mountain Summit[Flight-capable characters only]

***

Loki

Current Location: Climbing Wall
Description: An nearly perfectly vertical patch of brown rock on the mountain's side. Covering an area of about one hundred meters down and across, it is surrounded on all sides by round rocks of a lighter tan colour that cannot be safely scaled. The Climbing Wall itself is full of small extruding rocks and many nooks and handholds a dexterous character can use to climb safely along it. The wall is partly below Prometheus' Prison and partly below the Snowside Path, visible from the Mountain Ascent road. Entering from the area above puts a character at the central highest point, referred to as "North". On related points some noticeably larger boulders stick out, and there is also an area of huge cracks and scratches in the rock that seem to go in quite deep.

Items of Interest

Eastern Boulder

Southwest Boulder

Southeast Cracks

As Loki climbed down he would find himself on a square-shaped patch of deep brown rock full of hand and foot holds for potential climbers. half way down the patch and off to his right(Assuming he was climbing down facing the wall and with his head above his feet) was a large, spherical boulder of the same colour, full of cracks and sticking half-way out of the mountain's surface. At the bottom and to the left was another boulder, this one a lighter tan boulder, this one more tear-shaped and deeply embedded in the earth. Across from it at the bottom right was a large patch of barely visible cracks.

Nothing came out to greet the boy, so unless he slipped all seemed well for now.

Area Exits: Prometheus' Prison(North), Fatal Fall(South)[Automatic death to all flight-incapable characters]

[Akito]

Fatal Design. A network of wires sharper even than the ones he wielded. Stretching from one end to another a full distance of 600m. This was Easley's ploy, this was what he would use to traverse the snow balls. The field of wires formed in front of Easley, coming from even thin air in tandems. A complex and irrational web of death that stretched 600m in front of Easley in a dome. So, what do you propose happened to the snow balls as they fell now with the wires in place? They got sliced to much smaller, harmless piles of snow; the momentum of their descent working against them to cut them up even more thoroughly. It was like watching flies plummet themselves into a spider's web.

Easley quite casually leapt upon the wires, using his Fate Sonata and Balmoral shoes. With grace and balance that would put even the most renowned tight rope artists to shame, Easley moved quickly through the jungle of wires. His movements were sleek and without waste, his body sometimes passing a hair's breath away from a deadly wire. However, to Easley, that hair's breath was as wide as the ocean. Eventually, he would reach the top of Fatal Design's wire field and from there, he could simply run across the wires on top of it all. In this way, he would soon reach the plateau unless some other nuisance reared its head.

Until he could cross safely, Easley would keep it there; meaning anyone intent on pursuing the same path he had would have to wait until he was at the plateau.

[Exit to Snowy Plateau]

[~||WhiteSong||~]

Loki began his descent down the wall, finding it more difficult then he orginally thought. Thought this did not detire him from his quest, to help the poor Soul that was the Titan God in human flesh.

His fate was something no one should have. And being of Kitsune blood- one thing Loki loved above all things was freedom. He would help the God as much as possiable- even if it cost his young demonic life... But then- who would the beaded necklace pass on to?

Carefully Loki kept his grip on the juttung rocks, as his feet hit the lower ones for a grip, he would not fall! After what seemed hours of dexterious climbing down the side, Loki found himself on safe ground... Or so he hoped...

[Exit-Prometheus' Prison(North)]

[Iris|Kairi]

"Can I come-"

But he was gone, and she could tell that following him anywhere near his wires was a bad idea. Faye's happy face faltered a little as she looked around her, the silence deafening and the loneliness even more bothersome. A shiver traveling down her spine, though it stopped short once it was through her system, suggesting it wasn't the cold that had caused it.

Really, she had wanted to go with Easley, but it was obvious he hadn't thought the same. It didn't occur to her that he may have purposefully left her behind. She saw it more as a blunder on his part, as if he forgot or was too excited about moving to the next area to remember to ask if she wanted to come to. The poor elf had a lot to learn about people, specifically humans.

She waited at the mouth of the path, watching as the figure seemingly hopped around on wires, almost seeming like he was dancing in mid air with tumbling....balls of the cold white stuff. A sad little pout settled on her features for a few moments until the wires went away. True, he was gone from her sight, but now she could at least follow him to the next area.

She started out on the path, keeping a watchful eye out for the plummeting cold that seemed it was dangerous enough for the man to take such caution to avoid them. Faye liked to think she had speed and agility on her side; enough to avoid most of the balls anyway. And since the white stuff was cold and melted at mere body temperature (maybe warmer, but she wasn't sure), surely her White Flames could melt the bugger before it hit her...

With that plan in mind, she continued on cautiously, but with confidence that she could make it on her own safely. Her hands glowed a soft white, ready just in case.

[Exit to Snowy Plateau..Or Exit from Snowy Path. >>]

[Heroic Bilby]

Combat Tutorial

ENEMY UNITS

It was bound to happen eventually. One of you brave adventurers has encountered a hostile being here on Prometheus' mountain. These "Enemy Units" appear in an area description below the Items of Interest. Like units will be given numbers to help you differentiate between them and their listing below the area's IoI will utilize the same green to black colour scheme to indicate how much damage has been dealt to each as is used for your characters. Enemy Units are always hostile and there is little chance to reason with them. Fight or flight are your only real options when these occupy the same area as you, but be careful. Attempting to leave an area before all enemies are defeated or incapacitated might leave your character open to an interruption attack, causing damage and leaving them in a worse predicament than before.

SPEED BONUS

Don't fret though, the Plight of Prometheus is a quest that rewards commitment and activity remember? Utilize the Speed Kill System in order to dispatch enemies more effectively as well as to earn more points for bonus rewards upon the Quest's completion! In order to earn a Speed Bonus when attacking another unit the player must post within two hours of the Quest Master's related post. Doing so with an attack that is, at the very least, not completely illogical will cause your attack to be a Critical Hit. Some enemies can be completely defeated by a single Critical Hit, resulting in a Speed Kill. Others might be more hardy and require some more damage, but Critical Hits will always be extremely effective. Yet other special Enemy Units, such as Boss Units, might even require a Critical Hit in order to deliver the final blow. Its never a bad idea to aim for these mighty attacks in battle. Remember that you can just read the QM's posts related to the area you're in before replying to have all the information required, so leaving the rest until later can help you beat the clock and earn that Speed Kill!

Be careful though, as there are some restrictions to keep in mind. If your character makes more than one attack or one attack combo, such as moving from one enemy to another in a single turn, only the first will receive any applicable Speed Bonus. Be sure to watch your back. Your Speed Bonus will also be negated if your post is edited at a later time than the two hour limit before the QM's next replying post is made, so be sure to get your moves right the first time and remember that earning a Speed Bonus can make more of a difference than a complex attack sometimes. Use your judgment wisely. The Quest Master may also modify your attack in their post in order to transform it into a Critical Hit for you, but this won't be abused to take control of your character away from you.

Good luck and fight hard(And fast)!

***

Loki

Current Location: Prometheus' Prison

Items of Interest

Prometheus

Prometheus' Bonds

The chained titan raised his head as the young boy returned again exactly the way he had left, climbing up from the side of the mountain wall.

"Did you encounter a dead end, young one?" Prometheus asked the fox demon with a modicum of interest. He did not know the area of the mountain at all, having been placed here and bound to this spot immediately by Zeus himself. Whatever lay around him beyond the limits of natural eyesight were all a mystery.

Area Exits: Mountain Descent[Forfeit Quest], Treeside Path, Snowside Path, Climbing Wall[Dexterous characters and flight-capable characters only], Mountain Summit[Flight-capable characters only]

***

Faye

Current Location: Snowside Path

Items of Interest

Snow Drifts

Sealed Door

Easley left the elf girl behind and manged to get around the annoyingly cold obstacles with the use of his wire network. After making a potentially deadly trip across his own weapon lines he proceeded on towards the snow-ridden area ahead, leaving Faye to fend for herself. As he passed by however the assassin would get the chance to notice something: The chains that wrapped around the mountain disappeared into incredibly small slits in the snow-covered rock walls about three-quarters of the way around, not even being visible as a rough shape beneath a layer of white anymore.

Wherever the chains were anchored seemed to be inside the mountain itself.

Meanwhile the blue-haired female seemed undisturbed and simply awaited for Easley's deadly web to clear her trail. She proceeded forward with caution and quick steps, though the snow on the ground would prove to impede her movements in a way she may not have expected, never having witnessed snow before. Because of this impediment Faye would find herself caught in the middle of three rolling snow piles that were coming down side-by-side with not enough time to get clear. In order to save herself from being forced off the ledge she unleashed her white flames upon the central sphere, but the compact snow did not simply melt fully away into nothing as easily as the individual flakes did on her skin. instead the high temperature melted away the solidness of the mass.

And so Faye got soaked by a spray of slush that had not the power to knock her away but would certainly make her even colder than before. There was still some distance left before she could catch up to the yet unnamed waiter and more snowballs continued to be rolled over the edge of the Mountain Summit by an unseen force. Would she continue as she had and simply endure any more spray of cold, melted snow that happened to come as a result?

Area Exits: Prometheus' Prison, Cyclops Settlement, Mountain Summit[Flight-capable characters only]

***

Easley

Current Location: Cyclops Settlement
Description: A wide, square area jutting out from the side of the mountain. It is a mainly flat surface save for being rough around the edges and covers roughly six hundred square meters in total. The wind is blowing at a fairly strong breeze in this area and it fills the visual range of a person with white mist as the powder than lines everything to be seen gets tossed around. Where the flat area connects to the mountain itself has three exits, one on the left, facing the mountain, that leads to the Snowside Path. The other is on the right, which leads to another path around the mountain's other side and also on the side where the majority of the wind seems to be blowing in from. The last is almost directly between these two paths in the mountain itself, a large rounded cave opening that leads into the rocky peak itself. Out on the flat area stretching away from the side of the wall is a field of bones and old rotted meat remains, mostly buried under the snow but much still sticking out and adding an unsavory scent to the air. There are many wide holes in the field that snow seems to fall into and fill up for some and lave mostly empty for others, indicating they are often filled and emptied by something. Each one is roughly ten times the size of a manhole. Visibility in the area is poor, characters can only see roughly ten meters ahead of themselves without supplementary aid.

Items of Interest

Old Bones

Rotting Meat

Empty Holes

Full Holes

Enemy Units

Snow Cyclops(1)

Snow Cyclops(2)

Snow Cyclops(3)

The ninja had cleared the Snowside path and arrived in an area even colder, with temperatures clearly at or below the freezing level. Snow was being blown around in the air constantly by the air currents on this side of the mountain, an apparent coincidence that it would be so windy right now. Unable to see clearly more than ten meters ahead of himself Easley would need to utilize his special wire ability again to get any decent feel for the area. He would be taking in the general physical structure for everything within his range, though the last few hundred meters of the area escaped that network at present range.

Despite that, however, there were already some creatures present aware of Easley's entrance. The noise of the snow boulders rolling down the mountainside and crashing into the Snowside Path behind the wire-using male had attracted the attention of the plateau's inhabitants. Already visible as two hulking shadows in the snow that stood at two and half times the height of a normal man and almost equally wide across, two roughly humanoid beasts stomped their way towards the intruder's direction. As they passed into visible ranger they were revealed to be blue-colored beasts with thick skin, muscular arms and legs with the latter being shorter than the former, and covered in patches of thick white wooly hair over their chest, shoulders, backs, feet, hands and lower torsos. The most revealing trait of the monsters was their single eye, set in their heads above a mouth full of roughly edged carnivore teeth. Easely would be able to feel another of the creatures approaching a few more meters behind these two, altogether blocking off most of his route forward without getting past or through them. A living wall.

Hungry and impatient at this intrusion the Snow Cyclops(1) on Easley's left charged forward more quickly by moving on all fours like a gorilla through the snow, unimpeded. Once close enough it raised its arms and swung down it straight one hard to smash a giant hand into Easley's small by comparison body. The left arm would whip down a moment later, waiting to see if the potential meal managed to avoid the first.

Area Exits: Snowside Path, Cave Mouth, Windy Path, Mountain Summit[Flight-capable characters only]

[Akito]

Easley's wires afforded him better awareness of the surroundings than most. Even if he had not the time to accumulate an exact 'sight' of the surroundings, it was enough to work with. He was aware of the Cyclops before they had even got into visible range, though not of their exact appearance (Which was negligible anyway; all he needed to know was their figure). They were intimidatingly large creatures and certainly Easley feared them greatly; however, that didn't mean he would die. Like a cornered spider, Easley waited for one of them to grow impatient and leap ahead foolishly. Easley was glad beasts could not understand basic strategies.

In most instances, a predator of that size expects a prey much smaller to flee or to be paralyzed by fear. Paralyzed by fear Easley did indeed seem so, but he seemed to be in a strange position to be cowering. He had his body lowered, his hands touched the ground and his legs carefully lurched behind. It looked like he was getting ready for a sprint. Thus, when the cyclops raised his arms (at which time it would be nigh impossible to change the trajectory of its swing), Easley acted. He leapt forward. Yes, towards the man-eating monstrosity. He had used the sprint stance to gain a startling momentum and with his upper torso leaning forward deeply, he leapt at frightening speed under the arch of the Cyclop's arm and body.

The fists crashed down behind Easley, about a metre and some behind him. Some might consider that too close for comfort; to Easley, it was leagues away. Any intention for the Cyclop's left hand to whip at Easley would be nullified by the simple fact the man's movements were unexpected, he went in a direction few prey should've dared to before (Bordering on foolish). Not to mention to even catch sight of Easley again, the Cyclops would have to look down under itself, Easley should be halfway done by then.

His superhuman speed and agility would not fail him. His first act was to draw Breaker Moon and slice at the Cyclop's right hind leg (More specifically the tendons, the beast would be hard-pressed to move with that leg should the attack had been successful). Then, he exploited the lowered body of the Cyclops (for it had moved in a gorilla-like fashion) and leapt onto its back. Running up its spine, Easley would do the natural thing for an assassin. Silence the enemy. Breaker moon activated and Easley would ram it through the back of the Cyclop's head, reaching to its brain. From there, Easley would move the blade forward like a lever as if to peel the Cyclop's head in twine (Critical Hit?!). If successful, it was certainly fatal.

He kept his guard up for the other two Cyclops as well, dozens of figures that had the exact same appearance as Easley surrounded the two. None of them seemed to act but to dodge most attacks that the other Cyclops might throw at them.

[Heroic Bilby]

Easley

Current Location: Cyclops Settlement

Items of Interest

Old Bones

Rotting Meat

Empty Holes

Full Holes

Enemy Units

Snow Cyclops(1)

Snow Cyclops(2)

Snow Cyclops(3)

Easley dodged the initial smash of the huge beast by rushing forward towards the creature's own haunches. Undeterred by the quick little things movements the Cyclops was more than willing to whip it other arm down under its own forward-leaning body in order to smack the intruder away. Unfortunately its instinctive response would not be quite up to par.

SPEED BONUS

As the ninja assassin made his dash forward he would feel his own body pulsing with a sudden burst of power, possibly brought on by some uncharacteristic adrenaline rush from the fearsome appearance of so many huge enemies at once. His forward rush was like a blur, faster than even he anticipated, yet his drawing of Breaker Moon was no less perfectly timed. With an additional spin for force Easley exerted unusual strength and chopped completely through the Snow Cyclops' flesh and bone, severing off its left leg completely from below the knee while the attacker himself skidded to a halt just behind it. Easley felt the rush of enhanced power leave him almost immediately after his impossibly strong slash was complete.

Easley: Critical Hit

Horribly crippled by Easley's Critical Hit the Snow Cyclops(1) lost balance on its one remaining leg and fell forward, catching itself with its massive arms. While the creature dealt with the pain and the blood flowing from the open wound into the previously clean white snow its former prey had turned the tables, ascending up the back of the beast. With sword in hand Easley plunged Breaker Moon into the head of Snow Cyclops(1), dealing massive damage by attacking a weak point. Flailing in nothing but knee-jerk reaction the monster pushed off with its arms as Easley started to press his weapon forward and flipped itself over onto its back, hoping to crush Easley beneath it. In such a damaged state it would surely die in just a few more moments.

In the meantime, Snow Cyclops(2) and Snow Cyclops(3) half-yelled and half-roared something that couldn't be understood by human ears yet was perfectly decipherable as anger. Watching their impatient brother fall and be attacked by this measly little thing had sparked their clan-preservation instincts. More images of Easley appeared around them and the creatures swung their massive arms only to clear their path, which they did as the clones simply dodged out of the way whenever one of the brutes' muscular limbs came in their direction. They were more intent on getting to the one that had harmed Snow Cyclops(1) than dealing with the rest of what they considered the intruding pack of new creatures, but the clones did offer some help: Because they were swatting away at the replicas as they closed in, neither of the two one-eyed hulks were able to rush towards the true Easley on all fours like the first one had, buying him a few more precious seconds.

Area Exits: Snowside Path, Cave Mouth, Windy Path, Mountain Summit[Flight-capable characters only]

[Akito]

The Cyclops tried to fall onto his back in its last breath; a double suicide. One that might've worked had Easley been lower on its back, perhaps the thorax. But no, Easley was practically on its shoulders near the head. He simply kept on maneuvering forward even over the beast's shoulder such that when the Cyclops did land on his back; Easley would be standing on top of its chest rather than crushed beneath it. Breaker Moon was lodged in the Beast's head (somewhere near the top) and Easley had nary the time to draw it, so for now he would leave it there; it was a durable weapon, it would weather and survive. He would need to employ a different weapon to deal with the remainder.

Easley used those precious seconds well. The beasts had the appearance of thick hides and thus, Easley once again entwined his wires. This time, though, all ten wires on both hands joined together to form a single powerful whip. Holding both hands out, he turned to his left side in a stance similar to the batting position in Base ball. It was the last inning and bases were loaded, it was up to Easley to end this. With speed that surprised even him, Easley swung the whip horizontally across at the Cyclops(2)'s head; using the full force of his turning momentum. Ideally, the whip would make short work of the second Cyclops as well; splitting its head and even its neck in two horizontally (As opposed to the vertical split of their first brethren).

Were Easley's attack successful, he would move to left (where Cyclops(2) would've been) and thus hopefully avoid the third Cyclops vision (Even temporarily). Single eyes were notorious for lacking in broader peripheral vision. Easley would then part the whip into ten wires instantly again for the third beast. They wires would then be used in the intent of blinding the Cyclops(3)'s singular eye (For Easley did not have confidence they could pierce its thick hide) by weaving across it in complex patterns.

[Heroic Bilby]

Easley

Current Location: Cyclops Settlement

Items of Interest

Old Bones

Rotting Meat

Empty Holes

Full Holes

Enemy Units

Snow Cyclops(1)

Snow Cyclops(2)

Snow Cyclops(3)

SPEED BONUS

The Clyclops(2) had moved headfirst into a waiting assassin who, despite his smaller size, had a much more versatile weapon at hand than bare, if giant, fists. Moving again with a burst of power for the second time the ninja whipped his interlaced razor threads across his enemy's head, the extended end wrapping around it in a flurry as a result. Easley landed as he brought the wires back again in a powerful pull. There was a powerful snap in the air as the whip attack lashed across the monster's jaw line such force that even its huge weight was caused to stumble back in backlash. As the wires wrapped around its mouth area were pulled back there was a sickening sound like a saw through flesh as Fate Sonata drew back in to its wielder while shaving a circular chunk out of the head of Snow Cyclops(2).

Easley: Critical Hit

Certainly Easley had already figured out that attacking the head was a far better option than trying to whittle damage into their clearly sturdy bodies. With a gash in its head going all the way around at mouth level Snow Cyclops(2) was losing blood fast and its usually piercing vision was blurring. As its attacker moved off to the monster's left it began flail its huge arms to either side in rapid swings, desperately trying to fend off any more of what had befallen it. Were Easley too convinced of his own success he could be caught by one of these surprisingly speedy lashes, though because of its disorientation the creature's brute strength would not be as focused as the first one's had been.

Snow Cyclops(3) had just performed an overhead smash with hands into the snow in front of it to drive off some more of the dodging clones when it heard the deadly snap and saw of the second Critical Hit to befall this pack of creatures. Turning in rage it began another headfirst rush, showing no signs of backing down against the surprisingly deadly foe. As it reached the flailing Snow Cyclops(2) the third one-eyed creature stopped out of range and started looking back and forth, hoping to spy Easley through the snowy area with its far-reaching but focused vision.

As Snow Cyclops(1) lay in the snow with Breaker Moon still impaled in its head the beast finally bled the last of its lingering life out. Still, even as this occurred, the mountain-dweller's killer might begin to feel activity at the edges of his wire-sensing range. The angry yells of these two remaining opponents had likely begun to draw the attention of others in the area.

Area Exits: Snowside Path, Cave Mouth, Windy Path, Mountain Summit[Flight-capable characters only]

[Iris|Kairi]

"Ooh!" Faye exclaimed as the cold slush dumped on her, soaking her in a freezing coat of water and half melted snow. She stumbled a moment, the intense cold of the air meeting the cold water on her now freezing skin shocking her poor little elf system for a moment. Her blue hair dripped in her face and she shivered almost violently before taking up her strike through the snow again. It was slower than she expected, but it'd be pointless to go back now. She was already wet, why not just trudge on? She held the white glowing hand that was very very hot closer to herself, hoping to warm up before she was hit with another. As long as she could use her "White Flames" to get across, she didn't mind the slush. Surely she could dry off and warm up in the next area.

She had no idea there was a fight...not that she wouldn't run in headlong to help anyway. Easley would need help! ..Well, in her mind anyway. She continued to be oblivious to the fact that he viewed her as a nuisance, and probably would be even when he told her to her face. Faye was just like that.

....Wow, it was freaking cold!

Faye shivered again and tried to quicken her pace, holding the intense heat away from her and toward any falling snowballs that may crash as slush onto her again. The last thing she needed was to be bowled off the cliff...

With only a few more icy waves of slush, she made it across and headed to the Snowy Plateau, intent on finding the thing to open the door and the man that was ahead of her.

[Exit to Snowy Plateau/ Cyclops Settlement]

[Akito]

He should've killed them as they slept; that was always much simpler business. Due to the new attack, the attack on Cyclops(3) would have to wait. In any case, the disorientation of Cyclops(2) would save him. The Easley clones that had been assigned to Cyclops(2) would throw their lot in with Easley and in that way, at least some blows were deterred. After all, in that state (its lower functioning brain should already be losing basic comprehension due to extreme blood loss), the beast could hardly be blamed for losing focus of one single man amongst a multitude who look exactly like him. The limbs were flailing without real aim in the first place, with all these factors in play; to think such an expert assassin with superhuman speed and agility would get hit was a mistake. Though, they say the last light of a candle shines brightest, Easley wouldn't have risked a forward attack.

Thus, when Easley leapt backwards with again surprising speed, he simultaneously united the wires on his right hand to form a whip again. So as Easley's body flew back, the whip went straight for the third Cyclops like how a whip is usually used. A snap of the whip without the expected crack lashed itself right upon the third monster's fore head, hopefully cutting down to its brain (After which the wires would be released from Fate Sonata, he could always generate new ones).

Now why washis left hand not used, you ask? It was occupied. The fingers were dancing once again, as if playing Beethoven's fifth.

Easley himself landed on his back about five metres away from Cyclops(2) and he had spent another one metre sliding through the snow. Easley disappeared, turned invisible with the use of his own ability. He got up quickly and silently, but that was it. Deciding against moving from his position, he stood exactly where the indents in the snow would show were he had stopped sliding. He waited for them to come, invisible as he was.