The faint sensation of being watched by viruses just beyond range for being properly detected never quite went away. If anything it grew stronger the deeper the engineer explored along the path she'd been sent. It was a short while later that something new appeared on the horizon, and as Astraea drew closer, it turned out to be a small circle of dusty metal panels, with a single squat cylinder in the middle, rising about two feet off the ground.
The closer she got, the more the sensation of being watched got, until as arrived at the odd patch of technology in the middle of the wastes. The pillar lit up as she stepped on the metal panels, green lights flooding across the cracks an seam, until, atop the flat top of the cylinder, the image of a holographic Metool appeared, waving its pick-axe with happy arches for eyes. The hologram formed into a green crystal that started to construct itself into a physical form atop the pillar, while scrollings of illegible viral text began to circle on the surface of the metal. Some kind of message was reading across a section meant as a screen, but Astraea didn't have time to work out much about it, because all hell broke loose the moment the data crystal finished forming.
A scattering of sudden meteors began to drop from the sky all around Astraea, though none of them hit her directly. Two sounds of bursting sand revealed a pair of strange candle-like viruses appearing on either side of the metal circle, wicks atop their heads burning brightly, while behind each one, a robed virus waving a staff seemed to be responsible for the sudden meteor shower.
If Astraea attempted to grab the crystal and run, she would discover that it came away from the podium freely enough, but that a green energy tether remained to connect the two – she probably couldn't leave the immediate vicinity with it. Worse luck, the crystal still seemed to be heavily encrypted and locked down by scrambled viral code, for now, so unpacking it on the fly was not going to be an option either. The viruses that had arrived were making a lot of noise, and didn't seem to want her to have whatever the strange marker had tried to give her.
-=Viruses=-
HauntedCandleHauntedCandle (HauntedCandle)
This virus attacks every action if able.
Area: Kotobuki Town, Netfrica, Hades Isle, NetVegas
HP: 100
Attack Damage/Effect: 20 Fire + Square Attack + Ground Attack
Attack Accuracy: B
Attack Description: Creates flame spire in a square. Targets panels.
Element: Fire
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): BurnSquare1, Zenny
Special: Immobile.
Special: Heat Body: This virus is immune to Fire damage and associated effects.
Special: Square Attack: Attacks a 2 panel x 2 panel square area.
Special: Candle: Can be snuffed by Wind, which prevents it from attacking. Fire relights it. A: 100Hp [Sand][To Astraea's immediate left]
HauntedCandleHauntedCandle (HauntedCandle)
This virus attacks every action if able.
Area: Kotobuki Town, Netfrica, Hades Isle, NetVegas
HP: 100
Attack Damage/Effect: 20 Fire + Square Attack + Ground Attack
Attack Accuracy: B
Attack Description: Creates flame spire in a square. Targets panels.
Element: Fire
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): BurnSquare1, Zenny
Special: Immobile.
Special: Heat Body: This virus is immune to Fire damage and associated effects.
Special: Square Attack: Attacks a 2 panel x 2 panel square area.
Special: Candle: Can be snuffed by Wind, which prevents it from attacking. Fire relights it. B: 100Hp [Sand][To Astraea's immediate right]
MettFireMettFire (MettFire)
Area: Kotobuki Town, Netfrica, Hades Isle, NAXA, NetVegas
HP: 100
Attack: 20 Fire + Drop Attack x 3 hits + Variable Targeting
Attack Accuracy: D
Attack Description: Drops 3 meteors onto enemies' heads.
Element: Fire
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Meteor9, Asteroid1, Zenny
Special: Attacks every other action. Right before it attacks, it can move behind the nearest object as a free action. If there are no objects on the field, they may instead move behind an ally.
Special: This virus's dodges are treated as Teleport for the purposes of movement only. It gains no effectiveness over a regular dodge. A: 100Hp [Sand][Behind the Haunted Candle A (left)]
MettFireMettFire (MettFire)
Area: Kotobuki Town, Netfrica, Hades Isle, NAXA, NetVegas
HP: 100
Attack: 20 Fire + Drop Attack x 3 hits + Variable Targeting
Attack Accuracy: D
Attack Description: Drops 3 meteors onto enemies' heads.
Element: Fire
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Meteor9, Asteroid1, Zenny
Special: Attacks every other action. Right before it attacks, it can move behind the nearest object as a free action. If there are no objects on the field, they may instead move behind an ally.
Special: This virus's dodges are treated as Teleport for the purposes of movement only. It gains no effectiveness over a regular dodge. B: 100Hp [Sand][Behind the Haunted Candle B (right)]
-=Navis=-
Astraea.CMD: 120Hp [Metal]
-=Terrain=-
70% Sand
- -20% Evasion and reduced movement speed to all.
- Can Burrow as standard action, incurable Blind1 until turn after exiting Burrow.
- Wind attacks: +100% Source Damage + Blind1, change terrain hit to Normal, trigger Sandstorm for 3 turns: Lose 5 HP/action, Blind1, Fire attacks gain Slashing.
- Fire attacks: Change terrain hit to Glass.
- Terrain changes between Sand and QuickSand do not inflict damage upon burrowed entities, nor do they eject burrowed entities to the surface.
- PanelShot: Blind1.
20% Normal
- No effects.
10% Metal
- Cannot be Broken or Cracked except with Geddon/PanelShot, cannot be Burrowed into.
- Elec attacks: +100% Source Damage.
- 100 Damage Aqua attacks: Change terrain hit to Cracked.
- 100 Damage Fire attacks: Change terrain hit to Furnace.
- PanelShot: Imbue Elec + Break.
-=Objects=-
Metool Data Node (Also Green and Mysterious): 20HP [Metal][Right by Astraea]
-=Battle Mode=-
MD Defence:
- Victory Condition: Protect Mystery Data for 3 full turns
- Additional Failure Condition: Mystery Data Destroyed
- 2 Additional viruses will join at the end of each turn, up to 7 maximum viruses at one time
- Viruses will actively target the MD over players when possible
- MD is locked until win condition is cleared
- Players will be given a guaranteed, voluntary escape when the win condition is fulfilled, which they can use at any time thereafter, and receive full rewards for their performance in battle.
-=Battle 3, Start!=-