Titan World Playtest [IC]

[Julian84]

‘That day… Humanity received a grim reminder… (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOeju9eMnuc)’

One hundred years of peace and isolation after the Titan Catastrophe. One hundred years for humans to grow fat and sedentary, forgetting they were no longer the apex predator on Earth. One hundred years for them to forget the fearful name: Titans!

But this window of peace could not last forever. In Year 845, two new forms of Titan appeared, breaching Wall Maria and destroying the town of Shiganshina, though few would remember that detail. In their wake, untold numbers of Titans poured into the confines of the walls, driving humanity into the claustrophobic confines Wall Rose. Overpopulation became a burden, with too many mouths to feed and not nearly enough food to go around, the Central Government sends out their official decree: An army of 250,000 soldiers and conscripted refugees will go beyond Wall Rose, drive back the Titans, and retake Wall Maria – Or die trying.

It is a cold, calculated decision, but one that must be made for the good of all.

But there is one small comfort for those going beyond the Wall, those men, young and old, those soldiers, fresh and veteran, a grain of lead to steady their quavering hears.

‘If you lose, you will die. If you win, you will live. If you won’t fight… You won’t win.’

***

Trainee Regiment 89 Squad C stands in the eye of the storm, the island in the raging seas of Human emotion, separated from reality by the orders they had received upon graduating from Boot Camp, tidings of a dark fate: “You’ve been assigned to the counterattack. You’re going beyond the wall.”

All but the top ten members of the 89th regiment had received the same orders, all shipping out to the border city of Trost to begin the inevitable campaign. The brass knew where the breach in Wall Maria was, and had planned to dispatch three forces in a classic pincer move to surround and contain the flow of Titans. A force of 125,000 would deploy from Trost, the main attack force, with two prongs of 62,500 attacking from the north and south to prevent flanking attacks. It seemed, for its purpose, a simple and foolproof plan.

But glancing around at the nervous faces of refugees being armed only with crude pikes and axes who had seen the devastation in their retreat from their homes… One couldn’t help but doubt. One couldn’t help but feel the worm of fear wriggling in their gut. They, at least, had the luxury of 3D Maneuver Gear for the upcoming battles, making them practically elite forces compared to the simple peasants who would probably end up no more than buffer forces.

A detachment of Survey Corps forces rode past on horses. The recon division of the military had committed the majority of their forces to this campaign, and would see it through to the bitter end. In a pinch, that was who the cadets could look to: The seasoned warriors and explorers of the Survey Corps. In the chaos that was about to begin… Better to have another soldier at your back than a farmer pissing his pants.

They have only a few minutes before they must mount their horses and join the main column. A few minutes to tighten their guts, straighten their spines, tell their last jokes… And say their final goodbyes.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

"Blood on the Walls," Valentin spits, checking his gas tank for the fifteenth time. His voice drops to a mutter. "I'm in the mood to crack a joke, but there's too much joke about this whole thing to begin with." It's not loud enough that just anyone could hear it, but it's definitely within earshot of some of his fellow comrades-in-arms.

He doesn't bother looking back at the crowd. I know Rena's there, and Topal. Off to wish me luck. He goes back to inspecting his inventory, in a rote fashion, almost neurotically. Blades. Gas. Tension. Blades. Gas. Tension.

He conspicuously looks around, wondering if anyone else is doing the same thing, or if they have the will to wish their families goodbye.

Just setting scene, of course. As things get rolling, I'll probably be asking more questions about my surroundings and all. I suspect the opening is more to set the stage. Hopefully other characters show up and I can have some quick exchanges of conversation! :smallbiggrin:

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

Hugo drops his last cigarette to the ground, and grinds it out with his boot heel. There was a good chance he was going to die in the coming days; screw regulations about vices on duty. "Yeah, laugh it up now, Valentin. You ever seen anybody looking happy coming back from the outside?"

[nersxe]

While around him, his comrades are talking, Hans stays silent. Unlike many, he's neither wide-eyed idealist, nor terrified patriot, nor rage-consumed berserker. His anger is cold, and his revenge will be achieved with the crystal-clarity of a logical strike.

He claps hand on Hugo's shoulder, nodding to the other soldier. Though normally one to give his fellows disapproving looks when they break regulations, he understands the need for one last indulgence before you face death. If the regulations won't allow for one last cigarette, they can get stuffed.

[Amaril]

Leon robotically goes through the motions of checking his gear, watching the crowd of peasants from behind his glasses. So many, and not a one of them carries a better weapon than a rusty old hatchet or pitchfork. They won't be able to put so much as a scratch on a titan with anything they have. This is suicide for them. Of course, he's not blind to the real purpose of this effort: to thin the herd of refugees from the fall of Maria and leave more space for those still left. It makes him sick.
"It's not really outside, is it Hugo?" he says without looking over his shoulder. "I used to live beyond that wall not too long ago. Seems a little early to be writing it off to the titans." It's all just talk, of course--much as it pains him, there's no chance they'll be able to retake Maria like this.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Valentin smirks slightly at Hugo's remark. "Well. I guess we'll have to change that record. We'll come back grinning from ear to ear." The words ring hollow, though; he doesn't put any weight behind them.

"Val!" a woman calls out, a suddenly clear voice in the crowd, and Valentin jerks upright. No. Don't even look.

He turns to see Rena back there, in the crowd, and little Topal is in her arms, waving back at Valentin. I-- They watch him, cheering him forwards from that distance. Valentin lurches up the corners of his mouth, waving back. They're very far away. They can't see me clearly.

He lowers his arm, and pivots back, turning to his comrades, the expression dropping from his face. He mounts his horse sharply, and waits for the rest to mount. "It's killing time."

Julian, is there an NPC commanding officer we're taking orders from?

[ShadowDragon]

A horse stumbles between as the others talk or set up their gear, his rider seemingly unable to take full control over the beast for the moment, "E-excuse me! Sorry about that, heh!" and trying to hold the reins he speaks in a lower tone "Sheesh! Come on, girl! You're making me look like a fool!", the horse calms down a bit later and Gerge sighs in relief as he rides by slowly through the troops, now having time, hands shaking slightly, as he nervously tightens his violet bandana around his head and checks his gear.

Eyes wide open, he scans the faces around him, looking for a friendly face, hardly finding any.

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo
On the ground

Hugo returns Hans' nod. Always good to know he had someone who kept his cool at his side.

"You might be right, Leon. At least, thats what command is saying the whole point of this exercise is - retake our lands from the Titans. With that, Hugo mounts up. He is glad to have had spare blades assigned by the armory. This mission would only be successful through killing Titans, and only blades would do that. Spare gas might be nice in town, but it wouldn't do a thing if they had to retreat across open ground.

And there was a lot of open ground out there.

[Amaril]

Leon takes a steadying deep breath before mounting his horse. Seeing Valentin looking sick, he glances back in the direction his comrade is looking. "Someone special?" he inquires of Valentin with raised eyebrows. "I envy you, man" he says with a regretful sigh, "having someone to come back to like that..." He tries hard not to think "if any of us come back..."

[nersxe]

Hans mounts his horse, stowing his extra gas in one of the saddlebags. Others may think more firepower is the answer, but Hans knows maneuverability will save the day. One can always go back for more men and blades (the Titans aren't going anywhere), but gas saves lives.

He feels the old, familiar anger bubble up, making his back straight and his grip true. Much like many of his comrades, he has no civilians to come back to, but unlike them, he neither needs nor wants them. His fellow soldiers will fill that gap, and he'll repay them by bringing home as many as possible.

[Julian84]

As Squad C banters amongst each other, an officer bearing the green cloak of the Survey Corps rides into the courtyard of the Trost Military Barracks, hooves clattering loudly against the cobblestone road as he pulls sharply on the reins of his mount. “89th Regiment Squads A, B, and C! I am Sergeant Luther, in command of your units! The mission begins now, so mount up and follow my lead to the main column! We’ll be riding through the center of the city to the outer gates, so be brave, for the men and women of Humanity, to show them your courage!” He raises a hand over his head. “When the main column is out in the open, I will make sure you each get a special marker so that we can differentiate our detachment from the others!”

“Yah!” He kicks the sides of his black bay, the steed kicking forward and racing out of the courtyard. The cadets rushed to mount their horses, nervous, untested, some eager to prove themselves, some just wishing they could run away from their imminent doom. Gerge, however, is not the only one having issues taming his horse...

Jules pulls on the reins of his frantic and panicked steed, young and confused by the commotion. It circles and bucks, rearing up and stamping at the air in its desperation to flee the tumultuous scene. Jules loses his grip of the reins, and his horse, Misha, spins to gallop away… He reaches for her tail, tugging on the hairs just hard enough to prompt a vicious kick in response.

GRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQs3y5zbVUw&list=PL6In9M7AZ0kvcZnODqh4eHEhFR0EUytPq)

Jules is knocked back, landing unsteadily on his feet… His face brutally crushed by the horse’s hoof… Blood, gore, and bits of brain slowly trickling out of the pulverized remains as he slumps to the ground, a dark red pool growing beneath his corpse. Another cadet, Sampson, snatches Misha’s reins, pulling her back down, murmuring soothing words. Luther wheels back around, seeing the dead body on the ground. “You, cadet!” He shouts, pointing at Sampson. “You ride in his place. Grab your gear and join Squad C immediately.” He turns to some garrison soldiers, shaking his head, “Clean up the mess, if you will.”

He pulls his horse back around. “Move out!”

[Makiru is Ejected. All players roll Discipline. Rules (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxAkfCKID8lxSmZmRlcxTC1ORGs/edit?pli=1) should be clear on what your posted responses should be depending on your success or lack thereof.]

Responses must be posted by (2 AM EST 1/24/14) – No death penalty

[ShadowDragon]

Looking at the scene, Gerge is unable to move, eyes wide open, frozen in place, his body barely shaking, mesmerized by the sight and disregard for life the army shows, as the Squad rides by, he can only stand mounted in place, jaw dropped and sight fixed on the disfigured body on the ground, his mind blank, makeshift words leave his mouth, though the precise meaning might be beyond grasp for the listeners, the feeling is crystal clear fear, "W-we didn't eve... even... Titans..." as he can't do any better than stare at the body, paralyzed in fear and almost unaware of his surroudings.

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo
On the ground

Hugo moves his mount slowly back from the mangled corpse, a feeling of nausea rising in the pit of his stomach. His motions autonomic, he reaches into his breast pocket, groping for a calming cigarette that is not to be found. It wasn't right; nobody was supposed to be dead yet. Getting killed by the Titans was one thing, but a horse? Hugo looks at the massive black charger he is seated upon. Was this thing just as dangerous as what he was going to face out there?

[Amaril]

Leon sways dizzily in the saddle, almost unable to process what just happened. "Oh God...oh God" he hears himself pleading, his gaze fixed on the bloody mess on the ground a few feet away. Breathing slowly and deeply, he finally manages to wrench his eyes back to the front. Come on, man. If you let this overcome you, what chance do you have out there? He hopes the military will at least see that the body is treated with dignity.
"Come on" he says to his squadmates, his voice still shakier than he would have liked. "We still need to form up."

[Vamphyr]

Sampson looks over the corpse calmly as he begins to strip him of his gear. He pulls off his his maneuvering device and blades, attaching them to himself. He stands over the corpse and quietly mutters "Weak."

Sampson mounts the horse and begins to ride with the rest of the recruits.

[nersxe]

Hans feels his stomach roil, his gorge rising as he fights nausea and panic. He almost - almost - throws it off, but then one of the garrison soldiers vomits, and Hans has to squeeze his eyes shut to stop from doing the same.

When he opens them again, he sees that Gerge is paralyzed, staring. Hans nudges his horse over to the other solider, trying to conceal his own shaking hands. "Come on, Gerge," Hans says, his voice not quite as steady as he would have liked. "We can get through this."

He reaches over as best he can through the distance and over the horses, throwing an arm over Gerge's shoulders in an attempt to reassure them both.

Extra Equipment: Extra Gas, currently in saddlebags.
Disadvantage: Panicked

[ShadowDragon]

Gerge keeps his eyes locked at the corpse for a few more long moments, before snapping and turning over to Hans, breathing heavily and teary eyes, which he immediately dries on his sleeves, nodding "Y-yeah... yeah, I'm okay, we can do this... Thanks." doing his best to show a shaky smile, he quickly gets down from his mount with haste, kneeling down before the corpse, doing his best not to look at the smashed face, he rips the pocket-badge from the recruit and stores it inside his own jacket pocket, promptly mounting his horse again and doing his best not to shakingly fall from it, riding along with the rest of the group.

[Julian84]

The three squads of the 89th regiment rally behind the figure of Sergeant Luther, leaving their fallen comrade behind in a pool of his own blood. No more time can be spared for wasted resources. Their horses trample across the stony ground, weaving through the streets of Trost and thundering to join the main column on the road to the inner gate. Thousands of civilians line the streets, throwing bouquets of wildflowers and wheat on the ground in front of the departing army, most of the conscripts marching on foot in sloppy columns as the soldiers ride on horse back, leading the vanguard. Simultaneously in other cities to the north and south the other two forces are departing, to join with the main force at the cliffs of Wall Maria.

If they live long enough to make it that far.

The force passes through the narrow gate into the outer district of Trost, the massive cathedral to the west, bells tolling in farewell to the army. Children run the length of the column, delighted by the show of force, too young to comprehend the gravity of the situation. To them, after a year of darkness, something was going to happen. Perhaps their childish optimism would be the good luck charm the soldiers needed.

Squad C approaches the final gate, passing beneath the looming shadow of the wall. Once they pass through those massive iron doors, they have reached the point of no return... The gates are open, hundreds upon thousands of soldiers streaming out into the open world beyond...

They pass through the threshold, blinded temporarily by the light streaming through... And find themselves in the wild expanse that is the third ring after a year of Titanic warfare. It seems almost... Peaceful. The summer breeze is the same here as it was on the other side of the wall, the air smells the same, and there isn't even a titan in sight.

Luther signals for the three squads to break off from the column and follow him. He rides off from the force by a few dozen yards, holding a brown leather satchel. "Gather around, gather around." He calls out, opening the satchel, filled with bandanas with yellow and black diamond print. "Tie these around your forearms, this is how we know which detachment you're in." He ties one around his own forearm, and they notice a similar patch on the shoulder of his military jacket.

"It's a long march to Wall Maria, cadets, far too long to be out in the open. As a solution, our detachment along with the rest of the vanguard will ride ahead and claim the towns of Helbrecht, Sloan, and Timmons, which form a common urban area before Wall Maria. This will serve as forward staging point and garrison for our army. However... They are almost certainly in the hands of titans, so it will be a siege." He stares at them grimly. "This will most likely be your first experience in combat, though we may encounter a few titans along the way. Be prepared."

He motions for the forces to disperse. "Form up on my rear in a wedge formation. Watch your flanks! We ride hard and fast and don't stop for anything or anyone until we reach Helbrecht."

[Post deadline is 2:00 AM EST 1/25/14 - No death penalty]

[nersxe]

Sitting up on his horse, Hans holds his head high. He doesn't feel the confidence he projects - in the back of his mind, the mental picture of a pulped skull flashes - but he trusts in his sergeant, and follows behind.

The yellow bandanna gets folded and tied around his arm with an ease that speaks of long practice, and he helps those he has time to help with theirs. He doesn't explain why he knows the knots that will tie the most secure while being least uncomfortable, though the memories of running with street gangs run on the lowest level of his thought processes.

"Sir!" He barks with the rest when the command is given, his arms reflexively moving into position in a salute. Arm held tight to his breast, he can feel his nerves steadying as he takes comfort in the solidarity of those around him.

'Titans,' he thinks, feeling the chill start in his veins. Not adrenaline, not yet, but rather the cold determination that got him through hours of running, of forcing himself to learn maneuver gear, horse-riding, and swordplay. This is it. This is revenge for every single one of his gang-brothers who he watched devoured by the Titans who took Wall Maria.

[Vamphyr]

Sampson ties the bandanna around his arm, nice and tight and looks around at the group he's joined.

'So these are the people they've gathered to kill the Titans,' he thinks, 'Hopefully they live long enough to actually slay one.'

He double checks his gear as the column begins to take off. He rides hard and fast, keeping his eyes peeled for titans. Despite his best attempts to stay focused his mind reels back to that moment. The moment the armored titan broke through the wall.
'We were running,' he thinks. 'I cut towards the alley and she stopped for some reason, I'll never know why. I turned and reached out my hand for her, she turned and stared at me, and smiled. The armored titan crushed the wall, and crushed her. I was covered in her blood and I fled as fast as I could.

Sampson pulls himself back to the present.

"Never again." he says to the wind. "I will kill as many of them as I can."

[Amaril]

Helbrecht... Leon swallows at the sound of his old hometown's name, the memories he fights to push away forcing their way through. The ground shaking under their footsteps...buildings torn open by huge, groping hands, stones and timbers scattered like broken toys...the faces, grinning with childlike glee as they went about their feast...
Leon had never hated the titans--he didn't really feel he had it in him to hate anything the way some of his comrades did. But he'd sworn to himself, after he'd escaped, that he'd never let what had happened to his home happen to anyone else's. That no-one else would ever have to suffer that way.
He ties the bandanna securely in place and brings his horse into position. As the formation races onward, he breathes deep of the crisp, fresh country air, another of those little luxuries he's missed so much since coming to Trost. If any titans try to get near my friends, he swears to himself, I'll make sure they don't live long enough to regret it.

[Julian84]

The detachment rides hard for a few hours, slowly approaching their objective and leaving the main column behind. Briefly, they sometimes spot other detachments of soldiers riding in the same direction, some in the Survey Corps, some from the 89th trainee regiment. The seemingly peaceful atmosphere of the outer ring has slowly taken on a more eerie tone… No one has seen a titan yet, it seems. Communication between the detachments, however, is spotty at best.

They ride past a small hamlet, Luther using hand motions to direct them to skirt around the edge of the town, avoiding getting caught up in the small buildings and narrow streets. As they pass, though, they catch a looming silhouette out of the corner of their eyes… And a titan falls from a side-alley, crashing down in the midst of their formation!

[Roll avoid harm! Carpe is still required to roll discipline in reaction to the death of a comrade.]

Posting deadline is at 8:30 PM EST 1/26/14 – Death Penalty enabled

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

The yellow and black pattern flapping around his forearm brought and odd sense of security to Hugo. The fact that there were enough people around, and that some of those people had survived long enough fighting Titans, to form a command structure meant that there could be some hope of success.

Maybe if he had been paying closer attention, he would have seen the Titan earlier, and jumped a bit faster. Still he lurches his horse to the side, and his hands spring to his blades. Time for action!

[ShadowDragon]

Lost in thought since the scene back in the first gate, Gerge rides looking straight ahead, but blind as a mole, his senses kicking back to action just quick enough for him to react and to make his horse jump out from almost being stepped by the titan from his flank.

Riding several feet away from the titan before turning his horse around, his hand quickly reach for his blades as he looks around at the buildings, searching for places to use his maneuvering gear, breathing heavily and looking around nervously, he prepares to inevitable battle.

[nersxe]

Hans' eyes narrow as they move. Something is wrong here, and he doesn't like it. He stops his horse and opens his mouth to voice his concern - loathing the break from discipline but seeing it as necessary - when the titan crashes through the ranks of his fellow soldiers. His eyes widen, and he clenches his fists, ready for his commander's orders.

[Vamphyr]

Sampson pulls the horses reigns hard, twisting the beast to the side as the Titan slams it's hand down.

'That barely missed,' Sampson thinks, 'I have to be more vigilant than that!'

His hands snap to his blades as he gets his horse under control. If they don't kill it or move fast this titan will decimate them.

[Amaril]

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" Leon barely manages to lean out of the way while staying in the saddle, as his horse desperately skids out of the way of the titan's gigantic hand. God, that was close! Gasping for breath, he twists around in the saddle to get a better look at the attacker. "Alright...here we go!"

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Valentin

Whip! is the sound of the cables hissing through the air.

It almost doesn't register, as Valentin reaches for his blades, reaching to activate his 3D Maneuver Gear as the Titan crashes towards the soldiers. Instinct. He feels the wash of air kicked up by the falling Titan, and feels his nerves jumping a bit, even as he flies up and over, out of harm's way.

We made it further than Jules! That's got to be--something! We have to make it through! The words ring hollow in his mind. It's all that he can do to stop himself from shaking, as his mind flashes to the horse's blood-spattered hooves. Where's everyone? Did the Titan get them?

He works to steel himself, planting the 3D Maneuver Gear to prepare for a lethal strike against the Titan. Kill it! Kill it! Kill it now!


Extra Gear: Torch
Disadvantages: <waiting for group Disadvantage>

I think I'm Getting Into Position, aye? If you want to exploit my disadvantage, I aimed to leave enough opening in the narrative that you can make my Avoid Harm fall through, e.g. by screwing up the 3DMG jump or something else.

[Julian84]

GRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvaT8a4Xyd0&list=WLB369BDB303CD154D)
Men and women scream in terror as the Titan crashes down in the midst of the formation, crushing some of the soldiers, knocking others off their horses, and sending the rest scattering for cover, only Valentin and Hans managing to make some distance from the Titan, the rest of Squad C following after… But looking back, they see that much of Squads A and B have been dehorsed or killed, The Titan holding a soldier in each hand as it struggles to rise and chase after those crawling away in terror.

Hanging from its massive jaws is Sergeant Luther, screaming in agony as it absent-mindedly gnaws on him, blood trickling from its lips. Without their leader, the trainees will get slaughtered… But Squad C could escape with their lives. The choice to go back and fight is theirs… But are some of them even able to fight this monstrosity?

[Disadvantage: Choose – Stay and fight, risking death or attracting more titans… Or flee, continuing to Helbrecht?

Valentin, Hugo, Gerge, and Hans are all Panicked, and thusly may not perform well in battle.]

Posting Deadline is 8 PM EST 1/28 – No Death Penalty


Carpe:

Getting into position requires an agility roll. If you are going to attack, roll agility to see whether or not you will be successful. Your result has no IC impact on your committal to attack.

[Amaril]

As Leon watches the carnage surrounding the titan and fights not to panic, several important details come to mind. That titan made a lot of noise...others will be coming soon, but how soon? Can we spare the time to fight it? Do we have the right terrain to use our maneuver gear effectively? He casts his eyes around the area and strains his ears to hear the approach of more titans.

Rolling Awareness to Assess the Situation.

[roll0]

Edit: Asking the question "how long do we have until the titans close on us?"

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Valentin

Immediate threat! If I don't kill it, it'll come after me! Valentin's heart races as he zips back towards the Titan. One of the Maneuver Gear's hooks catches in the wrong spot as he shoots it at a building, and it's only with a wrench of his arm that he can pull it free. Pain jolts through his arm, but he's sailing through the air, up and behind the Titan.

NOW!

He sinks one hook into a chimney, swinging up, above the Titan, pulling the hook free again. In the blink of an eye, he makes ready to fly in to strike. Kill kill kill kill kill...

His heart rattles and pounds in his chest.


Got a 7-9, waiting for negative outcome to be chosen. Taking an Advantage against the Titan. Voting to stay and fight. I'm such a bad teammate...

Gear: Torch (in saddlebags)
Advantages: Floating Above the Killzone
Disadvantages: Panicked

[ShadowDragon]

Much more holding his reins as his horse sprints away from the titan than actually guiding the beast to do so, Gerge nervously looks around, trying to be sure which way to follow if things go down, taking up his swords, a single drop of cold sweat runs down his brow as he sharpens his eyes, looking around for the available exits and trying to calm down.

"Dammit! Hold yourself! People are dying here! Do something, do it!", and with a loud and long sigh, he looks up at the titan, both swords drawn in hands and ready to roll, he waits for the perfect moment.

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

Run! We need to get out of here and regroup! Hugo tries to cover his fear with tactics. It might be tactics that would save his own skin, but it made sense none the less. The squad was split up, and their commanding officer was currently being chewed on. It wasn't the sort of thing any of them was prepared to deal with.

[nersxe]

Hans activates his 3DMG without thinking shortly after Valentin does. He soars upward, instinctively looking for a place to position himself. Nowhere good presents itself, and he swears under his breath. Now he's off his horse, but nowhere near able to strike.

Advantage: x1, unnamed
Disadvantage: Panicked

My vote is to stay.

[Vamphyr]

Sampson lets out a roar of anger and launches himself towards the titan's mouth. The rest of the squad will be slaughtered if they don't have a leader! He tries desperately to grab him from the jaws of death.

[Julian84]

GRMM (http://youtu.be/E2pnl1UnNP8?t=5m3s)

Valentin bravely rushes forward to try and slay the titan, swooping high over a rooftop to get the proper vector of attack… And high in the air, seeing two more titans approaching from within the hamlet, their eyes wide and devoid of any sense but predatory desire. They spot him and begin trudging forward faster, now knowing for sure humans are nearby…

Distracted by the sight, he doesn’t notice Sampson burst forward with impressive speed, smashing against the titan’s face, trying to pull the screaming sergeant out of its maw… “No, you fool, run! Run away!” Luther growls hoarsely as molars grind his spine into a pulp. “GAAAAAAHH!” He shrieks, eyes going wide… Unfortunately, distracted by trying to aid his superior officer, he doesn’t see the titan’s massive hand moving in… The jaws suddenly open, and suddenly both men are swept into the behemoth’s maw, slipping down his gullet to their deaths.

Hans watches the other cadet fall into the black hole, horrified and unable to help his comrade.

Leon, Hugo, and Gerge wisely remain out of danger.

[Sampson has perished. Valentin has been noticed by the titans and must perform an execution roll. Posting deadline is 10 PM EST 1/29 - Death Penalty Enabled]

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

Hugo wheels his horse around, aiming out towards the wide open plains outside of Helbrecht. "Listen, everyone! We're getting slaughtered out here! We need to get to the plains, or we all die. Speed is our only hope now."

He didn't want to leave Luther or Sampson, but they were gone into a Titan's stomach. Heroism was fine, but it only counted when it did something. Otherwise, it was just foolishness.

[Amaril]

Leon turns away from Hugo and looks back at the titans. Hans watches from the edge of the battle as Valentin soars above the head of the first one, and two more slowly trudge nearer, their eyes fixed hungrily on his airborne comrade. Hugo's right...we need to run--there's nothing we can do alone against this many... He tries telling himself this, but he can't make himself believe it. Valentin is surrounded, and he'll never be able to get away without help. Sampson, Jules...nobody else is dying today!
He turns around in his saddle to face Hugo and Gerge. "No...you two can run if you want, but I'm not leaving them to get eaten!" He kicks his horse into a gallop, racing towards the newly approaching titans. He might not be able to take them both down, but he can distract them long enough to create an opening for Valentin to get away. Leaping from his saddle, he draws his blades and fires his maneuver gear. "Come on, you ugly bastards! I got your food right here!"
Unfortunately, he messes up the timing on his jump, and ends up hurling himself down to skid through the dirt. Frantically scrambling up, he barely manages to fire his gear again fast enough to get out of the way.

Failed on my roll to Get Into Position, and partial success to Avoid Harm. Awaiting GM verdict on the results.

[nersxe]

Hans raises his head as best he can while in the air, and pushes his 3DMG to hook onto the nearest building. He swings himself up, around, and finally down, in perfect striking position above the Titan.

'This is it,' he thinks, the adrenalin running cold through his veins. 'This is for every single one of my friends.'

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Valentin
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Valentin comes screaming down, murder and terror in his eyes.

He quickly notices that he's misjudged the angle of his approach, but he lashes out with his blades anyway, trying to strike the Titan where it counts. Rena. Topal. Rena. Topal.


Burning my Advantage to strike the Titan. Alas, alas. It failed.

Extra Gear: Torch
Disadvantages: Panicked

[ShadowDragon]

Looking sideways both as his companions try to attack the titan they just dodged, then back at the other shouting for them to flee the scene, Gerge nervously shakes his head and after a brief moment makes his mind, "Damn! Let's do this fast and get out of here! Be careful, people!", he uses his 3DMG directly from horseback, pulling himself over to one of the buildings close to the titan he is able to see, trying to get in place for an attack, but not too close as to get the titan's attention.

[Julian84]

GRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX7uUMkeaeM&list=PL6In9M7AZ0kuINRNwjk3Em58aEpqZ3-am&index=1)

Hugo:

The lone rider bolts away from the scene, escaping out onto the open plains, the screams of his comrades echoing in the air behind him as he passes over the rolling hills, keep a wary eye out for titans… He rises atop a hill with a small copse of maple trees at the top, giving him ideal cover and a vantage point to survey the area… To the west lies Helbrecht, a faint and blurry outline on the horizon. To the southeast lies the hamlet, where he can vaguely see the battle raging, three titans conglomerating on the edge of the village… With more he can see beginning to converge from other directions, attracted by the screams of humans.

Leon, Gerge, Valentin, and Hans:

The four cadets rush to the aid of their fellows… But one by one, their training fail them. Valentin misses his target, careening past the titan and smashing into the ground with an unpleasant thud. Wheezing from the pain, he tries to roll over… Blades shattered from the impact with the ground… And the titan looms over him, reaching down to claim him for its belly.

Gerge swoops around, trying to find a better angle from which to next attack the first titan after Hans, but mistimes his shot, only one harpoon safely connecting, and with a burst of gas sends himself careening into a wall, his neck snapping with a sickening crack. His negligence has gotten him killed.

While they fight, Leon tries desperately to avoid being caught by the other two titans, pushing his abilities to their absolute limit as he zips around grasping hands and stomping feet… When suddenly, his cable snags on the foot of a Titan, sending him flying too far forward, skidding across a rooftop, and coming down on the far side of the hamlet from Valentin and the others, the titans slowly wheeling to follow him… But as he attempts to return back to his comrades, his 3DMG gear makes a puttering noise. He is out of gas due to his aerial acrobatics.

[ShadowDragon has been ejected. Valentin must roll avoid harm. Hans must roll execution. Leon must make an agility roll to swap out his gas canisters in time. Valentin and Hans must roll discipline in response to the death of a comrade. Next posting deadline is at 8:00 PM EST 1/31 – Death Penalty Enabled]

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Valentin

I'm alive. Then, Valentin sees Gerge slam into the wall. A chill fills his body. We're--we're going to die! We're going to die!!

All of his reflexes slow and pause for a moment, as horror fills him, like the blood pooling from Gerge's body.


Extra Gear: Torch
Disadvantages: Panicked

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

Well, now what?

There were titans, a lot of them closing in on the squad's position. The squad was already involved in combat with at least three enemies. Sampson and Sgt. Luther were dead - a nearly 33% casualty rate. Hell, even the Survey Corp usually had a better chance.

Go to Helbrecht, and abandon your squad, or join the squad in a suicide run?

It might be foolish sentimentality, but Hugo couldn't just abandon them. He could give some chance of reinforcements though. He gathers fallen leaves, then uses his blades to hack through the maple branches. Thick and green, good.

Drawing his lighter from his breast pocket, he clicks a flame out, and waves it through the maple leaves. The foliage catches, sending thick smoke skyward. Hugo pulls his blanket from the saddle bag, and flings it over the top of the smoldering pile. He then withdraws it, and repeats, in a specific pattern.

If luck was on the squad's side, somebody might see the signal and know it for what it was - a cry for help.

[nersxe]

It's all set up. The Titan is distracted with Valentin, Hans is perfectly poised to strike, his blades are sharp, his gas tanks are full-- and then it all goes to hell. One of his cables goes slack as the ledge it was anchored to crumbles, and it takes all he has just to keep himself from turning into another splat of red and bone on a wall.

That skill and determination serves him well in not killing himself, but it fails him when it comes to the exact method. Hans is perfectly safe physically (for the moment), but his dodging about put him in the exact wrong place for his mental health. Gerge's body drops next to him, 3DMG cables falling next to it like a wilted flower, and Hans cannot look away.

'Am I... am I going to be reduced to just a bag of blood and bones when I die?' he thinks dazedly, freezing despite the immediate danger of the situation. He perches there on the wall, eyes locked to his comrade's corpse. 'Will I be left for Titans or animals to eat, just like Gerge?'

[Amaril]

"No, no, NO!" Leon frantically squeezes the triggers for his harpoons over and over, praying for it to work. "Come on, not now! Goddammit!" He spins around and looks up at the titans, advancing ever closer, those stupid grins still plastered on their faces. I have to get back to the others...please let them have gotten away... Moving faster and with greater precision than he ever has in his life, he yanks out the depleted gas canisters from his gear and screws in the new ones, locking the valves in place. Just as the nearer titan raises its hand, he leaps back into the air and fires his hooks, sailing out of their reach and back towards the battle. "YES! ...God, please let everybody else be safe..."

[Julian84]

Hugo:

The lone deserter watches the carnage in frustration, the additional titans trudging in bit by bit… If the survivors didn’t escape in the enxt few minutes, they’d be trapped.

He notices two horsemen circling around the west side of the hamlet… Horsemen from one of the other trainee squads that survived! They seemed to have rallied their wits and are trying to decide their next move… They spot the smoke signal and begin riding towards Hugo.

Hans, Leon, Valentin:

Valentin scrambles to his feet, weighted down by his 3DMG gear… All thought of fighting is gone. He must run. He must escape. He must hide. There were no longer any other options. With a desperate look back, though, he sees the titan slowly start to accelerate after him, leaving Hans sprawled across the ground. Leon zips across the rooftops, finding Hans groaning and struggling to push himself up as the other two titans shamble back across the village towards the two. In all directions more titans are start to appear in the distance, unnaturally drawn to their location. To the west, though, he sees two horsemen riding toward a rising column of smoke hidden atop a wooded hill…

The titan is gaining on Valentin… With his 3DMG, his has no hope of outrunning it out in the open, and he no longer has the nerve to fight the glass-eyed nightmare pursuing him. He must either abandon his gear or hope for rescue.

[Hans and Leon are in no immediate danger, but wasted actions will put them in harms way. Valentin must make an unpleasant choice. Posting deadline is 8 PM EST 1/31 – Death Penalty enabled]

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

Hugo leaps onto his horse and rides towards the horsemen. He shouts out "We have four men in combat in there! Our commanding officer was taken out. We need to get them out, now! There's a whole horde of titans heading this way. They'll be here any minute. If either of you have a flare gun, launch a signal for heavy enemy presence."

Hugo rides a quick circle, looking for the squad's abandoned horses. They would be necessary if the squad was to make an escape across open ground.

[Amaril]

"Hans, hang on!" Leon lands on his feet by Hans and seizes his shoulders, hauling him to his feet. "Come on, we have to get away!" Looking around the scene of the battle, he sees Valentin struggling on the ground, the original titan closing in. Why isn't he using his gear? He can't be out of gas yet! He glances back up at the approaching titan, just a few steps away from its quarry. "Valentin, run! Get away!" Behind him and Hans, the other two titans were catching up...by the time he and Hans managed to bring down the first one, if they even could, the others would be on them, and the effort would have been wasted. His mind races, struggling to judge the distance the other titans can cover in the time it would take to save his friend, trying to come up with some way to salvage this...

Rolling Awareness to Assess the Situation

[roll0]

On a 7-9, how long before the titans close on us? On a 10+, also what can I turn to our advantage in this situation?

[nersxe]

Leon's hands snap Hans out of his daze, and he looks up at the other soldier, blinking slowly. He nods, and follows the other soldier's lead. "I have spare gas with my horse," he says, speaking slowly and hesitantly. It is quite and wholly obvious he is not completely recovered.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Valentin

In the chaos of battle, as Valentin's nerves stun and overwhelm him in waves, he hears Leon shouting at him. One word. Run. His hands shaking, he forces them into the old habits, unbuckling the harness of the 3D Maneuver Gear. Then, he bolts and runs, shaking again, putting his back to the Titans, racing out of the village.

Going to be rolling Avoid Harm in the dice thread, just in case.

Disadvantages: Shell-Shocked
Extra Gear: Torch (wherever that is...I think my horse might be around here somewhere...or else galloping off, away from everything)

[Julian84]

Abandoning his gear and galvanized by sheer desperation, Cadet Valentin begins to outpace the titan, spotting his horse and whistling for it to come closer. The titan begins to bend down, eager to snatch him up, as he jumps to grab onto the side of his horse while it runs past…

He makes it, pulling himself into the saddle as the titan grasps empty air, the horse galloping with all of its might to clear the titan.

Hugo rides in with Leon and Hans’s abandoned horses, two other riders on his tail, picking up the last two cadets as the two other titans loom over the perimeter of the hamlet… They reunite with Valentin and ride away, a third of their total manpower before the attack.

They ride out onto the open plains. Helbrecht is still a few hours away… And Valentin no longer has 3DMG gear.

[The encounter is over. All panicked and shell-shocked conditions remain until a leader can be found. Posting deadline is at 8 PM EST 2/2 – No Death Penalty]

[Amaril]

The wind whipped at Leon's hair as they raced on towards his old home. He stared blankly ahead, not really seeing anything as his horse followed the group on her own. As the adrenaline of the battle left his system, images flashed through his mind one after the other, things he'd been blocking out in the heat of the moment...Gerge's pulverized body lying in a pool of blood on the rooftop...Sampson disappearing down the titan's throat with the Sergeant, gone in the span of a second....
I'm still here...why am I still here? He kept running over it--he couldn't have stopped himself if he'd tried. They were all better fighters than me...the only thing I ever beat them at was written exams...why am I the one who's still here? He wandered through memories...the day he'd enlisted in the military. He'd sworn to himself that he'd never let any of his friends die, that he would devote his life to shielding others from the suffering the titans brought. What kind of an idiot am I? I can't protect anyone...it should have been me. They're the ones who should be here right now.

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

Hugo rides on in dead silence, the leader of a funerary procession. He didn't even bother to ask what happened to Gerge - the man was dead, that enough. He can't even decide who to be mad at. He supposes he should be mad at Luther, as their commanding officer, for leading them into that mess. But, it was the trainees' fault they hadn't survived even one encounter with the enemy. The training had been clear.

"Don't take unnecessary risks."
"Engage only when you have the advantage."
"Don't be afraid to retreat."

Hugo simply drives his horse harder. They have to make it to Helbrecht.

[nersxe]

Hans doesn't speak, doesn't think, just follows his fellow soldiers and keeps his ghosts - and his fears - to himself.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Valentin
The rookie huddles into the mane of his horse, trying to stop the shaking as they ride out towards Helbrecht. No equipment. Titans behind us. Blood and slaughter. We're doomed. We're dead. His alternating thoughts are attempts to banish the sight of a woman and a young child from his mind, as he immerses himself in the whiff of the horse's hair, and fills his ears with the dying screams of soldiers at the hands of Titans.

[Julian84]

GRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI3nJP-27Qk&list=PLA9EA77480B123D46)

Once they reach a safe distance from the hamlet, the two extras from Squad A quietly mutter for them to stop for a second. One is a young woman with reddish hair and sprinkles of freckles, a peasant from inside Wall Rose named Beatrix. The other is a more sturdy man with shorn blond hair, Siegfried.

“We’re… We’re not continuing on, are we?” Beatrix asks, shaken by what she had seen, watching her friends and comrades be crushed and devoured by the Titan. “You saw what happened back there… If we go to Helbrecht, we’ll all die.” She stares at each of them beseechingly, tugging at the collar of her uniform. Siegfried stares off into the distance, his face a stony mask. Beatrix shakes, tears sliding down her cheeks. “Please don’t make me go.”

[Posting deadline is 8 PM EST 2/7 - No death penalty]

[Amaril]

Beatrix's pleading voice startles Leon out of his reverie. He pulls his gaze away from the distance ahead and looks to his comrade, at the fear in her face. Before he knows what he's doing, he hears himself speaking. His voice is level, calm, and it unsettles him. "We can't go back. Even if we turned around, we'd never make it past all the titans that are between us and the wall--not without reinforcements. We're not getting back home until we join up with the others." He turns away, back to the horizon, towards their goal. He's not quite sure what's possessed him, where the fear and the regret have gone. All he knows is that he's let his squadmates get hurt, people who'd trusted him with their lives as he'd trusted them all with his, and he's not going to let them down further by giving up. He's not going to let their suffering be for nothing. "The way out is through."

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Valentin

As Beatrix speaks, Valentin tries not to hear the voice of another woman who waits behind the walls. He feels the cold grip of fear around him, and fights back the reply that he wants to scream at the freckled peasant, as the blood and the gore plays through his mind, over and over. He hears Leon--and for a brief moment, he stills, watching Leon's cool, collected disposition as the man rides out towards Helbrecht.

How do you do it? You don't have any right to be so calm!

[nersxe]

Hans bites the inside of his lip, closing his eyes. He can't, won't, can't think about that, about being eaten by Titans. Leon has some pretty words about moving forward, but all Hans knows is that he's not leaving these people. Wherever they go, he does.

(They are his safety, his bastion. No Titans can eat him while he's with them.)

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

"Leon is right. We can't go back; we're too few and the enemy is too numerous. We need to get to Helbrecht and report in." Once again, Hugo wishes he had brought a flare gun. If he had been able to summon reinforcements, maybe the dead would be riding beside them, instead of dissolving inside a titan. Or, maybe not. Heroes usually died.

It was a terrible thing being out of immediate danger though. The fear was settling in. Hugo had known he was afraid, but it was something he had been able to keep in the back of his thoughts, held back by the need for survival. Now though, there was nothing. The pounding hoofbeats, the crying peasant, and Leon's words are all there is to really distract from the simple fact that he was, and is, afraid.

[Julian84]

GRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLsRfvpCYCQ)

Leon and Hugo’s words silence Beatrix, who simply stares at them for a few moments before slumping in defeat, staring blankly at her saddle as the squad, one by one, begins to ride again, her horse following in mute obedience. Despite their connection as squad mates, Siegfried does not ride alongside her, instead opting to hold the rear and watch their backs.

As they grew closer to the wall, they began to see more Titans in the distance, lumbering across the plains, heading north and east, most likely to meet the main column in battle. They could only hope that the commanders of the army had reasonable methods for men on foot to be battling the fifteen-meter monstrosities without losing dozens of conscripts in the process.

Hours pass… But they see no other squads, no other soldiers, no other life. In the distance, a dark mass on the horizon slowly turns to a expansive forest of big-ass trees, towering high over the plains and extending for miles in either direction… A sole road cutting straight through it to the other side, to Helbrecht.

[Choose: Skirt around the forest or cut straight through it. Posting deadline is 8 PM EST 2/8 – No Death Penalty]

[Amaril]

As they reach the edge of the forest, Leon reins in his horse and signals the others to halt. He squints into the shadows down the road ahead, straining to see any movement among the trees. The narrow space would make it harder for titans to move, and it's the perfect environment for us to use our gear...but would we see them coming up on us? Can we afford the time to cut around anyway? He turns back to the rest of the group. "Well, this looks like the safest way to me...what do you all think we should do?"

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

Hugo looks up into the dark and foreboding forest, considering what might be lurking in there. He then turns and gazes out into the plains. . . those wide open plains with no cover or maneuverability.

"I say we go through the forest. We need to report in as quickly as possible. Command needs to know what happened, and the location of the enemy. With reinforcements, we might even be able to go back and avenge our comrades."

A single road would be a deathtrap though. Somebody needed to scout ahead. "I'll go up in the trees and keep a lookout. Nice branches up there, so I shouldn't need to use much gas to keep moving forward. If we're lucky, the really big ones and any aberrant types will be attracted to the main column, but that means the smaller ones might be coming in from all sides. Still, I think this is the best path. Anyone else coming up with me?"

Hugo moves his second set of spare blades from his saddle to his back, and prepares to launch into the canopy.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Valentin

Valentin fumbles for the torch stashed in his saddle bags. "We have to get through--quickly. We need light. And I need to be safe on the ground--" A coil of fear tingles around him. I'm going to be Titan feed down there.

Sorry, was never totally clear on whether I had the torch with me or not, so it's up to you whether it's about.

Disadvantages: Panicked/Shell-Shocked
Extra Gear: a torch

[Julian84]

GRMM (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_Q4qi62kgY&list=WLB369BDB303CD154D)

The band of surviving cadets look about nervously as Hugo dismounts, flying into the air with a pneumatic hiss and landing lightly atop a massive tree branch. He peers into the dense forest… But sees nothing but foliage and sunlight dancing through the leaves and branches. Below, the remaining trainees cluster together, Beatrix taking the reins of Hugo’s horse, and they trot into the monolithic forest, following an ancient stone path through the center.

The wind rustles the trees lightly, the only noise beyond the steady clip-clop of hooves on cobblestone and the periodic hiss and release of Hugo’s 3DMG, the soldier himself sailing gracefully through the woods, keeping a wary eye out for titans. At this pace, they will clear the forest in a little over an hour with only a short distance left to go before they reach Helbrecht.

[Posting deadline is 8 AM 2/14 – No Death Penalty]

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

Attach. Retract. Land. Detach. Repeat.

Hugo glides through the trees, enjoying the nearest thing to calm he has experienced since this morning. Too many people had already died, in a torrent of screams and blood.

Breath in. Breath out. Keep it together.

[Amaril]

Leon keeps low in the saddle as he rides, continually glancing in every direction and listening for the sound of a titan's footfalls. The trees are so huge that the canopy they form blocks out the sun overhead--they ride in near-silence through a dark tunnel. He tries to stay calm, but with every passing second, he feels more and more tense, the trees seeming to press in closer, surer and surer that a titan will burst from the leaves any second. After just a few minutes, he can't take it any longer.
"Siegfried, take my reins" he says to his temporary squadmate. He tries to keep his voice low, but the atmosphere of the forest makes it seem terribly loud. "I'm going up to join Hugo." He hands his horse's lead off, then hops up out of the saddle and fires his hooks. As his gear propels him up into the boughs, he feels instantly calmer, back in control. At the first opportunity, he catches Hugo's eye and signals his presence.

[Julian84]

The two soar through the air in silence, collecting their wits about them. They had survived their first encounter with Titans, but at a heavy price. How much longer could the squad hold out before their nerve was broken or they were all just simply killed?

Any further introspection is interrupted by a rope smashing uncomfortably against their chests, sending the two cadets spinning out of control!

Far below on the ground, the other cadets hear an odd whistling noise, followed by the heavy snap of cord – And suddenly, the air above them is filled with arrows.

[All roll Avoid Damage. Posting deadline is 8 PM EST on 2/15 – Death Penalty Enabled.]

[Julian84]

Hugo and Leon go flying out of control, but manage to regain control of their chaotic descent, Leon nimbly landing on branch, only to hear a horrible snapping sound – His ankle has broken under the strain, and he collapses into a heap, yelling incoherently. Hugo’s landing is less graceful, smashing into another branch, his ribs cracking as it catches him across his chest, his vision going black and the taste of iron thick on his tongue.

Below, the other Cadets are caught in a storm of arrows… But Beatrix and Siegfried burst through with their extra horses in tow, Siegfried with an arrow sticking out of his shoulder… Hans and Valentin, however, are not so lucky, their horses crashing to the ground in a heap, each trainee impaled with multiple arrows. Hans is dead as soon as he hits the ground, an arrow quivering softly as it protrudes from his skull, whilst Valentin is crushed beneath his horse, gasping and choking on an arrow stuck in his windpipe, blood bubbling with each rasping breath.

The bushes rustle, figures disguised in foliage and bark rising up from the ground armed with bows and arrows while similar figures begin to appear all around Hugo and Leon, armed with crude sticks and wearing camouflage to blend into the verdant surroundings.

[Carpe and Nerxse have been ejected. Posting deadline is 8 PM EST on 2/16. Death Penalty Enabled.]

[Amaril]

Collapsed in a heap on the gigantic branch, clinging to its surface as the world spins sickeningly, Leon doesn't even see the figures closing in at first. Vision fades in and out, all perception of his surroundings overridden by the searing pain in his leg...it occurs to him through the haze that he's probably screaming in agony, though he's in no fit state to hear himself. He lies as still as possible, waiting for the pain to subside enough to take stock of what's happened.

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

Hugo's spin around the branch might have been funny, if it hadn't come at the expense of possibly cracked ribs and two dead comrades. He dangles uselessly in the air, slowly twisting like a macabre marionette, each breath like gulping down fire.

"Beatrix. . . Siegfried. . . run."

[Julian84]

Hugo and Leon struggle to rise, to escape the same brutal fate that awaits them as the camouflaged figures creep closer along the branches, hissing and making angry clicking noises. In between darting movements, the two cadets can see human flesh beneath, the only sign that these haunting creatures could even be the same species as them.

A shuddering boom echoes through the air, rattling the leaves on the trees, making the creatures pause and stare to the east from whence the soldiers came. Titans have followed them into the forest, attracted by the presence of humans. Who knows how far away they could be, but it was still all too close.

GRMM (http://youtu.be/w3UR7nsTLlQ?t=3m6s)

Below, Siegfried looks back up at the wounded soldiers trapped in the trees. He narrows his eyes, hoisting himself up on the saddle. “Bea, get as far away as you can.” He growls. “What are you going to do?!” She screams. “There’s dozens of them, we’re outnumbered!”

He smiles, handing her his reins, balancing lightly as his horse gallops off. “I have more than a few tricks up my sleeve. And these are… ONLY HUMANS!” He fires his 3DMG, soaring back to save his comrades.

Further away, crushed beneath his horse, Valentin weakly tugs on the arrow stuck through his neck, eyes rolling up in their sockets as bubbling blood trickles down his neck, pooling around his head and staining his military jacket, drying in his hair. Tears trickle down his cheeks. How had it come to this? This was his fate? To die a miserable and lonely death in the middle of nowhere, not even against a titan?

He raises his hand into the air, blood running down in thick rivulets, as he struggles to rise, his comrades dangling far above him, needing his help.

Get up.

He pushes weakly forward, hissing through the pain, his vision going dim.

Get up!

His body was on fire, but it didn’t matter. Nothing else mattered. They were in danger, and they were his comrades. It was his duty. His duty. His duty. His duty.

GET UP!

In the distant sky, past sparkling foliage and rustling branches… He sees a green spark.

A single bolt of lightning screeches through the air, smashing down through the canopy and past Hugo and Leon, who can only stare in horror as the creatures jump back, the bolt crashing straight down into their fallen comrades.

“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

A massive skeletal form rises out of smoke and fire, muscles extending across its frame and forming into a terrifying Titanic body (http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/336/9/7/th__yutto_lein_titan_form_concepts_by_nisesk-d6wh9gu.png), screaming in rage and fury as it soars into the air, hands raised up in dark adulation of its new life. Hugo and Leon have mere seconds to escape before the super-heated body smashes into them as well!

[Roll Avoid Damage. Posting Deadline is 8 PM EST on 2/17 – Death Penalty Enabled]

[Amaril]

The gigantic titan rushes forward, steam still billowing around it. But...but how...what did...where did it come from? The ground shakes as its pounding footsteps bring it within scant feet of his branch--he nearly gets thrown off. I...will NOT DIE NOW! "RRAGH!" Leon hurls himself off the surface of the branch, ignoring the signals from his injury, and fires his gear off into the trees...

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

The wave of superheated air, like an open blast furnace, jolts Hugo out of his stupor as it tingles both skin and memories. As the thermal carries him upward, Hugo aims his body into the higher branches and fires his hooks. They sink solidly into the wood, and yank Hugo away from this sudden titan.

"Leon, where the hell did that thing come from!?!?"

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Valentin

LITTLE MEN. BELOW. The thoughts flash into Valentin's mind, scattered amongst everything else.

Flashes of darkness. Flashes of violet and scarlet. Pain stabbing through him ten, twenty, thirty, forty times, compounding and endlessly returning through his fractured mind.

Dying--

As his 3DMG lies behind him, discarded in the wake of a raging Titan. Kill shot. He soars above its neck, preparing a strike.

Blood and crunch, under the trampling hooves, Jules' brains squeezed out tremulously slick.

Rena. Waving at him, Topal on her hip. As the crowds waved them on and out. The crowds. The hordes. Beneath him like ants.

KILLED ME. DESTROY--

[Julian84]

The Titan smashes through the foliage, sending the feral creatures flying in every direction, screaming incoherently as they become earth-bound. Hugo and Leon barely dodge the steaming red claws of the Titan, zipping across the treeline and desperately avoiding any more damage as the monster begins its rampage, snatching ferals out of the air and reducing them into a red paste on the ground and tree stumps.

Another few titans lumber slowly towards the Red-Claw, their faces grotesque masks of anger as they reach clumsily out to the abnormal type. The Red-Claw’s eyes narrow, and it darts around a grasping arm, snaking its own hands around the human-eating creature, snapping limbs in rapid succession and throwing it on the ground to deliver a savage blow to the back of its neck, sending the head flying across the ground, crushing a few more ferals.

Siegfried flies through the air towards his comrades, bisecting a feral in his path with murderous ease. “We have to get out of here!” He barks to Leon and Hugo, snatching a wooden spear thrown at him out of the air and returning it to its sender with brute force. “That thing, whatever its is… Is… Killing titans?”

[Leon and Hugo now have a disadvantage in their ledgers for my use later. Posting deadline is 8 AM EST 2/23 - Death Penalty Enabled]

[Amaril]

"What? But..." Leon watches the gigantic titan tearing through its fellows, his mind reluctant to accept the sight. "But why is it...they never...what?" Horror and bewilderment vie for dominance as he stares backward at the creature. As he watches it, it occurs to him that its behavior isn't the only thing that's odd--it's built differently than the other titans, skeletally thin, its limbs weirdly stretched, its fingers ending in wicked claws. When he catches a glimpse of its face, a horrible skull-like mask with eyes that burn with feral hunger and rage, he almost recoils in terror in midair. "It must be some sort of aberrant...but I've never heard of one like this before..."

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

"I don't care what sort of mistake made that one attack titans instead of us, just that it is happening! We can report it in and figure this all out later. Now lets go!" Hugo flies through the treetops, trying to put as much distance between himself, the ferals, and the aberrant titan as possible. He scans downwards whenever he can, looking for Beatrix and the horses.

At this point, all that mattered was getting to Helbrecht. They had to report what had happened to the squad, the presence of so many titans in the hamlet, and now this new aberrant titan.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Valentitan

"Do you...think it's a baby boy?

"I don't know, Valentin...but it's a strong child, whichever it is." Rena laughed.

Valentin walked next to her, as she leaned on his arm for support. They walked beneath the walls, as a bright sky sparkled overhead. "I--I can't even believe it. Am I ready?"

She smiled, and looked up at him. "I guess you'll have to be, Val. The world will go on, and you'll be there for the baby. You'll be the best father in these walls."

He smiled, then paused. "I think...sometimes, about the world we're bringing this child into. Whether it's fair." He fell silent.

She looked up, with a steady gaze. "That's how we're going to make the world a better place, Val. By giving our children a chance to grow in it, and by fighting for it, to make it a better place for them."

Valentin's mouth spread into a great, ghastly grin, as the shades of days past flitted through the forest's light. A sound, like a laugh, a growl, a roar, swelled in his belly, and rushed out like a great wind.

[Julian84]

Red-Claw fells two more titans with ease, crushing their necks with precision as their bodies hit the ground. Arrows pepper his superheated hide, eliciting only growls of disdain as his hand darts through the branches with lightning speed, smashing limbs and blasting bodies apart with mere swats. Shuddering sobs catch its attention and it turns, finding one of the savages kneeling on a thick tree branch, its camouflage and mask fallen away to reveal a frightened teenage girl with thick hair and muddy skin. She gazes up at Red-Claw in sheer fright, begging it in some foreign speech that it could not comprehend.

It glanced over, seeing the ones with brown jackets darting away through the trees, landing on horses and galloping away through the woods.

It glanced back to the young savage.

Back to the escaping brown jackets.

Back to the girl.

With an errant swipe, it ended her life in an instant, the Titan crouching low and beginning to jog forward… Then run, sprint, and bound through the trees, chasing after the brown jackets ahead.

As the rumbling crashes reverberate through them, Siegfried dares look back, uttering a choked curse as he sees Red-Claw slowly gain on them in the distance. “IT’S GOING TO CATCH US!” Beatrix screams, urging her horse to gallop faster.

[Posting deadline is at 8 PM 2/27 - No Death Penalty]

[Amaril]

A glance over his shoulder confirms to Leon that the titan is gaining. It's fast--faster than any titan he's ever seen. We're never gonna be able to outrun this thing... He takes a steadying breath and sends up a brief prayer, knowing there's only one way out of this.
"We have to kill it! Beatrix, keep the horses safe; everyone else, form up and get ready!" Now, how can we make this work?

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

Hugo turns his head for the briefest moment to scream at Leon. "ARE YOU INSANE? That thing just wiped out a mass of titans and a horde of feral without any trouble. Plus, if we die here, that thing will drop in on Helbrecht with zero warning!"

They could run and probably die, or turn to face Red-Claw and definitely die. Hugo chooses the former.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Valentin

There are flashes, full-forgotten moments in Valentin's mind, long, dark nights in dank places. Manacled, pierced, filled with a savage lifeblood. If he had lingered, he could have recalled the faces--

Boiling, surging. Things squawking in terror. Men like birds beneath the thunder of a predator. Scattering, spattering.

Pounding one after the other, his footsteps shake the earth.

A hiss escapes his mouth.

[Amaril]

"Hugo, look at how fast that thing is! We're never gonna get away unless we bring it down now!" Leon takes another deep breath. "You want to run? Fine, then you can be the decoy! Sigfried, the two of us will split off into the trees--once we know it's following Hugo and Beatrix, we'll fall back behind it, then rush back in and hit it before it knows we're there!"

I'm hoping that coming up on it from behind will provide us with advantages.

[Julian84]

Siegfried and Beatrix look between Hugo and Leon briefly before coming a decision:

“Bea… You stay here with Hugo.” Siegfried mutters, nodding to Leon. “We’ll hit him, one from each side.” He stands up on his saddle and shoots off to the right, disappearing into the foliage.

Beatrix makes a strangled crying noise, grasping his reins once more and digging her heels into the sides of her horse, willing it to go faster and escape the monster bearing down behind them.

[Amaril]

Leon watched Sigfried fly back into the trees to the left, then turned back to Hugo and Beatrix. For a moment, the words stuck in his throat--he swallowed nervously, pushing down his fear. "Guys...stay, safe, okay? I don't...I don't want to lose anybody else." Then he swung out of his saddle, adrenaline blocking the pain in his swollen ankle, and fired his hooks, soaring off to the side and alighting on a branch. Come on, boy, eyes on the easy targets...show me some neck.

[Julian84]

The Red-Claw Titan goes roaring past, taking powerful, springing strides forward, smashing the road into oblivion with every footfall. Were it not for his permanent grinning maw, exposed bones, and mutated flesh, he might appear to be the perfect human male form on a massive scale.

Now, it is only a monster.

[Leon rolls for getting in position and execute.]

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo and Beatrix

The sudden brightness nearly blinds the pair of riders, but the horses beneath them carry on. The sweet smell of freedom blows along the path, and the animals will not be deterred.

Hugo and Beatrix burst out of the forest into a sun-dappled field. The wheat had quickly grown wild in the year since the fall of Wall Maria. It no longer stood in neat rows, but rather spilled out across the countryside. The low sunlight was shining off the waving stalks, casting a golden haze across the expanse.

It was beautiful.

The road cut through the field, the boundaries blurred by wheat. On a distant hill stands a loan apple tree, mighty and gnarled with age. "Bea, we're heading for the hill. It'll give us a better vantage point. We'll be able to see anything coming at us, and we can make sure we're heading toward Helbrecht."

[Julian84]

Leon swings out into the void behind the Red-Claw Titan, twirling through the air to perform a killing strike after Siegfried makes his attack…

But Siegfried isn’t there. Leon is only able to score a mild gash across the neck of the Red-Claw, blood and steam spurting through the air as the wound begins to knit itself shut. He soars through the air in shock, his comrade nowhere to be seen… And the Titan spins, roaring in fury at the attack as a hand reaches to crush him into oblivion.

Meanwhile, Hugo and Bea ride out onto the open plains, Siegfried swinging through the air and rolling to a halt ahead of them. He stands grimly, waving at them to pick him up so that they can all continue to Helbrecht.

[Leon’s disadvantage has been invoked to lower his execution roll. Roll avoid danger.]

[Amaril]

What the...Siegfried? Where... A second later, Leon is forced to snap out of his confusion by the titan's approaching claw. Spinning as fast as he can, he fires his hooks and tries to pull himself aside...

Avoid Harm

[roll0]

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

Siegfried's appearance could only mean that Leon was dead, destroyed by hubris as much as the Red Claw Titan. Another comrade gone into the darkness. Hugo acknowledges Siegfried and turns toward him. Bea gives Sieg her horse, and climbs on with Hugo. The two smaller individuals on a single horse would be much less strain. "To the hill, Siegfried. Bea, keep a lookout behind us."

[Julian84]

Siegfried nods to the two and jumps onto his horse, the three flying up the slope to the top of the hill, surveying the countryside ahead of them… Not too far off in the distance, they see the blurry outline of the city of Helbrecht, smoke rising in plumes that intermix with the clouds.

“… The battle has already begun.” Siegfried mutters. “I don’t even want to know what awaits us there.”

Meanwhile, back in the forest, Leon barely dodges the steaming claws, firing off to the side as the Titan swerves back around, roaring in anger.

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

Hugo stares with widened eyes at the burning town. "No, no, this can't be happening! Helbrecth was supposed to be a safe point, somewhere we could find our comrades, and regroup! How the hell did it come to this?" He falls silent for a moment, just staring.

"Siegfried, Bea, we aren't going to find out what happened in Helbrecht. We aren't going there. We're the the last of our squads, so instead, we are going to return to the wall, and make our report. Just like the commander told us to, don't you remember. He said, just before he was eaten, that we should go back, that we shouldn't go to Helbrecht, that someone had to report the situation." He stares at the other two, hoping for understanding.

[Amaril]

Come on, Siegfried, where the hell are you? Leon dodges out of the way of the beast's claws, feeling the blast of heat as they scythe through the air. Frantically his eyes scan the trees, searching for movement, for his squadmate to come to his aid...but Siegfried is nowhere to be found, none of the others are. An icy hand clenches around Leon's heart as he realizes what's happened. He's left me here...he's left me to die and run off.
With his allies gone, the game has changed. Come on, think...I can flee, leave the path and head into the trees, that'll slow it down and maybe I can escape...could be more ferals, and there's no guarantee I can find my way out again...if I stay and try to take it down by myself--no, don't be an idiot, there's no way I can fight this thing without help! But if I don't, and I can't leave it behind in the trees, I'll be caught out in open field, and I can't run with this ankle...too fast to escape on foot anyway, even uninjured...alright...okay, so that's what I'll do... With a silent prayer to whatever fickle force ruled the universe, he turned sharply and veered off into the tangle of branches, swinging and firing as fast as he could pull his triggers, trying to find pathways narrow enough that the titan wouldn't be able to follow...

[Julian84]

Siegfried and Bea glance at each other briefly as Hugo gives his idea before nodding slowly. After witnessing the deaths of so many, there’s no way they’re going to remain behind to die…

Within the forest, Leon flies through the tree branches frantically, desperate to escape the Red Claw, roaring in anger in the background… But as he soars through the air, he senses that the shuddering footsteps of the massive beast have faded into a dull shaking. He lands, wincing… And notices that he is almost out of gas.

Back on the hill, as the three prepare to escape the open fields and return to Wall Rose… The Red Claw titan bursts out of the tree line at a headlong run, its body crumbling to pieces around it, limbs falling off as it stumbles to the ground, lighting the grass into thick, choking flames. It thrashes on the ground, screaming in anger and frustration, before finally going still…

[Amaril]

Perched on his branch, standing still as stone, Leon listens to the titan's footsteps fade away into the distance. As they finally recede, he slumps down on the branch's surface, leaning back against the tree's gigantic trunk. Slowly, the adrenaline drains away, and he feels the pain from his ankle returning...yet the physical injury is nearly drowned out as the full realization of what's happened finally sets in. He fights to push the visions away, all the more horrible for being imagined...Valentin and Hans lying dead in the dirt, arrow wounds soaking their clothes with blood...Hugo, Siegfried, Beatrix, all gone now, devoured by other titans for all he knew...he struggles to stop it, but the tears come regardless.
All my friends...I'm the only one left...
He doesn't know how much time passes, but eventually, the horror and shock fade, and his rational mind starts to take over again. I can't just give up and sit here waiting to die. If I get out of here and keep moving, I'll at least have a chance. I'll just...okay, let's think...
He checks his gas supply again, just to be absolutely sure. Probably not enough to make it out of the forest, but enough to get down from this tree at least...won't be any use out in the open field anyway...my best bet is to keep trying to find another detachment, see about getting a horse...but first, I'll need some way to move on this ankle. Looking around, he selects himself a smaller tree branch, a little over an inch thick. Cutting it free with one of his swords, he breaks off a short section, and uses a torn-off piece from his jacket to tie it at a right angle to the rest, forming a makeshift crutch, which he shoves through his belt. Checking around and listening to make sure there are no titans nearby, he hooks his gear firmly onto the tree, and lowers himself to the dark forest floor. Hoping he remembers correctly which way the path was going, he sets off for the edge of the forest, hobbling along with his crutch for support.

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

Hugo stares at the steaming corpse. "Should we. . .go see it?" He doesn't actually wait for an answer though, riding over to the fallen titan, sword out. "If this thing so much as twitches, just run into the trees."

Awareness: [roll0]

[Julian84]

Hugo and his companions slowly climb atop the decaying body, the form of a man sticking out of the nape of the creature's neck...

As Leon hobbles through the forest... He hears a rustling in the bushes around him, whispers on the wind, skittering noises in the background. He is not alone.

[Space Lawyer]

Hugo

Hugo stares in disbelief. What was some doing sticking out of a titan's neck? That didn't make any sense. A human this close to a titan should either be in the belly or on the outside of the neck, preferably with swords out. He grabs a stick that the titan's crashing run had carried along, and prods the figure.

[Amaril]

The rustling and muttering seems to pursue Leon through the undergrowth, but he keeps moving--he can't afford the time to slow down. After a few moments of unsuccessfully trying to catch a glimpse of his pursuers, he draws a sword in his free hand. "Whoever's following me had better come out now!"