Flexible Survival - User contributions [en]

Questing to the Dragon's Den - RPLOG

2015-01-22T06:16:16Z

Rihko:

=Participants=
* [[Adren]]
* [[Aliasi]]
* [[Dal]]
* [[Esana]]
* [[Fenris]]
* [[Myriam]]
* [[Redd]]
* [[Sasha]]
* [[Sigyn]]
* [[Taggart]]
=Date=
21/1/2015
=Log=

It is shortly after sundown, and the Golden Goat is in full swing. An awful, thundering riot of noise comes from the band playing on the stage, and the crowd in attendance has gotten their drinking well under way. There is even a small brawl (with only three participants) going on in one corner of the room, to the cheering and hollering of the crowd, and at the far end a man sits on soething rather like a throne, watching and looking amused. Sigyn, the group's contact, is at the front of the hall with her arms crossed; the hulking woman waits by the door for any unwary adventurers that might stumble in.

Myriam lives in Woodfield! And knows that there is often a good time to be found over towards the Golden Goat, so when word was put out, she needed little other motivation to show up. She tilts up the brim of her witch at, patting down her coat and offering a smile and a wag of her tail. "Hello!"

Fenris trots jovially up to the unusual bar. The big tanuki whistles appreciatively at the hubbub. "Never been here!" he grins as he peers through the doorway before looking to his contact, "Are you Sigyn? I heard you had an adventure in your pocket!" The chubby coon dog trots inside to get out of the doorway.

Time off. After her last mission RSX had insisted Sasha take a little while off her paws and do something 'relaxing'. "Heh, cleaning up this mess is relaxing." She said mostly to herself as she came to the doors of the bar. Some of her associates had suggested going to a pub of some form, either this or the AWOL Bar and Grill. Seeing how this was closer to home station, it made sense. Walking in the smell of the drink is the first thing to assult her nose, and quite unpleasently as well, but, undetured, it is the brawl that gets more of her attention!

Taggart thumps his way into the Goat, collar pulled up to shield himself from the chill that January brings. A hulk of a wolf in size and strength, every step resounding to echo and remind of that fact. However, at the sights and sounds that the bar bring, a big grin spreads upon the Irishman's face. "This... is a bloody pub." Never one to turn down these sorts of festivites, Taggart is sure to order himself a pint before joining the group rounding up around Sigyn, sipping upon a dark, amber lager while everyone gathers.

Dal slowly walks through the door and shifts his gaze around the area. The contact for the job should be around here somewhere. He was told that it would be someone big and out of place. He notices a big woman at the front and smiles, revealing his sharp teeth. "So that's who I'm supposed to find." He begins to walk over to her when a a Tanuki walks straight into his path. The dragon clears his throat in order to get some attention from the woman, "Are you Sigyn? The contact told me that you had a job. Is that correct?"

Esana follows not far behind, looking throughout the crowded room curiously before spotting the woman she's supposed find. The shark steps to the side and out of the way as she crosses her arms, giving a nod of greeting to the woman "Seems the question's been asked already. And plenty of people showing up for details..."

Looking left and right while walking down the street, the small dog occasionally checking a map in his hands, then around him. Welp, he's lost. That never happened before. Decideing to try his luck at the obviously lively bar, Adren walked toward the entrance, scratching the back of his head. He noticed the large woman near the door and spoke up, his tail wagging from side to side. "Hey, excuse me, but I'm looking for the Upper Corner street. I've been waling around in circles for a while and I can't find it."

A huge figure strolls over to the hall. She doesn't come into the hall on account of being somewhat too large to fit inside. Yes, it's Aliasi, everyone's favorite oversized and overmuscled giant. She crouchs and raps on the door with a knuckle. "Hey, heard somethin' was going on around here? Always on the lookout for things here in Woodfield..."

Where there is drink there must be food... And where there is food, scavengers abound. Always looking for a easy, or better yet, a free meal, a coyote dashes inside the front door as people move in and out of the meadhall, stopping and sitting quietly infront of Sigyn, just staring at her from his position on the floor. This person looks nice enough, plus, others have already begun gathering around her!

Fenris grins when he sees Taggart arrive. "Mister Taggart!" he says, doing his best to stay out of Dal's way, "You go to other pubs?" The round tanuki can barely seem to hold still, dancing from foot to foot along with the music and sounds of fighting.

Adren perked his ears as he was waiting for an anwser, hearing talks of adventures and jobs. He looked down at his dirty map then shruged, crumpling it into a ball and discarding it into his pocket. "Actually, nevermind. I think I'd going to stay here and enjoy myself for a while." His nose caught a familiar scent, despite the multitude of smells and the dog turned his head toward a certain coyote. "Redd? Fancy seeing you there!"

Taggart blinks his bright green eyes and looks to Fenris, head tilting to one side as he looks the tanuki over, mid-drink. "You...erm... d'I know you? Sorry, get alotta traffic t'rew tha pub. Don't ramamber every face..." One large paw pulls the collar of his peacoat down, "But aye. I visit ot'er pubs. Got nuthin'gainst ot'er pubs. Jus'... lot ta do at me own, s'all."

The modern-day valkyrie at the door laughs as she gives Adren a friendly slap on the shoulder. "Come in, come in, all are welcome in this hall." Sigyn eyes the group of people collecting around her, her grin growing as she takes stock of her potential knights errant. "Grab a drink. Or some food. But if you are indeed the Juniour Apprentice Questors I have sent for, then yes, I have w-. I have a jo-." She pauses, face scrunching as if trying to work her way around some unfamiliar words, and then she spreads her arms and bellows. "THERE IS A QUEST!" The crowd in the mead hall pauses for a moment, then echoing shouts of "A QUEST!" go up. Sigyn waves them down though. "My normal band of loyal traveling companions are... indisposed, and so I must turn to you. And of course, as with any -proper- quest, a successful return will bring you glory and riches! Aye?" The muscular woman puts her hands on her hips. "A companion of ours made a discovery while scouting! Far away on the other side of the nation of Woodfield, down the Lane of Oaks and near the Grove of Birch, he found a dragon's den. One that must surely hold priceless relics of The Time Before." She pauses, then thrusts a rolled up... something at Fenris. "The map! Follow it, to glory, and bring me proof of this dragon's hoard."

Dal hears the coyote's conversation with the dog. "Redd, huh? Well-" The dragon stops as he notices the large being currently in the room. He blinks in surprise and taps his chin while looking at the giant. "Just like the tablets depicted." He turns back to Sigyn and smiles, "Allow to me to introduce myself, Sigyn. The name is Dal and being a soldier and or guard is my profession."

Esana looks at each of the other problem-solvers that have shown up, taking a subtle sniff in the direction of each and looking them over curiously, gaze lingering on some more than others, before snapping back to Sigryn as she speaks, listening carefully. "...A dragon? Interesting. Do you wish the dragon in question captured as well, or do we chae it off, if able?"

Myriam settles her hands in her pockets, tail wagging all the faster. "Oooh. A quest! A fetch! I am good at fetching!" She chimes happily, already turning for the door. "And adventure! I will find the thing and bring it here!" And with that, she's going! Up until she reaches the door. "Wait. What otherside of Woodfield? We talkin' north side? West side? South side?"

Fenris joins in the exuberant shouting, suddenly certain that he likes these people, even if they smell like barnyard! After the cheer dies down he grins at Taggart. "I come in for pie sometimes," he says, "I understand if you don't remember." The tanuki pulls his own wine goird from within his coat and takes a swig. Just to get in the spirit of things.

Aliasi huhs. "Hey, I've been a dragon before. Can be a lot of fun. And I make a hell of a distraction while you more normally-sized sorts can steal all the goodies, so long as I get a cut."

Dal quickly turns to Esana. "I am not the dragon in question. After all, that can't be what I was hired for." He quickly turns to the muscular Sigyn and nervously grins, "Right?"
Adren raised a brow at the mention of the dragon hunting/treasure finding quest. Sounds like fun! "Count me in. I don't have anything to do... erh... anymore. Will be a good opportunity to meet new people too." He added with a grin, eyes sweeping over the numerous new faces.

Fenris joins in the exuberant shouting, suddenly certain that he likes these people, even if they smell like barnyard! After the cheer dies down he grins at Taggart. "I come in for pie sometimes," he says, "I understand if you don't remember." The tanuki pulls his own wine goird from within his coat and takes a swig. Just to get in the spirit of things.

Aliasi huhs. "Hey, I've been a dragon before. Can be a lot of fun. And I make a hell of a distraction while you more normally-sized sorts can steal all the goodies, so long as I get a cut."

Dal quickly turns to Esana. "I am not the dragon in question. After all, that can't be what I was hired for." He quickly turns to the muscular Sigyn and nervously grins, "Right?"

Adren raised a brow at the mention of the dragon hunting/treasure finding quest. Sounds like fun! "Count me in. I don't have anything to do... erh... anymore. Will be a good opportunity to meet new people too." He added with a grin, eyes sweeping over the numerous new faces.

"She said proof of the hoard, not the hoard itself, and certainly not the dragon!" Redd's on his hind feet, with a pawlike hand on Myriam's shoulder. He glances at Dal. "Nah, you don't look like the hoarding sort." So much for free food... Maybe there'll be a feast when they get back?

Taggart shifts his attention to Sigyn as she describes their quest, a wry grin forming upon his muzzle before looking back to Fenris. "Oh, right, right, right. Aye. I ramamber ya. Once'er'twice, aye." The large wolfman gives a shrug and falls quiet, drinking his beer and turning his attention to the bar around him while everyone else plans.

Esana chuckles at Dal's comment, before glancing over to Redd. "What better proof of the hoard than the hoarder/ Though this is all conjecture....it might be too big to drag back. So, to the east, then...?"

Aliasi poses the question to Redd, "What's the point of a dragon's hoard if not to take it for yourself? That's what treasure hoards DO. Also, I gotta pay for the latest bundle of salvaged building materials we're bartering for on the island. Being a priestess isn't all communing with the powers, you know."

Fenris looks over the map. "Corner of Oak and Birch, got it," he says with a grin, "Aaaaaaaaadventuuuuuure!" The big tanuki raises the old crayon and burger wrapper map over his head and starts off at a trot out the door. No specifics, just a vague direction. Yep, all American Tanuki, that one.

Myriam takes a moment to look at the map, trying to put it to memory before turning back towards the door. "Oh I see! Over in... The area. I am good at following the moon." She glances amongst the others before peering at Redd. "Okay, then! Time for adventure! Let's go! Fetching or not!" She'd heard all she needed to hear. She was going now! And going she is.

Sasha raises her ears at a ... "Dragon's den? Heh, my mom's been to quite a few dragon's dens, what makes this one different?" She asks, listening in on the conversation going on. "But, it sounds fun all the same." She comments giving a shrug. Her attention diverts around to those about, pondering about who all was about her. But then again, she'd signed up to work with random folks before.

"Oi!" Taggart hollars out, his gruff, gravely Irish lilt lifting up and over the crowd for a moment, "Everyone needs ta come back'ere and down a pint! Proper t'ing ta do bafore an adventure, as a party like this." The wolfman thumps over to the bar and orders a glass of beer for everyone, of appropriate sizes for each. "Down'em on tha way, iffun ya gotta, but yer drinkin' it." Then, he proceeds to pass out the drinks.

Dal thinks carefully to that hint while he takes a seat in one of the chairs. "Hmm, rising moon. Well, there's only one direction where that goes, however-." He shifts his gaze over to the group of individuals gathered. "I'm pretty sure that is in the west. We only need one thing though, right?"

Adren tried to take a look at the map, but it was already taken and moving ahead and back in the street. Shrugging and grinning, he moved next to Redd and gently pushed the coyote away toward the exit. "C'mon, let's go. We'll talk about rewards and such later. I think these Norses have enough feast to share whether we come back with a dragon or a lightning hammer." He kept pushing on Redd, until the guy would start moving.

Fenris stops cartoonishly mid-stride, spins on his heel and trots back to the pub, map still gripped in his hand to accept a tankard from Taggart. "Adventuuuuuure!" he cries again as he downs it.

Esana shakes her head and chuckles at the sudden chaos as Sigyn gives out the instructions. hearing the irish wolf yell out, she turns his way, but waits for the rest of the group's choice before moving, ready to follow if everyone but taggart leaves.

Sasha ears and tail twitch, "Umm, no thanks, never touch the stuff, doesn't agree with my tongue or nose." She says to Taggart before looking around to everyone else once more. "Well, if we are going to get going, lets get going, though I'm left wondering about this 'Dragon' more than anything else." She says.

Sigyn lets out a hearty laugh as the group starts to get in the proper mood, and she gives Taggart a grin at his demand. "It's different 'cause it is," she replies. "You're the night's questors. It's a great honor. May strength and wisdom guide you." The 'band' kicks into it's next horrific assault on aural decency, and the brawl in the back picks up another couple of combatants to replace one man nursing a broken jaw. The viking lady perches herself on a stool near the door, and begins enjoying her own pint while she goes about her own business again - sharpening a double headed axe that appears to have been chisled from a manhole cover.

"Erf, I ought not drink any alcohol, I'm supposed to stay sober..." The coyote stares at the offered drink, sniffing hesitantly and pushing it back towards Taggart. "I don't think you'd want a trickster getting any alcohol fueled schemes." He nods in agreement with Sasha, peering at the jackal curiously.

Myriam pauses at the door, again, but this time to frown. "I... Don't really drink. Nnn." She huffs and shifts about uncomfortably before taking the drink with her to sip at slowly as she moves back out the door to await the others. Or at least the one that took the map.

Dal suddenly gets a bright idea and stands up. "I might be able to get a good view of the area and I can take you guys anywhere very quickly by flight." He stares at the coyote for a second and grins. Too bad he doesn't know that attempting to change this dragon's form is pointless. Dedications bypass that little trick by changing back quickly. He slowly frowns as he remembers the giant in the room. He stares at the coyote for a second and grins. "Err, sorry miss. I can't take you to other places. You're too big for me to carry you."

Taggart squints his green eyes at Sasha a moment, "Ya realize yer jinxin' tha whole adventure, iffun ya don't, right? S'tradition'ere. So... iffun we fail, I'm blamin' you." He thunks the pint down in front of Sasha before moving on and passingout the rest. After they're handed out, a fairly intimidating growl given to any others who refuse, especially Redd. "It's a bloody pint. Yer not gettin' drunk from a single bloody pint, tha nanites'll save ya. Jus'drink." He shakes his head and heads to the door, his own pint in hand.

Esana sighs and shrugs at Taggart, before nodding in the direction of the door. "Nice as planning can be, we may want to leave before they start the party without us. Will just have to wing it once there." She heads to the door, pulling the trident she carries off the liip on her pack, before stating up, blinking at the giant outside, before moving to the side.

Adren looked at the offered mug of beer, a bit of a grimace onto his face. "Why, uh... thanks!" He took a sip of it, or at least pretended to, before putting the mug down and following after the large wolf, the tanuki and... pretty much everybody else. While still attempting to drag the coyote with him.

Aliasi takes the pint, although relatively speaking, it's probably a bit like drinking a thimble of liquid. But the gesture is the thing.

Dal hears the offer and puts his hands on his hips, "Shouldn't we save that for when we actually win this. I personally love feasts. It means I can get a nice large meal." He smiles brightly as he imagines the wonderful food that is sure to be given for success.

And with a -mostly- auspicious start to the evening, the Grand Quest is underway. The map is... poorly drawn, to put it nicely, but it is certainly suggestive of which direction to head in; those that live in Woodfield may recall an Oak Lane as well, out on the edge of Woodfield just before it turns to suburbs. It will be quite the walk, but after the noise and the chaos of the Golden Goat, the moonlit streets of Woodfield are relatively quiet and peaceful. For the most part, at least; it is only a short while spent following Fenris, and the map, before stumbling on a pack of roaming Female Commandos that seem to be in the process of looting another feral pack's nest.

Fenris trots happily along Oak lane with the map held out in front of him. Upside down, yes, but out in front of him. He does not seem to be looking at it anyway. The round tanuki is humming happily and occasionally singing quietly. Something about a hedgehog. "Must be close now!" he cheers.

Taggart thumps slowly along to the side and slightly behind of Fenris, drinking his pint while keeping his attention slowly roaming around them. A group of their size is likely to be undisturbed making it's way through the city, so the large wolf doesn't even think to pause for the group of Commandos. He keeps an eye upon them, sipping at his beer while his heavy tail swishes slowly behind him.

Myriam remains in her own little world for most of the walk. She'd spent most of her life on these streets, technically. It wasn't anything terribly new. Her hands tucked in her pockets and her eyes up on the sky above, though she does slow to a stop upon the sight of the commandos. Her tail stills its wagging, the wolf trying to trot quietly to the other end of the street and continue on, hoping they don't take notice.

Aliasi is pretty used to just... going where she pleases. One of the advantages of being freakishly huge.

Esana readies her trident as the ferals come into sight, but stays quiet and motions with her head for everyone to keep moving, tail nudging anyone along that stops as she murmers. "Just keep moving, don't make eye contact, and they should leave you alone."

Sasha made very little comments on the walk. paws striking on the broken up pavement as they walk along. "You know, I wonder what this place would have been like before everything started falling apart." Is about all she really says. Upon being confronted with a group of commandos, she meerly shakes her head, unfolds her pink insect-like wings. Beginning to flutter them, she looks almost like a canine butterfly as she takes to the air.

Adren was now pumped up about that adventure, moving up to the beginning of the lane, next to Fenris and Taggart. Amused by the tanuki's shenanigans, he let out a chuckle in his direction. "Man, you certainly know how to use a man! Better than I did earlier." His eyes caught the pack of commandos, but quickly moved back in direction of the tanuki.

Dal flies in the air following the group from above. The smile on his face is larger than ever at the moment. "I love flying!" He looks down and notices the group of Female Commandos in the way. "Really? They never learn do they? Oh well. Time for-" He realizes the nest is empty and that no one has lived in it for a long time. "Err, nevermind." He flies on with the group.

The nest was far from empty; the team of female commandos has neatly stacked a pile of food near some bushes in front of the building - it may have been a store front of some sort back in the day, before the window was broken out and the weather was left to do its thing to the interior. A whistle sounds from off to the side as the group approaches and the four commandos looting the building scatter, taking up hidden vantage points - although they are not perfectly hidden, and seem to be wavering between remaining hidden, and trying to ambush the party.

"I hope you mean map, you silly mutt." The coyote snickers as he trots along behind Adren. Always good to stay near familiar people. Especially when said person is a new friend. Or potential victim. Or as in this case, both. An ear swivels towards the movement of the commandos, and the coyote turns his head to watch them.

Fenris waves happily to the feral commandos. "Evening Ladies!" he says, "You just keep doing your thing! just passing through!" The tanuki hardly seems worried, but that spear on his back could be in his hands in an instant if needs be. "Nothing here worth bothering yourselves over," he prompts.

"Tha six of ya's really care ta tangle wit'us, yer welcome. Won't be a good night fer ya..." Taggart raises his voice to hollar out, "We got a giant, after all." The large wolf downs the last of his pint and then chuckes the empty glass further down the street, in the direction that they're heading.

Adren turned his head and blinked in direction of Redd. "Yeah. Map. That's what I said!" The dog was completely oblivious of the commandos' movements, instead just walking ahead, or at least following the map-holding tanuki. His tail was waggig, ears twitching, face smiling. He was having a good time and enjoying the walk so far.

Sasha looks down upon the scene developing and was just about to say something when she hears Fenris being... welcoming. Well, alright, worth a shot. Being nice. Never really got her anywhere, and then, Taggart starts, well, that was something at least. Well, maybe she could have some fun anyway. "La madre fottuto inferno della nostra liberiane dannati o prendo la milza e fin qui i vostri asini da gustare!" she yells out, growling behind every word from the air.

Dal notices some of the extra movement in the shadows. He grits his teeth in frustration and stares at the extra female commandos. "Okay, really? They can't be that stupid, right?" He continues to follow the group from high above the air. He flies over to Aliasi's ear and whispers, "You may want to be a bit careful. We might need a bit of extra force for some female commandos."

Esana chuckles softly at the tanuki, then nods to Taggart, speaking openly. "I'm sure they're not that stupid. Takes soem smarts to live out here successfully. Hurling yourself at a heavily armed group on the way to fight a dragon would just be silly..."

Aliasi backs up Taggart's move by grinning down and looking, well, particularly intimidating. While she no longer gets VERY small thanks to her Kaiju-ness, she does have some variability... and she kicks herself up by about ten feet.

<div></div> Fenris seems to have moved on completely, ignoring the commandos and the various shouts and threats from his erstwhile companions. He seems to be composing a little song as he trots along, map still held out in front of him. "Dragon, dragon, dragon, dragon!" he sings. It is not a very good song. Myriam pulls her hands out of her pockets, brushing back the sides of her trenchcoat to give her access to the weapons on her legs, should she need them. She doesn't draw, though. Not yet. She tries to keep going along her way, with Fenris. If they don't start anything, she won't! Of course, she's ready for if they -do- make a move, that much is clear. After his small bit of cocky bluster, along with the backup-bluster from his traveling companions, Taggart tucks both of his paws into the pockets of his peacoat. Seems he's content with that for now, his heavy footpaws thumping along as he stays flanked to Fenris, free of worry toward either a fight starting or not. With such a large group of people traveling together, the rest of the hour-long walk across town is similar - passing single agents or ones working in pairs, groups of ferals, and the various bits and pieces that make up the nightly activities of a broken society on the mend - is relatively undisturbed. Eventually the group finds Oak Lane, and, after heading in the wrong direction for several blocks, gets oriented properly and Birchgrove Circle - a small shopping area. True enough, the store in the center has a sign proclaiming it to be the Dragon's Den Comics Store and, miraculously, the glass of the front window is mostly intact, even if a bit cracked. The windows are boarded up, but a thin trickle of light marks the building as occupied. "A comic store, seriously?" The coyote snickers, and dashes to the door. "I call all the miniatures!" Dal stares at the comic book store and laughs, "Okay, a comic book store? Great, are we going to play extreme Dungeons and Dragons now?" He slowly stops laughing as he comes in for a landing in front of the comic book store. "This is too easy." Esana blinks, then shakes her head with a sharky grin. "The dragons den....makes sense now. Though, doesn't light mean someone that isn't a feral is there...? Someone's home?" Adren is running right behind Redd, trying to reach the door first. "Dream on, Redd! I'm getting the collector ones! Maybe they even have some dice too. Or even rule books!" Sasha blinks a bit looking at the store front. "Miniatures? Dungeons and Dragons?" She asks, looking back at it once more, "Well, it is something and light doesn't always mean there are sane people inside. For all we know could just be some mutation that glows brighter than I do." She says, looking at the windows, "Well, who first?" She asks. "Hot!" Fenris crows, "This is awesome!" The tubby tanuki races off after the others. "Dibs on Sandman!" he calls. The coon-dog can't remember what his real name is, but he remembers his favorite comics. How bizarre. "Oh, oh!" he calls, "And see if they have Bone!" He hurries up and knocks politely on the door before sticking his head inside, "Anyone home?" Taggart approaches the comic book store with a bit of a smirk and shakes this head, then raises his brows as the two of them dash for the door. "Bloody coyotes..." The large wolf gives a small sigh and shakes his head, "Ya'll ger yerself eaten, I'm not savin' ya." Dal hears Adren's words from behind and stops. He shouts out, "Wait! We are supposed to bring proof of the dragon and proof of his hoard, not steal everything there!" Myriam tilts her head to the side, peering at the store. She's got no clue what miniatures are! And probably the wrong idea about 'dungeons and dragons' but all the same, she starts for the door after the others, not in any particular rush, save for the excitement of seeing something new. Esana winces as the group rush for the door, before moving in with her spear out, ready to defend the foolish agents if needed. Fenris was the first to stick his head in the shop's door, and so it is Fenris' head that is in the way when a heavy kick threatens to slam the door shut on him. Luckily the tanuki ducks his head back quick enough to avoid having it squished, and the doorframe rattles as it slams shut. A low, grumpy snarl comes from the other side, inside the building. Adren jumped back, quite startled by the sudden attack on Fenris, but seeing as the Tanuki is alright, he exclaimed with a mockingly terrified tone. "Oh no! The final boss is a D&D nerd! He's probably a lvl 100 Warrior/Mage! We're doooooomed! Seriously though, we gotta get inside, I bet there are treasures in there." Esana chuckles and shakes her head. "The shock serves you right. This is their territory. And if there is light, it's likely not a feral, but a survivor. It's gone from an attack or theft mission to negotiating." Fenris blinks and stands at the suddenly slammed door. "Well," he says, "That wasn't very nice." The tanuki then proceeds to knock politely on the door. "Hi!" he says brightly, "Didn't mean to intrude. Can I come in? I like comics too, I think!" Dal watches as the door nearly slams shut on the large tanuki's face. He laughs slightly, "I knew it wouldn't be that easy." He turns back to the rest of the group. "Well, which of us has the most physical force? We could have them open the door, or we could try another way." The golden scaled dragon notices the window. "We could go in through the window or get him out here. Anyone have a stink bomb?" Myriam leans back when the door is slammed in their face, ears twitching under her large witch hat. "...Huh. Maybe they are friendly?" At Dal's question, she gives a shake of her head. "Not me. I have lots of firepower, but not much in the way of... Hitting things hard." Sasha shakes her head, "Alright, if we aren't just going to destory the place, as you all seem quite fond of it, seems we need another way in." She says, wings fluttering once again, she looks up to the large one among them, "Any rough access, chimneys, sky lights, holes that you see up there?" She asks. Taggart gives a hefty sigh at the attempted break-in, shaking his head slowly back and forth while thumping his way up to the door. The large wolf pushes past the rest of the group, not afraid to shove his companions to the side before he gets to the entrance, waiting while Fenris addresses the 'dragon' inside. "Clear out a bit, then... give'em sum room." He glowers at everyone crowded at the door, "An' quit talkin' about smokin'em out'er wutever else. Not tha best way ta get on their good side." Fenris frowns over his shoulder at the rest of the groups. "Hey!" he says, "Nobody will share comics with you if you act like that!" He turns his attention back to the door. "Mind if I come in and chat?" he asks, carefully removing his spear and sword and passing them to Taggart, "I'm unarmed! And mostly cuddly!" The teddybear-esque tanuki does look pretty non-threatening. Dal flies over to Taggart and whispers, "Have you tried telling him that we are knights and we want him to join our quest?" Aliasi shakes her head. "Look, you figure out something, since it's a miracle the place is undamaged. But if you all can't do it peaceful, I'll be damaging the place." Adren gave a bump in Fenris' side with his elbow. "Ask him if they have any rule books. And dice. Do you think they take creds...? Ask them about this too, please!" The heeler couldn't hide his excitement, tail being a blur behind him. "I'll check the roof, maybe they've got a skylight or something!" The coyote tries to grab the side of the building and starts his climbing attempt. As Redd makes his way to the corner of the building and begins inching his way up the side of the cinder block building - slowly, and painstakingly, managing to clear a good six inches (by jumping off the ground) - the door cracks open. A draconic head, sleek and angular and covered in glittering scales, peeks out and lets loose with a bellow. A billowing, shadowy morass as cold as an arctic gale flows out at the group, and although most of the group scatters out of the worst of it, a few of the Questing Adventurers are caught dead center in the blast. Then the door slams shut again. Adren grinned from ear to ear when the door opened, opening his mouth to greet the, frankly quite impressive, dragon, when he found himself hit right in the face by a wave of cold. Wearing nothing his his shorts, the poor dog is quite affected by it, his gooey body starting to harden while frozen patches grow here and there onto his torso and face. Whimpering and trying to hug himself, the dog moved away from the door, really slowly since his body was now half-solid "R-R-Ruu--uud-d-de!" Esana gasps in surprise at the sudden cold greeting, managing to leap out of the blast zone for it. As soon as she lands, she lets out a growl and dashes towards the door, raising her shoulder to slam half a ton of ticked-off shark against it. They had tried playing nice, now things got nasty. Taggart squints his emerald eyes mostly shut as the dragon peeks out, one arm raising upward to ward off the dragon breath attack. After the shadowy swirl fades away, his arm slowly lowers and he lets out a hefty snort through his nostrils, his upper lip raising into a dangerous and low growl. "'n'ere I wuz gunna try ta be civil..." A hand shifts down to flick a switch upon a digital device upon his belt, before he backs up a few steps and starts to charge forward at the big, glass window... Sasha takes to the air at seeing the dragon head pop out, giving quite a growl as she flies upward to avoid the breath! "Alright, enough is enough." She says. Flying up to the roof, she looks about and spoots... something, not quite sure what it is, but it is attached to some kind of tubing that leads inside. She gets over to it, takes a grip and tries to rip it open enough to permit entry. Dal backflips into the air, but feels the sudden chill and lands on his back. He rolls back to his feet and flies up into the air. He calls out to the coyote on the wall. "Okay, you might want to rethink that plan unless you like becoming a yotecicle." Myriam blinks in surprise as the head pokes out of the door. As soon as she sees it opening it's mouth, she leaps out of the way, skittering to the side to avoid it while drawing each of her laser pistols from their thigh holsters. She takes aim on the door, in case anything decides to poke through again. It won't work twice! Fenris tumbles effortlessly to the side of the door, rolling back to his feet and stomping back up to the portal. "Hey!" he cries, "Not cool at all! Even if you are Dragonlance and Wizards of the Coast Canon!" The tanuki reaches to take his weapons back from Taggart, then makes an almost cartoonish wind up with his hips before swinging them forward with force. Suddenly, a pair of wreckingball sized testicles balloon out from his crotch to slam into the glass. Aliasi shivers but isn't badly hurt by the burst of cold, but she's distracted enough to not take an immediate action. Sasha rips the entire decrepet and, to her, unknown machine off the top of the building to casually toss it over the side. A vent! She knew what vents were! She ponders a bit, putting her muzzle to the open shaft and exhaling her toxic breath down into it. And so the party has started; Fenris winds up and mashes his massive balls into the cracked pane of glass covering the store front, just before Taggart slams his weight into the wooden boards and breaks into the building interior. Esana breaks the front door of the shop down, clean off of its hinges, and as the group moves in to assault the poor territorial dragon, the interior of the shop is revealed. There are numerous shelves, although only one of them is still standing; a large nest of shredded paper is sheltered between two of the bookcases leaning against eachother in the middle of the room. Small bits of metal are scattered around the floor - Taggart even steps right on one, painfully, as he recovers his balance - and an electric camp light set up on the counter flickers and casts shadows about the room, faintly illuminating the dust and foggy air falling from the ceiling. Meanwhile, down the street, a sharp whistle sounds - although the noise of the break in covers it. Dal notices Sasha rip off the top. "Well, that works but I better go do something to make sure she doesn't kill the occupant." He flies over to Sasha and yells out with his hands on his hips. "We aren't supposed to kill him. How are we going to cover this up or even get in?" The shop's crystalline dragon occupant has retreated to her nest and is hissing, rough-hewn wings spread, a glitter of light refracting from the shards of crystal lifting from her wings. Myriam scoots a little close to the building, but she doesn't enter with the rest of them. Not yet, anyway. She peeks inside, certainly, but she remains at the ready, keeping her eyes on the street. She could've swore she heard something... She brings her pistols up again, back to the door frame. Fenris stares at the shredded pile of papers in horror as his tanuki endowments vanish with a rather strange slurp. Then his teddy bear visage darkens and he advances on the hissing dragon. "Shame on you!" he roars as he stomps across the room, "How could you ruin perfectly good comics like that?" It is rather comical to see the fat tanuki bearing down on the dragon. Sasha looks down the hole... no real change all in all? Maybe too big, or too long? In either case she gets up and looks over to Redd as he continues to make his way up, offering a hand to help him the rest of the way up, or a wing if needed. "Well, seems that they beat down the door while I was up here, oh well." She says, so much for an unusual entrace. Esana doesn't hesitate a moment, resuming her dash directly at the hissing dragon, building up momentum as she turns her head to the side, one arm raising to partially protect herself from the incoming shards of crystal, though she doesn't slow or otherwise hinder her own attack, counting on being able to take at least one hit, Dal hears Fenris's yelling and flies down over to the ground. He lands near the corner of the room so as to avoid the incoming attack entirely. "I better help them out so that they don't get hurt." The golden scaled dragon focuses and raises a large protective shield onto Esana as she charges in. "This should protect you a bit. It's mirror shield." Taggart growls as he lands on the inside of the store, grimacing further as sharp metal pierces into his paws. The large wolf manages to shake most of it off, standing up and taking a quick look at what's happening. He huffs and gives a small scowl, noticing the impending attack from the dragon and Fenris' apparent ignorance to it. While the tanuki looks big, he isn't sure how much of a hit he can take, so Taggart decides to try and put himself between Fenris and the dragon, instead. "Thanks for the hand." The coyote grabs the offered paw to pull him up. Once on the rooftop proper, the coyote stares at the open ventilation shaft. "Think I could fit down there?" He points at the remains of the old HVAC system. Aliasi has had enough of the fancy skulking about all these others are doing, plus, that asshole tried to freeze her! She just walks over to one side of the building and... kicks the damn wall down. The air of the shop has a sweet, musty smell to it now, and it is cloying enough to induce coughing fits for those inside; Esana is a bit distracted from the shoddy air quality, however, as her headlong charge means she takes the full brunt of the flechette blast of diamond-edged missiles. Painfully shredded, but certainly not stopped, the shark girl barrels full bore into the dragon. And then the wall buckles, blocks scattering throughout the room as a giant foot kicks a few of them loose. As distracting as the fight - and the impending demolishment of the building - may be, Myriam and Sasha notice a set of flitting shadows moving from building to building, approaching the group; Redd's contemplation of the vent - about half his size and filled with poisonous air, but oh, so tempting - is shaken by the tremor that passes through the building at the kick. Dal watches as Aliasi kicks the wall down and just stares at Aliasi. He shouts out to her. "Thank you, madam!" He looks over to the shark girl and frowns as he notices that the mirror wave didn't help much at all. "Crap, why can't I ever get it right when it is needed?!" The angry dragon stares at the crystal dragon and begins charging energy into his hands. He carefully gets his aim ready. "Steady, steady. Almost there." Fenris is not even slowed as Esana storms through and takes the dragon's blast full force. He only stamps on, drawing his spear and walks right up to the dragon before smacking it across the snout with the butt end of the ornate spear. "Bad!" he shouts, "Bad dragon!" He must be out of his mind. Sasha feels the building starting to shake and takes to the air, looking at the side of the building as part of it comes down... "Il cazzo era che per, che cosa stai facendo!?" she shouts, still holding onto Redd as she flies! "Stupido gigante! Calciare il negozio mentre ci sono persone che si trovano all'interno non Lipil piMuscular luminoso al mondo le cose! Inoltre, c'Liproba ci vuole!" She continues to shout, looking about as there seemed to be something darting about! Esana snarls as the crystal shards rip at her exposed half, but at this point she's too angry at the dragon to care much, her own adrenaline rush, and tendancy to lose her temper during rut, along with her natural toughness helping her focus as she leaps for the dragon's back, trying to flip over with the dragon into a pin! Seeing as how Fenris has completely ignored Taggart's attempt to protect him, the wolf pulls himself around and gets a better look at things. It was chaos. The large canine just shakes his head and pulls himself back to his feet, thumping back toward the front door. Apparently, they had things under control with the assault of the Dragon's Lair. Dal notices the shark get in front of the crystal dragon and shouts, "No!" He struggles to angle the shot out of the way and hopefully onto the shoulder of the enemy. His aim shakes as he realizes something. "I can't do it." The golden scaled dragon aims the blast to the left of them and fires out a large shot directly to the left of the grappling pair. "I can't risk hurting my friends." Myriam stares at Aliasi, brow furrowed as the building's wall is kicked in. She starts to open her mouth to say something, but falls quiet when something darts around the corner of her eye. She starts to scoot away from the building, look for a more defensible spot. Fenris continues to berate the dragon, even as Esana launches into her attack. "You are the worst dragon ever!" he shouts, "Didn't even protect your hoard! I demand you hand over your dragon license!" All the while he is smacking the crystaline beast with his spear, not doing any sort of damage, or actually attacking, just being loud and annoying. "Miss, I can't understand a word your saying, but please don't let go!" Very thankful he hadn't yet let go of the jackal's hand, Redd stares at the surrounding city. "What're those?" The coyote points to the movement with his free hand. Dal punches the ground in rage. "All this power and I still can't help them." He notices a stray comic book from out of the corner of his eye. It's a Marvel Comic Book featuring Thor. "Well, someone better get this before everything is gone." The solar dragon quickly grabs the comic and notices a nice safe place to put the comic. "Perfect!" Aliasi crouches to get a better look at the hole she made. It'd be easy enough to just tear the damn place down, but that might devalue whatever's hitten inside. The crystalline dragon snarls and snaps, claws scratching at Esana and teeth trying to snap Fenris' spear. However, she can't break free of Esana's hold, thrashing against the shark. Another couple of blocks crumble from the wall, and then a trio of commandos bolt from an allyway, working together to catch Aliasi from the side and knock the giantess off her feet, while two more run up to look in the hole Aliasi created in the wall. Dal punches the ground in anger, "Why can't I help anyone!?" He remembers the objective all of a sudden. "Wait, I have to find a comic book, but where would a dragon nerd keep his most prized possession. Its bed!" He instantly flies over to the counter and begins searching through the wreckage. "It has to be here somewhere." Fenris stops his annoying, flailing attacks. "There's nothing human in there," he snorts, flipping his spear over, finally ready to fight. The pudgy tanuki may look cute and silly, but he holds that spear competently. He shoots in, trying to score a jab under the creature's jaw. Maybe subduing it would give the poor soul a chance to snap out of it. Taggart glances over his shoulder as he hears the commandos suddenly bolt into the building as he's walking out the front door, making him pause in his step. He lets out a hefty sigh and groan, slowly shaking his head while he unbuttons his peacoat and folds it up, setting it to the side of the entrance. A paw moves to his shoulder, rolling it about in the socket while his neck slowly pulls one way and then the other, stretching. Then, he moves further out into the street and crouches down, digging claws from both paws in while he sits and waits for the opportunity to hunt down anyone that might make it out. Esana snarls and snaps right back at the dragon, only meaner, flexing as she tries to keep it's wings and head still, and outright bully it into submitting! Sasha blinks a bit, figuring out after Redd says he can't understand her, opens her muzzle to say something, only to notice that now there was a monsterous sized humanoid coming down to the ground. Following what Redd wants, she decides gaining some height would be a good idea... "Well...Mr... or Miss... Coyote, I think perhaps now might be a good time to improvise. Do you have anything on you we might be able to use to fool our friends back at the pub that we found a treasure?" She asks, currently holding the coyote and herself roughly 300 ft above the scene. "I've got plenty of shiny things, though, I don't know what sort of dragon it was, did you see them?" The coyote grimaces as he stares downward. "Could we get a bit closer to the ground though? ... Maybe I could whittle some dice out of a log or stone or something for that Valkyrie." Dal notices a camp light and groans. "Maybe this will work." He takes the camp light and nearly begins to run, but he stops when he notices the comic book as well. "This is much better." It reads Mysteries of the Universe #96. He places the comic book inside of his armor for safe keeping. He flies right outside of the building through the door. "Sweet, I better tell everyone, but how will I get their attention?" Aliasi sits up, shaking her head... and then sees the poor fools who tripped her. She gets to her feet. Bitches must PAY, and the others can handle the damned dragon! Time to stomp these girls a new asshole! Sasha shakes her head, "Well, it was some kind of dragon, shiny, crystal like. Do you have anything like that?" She asks, and sure, we can get a bit closer to the ground." She says, coming back down to about 100 feet. "Now, do you think we should try to help them out or... wait... what is the giant doing?" She asks, waiting for Redd's responce. The rest of the group was still around. Aliasi probably had the commandos handled, and it seemed mostly quiet otherwise. She starts towards the shop and pokes her head in, ears perked under her hat. "Uhm. Find... Anything?" She asks, tail flicking behind her. "There was no backup or ambush waiting outside! It was kinda boring, really." Dal smiles, "Perfect." He flies over to Aliasi and yells, "I have the comic book. We can go at any time." He stares at the attractive amazon with a serious look. "Tell them that I have the comic book so that we can get going." He looks back at the hurt allies and turns to Aliasi, "I'm not leaving them behind and you can get everyone's attention." Aliasi shakes her head. "Who cares about the damn comic book?!" she yells, loud enough for the rest to hear. "I got idiots to smash!" She charges after the commandos, but the message does get out. In a manner of speaking. The trio of commandos try to knock Aliasi off balance again as she starts getting up, but wihtout the element of surprise it is a harder task; the ground (and the weakened building) shakes as she begins stomping and kicking, trying to catch the smaller and more agile women. Inside the Dragon's Den, the diamond drake tries to snap at Fenris again, only to end up lunging forward as Fenris jabs his spear into her neck; it is only moments later until she stops struggling. Of the two commandos that entered the building, one snatches at Fenris' spear, but is unable to wrest the ornate weapon from the tanuki. Given the poor condition of the building's interior, they do not linger - instead aborting their failed snatch and grab, and rushing out the front. "Err, shiny, crystal dragon... I've got loads of scales from back when I was a diamond drake. Think they'll accept that as proof of beating the dragon? Or do you think I should fashion em into crystal dice?" The coyote pulls out a handful of shiny scales from a small bag, holding one up where Sasha might see. Taggart wraps his tongue around a large canine tooth and sucks at it in annoyance. He squints at the two commandos coming out the front, but his ears perk as Aliasi and Dal shout about, making the large wolf give a hefty sigh. Standing, he slowly pads toward the front door as the pair of females rush out, snapping his teeth and growling in intimidating fashion, but only in passing. He leans, picks up his peacoat and then tugs it back on before moving back out into the street. Myriam scrambles back at the fleeing commandos, starting to raise a pistol but thinking better of it and letting it drop again. Taggart's exit is a more welcome sight, though. "Helloooo. You okay? You don't look too happy," the wolfess says, rocking back and forth on her paws before leaning over to peek into the shop again. It's not looking stable enough for her to want to risk going in there. Sasha looks at at the scale before looking at the poor fight going on below. The stomping, "Mr. Coyote, that building isn't going to last long, do you think we should help them? And yes, maybe forging those into dice or something would work." She says. Fenris snorts at the fleeing commandos and stows his spear, then draws an shining, otherworldy sword to shear off one of the dragon's horns. "Jerk," he says, stowing the horn in his coat before looking around for anything that might have survived the dragon. Dal flies out the door and slightly higher into the air. He keeps an eye on the coyote and looks back to the building and yells, "Come on! We got what we came for and the building won't last much longer." He looks back and wonders if he should just drag the shark out of there instead. Esana grins at the tanuki at the well-timed stab, panting a bit as she relaxes her grip somewhat. She hardly has any time to react to the snatch-and-grab attempt from the commandos, thoug hshe does snarl at them as they retreat. As far as she can tell, their mission has been a success. That said, she grunts as she gets to her feet, wincing as the pain starts to hit her now that the fight is over. She hesitates for just a moment, then grabs the crystal dragon and hauls her along best as able towards the hole in the wall, dropping her off just outside the soon-to-collapse building. The coyote watches as his fellow adventurers leave the building. "I think we'd be safe to go turn some of these in, I bet I could make at least three or four crystal die before we arrive." The coyote rolls some of the scales around in his palm. "I think they might believe us if we said the rest of them died... Maybe." Sasha looks on at the sight and looks to the coyote. "Well, I'm not sure if this is what RSX meant when they told me to take time off, but this has been fun." She says, "If you think that is a good idea, well, why not?" Flying off back for the bar, still holding the coyote by the wrists, "My name is Sasha by the way, Sasha Arnsworth." She says. Fenris manages to scoop up a few of the miniatures that had been scattered about the floor like caltrops before the continued tremors of the stomping giantess causes a rather unpleasant crack to sound from... somewhere, in the building's walls. With their prospects of quick and easy loot dashed, the rest of the commandos scatter as well, leaving the group of erstwhile heroes to sort out the mess and head back to the mead hall. Although, of course, Sasha and Redd have a pretty substantial head start. Not wanting to waste a moment, Sasha heads directly for the Golden Goat, being a bit careful to set Redd down before landing properly herself, "Well, after you, I'm betting you will tell a far better story than I could." She says, holding the door open for Redd. As the coyote walks in, he tosses several of his freshly crafted crystal dice towards the Valkyrie, grinning as they roll to a stop in front of her on the bar's counter. "Found these in that den, also a bag full of the dragon's scales, if you want proof they were dealt with. Sadly, I'm not certain that our companions made it out alive. The building collapsed as we got outside, and I wasn't able to find them in the rubble..." As Redd steps closer, he places his bag of scales on the counter next to the dice. "There might be more stuff buried in the building, but we got this much out before the roof caved in." Dal marches into the room with everyone following closely behind him. He marches over to Sigyn and smiles a toothy grin as he takes the comic book out of his armor and presents it to Sigyn. "That nerd was a diamond drake. A diamond drake that apparently knew frost breath and it froze three of us here. The tanuki broke open the door by swelling his balls to the size of boulders and swinging them like a flail, while the wolf and the shark charged at the dragon and defeated it." The solar dragon frowns slightly, "I tried to help but I nearly shot my own comrade my mistake when she engaged in taking down the beast in hand to hand combat. She is very impressive and I'd highly recommend her for the Einkerjar if I could. The coyote on the other hand, I would only recommend him for work with Loki considering that he did absolutely nothing except hide with Sasha like a complete coward. The building nearly collapsed on us with just how much damage the fighting caused." The Solar Dragon stares at Redd. "Seriously, we nearly died back there. How could you do that?" After collecting what toys he could find, Fenris trots out to join Esana by the dragon's body. With the nanites being what they are, that comics killer would certainly be up and about again before too long. The tanuki sticks his tongue out at the beast, but carefully places a packet of cookies by the dragon's snout before turning and starting the trek back to the Golden Goat.

By the time he arrives with the others, his good humor has returned, along with his contented little tanuki smile. "ADVENTURE!" he shouts, holding the horn he had harvested above his head! He is completely unaware that he has arrived during the story of his own demise. Myriam slips in with the others, though she hangs back to listen to the others chat with Sigyn. She doesn't want to be impolite and interrupt! But she's certainly sticking around to inquire about future adventures. This was fun! Even if she didn't get to shoot anything. Taggart thumps his way along everyone else back to the Goat, quiet and somber, but with an underlying bit of restrained rage and frustration at something or another, visible in the twitching of his golden-red tail. When they arrive, he slips just inside the door and watches the scene unfold, standing near Myriam with his arms crossing, leaning to a wall. Esana follows behind the others, plucking little slivers of crystal out of her arm and shoulder, here nanites having healed up ost of the wounds that don't have objects in the way. She grins as she listens to the end of Redd's story, then Dal's rather angry half-rant. "....All that being said, mission successful, dragon was defeated and left outside the collapsed building, and we got a nanite-shielded comic for it, likely a collectors item. No gold, but, it is the twenty-first century." Sigyn, the other Einherjar and patrons present (and not brawling, it seems like that fight is -still- going on, and up to a dozen or so people now), and even some of the waitstaff have drawn up to listen to Redd as the coyote describes their journey. There are cheers, and clapping, and the proper exclaimations as they listen - and then Dal and the rest walk in! "WHAT?!" Sigyn bellows as Dal and Esana talk. "No!! So not only was there an epic fight, but you came back from the Underwold... and with great treasure! Bottled lightning, AND a relic of our ancestors." There is a hearty round of cheering, the Great Artifacts are reverently inspected, and then the party kicks back into high gear. It is certain that the story will live on here, at least for another night or two, and all of the returning champions are welcomed to drink and feast. Fenris gladly shares his part in the story with anyone willing to listen, though he does not embellish very much. Mostly he just takes up every offer of mead from the Einherjar and Valkyeries. Turns out, tanuki have almost as much alcohol tolerance as legendary vikings! The chubby tanuki goes on to get into several wrestling matches and one rather remarkable belching contest! "Oi! Yote! Ya do sumthin' like that again... an'yer gettin' ate." Taggart shakes his head, growling softly and grumbling before he turns and heads out the door. Dal looks at the coyote with a menacing stare and places the camplight right next to Sigyn. He walks over to everyone who helped out and smiles, "Thank you, everyone. Please enjoy the feast, you all earned it more than Redd, Sasha, and I did." He quietly walks out the door with a smile on his face. "Eventually, that coyote will get old and his luck will run out." He feels a kick in his womb. "Seriously?! I can't believe no one noticed I was pregnant for most of the time." He walks out the door with his belly swaying with each step.[[Category:RPLogs]]

Crouching Tigers, Hidden Wolf Beast - RPLOG

2014-10-11T17:46:44Z

Rihko:

=Participants=
* [[Edel]]
* [[Jade]]
* [[Rihko]]
* [[Sara]]
* [[Taggart]]
* [[Thelergramor]]
=Date=
10/10/2014
=Log=
NOTE: Scene was interrupted due to a MUCK crash; it will be resumed night of 10/10/2014. Some cleaning still needs to be done.

<div></div> The Agents invited have been directed to report to the guard tower at the southern gate of Clairmont. One of the cty's liasons is waiting there, a golden-scaled dragon. He waits patiently, arms crossed, tail slowly twitching; when everyone arrives, he looks the group over, sighs, and then nods. "So this is it, huh?" he asks. He waits for pleasantries to be exchanged, then cuts to the chase. "A pack of ferals have been harassing our hunters. Worse than that, two of them have disappeared, and a third was hurt bad enough that it took him a full day of intensive medical care back at our hospital to recover. He said that they were a pack of mixed tigers and a few bears - you may be familiar with them, Edel." Joe gives her a quick smile. "They're too strong for most of our hunters, and they're smart enough they've been skirting the edge of the bubble - if too big of a group comes for them, they draw back, knowing we don't want to risk the casualties we'd get chasing after them. Your jobs is simple. This is a hit. Go out there and make them wish they were anywhere else." The dragon pauses, looking over the Agents. "Any questions? When you're ready, you'll be led to the last area where we had contact." Edel slips along towards the meeting point, the snowleopard thumbing the hilt of her sword as she comes to a stop near Joe, listening to the debrief. "Ahhh. Them again... That's fine by me. I did have some unfinished business with their 'leader' last time... Very well," she says, dipping into a little bow. "Consider it done." It is rare that Jade gets to indulge in her instincts-- the grafted skills lingering from transformation-- especially in good cause. But with Tad left at home (with firm admonishment), arrowheads selected, sharpened, an all in readiness... She traces the earth with her fingertips, smiling quietly. "And for a noble cause," she remarks, shaking her head. "It would be a pleasure to help." Thelergramor grins, the fox liking the simplicity of this assignment. "So, go out, fuck 'em up, come home? Easy. Or should be. Edge of bubble doesn't sound like a problem. If they go out of it, I can stay back and snipe 'em. Maybe. Bit harder to aim with it like this..." The fox gestures with his head towards the firearms mounted on his back. Of which there are two. And a crossbow. "But then they wouldn't be getting back up after they're hit, so... Problem solved." Nods to Edel and any others. "Edel, hello. Other people." Turns back to the one known as Joe. The fact of a group of ferals on her front doorstep harming any agents, hunters and scavengers quickly reaches her ears and Sara emerges from the nearby New Ireland compound, her 'retirement' having come to a complete and utter stop. After a short walk to the gate the group had been standing by Sara stops infront of the golden dragon and offers him a nod before pulling a cigarette from an inner jacket pocket, lighting it and asking, "By pack, how many do you mean?" The dragon shrugs, looking over at Edel. "Edel ran into them the last time she took a job for us. If I recall there were... two large bears of some sort, almost a dozen tigers and tigresses by now, and their boss, who we've heard is "the largest damned fucking sabertooth " that our hunter had seen." Joe falls silent for a moment. "Any other questions?" he asks, as he waves the waiting scout over - a familiar looking (to Edel) female husky. "This is Claire. She'll take you into the woods." Jade nods as she keeps an ear canted to the conversation, listening. "How could the tigers be wandering this far?" she murmurs thoughtfully, stretching into a slow rise. She bows to Claire, nodding welcome as she remove the bow from her back. "I am prepared when you are. Let us waste no time." Edel pauses for a moment as she hears the husky's name. She tilts her head and peers for a moment. "What an odd coincidence," she murmurs before smiling and nodding at Claire. "Hello again! Glad we got you out of there. But yes, we will put an end to this," she says, looking back over her companions and checking the string on her bow. Thelergramor nods, tail swaying behind him. Eyes the husky a bit, in a totally innocent fashion. <nope> "Alright, Claire, ready whenever the others are. These poor bastards don't stand a chance." Cocky, uninformed. "What's a big striped pussy gonna do, right? Er, sabretooths have stripes, yeah?" Shrugs, in that vulpine not-really-a-shrug way. With her question answered, Sara nods inwardly and takes a long drag from her smoke and breathes it away from the group, "Mm.. that'll do for me, thanks Joe." she finishes with a brief, though friendly pat on his shoulder before turning away from the other dragon and looking to the husky scout. "Good to see you, Miss Claire." she greets innocently enough before turning to the gates and waiting for the group to press onwards. The briefing done, Claire leads the four Agents to a converted electric jeep, giving Edel and Sara both friendly smiles. "Hey Sara. Good to see you in the field again. And thanks for the save, Edel. Don't worry, I'm not going to do any stupid 'I can scout it alone' stuff this time." The husky's ears fold for a moment, and then with a quiet hum the jeep takes off. A short distance out of town she cuts off the road and follows a small trail through a wild field, and up to a forest; the trail thins, but remains passable for about fifteen minutes before Claire stops and turns the jeep around, then pulls the key. "Alright. We go on foot from here. The hunter said he found a cave they came out from before he got jumped, about two miles deeper in." She pauses, then raises a finger in front of her lips in a motion signaling for stealth, then turns and leads the way deeper into the forest. Jade falls into place as a shadow, a silent whisper of dark and light. Arrow nocked to bow-- she trails behind Claire, eyes bright as she searches the forest with sight and feel and scent. Hunting more than scouting, each in equal measure as she moves. Quiet as she reslishes the shadows of the forest; reverent as she stalks after in silent grace. Edel shakes her head and smiles. "I trust you. I was just amused because I happen to have a husky daughter named Claire! I thought it was unusual, that's all." She tucks her hands in the coat of the white jacket she was wearing over her bodysuit, striking up a little merry hum as she sets off on the walk! "A cave? Should've brought my shotgun..." Thelergramor whispered low and to himself, staying low and as quiet as possible. Remains at the back of the group. Flicks his head, dropping the binoculars perched atop it down to his eyes. Glances over the area ahead of them. Likely can't see dick through the trees. Then sniffs at the air, trying to find scent of bear or tiger. Already ready, Sara makes her way to the jeep and climbs in along with the other hunters, "Yeah, s'good to be back, Claire. Was also good to actually be able to be with family, but.. well.. always nice to go out and be the hero once in a while.." she admits with a soft chuckle. "Though a cave, huh? We got any flashlights?" As she speaks, Sara pulls out two handguns from their hidden shoulder holsters and dutifully checks them over, for as long as those two miles last. On foot in the forest, Claire demonstrates that she is a fairly decent scout; the group makes good time through the underbrush, and eventually it thins out as the trees grow thicker and taller. There are a few times where Claire pauses to sniff, listen, or peer around, and at her latest stop it dawns on the group: the normal sounds of the forest have faded. There are no birds singing, no insects buzzing, and no squirrels, rabbits, or other creatures scurrying through the underbrush. Clearly, something is up... "We're getting close," Claire whispers. "Very close." Edel closes her eyes and sniffs at the air. "Mmmh. Yes, I would agree," she says, laying one hand on the hilt of her sword, the other gripping the scabbard near the top. She gives a little nod towards Sara, but otherwise gives no other indication that something might be up. It's time to wait. Jade's body quivers with a silent, electric pulse. Nostrils quiver as she scent the surroundings, nodding in unspoken agreement. Wordless, she moves to the right; stalking within the underbrush, moving to give the others clear shots, should it come... And to cover the husky scout herself, should danger present. And agreeing quietly with the others-- shotguns would be welcome. Thelergramor flicks his head upward, setting the binoculars back atop his head before following the others. Does as Claire did; sniffing occasionally. Fights the urge to mark the trees. Should all be his territory. Isn't nearly as concerned as he should be by the silent forest. Sniffs around again, readying the remote trigger for his weapons. Stays near the back. Most likely to get picked off that way, but, sniper needs more range. Her weapons readied, Sara looks up and into the tree line, just in time to catch two tigresses blending into the foliage. The dragoness however doesn't seem to make the fact widely known as her gaze passes by them before too long and she instead looks to the new motion; Edel, and Jades nodding, both of whom recieving a nod of her own. "So.." Sara begins, ".. anyone catch the game last night?" she asks, turning her back to the stalking tigresses and giving her fellow hunters indistinct gestures to show the two tigresses, all the while, her hands gripping the handguns tightly, and readying herself for the attack. Claire turns to face the Agents and starts to speak; predictably, with the party's attention turned inward and the defenders apparantly unaware, the tigers on sentry duty choose to spring their ambush. One tigress launches herself at Edel in a sudden blur, her camoflauge dropping as she springs up from the forest floor; a second has decided that Thelergramor looks like the easiest prey to take down and has dropped from the trees towards him, and the third goes for Claire's unprotected back. Unprotected does not mean unwatched, though, as Sara calls out a warning and launches herself between Claire and the springing tiger.

Edel's quick reflexes allow her to painfully catch her attacker with a countering sweep of her sword, while Thel is nimble enough to avoid his assailant - and the hail of bullets from Sara's rapid shots. Sara, unfortunately, takes the brunt of a tiger's charge, claws sinking in to latch into her shoulders as the tigress tries to drag her to the ground. Edel was waiting for that, and the other feline fell right into it! As soon as it makes its pounce and is airborne, and thus unable to avoid, she counters. Her blade is drawn from its scabbard and, in one electrically charged sweep, carries through with the motion, blade finding flesh, blood, and bone alike. She doesn't let up there, though. She presses the assault, stepping forward and bringing the blade back down in a diagonal two-handed arc. Jade's eye flicks. One, upon the dragoness. Another, taken by Edel. The third--%T
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From thought to action-- instinctive as she releases her shaft towards the tigress chasing after Thelergramor. "Not today," she says softly, arrow released even as a smooth motion draws the second from its quiver, nocked and ready to release.%T
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Harmony in motion, quick shafts spearing the air. Bliss. Thelergramor growls at his attacker, evading their clumsy assault easily. "REally wwant em to shoot you then?" Then levels his Auto-Hammer at her. Presses the button on the remote trigger in his paw; unleashing a torrent of carpentry nails towards the tigress. "Ambush!" Sara shouts as she rushes to Claires side, just in time to push her out of harms way. With her pistols already handy, the dragoness breathes a shrill whistle, motions to Thel, and raises the weapons just in time to fire of a few rounds into both the tigress now attacking her, and the other attacking the clearly capable fox. "Graaah!" she shouts as the wounded tigress bowls into her and proceeds to try to bite, and claw at her. "Get.. offa me!" she shouts. Meanwhile, with one arm, she tries to fend off the tigress, and with the other, she reaches for a knife at her side and begins jamming it into her attacker as fast as her hands would be able.

Sara's earlier whistle is later answered by a violent shriek as a red-tailed hawk bursts through the uppergrowth and attacks Thelergramor's already heavilly wounded attacker with its razor sharp claws. The fight degrades into a scuffle as Edel and the first tigress circle. Edel's blade scores shallow, glancing hits against her opponent, while the tigress attempts to dart in and out to sink its claws into the leopardess but only manages to graze her leg. The second tigress gathers itself for a second lunge, only to be distracted by the swooping hawk and a quick arrow; when it turns back towards Thel, it catches a face full of magnetically propelled nails. She screams, a blood-curdling shriek of pain and anger, and falls to the ground pawing at the lengths of metal sunk into her. The third tigress fares better, her claws tearing through Sara's vest like it was paper. Fortunately the dragoness' scales are tougher, and although she is still painfull raked with a spray of blood, the tiger fails to eviscerate her. It also gets a mouthful of trench knife when it tries to clamp its teeth down on Sara's neck, as the commando's rapid assault perforates her hide. Sara clips a vein and a spray of blood rewards her efforts, but the tigress is only pushed to redouble her assault. Edel gives an agitated little growl as she tiger manages to graze her leg, the armour soaking most of the blow, but it still hurt! And now the pants she was wearing over it were torn. With a hiss, she brings her hand up, not for another sword bow, but to strike out with a lance of arcing electricity. Thelergramor growls at the now downed tigress once more. "Sorry, sweety, but you've just been nailed." Then turns towards the one attacking Sara. Doesn't want to risk a shot that close to an ally... So, the fox charges at them. Lashing out with his teeth to latch onto one of the still-capable-of-attacking-limbs. Jade's eye hovers with practiced patience. No need to charge in; the bow removes that need, as she freezes for a heartbeats' stillness. One falls, the others remain. One circling--- The huntress releases her shaft with a practiced ease, a whisk of sharp metal sailing through the air. Taking advantage of Edel's maneuvering, circling the back of the feral tigress straight into her arrow. With little sound aside from the sudden rush of a large form and the scrabbling, scratching noises of leaves and dirt being overturned, (which is impressive considering the size of the source), a large wolf beast comes barreling out from behind a few trees, launching himself at the tigress Edel had just lanced with electricity. He seems to have little regard for his own safety, more than willing to take some of that electrical current himself as he tries to grapple large, muscular arms up and around the tigress' much smaller body in an attempt to bear-hug her to unconsciousness. With a final shriek as the tigress's claws strike true, and being completely unaware of Thelergramor's charge, and figuring Nimbus had still been busy with the previous tigress, Sara's eyes glint gold for all of a moment before her draconic maw opens wide and she blasts a hellish wave of flames. With perfect timing, Edel hops back from the first tigress as it pulls back from a lunge, widening the space between them; she raises a hand and sends bolts of nano-powered lightning into the feral. It howls, but caught off guard as it is it fails to dodge Jade's arrow, or the sudden appearance of the wolf beast that falls on it. Sara's opponent fares worse, as it starts kicking the dragoness again - although it tears a scale free, it's face and shoulders are quickly enveloped in fire, while Thel catches one of its feet in his teeth and savagely tears. The tigress goes limp, the nanites rendering her comatose as they kick into overdrive to try and repair the damage. The second tigress wails as she picks nails out of her face and rolls around on the forest floor. Edel lowers her hand and peers at Taggart. "Well, well. I'm surprised to see you out here. Pleasantly so. It'll be nice to fight alongside you," she says with a curt nod as she swings her blade to the side, trying to flick the majority of the blood from it before wiping the rest off in the crook of her elbow. It stained something awful on the white fabric of her jacket, but it was bound to end up ruined by now, anyway. Thelergramor spits blood from his maw, licking his lips afterward. "You're welcome." A cocky grin on his vulpine visage as he looks down to the burnt once. "Hope she tastes better cooked..." He shakes his head, somehow not the least bit surprised to see Taggart for some reason. "Hey, Taggart." Before turning back to the tigress he already shot. Plods on over to her. "Don't get up. Would be unpleasant." Doesn't exactly give her a choice in the matter before breathing a shadowy morass at the wounded tigress. Jade's aim hovers over the wolfbeast for an instant. 'Another feral?' is the thought, but she lets her draw ease as the others make noises of recognition. She closes her eyes as adrenaline's rush hammers through her veins, exhaling with a shiver of release. Leaving the wounded to the tender mercies of her companions, she glances swiftly about. "CAve, cave, where is the cave...." she murmurs, twisting to survey the area once more. And spare a glance towards the Ddraigh. *Something * familiar there.... The swiftness. Taggart simply grunts to Edel's greeting, most of his attention upon the tigress wrapped up in his grasp and struggling to get free. He wrestles and tugs her about with his tree-trunks for arms before taking an opening when she lifts up her head to squirm. His large jaws suddenly open up and lunge upward, trying to latch about the front of her throat in a crushing grip native to his particular species while his arms continue to press down upon her body from the sides. Crunching unpleasantness is bound to happen in more than one part of her body. After charring the tigress nice and crispy-like, Sara breathes a heavy sigh and pushes the comatose creature off of herself apparently only to look down to the damage the creature had done, wince, and fall back, her crimson gaze spent looking to the canopy above her. This silent wait lasts until finally, her equilibrium had been recovered and she rises to a seating possition. "Gods damn.." she grumbles, "Is everybody alright? C-Claire? You still here?" Further moving leaves her wincing again, and looking over the wounds she had recieved, so instead she simply calculates the damage, smokes? Destroyed. Jacket? Torn. Vest? Useless. Damn. The burnt tigress lays still, the nailed one whimpers as she is overtaken by frigid shadows, and the third... well, wet crunch signals the end of her resistance. Claire finally raises herself to her feet, eyes wide. "Wow. That escalated quickly," she comments, before her tail starts to wag, although there is some hesitation there. "Uhm. Right! The cave! It's this way," she says, and motions for the Agents to follow. "I'm glad we decided to tap the reserve, damn you guys are beasts." Only a little ways further in and the party finds the 'cave' Joe had mentioned - a clearing in the forest created by a sinkhole, approximately twentyish feet wide and fifteen feet deep. One of the massive forest trees tilts over it at an angle, some of its roots snapped, others exposed, unable to support its massive weight. Down at the bottom of the hole, a sloping tunnel can be seen. Edel winces a little. Though she was used to that sort of thing and worse, the sound still gives her a little flinch. Never a pleasant business. "Well. That certainly looks like an interesting cave system! Not what I was expecting, to be honest." She fans her wings a little, as if stretching them in preparation. "How shall we get down? Just jump?" "You're welcome.." Sara grumbles as she rises to her feet, not without a little stumbling, as she tries to find her balance once more and is left following behind, "We're not going to bind 'em?" the ex-soldier asks as she makes her way away from the fallen foes. "Huh.. guess not." she concludes before her gaze falls on Taggart's bestial form. "Good to see you, boss.." she greets, her calmness returning, and the wounds no longer seeming to be that big a problem. As the group reaches the sinkhole, Sara looks down into the depths and asks, "How do we want to do this? Anyone got any rope?" Thelergramor looks down into the hole, any kind of darkness shouldn't matter to his vision. Flicks his binoculars back down, peers in, and flicks them back up. Glances at Claire. "You're fine, yeah?" Then the rest. "Anyone hurt and need, uh, help?" Assumes noone is hurt enough for his help, felt like asking. "If you want to jump Edel, I'm right behind you." Looks over to Sara. "NAh, stopped carrying rope after I didn't have hands to tie it with. Shortsighted, I guess..." Sniffs at the air, listens for movement, then shrugs again. Jade makes her way to the cave smoothly, cautiously; her arrow remains nocked as she stares into the sinkhole, eyes barely adjusting to the gloom within the cave. "We do have our moments," the tigress says cooly, though with a hint of mischief. The quick tail whips behind her, and she eases the draw of her weapon, replacing the arrow back into its quiver. "It might be best for you to remain here," she says, glancing over at Claire. "I do not mean to be unkind, but it may be safer for you at the entrance. To anchor a line everyone without wings can use... And to have another set of eyes on our prisoner." She glances at the remaining tigress pointedly, standing as she retrieves a thick, heavy cylinder from her belt. A flick of a hidden switch sets it humming; the shock baton crackles as she tests the discharge burn, nodding to herself with a quiet satisfaction. "I do," she adds, smiling with relish. Unfurling her pack from her back, her movements are quick as she begins setting out a few oddments of exploration: a slender zip line, a few flares, a tin of sardines... Taggart lets loose with his jaws and arms, the tigress falling heavily out of his grip to the ground. His hand lifts and wipes off his muzzle with the back of it, looking around at the small group with his bright green eyes. He gives a small smirk to Sara and nods, tipping an imaginary hat before he silently falls into step behind the rest of them, some sort of hulking and protective juggernaut watching over the group as they approach the sinkhole. Seems he also has a length of thick rope bound around his body, one clawed hand taking it up and off of his shoulder before it thumps down into a pile nearer to the hole. Leaving behind the scent of blood and charred feral, a new scent is barely traceable from the edge of the pit - well, the smell of tigresses is heavy and unmistakable, especially after that fight, but under it is the scent of other ferals, the stink of animal rut, and the damp mildew smell of old mud and fungus. Claire shrugs as she peers down towards the hole. "I've got a flashlight. I was planning on staying here... but I think I'm better off following you guys. I don't want to run into another one of those tigers if they're off hunting, you know? Although if you really, really want me to stay behind I can..." After giving Taggart a nod in thanks, Sara grabs the bundle of rope he had dropped, ties it to a nearby tree, and slings the bundle down into the hole, making for an easy ascent and descent. With nothing to really lose, and her wounds either all healed, or close to it, Sara rappels down into the darkness below and peers into the tunnel, her crimson gaze looking for any humanoids hidden within. Jade follows soon after. Close confines limit the usefulness of bow and arrow, but the silent thrum of the stun rod signals its readiness as the tigress weaves down, quick along the cable's length. She smiles, shaking her head with quiet rue-- outdone in survival readiness by a wolf. "Dio'd laugh for hours," she remarks quetly, eyes twinkling. Thelergramor looks over to the rope. "Yeah... I'm not going to be able to climb that. So, if anyone wouldn't mind carrying me down..?" The fox shrugs, eyes the knife strapped to his foreleg. Doesn't have any idea how or if that's going to help him. Turns back to Claire. "Stay with me and I'll keep you safe. If you'd rather wait up here, I'll stay with you. Be a bit of a bitch to get up and down that rope." The fox smirks, peers into the hole. Again, without word, Taggart thumps forward and wraps a heavy, large, clawed paw around Claire's hip, guiding her up and over his shoulder, whether she goes along with it to start or not. As if she could really argue with the hulk of a wolf. The other monstrous hand reaches over and snags Thelergramor up by the scruff of his neck, while he's not looking, holding him up into the air before, without warning, Taggart thumps over and steps off into the hole, falling through space with Claire on his shoulder and Thel held against his side. Seems to think he's capable of handled the landing. Already in the hole, Edel sniffs at the air and furrows her brow before starting off, trying to follow the scent along the cave and towards the source. "Well, let's try to be quiet," she murmurs softly. "Maybe sneak up on them." The tunnel is long, and dark, and it gently slopes down into the earth. There are a few places where it twists and bends, and a few pocket-type areas off of it, but it isn't until after walking for quite some time that the Agents discover a larger cave with three branching paths. Any comunits that are still active give their owners quiet, troubled beeps as they register the plummeting nanite density in the area - it seems the tunnel has led even further away from Clairmont. Although there are multiple paths, each with signs of passage and the faint, linger smell of the feral tigers, the heavier musks come from the center path - it is clearly the most used, and has been marked in the not too distant past by the siberian tiger. Edel perks her ears at the notification given by her comm unit, but she doesn't pay it much mind. She didn't need to rely on the nanites as much as some others did. "Figure we should take the obvious path?" She asks, nodding towards the center path as she props her arm lazily upon the pommel of her sword. Thelergramor meeps as he is picked up and jumped into the tunnel. "...Could've warned me first." the fox shakes himself off, walks behind the others. "Be as quiet as you want, they can probably already smell us." The fox glances around, walks towards the center path and sniffs. "Why take any path, Edel? Just bring them to us? No way to walk into an ambush, and can setup our own." Jade follows with caution and care, eyes not nearly as sharp as those of her companions. But the traces of tiger-scent are unmistakable; she pauses at the triple branch, glancing to the others with silent curiosity. "Beneath the earth we may be, but this is still their ground," she remarks absently, a flick of fingers silencing her comm unit. She pauses at Thel's comments, tilting her head in curiosity. "Would they fall for it? I would not want them to flee instead, and take root somewhere else." Taggart keeps Claire upon his shoulder, unless she starts to protest, one hand wrapped up and about her body to keep her from slipping around as he walks. His bright emerald eyes squint a little as they peer into the darkness, his nose lifting to snuffle at the air before his muzzle curls into a sour scowl of distaste. There is a moment of his pause, then his free paw digs into the satchel at his side before producing a few sticks of home-made dynamite, wrapped together, to which he tosses in front of the group to draw their attention, again without words. Erring to the side of caution, Sara looks to Thelergramor as he makes his suggestion and nods, "Huh.. good point, but what exactly would we be able to use that could bring /them/" the word 'them' joined with a nod in the tunnels direction, "to u--.." her words ended briefly to look at Taggarts next offering. "What? You want to bring the entire cave down on us?" she asks with a sparkle of amusement in her eyes. "Not sure how stable this cavern is, and I'd rather not be buried. Thanks though.." she adds with a pat on his shoulder showing no disapointment, or anger of any sort. Claire, silently bemused at where she has been carried, finally speaks up. "The point -is- to get them to take root s-" she halts at the appearance of dynamite. "Holy shit big guy," she says quietly. "Do you always have a little extra bang in your pocket?" Jade's eyes follow the thick sticks, nostrils quivering with the scent that makes her hair stand on end. "Perhaps after we are through," she remarks, staring at the bundle as though it were a viper. "Collapse the caverns after we are done with the mutants, to keep the caves from being used as a den again." And not because of panic, no... A forced exhale whispers through her nostrils, a quick glance spared to Claire with a nod. Edel nods slowly. "Yes. Collapse it when we are done, perhaps. And we could, Thel, but why would they come to us? If we made it this far, I'd flee in their position. No, it's easier to make -sure- we do this right. And go on the offense." Thelergramor chuckles, almost maniacally at the explosives. "Ah, there we go. Collapse the tunnels and leave. Easiest solution. Maybe not the best one, but, fuck these guys. Oh, and it wouldn't be hard to get them to come. I mean, smell this place." He sniffs at the tunnel again. "If I start marking it, making it my territory, the big bad pussy will come running." The fox grins back at the group. "Probably. Worked on those primes a week or two back." Finally, the large wolf speaks, chest rumbling near a heavy base, constant growl undertones along with his thick, Irish accent, "Won't bury us iffun we know wut we're doin' wittit. Which... I do. More like collapse them spare tunnels... don't give'm way ta retreat or way ta come'up attus from bahind." He gives an idle shrug, his shoulder bouncing with Claire upon it, whom gets a tongue-in-cheek sort of smirk from the large wolf at the quiet comment. "Mm.. well, guess that'd definitely work; collapsing the tunnels, I agree.." Sara concludes before grimacing at Thelergramor's plan, "Well, sounds like we've got nothing better to do. Ambush it is then." reaching around her back, Sara finds her rifle still completely undamaged from her earlier fight, a small blessing, and waits, "So which two do we collapse then?" The husky scout keeps her arms crossed as she balances on Taggart's shoulder, ears perked and her light swinging back and forth. She does not weigh in with an opinion, though, leaving it up to the hired specialists to decide. "The tunnels to either side?" Jade suggests, drawing back from the central passage. "This will channel them, most assuredly. It would certainly protect us from unexpected visitors. Small regrets for those, if any, within." Edel strokes her chin and shrugs. "If you want to do an ambush... Then alright, I guess. I'm not about to march in their on my own. Do you want to lure them back here, then? I can drop into a disguise further along the main passage, to prevent them from retreating backwards once you spring it on them," she comments as she steps forward, as if to go down the central tunnel. She doesn't go far, though, before she brushes her fingers over a leaf. Where once a snowcat stood, now is a small little rock! Sitting off to the side of the cave wall. Thelergramor yawns, tail swaying behind him while he walks over to the wall of the central tunnel. Glances back at Edel who is now a rock. "Fun. Alright, get that dynamite setup. I'll start marking the tunnel." The fox lifts his leg, starts marking his territory. "Yup. Mine now." He smirks, then backs away from the opening. Giving Taggart a sidelong glance, Sara admits a sullen, "Sorry for doubting you, boss.." settling down on one knee and waiting, her rifle readied for whatever had decided to show itself. Jade glances at the place the dynamite fell, whispering a murmured prayer that it was only dynamite-- and not something stronger! She exhales a silent whisper, slipping back to find a place to crouch down. Below the shockwave, or the dust, or... whatever might come. And a firm grip on the imagination, to prevent it running wild! "Won't be much of'an ambush, really, but yer welcome ta try. I ain't hidin', but I'll let'em come runnin' t'us instead uv tha'utter way'round." Taggart plods over to the dynamite, leaning and picking it back up before he makes his way over to one of the side tunnels. He takes a moment to examine the walls, the density of the dirt and possible rootage to provide structure, then digs his claws into the wall slightly before shoving a pair of sticks of explosive into it, making sure it's nice and tight to provide a good explosion, fuse hanging out. The wolf smirks gently at Sara, shaking his head, "Know it's been awhile since we dun this, Cil, but... I ain't changed that much." Then, he's at the other wall, doing the same. The group has several minutes of uninterrupted time to work with, while Taggart prepares the explosives and there is no sign of the remaining feral pack. Back down on her feet again, Claire has moved back to the tunnel the Agents entered from, keeping an eye on their extraction route. When everyone is ready, the fuses are lit, and a deafening explosion causes minor cave-ins of the side tunnels. Shortly after, a low, rumbling growl can be heard from the central tunnel... and shortly after that, down in the dark shadows of the passage, a massive lumbering shadow with dimly glowing red eyes rounds the corner, roars, and begins charging down the passage towards the main room. Edel is a rock! Waiting. She doesn't want to bring her attack, yet, waiting for them to pass her first. Or that's the plan, anyway. She's hoping to be able to attack them from behind, once they set their sights on the others. After having set the explosives, Taggart turns and faces the yawning cave entrance, rolling his muscular shoulders a few times while the fingers of each hand curl and flex, knuckles cracking once more twice before he hunkers slightly. At the appearance of the lumbering shadown, the large wolf snarls deeply, sending his own growl down upon the echoing walls in an attempt to get the beast to focus upon him, challenging the saber while distracting at the same time away from everyone else poised and ready to attack. Thelergramor backs up quickly, behind Taggart some distance, then braces himself for the recoil of his rifle. Aims for the mutants throat; more room for error than aiming straight for the head. Best to hit before they get too close; the other can ambush more ambush-y then he is. Fires the rifle, which throws him back a step. Small body, yep. Really hopes he doesn't somehoe hit Taggart. "Like shooting fish in a barrel.." Sara mumbles to herself as she looks down the scope of her rifle, and pulls the trigger, aiming for the head of the looming beast. And after discharging the spent round, waits again. Jade wishes, for the second time, that she had a shotgun rather than a bow. But the string thrums as she releases one shaft after another, quick and certain as the feathered bolts fly down the narrow corridor. Stun baton at her side, she draw--release-- draw again, as swift as movements will allow. And time, before the hungry hunter comes... That's no moon! Nor, apparntly, is the massive onrushing shape the sabertooth tiger; it proves to be quite impossible to miss the charging bear-feral, as it nearly fills the tunnel wall to wall. However, he is one hell of a tough customer - he doesn't flinch at the hail of nails, nor does he seem to care about the arrows, although it is undoubtable that a few sunk through his thick hide. Sara's rifle does cause it to stagger a half step, but then he is picking up speed again and, with an answering roar and a snarl, rushes full speed into Taggart. The sabertooth, wisely, is following just -behind- the bear, along with four more of the pack's tigresses; the tigresses spread out around the bear like a flood of angry orange fur and nasty-sharp claws and teeth, lunging forward towards the Agents, while the sabertooth hangs back for a moment, quickly assessing the situation. With a gentle puff of smoke, the rock is gone and Edel is once more! "Ahem! Excuse me!" She calls out towards the sabertooth, a frown on her face. "Why are we doing this, anyway? I mean, infringing on the territory of others isn't good! And that is why we're here to infringe upon -yours-." She has no clue if talking will work, but it's worth a shot. Thelergramor growls at the tigresses and them prime motherfuckers. Looks over his options in his mind. Has a grenade... Doesn't want to hurt his allies... Has his auto hammer. That worked once. Has his bolt action, is in the process of automatically drawing back the bolt from the last shot, so that's out... "WEll, shit." Fires a burst from his auto hammer at the nearest feral, one of the tigresses. Not Jade, clearly. With her shot doing nearly nothing at all, Sara curses under her breath, "And ofcourse this is the day I leave the harkonnen at home.." before setting the rifle back behind her, and pulling two trench knives, which she uses to launch an all out offensive on the bears hopefully unprotected backside! With her knives gripped, Sara charges behind the bear, leaps at it, and digs both blades into its massive shoulder blades. Jade has the bow! And clothes, so is *clearly* not one of the regular, obviously inferior tigresses. But even then, she lets the bow fall aside as she draws the baton from her waist. "So...." she remarks, all but purring the words. "We begin." The heavy weapon crackles ominously, sparks descending down the heavy rod. Mesmerizing... Which is what Jade counts upon as she springs into the first tigress, fangs bared as she swings her weapon viciously. With her shot doing nearly nothing at all, Sara curses under her breath, "And ofcourse this is the day I leave the harkonnen at home.." before setting the rifle back behind her, and pulling two trench knives, which she uses to launch an offensive on one of the tigresses. A toothy grin is offered before she shouts a loud, "GRAAAH!" and charges the feline beast, once close enough, Sara holds one blade at the ready to deflect any attacks, and the other makes a large diagonal cutting motion. Taggart opens up his arms to hug the giant bear barreling down upon him, turning his torso slightly to wrap them around the beast's giant head and neck in a wrestling hold. He's pushed back several feet, large paws and dull claws digging into the dirt and pushing the earth aside to take the weight and force being thrown against it. The wolf is growling and snapping his jaws, but he manages to stay upon his feet, bringing the bear to a standstill while his digitigrade legs flex and strain, pushing back against the massive weight. His goal is to simply keep the bear occupied and focused upon him while the rest of the team takes on everyone else. The siberian tiger spins to face Edel, then chuckles, the sound a low and grating rumble. "Hello, kitten... I fight because these woods are mine. MINE. And everything in them is MINE." The sabertooth sniffs at the air, and his tail lashes back and forth, paying no heed to the fight behind him. "Everything. Including you now. Submit, and it won't hurt. Too badly." The bear, meanwhile, tries to use its larger size to wrap Taggart in a massive, crushing hug; the wolf beast's own strength is enough to keep the two stalemated, neither able to get a clear upper hand. The rest of the fighting becomes very bloody, very quickly, as the tigeresses and the remaining Agents close into a scuffle. Fortunately they keep any of the tigers from closing in on Taggart, but not without suffering; although several of the tigers are seriously injured, two are ganging up on Sara and the other two on Jade, both of whom receive raking wounds from their claws. Edel spreads her arms and flashes a cheeky grin. "Nah. Come on, then, big boy. Show me what you've got. Or are you afraid of a little kitten like me?" Looking back over the siberian tiger's shoulder she calls out, "Deal with the others. I've got this one for now." Settling into a ready stance, she assumes a ready-to-draw pose. "Now then." Thelergramor flashed a grin at the tigress he fired upon, too damn cute to be attacked. Hearing the prime claiming this land is his: "This is -my- cave now, motherfucker!" Doesn't really want the cave, but it is his by way of marking it... Fires his crossbow at the tigress still bearing down on him, taking a few steps back to keep distance while his rifle finishes chambering a second round. Taggart keeps up the resounding growl, each muscle in the large wolf beast's body giving a straining shudder as he tries to win out in this struggle of strength with the enormous bear. A soft grunt here and strained rumble in his chest there. Then, he gives a sudden sharp tug in the opposite direction with his arms, still locked around the neck of the bear, in an attempt to use the things massive weight to roll him onto his back. Hopefully, that will let him adjust the headlock that he's got so he can apply more pressure and more damage. A loud boisterous laugh erupts from Sara as the knife strikes true, and leaves a long gash along its chest. The laugh however soon turns sour, becoming a howl in pain as a tigress, (who until recently, Sara had been unaware of) rakes its claws against her back, tearing both the heavy coat, and kevlar vest and reaching the scales underneath, which, like before are left with deep, bloody gouges left in them.

"Gods damn you!" Sara shouts as she gets her bearings back, and with a quick pivot, swipes the blade that had up until recently been protecting herself from the now wounded attacker, this time aiming for the bitch that had gotten in the lucky shot. The sabertooth tiger hisses and lunges at Edel, as Edel strikes at him with her sword. The tiger ducks and weaves in an attempt to get past Edel's guard, but she is too fast for that to work; he ends up blocking a strike to his neck with one meaty forearm, blade shearing through muscle and striking bone, in order to get in close enough to connect with his own attack. The feral punches the claws of its other hand through Edel's armor and into her chest, lifting her and throwing her against the far wall of the tunnel; then it murrs in a low, rumbling half purr before pouncing at her again. Between them, Jade and Thel manage to drop one of the tigresses (although the second one attacking Jade manages to tear through the back of her leg with a lucky gouge of her claws), and Sara's powerful swing knocks both of her assailants away, dazed. They begin picking themselves up, when the entire floor of the cave seems to shudder with a heavy impact as the bear suddenly goes over Taggart. It does not take long for it to begin struggling back up, though. Edel draws her blade in her typically quick fashion, the electric blade little more than a blurr as it embeds itself in the tiger's arm. She's a little surprised when the arm doesn't come off, though! And even more surprised when she's suddenly stabbed with with a hand, drawing a yelp from her before she's tossed against the wall, slumping down. "Hah," she sputts, spitting to the side. "It's been a long time since anyone has managed to harm me." She's not about to just let him pounce, though. As soon as he does, her sword is up, tip angled towards the tiger as she tries to get him to impale himself right onto her sword with his own momentum, before using it as a conduit for a surge of electricity. Having successfully rolled the bear, Taggart lets up for a half second with his hands to try to bring them around to the bear's muzzle, shoving his fingers into it's jagged maw. The one arm still wrapped tight around the top of the bear's head, keeping him hugged tight, he groans and grunts, muscles in his arms quivering as he slowly and painfully attempts to pull the bear's jaw open by brute strength. He knows he's working against the larger creature, an uphill battle, but he gives it his all, his growl slowly building if he gains any inches at prying those jaws open. Thelergramor looks over to the thrown Edel, and the wounded Cil. "Shit. Cil, Edel, you alright?" Doesn't wait for an answer before working his supernatural fox... stuff... to heal them both. Give them some o' the old 'vulpine vigor' as it were. Focus required a bit too much to aim and fire a eapon with any kind of accuracy. Looks around for Claire, thinking she might need his help too. "Go t'hell!" Sara shouts as she drops, one knife in favour of gripping the second in both hands and driving in the direction of the tigresses skull. Ignoring the other stunned opponent for now. The massive bear gets its arms around Taggart and begins squeezing, applying massive pressure to the wolf beast even as Taggart cuts his fingers forcing the bear's mouth open. Jade goes down under the other tigress that had been attacking her, the two tigers struggling on the floor in a brutal scuffle, while Sara finds herself strengthened by Fox even as she delivers a killing blow to one of her opponents. The other turns, and quickly begins running back down the tunnel, past Edel and the sabertooth; the massive white throwback of a tiger had taken a couple of short hops, trying to feint past Edel's guard again, then surged forward to impale himself up to the hilt on Edel's blade, giving her a full-throated roar at point blank as he sinks his massive teeth into she shoulder of her sword arm despite the electricty cooking bits of his insides. Edel gives a roar of pain of her own as the sabertooth feline sinks his fangs into her shoulder, but the snow leopard is quick to react in kind. "You came closer," she croaks out, pained. "Thank you." She brings her other hand up even as she speaks, setting it atop the larger feline's skull and sending her electricity right into his head, using her own nanites to help keep it from directing right back into her. Thelergramor shakes off a bit of fatigue from doing his... fox... stuff to the group. Looks over the fight. We got this one over there, that one there... Taggart, Edel and Jade can handle themselves. "I'll get the runner!" Moves to a good angle and aims his sniper at the fleeing tigress; aiming for the knee. Drop it before it can get help. Caught completely unaware of Thelergramor's blessing, Sara drives the blade to its hilt into the tigresses skull and leaves it there, figuring there had been much more important things to do. Instead, Sara rises to her feet once more, pulls a pistol from her shoulder holster, and takes a quick stock of the room. Noticing Jade had been underneath one of the tigresses, Sara raises the pistol, looks down the iron sights, and fires a salvo in the direction of the tigresses side. Taggart gives a heavy grunt as he feels the bear crushing down upon his sides, fighting back against it as his blood pools into the giant creatures mouth from his hands. He growls and then grunts again, arms straining and quivering, even as he feels and hears his own ribs cracking and breaking in his chest, a spray of blood ejected from his muzzle while he ever so slowly pries that maw open with his hands. The wolf's eyes squeeze shut and he groans, feeling his lungs puncturing, making breathing difficult as the hollow and sunken noise echoes from his blood drooling muzzle. Thelergramor's shot goes wide and the tigress scampers out of view as the sabertooth tears his fangs free of Edel (painfully, and messily) and then staggers backwards from the electrical assualt, roaring with laughter. The sabertooth is bleeding copiously and partially cooked, but he sneers and wipes at his muzzle with a paw before glancing over at the bloodsoaked mess of the cave. "Tch. Why don't we take this somewhere a little more private, kitten?" he rumbles, then takes off down the tunnel after the tigress. Fortunately for Jade, she sees Sara lining up a shot and, as painful as it is to let the last tigress get some good gouging rakes in, she uses its body as a shield from (most of) the hail of bullets, then gives it a vicious jab in the neck with her stun baton, finally managing to knock it out. The bear gurgles and growls as it continues crushing Taggart, although the big wolf is making progress. Edel glares daggers at the retreating feline and staggers to her paws, taking her sword up with her. "I'm not done with you, damn it!" She turns and tears off down the tunnel, blood dripping from her frame as she goes, leaving a nice and handy sanguine trail. Figuring she might -just- be -little- outmatched, she decides to even the odds, calling upon a bear of her own! Though one born of spirituality rather than nanites. "Fuck!" Thele missed, spits on the floor while his rifle starts to chamber another round. Glances about for what to do... Bad idea to let the target get away, so, charges at the prime sabretooth. Pulls his knife from it's sheath, holds it in his jaws. Is 100% sure Taggart has the bear handled. Should he be able to catch up with the pansyass prime, the fox would throw himself at it, stabbing with the knife in some... uncomfortable angle... Taggart goes slack for just a moment, regrouping what energy he has left while he feels his massive body slowly being crushed and his insides turned to pulp. His clawed fingers are shredded to their bones, bloody white visible beneath tufts of fur as he tugs and strains against the massive jaws that he's trying to pull apart. The injured wolf suddenly tries to turn his battered body into a weapon, spitting some of the blood drooling from his own muzzle into the bear's eyes to distract before he opens his jaws and bites at them, an attempt to permanently blind while wrenching that muzzle open. Her hands shaking from both exertion, and the two heavy weights battling it out, Sara's aim goes wide and threatens to hit Jade in what had originally started out in an attempt to assist. "Sh--.." she hisses as the shots go off, and ends in a wince in both pain, and regret as Jade takes a few more claws from her opponent. "S-sorry!" she shouts as she looks to both the heavilly bleeding Taggart, and the other two chasing both the tigress, and sabertooth into enemy territory.
Decisions, decisions.
Figuring she had owed Taggart a lot more, Sara pulls a third knife, this one a much larger hunting knife from the shredded remains of her tactical vest, and goes at the bear with a low swipe. The massive bear snears as it feels as though it were on the verge of squishing Taggart like some kind of fuzzy grape, only to be taken by surprise by the sudden eye-gouge and the slashing knife. Although the crushing doesn't stop entirely it loosens a little, and the bear howls with pain and rage, mouth opening further. Down the tunnel, Edel's spirit bear snarls at the sabertooth tiger, who prompty laughs and viciously backhands the spirit creature before shoudler-checking it out of the way and picking up the pace. The distraction does allow Edel and Thel to close the distance, although not quite back into melee range yet - for a wounded creature, the sabertooth moves fast. Edel narrows her eyes, hand slipping back towards her bag while she begins working up another nanomagic trick... This time, a simple bit of earth magic. Just enough to raise the earth in front of the running tiger. This was no blocking wall, or anything quite so noticable. Instead, it was a simple ridge, intended to send the tiger tripping and, hopefully, sprawling. Thelergramor just keeps charging with the blade in his mouth. And, as he realizes 'fuck, I can't stab like this', wings his head back, jumps, and throws the knife at the sabretooth. No words, just keeps charging the tiger. Taggart takes the slacking in the bear's muzzle to jerk with his paws, yanking the jaw open with audible cracking of bones. He grunts and tries to catch a breath, only to cough up blood, more into the bear's eyes while he gnaws and chews into them. With the jaw hanging loose, finally, the large wolf leans back and gets a good eye before one of his clawed paws suddenly shoves down the bear's throat, punching and then extending his claws to rip and tear at the inside of the massive creature's esophogus, tearing and rending soft flesh easily to send blood pouring into it's lungs. As her blade strikes true, and Taggart takes the initiative and tears the bears jaw clean off, Sara looks to the man in question and asks, "Are you alright?" before holding out her hand, the hand ebbing with an odd light to it, offering some sort of healing without words. If the bear's jaw were working, it would clamp down on Taggart's arm; as it is it releases its grip, and shoves the wolf clear even as it wheezes out its last breath and tries to roll over. Jade picks herself up off the ground and gives the bear a vicious jab with her stun baton, then recovers her bow; meanwhile, the agile feline down the tunnel easily recovers from the attempted tripping. The chase has wound down a couple of side passages, and then the tiger breaks through into a massive cavern - a cavern filled with large trees, grass, and the sort of undergrowth one would expect in a jungle. Edel growls a little as the feline continues to get away. But... Thankfully they have emptied out into a much larger cavern. This could certainly play to her advantage. She pauses for a brief moment, catching her breath and trying to work a bit of her nanites to help heal her wounds as she flips her goggles down over her eyes. Thelergramor keeps running, doesn't exactly notice the trees and shit in his bloodlust. "Shit... Lost my knife... You'll pay for that!" Keeps running even as he fires off a burst from his Auto-Hammer. No specific aim, his back is likely at knee to ass level on the large tiger. Glances back at Edel, keeps running. Taggart slumps to the ground as he's released, wheezing himself as he tries to coax his nanites into repairing the damage that was wrought upon his insides and mangled fingers. The wolf pulls himself to his feet, slowly and a bit unsteadily, one hand moving to clutch his side while turning his attention down the tunnel to whatever was happening there. He gives a glance of disdain to the fallen bear, growling at it and warning it to stay down before looking to Sara, his free hand waving her away gently before he starts to plod his way down the tunnel. Nodding to Taggarts response to her offer, Sara drops her hand back to her side, and grabs her two knives before making her way down the tunnel behind Taggart. Claire starts to follow after Taggart and Sara, although she hesitates, then digs out her field kit and begins tending to Jade's injuries instead. The path down the tunnel is not an easy one to follow at speed, although there is little chance of losing the trail of fresh blood. In the underground jungle, the sabertooth tiger quickly vanishes into the undergrowth; moments later he laughs. "I said alone. What's with the shawl trying to throw knives ? "I don't control what they do," Edel says, pulling a few cannisters from her bag. With a deep breath, she briefly closes her eyes before fanning her wings out and taking advantage of the expansive cavern to take to the skies. Thelergramor loses the sabertoothed prick in the undergrowth. "Your MOM is the shawl trying to throw knives!" Then starts pissing to mark more of the territory as his own. And is now left on the ground. Alone. Takes tries to work out how to throw a grenade in his current shape. Does so with his muzzle; towards the last place he saw the tiger who is surely not there anymore...
[[Category:RPLogs]]

2014-09-29T04:02:17Z

Rihko Kirijo

''(Pronounced: Re·ko Key·re·joe)''

RSX Contractor, Engineer/Artisan, Self-Alleged 'Mad Engineer'

''(The official Zephyr file:)''

Rihko was one of the middle children of the Kirijo family of New York. Her father, Matsu, was an emigrant who earned his citizenship in the US Air Force. Her mother, Susan, was a counselor and the two met through a mutual friend. Rihko is the only survivor - Susan Kirijo was the only known relative to survive PN Day, and she died shortly thereafter when she left the bubble after contracting an inorganic mutation variation. When she initially joined Zephyr and was asked to identify a next-of-kin, Rihko declined, stating that she did not have a single surviving relative of any variety. When originally asked if she had any friends she wanted to declare as emergency contacts, Rihko likewise declined, stating none were currently alive. Recently she has listed Taggart, her mate/fiancee, as her emergency contact.

Rihko traveled extensively before PN Day. She was the Purchasing Director for s small museum/gallery in San Diego, California, and worked with private collectors on a freelance basis. Her job sent her on frequent trips, both cross-country and international. During the Outbreak, Rihko volunteered for the rescue operation in San Diego, helping in triage and logistics. She contracted a relatively mild nanite infection at the time, which left her still looking human, but she received the Zephyr inoculation just to be safe. Since she was already 'contaminated' Rihko applied for a position with Zephyr. Currently, she operates as a field agent for Zephyr, and is listed as a lab intern for Pax Ex Scientia, an independent group directed by Loki. In addition to filing paperwork, her general studies, and various errands, Rihko also enjoys tinkering and designing gadgets, and she lives at the New Ireland pub.

Other Zephyr staff members have noted Rihko for her positive attitude and resilient personality. When she first arrived in Fairhaven, Rihko did not have any experience fighting and frequently ended up in Zephyr's triage - while dealing with the other associated trauma of being overrun by ferals. Despite her trials and tribulations, though, she always remained positive and upbeat, and continues to enthusiastically pursue, well, whatever task she's currently working on.

Lately, Rihko has started a business of her own: Kirijo Arms, selling various armaments to other survivors. She runs the business in tandem with her children. It currently operates out of the Pax Ex Scientia tower.

Known Immediate Relations:
(Pre PN Day)
Matsu Kirijo (Father) (Deceased) (Went feral, put down by Susan Kirijo in self defense)

Susan Kirijo (Mother) (Deceased) (Died after leaving the New York bubble)

Miri Kirijo (Sister) (Deceased) (Murdered by feral formally known as Matsu Kirijo)

Yuko Kirijo (Sister) (Missing, Presumed Deceased)(Last known location: Las Vegas)

Angela Kirijo (Sister) (Deceased) (Murdered by looters in St. Louis)

Daniel Kirijo (Brother) (Deceased) (Killed by ferals in Minneapolis)

Tatsu Kirijo (Brother) (Missing, Presumed Deceased) (Last known location: San Antonio)

(Post Fairhaven)

Taggart (Fiancee) (Owner/operator of New Ireland)

Takumi Kirijo (Son) (Oldest son, kitsune, usually tends to the Inari shrine when not working)

Jorge Kirijo (Son)

Natasha and Natalya Kirijo (Daughters)

----
''(Unofficial Addendum)''

Rihko does not just tinker with parts now and then; although she might not understand the nanites very well, or be anywhere near as accomplised at using them as an adept or a true dedicated scientist, she is a natural engineer and excels at the practical application of mechanics and electronics. (OOC: Her first Profession was Magnificent Bastard, and she has Design level 3).

Rihko's personal philosophy is not one that she has shared with a lot of people, but she believes that, above all, one must be focused on the now. She believes that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing enthusiastically, and tends to throw herself into whatever it is she is doing - be that something as tame as filing paperwork or talking with a friend, or something like scavenging and fighting. She also believes that she shouldn't drop her problems on other people, so she tends to avoid talking about any of her past that she thinks others might find unpleasant.

Shortly after PN Day, one of Rihko's ex boyfriends in San Diego tracked her down. The man, the latest in a series of poor relationship choices, had decided to take advantage of the fall of society, and attacked Rihko. He broke one of her legs, knocked her out, and tied her to a bed so he could rape her repeatedly. Fueled by rage and hatred Rihko broke her own hand in order to slip free from the bindings, and instead of going for help she found a knife and murdered her ex. She went to post-trauma counseling for a while, but she never admitted that deep inside, there was a piece of her that had woken up. Something ruthless and feral, that crowed with joy as her ex's blood ran down her hand and the life fled from his body.

All her attempts to contact her family had failed, both in the immediate aftermath of PN day and through her counseling, so she decided to set out across country and find them. Under normal circumstances, the trip to New York meant four or five days to a week on the road (if she couldn't find a plane), and in the chaos following PN day Rihko couldn't find a plane. The trip ended up taking her a little over a month, and Rihko ran into some other unpleasantness on the way, but she did eventually make it to New York.

There, she learned that her father had gone feral, and killed her sister. And that her mother, now mostly robotic, had killed Matsu in self defense. The two set out to find the rest of the family together, and Rihko watched her mother die as they left the bubble of New York, her inorganic body unable to sustain itself without the nanite cloud.

Over the course of the next year, Rihko traveled to the other places her family had lived, and ran into the same sort of stories - people with problems, people with issues, and her family dead and gone. She also had to defend herself, with lethal force, on several occasions. Each time, she became more and more comfortable with her Beast, as she called it, calling on it for survival, feeding it all of the hurt, all of the sadness, all of the despair she felt so that it could strengthen her with rage, fighting it for control after each encounter.

She would likely have gone down a short, dark road into true psychopathy had it not been for a man she met on her trip; David Williams, a Kitsune. He could sense her trouble, and he was impressed by her determination and control, and by her dedication to her family. He started traveling with her, teaching her things about the world and helping her find ways to channel and control her emotions, instead of being controlled by them. In the end, he helped sponsor her to Prince Inari, and with nothing else left, Rihko pledged her service and become a Kitsune in turn.

Now she is in Fairhaven, trying to keep an eye on what's going on and an ear to the ground, and helping civilization cling together and rebuild.

"We must remain resolute, and guard everything we hold dear, for unstable times lead to uncivil societies." - David Williams

"The best cure for hard luck, is hard work." - Susan Kirijo

User:Rihko

2014-09-29T04:00:46Z

Rihko:

Rihko Kirijo

''(Pronounced: Re·ko Key·re·joe)''

RSX Contractor, Engineer/Artisan, Self-Alleged 'Mad Engineer'

''(The official Zephyr file:)''

Rihko was one of the middle children of the Kirijo family of New York. Her father, Matsu, was an emigrant who earned his citizenship in the US Air Force. Her mother, Susan, was a counselor and the two met through a mutual friend. Rihko is the only survivor - Susan Kirijo was the only known relative to survive PN Day, and she died shortly thereafter when she left the bubble after contracting an inorganic mutation variation. When she initially joined Zephyr and was asked to identify a next-of-kin, Rihko declined, stating that she did not have a single surviving relative of any variety. When originally asked if she had any friends she wanted to declare as emergency contacts, Rihko likewise declined, stating none were currently alive. Recently she has listed Taggart, her mate/fiancee, as her emergency contact.

Rihko traveled extensively before PN Day. She was the Purchasing Director for s small museum/gallery in San Diego, California, and worked with private collectors on a freelance basis. Her job sent her on frequent trips, both cross-country and international. During the Outbreak, Rihko volunteered for the rescue operation in San Diego, helping in triage and logistics. She contracted a relatively mild nanite infection at the time, which left her still looking human, but she received the Zephyr inoculation just to be safe. Since she was already 'contaminated' Rihko applied for a position with Zephyr. Currently, she operates as a field agent for Zephyr, and is listed as a lab intern for Pax Ex Scientia, an independent group directed by Loki. In addition to filing paperwork, her general studies, and various errands, Rihko also enjoys tinkering and designing gadgets, and she lives at the New Ireland pub.

Other Zephyr staff members have noted Rihko for her positive attitude and resilient personality. When she first arrived in Fairhaven, Rihko did not have any experience fighting and frequently ended up in Zephyr's triage - while dealing with the other associated trauma of being overrun by ferals. Despite her trials and tribulations, though, she always remained positive and upbeat, and continues to enthusiastically pursue, well, whatever task she's currently working on.

Lately, Rihko has started a business of her own: Kirijo Arms, selling various armaments to other survivors. She runs the business in tandem with her children. It currently operates out of the Pax Ex Scientia tower.

Known Immediate Relations:
(Pre PN Day)
Matsu Kirijo (Father) (Deceased) (Went feral, put down by Susan Kirijo in self defense)

Susan Kirijo (Mother) (Deceased) (Died after leaving the New York bubble)

Miri Kirijo (Sister) (Deceased) (Murdered by feral formally known as Matsu Kirijo)

Yuko Kirijo (Sister) (Missing, Presumed Deceased)(Last known location: Las Vegas)

Angela Kirijo (Sister) (Deceased) (Murdered by looters in St. Louis)

Daniel Kirijo (Brother) (Deceased) (Killed by ferals in Minneapolis)

Tatsu Kirijo (Brother) (Missing, Presumed Deceased) (Last known location: San Antonio)

(Post Fairhaven)

Taggart (Fiancee) (Owner/operator of New Ireland)

Takumi Kirijo (Son) (Oldest son, kitsune, usually tends to the Inari shrine when not working)

Jorge Kirijo (Son)

Natasha and Natalya Kirijo (Daughters)

----
''(Unofficial Addendum)''

Rihko does not just tinker with parts now and then; although she might not understand the nanites very well, or be anywhere near as accomplised at using them as an adept or a true dedicated scientist, she is a natural engineer and excels at the practical application of mechanics and electronics. (OOC: Her first Profession was Magnificent Bastard, and she has Design level 3).

Rihko's personal philosophy is not one that she has shared with a lot of people, but she believes that, above all, one must be focused on the now. She believes that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing enthusiastically, and tends to throw herself into whatever it is she is doing - be that something as tame as filing paperwork or talking with a friend, or something like scavenging and fighting. She also believes that she shouldn't drop her problems on other people, so she tends to avoid talking about any of her past that she thinks others might find unpleasant.

Shortly after PN Day, one of Rihko's ex boyfriends in San Diego tracked her down. The man, the latest in a series of poor relationship choices, had decided to take advantage of the fall of society, and attacked Rihko. He broke one of her legs, knocked her out, and tied her to a bed so he could rape her repeatedly. Fueled by rage and hatred Rihko broke her own hand in order to slip free from the bindings, and instead of going for help she found a knife and murdered her ex. She went to post-trauma counseling for a while, but she never admitted that deep inside, there was a piece of her that had woken up. Something ruthless and feral, that crowed with joy as her ex's blood ran down her hand and the life fled from his body.

All her attempts to contact her family had failed, both in the immediate aftermath of PN day and through her counseling, so she decided to set out across country and find them. Under normal circumstances, the trip to New York meant four or five days to a week on the road (if she couldn't find a plane), and in the chaos following PN day Rihko couldn't find a plane. The trip ended up taking her a little over a month, and Rihko ran into some other unpleasantness on the way, but she did eventually make it to New York.

There, she learned that her father had gone feral, and killed her sister. And that her mother, now mostly robotic, had killed Matsu in self defense. The two set out to find the rest of the family together, and Rihko watched her mother die as they left the bubble of New York, her inorganic body unable to sustain itself without the nanite cloud.

Over the course of the next year, Rihko traveled to the other places her family had lived, and ran into the same sort of stories - people with problems, people with issues, and her family dead and gone. She also had to defend herself, with lethal force, on several occasions. Each time, she became more and more comfortable with her Beast, as she called it, calling on it for survival, feeding it all of the hurt, all of the sadness, all of the despair she felt so that it could strengthen her with rage, fighting it for control after each encounter.

She would likely have gone down a short, dark road into true psychopathy had it not been for a man she met on her trip; David Williams, a Kitsune. He could sense her trouble, and he was impressed by her determination and control, and by her dedication to her family. He started traveling with her, teaching her things about the world and helping her find ways to channel and control her emotions, instead of being controlled by them. In the end, he helped sponsor her to Prince Inari, and with nothing else left, Rihko pledged her service and become a Kitsune in turn.

Now she is in Fairhaven, trying to keep an eye on what's going on and an ear to the ground, and helping civilization cling together and rebuild.

"We must remain resolute, and guard everything we hold dear, for unstable times lead to uncivil societies." - David Williams

"The best cure for hard luck, is hard work." - Susan Kirijo

User:Rihko

2014-09-29T03:58:45Z

Rihko: Undo revision 31029 by Rihko (talk)

Rihko Kirijo

''(Pronounced: Re·ko Key·re·joe)''

Zephyr Field Agent, Engineer, Self-Alleged 'Mad Engineer'

''(The official Zephyr file:)''

Rihko was one of the middle children of the Kirijo family of New York. Her father, Matsu, was an emigrant who earned his citizenship in the US Air Force. Her mother, Susan, was a counselor and the two met through a mutual friend. Rihko is the only survivor - Susan Kirijo was the only known relative to survive PN Day, and she died shortly thereafter when she left the bubble after contracting an inorganic mutation variation. When she initially joined Zephyr and was asked to identify a next-of-kin, Rihko declined, stating that she did not have a single surviving relative of any variety. When originally asked if she had any friends she wanted to declare as emergency contacts, Rihko likewise declined, stating none were currently alive. Recently she has listed Taggart, her mate/fiancee, as her emergency contact.

Rihko traveled extensively before PN Day. She was the Purchasing Director for s small museum/gallery in San Diego, California, and worked with private collectors on a freelance basis. Her job sent her on frequent trips, both cross-country and international. During the Outbreak, Rihko volunteered for the rescue operation in San Diego, helping in triage and logistics. She contracted a relatively mild nanite infection at the time, which left her still looking human, but she received the Zephyr inoculation just to be safe. Since she was already 'contaminated' Rihko applied for a position with Zephyr. Currently, she operates as a field agent for Zephyr, and is listed as a lab intern for Pax Ex Scientia, an independent group directed by Loki. In addition to filing paperwork, her general studies, and various errands, Rihko also enjoys tinkering and designing gadgets, and she lives at the New Ireland pub.

Other Zephyr staff members have noted Rihko for her positive attitude and resilient personality. When she first arrived in Fairhaven, Rihko did not have any experience fighting and frequently ended up in Zephyr's triage - while dealing with the other associated trauma of being overrun by ferals. Despite her trials and tribulations, though, she always remained positive and upbeat, and continues to enthusiastically pursue, well, whatever task she's currently working on.

Lately, Rihko has started a business of her own: Kirijo Arms, selling various armaments to other survivors. She runs the business in tandem with her children. It currently operates out of the Pax Ex Scientia tower.

Known Immediate Relations:
(Pre PN Day)
Matsu Kirijo (Father) (Deceased) (Went feral, put down by Susan Kirijo in self defense)

Susan Kirijo (Mother) (Deceased) (Died after leaving the New York bubble)

Miri Kirijo (Sister) (Deceased) (Murdered by feral formally known as Matsu Kirijo)

Yuko Kirijo (Sister) (Missing, Presumed Deceased)(Last known location: Las Vegas)

Angela Kirijo (Sister) (Deceased) (Murdered by looters in St. Louis)

Daniel Kirijo (Brother) (Deceased) (Killed by ferals in Minneapolis)

Tatsu Kirijo (Brother) (Missing, Presumed Deceased) (Last known location: San Antonio)

(Post Fairhaven)

Taggart (Fiancee) (Owner/operator of New Ireland)

Takumi Kirijo (Son) (Oldest son, kitsune, usually tends to the Inari shrine when not working)

Jorge Kirijo (Son)

Natasha and Natalya Kirijo (Daughters)

----
''(Unofficial Addendum)''

Rihko does not just tinker with parts now and then; although she might not understand the nanites very well, or be anywhere near as accomplised at using them as an adept or a true dedicated scientist, she is a natural engineer and excels at the practical application of mechanics and electronics. (OOC: Her first Profession was Magnificent Bastard, and she has Design level 3).

Rihko's personal philosophy is not one that she has shared with a lot of people, but she believes that, above all, one must be focused on the now. She believes that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing enthusiastically, and tends to throw herself into whatever it is she is doing - be that something as tame as filing paperwork or talking with a friend, or something like scavenging and fighting. She also believes that she shouldn't drop her problems on other people, so she tends to avoid talking about any of her past that she thinks others might find unpleasant.

Shortly after PN Day, one of Rihko's ex boyfriends in San Diego tracked her down. The man, the latest in a series of poor relationship choices, had decided to take advantage of the fall of society, and attacked Rihko. He broke one of her legs, knocked her out, and tied her to a bed so he could rape her repeatedly. Fueled by rage and hatred Rihko broke her own hand in order to slip free from the bindings, and instead of going for help she found a knife and murdered her ex. She went to post-trauma counseling for a while, but she never admitted that deep inside, there was a piece of her that had woken up. Something ruthless and feral, that crowed with joy as her ex's blood ran down her hand and the life fled from his body.

All her attempts to contact her family had failed, both in the immediate aftermath of PN day and through her counseling, so she decided to set out across country and find them. Under normal circumstances, the trip to New York meant four or five days to a week on the road (if she couldn't find a plane), and in the chaos following PN day Rihko couldn't find a plane. The trip ended up taking her a little over a month, and Rihko ran into some other unpleasantness on the way, but she did eventually make it to New York.

There, she learned that her father had gone feral, and killed her sister. And that her mother, now mostly robotic, had killed Matsu in self defense. The two set out to find the rest of the family together, and Rihko watched her mother die as they left the bubble of New York, her inorganic body unable to sustain itself without the nanite cloud.

Over the course of the next year, Rihko traveled to the other places her family had lived, and ran into the same sort of stories - people with problems, people with issues, and her family dead and gone. She also had to defend herself, with lethal force, on several occasions. Each time, she became more and more comfortable with her Beast, as she called it, calling on it for survival, feeding it all of the hurt, all of the sadness, all of the despair she felt so that it could strengthen her with rage, fighting it for control after each encounter.

She would likely have gone down a short, dark road into true psychopathy had it not been for a man she met on her trip; David Williams, a Kitsune. He could sense her trouble, and he was impressed by her determination and control, and by her dedication to her family. He started traveling with her, teaching her things about the world and helping her find ways to channel and control her emotions, instead of being controlled by them. In the end, he helped sponsor her to Prince Inari, and with nothing else left, Rihko pledged her service and become a Kitsune in turn.

Now she is in Fairhaven, trying to keep an eye on what's going on and an ear to the ground, and helping civilization cling together and rebuild.

"We must remain resolute, and guard everything we hold dear, for unstable times lead to uncivil societies." - David Williams

"The best cure for hard luck, is hard work." - Susan Kirijo

User:Rihko

2013-05-22T05:19:35Z

Rihko: Replaced content with "{{del}}"

Coffee Break

2013-05-22T04:57:22Z

Rihko: Blanked the page

Coffee Break

2013-05-22T04:55:52Z

Rihko: Replaced content with "<Posting permission for this log has been removed>"

Einherjar (dedication)

2013-04-03T04:45:14Z

Rihko:

<pre>
.________________________________________________________________________.
| Item [Einherjar ] Type [ Supernatural]|
|________________________________________________________________________|
|______________________[ Description ]______________________|
| In Norse mythology, the einherjar are those who have died in glorious |
| battle, chosen by the valkyries to ascend to Valhalla. There they |
| fight every day as they prepare for Ragnarok, the Battle at the End of |
| Days, and those who survive to the night feast on endless supplies of |
| meat and mead. Of course, the modern einherjar have never died; |
| however, in this world of constant fighting, glorious quests, and lost |
| causes they may as well be in Valhalla. Blessed by Tyr, the |
| bloody-handed god of War, Justice, Courage, and Wisdom, the new |
| einherjar are blessed with great power and ride forth to do battle in |
| his name, spreading tales of their furious rage, heroic sacrifices, |
| and unfailing courage. |
|______________________[ Other Stats ]______________________|
|________________________________________________________________________|
|______________________[ Additional Information ]______________________|
| Cost [50 ] |
| Location[[The Golden Goat]: Dais ] |
|________________________________________________________________________|
</pre>
{{Monster
|arms=[[Bear Hug]], [[Wild Swing]]
|tail=
|groin=
|head=[[Endocrine Overdrive]], [[Keen Vision]]
|legs=[[Adrenaline Boost]]
|skin=[[Thick Hide]]
|torso=[[Muscle Mass]], [[Tooth and Nail]]
}}
They gain [[Eternal Warrior]] and [[Hand of Justice]] as dedication powers.

Tyr's new warband, the old Norse god is taking any who will give him their devotion. His champion's prayers are spoken not with words, but with the sound of steel on flesh, of bones breaking, of enemies being cut down and the wailing of the unworthy. His champions also show their devotion through sound judgement - often, knowing which battle to fight is more important than being willing to fight anything.

That, and by being HEAVY FUCKING METAL. \m/

The dedication form itself has some customization options, with three variables:
@set me=custom/Einherjar/hair:<Number>
0: Glorious shoulder length! (Default)
1: Glam Metal length
2: Short and a little wavy
3: Medium length
4: Curly
5: Rock a 'hawk
@set me=custom/Einherjar/color:<Color>
Allowed colors: dirty blonde, auburn, red, black, brown, light brown, green, blue, and purple
Any other color just sets it to the default, a light blonde.
@set me=custom/Einherjar/beard:<Number>
0: Wild Viking (default)
1: Stubble
2: Scruffy
3: Riker Beard
4: Long beard
5: Long enough to tuck into a belt

If you read this far, there are two hidden options, #6 for the beard and hair.
[[Category:Dedications]]

2012-04-30T00:39:53Z

Rihko:

User:Rihko

2012-04-17T03:32:47Z

Rihko:

On the Outskirts of Woodfield

2012-04-06T19:08:14Z

Rihko:

(RP Event on 2/22/2012, ran by Leraji; Participating: Loki, Darkwyrm, Caeli, Unnatural, and Neterros)

[Briefing Room, Floor 2]: RSX Briefing Room
This is RSX's Briefing Room 4. It's a fairly sparse room, with a few disparate chairs, a projector, and a large table. There is stale coffee and old donuts set out for whoever comes in.

As each of you arrive, you are shown to the briefing room by Venice, RSX's logistics officer and mission coordinator. She points out the coffee and the donuts, and lets you know, "Hey, it's going to be just a minute before Steven is in with the mission briefing. I'll let him know you're all waiting though!"

Neterros nods. "Thanks..." He steps in and sits down on any empty chairs, looking around warily.

Loki shuffles in place as he offers a polite bow to Venice, his tongue flitting out of his mouth shortly after. "Thank you very much." he smiles, then peering through the door, the dragon crouching a little as he squeezes through, gaze trailing through the room as his tail coils around behind him for a moment. He may be blocking the door for others, but he does quickly move to the box of donuts and offers a small sniff as he reaches for a chocolate dip.

Darkwyrm quickly finds himself a seat and slumps into it, crossing his arms. "Just like Rsx to not start their meetings on time.", he mutters under his breath.

Unnatural trots in after the dragon, moving rather quietly for such a bulky creature. Giving the room only a casual glance she moves moves at a leisurely place toward one of them chairs, pulling it out and taking a seat at the table, her arms folded lightly in front of her

Caeli remains silent and mostly still, spending a few moments staring at each new arrival with a blank expression as she stands in a corner of the briefing room.

Neterros looks over to all the various people entering the room, nodding to those he recognizes, and studying those he doesn't.

Darkwyrm glances at Neterros and says, "Hmph. Wouldn't have expected YOU to be here, mister Research Assistant. Didn't know you were into the whole fieldwork thing."

Loki pops a donut within his mouth, the dragon quietly chewing away before he reaches for a honey glaze. He pauses and looks over his shoulder, noticing several others in the room. He elects to cease his eating and then shuffles in place, tail ficking behind him. He peers curiously to the one standing in the corner and wanders over to Caeli and offers a hand, a small smile pulling across his face. "Hello there! My name is Loki! Though I primarily work for Zephyr, I do lend a hand to RSX when I can."

Although he's late, Steven only keeps you waiting for a few minutes. Steven is fully human, with a pale complexion, amber eyes, and short, dark hair. He enters the room, lit cigarette in one hand and a file folder in his other, wearing a pair of black slacks, polished shoes, and a white shirt. His tie is knotted perfectly, and is a delicate shade of powder blue and decorated by little yellow duckies. He dims the lights as he comes in and looks over the group. "Good, good, I see we have some experienced agents here today. I can keep it brief. Thank you for coming."

Neterros raises one eyebrow, not sure how to respond to what he thought was an initially aggressive greeting. He turns to look at Steven, waiting to hear the main reason for the gathering.

Unnatural perks her ears lifting her head and turning to study the ariving human. Giving Steven a broad toothing smile and a nod the big feline leaned back in her chair, attention flicking to the projector before looking to the screen wondering if they were going to be at all important for this briefing

Darkwyrm grows silent and looks over the operative with a scritinizing gaze, as if measuring him up. He makes a hand gesture as to indicate he's more than ready to here what he has to say.

Caeli's gaze drops to Loki's outstretched hand and her head tilts slightly to one side, but if she was going to say anything at all Steven's arrival seems to have distracted her from it. She even fails to shake, instead electing to divide her attention, shifting her stare back and forth between the speakers.

Loki frowns a little at Caeli, his gesture unaccepted. He hesitates a moment, the dragon then turning towards Steven as he enters, his hand still extended in offering to the winged girl. "You are very welcome. I thought I would pitch in if I could. Always thought you guys could use an extra hand or two." he muses.

Steven waits just long enough to make sure he has everyone's attention, then opens his folder and passes around a stack of photos. "Well, thank you, we apprecaite it. We don't draw as many agents as Zephyr, so it's good that you all got here so quickly." The first few pictures in the stack are hiqh-quality, and show a group of three pickup trucks on a gravel road. Each truck is being hauled by a team of oxen, and the truck beds are piled with objects covered by tarps. There are also about a dozen armed humans escorting the convoy - mostly with rifles and shotguns, but a few other creative weapons can be seen in other photos. About halfway through the quality begins degrading, as though whoever was taking pictures were having trouble with their camera; it's easy to see that one truck is full of food and other supplies, while the one in the middle has what can best be described as a heap of computers, hooked up together. "We want those computers," Steven says. "We will pay you for them. We're not sure if they'll accept free creds, but we do have some excess supplies we'd be willing to trade."

Darkwyrm looks over the photos, paying particular attention to the weapons that each of the guards are using. He clears his throat and speaks up, "So we are to negotiate for these electronics?", he asks, "And what are we to do if such negotiations are to fail?"

Neterros frowns. "Seizing them by force could be messy... But why did you want a bunch of us here, if all we're doing is some cheap trade?"

Caeli lifts her hands from her sides and observes her own upturned palms for a moment before looking back to Loki. With careful precision she mimics his pose, turning partially away while holding out her hand toward him. Her eyes remain fixed on the photographs as they are passed around, but she doesn't accept them herself.

Unnatural raised a paw to scratch the underside of her chin as she studies the photos, spreading them out in front of her 'Looks like they have supplies. A group of humans, well armed, organised, hauling computers that require a power supply and yet they require oxen to haul their trucks. Seems odd. What are the groups motives. Maybe we can offer them something more easily made useful to them' the big cat breaths a sigh as she settles back, leaving the pictures spread on the table as she waits for answers to her questions and the others

Loki keenly observes the photos, the dragon perhaps a little perplexed about the oxen pulled trucks but he remains silent, trying to gather as much information as he can. His tongue flits out of his mouth again, the dragon trying to discern something about the computers they have. All the while his hand hovers near Caeli, and he doesn't really take the girl's hand, the dragon lingering there for a moment before he seems to remember his earlier train of thought. "Oh! Terribly sorry miss!" he says, giving Caeli's hand a gentle shake. "May I inquire your name? I do not think I have seen you here on my prior trips!"

Darkwyrm shoots a look at Loki and rolls his eyes. "There will be plenty of time for socializing on our trip out there.", he says, "Let's keep on subject for now, shall we?"

Steven takes a drag of his cigarette, and gives Darkwyrm a serious look. "Come now, do you think RSX wants the blood of innocent survivors on our hands? If they won't trade, they won't trade," he says. The man shrugs. "We're not paying you to go talk, though, we're paying you to come back with the computers. So don't botch it." He grins, and pulls another drag from his cigarette. "And we wanted experienced agents for two reasons. First, to make sure the equipment gets back here safely, and second, our scout reported some... irregularities. Said he couldn't approach them, it kept messing with his nanites. Our chopper pilot can drop you off at the scout's location. Any other questions?"

Neterros grimaces. "Perfect... And this anomoly requires experts to handle, not to mention we'll be bogged down by equipment..."
"I didn't say anything about killing.", Dark says. "I just think that perhaps we could utilize ...alternative negotiation methods if tratitional trading failed." He cracks his knuckles and thinks over the additional information just provided. "Screwing with nanites, hmm? Perhaps they've rigged up some sorta infection repellant device."

Caeli begins, "I am-" before Darkwyrm interrupts. "Yes," she agrees simply, apparently easily swayed. She doesn't seem bothered, though, content to instead stare rather intently at the hand Loki just finished shaking.

"Exactly," Steven agrees. "Experts that can protect themselves, if needed."

Unnatural picks up up of the photos, looking over the assembled humans once more a lopsided grin parting her lips 'Sounds like they have something interesting. I wonder what's important enough to haul about so much gear but not invest in getting a truck up and running and why they brought it here.' lowering her hand and dropping the photo the big cat chuckles softly to herself 'I think we can handle this little deal'
Unnatural is a big lion like creature in a buisness suit. Looks intimidating but not much of a fighter

Neterros sighs. "How many of us are capable of extended flight?" he asks, looking around appraisingly.

Darkwyrm thumps his elbow onto the table and raises his forearm in answer to Net's question.

Caeli's wings extend at Neterros's words, curling around her somewhat protectively.

Loki frowns a little at the mention of nanite interfearance and shuffles in place. "Can you be more specific in how his nanites were addled?" he inquires to Steven, the dragon nodding and smiles. "I will do my best to ensure that things proceed peacefully." he says, then looking to the others, a small scowl at Darkwyrm, then looks to Net. "I am quite capable of flight myself."

Steven shrugs. "Our scout's a raccoon guy, named Alfonzo. We asked him what's up, he said he started mutating randomly when he got too close. Didn't get much more than that though." He makes a 'sorry' gesture with his hand, the end of his cigarette leaving a trail of smoke in the air. With the briefing done, Venice returns to show you all to the helicopter pad; at takeoff the pilot mutters a few curses about being near their weight limit, but the flight is smooth. It's only about ten minutes through the air to the outlying country, and the helicopter sets you down in a field that's gone fallow, sparsely studded with clumps of wheat and a wide variety of wild grasses. Someone comes running up from the road to greet you; he's wearing a set of fatigues that declare him to be Alfonzo, but he's no raccoon - he appears to be a chimeric mix of five or six different species. He helps you get off the copter, then waves it off.

Neterros chuckles. "I haven't mutated in several months... So I think I'm immune to those effects."

Loki nods to Steven, and seems to ponder a little, the dragon nodding in agreement. He seems to be in thought the whole trip, only stirring when being dropped off. He stretches himself out, the dragon spreading his wings wide in addtion, the dull silver glint of his armour reflecting the sun. Seems a little surprised at the chimera, along with the mention of him being a racoon, and swiftly extends his hand in greeting. "Hello Alfanzo. The name is Loki." he smiles. "So you randomly mutated? Such an odd thing. So what is the plan so far?"

Unnatural steps out of the copter looking first around the grassy area then back toward the city as the scout approched. When he was within easy earshot even with the noise of the helicopter nearby the big cat turned to the odd amalgam of species and begun making inquiries about where the troop was now and which way there were headed

Neterros sighs, and looks around for strategic points... or a quick meal.

Caeli moves along with the group, doing quite a bit of staring at nothing in particular. At least her attention seems to be on Alfonzo now, though it's hard to really tell.

Alfonzo nods his head and looks down at his paws. Hir paws, given some rather evident bumps under hir fatigue top. "Yea, go figure. Played hell with me, I'm lucky I got away without taking a bullet." Shi waves for everyone to follow as shi exlpains. "I'll get fixed up back at HQ when I get off shift, though." Shi leads the group up to the road, accompanied by the sound of smaller critters racing away under the grass, and points; sure enough, the convoy is cresting a hill in that direction and approaching. "I found a spot here about a mile ahead of them. If you wait here, or head down the road, you'll meet 'em soon enough. I'm going to fall back; whatever they've got, it seems to have a range of about fifty feet."

Loki frowns a little at Alfonzo. "Well I suppose it is good that they did not fire at you." he says, then looking in the gestured direction. "Friendly?" he asks the racoon, apparantly waiting on the response before making further choices.\

"Well, I was trying to sneak in close enough to take pictures without being seen," Alfonzo says. "I didn't stay around long enough to see if they were friendly, figured they wouldn't take well to a screaming, randomly mutating person popping up right next to them on the road. From what I saw, it seems to keep ferals away as well."

Unnatural nods to the chimera she moved alongside him, listening to him as he moves toward the road. Her next series of questions having already been answered the lion takes her time to look along the road before turning back to the assembled group and the former raccoon 'anyone know where this road leads? Could they be heading into a city or town or just moving toward another survival camp?'

"Hmph. Sixty feet? We won't be able to get anywhere near them.", Dark growls. "I would hate to admit this, but I think we may need to approach them in plain sight."

Loki nods to Alfonso and then turns to the road. "Well thanks. They should be friendly if we approach in such a manner!" he exclaims, the dragon heading off down the road in the required direction, strolling along at a leisurely pace. He does keep an eye, ear, and nose out for anything odd, along with trying to note any sensations he may have until the convoy is in sight.

Caeli has already begun walking down the road in the direction of the convoy at an easy pace, making no attempt to conceal herself.

Loki pauses one last time, and turns to Alfonso. "Oh! and what are we going to be trading?"

Unnatural shakes her head as she watches the dragon go, rather tempted to just follow along a safe distance behind to see what happened though she considered that the approach of a massive scally creature in a combat suit might give the wrong impression to human survivors that for all intents and purposes appear to be carrying some form of nanite scrambler 'We might want to consider wheather it is better to allow them to approach us'

Darkwyrm reaches arm arm into his coat and rests it on the hilt of his blade just in case they run into anything unexpected on the hike. "Fine. But any sign of hostility from them, and I won't hesitate to use defensive measures.", he says as he reluctantly follows after Loki.

Alfonzo starts slipping back into the field, waving over hir shoulder. "Money, if they want it. Supplies. Pretty sure Venice said we have more than enough edibles to offer in trade. Hell, maybe see if they want to join RSX. I dunno, I'm just a scout. I'll move up the road aways and keep an eye on you."

Loki nods to Alfonzo again, and commits the instructions to memory. He marches along, tail swaying lazily behind him, his wings opened a bit, the dragon trying to reflect the sunlight in signal. He continues onward until he can spot the convoy, still keeping his senses open to oddities, and will halt if one happens.

Unnatural Sigh, looking about the group and in particular to the one and only human in it. 'Fine. Approaching them makes us seem less like a blockade, but we should stick close together to avoid appearing like a loose and disorganised band of misfits and more like an actual cohesive unit. It gives a better impression and is less likely to suggest random band of ferals. We should have the actual representatives of Rsx up front however'

Loki turns to Unnatural along the way and offers a slight shrug. "I plan to go till I see them, then hollar a bit. Sixy feet is not too far and if we hollar enough we can get them to meet us the rest of the way." he chirps, the dragon giving a curious look to Caeli as she follows the group.

Unnatural developed a sudden and most unpleasant sinking feeling as she starts to follow, picking up the pace as much as she can to move toward the front of the group heading up the road 'Would it be better to look more like an actual envoy, with the human and the business agent being escorted by guards as opposed to the people with the weapons doing the talking?'

"I don't recommend putting the human in front, if that's what you were suggesting.", Dark says, giving Caeli a stern look. "If they DO decide to open fire on us, then we'll want the armored folk like Loki and myself in front."

Neterros frowns. "It's a shame we can't disarm them peacefully..."

Unnatural groans softly, raising a paw too shield her eyes as she rubs her forehead soothingly 'yes, great idea. Have one armed force approach another armoured force when both have no reason to trust each other and one is glaringly obviously similar to a hostile force. Lets see how that plays out.'

Caeli finally speaks, "The likelihood of hostilities is minimal. Their technology gives them a large advantage over most in this region. They will only waste ammunition if they believe they must."

Neterros shakes his head. "Not if they're spooked..."

Nothing draws attention quite like a full solar dragon in silver powered armor; when it become apparant that the group is approaching the convoy, they stop, and wait. The driver of the lead truck climbs out and stands on top of the hood of his vehicle, examining the approaching group with binoculars, as four of the guards warily raise guns and watch. After a brief moment a fifth guard, with a rocket launcher, comes to stand next to the truck but keeps her weapon pointed up. They seem more wary than aggressive, for the moment, and wait to see what you do.

Caeli spares a glance toward Neterros. "We are plainly visible. They will only be spooked if their technology fails." She pauses a moment. "I feel its effects. We should stop here." She moves to the front of the group and comes to a halt, then bows in the direction of the convoy.
Loki motions for the group to stop as soon as he sees a reaction. "Stand down and look unthreataning!" he exclaims, perhaps putting it a little oddly. He waves his arms and jumps up and down a little as the group arms themselves. "Hello there! We have come to see if you are willing to trade things and see if you guys need any help! Would you be willing to speak with us?" he calls out.

Darkwyrm steps to the side and gestures for Caeli to step forward to the front. "If that's what you want to test, then go ahead and step up.", he says to the human. He directs his gaze back to his other side and squints to examine what he can from this distance. He reaches into a pocket to take out his binoculars again, but drops them unexpectedly as his arm twitches. "We're too close already.", he growls, clutching his head.

Neterros groans. "They've definitely got some good machinery to be such a pain in the ass," he mutters to himself, shaking his head in a vain attempt to clear the funk out.

Unnatural drops her hand to clasp her snout squeezing it gently as she comes to a stop. The bulky cat twitches as her lips draw back in a grimace her ears pinning back against her scalp 'Right. Perhaps the human should raise their hands, indicate they are unarmed and continue to approach stopping no more than half way to the convoy. Hopefully they shall do the same and send out their leader'

Caeli nods in agreement with Unnatural's idea. "I will attempt to make contact then." She does just that, holding her hands up to either side while taking slow steps toward the convoy.

Darkwyrm lets out an exaggerated breath and says, "I would advise we not proceed as a group form this point, but instead send someone to act as a negotiator. We can't communucate with them effectively from this range, but we also cannot go closer. At least, I won't go closer without a good reason." He nods as Caeli volunteers for just that and crosses his arms over his chest and watches.

Unnatural rolls her eyes as Darkwyrm pritty much restates her plan exactly.

The gathering of humans watch, and after some quiet chatting the guards back off; more of the group moves forward to see what is going on, and it's fairly easy to see that they look like a group of armed civilians, over any kind of mercenary group. After some more hushed debate, one of the women rolls up her sleaves and strides forward to meet Caeli. She's older, with a wrinkled face and brown hair, wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, and has a pistol at her side and a tire-thumper on a strap around her shoulder. "Holy shit," she starts, tone disbelieving. "Survivors? Where are you from?"

Caeli stops a comfortable distance from the group's representative. "We are from Woodfield. We are here on behalf of RSX Solutions to negotiate a trade with you." She pauses before adding somewhat hesitantly, "Survivors... where are you from?"

Unnatural watches the humans closely, smiling as she sees them cop on to the idea of both sides meeting half way surprisingly quickly. Moving to the front of the band and perking her ears she attempts to listen to the distant conversation while remaining mindful of the others around here trying to keep an eye on them to be sure they didn't do something that could make negotiation awkward

Neterros hangs back a ways, okay with just being in the background.

Unnatural goes really, really, suddenly tense all over /if/ she hears Caeli identify herself with a label which may carry mixed or really bad associations before ingratiating herself to the group
Darkwyrm remains silent, knowing he can't really add much to the negotiation from this distance. His ears occasioanlly twitch and turn as he intently listens to the words being exchanged.

Loki smiles and offers a nod to the aging lady as she approaches, the dragon offering a bow. "I myself am originally from Ontario Canada or somewhere around there." he smiles. "I travel between Fairhaven California and Woodfield over here, helping both RSX, Zephyr, and others when I can." he smiles. "You may call me Loki, and we are here for the reasons Caeli has stated, as well as offer asylum should you need it." he says warmly and extends a hand to the woman.

The woman stands there a moment, then sighs and turns back to the convoy. "Paul!" She waves a man over. "Shit, Paul, they're from Woodfield! RSX!" One of the men comes out to join them. "What??" Paul asks, looking over the group. "Fuck. You were right, we did get lost. What do you want with us?"

As Paul addresses the Winged Lady, the woman looks over at the dragon. "Asylum? No way in hell are we going to Woodfield, that place is a disaster. We wanted to stay clear of it."

Caeli repeats, "We are here on behalf of RSX Solutions to negotiate a trade. We have freecreds and food supplies to offer, and seek the electronic equipment you carry in that truck." After a moment of thought she adds, "If you are lost, we may be able to help you find your way as well. Some of us are capable of flight, and others may know the area well."

Loki nods as Caeli speaks and shifts a little more. "All right then. Well, we can negotiate trade if you wish. We could bring the supplies here if willing so that we may trade. We could also likely procure a map... I would hope."

"Stella, c'mere," Paul says, waving the woman over. The two quietly whisper back and forth for a bit, and then Stella looks back up. "We need that equipment. It's keeping us safe from the ferals. Without it, we'd all be dead," she says. Paul nods in agreement. "We're heading to the coast, but we aren't going to get there if the ferals get us."
Darkwyrm turns to Loki and says, "Ask them why they would want to head to the coast. It's certainly no less dangerous than anywhere else."

Loki frowns a little in response, Darkwyrm already so close but the dragon shrugs and turns to the others. "Why exactly are you trying to get to the coast? I have been to one of them, and things are just as dangerous there as they are here. Though woodfield may be a mess, I can say that RSX could offer you a job working at their HQ, and they really want the computers. I am sure you could barter a very favourable exchange for the equipment if you wish."

Unnatural breaths a sigh of relief since it seemed the group was neither militant nor that well organised allowing for a more fluid approach to negotiating that would better suit the rather broad spread of agents gathered to arrange a trade. Raising a paw to her mouth and clearing her thought, the big cat steped forward somewhat hesitantly, raising her voice as she spoke loud enough to be heard by the representatives of the troop 'Even if you don't wish to settle within this region RSX has resources that may make your lives a lot easier. I am sure you didn't make it this far without embracing the benefits of collaborative survival and what you have here may be important in the long term effort of restoring peace full existence.'

The two humans quietly whisper with eachother for a bit longer, and this time Paul speaks up first. "Our town ran out of supplies. We're looking for somewhere new to live, and we'll -make- it safe. The ocean has fish, and hopefully we'll find a good piece of land to farm. One of our trucks broke down last week and it's been real slow going since then, took us another two weeks to find something that could pull them, and it sure as hell isn't worth the gas to idle along at three miles an hour..." he pauses, then shrugs. "But we've been safe, damnit."

Darkwyrm finally stands up and calls out to the group. "And what are you going to do when your batteries run out? Your computer devices aren't going to last forever, and when they do, you'll be easy pickings for every feral in a mile radius. You aren't going to be able to find the necessary resources to keep your computers running for long."

Loki frowns as the group speaks and the dragon offers another sigh, though he does smile. "The ocean may have fish, but the field on that device? It is only around 60 feet. You plan on a farm, and plan on fishing. Such a thing will not be able to protect everything in the field, nor will it be able to guard you should you choose to fish. this outbreak has occured everywhere, and it is very doubtful you will ever have true rest. We can keep you safe in woodfield, and RSX is a literal fortress able to keep the ferals at bay. It is likely the safest place you will find."
Loki seems to offer a darker thought. "And some places are far worse. Like Vegas. Everything was reduced to a sludge, along with any who would travel within a certain radius of the city. You could also unknowingly step into death itself."

"We know about the bubbles. It's why we wanted to stay way from Woodfield," Paul answers. "Get somewhere without those damned nanites absolutely everywhere. And once we get established, Richard can build more" He looks at Caeli for a moment, then shrugs. "You can look if you want, but don't touch." Stella whispers something else to him, and he frowns. "So, what can you offer? We -don't- want to work for the people that caused this mess, we just want to live by ourselves. Will you fix our trucks? Make sure we're protected? Give us all the food we need to get there?"

Unnatural had rather mixed feelings about allowing RSX get their hands on a device that could potentially be used against any mutants but an assignment was an assignment and there was always the chance that it would prove critical in restoring order to everything. Moving closer still, walking slowly forward into the field with her ears layed back and her arms resting at her sides and trying to remain composed, ignoring the discomfort it brought as she moved in to a more comfortable speaking distance just a few steps behind Caeli and close to the troops representatives 'How is it that your device functions? Did you develop it yourself or salvage it somewhere? If we can find similar technology it could be vital to freeing the city of feral mutations'

Darkwyrm watches as the feline advances toward the convoy with no visible problems. "Hmm.. she doesn't seem to have the same problem as that scout did when he was sneaking arond the convoy.", he says to the other two still nearby.

Loki frowns a little as the group refuses and scratches his head. "Yes, we could do that, and I could repair your trucks myself if I was able to get closer. However, there is a field around you that would cause me to lose control of my body if it remains on, so thus, I am unable to assist you immediately. We could call in RSX to do a repair job, and if you are indeed able to replicate these devices, such knowledge would likely be a good barter in return. Provided we know it works. May I speak to this 'Paul'?" he inquires. "We can offer a good amount of food, Money if wanted, as well as a smattering of other supplies in return." he says.

Caeli nods. "We will repair what we can and assist you in your journey. I will not touch." She steps past the representatives toward the convoy itself, eyes on the precious equipment. Nearly invisible flickers of green light being to dance in her eyes as she reaches it, scanning the electronics and commiting what details she can to memory.

Paul eyes Loki for a moment, and moves a bit closer to him. "You could, huh? What would we do with your money, though?" he asks. For those getting closer to the truck with the field emmitter, it holds an amalgation of computers, both new and old, a few stereos, and several rather impressive sets of speaker towers, all protected under the tarp. They're all sitting on top of a layer of car batteries, daisy chained together to keep it running. One of the survivors stays real close to Caeli, fidgeting a bit as she looks, but stays quiet.

Unnatural felt fairly safe in being closer to the envoy since the Raccoon suffered no apparent lasting effects and Caeli was able to approach without too much issue. It certainly seemed not to be having any further effect on her though she continued to feel a rather uncomfortable. She didnt want to risk approaching any closer however, holding back roughtly half way to continue addressing whoever didnt seem to be most active in catering to Caeli's requests. Her solid constitution was more than enough to allow her push past the nausea and ignore the buzzing as she spoke with as much confidants as she could muster 'We don't necessary need to deprive you of this device or technology and we certainty don't want to, but coming to understand it could save countless lives and RSX is working tirelessly to restore order. Not only that but think of the benafits that could be offered by both parties. if this can be replicated a large area could be made secure, reenforced and potencial used as a means of producing food to supply other surviving groups. you could expand your settlement to a whole community'

Darkwyrm lets the rest of the group rattle off offers and look over the devices. He remains motionless but alert, ready to do react should something go wrong. He was hired as a security detail, after all.

Loki shrugs a little in place and offers a hand to Paul. "The name is Loki. Pleased to meet you!" he smiles. "RSX has a large surplus of food, and I would also assume they have farms of their own as well. Quite well off I would say." he explains, then shrugs. "Well freecredits are a newer standard currency. You may meet up with other individuals who may be more interested in money than what you have for trade. Despite that it may be something inherently useless, if you have nothing they want, you could always offer the credits in turn." he suggests, then gesturing to what Unnatural has said. "Oh, and that could be done too. RSX could perhaps secure the entire city." he shrugs. "If you feel you need protecting I could offer my services."

"If they do not wish to proceed to RSX then they will not go.", Dark muses, though not loud enough for the survivors to hear. "It would be silly to waste all the time trying to convince them if they seem this set on not going back to Woodfield. Even if they did go, we'd have to spend a lot of additional time escorting them there, time which we weren't payed for. Let us give them what assistance we can now, and get what WE came for."

Caeli finishes her inspection, having learned all she can without actually touching the gear. "While effective, this device is crude. Collaboration is likely to result in improvements to the existing technology, in addition to the other benefits." She steps away from the truck and finishes, "If you are still reluctant to part with it, please at least allow me to copy the device's programming for review by my superiors."

Stella and Paul talk for a bit, then ask you to wait there for them. They go back to the rest of the survivors, and start sharing the information. Richard, the man standing near Caeli, shakes his head. "Sorry, can't take it apart while it's running." He keeps an eye on her while the others have their pow wow, and then after a bit Paul approaches Caeli. "Alright. Tell you what. You tell them to spend their money hiring guards to get us where we're going, and leave us some supplies there, and we'll let you have it. This truck is the one that broke down, so if you can get it running again it's all yours. Does that work?"

Caeli quickly nods. "This is acceptable. Thank you." She makes her way back toward the rest of the group, her expression as passive as ever despite the success of their mission.
Unnatural managed an awkward grin as she glanced back at the others 'sounds like a good offer to me. I am sure we will have no trouble demonstrating the value of this with the in field record of it's effects and the information our companion has now gathered.'

Loki tilts his head to the group when they return. "We could likely do that. I will let them know of the choice." he smiles, then contacting RSX, telling them of the situation. 'Guards and guidance to their location in return for the equipment, along with supplies.' He offers a small bow to the group and claps his hands.

Once the deal is made, you radio the bargain back to RSX; Steven finds it acceptable, and sends out another group of gaurds to supplement the convoy. Once they arrive, you tale the other truck back to RSX, where you are paid for your services and personally thanked by Steven.

[[Category:RPLogs]][[Category:Leraji Events]]

Category:Leraji Events

2012-04-06T19:07:37Z

Rihko: Created page with "This is a listing of events that have been ran by Leraji! Category:RPLogs"

This is a listing of events that have been ran by Leraji!

[[Category:RPLogs]]

Round Mountain Blues

2012-04-06T19:03:34Z

Rihko:

(RP Event on 3/18/2012, ran by Leraji, with a cast of Redd, Smokie, Darkwyrm, Loki, Aidan, and Enaari)

New Dawn is busy with activity as the last of the trucks are loaded with supplies. They are large military-looking vehicles with open truck beds and canvas toppers that look like they could handle a bit of offroad activity if needed, five of them in total. Each truck bears the RSX corporate logo on their doors, and each truck has a driver - random mutants pulled from the ranks of the Promethians, it seems. The lead vehicle is a rugged looking hummer, and there are two humans standing next to it - a harried looking man in a white buttoned-down shirt, smoking a cigarette, and a rugged looking woman in a flak jacket and BDU pants. As you arrive at the compound, you are all directed towards Steven. As soon as enough people are gathered, he whistles, then waves everyone over.

Loki grins as he views Steven and quickly makes his way over to the man, offering both a nod and a wave. "Hello there! I remember you from the mission assigned in woodfield. I take it that you are well?" he inquires, his tail twiching a little in place, his gaze then turning to the woman beside him, tongue flitting out of his mouth as his head tilts in turn. "And hello mrs.... person I have not met before." he chirps.

Enaari looks around at the assortment of activity going on, carefully making her way over to Steven. Her antenna twitch constantly, trying to take in all the smells and sounds. She stands a fair distance behind loki, all the while looking around.

Aidan follows the directions for the two human, her nose twitching as she looks around a bit surprised by this joint mission. She shrugs a bit, before heading towards Steven and greeting him. She spots Loki as well, giving a wave with her paw but otherwise waiting for Steven to talk.

"Woah, haven't seen trucks like this in forever." A hyena looks around, almost happily, at the six of the operation. Bent upon the ground, onto four paws, she has to look up at most of the action, but to say she's a lost dog is entirely wrong. Carrying an m16 slung across her back, and a duct-taped crowbar crossing it, and dressed in motorcycle leathers, she looks somewhat like she could be something out of Mad Max. Her ears perk up at the whistle, which gives an extra bounce to her step as she pads toward the worse-for-wear hummer.

Darkwyrm walks into the chaos with a pack slung over his shoulder and a skeptical look on his face. "Noisy and unorganized, I see.", he mumbles. He walks up to someone looking to be in charge of organizing and gives thema short nod. "Is this where the convoy will be starting from?", he asks.

The suit-less suit takes a drag on his cigarette, and nods his head at the dragon. "Doing well, doing well. It was.... Loki, right?" The man grins. "I suppose you all got the basics." He pauses, one hand taking his cigarette and waving it at the trucks while the other smooths down his purple Hello Kitty tie. "What we need are for our trucks, full of the Promethian's supplies, to make it out to a town called Round Mountain." He pauses a moment to eye the group, then nods, apparantly satisfied with what he sees. "Round Mountain is a long ways off. Outside of the bubble. That means this could be a dangerous mission, but you people look like you can handle yourselves. The lost their stockpile to ferals last month, and people -are- going to starve to death if they don't get food, people -will- die if they can't get some fresh medical supplies. I'm sending one of our best agents with you, Miz Jeanine here. She's officially head of security, so unless you need any supplies or equipment I'm turning you over to her."

Enaari raises her hand, jumping a little to get noticed over the standard sized mutants.

The woman, Jeanine, eyes the group over with a much more critical eye. Then she shrugs. "Thanks, Steven." She's fit and athletic, and looks like she's been through her share of fights; she leans back against the hummer, though as Steven sees Enaari's waving hand. "Yea?" the man calls out.

Arriving late, Redd gleefully spots Smokie and heads towards her, sitting down beside while he listens.

Enaari pushes her way to the front, taking care not to knock around her abdomen to much. "Mister...how far away is it exactly? Could you give us a rough estimate?" She blinks, her lower pair of arms moving to her hips. "I mean, I dont want to be stuck out there for weeks."

Smokie walks up behind the others, just after the introductions. Apparently, one of the two were in charge... The earthbound hyena sits back on her haunches as she listens, round ears perked up, short, brushy tail wagging.

Loki offers a grin and a nod. "Indeed it was." he chirps, then shakes his head. "No, I do not see the need of any additional armaments myself. Have what I need with me at all times." he says, shifting from place to place. "So it is just ferals? Or may we expect more?" he asks, adressing both Seven and Jeanine, then holding out a hand towards her. "Pleased you meet you miss!" he chirps, then seems to remember something and offers his other hand towards Steven, though he seems to have his arms crossed in front of himself making the gesture look a little awkward.

Darkwyrm sits down on a stack of crates and sets to polishing his weapon and making sure all of his supplies are ready at hand while waiting for the time of departure.

Aidan turns to Jeanine. The fox is acting quite formal, just waiting for the permission to talk. She doesn't enthusiast at all about that, but she just shrugs from time in time. At Steven's question, she shakes her head. "I don't need additional armaments, thank you." the fox says respectfully, before giving her full attention to Jeanine.

Steven takes another puff of his cigarette while Jeanine fields the questions. "If we had a clear road, it'd take maybe three or four hours to drive out there, and again back," she supplies, first nodding at Enaari. "With the unknown condition the roads are in, it might take us six hours or a whole day. Certainly not a week, though." Next she turns to Loki. "As far as we know, just ferals. We don't expect any bandits on the road, but this is a lot of supplies so we have to be prepared. I can take four other people in the hummer," she says, then pauses and looks over the dragons. "Fewer if they're big. Everyone else gets to ride with a truck. This DOES have the potential to be dangerous, people... if you get killed out there, outside of the bubble, that is it. And don't expect to be throwing around fire balls and bolts of lightning. If you want to back out now, you can. Otherwise, we're mounting up and rolling out."

Loki frows a little at the lack of handshakes and lets his hands fall down to his sides and offers a nod. "Would not have taken the mission if I did not know of the consequences. People need help and somebody has to do it." he says, then casting a wave to Aidan. "It is good to see you are well as well!" he smiles.

Smokie nods up to Redd happily, before turning back to the task at hand. The hyena nods, and speaks softly with a gruff voice, "First time out of the bubble... Good thing I have this." She pats the butt of her M16 with her paw, mentally thanking Redd for installing the lighter trigger and the larger triggerguard for her. "It can't be that bad, can it?"

Darkwyrm stands up and chuckles. "Poor people who rely on powers n' such. All I need is my weapon and I'll be good." He gestures to Steven and calls, "I don't feel like flying, I'll take a spot in tha' hummer."

"I'll happily ride in the back of a truck, or on a roof, I'm used to that sort of treatment by this point anyhow," Redd's happy enough to at least be offered a ride, rather than having to wing it out there.

Enaari nods a bit, looking around at everyone else. She switches her weight from one foot to the other. "If..its allright with everyone, I'd like to go in the hummer...I dont take up much space..if thats allright..."

Aidan wags her tails nervously, hearing Dark's comment. Still, she gives a look to her arm, a lick on her sharp teeth, a pat on the blade on her side. "At least I was smart enough to take some bullets with me..." she says to herself, even if she doesn't seem to carry any firearm. Then, she turns to the woman. "I'm good both in short and long range, so no real preference about my vehicle."

Smokie shrugs her shoulders some. "I've got a gun, but I'm good with my teeth. Put me wherever you need me." She nods again, crossing her paws on the ground.

Jeanine flashes Darkwyrm a grin and grabs her P90 out of the back of the hummer, then circles around to take the shotgun seat.

Everyone else loads up in their chosen position, and the trucks in the convoy come to life one by one, the engines a loud, low rumble. Jeanine uses the CB radio in the hummer to check in with each driver and make sure they're reday, and each of the escorts (that's you) is given the frequency for your coms. The roads immediately around Fairhaven have been picked relatively clean over the last three years, at least to the point where the trucks don't have to stop to clean obstacles, and then the convoy hits the highway north out of town.

Loki offers a nod to the group, the dragon weaving around the assorted vehicles before clambering up on top of one of the trucks, content to sit upon the top for now and spreads his wings as he stretches himself out as he waits for departure.

Enaari's face is plastered to the glass, watching the buildings and landscape go by. She is rather quiet, but every so often her antenne twitch.

"So," Jeanine calls over the radio. "Looks like we got a good posse of gunslingers and scrappers here," she says. "Anyone want to declare any specialties before we get into a situation where we'd need them?" The trucks roll on down the highway, taking it easy at thirty-five to account for the non-existant road maintanence and occaisional wreck. At one point the group passes a patch of asphalt that seems to have been melted down into glass; at another, they have to detour around a spot where the pavement was torn up in some kind of giant beast's wallow. The entire time, though, the convoy is the only thing that can be seen moving for miles and miles around - no other signs of civilation, just it's discarded remnants left behind to litter the countryside.

Enaari manages to tear her face away from the glass for a few moments to coo, "I'm Enarri, and I punch things." She goes back to looking at the landscape going by.

Darkwyrm pushes the button on his comm and says, "Darkwyrm, Stealth-Ops here.. if you need something done quietly or behind lines, that's me." He pauses for a moment then adds, "Failing that, I've got enough armor to be front-line." He closes his comm and takes this time to take a little snooze. He crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the window of the vehicle. Before he closes his eyes, he glances at Enaari and says, "Wake me up if we get attacked en-route." More of a courtesy than anything, because mroe than likely any sudden noises or movement of the vehicle would wake him up anyway.

Aidan makes a test with her com, before answering to the question. "I'm focused on melee range, but I'm perfectly able to shot opponents on the long range." she replies, sit on one of the trucks as Loki is doing. She has her racer goggles on, protecting her eyes from dust and wind, and she stares around, not trusting the calm. "I know how to move around in these wastelands, and I'm confident about my knowledge of tactic and ambushes."

"This is Smokie, I shoot shit and bite things." She grins a moment to herself, as she lays in the back of the middlemost cargo truck. "And you don't need to give me field rations, if you let me drag off a corpse or two."

Loki thinks a little, the dragon then responding through radio. "I am proficient at mechanical, computer work. Can construct many things should you need, and I am also proficient at demolitions. Able to also quickly identify organics and mutations."

"I'm half decent at tearing things apart, be they at claws length or 500 meters away." At the last part Redd chuckles a moment and adds, forgetting to turn the comm off, "And I've got enough explosives to make an artillery regiment jealous."

"Fantastic," Jeanine calls back. The hummer slows down a little, and she leans forward in her seat, peering at the road ahead with her binoculars. "Huh. Looks like we've got a section of the road washed out ahead." She visually sweeps the surrounding terrain. "Doesn't look like an ambush site but keep on your toes." Up ahead the road dips between two hills, and at the bottom a stream has cut its way through the road. The gap is about six feet wide, and four or five feet deep - hitting it at speed could really jostle the cargo, and the hummer might bottom out. The convoy slows down to a crawl as it gets closer. "Any quick ideas?"

Loki cranes his neck upwards and nods to Aidan. "Well I do hope we manage all right." he smiles, then peering closer to the small river. "Well there is always the slowing down option unless you would want us to haul some trees over and make a rudimentary bridge." he muses, his tail flicking out behind him. "Though we may not be able to do that depending on how heavy the trucks are... all depends."

Smokie has since idly made her way up onto a crate, cradling her modified rifle in her paws as she waits. She stares out the back over the tailgate, at the truck behind her and the landscape ruching by. "Can't go around?" The hyena sighs, "I'll go across, check if the coast is clear."

There is a copse of smaller trees a good half mile up river, and empty, overgrown prarie downriver. The trucks are large enough they could make it across, slowly and carefully, with assitance but without a bridge the hummer will have to go around.

Darkwyrm opens his eyes, woken from the comm chatter. "Mmmrgh? Trees? What?", he says to himself before leaning out the window to survey. "Road is out? Bummer." He opens the door and steps out, stretching his arms and legs.

Jeanine shifts her weight in her seat, eyeing the surrounding territory while she replies. "Great. Check it out. Are you going to try building something, or do you want me to find a way around while you help the trucks cross?"

Loki stands up straight and stretches himself out as he once again spreads his wings wide. "So! Who is up for bringing trees back with me?" he asks, the dragon already hopping off the truck and making his way towards the trees, tail twitching behind him. "If we build a bridge now it will make future expeditions easier along with the return trip." he calls out. "Anybody follow my logic?"

"A bridge could work... but takes time. And I'm not sure that a dam would be still there when we'll be moving back. I don't think we have the instruments to create something... durable." Aidan says, starting to look around with a nervous look, seeking for any.

Aidan says, "I'm seeking for another way, planning a team to build a real bridge when we'll back back home."

"Could we fill the gap with soil from uphill? I think I could probably get a fair amount loose from the hillsides. That would leave moving the dirt and rock by hand though." Redd contemplates this versus a bridge. "Anybody willing to get dirty? We'll have to return this same route, I bet, and something could destroy or wash out a bridge while we're gone," He frowns. "Do we have any sheet metal in the trucks?"

Darkwyrm sighs. "If we have a way of cutting logs laterally down the middle, we could lay two halves across the gap, and the vehicles can drive over them.", he says. "It wound't take so much time, and it's just as good as a bridge, althought the hum-vee will need to drive very straight and carefully."

After a brief consultation with her driver, Jeanine shakes her head. "No sheet metal. Mostly food and medical supplies." She looks around at the others, then off towards the trees, and then back to the gap.

The hyena slings her rifle as she disembarks from her crate, and sticks her head out the side of the truck. Her tail wagging, shes looks down at the stream. "We'll have to take this slow, we may have to have the hummer go around, and the trucks wait..."

Loki sighs at the conflicting viewpoints and shakes his head. "Well... the sooner we reach a consensus the better. Build a bridge or Cross as is? Vote either or. My vote is on some sort of bridge."

Smokie sighs audible on the commset. "It'll be better to go around, and not waste our energy here... May be an ambush up ahead."

"Cross." Aidan simply says, confirming her previous statement.

Darkwyrm raises his hand. "I'm all for crossing. It'll save a significant amount of time, and we won't need to split the convey.", he says.

Loki sets duitifully about his task of building said bridge, aiming to simply hack the trees down if he can, assuming no particular difficulties he remains commited to his goal, the dragon also peering around for larger boulders he may utilize.

It takes some time, but with the help of Aidan and few of the stronger drivers you drag enough material down to plug up the hole well enough for the hummer to cross. The trucks follow after, slowly and carefully, and then the convoy hits the road again. The feeling in the air is palpable as you leave the bubble; a little disorienting as your nanites switch to their own power reserves instead of drawing on the greater supply of the bubble, but nothing too horrible.

Once again upon the truck he was on prior, Loki shudders as they exit the bubble, the dragon clearly uncomfortable for a few moments. He seems a little restless and more alert, constantly ear and nose out along with an almost relentless scanning of the distance, trying to spot threats before they become apparant. Despite appearing restless he remains rather still, and his wings spread, the dragon's silvery armour hardley glinting at all in the sun.

Darkwyrm hardly feels anything when they leave the bubble, a tickle, more than anything. Dedicated to experience as little as possible of the boring drive as he can, he attempts to resume his nap.

Aidan shivers as she slowly get less and less influence from the bubble, and when she's completely out of it, she shivers again, rubbing against her tummy. "Hungry..." she says, trying to pushing back that bad feeling from her.

Redd slows his motions considerably, as his body experiences a sudden drop in temperature, the nanites no longer able to produce the heat normally present.

Smokie lays back down in the truck, curling up as she watches the landscape drive by and feels the truck rattle. She almost begins to drift off, feeling a little dizzy as they exit the bubble. She'd never been out of the Bubble, and her body, almost completely run by nanites, was vulnerable to the change.

The next hour of the drive is fairly uneventful. There are a few times where the convoy has to slow down to move around an obstical - a derelict vehicle, broken patches of road, fallen rocks and trees, and at each Jeanine quietly goes on alert. Up ahead there are another couple of derilict cars in the roadway, and once more the convoy slows to move around them, when Jeanine tenses up and mutters out a quiet "Shi-" before one of the abandoned vehicles suddenly explodes. The blast rocks the hummer, knocking it over and then rolling it onto its roof. A half dozen bandits pop out of the opposit ditch, with a variety of weapons from clubs and axes to rifles, and they quickly advance on the convoy; the lead truck jams on the breaks at the sudden disruption, and the rest come to a halt behind it.

Darkwyrm reaches into his coat and pulls out a couple granola bars in case Aidan wants one. "They'll give you energy.", he insists. Apparently he hasn't succeeded in finding sleep yet. Then the car explodes and he finds himself in a world of hurt, upside down, still strapped to his seat by the seatbelt and slightly dazed. "D-damnit..", he groans, and fumbles for the seatbelt buckle.

Smokie had happily fallen asleep, and was dreaming peaceful dreams, when she heard the explosion. She jumps up with a loud yip, her paws going to her rifle as she jumps out of the back of the truck. "Motherfuck-" she strings curses together in a gruff voice, as she pops off rounds as surpressing fire.

Aidan doesn't lose time, and as the truck likely breaks, she lets herself falls down over the roof of the truck and faces the bandits, using the angle of the truck's roof like a cover. With a *click*, her forearm opens and readjust, revealing an integrated rifle. She takes aim and shoot at one of those armed with rifle, but at the last moment she freezes, changing the aim for the heart of the bandit to a non-vital spot.

Loki rocks in place, then turning his gaze to Aidan at the mention of the word. He sighs and rests a hand on her shoulder and offers a gentle squeeze. "I know you can beat it." is all he says, then looks to the group of cars, a small frown upon his face, the dragon tensing at the explosion and swiftly rises to his feet. He looks from bandit to bandit and scowls, looking from man to man, the dragon poised and ready, scanning the bandits for what looks like a leader. "I would whole heartedly reccomend that you set your weapons and arraments down. Conflicts outside bubbles tend to be lethal. To avoid uneccecary death and injury I suggest that you all surrender before you make any other stupid choices." he shouts, speaking loudly and clearly.

Enaari cries out as she is knocked from her sleep, tumbling from her seat and across the hummer. She groans as she comes to a rest, disorented from the blast wave and movement.

Redd is thrown off the roof of a truck by the sudden breaking, not having been prepared at all.

With a click, Dark's seatbelt disengages, and he subsequently collapses to the former ceiling of the hummer, landing on his head. With a swift kick, he sbashes open the hummer door and rolls out of the vehicle. He leaves his pack behind, but his dagger is in hand, ready to be used. He slowly gets to his feet and takes cover behind the door, lips curled in a snarl and waiting for a chance to leap out and cut some throats.

Aidan's shot drops one of the bandits, and Smokie's fire sends the rest of them scattering for cover; at this range, that means clustering near the derilict car that hadn't exploded. They hadn't expected anyone to fight back, but they aren't giving up yet; Loki gets a round in the shoulder for his trouble as one of the bandits peaks around the car, fires off a quick shot, then ducks back. In the hummer, Jeanine pulls a knife out and cuts her seatbelt free, then takes cover on the other side of the overturned vehicle, ready to fire.

Smokie sees the Hummer overturned, and curses loud enough to make a sailor cry. She rears up and staggers forward, firing as she steps, jsut a few before she falls back on her forepaws. "Damn!" She rears up again to fire, before it clicks. Empty... Shit!"

Enaari cowers at hearing shots, looking quickly around for an exit before scampering out the same door as Jeanine. She crouches down next to her, trying to make herself as small as possible, seeing thadt she really doesnt have anything helpfull against guns.

Redd pulls himself upright, and reachs into his bag, pulling a small grenade out before throwing it towards the vehicle the bandits hid behind.

"Hmph. If I could just get in close range..", Dark thinks out loud, "Their firearms will be useless against melee." Doing a few calculations in his head, he readies himself. Seeing the grenade as an ample opportunity, he dives out from behind cover and sprints right into the fray, running in a sort of zig-zag motion to make it harder for the bandits to hit him while he closes
distance. When he reaches the car, he leaps right over it and slices at the nearest target's neck.
<Hero> Darkwyrm spends a Hero point!

Loki roars as his shoulder is struck, the dragon not really too pleased with the shot and quickly leaps into the air straight towards the bandits with a a crackle of electricity. A loud crash resounds through the scrubland as Loki impacts with the top of the car, the vehicle crumpling under his weight, metal screaming in protest as glass shatters. He grabs the gunsman's rifle and picks the bandit up if he fails to relinquish his grip upon the arm. "I asked nicely." he growls. "The others here are not as nice as I am."

Aidan seeing the grenade flying, and at the same time two of her teammates running just were the car is, causes two reactions. The first, is having the fox to cry out 'Grenade!', the second one, to make the aim of the next shot on the base of the grenade instead, trying to intercept it middle-air. That would still causes some damage, but at least won't blow them up!
<Hero> Aidan spends a Hero point!

In a display of epic marksmanship, Aidan hits the grenade mid-air; it spins off out of the engagement area and goes off a second later when the fuse ignites. Loki proves to be enough of a distraction for Darkwyrm to rush the bandits though; the jackal quickly dispatches his target before the bandit can hack into Loki with his axe, and the battle devolves into a chaotic melee, with Jeanine picking off another bandit with her automatic weapon. One of Smokie's shots clips Loki's wing, and another bandit, and then the remaining ones break for the woods... except for the one Loki is holding, who wets himself in fear. Jeanine calmly fires a few shots at the departing bandits, then looks down at the one Aidan had wounded. "Want me to finish it off?"

Enaari carefully peers out from the side of the overturned humvee. "Are they gone?" She squeaks, not used to being fired upon.

Smokie watches the chaos unfold as, with shaky paws, she tries to reload her rifle. Finally, she manages to insert another magazine, just in time to see the bandits fleeing. She drops the rifle to the ground, and rushes over to where the others are. "Is- Is everyone okay? Heart's pounding!" she pants.

"Just disarm him for question." Aidan says, taking the aim to the departing bandits but.. unable to fire again, unconsciously unable to do it even if they could lead to more troubles. She just follow them with her sharp eyes, just making sure that one of them would try to be a hero and shot them.

Darkwyrm wipes his blade clean with a cloth while he takes a few slow breaths, winding down form the chaos. He looks after the fleeing bandits and mutters, "We should hunt them down and flay them for this delay, but that will, of course, cause more delay."

Loki keeps the bandit held aloft and states at him, barely noticing the bullet or the attack from the axe. "Tell me. Why do you attack us? And are there any other groups, traps, or anything else that we should be aware of in the area?" he hisses, his teeth bared as he rises to his full height as he hoists the man farther off the ground.

Jeanine eyes the fallen bandits, the injured one, and Loki's captive. She kicks the injured bandit's weapon away, although the would-be highway robber husky is too busy clutching at his shattered hip to do anything other than wimper. Jeanine goes over and puts a shoulder into the hummer, trying to right it, then grumbles and sighs; she reaches through the broken driver's window to check on the driver, then shakes her head. For his part, Loki's captive is terrified - he tries to calm himself, though. "We... we need your stuff, man. To pay tribute. Or the boss is gonna eat us!"

Smokie, upon seeing the captured bandit, snarls some. She walks up beside Loki, on all fours, hackels raised. "Got one! Haha, lookit that! Dun pissed himself! I'd offer to eat him, but..." She tilts her head a moment. "Boss? Eat you? Psh, who'd eat a bedwetter?"

Darkwyrm walks up next to Loki and glares at the bandit. He simply says "Talk." and gives him.. the look.

Enaari makes her way out from behind the humvee, but doesn't move forward at all, happy to stay as far away from the people who shot at her as possible.

Loki grins as his captive begins to speak, the dragon tilting his head as his tongue flits out inches from his face. "Really now? Tribute? I am listening... go on. Tell me everything..." he says, his mouth slowly forming a wicked smile. "If your information proves reliable I do think I can promise you will live... if not I may very well eat you myself. Does your boss bother to cook his meals first?"

The hyena grins, showing her pearly teeth. "Come on, Mousy," she growls softly, "You can tell us."

Aidan jumps down the truck, slowly reloading her arm-rifle before 'closing' it and getting a proper arm again. She stares at the wounded bandit with a predatory look, before turning to give a fast check to the other drivers and to the conditions of the vehicles. She doesn't seem to bother about the interrogation, since there are enough people for that already. Still, her long ears are still listening to what's being said.

'Mousy' squirms and wriggles under the scrutiny and threats, and stammers. "This... this... this stretch of shit scrubland, it belongs to the High Rollers, man. Shit!" He squirms more. "Been stuck doing foraging fuck work, thought you'd be our big pay day, get us a nice cushy spot in Luccio's crew. Just let me go, I won't bother anyone again man. Please!"

Jeanine eyes the interrogation and gives the hummer another shove. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't move. She slings her P90 over her shoulder and heads for one of the trucks. "Stick the wounded guy in the back if you want to keep him. We'll have to come back for the hummer later."

Redd looks towards Jeanine, visibly saddened. "Driver's dead?" He asks, rather expecting a yes.

"I still have a medkit with me." Aidan says with a shrug, "Leaving him like that would likely kill him. But I don't plan to collect bandits. As soon as he's bandaged, we can drop him."

Loki studies the mouse for a few moments longer as he lets the man's situation ferment. "Tell you what... come with us and we can provide a much better life back in fairhaven when we get there. Lend a hand and make yourself useful and continue to answer my questions and you shall be spared. Think of it as redeeming yourself for the attack. If zephyr is not to your liking I shall offer you employment within my organization." he offers, lowering the mouse to the ground. "I will let you keep your arm for you may be useful, but turn the gun on me..." he trails off, letting the mouse's imagination run.

The soldier woman pauses a moment, and nods her head. "Yea. Took some glass through the temple. He's a goner." Then she looks over at Aidan and nods. "Alright. Let's wrap it up, though, we've got a delivery to make."

Smokie frowns up at the rat, "High Rollers? How cliche." She sits back on her haunches. "Anyways... If he wants to come along," She flashes another grin at him, "He can ride with me in the back of the truck. Tries anything funny, he'll accidently fall out..."

Enaari moves twords the back of one of the closer trucks, looking up at the rather tall back. She reaches up to try to haul herself up into one, but struggles to even reach the top. She makes her way around the back and waves to the group. "I need help getting up!" she coos.

"It's really not to our advantage to take him with us.", Dark growls. "He's injured and we'll have to tend to his wounds, and he'll also gain knowledge of where we are takign these supplies and could relay information to his 'boss' after he's released.

Aidan nods at Leraji, before moving to Loki and whispering to him. "Please..." the fox says, giving him her medkit, "Patch him up. If I stay to close, I could end up to bite him. Wouldn't be a issue for him but... I don't want these people to see it.". She gives a nods, pointing at the Rsx people, before going back to check if she can't help somehow to speed the departure. She then
looks at Dark, a bit coldly, "Even if patched up, he won't run around for a long time. And our tracks are followable anyway."

After only considering the offer for a moment, the rat nods. "Hell, yea man. Anything is better than this. Just don't eat me!"

The husky continues to whimper (and bleed), while Janine watches from the passenger door of the lead truck.

"If we're gonna collect them, do it quickly.", Dark says, obvioudly not enjoying the idea of having to deal with captives. "We need to get back on the road." He walks towards one of the trucks and leans against it.

Loki nods and hops off the crushed remanents of the car and sets the mouse down upon the ground. "Follow along" he instructs, then nods to Aidan and takes the medkit. "That was the plan." he smiles, then beginning work upon the fallen husky. "I will offer you the same terms as this man. An escape from this life and the offer of one better." he smiles, lowering his hand to the hip, trying to coax the nanites to repair themselves before resorting to the contents.

Smokie looks back over her shoulder, seeing the downed husky. "Aw man, no SnooSnoo for him." She sighs. "I can watch the prisoner, put him in with me. I'll be in the middle truck." She trots away to fetch her rifle, before getting back to her truck. There's not much she could do, except try and make the husky comfortable...

Enaari walks over to darkwyrm and tugs on his jeans. "Mister Darkwyrm, I need help getting into the trucks, I'm not tall enough to reach them.." She points behind her to the one she was previously at.

The husky looks frightened; after Loki heals him, he craws a short distance away, just shaking his head. He just wants to be left alone. Jeanine makes a circling motion with her finger, then pulls the door on her truck shut and the driver creeps forward, giving the trucks behind room to spread out.

Climbing again on the truck, Aidan sits down and waits to resume the journey, looking as the husky bandit takes his leave. Rubbing her tummy and shaking her her head, she resumes to look around, careful.

Darkwyrm makes a note to inspect the hummer for anything useful that will fit in the trucks, grabbing his bag during such before returning to the truck and preparing to climb in.

Loki frowns at the frightened husky and rises to his feet. He sighs and plucks him off the ground, carrying the man to the truck he was in and sets him inside and then offers the mouse a hand up. "Please watch over the husky... I think he may be in shock." he says, then looking to see if the hummer needs to be flipped back over or repaired and help if required. If neither are needed he will salvage what he can and then clamber back into the truck he was in prior.

Smokie tosses her rifle in the back of the truck. She sighs, before jumping up into it. She didn't even look at the driver of the Hummer. It was a lot different when your own people were dying. And in that moment she realised, shit, that everyone was in it together. RSX, Big Z, Prommies. A little place for everyone in the apocalypse. She speaks into the comm solemnly, "If there's anything I can help with, just gimme a holler."

Enaari follows behind darkwyrm, trying to hop up after him, but failing. "Mister darkwyrm, help me up!" She hops again, her wings humming, but not giving her any extra height.

"I'm not a vehicle.", Dark says, turning his head to Enaari. "I can help you into the truck if you wish.", he says, holding out his arms.

Enaari takes his hands and hauls herself up, taking a seat next to him. She smiles brightly up at him and looks around at some of the boxes, her curiousity getting the better of her as she hops up, checking them out.

Darkwyrm climbs into the back of the truck and sits next to Enaari amongst the supplies, patiently waiting for the others to finish up.

Redd climbs back ontop of a truck, this time getting a solid grip with his claws, no more getting flung off.

Loki meanders over to the hummer and quickly sets to salvaging what he can. Motor. Battery, and anything else that is vital for the thing to run or has high value, lugging the bits to the back of the truck. When done he simply hops inside and waits for departure.

With the ambush dealt with, the convoy rolls on down the road. You pass along the highway through a forest, another scrubland, and alongside another forest, thick with overgrown trees. Jeanine keeps her vigil constant from the lead truck, and as the trucks begin climbing into the hills and the afternoon passes into early evening she starts radioing ahead to the destination. She finds them, on a new frequency, and gets a quick appraisal of the situation which she passes along to the others. "There are approximately fourty three survivors still in Round Mountain. They are holed up in the local YMCA, apparantly it had a bomb shelter. They've been out of food for two days now, and have a half dozen injured. A few elderly. They have a couple of able bodies willing and able to fight, but they've been concentrating on holding their position. There's an unknown number of ferals prowling the streets. A pack of wolves, apparantly, who managed to chase the townsfolk into their bolthole. I think we'll stop the convoy outside of town and send in a scout to check the situation, then make a push down main street for the Y. Suggestions? Objections? Opinions? How are you all holding up?"

Enaari radios over the comm, "Maybe we could do a kind of bait and switch, give them a juicy target then lead them into a trap?"

Darkwyrm listens intently to the report and then activates his voice input. "If you need a scout, then I can go. I can get in there undetected, reassure the survivors, assess the threat and report back."

"Anything they could tell us about said Ferals?" Redd asks quickly. "Last thing we want is to head in blind."

Smokie perks up. "Scouting? Wolves? Count me in." She grins happily. "Good idea, but alas..." She shrugs. "We oughta go in and recon. If everything's kosher, we'll set up a distraction while the convoy runs in. We have enough firepower."

"Honestly, I would suggest focus on the teamwork, before we get to the area. The last ambush showed how ill-coordinated we are. And they were just six bandits." Aidan says on the com, voice quite emotionless, "Give us the intel, but we need to be prepared. I could not be able to intercept a grenade the next time."

Loki thinks a little as the convoy travels, the dragon conversing with the mouse, and the husky if he decides to speak, trying to glean the latter and if they will co-operate with him. He perks at the radio and ponders. "How many wolves? I would think that we could eliminate the pack and liberate the people correct? I would assume there is a bubble there, or would I be wrong?" he asks. "And would it be possible to transport the whole lot of the survivors back rather than supplying them?" he inquires, then nodding to Aidan. "I concur. We need more organization. We can not go in flailing about and expect to come out unscathed." he says, then turning to the mouse. "Any details on round mountain that you can provide? Does your prior leader have any reach there or with the two wolfpacks?"

"Also, have they seen mutants before? Worst that could happen is we get there and get blasted by the guards." Redd falls silent, waiting for some response from either the town or Jeanine.

Enaari turns to dark. "My stupid comm makes my antenna feel funny...what are you anyway? Some kind of doggie thing?

Smokie chimes in, "Yeah, good point, hun. It wouldn't be the first time either... Hopefully we won't have to return fire. And hopefully... They're not so tasty."

Darkwyrm chuckles. "You could say that. I believe the specific term would be 'jackal'." he says. "And you're.. a moth? .. though unlike the ones I usually see kicking around.", he adds, taking a moment to look the curious insectoid form over.

Enaari pushes a little bit of her fur out of her face. "Well, I'm a moth yes, but a yucca moth to be percise. My mommy says we're a very rare mutation." She adjusts herself, moving her abdomen to a more comfortable location.

"They -are- mutants," Jeanine answers, calmly. She pauses a moment to confirm. "Yea. They have no idea how many. Maybe a dozen. Maybe more. And we're not fitting fourty some people and all their belongings in five trucks. We're here to deliver aid."

Smokie shrugs as her head hangs out of the back of her truck. "Well, I tell you what, I'll scout ahead and see what's up. We oughta do this right."

"Yucca moth, huh? You must be quite rare then, considerin' I've never heard of it before.. and I've been around Fairhaven for a good several years.", Dark says, scratching his chin. "Oh, blast all the comm chatter.", he growls. "I better accompany that hyena lest she do something silly."

Enaari nods. "Be careful now..." She coos, looking back at the boxes.

There is one point, just before the convoy turns off the highway to approach Round Mountain, where the lead truck starts to slow down for some animal in the road. At Jeanine's urging, though, the truck keeps right on driving and pastes the ex-critter into red goo; wether it was just in the wrong spot, or was bait for another trap, Jeanine didn't want to find out. Eventually, though, the convoy rolls to a stop at the outskirts of town. "Alright then," Jeanine directs. "You two, go have a look. The rest of you, be on your guard."

Aidan nods, looking around and already changing her forearm back to the rifle.

Smokie jumps out of the truck, before sniffing in the air. "Something smells... Tasty." She trots up to the lead car, and cringes a little, all with a skeptical hyena grin. "Mm, that looks good. I'll, er... Clean that up afterward, if you want."

Redd watches the roadkill, and looks back towards it once they pass, "I think it's been too long since I ate something, roadkill is starting to look good..."

Darkwyrm pats his dagger sheathed at his hip and climbs out of the truck. He approaches Smokie and asks, "You ever done scoutin' like this before?"

<OOC> Leraji says, "I will try to keep the split section brief. For ease of following, once Darkwyrm and Smokie start scouting, I will use [City] and [Convoy] tags before my spoofs to indicate who is where."

Smokie looks up at Dark, and shakes her head. "No, actually. Not since some Zephyr folks pulled me out of the bunker." She laughs a little, "Needless to say, that was really close after Pday."

Darkwyrm reverently says, "Alright, stick close, stay quiet, and remain aware of your surroundings at all times. Use your nose to our advantage and tell me quietly if you sense anything. My nose isn't as great, but my eyes are sharp. Your dark clothes will be advantageous, but let's stick to alleys as much as we can."

Smokie nods up to Dark, tilting her head until her neck pops. The quad-hyena smiles and says, "Sounds like fun. I've always been fairly good at hunting. Ready when you are."

Darkwyrm nods to Smokie and walks over to the convoy leader. "Jeanine, was it?", he asks. "Do you have a general location or a map of the city we could use to better locate the fitness center?" He does a few quick stretches to loosen his muscles and cracks his back while he waits for the response.

[Convoy] Jeanine nods. "I don't have a map, but the center is apparantly ten block down the main street, here, then you go left and up another four blocks." She eyes the city, clearly expecting trouble at some point. "Should be a straight shot, but it'd be nice to know the way is clear. The survivor's stockpile was four or five blocks past that."

[convoy] Roger that. "Alright miss ..Smokie? Let's go. Shouldn't be too terribly hard to locate.", he says before setting off towards the city in a fairly quick jog, but slow enough that he can muffle each footfall.

[Convoy] Loki frowns at the pasting of a critter and shakes his head, the dragon in a bit of a worse mood for the rest of the way there, the sudden stop snapping him out of his thoughts. He rises to his feet and looks around, testing for scents and sights. "I can scout by air if needed... or at least get an ariel view of things." he suggests.

[Convoy]Enaari grows bored quickly and moves to the other side of the truck, working to see whats inside the boxes.

Smokie trots up beside Darkwyrm, keeping up a swift, even pace on four legs, the only sound being made is the soft clack of her shouldered rifle, and the leaf-like scraping of her claws on the asphalt.

[City] Smokie and Darkwyrm take off into the city. Darkwyrm is, indeed, quite stealthy - just another one of the lengthening shadows stretching across the streets. Smokie isn't quite as quiet, but does well enough. She thinks, anyway. There are a few places in the streets where things were obviously killed and eaten in the last week or so, but, so far, no sightings of the wolves themselves.

[Convoy] Jeanine glances over at Loki, then shrugs. "If you want. You'd also be pretty visible yourself." The boxes in the truck that Enaari is in are, as advertised, mostly food - both perishable and canned - and bottled water.

[City] Darkwyrm makes his way towards the indicated direction, keeping a careful watch around them. His ears twitch and perk at every sound.

[City] Smokie sniffs around, her nose her main way of investigating. However, she can't help but wonder what, or who, was eaten at the gory sites, and how they tasted. Come to think of it, she is a little hungry... She also notes what is, to her, at least, a unique smell which she assumes is the wolves. Then again, she hasn't smelled any wolves but Fairhaven wolf beasts in two years.

[City] The scent is rather similar to those of the wolf beasts; not quite the same, but certainly close. And, as Darkwyrm slips past one intersection, he sees something down other road... another shadow, this one moving in the wrong direction, though. Quickly glancing the other way reveals another shape, quickly darting into cover.

[convoy]Enaari pouts and sits back down, she was hoping she could get something to eat. She turns on her comm one more, trying to listen in on the happenings in the city.

[Convoy] Aidan is always there, looking around. Funny enough, she's not looking too much in the city's direction, but more behind them or on the sides.

[City] "Shit, we're spotted.", Darkwyrm curses. "We --likely you-- are being followed. I don't know by what. At least two of them.. smell anything?" He looks around for any way of getting up on top of the roofs of the buildings so they will have an advantage against superior numbers.

[Convoy] Loki offers a simple shrug to Jeanine and thinks a little, his tail flicking from side to side. "So all we need to do is deliver the contents of these trucks and we are finished right?" he asks, the dragon beginning to stretch himself out. "And the wolves here lack guns right?"

[convoy]Enaari pipes up over the comm. "But there might be alot more than we can handle...what if you ran out of bullets when there were still thirty left?"

[Convoy] Like Aidan, Jeanine remains on her guard. "Yes. Make the delivery, and we're good. There aren't reports of them using firearms, or any kind of projectile, but there's no telling what sorts of natural capabilities the nanites left them with." She shrugs. "And if we run out of bullets, we find alternative methods."

[City] Smokie frowns, "Why's it my fault?" She growls a little, softly, as she looks back and around. She takes a cautious sniff, even as she listens to the distressing comm chatter. "Yeah... Kinda sexy... But no. You're lucky I'm not totally female, we would've been swamped." She backs up some, closer to Dark. "Tactical retreat?"

[City] It's not a clear path, but of the downtown retail establishments - it looks like it may have been an insurance office - has a stairway leading up to the second floor, and it looks like it'd be possible to climb from the top of those stairs onto the roof.

[Convoy] Loki offers a nod and leaps into the air, the dragon rapidly gaining altitude and then when he is comfortably high enough above the buildings simply soars upon the air currents, scanning the city from above, his tongue flitting out of his mouth as he peers below, scanning the streets and rooftops trying to plan a course of action and identify points of interest.

[City] "No, too late, turning around would be unwise.", Dark says. He points to the stairs alongside the building. "Let's see if we can't get up there and then jump across rooftops and hopefully lose our pursuers."

[City] The Hyena turns to look. "Alright, but you might have to pull me up, I'm not exactly in a form good for climibg..."

[Convoy] The dragon in the sky seems to take note of something. "Darkwyrm. Smokie. Be careful. You are being surrounded... roughly six. The around 10 are fanning out towards the edge of the city... The side our convoy is stationed at." he informs, the dragon circling in the air a while longer, trying to spot any vantage points he can use and their objective.

[City] From the roof, Darkwyrm and Smokie can see a pair of prowling wolves on the streets below. They seem momentarily confused by the unexpected direction their prey went, and one of them begins cautiously sniffing its way down the street towards the building. The wolf-morphs are large and powerful creatures, one of them going on four legs like oversized wolves, while the other looks like the more traditional wolf-beast.

[City] Darkwrym takes a moment for a breather and to survey the rooftops. "Alrighty, that should get them off our trail momentarily.. how good are you at jumping?", he asks SMokie.

[City] The hyena peers over the edge of the roof, and can't help but let her tail wag. "Mm, that big one looks hot..." She's snapped out of her revelie for a moment. Any prommies listening on the comm would be rolling their eyes at her baseness. "What, jumping? Never had to do too much..."

[City] The jump across the street in either direction would be flat-out impossible for a normal person. The alleyway behind the building is easier, a much narrower opening. Still, it may or may not be possible - it's short enough to look possible, but long enough to leave some doubt.

[Convoy] Jeanine radios back. "Want us to move in?" she asks. From his place in the sky Loki can easily find the building that was discussed, and sees nobody else moving on the streets below.

[City] "Hmm.. best get a running start then.", Dark says, glancing at the alleyway. "I'll go first, we gotta get a few buildings away at least before we go to ground level again, or the wolves are gonna be on us again instantly." He walks to the other side of the building and starts running in an all out sprint before bending his legs and leaping in an attempt to clear the alley.

[convoy]Enaari sighs softly and closes up the boxes, curling up onto the seats as she tries to get comfortable.

[Convoy] Redd lays out on the roof of the truck, the radio waking him from his almost-nap, "Moving in? Lemme get back up on my feet,"

[City] The hyena, encouraged by Dark's easy sail over the alley, swallows some before she backs up. She sprints forward on all fours, and leaps valiantly off the edge of the building. There's a moment of fear as she closes her eyes, a moment of relief as she sees her paws soaring over the edge... Then she barely catches herself, her hind legs falling short and making her scrabble and claw at the building to keep herself up. "SHITSHITSHIT! Dark!" She cries as she feels herself slipping and losing purchase.

[City] Dark lunges at Smokie, gasping, "No!" in surprise, attempting to grab her front paws and pull her to safety.

[City] Darkwyrm pulls Smokie up and out of the way just as a third wolf-morph enters the alley, attracted by the noise. It sniffs the air, ears perked, and then begins prowling around the ground below. One of the first two seems to realize their prey is making an escape, and the silence of the evening is suddenly split by a baying cry that sends shivers down the spine and makes fur stand on end. The cry is picked up and echoed twice more throughout that side of the little town, the wolves coordinating their search for intruders.

[City] Smokie pants as she's pulled up, and pushes a paw to her chest. "Oh god... Thanks, Dark.. Thought I was gonna end up havin'ta do a good impression of a crash-test dummy back there..."

[City] "I would have been more worried about those wolves getitng at you than the fall.", Dark mutters. "They're likely capable of a lot more damage than that two story drop." He shrugs then looks around again at other rooftops nearby. "We're not out of the theoretical woods yet, we still gotta make it to the mark."

[City] Smokie smiles deviously as she helps herself onto all fours. "Yeah, I could handle those pups. Good ol' Valley-style throwdown."

[City] There's only one other building that can be reached, the third along this side of the block. That one is a short hop, but there is nowhere to go from there but down. Back the way they came, Darkwyrm and Smokie can hear the sound of claws climbing up a metal fire escape.

[City] Dark cringes when he hears the metallic sounds. "Tiiime to go!", he urges, and rather hastily moving across the room and hopping across to the next roof.

[City] Smokie growls, following Dark and jumping across with little trouble this time. "Right, skidaddle!" She passes up Dark on her rush to whatever the fastest way down was.

[City] Alright, let's get back down, quick and as quietly as possible, then we'll make a sprint for cover once we're on the ground.", Dark says as he starts walking around the rooftop, looking for a way to climb down.

[City] There isn't a clear egress from the roof of the third building, but there is some kind of hard plastic decorative trim that hasn't completely crumbled, and some other attachment to the building that is only one story tall - it looks like a covered car stall. You drop down off the roof just before two of the wolf-morphs make it up the onto the roof you originally fled to, able to continue evading them.

[City] Dark chooses to land on the awning of the car cover with an 'Oof' and rolls off, landing on his feet. "C'mon!", he calls to Smokie and starts sprinting towards the destination and away from the wolves.

[City] The hyena pauses a moment, hesitating, looking back to see the ears of the wolves come up over the edge of the far stairs. She snarls, as she jumps down behind Dark, rolling off just beside him. "Alright, what now?" she asks, her adrenaline pumping.

[City] Loki, having warned the convoy makes his way towards Darkwyrm and the hyena. "Dark! Hyenagirl! You can probably make a break for the objective if you are keen to run." He warns, notifying them of the direction they should take, ready to provide additional information if needed, and is of course ready to dive in should anybody need help.

[City] Smokie realizes she's getting left behind, and with a blush, takes off to catch up. No action movie shit, she had to remember that rule. She jumps though, seeing Loki soar by and shout. "Alright!"

[City] Stealth abandoned, Darkwyrm and Smokie bolt for the relative saftey of the town's last bastion. Loki provides overwatch, and is able to see as the six wolves that had been hunting the two scouts catch on. There are a few short barks, and then one pauses to give another long howl while the other five break into runs, moving for the streets. Darkwyrm is well in the lead, and not in danger of being caught, while Smokie's lead - although considerable to begin with - is shrinking noticeably. She's three blocks from the Y, heart pounding, the closest wolf a mere twenty yards behind her and running on all four paws, when a shot rings out from the fitness center. The wolf springs to the side and rolls into an alleyway, momentum arrested by a wall, and one of the town's few remaining guardians lowers his rifle and nods at Darkwyrm from the doorway. "I can't tell if I got it. Shit. You want to come in?"

[Convoy] Out at the convoy, Jeanine has attached a laser pointer to her P90 to help her aim in the growing dark. She seems unphased by the rising howls of the wolves, although the truck drivers are clearly on edge. Jeanine works her com. "I've got movement in the outskirts here, but nothing I can fire at. How's it going?"

[City] "Yes! Please open the door! The hyena behind me is friendly!", Dark calls, still keeping up his sprint, although getitng short on breath.

[City] Can barely talk, panting so animalistically hard as she sprints up behind Dark, her rifle clattering on her back as she pours on the steam. "Yeah! Huff.. Friendly!"

[City] Loki seems satisfied at the backup, but continues to circle overhead until Dark and Smokie are safe inside. "Dark and Smokey are nearing the objective point. Six wolves still present. We may have to cut through those as well if we want inside... The rest should be making their way towards you at the moment. Going to linger here a little longer to see how they react. They may head your way regardless."

[City] The guard, some apparant mix of tiger and gazelle, lets Darkwyrm and Smokie inside. "So I hear you're with the convoy that was bringing supplies?" he asks, eager. Out in the streets, the wolves cautiously move up along side streets and alleyways, prowling back and forth, but they clearly know which streets to avoid and where the townsfolk in the Y can get a clear shot. They appear to be doing some extra scouting of their own, looking for other intruders, and then patiently waiting for the next move. One of them looks up into the sky and stares straight at Loki for a while, but then looks away.

[City] Smokie pants and huffs once she's inside, leaning against the wall of the bunker. "Oh man, thanks... God, haven't worked that hard since Redd threw me off a bridge into the river..."

[City] Relieved to see Dark and Smokey make it inside Loki then circles towards the Caravan, gliding his way there as he tries to get a newer sense of where the wolves are in relation to Jeanine and the others.

[City] Dark takes a few moments to catch his breath before cracking his back and looking at the guard. "Thank you, and yes, we're with the convoy. We're here to officially report that we've arrived, are making preparations to breach the city, and to assess your situation here, and lend aid if necessary."

[City] The tigazelle smiles happily, long cat tail swishing. "Great! They've got us holed up here... we can't leave the building without them getting to us," he explains, then peeks out the glass door down the street, "but we've got good enough fire lanes that they can't get to us. At least without getting hurt too badly to make them regret it. They're damned smart, and wicked strong. And... I tell ya, mister. Ma'am. It's been two days since I had a meal, and that meal was three kernals of corn and half a stale granola bar. I'm about ready to chew my own hand off if I don't get some real food." Out in the streets, the wolves continue to circle and prowl. They rarely stay in one place for long, constantly shifting, slowly circling the alleys and side streets on the outskirts of the town like sharks who smell blood in the water. On his way back, Loki can easily count eleven more wolves; another eerie howl cuts through the night as they wait.

[City] "Roger that.", Dark says. He activates his Comm unit and radios Loki. "Send word to the convoy that we've reached the location, and give them your threat assessment and the following information about the survivors." He spends a good minute or two relaying most of the details the guard had just given him, as well as some other things regarding location of the building, armaments of the guards and so on. As he awaits a repsonse, he turns back to the Tigazelle and says, I've got a few rations you may pass around to those you see fit, but I'd recommend using them for your most sick, or your most able to fight persons." At that, he reaches into his pocket and starts pulling out a number of granola bars.

"Now that they've found the survivors, I assume we move in?" A hint of impatience was audible in Redd's voice, if only barely. He adjusts his footing on the roof of the truck, before reaching for his rifle, barely sticking out of the bag.

[City] Loki growls a little into his com. "The wolves seem to be waiting. Not stupid thats for sure... They are always moving and waiting for your entry I think. They may have played this 'game' before." The dragon then circles a little lower and searches for a cluster of wolves if he can. The air shimmers around a wolf for a moment before it erupts into a bright light, a thin arc of elecricity leading from Loki to his target in a blinding explosion of radiance, lightning, and a sudden temperature spike.

[Convoy] "Then it looks like we're moving in..." Jeanine radios back. She climbs back up into the cab of her truck. "We'll come on in, and maybe if they give you a chance hit 'em from behind." Aidan takes up a spot in the rearmost truck in the convoy, and they begin heading down the street. "We're just going to plow on through if we can, boys and girls. Cover us if you can." The wolf Loki fried lies on the pavement, scorched and smoking, while the others nearby scatter for cover.

[City] The tigazelle catches the words from the radio, and looks even more exicted yet. He gratefully accepts the granola bars, then gets on his walkie talkie; soon another six townsfolk, all they can spare and have available, are with the group at the front door, ready if they are needed.

[City] continues to gluide above the convoy, the dragon searching for the various wolves, banking and turning, trying to provide as much cover as he can. When he becomes too low to maintain his gluide he lands upon the rooftops and begins following as best he can, leaping from roof to roof, using his wings to increase the distance he can jump. Should he get a clear shot, Loki will take it.

[City] The hyena frowns some at the six sickly-looking reinforcement. The cause of the joint operation lies standing in front of her. She shrugs, and unslings her rifle, cradling it in a bent foreleg. "Put me somewhere I could lay down some fire."

The sun is setting off to the west, in the direction the convoy had arrived from, as the trucks start up again and begin moving into the town of Round Mountain. Jeanine Perdeaux, RSX contractor, is riding shotgun in the lead truck, while Redd and Aidan are further back with other trucks in the convoy. Smokie and Darkwyrm are with the town's survivors in the YMCA, and the streets are filled with prowling wolf-morphs. Loki flies above, having already delivered thunder and lightning unto one of the ferals; the others keep a wary eye on the sky now as they dart from shadow to shadow, sticking to cover, waiting for their chance to pounce.

[City] Darkwyrm keeps his ears open, listening to the comm chatter and awaiting a chance to lend his aid to the convoy as it makes its way into the city. It's dangerous to committ any energy to fighting yet, until the vehicles can create a distraction.

[City] Smokie stares out the glass window, her hackles raised, her short and brushy tail flagging. She's on edge and tense, and can feel the bloodlust welling up in her stomach and making her trigger-digit twitchy. She takes a deep breath, and then whispers to one of the survivors, "Can you put me up on the roof of this place?"

[City] The silvery shadow that is Loki continues to glide up above the others, trying to keep pressure on the ferals, though he is slowly losing altitude as he tries to conserve energy. Still well above most houses but nowhere near his previous height he maintains a near constant vigil as he tries his best to track the prowling wolves, taking note of any clusters, bends, and other places that may be useful for ambushes or provide an impedement for the caravan, and should he see something that may be an impediment he will notify them.

[Convoy] Jumping off the truck he had positioned himself atop, Redd makes a short dash ahead and jumps into the back of the second truck, searching through several crates before he spots the prize he was searching for, a search lamp! He tests it, and frowns as the light produced is rather dim. It's batteries had gone bad in the years since P-day. "Oh, the hummer's battery. That'll be more than enough power." Redd opens the comm a moment, "Loki, you didn't grab the jumper cables from the hummer, did you?"

[City] Loki frowns a little and tries to think back. "Migh have... Might have not. I would think that the trucks likely have jumper cables if I did not remember taking them. I do know we were pressed for time."

The convoy continues down the street. The route is clear enough the trucks won't have any problem single file, but once the final truck is a few blocks into the city - and the lead truck still two block from it's turn - the wolves make their first move. Three of them dart out of the shadows towards the truck in the middle. Jeanine tries to line up a shot out of her window but curses as she can't get a good angle; one of the wolves jumps up onto the hood of the truck and snarls at the driver, the second climbs the canvas covering on the back, and the third sinks it's claws into the passenger side door and starts wrenching at it.

[City] Dark growls and turns to Smokie. "Hear that?", he asks, "The convoy's made its move, and so have the wolves. Ready for some action?" He also motions to the guards. "Got anyone among you well fed and eager enough to help us help you?"

[City] Smokie growls some as she hears what sounds like growling over the comm. "Yeah, I head that. I'm ready. " Cradling the rifle in the crook of her foreleg. She looks around, for a moment, brows furrowed. She hopes Redd and theo thers can handle the situation.

In the building, the survivors look at eachother, and worry. "We don't want to leave the people here undefended... but we can help, yea," one of them says. "The six of us are in the best shape, I guess the others can keep a lookout and let us know if they sneak attack."

[Convoy] Turning as he hears the driver in the truck behind him, Redd spots the wolves on the vehicle, drops the spotlight and impulsively, (and rather foolishly) jumps out of the back of on truck, and lands on the hood with one of the wolves.
<Hero> Redd spends a Hero point!

[City] Darkwyrm whips out his dagger and twirls it in the air, then catches it in a backhand grasp. He raises his voice to address everyone arranged to depart and says, "Right then, let's head out!" before pushing open the doors and breaking into a sprint towards the location of the trucks.

[City] Loki begins a dive down as soon as the wolves make their move. Electricity would be a futile maneuver and could bring others within the car to harm. "Redd! Take care of the wolves upon the sides I have the-" he stops, the impulsive Redd already having made his move and he growls a protest and focuses his attention upon the wolf climbing the canvas, the dragons claws and talons going for throat, eye, and spine, aiming for a quick kill, grab, or simply knock the offender away. Regardless of the result he pulls out of the swoop shortly after.

[City] The hyena-girl, heart pounding in her chest, begins to lope off following dark, suprisingly quick even on three legs. She follows Dark, tense, ready for any ambush.

The truck lurches as Redd lands on the hood, and the bipedal wolf-morph is quick to turn and lunge at him, jaws snapping and claws scraping along the dragon's armor. The other wolf almost loses it's grip as Loki dives at it, but quickly finishes scrambling up to the roof of the truck; the door gives a loud, protesting screach as the hinge starts twisting. Four more wolves come out of a side street to attack the lead truck in a similar manner, one wolf going for the door while the others climb it, looking for more victims. Aidan lines up a shot and takes the wolf off of the roof of the third truck, and with a curse Jeanine opens her door, stands up on her seat with a leg braced on the open door, and fires a burst of rounds at the wolves. Up above, Loki can see the others getting ready to come at Aidan from behind, and far up the street, where Darkwyrm and Smokie are, the wolves that had been circling the Y give chase. The townsfolk manage to pick another one off, and the pack splits, three of the wolves chasing Darkwyrm and Smokie while the other two turn to rush at the defenders.

[City] Darkwyrm looks over his shoulder and sees the wolves giving chase. "Smokie! Got any grenades or mines to drop behind us?", he shouts. "We need something to slow them down so we can regroup!"

[City] The 'yena shakes her head, pouring on the steam to try and speed up. "Nah, got nothin'. But 'kin stay back, hold 'em off for awhile. Go on ahead!" She spins around, skidding as she does, and, holding her rifle in one paw as she braces with the other three, empties her magazine at the three wolves.

[Convoy]"Gun the engines and take a sharp turn on the next street. It should throw them off." Redd growls into his still open comm, before taking a lunging bite at the one next to him on the hood, and sinking his claws into the hood of the truck to secure himself.
<*Official*> Redd proves that they possess a stat named superior balance with a value of 3. [Found in: Special]

[City] A growl of protest escapes the dragon as his attempt at the wolf fails his attempt at picking off a wolf. "Aidan! Behind you! Three of them!" he calls out, and growls as he then gives for the two wolves rushing the riflemen, a roar escaping the dragon as he heads straight for the ravenous canines. As he nears the end of the dive he snaps his wings together and spins about in the air, the dragon delivering a kick magnified by momentum, several hundred Kilos of nanosteel, and martial training, bone splintering underfoot as he usees one as a landing pad to launch himself at the other, the dragon once again whipping about and using a tail and claw in the spin to deal with the other.
<Hero> Loki spends a Hero point!

One of the wolves chasing Smokie and Darkwyrm goes down as the hail of bullets tears it's chest open and a second one stumbles as a grazing shot throws it off balance; the third runs straight into Smokie, knocking her gun flying. His teeth lunge for her neck but she jerks to the side fast enough for it only graze her, the cut tingling with pain as he knocks her to the pavement. Redd's own lunge rewards the dragon with a mouth full of wolf meat, the wolf howling in agony and losing its footing as the truck surges. It flails, and then latches it's teeth on Redd's foot to keep from being thrown. Aidan turns and calmly cripples another wolf behind the convoy, then crouches down to brace herself, while the lead truck swings into the turn. Jeanine almost slips, yells at the driver to duck; he does so, and she sends a fullisade of rounds through his door into the wolf trying to tear through, and the last wolf on the second truck manages to finish ripping the passenger door out of it's way. Back at the Y the defenders rally as Loki drops from the sky like a golden comet, taking their attackers by surprise, and they start moving down the street to help.

[City] Smokie yelps, more from instinct than pain as she's shaved by the wolf's teeth. She tries to get her paws under the beast atop her, to claw at him with her raking claws. Her eyes flash in cold conceit as some kind of deeper, baser calculating self takes over. She doesn't need her gun or her crowbar to shred this asshole limb from limb, and her defiant growl says that aloud.

[City] "No, you fool!", Dark growls. He skids to a stop and reverses direction, running back to assist Smokie. He whips his dagger around again and throws it at the unbalanced wolf, aiming for its head. When he reaches Smokie, he throws the full weight of his body and momentum into the wolf assaulting her in an attempt to knock it off her.

[Convoy] Redd snarls at the wolf hanging off his leg, and takes a snap at its neck, before slamming his weight through the windshield to get inbetween the wolf at the door and the driver.
In a page-pose to you, Loki is going to rally the men and use 'protien shied' (Or more accurately a nantie barrier) and then charge and fling a wolf carcass at the wolves. :x (Notes Loki is effected a little by the other nanites within him. :x He is beginning to have a bit of trouble restraining himself)

[City] Loki looses a triumphant roar as he downs the two wolves and rises to his full height and gestures down the street. "Onwards! Never give up and never surrender!" he screams, a miasma of nanites escaping the dragon soon after as the air around him begins to crackle with electricity and hum with electricity, pale blue arcs of power dancing through through mists. A gesture of his hand and some of the nanites swarm around the dragon and men, forming a protective armour. He is not still for long, the dragon hauling one of the downed wolves as he charges off towards the others, aiming to lead the men while boosting moral. When in sight of the caravan and wolves the dragon cries out once again and hurls the broken wolf remains towards the rabid pack.

The wolf pinning Smokie down bites her and rips into her with its claws even as Smokie's own claws begin ripping and shredding it; Darkwyrm's assualt knocks it off of Smokie, though, and it is much less effective at piercing Darkwyrm's armor as it bleeds to death. The last wolf on the street is pawing at the knife reflexively, but it stops moving as one of the town's defenders double taps it on the way past. Jeanine drops from the first truck and takes up a position to cover the corner while the lead convoy truck continues towards the Y, and the defenders quickly move to the sidewalk to get out of the way, picking off the other wolves with their guns; the driver of the second truck is freaking out, and misses his turn entirely as he watches Redd crash into the wolf in the cab. The third truck makes a rather impressive power slide, hitting the turn perfectly and spilling a few boxes of goods, and Aidan continues to methodically take down wolves, although with six left converging on her truck her chances do not look so good.

[City] Darkwyrm wastes no time in disengaging from the wolf corpse, but makes a note to crush its neck with his heel just to make sure it doesn't get up again. He offers a hand to Smokie to help her up before proceeding to the second wolf corpse to retrive his weapon.

[City] The hyena yips some as she's bit and clawed, before Dark tears the beast off of her. Her whole underside is dank with blood, her own and the wolf's, and she has to take a moment to look over herself, and assess the damage, before she feels she's able to help herself up, on her own if she can.
Leraji gives Wolf Nads(Gear) to Smokie.

[City] Loki breaks into a sprint and with a snap of his wings leaps into the air in an attempt to close distance to the last truck where the rest of the wolves converge. "They must be ravenous! Most animals would have fled by now!" he calls out as he arcs through the air, pushing off the top of a building to gain in elevation and momentum, the dragon then beginning to descend upon the wolves in the back. He impacts with the ground in a literal explosion of electricity and incandescent light in an attempt to cause as much damage to the remainders as he can, or at least stun them momentarily.
<Hero> Loki spends a Hero point!
<Hero> Loki spends a Hero point!

[City] Smokie picks herself up and shakes herself off, quickly forcing herself to get used to the pain. She snarls a bit, and goes to take a step, before she feels something squish a little underpaw. She looked down, and... [You have acquired Wolf Nads! Doodoo, doodoo!]

[City] Dark flicks some blood off his weapon and looks over at Smokie. "You alright? Still able to fight?", he asks.

[Convoy]Redd turns towards the wolf at the door, and growls, before the wolf bursts into flames. Redd kicks the burning wolf from the vehicle, and looks towards the driver, "What?"
<*Official*> Redd proves that they possess a stat named nova meteor with a value of 3. [Found in: Special]

The wolf in front of Redd does not just burst into flames; it goes from being a wolf trying to eat a diamond one moment, to being a vaugely ex-wolf-shaped ball of plasma in the next instant. The light and the heat is intense, if momentary, and the driver is absolutely stunned by the display. He stammers something indecipherable back at Redd. Loki's assault on the last half of the pack is another flashy assault; the wolf he landed next to drops to the ground, little more than a charred husk, and two more are momentarily stunned and blinded by the light. Aidan takes the opportunity to shoot another wolf, then agiley leaps from the truck to land next to Loki, her blade coming out. The remaining wolves circle the pair, then bolt down the street as Jeanine peppers them with fire from her assault rifle. The final truck makes its way up the street to the Y, and the night goes still.

[City] Shakes her head roughly, snorting out a little bit of blood from her nose. "Yeh.. Fine." She mumbles to Dark, as she turns and begins heading back to The Y, glaring thoughtfully and licking her lips at every corpse she passes.

Jeanine makes her way up the street, on the watch for a second wave or another assault. "Everyone alive?" she asks. Most of the town's survivor's have turned out to start offloading trucks, while the tigazelle comes over to check on Smokie as well. "Oh, wow... are... are you OK?"

"Alright here.", Dark calls to Jeanine. "Are all threats neutralized?", he asks.

<Mutation> Smokie almost tips forward in surprise, Black and tan furred skin glistening as their breasts shrink as two breasts vanish!
<Mutation> Smokie's head becomes infected with Wolf Beast!
The hyena shivers some, rolling her shoulders. "Yeah, I'm... I'm good... RRou.. Just a little sore." She turns and looks over her shoulder, glaring at a corpse. "I feel like... Grrr... Raping onna these fuggers!" Her fur starts to bristle, as changes slowly wash over her, her teeth sharpen and elongate, her muzzle grows and tapers, her ears come to a point, as the fur on her head begins to darken and thicken... Before she can help it, a deep growl is working its way up her throat...

The poor Tigazelle starts backing away, eyes wide and fur bristled. "H... hey now..." he starts, gun unconciously starting to rise. "Don't... don't let it get you, ma'am! Please, don't!" he nearly cries, distressed. Jeanine eyes Smokie and the guard a moment, then nods at Darkwyrm. "Yea. We're clear. Don't let this get out of hand," she offers, before heading down one of the alleyways.

Smokie looks up, confused, though she still has a rather aggressive sneer on her muzzle. "Don't let what get me?" She snaps, "Didn't you see me out there! Damn near clawed one open! ...Hell, I reckon I earned myself some dinner... Look at it, meat all over the street!"

Darkwyrm steps beside Smokie and puts a heavy arm on her shoulder. "Not in front'a the simple folk.", he warns her. "If y'want a meal, drag one of the ones away when they're not lookin'."

"You... your..." the townie stammers a bit. Then he slowly lowers his gun, and reaches up to paw at his own muzzle. "You, erm... have big teeth..." he finishes quietly, fur still bristled and eyes wide. He takes a few steps back away from the pair. Aidan nods at them as she wanders past, and helps unload the trucks, the supplies quickly going into the building.

Loki seems to wobble precariously in place, the dragon looking rather spent for now. He seems to be panting, if ever so slightly, perhaps trying to hide this fact. He growls a little as he begins making his way towards the building. "Need some rest... sorry. Would help unload... Running low on energy." he murmurs as he heads towards the building.
You received a vote from Loki! Use +xp to see your current total

Smokie frowns a little, as Dark's heavy arm pushes some sense back into her head. She doesn't even know that her head's mutated yet, since, as a pre-acquired form, it feels as natural to her as her hyena form, or her Tousky form. "You're right... Maybe leave it as a warning t' the others." She begins to pad off to the corpse she filled with bullets, and begins to drag it out of view, in order to freely have her way with it.

Darkwyrm sighs and leaves Smokie to her thing before slipping his dagger back in the sheathe and padding off towards the trucks to start helping unload the supplies.

When the truck that missed the turn finally arrives, Redd has passed out in the passenger seat, his body too stiff to be removed from the vehicle easily but still relatively warm. A blinking warning on his comm reads "Low Nanite mass, refresh immediately!" Huh, must have burned through his internal reserves.

The tigazelle still seems rather... put off by Smokie, but at least she seems to not be entirely feral... he goes with Darkwyrm to help unload, while elsewhere in the city the sound of automatic weapons fire chatters a few times. Eventually Jeanine returns as well, and makes notes of the vehicles and their damage before moving in to join Darkwyrm and the truck drivers in the hero's welcome the town is giving them.

Late in the night, after the celebration, the nocturnity of the scene is undisturbed. The trucks, unloaded, sit dormant and cold... A wolf-looking thing stirs, a shadow in the dark as it prowls around the crates, a smell heavy of blood and something else less readily admitted. This wolf sniffs around the trucks for awhile, just a quiet shuffling, minute clicks of its claws on the asphalt... It works its way over to Redd's truck where it rears up, leaning over the window. Now its silhouette is a stark contrast to the starry night behind it...

Darkwyrm rests in the back of one of the adjacent trucks, semi-asleep, but still alert, keeping watch over their transportation back to Fairhaven. His ears perk at the conspicuous shuffling and he leans over the edge of the bed of the truck to investigate.
Everyone else is inside the Y, only a few sentries awake, and even then they are distracted by the first good meal they've had in a long time, as well as the recent victory, and are barely paying attention to anything outside.

The wolfbeast makes some noise, a sound between a whine and a growl, as it begins to pull on the door, making it rattle. The thing seems to grow a little more aggravated as she sniffs the dormant drake, eventually beginning to claw at the door with its hindpaws as it tries to climb inside.

Darkwyrm hefts his body over the truck bed and lands right next to the wolf, weapon at ready. "Halt.", he says, lips upturned in a snarl. His arm is half extended, and the sharp end of his weapon is pointed at the trespasser.

The wolfbeast turns swiftly on Darkwyrm, a snarl in its throat and its teeth bared. It postures for dominance over Dark, and in the dark, it looks just like one of the wolves from earlier...

Darkwyrm takes a few steps forward, holding out his arm and putting some weight behind his advance, attempting to pin the wolf against the truck with his arm at its neck.

The bored guard inside the building sees the motion outside, and speaks into his walkie talkie. Then he opens the door and steps out, pulling his revolver from its holster. "Hey! Everything alright?" he asks, as he circles wide around the trucks to try and get a better view.

The Wolf doesn't let itself get pinned, no, not at all. It snaps at Dark's hand, before retreating further into the cab, over Redd's unconscious body. It makes a good target against his light-refracting body.

The guard doesn't hesitate; amped up on the heroics of others, the raccoon takes the shot. He has more enthusiasm than aim, though; what was supposed to be a bullet in the head simply clips off one of Smokie's ears instead. "D... get down!"

"Gah.", Dark growls, pulling his hand back with a few more holes in it than he started with. This doesn't settle well with him. He shouts towards the guard, "Stay out of this, I got it!", he yells to the guard, then scrambles into the cabin after the wolf, inadvertantly splattering blood on the immobile form of Redd as he does so.

The wolfbeast jumps as his ear is clipped, turning his head to the gunman through the shattered window. With a loud snarl that echoes off the stillness of the surrounding buildings, he begins to snap and swipe wildly at the approaching jackal, and even seems like he's going to make a lunge...

Darkwyrm holds up his arm and covers his face, hoping his heavily reinforced coat is enough to stop the scratches and slashes from the wolf. He waits for a flaw in the wolf's attacks then attempts to grab one of its arms and throw it backwards out of the truck.

Smokie makes a loud barking snap at Dark, followed by a sudden lunging bite, disregarding whatever Armor the jackal may have as the wolf lashes out from its corner.

When the wolf latches onto his arm with her teeth, he grunts in obvious pain and discomfort. Red blotches sppear through the fabrics of his coat. However, being quite used to feeling pain, he shrugs it off and attempts to conk Smokie in the head with the pommel of his blade.

Smokie takes the blow direct to her skull, and after blinking hard a few times, she lets go, standing and swaying as she tries to get her head back in order. It doesn't look like she's out for the count, though.

Darkwyrm coils his body like a serpent, leaping over Redd and colliding with Smokie in her moment of daze, trying to knock her out through the opposite door and tackle her to the ground.

Smokie, in her daze, is easily thrown over and out the other door of the cab, straight onto her back. With a wet smack, her already tender'd head roughly makes acquaintence with the asphalt, and her body goes limp. Not dead, but definitely out for a bit. K.O.! In the glimmer of light from the Y shininy on them, Dark can see the sheen of the intact leathers which the Wolf is wearing, very familiar leathers.

"Hrmph.", Dark grunts, identifying his scouting companion totally wolfed out. He puts his weapon away again and bind Smokie's arms and legs before hefting her into the back of one of the trucks. He then starts tending to his wounds by siphoning some blood from some of the fallen wolf corpses nearby before returing to sentry duty.

Smokie stays tied up and passed out in back of the truck till morning. Dark and Aidan seem like the only ones who made it through the mission in operational order... In the morning, Smokie will probably be back to her senses, and wondering why the hell she's tied up in the back of a truck and NOT getting raped, and yet still will not have, by that time, figured out she wolfed out. For a nanite adept, she's pretty oblivious.

[[Category:RPLogs]][[Category:Leraji Events]]

Round Mountain Blues

2012-04-02T01:57:32Z

Rihko:

Round Mountain Blues

2012-04-01T21:59:07Z

Rihko: Created page with "(RP Event on 3/18/2012, ran by Leraji, with a cast of Redd, Smokie, Darkwyrm, Loki, Aidan, and Enaari) New Dawn is busy with activity as the last of the trucks are loaded wi..."

(RP Event on 3/18/2012, ran by Leraji, with a cast of Redd, Smokie, Darkwyrm, Loki, Aidan, and Enaari)

New Dawn is busy with activity as the last of the trucks are loaded with supplies. They are large military-looking vehicles with

open truck beds and canvas toppers that look like they could handle a bit of offroad activity if needed, five of them in total.

Each truck bears the RSX corporate logo on their doors, and each truck has a driver - random mutants pulled from the ranks of the

Promethians, it seems. The lead vehicle is a rugged looking hummer, and there are two humans standing next to it - a harried

looking man in a white buttoned-down shirt, smoking a cigarette, and a rugged looking woman in a flak jacket and BDU pants. As

you arrive at the compound, you are all directed towards Steven. As soon as enough people are gathered, he whistles, then waves

everyone over.

Loki grins as he views Steven and quickly makes his way over to the man, offering both a nod and a wave. "Hello there! I remember

you from the mission assigned in woodfield. I take it that you are well?" he inquires, his tail twiching a little in place, his

gaze then turning to the woman beside him, tongue flitting out of his mouth as his head tilts in turn. "And hello mrs.... person I

have not met before." he chirps.

Enaari looks around at the assortment of activity going on, carefully making her way over to Steven. Her antenna twitch

constantly, trying to take in all the smells and sounds. She stands a fair distance behind loki, all the while looking around.

Aidan follows the directions for the two human, her nose twitching as she looks around a bit surprised by this joint mission. She

shrugs a bit, before heading towards Steven and greeting him. She spots Loki as well, giving a wave with her paw but otherwise

waiting for Steven to talk.

"Woah, haven't seen trucks like this in forever." A hyena looks around, almost happily, at the six of the operation. Bent upon

the ground, onto four paws, she has to look up at most of the action, but to say she's a lost dog is entirely wrong. Carrying an

m16 slung across her back, and a duct-taped crowbar crossing it, and dressed in motorcycle leathers, she looks somewhat like she

could be something out of Mad Max. Her ears perk up at the whistle, which gives an extra bounce to her step as she pads toward

the worse-for-wear hummer.

Darkwyrm walks into the chaos with a pack slung over his shoulder and a skeptical look on his face. "Noisy and unorganized, I

see.", he mumbles. He walks up to someone looking to be in charge of organizing and gives thema short nod. "Is this where the

convoy will be starting from?", he asks.

The suit-less suit takes a drag on his cigarette, and nods his head at the dragon. "Doing well, doing well. It was.... Loki,

right?" The man grins. "I suppose you all got the basics." He pauses, one hand taking his cigarette and waving it at the trucks

while the other smooths down his purple Hello Kitty tie. "What we need are for our trucks, full of the Promethian's supplies, to

make it out to a town called Round Mountain." He pauses a moment to eye the group, then nods, apparantly satisfied with what he

sees. "Round Mountain is a long ways off. Outside of the bubble. That means this could be a dangerous mission, but you people

look like you can handle yourselves. The lost their stockpile to ferals last month, and people -are- going to starve to death if

they don't get food, people -will- die if they can't get some fresh medical supplies. I'm sending one of our best agents with

you, Miz Jeanine here. She's officially head of security, so unless you need any supplies or equipment I'm turning you over to

her."

Enaari raises her hand, jumping a little to get noticed over the standard sized mutants.

The woman, Jeanine, eyes the group over with a much more critical eye. Then she shrugs. "Thanks, Steven." She's fit and

athletic, and looks like she's been through her share of fights; she leans back against the hummer, though as Steven sees Enaari's

waving hand. "Yea?" the man calls out.

Arriving late, Redd gleefully spots Smokie and heads towards her, sitting down beside while he listens.

Enaari pushes her way to the front, taking care not to knock around her abdomen to much. "Mister...how far away is it exactly?

Could you give us a rough estimate?" She blinks, her lower pair of arms moving to her hips. "I mean, I dont want to be stuck out

there for weeks."

Smokie walks up behind the others, just after the introductions. Apparently, one of the two were in charge... The earthbound

hyena sits back on her haunches as she listens, round ears perked up, short, brushy tail wagging.

Loki offers a grin and a nod. "Indeed it was." he chirps, then shakes his head. "No, I do not see the need of any additional

armaments myself. Have what I need with me at all times." he says, shifting from place to place. "So it is just ferals? Or may we

expect more?" he asks, adressing both Seven and Jeanine, then holding out a hand towards her. "Pleased you meet you miss!" he

chirps, then seems to remember something and offers his other hand towards Steven, though he seems to have his arms crossed in

front of himself making the gesture look a little awkward.

Darkwyrm sits down on a stack of crates and sets to polishing his weapon and making sure all of his supplies are ready at hand

while waiting for the time of departure.

Aidan turns to Jeanine. The fox is acting quite formal, just waiting for the permission to talk. She doesn't enthusiast at all

about that, but she just shrugs from time in time. At Steven's question, she shakes her head. "I don't need additional armaments,

thank you." the fox says respectfully, before giving her full attention to Jeanine.

Steven takes another puff of his cigarette while Jeanine fields the questions. "If we had a clear road, it'd take maybe three or

four hours to drive out there, and again back," she supplies, first nodding at Enaari. "With the unknown condition the roads are

in, it might take us six hours or a whole day. Certainly not a week, though." Next she turns to Loki. "As far as we know, just

ferals. We don't expect any bandits on the road, but this is a lot of supplies so we have to be prepared. I can take four other

people in the hummer," she says, then pauses and looks over the dragons. "Fewer if they're big. Everyone else gets to ride with

a truck. This DOES have the potential to be dangerous, people... if you get killed out there, outside of the bubble, that is it.

And don't expect to be throwing around fire balls and bolts of lightning. If you want to back out now, you can. Otherwise, we're

mounting up and rolling out."

Loki frows a little at the lack of handshakes and lets his hands fall down to his sides and offers a nod. "Would not have taken

the mission if I did not know of the consequences. People need help and somebody has to do it." he says, then casting a wave to
Aidan. "It is good to see you are well as well!" he smiles.

Smokie nods up to Redd happily, before turning back to the task at hand. The hyena nods, and speaks softly with a gruff voice,

"First time out of the bubble... Good thing I have this." She pats the butt of her M16 with her paw, mentally thanking Redd for

installing the lighter trigger and the larger triggerguard for her. "It can't be that bad, can it?"

Darkwyrm stands up and chuckles. "Poor people who rely on powers n' such. All I need is my weapon and I'll be good." He gestures

to Steven and calls, "I don't feel like flying, I'll take a spot in tha' hummer."

"I'll happily ride in the back of a truck, or on a roof, I'm used to that sort of treatment by this point anyhow," Redd's happy

enough to at least be offered a ride, rather than having to wing it out there.

Enaari nods a bit, looking around at everyone else. She switches her weight from one foot to the other. "If..its allright with

everyone, I'd like to go in the hummer...I dont take up much space..if thats allright..."

Aidan wags her tails nervously, hearing Dark's comment. Still, she gives a look to her arm, a lick on her sharp teeth, a pat on

the blade on her side. "At least I was smart enough to take some bullets with me..." she says to herself, even if she doesn't seem

to carry any firearm. Then, she turns to the woman. "I'm good both in short and long range, so no real preference about my

vehicle."

Smokie shrugs her shoulders some. "I've got a gun, but I'm good with my teeth. Put me wherever you need me." She nods again,

crossing her paws on the ground.

Jeanine flashes Darkwyrm a grin and grabs her P90 out of the back of the hummer, then circles around to take the shotgun seat.

Everyone else loads up in their chosen position, and the trucks in the convoy come to life one by one, the engines a loud, low

rumble. Jeanine uses the CB radio in the hummer to check in with each driver and make sure they're reday, and each of the escorts

(that's you) is given the frequency for your coms. The roads immediately around Fairhaven have been picked relatively clean over

the last three years, at least to the point where the trucks don't have to stop to clean obstacles, and then the convoy hits the

highway north out of town.

Loki offers a nod to the group, the dragon weaving around the assorted vehicles before clambering up on top of one of the trucks,

content to sit upon the top for now and spreads his wings as he stretches himself out as he waits for departure.
Enaari's face is plastered to the glass, watching the buildings and landscape go by. She is rather quiet, but every so often her

antenne twitch.

"So," Jeanine calls over the radio. "Looks like we got a good posse of gunslingers and scrappers here," she says. "Anyone want

to declare any specialties before we get into a situation where we'd need them?" The trucks roll on down the highway, taking it

easy at thirty-five to account for the non-existant road maintanence and occaisional wreck. At one point the group passes a patch

of asphalt that seems to have been melted down into glass; at another, they have to detour around a spot where the pavement was

torn up in some kind of giant beast's wallow. The entire time, though, the convoy is the only thing that can be seen moving for

miles and miles around - no other signs of civilation, just it's discarded remnants left behind to litter the countryside.

Enaari manages to tear her face away from the glass for a few moments to coo, "I'm Enarri, and I punch things." She goes back to

looking at the landscape going by.

Darkwyrm pushes the button on his comm and says, "Darkwyrm, Stealth-Ops here.. if you need something done quietly or behind lines,

that's me." He pauses for a moment then adds, "Failing that, I've got enough armor to be front-line." He closes his comm and takes

this time to take a little snooze. He crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the window of the vehicle. Before he

closes his eyes, he glances at Enaari and says, "Wake me up if we get attacked en-route." More of a courtesy than anything,

because mroe than likely any sudden noises or movement of the vehicle would wake him up anyway.

Aidan makes a test with her com, before answering to the question. "I'm focused on melee range, but I'm perfectly able to shot

opponents on the long range." she replies, sit on one of the trucks as Loki is doing. She has her racer goggles on, protecting her

eyes from dust and wind, and she stares around, not trusting the calm. "I know how to move around in these wastelands, and I'm

confident about my knowledge of tactic and ambushes."

"This is Smokie, I shoot shit and bite things." She grins a moment to herself, as she lays in the back of the middlemost cargo

truck. "And you don't need to give me field rations, if you let me drag off a corpse or two."

Loki thinks a little, the dragon then responding through radio. "I am proficient at mechanical, computer work. Can construct many

things should you need, and I am also proficient at demolitions. Able to also quickly identify organics and mutations."

"I'm half decent at tearing things apart, be they at claws length or 500 meters away." At the last part Redd chuckles a moment and

adds, forgetting to turn the comm off, "And I've got enough explosives to make an artillery regiment jealous."

"Fantastic," Jeanine calls back. The hummer slows down a little, and she leans forward in her seat, peering at the road ahead

with her binoculars. "Huh. Looks like we've got a section of the road washed out ahead." She visually sweeps the surrounding

terrain. "Doesn't look like an ambush site but keep on your toes." Up ahead the road dips between two hills, and at the bottom a

stream has cut its way through the road. The gap is about six feet wide, and four or five feet deep - hitting it at speed could

really jostle the cargo, and the hummer might bottom out. The convoy slows down to a crawl as it gets closer. "Any quick ideas?"

Loki cranes his neck upwards and nods to Aidan. "Well I do hope we manage all right." he smiles, then peering closer to the small

river. "Well there is always the slowing down option unless you would want us to haul some trees over and make a rudimentary

bridge." he muses, his tail flicking out behind him. "Though we may not be able to do that depending on how heavy the trucks

are... all depends."

Smokie has since idly made her way up onto a crate, cradling her modified rifle in her paws as she waits. She stares out the back

over the tailgate, at the truck behind her and the landscape ruching by. "Can't go around?" The hyena sighs, "I'll go across,

check if the coast is clear."

There is a copse of smaller trees a good half mile up river, and empty, overgrown prarie downriver. The trucks are large enough

they could make it across, slowly and carefully, with assitance but without a bridge the hummer will have to go around.

Darkwyrm opens his eyes, woken from the comm chatter. "Mmmrgh? Trees? What?", he says to himself before leaning out the window to

survey. "Road is out? Bummer." He opens the door and steps out, stretching his arms and legs.

Jeanine shifts her weight in her seat, eyeing the surrounding territory while she replies. "Great. Check it out. Are you going

to try building something, or do you want me to find a way around while you help the trucks cross?"

Loki stands up straight and stretches himself out as he once again spreads his wings wide. "So! Who is up for bringing trees back

with me?" he asks, the dragon already hopping off the truck and making his way towards the trees, tail twitching behind him. "If

we build a bridge now it will make future expeditions easier along with the return trip." he calls out. "Anybody follow my logic?"

"A bridge could work... but takes time. And I'm not sure that a dam would be still there when we'll be moving back. I don't think

we have the instruments to create something... durable." Aidan says, starting to look around with a nervous look, seeking for any.

"I'm seeking for another way, planning a team to build a real bridge when we'll back back home."

"Could we fill the gap with soil from uphill? I think I could probably get a fair amount loose from the hillsides. That would

leave moving the dirt and rock by hand though." Redd contemplates this versus a bridge. "Anybody willing to get dirty? We'll have

to return this same route, I bet, and something could destroy or wash out a bridge while we're gone," He frowns. "Do we have any

sheet metal in the trucks?"

Darkwyrm sighs. "If we have a way of cutting logs laterally down the middle, we could lay two halves across the gap, and the

vehicles can drive over them.", he says. "It wound't take so much time, and it's just as good as a bridge, althought the hum-vee

will need to drive very straight and carefully."

After a brief consultation with her driver, Jeanine shakes her head. "No sheet metal. Mostly food and medical supplies." She

looks around at the others, then off towards the trees, and then back to the gap.
The hyena slings her rifle as she disembarks from her crate, and sticks her head out the side of the truck. Her tail wagging,

shes looks down at the stream. "We'll have to take this slow, we may have to have the hummer go around, and the trucks wait..."

Loki sighs at the conflicting viewpoints and shakes his head. "Well... the sooner we reach a consensus the better. Build a bridge

or Cross as is? Vote either or. My vote is on some sort of bridge."

Smokie sighs audible on the commset. "It'll be better to go around, and not waste our energy here... May be an ambush up ahead."

"Cross." Aidan simply says, confirming her previous statement.

Darkwyrm raises his hand. "I'm all for crossing. It'll save a significant amount of time, and we won't need to split the convey.",

he says.

Loki sets duitifully about his task of building said bridge, aiming to simply hack the trees down if he can, assuming no

particular difficulties he remains commited to his goal, the dragon also peering around for larger boulders he may utilize.

It takes some time, but with the help of Aidan and few of the stronger drivers you drag enough material down to plug up the hole

well enough for the hummer to cross. The trucks follow after, slowly and carefully, and then the convoy hits the road again. The

feeling in the air is palpable as you leave the bubble; a little disorienting as your nanites switch to their own power reserves

instead of drawing on the greater supply of the bubble, but nothing too horrible.

Once again upon the truck he was on prior, Loki shudders as they exit the bubble, the dragon clearly uncomfortable for a few

moments. He seems a little restless and more alert, constantly ear and nose out along with an almost relentless scanning of the

distance, trying to spot threats before they become apparant. Despite appearing restless he remains rather still, and his wings

spread, the dragon's silvery armour hardley glinting at all in the sun.
Darkwyrm hardly feels anything when they leave the bubble, a tickle, more than anything. Dedicated to experience as little as

possible of the boring drive as he can, he attempts to resume his nap.

Aidan shivers as she slowly get less and less influence from the bubble, and when she's completely out of it, she shivers again,

rubbing against her tummy. "Hungry..." she says, trying to pushing back that bad feeling from her.

Redd slows his motions considerably, as his body experiences a sudden drop in temperature, the nanites no longer able to produce

the heat normally present.

Smokie lays back down in the truck, curling up as she watches the landscape drive by and feels the truck rattle. She almost

begins to drift off, feeling a little dizzy as they exit the bubble. She'd never been out of the Bubble, and her body, almost

completely run by nanites, was vulnerable to the change.

The next hour of the drive is fairly uneventful. There are a few times where the convoy has to slow down to move around an

obstical - a derelict vehicle, broken patches of road, fallen rocks and trees, and at each Jeanine quietly goes on alert. Up

ahead there are another couple of derilict cars in the roadway, and once more the convoy slows to move around them, when Jeanine

tenses up and mutters out a quiet "Shi-" before one of the abandoned vehicles suddenly explodes. The blast rocks the hummer,

knocking it over and then rolling it onto its roof. A half dozen bandits pop out of the opposit ditch, with a variety of weapons

from clubs and axes to rifles, and they quickly advance on the convoy; the lead truck jams on the breaks at the sudden disruption,

and the rest come to a halt behind it.

Darkwyrm reaches into his coat and pulls out a couple granola bars in case Aidan wants one. "They'll give you energy.", he

insists. Apparently he hasn't succeeded in finding sleep yet. Then the car explodes and he finds himself in a world of hurt,

upside down, still strapped to his seat by the seatbelt and slightly dazed. "D-damnit..", he groans, and fumbles for the seatbelt

buckle.

Smokie had happily fallen asleep, and was dreaming peaceful dreams, when she heard the explosion. She jumps up with a loud yip,

her paws going to her rifle as she jumps out of the back of the truck. "Motherfuck-" she strings curses together in a gruff

voice, as she pops off rounds as surpressing fire.

Aidan doesn't lose time, and as the truck likely breaks, she lets herself falls down over the roof of the truck and faces the

bandits, using the angle of the truck's roof like a cover. With a *click*, her forearm opens and readjust, revealing an integrated

rifle. She takes aim and shoot at one of those armed with rifle, but at the last moment she freezes, changing the aim for the

heart of the bandit to a non-vital spot.

Loki rocks in place, then turning his gaze to Aidan at the mention of the word. He sighs and rests a hand on her shoulder and

offers a gentle squeeze. "I know you can beat it." is all he says, then looks to the group of cars, a small frown upon his face,

the dragon tensing at the explosion and swiftly rises to his feet. He looks from bandit to bandit and scowls, looking from man to

man, the dragon poised and ready, scanning the bandits for what looks like a leader. "I would whole heartedly reccomend that you

set your weapons and arraments down. Conflicts outside bubbles tend to be lethal. To avoid uneccecary death and injury I suggest

that you all surrender before you make any other stupid choices." he shouts, speaking loudly and clearly.

Enaari cries out as she is knocked from her sleep, tumbling from her seat and across the hummer. She groans as she comes to a

rest, disorented from the blast wave and movement.

Redd is thrown off the roof of a truck by the sudden breaking, not having been prepared at all.

With a click, Dark's seatbelt disengages, and he subsequently collapses to the former ceiling of the hummer, landing on his head.

With a swift kick, he sbashes open the hummer door and rolls out of the vehicle. He leaves his pack behind, but his dagger is in

hand, ready to be used. He slowly gets to his feet and takes cover behind the door, lips curled in a snarl and waiting for a

chance to leap out and cut some throats.

Aidan's shot drops one of the bandits, and Smokie's fire sends the rest of them scattering for cover; at this range, that means

clustering near the derilict car that hadn't exploded. They hadn't expected anyone to fight back, but they aren't giving up yet;

Loki gets a round in the shoulder for his trouble as one of the bandits peaks around the car, fires off a quick shot, then ducks

back. In the hummer, Jeanine pulls a knife out and cuts her seatbelt free, then takes cover on the other side of the overturned

vehicle, ready to fire.

Smokie sees the Hummer overturned, and curses loud enough to make a sailor cry. She rears up and staggers forward, firing as she

steps, jsut a few before she falls back on her forepaws. "Damn!" She rears up again to fire, before it clicks. Empty... Shit!

Enaari cowers at hearing shots, looking quickly around for an exit before scampering out the same door as Jeanine. She crouches

down next to her, trying to make herself as small as possible, seeing thadt she really doesnt have anything helpfull against guns.

Redd pulls himself upright, and reachs into his bag, pulling a small grenade out before throwing it towards the vehicle the

bandits hid behind.

"Hmph. If I could just get in close range..", Dark thinks out loud, "Their firearms will be useless against melee." Doing a few

calculations in his head, he readies himself. Seeing the grenade as an ample opportunity, he dives out from behind cover and

sprints right into the fray, running in a sort of zig-zag motion to make it harder for tthe bandits to hit him while he closes

distance. When he reaches the car, he leaps right over it and slices at the nearest target's neck.
<Hero> Darkwyrm spends a Hero point!

Loki roars as his shoulder is struck, the dragon not really too pleased with the shot and quickly leaps into the air straight

towards the bandits with a a crackle of electricity. A loud crash resounds through the scrubland as Loki impacts with the top of

the car, the vehicle crumpling under his weight, metal screaming in protest as glass shatters. He grabs the gunsman's rifle and

picks the bandit up if he fails to relinquish his grip upon the arm. "I asked nicely." he growls. "The others here are not as nice

as I am."

Aidan seeing the grenade flying, and at the same time two of her teammates running just were the car is, causes two reactions. The

first, is having the fox to cry out 'Grenade!', the second one, to make the aim of the next shot on the base of the grenade

instead, trying to intercept it middle-air. That would still causes some damage, but at least won't blow them up!
<Hero> Aidan spends a Hero point!

In a display of epic marksmanship, Aidan hits the grenade mid-air; it spins off out of the engagement area and goes off a second

later when the fuse ignites. Loki proves to be enough of a distraction for Darkwyrm to rush the bandits though; the jackal

quickly dispatches his target before the bandit can hack into Loki with his axe, and the battle devolves into a chaotic melee,

with Jeanine picking off another bandit with her automatic weapon. One of Smokie's shots clips Loki's wing, and another bandit,

and then the remaining ones break for the woods... except for the one Loki is holding, who wets himself in fear. Jeanine calmly

fires a few shots at the departing bandits, then looks down at the one Aidan had wounded. "Want me to finish it off?"

Enaari carefully peers out from the side of the overturned humvee. "Are they gone?" She squeaks, not used to being fired upon.
Smokie watches the chaos unfold as, with shaky paws, she tries to reload her rifle. Finally, she manages to insert another

magazine, just in time to see the bandits fleeing. She drops the rifle to the ground, and rushes over to where the others are.

"Is- Is everyone okay? Heart's pounding!" she pants.

"Just disarm him for question." Aidan says, taking the aim to the departing bandits but.. unable to fire again, unconsciously

unable to do it even if they could lead to more troubles. She just follow them with her sharp eyes, just making sure that one of

them would try to be a hero and shot them.

Darkwyrm wipes his blade clean with a cloth while he takes a few slow breaths, winding down form the chaos. He looks after the

fleeing bandits and mutters, "We should hunt them down and flay them for this delay, but that will, of course, cause more delay."

Loki keeps the bandit held aloft and states at him, barely noticing the bullet or the attack from the axe. "Tell me. Why do you

attack us? And are there any other groups, traps, or anything else that we should be aware of in the area?" he hisses, his teeth

bared as he rises to his full height as he hoists the man farther off the ground.

Jeanine eyes the fallen bandits, the injured one, and Loki's captive. She kicks the injured bandit's weapon away, although the

would-be highway robber husky is too busy clutching at his shattered hip to do anything other than wimper. Jeanine goes over and

puts a shoulder into the hummer, trying to right it, then grumbles and sighs; she reaches through the broken driver's window to

check on the driver, then shakes her head. For his part, Loki's captive is terrified - he tries to calm himself, though. "We...

we need your stuff, man. To pay tribute. Or the boss is gonna eat us!"

Smokie, upon seeing the captured bandit, snarls some. She walks up beside Loki, on all fours, hackels raised. "Got one! Haha,

lookit that! Dun pissed himself! I'd offer to eat him, but..." She tilts her head a moment. "Boss? Eat you? Psh, who'd eat a

bedwetter?"

Darkwyrm walks up next to Loki and glares at the bandit. He simply says "Talk." and gives him.. the look.

Enaari makes her way out from behind the humvee, but doesn't move forward at all, happy to stay as far away from the people who

shot at her as possible.

Loki grins as his captive begins to speak, the dragon tilting his head as his tongue flits out inches from his face. "Really now?

Tribute? I am listening... go on. Tell me everything..." he says, his mouth slowly forming a wicked smile. "If your information

proves reliable I do think I can promise you will live... if not I may very well eat you myself. Does your boss bother to cook his

meals first?"

The hyena grins, showing her pearly teeth. "Come on, Mousy," she growls softly, "You can tell us."
Aidan jumps down the truck, slowly reloading her arm-rifle before 'closing' it and getting a proper arm again. She stares at the

wounded bandit with a predatory look, before turning to give a fast check to the other drivers and to the conditions of the

vehicles. She doesn't seem to bother about the interrogation, since there are enough people for that already. Still, her long ears

are still listening to what's being said.

'Mousy' squirms and wriggles under the scrutiny and threats, and stammers. "This... this... this stretch of shit scrubland, it

belongs to the High Rollers, man. Shit!" He squirms more. "Been stuck doing foraging fuck work, thought you'd be our big pay

day, get us a nice cushy spot in Luccio's crew. Just let me go, I won't bother anyone again man. Please!"

Jeanine eyes the interrogation and gives the hummer another shove. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't move. She slings her P90 over her

shoulder and heads for one of the trucks. "Stick the wounded guy in the back if you want to keep him. We'll have to come back

for the hummer later."

Redd looks towards Jeanine, visibly saddened. "Driver's dead?" He asks, rather expecting a yes.

"I still have a medkit with me." Aidan says with a shrug, "Leaving him like that would likely kill him. But I don't plan to

collect bandits. As soon as he's bandaged, we can drop him."

Loki studies the mouse for a few moments longer as he lets the man's situation ferment. "Tell you what... come with us and we can

provide a much better life back in fairhaven when we get there. Lend a hand and make yourself useful and continue to answer my

questions and you shall be spared. Think of it as redeeming yourself for the attack. If zephyr is not to your liking I shall offer

you employment within my organization." he offers, lowering the mouse to the ground. "I will let you keep your arm for you may be

useful, but turn the gun on me..." he trails off, letting the mouse's imagination run.

The soldier woman pauses a moment, and nods her head. "Yea. Took some glass through the temple. He's a goner." Then she looks

over at Aidan and nods. "Alright. Let's wrap it up, though, we've got a delivery to make."
Smokie frowns up at the rat, "High Rollers? How cliche." She sits back on her haunches. "Anyways... If he wants to come

along," She flashes another grin at him, "He can ride with me in the back of the truck. Tries anything funny, he'll accidently

fall out..."

Enaari moves twords the back of one of the closer trucks, looking up at the rather tall back. She reaches up to try to haul

herself up into one, but struggles to even reach the top. She makes her way around the back and waves to the group. "I need help

getting up!" she coos.

"It's really not to our advantage to take him with us.", Dark growls. "He's injured and we'll have to tend to his wounds, and

he'll also gain knowledge of where we are takign these supplies and could relay information to his 'boss' after he's released.

Aidan nods at Leraji, before moving to Loki and whispering to him. "Please..." the fox says, giving him her medkit, "Patch him up.

If I stay to close, I could end up to bite him. Wouldn't be a issue for him but... I don't want these people to see it.". She

gives a nods, pointing at the Rsx people, before going back to check if she can't help somehow to speed the departure. She then

looks at Dark, a bit coldly, "Even if patched up, he won't run around for a long time. And our tracks are followable anyway."

After only considering the offer for a moment, the rat nods. "Hell, yea man. Anything is better than this. Just don't eat me!"
The husky continues to whimper (and bleed), while Janine watches from the passenger door of the lead truck.

"If we're gonna collect them, do it quickly.", Dark says, obvioudly not enjoying the idea of having to deal with captives. "We

need to get back on the road." He walks towards one of the trucks and leans against it.

Loki nods and hops off the crushed remanents of the car and sets the mouse down upon the ground. "Follow along" he instructs, then

nods to Aidan and takes the medkit. "That was the plan." he smiles, then beginning work upon the fallen husky. "I will offer you

the same terms as this man. An escape from this life and the offer of one better." he smiles, lowering his hand to the hip, trying

to coax the nanites to repair themselves before resorting to the contents.

Smokie looks back over her shoulder, seeing the downed husky. "Aw man, no SnooSnoo for him." She sighs. "I can watch the

prisoner, put him in with me. I'll be in the middle truck." She trots away to fetch her rifle, before getting back to her truck.

There's not much she could do, except try and make the husky comfortable...

Enaari walks over to darkwyrm and tugs on his jeans. "Mister Darkwyrm, I need help getting into the trucks, I'm not tall enough to

reach them.." She points behind her to the one she was previously at.

The husky looks frightened; after Loki heals him, he craws a short distance away, just shaking his head. He just wants to be left

alone. Jeanine makes a circling motion with her finger, then pulls the door on her truck shut and the driver creeps forward,

giving the trucks behind room to spread out.

Climbing again on the truck, Aidan sits down and waits to resume the journey, looking as the husky bandit takes his leave. Rubbing

her tummy and shaking her her head, she resumes to look around, careful.

Darkwyrm makes a note to inspect the hummer for anything useful that will fit in the trucks, grabbing his bag during such before

returning to the truck and preparing to climb in.

Loki frowns at the frightened husky and rises to his feet. He sighs and plucks him off the ground, carrying the man to the truck

he was in and sets him inside and then offers the mouse a hand up. "Please watch over the husky... I think he may be in shock." he

says, then looking to see if the hummer needs to be flipped back over or repaired and help if required. If neither are needed he

will salvage what he can and then clamber back into the truck he was in prior.

Smokie tosses her rifle in the back of the truck. She sighs, before jumping up into it. She didn't even look at the driver of

the Hummer. It was a lot different when your own people were dying. And in that moment she realised, shit, that everyone was in

it together. RSX, Big Z, Prommies. A little place for everyone in the apocalypse. She speaks into the comm solemnly, "If

there's anything I can help with, just gimme a holler."

Enaari follows behind darkwyrm, trying to hop up after him, but failing. "Mister darkwyrm, help me up!" She hops again, her wings

humming, but not giving her any extra height.

"I'm not a vehicle.", Dark says, turning his head to Enaari. "I can help you into the truck if you wish.", he says, holding out

his arms.

Enaari takes his hands and hauls herself up, taking a seat next to him. She smiles brightly up at him and looks around at some of

the boxes, her curiousity getting the better of her as she hops up, checking them out.

Darkwyrm climbs into the back of the truck and sits next to Enaari amongst the supplies, patiently waiting for the others to

finish up.

Redd climbs back ontop of a truck, this time getting a solid grip with his claws, no more getting flung off.

Loki meanders over to the hummer and quickly sets to salvaging what he can. Motor. Battery, and anything else that is vital for

the thing to run or has high value, lugging the bits to the back of the truck. When done he simply hops inside and waits for

departure.

With the ambush dealt with, the convoy rolls on down the road. You pass along the highway through a forest, another scrubland,

and alongside another forest, thick with overgrown trees. Jeanine keeps her vigil constant from the lead truck, and as the trucks

begin climbing into the hills and the afternoon passes into early evening she starts radioing ahead to the destination. She finds

them, on a new frequency, and gets a quick appraisal of the situation which she passes along to the others. "There are

approximately fourty three survivors still in Round Mountain. They are holed up in the local YMCA, apparantly it had a bomb

shelter. They've been out of food for two days now, and have a half dozen injured. A few elderly. They have a couple of able

bodies willing and able to fight, but they've been concentrating on holding their position. There's an unknown number of ferals

prowling the streets. A pack of wolves, apparantly, who managed to chase the townsfolk into their bolthole. I think we'll stop

the convoy outside of town and send in a scout to check the situation, then make a push down main street for the Y. Suggestions?

Objections? Opinions? How are you all holding up?"

Enaari radios over the comm, "Maybe we could do a kind of bait and switch, give them a juicy target then lead them into a trap?"

Darkwyrm listens intently to the report and then activates his voice input. "If you need a scout, then I can go. I can get in

there undetected, reassure the survivors, assess the threat and report back."

"Anything they could tell us about said Ferals?" Redd asks quickly. "Last thing we want is to head in blind."
Smokie perks up. "Scouting? Wolves? Count me in." She grins happily. "Good idea, but alas..." She shrugs. "We oughta go in

and recon. If everything's kosher, we'll set up a distraction while the convoy runs in. We have enough firepower."

"Honestly, I would suggest focus on the teamwork, before we get to the area. The last ambush showed how ill-coordinated we are.

And they were just six bandits." Aidan says on the com, voice quite emotionless, "Give us the intel, but we need to be prepared. I

could not be able to intercept a grenade the next time."

Loki thinks a little as the convoy travels, the dragon conversing with the mouse, and the husky if he decides to speak, trying to

glean the latter and if they will co-operate with him. He perks at the radio and ponders. "How many wolves? I would think that we

could eliminate the pack and liberate the people correct? I would assume there is a bubble there, or would I be wrong?" he asks.

"And would it be possible to transport the whole lot of the survivors back rather than supplying them?" he inquires, then nodding

to Aidan. "I concur. We need more organization. We can not go in flailing about and expect to come out unscathed." he says, then

turning to the mouse. "Any details on round mountain that you can provide? Does your prior leader have any reach there or with the

two wolfpacks?"

"Also, have they seen mutants before? Worst that could happen is we get there and get blasted by the guards." Redd falls silent,

waiting for some response from either the town or Jeanine.

Enaari turns to dark. "My stupid comm makes my antenna feel funny...what are you anyway? Some kind of doggie thing?

Smokie chimes in, "Yeah, good point, hun. It wouldn't be the first time either... Hopefully we won't have to return fire. And

hopefully... They're not so tasty."

Darkwyrm chuckles. "You could say that. I believe the specific term would be 'jackal'." he says. "And you're.. a moth? .. though

unlike the ones I usually see kicking around.", he adds, taking a moment to look the curious insectoid form over.

Enaari pushes a little bit of her fur out of her face. "Well, I'm a moth yes, but a yucca moth to be percise. My mommy says we're

a very rare mutation." She adjusts herself, moving her abdomen to a more comfortable location.

"They -are- mutants," Jeanine answers, calmly. She pauses a moment to confirm. "Yea. They have no idea how many. Maybe a

dozen. Maybe more. And we're not fitting fourty some people and all their belongings in five trucks. We're here to deliver

aid."

Smokie shrugs as her head hangs out of the back of her truck. "Well, I tell you what, I'll scout ahead and see what's up. We

oughta do this right."

"Yucca moth, huh? You must be quite rare then, considerin' I've never heard of it before.. and I've been around Fairhaven for a

good several years.", Dark says, scratching his chin. "Oh, blast all the comm chatter.", he growls. "I better accompany that hyena

lest she do something silly."

Enaari nods. "Be careful now..." She coos, looking back at the boxes.

There is one point, just before the convoy turns off the highway to approach Round Mountain, where the lead truck starts to slow

down for some animal in the road. At Jeanine's urging, though, the truck keeps right on driving and pastes the ex-critter into

red goo; wether it was just in the wrong spot, or was bait for another trap, Jeanine didn't want to find out. Eventually, though,

the convoy rolls to a stop at the outskirts of town. "Alright then," Jeanine directs. "You two, go have a look. The rest of

you, be on your guard."

Aidan nods, looking around and already changing her forearm back to the rifle.

Smokie jumps out of the truck, before sniffing in the air. "Something smells... Tasty." She trots up to the lead car, and

cringes a little, all with a skeptical hyena grin. "Mm, that looks good. I'll, er... Clean that up afterward, if you want."

Redd watches the roadkill, and looks back towards it once they pass, "I think it's been too long since I ate something, roadkill

is starting to look good..."

Darkwyrm pats his dagger sheathed at his hip and climbs out of the truck. He approaches Smokie and asks, "You ever done scoutin'

like this before?"

<OOC> Leraji says, "I will try to keep the split section brief. For ease of following, once Darkwyrm and Smokie start scouting, I

will use [City] and [Convoy] tags before my spoofs to indicate who is where."

Smokie looks up at Dark, and shakes her head. "No, actually. Not since some Zephyr folks pulled me out of the bunker." She

laughs a little, "Needless to say, that was really close after Pday."

Darkwyrm reverently says, "Alright, stick close, stay quiet, and remain aware of your surroundings at all times. Use your nose to

our advantage and tell me quietly if you sense anything. My nose isn't as great, but my eyes are sharp. Your dark clothes will be

advantageous, but let's stick to alleys as much as we can."

Smokie nods up to Dark, tilting her head until her neck pops. The quad-hyena smiles and says, "Sounds like fun. I've always been

fairly good at hunting. Ready when you are."

Darkwyrm nods to Smokie and walks over to the convoy leader. "Jeanine, was it?", he asks. "Do you have a general location or a map

of the city we could use to better locate the fitness center?" He does a few quick stretches to loosen his muscles and cracks his

back while he waits for the response.

[Convoy] Jeanine nods. "I don't have a map, but the center is apparantly ten block down the main street, here, then you go left

and up another four blocks." She eyes the city, clearly expecting trouble at some point. "Should be a straight shot, but it'd be

nice to know the way it clear. The survivor's stockpile was four or five blocks past that."

[convoy] Roger that. "Alright miss ..Smokie? Let's go. Shouldn't be too terribly hard to locate.", he says before setting off

towards the city in a fairly quick jog, but slow enough that he can muffle each footfall.

[Convoy] Loki frowns at the pasting of a critter and shakes his head, the dragon in a bit of a worse mood for the rest of the way

there, the sudden stop snapping him out of his thoughts. He rises to his feet and looks around, testing for scents and sights. "I

can scout by air if needed... or at least get an ariel view of things." he suggests.

[Convoy]Enaari grows bored quickly and moves to the other side of the truck, working to see whats inside the boxes.
Smokie trots up beside Darkwyrm, keeping up a swift, even pace on four legs, the only sound being made is the soft clack of her

shouldered rifle, and the leaf-like scraping of her claws on the asphalt.

[City] Smokie and Darkwyrm take off into the city. Darkwyrm is, indeed, quite stealthy - just another one of the lengthening

shadows stretching across the streets. Smokie isn't quite as quiet, but does well enough. She thinks, anyway. There are a few

places in the streets where things were obviously killed and eaten in the last week or so, but, so far, no sightings of the wolves

themselves.

[Convoy] Jeanine glances over at Loki, then shrugs. "If you want. You'd also be pretty visible yourself." The boxes in the

truck that Enaari is in are, as advertised, mostly food - both perishable and canned - and bottled water.

[City] Darkwyrm makes his way towards the indicated direction, keeping a careful watch around them. His ears twitch and perk at

every sound.

[City] Smokie sniffs around, her nose her main way of investigating. However, she can't help but wonder what, or who, was eaten

at the gory sites, and how they tasted. Come to think of it, she is a little hungry... She also notes what is, to her, at least,

a unique smell which she assumes is the wolves. Then again, she hasn't smelled any wolves but Fairhaven wolf beasts in two years.

[City] The scent is rather similar to those of the wolf beasts; not quite the same, but certainly close. And, as Darkwyrm slips

past one intersection, he sees something down other road... another shadow, this one moving in the wrong direction, though.

Quickly glancing the other way reveals another shape, quickly darting into cover.

[convoy]Enaari pouts and sits back down, she was hoping she could get something to eat. She turns on her comm one more, trying to

listen in on the happenings in the city.

[Convoy] Aidan is always there, looking around. Funny enough, she's not looking too much in the city's direction, but more behind

them or on the sides.

[City] "Shit, we're spotted.", Darkwyrm curses. "We --likely you-- are being followed. I don't know by what. At least two of

them.. smell anything?" He looks around for any way of getting up on top of the roofs of the buildings so they will have an

advantage against superior numbers.

[Convoy] Loki offers a simple shrug to Jeanine and thinks a little, his tail flicking from side to side. "So all we need to do is

deliver the contents of these trucks and we are finished right?" he asks, the dragon beginning to stretch himself out. "And the

wolves here lack guns right?"

[convoy]Enaari pipes up over the comm. "But there might be alot more than we can handle...what if you ran out of bullets when

there were still thirty left?"

[Convoy] Like Aidan, Jeanine remains on her guard. "Yes. Make the delivery, and we're good. There aren't reports of them using

firearms, or any kind of projectile, but there's no telling what sorts of natural capabilities the nanites left them with." She

shrugs. "And if we run out of bullets, we find alternative methods."

[City] Smokie frowns, "Why's it my fault?" She growls a little, softly, as she looks back and around. She takes a cautious

sniff, even as she listens to the distressing comm chatter. "Yeah... Kinda sexy... But no. You're lucky I'm not totally

female, we would've been swamped." She backs up some, closer to Dark. "Tactical retreat?"

[City] It's not a clear path, but of the downtown retail establishments - it looks like it may have been an insurance office - has

a stairway leading up to the second floor, and it looks like it'd be possible to climb from the top of those stairs onto the roof.

[Convoy] Loki offers a nod and leaps into the air, the dragon rapidly gaining altitude and then when he is comfortably high enough

above the buildings simply soars upon the air currents, scanning the city from above, his tongue flitting out of his mouth as he

peers below, scanning the streets and rooftops trying to plan a course of action and identify points of interest.

[City] "No, too late, turning around would be unwise.", Dark says. He points to the stairs alongside the building. "Let's see if

we can't get up there and then jump across rooftops and hopefully lose our pursuers."

[City] The Hyena turns to look. "Alright, but you might have to pull me up, I'm not exactly in a form good for climibg..."

[Convoy] The dragon in the sky seems to take note of something. "Darkwyrm. Smokie. Be careful. You are being surrounded... roughly

six. The around 10 are fanning out towards the edge of the city... The side our convoy is stationed at." he informs, the dragon

circling in the air a while longer, trying to spot any vantage points he can use and their objective.

[City] From the roof, Darkwyrm and Smokie can see a pair of prowling wolves on the streets below. They seem momentarily confused

by the unexpected direction their prey went, and one of them begins cautiously sniffing its way down the street towards the

building. The wolf-morphs are large and powerful creatures, one of them going on four legs like oversized wolves, while the other

looks like the more traditional wolf-beast.

[City] Darkwrym takes a moment for a breather and to survey the rooftops. "Alrighty, that should get them off our trail

momentarily.. how good are you at jumping?", he asks SMokie.

[City] The hyena peers over the edge of the roof, and can't help but let her tail wag. "Mm, that big one looks hot..." She's

snapped out of her revelie for a moment. Any prommies listening on the comm would be rolling their eyes at her baseness. "What,

jumping? Never had to do too much..."

[City] The jump across the street in either direction would be flat-out impossible for a normal person. The alleyway behind the

building is easier, a much narrower opening. Still, it may or may not be possible - it's short enough to look possible, but long

enough to leave some doubt.

[Convoy] Jeanine radios back. "Want us to move in?" she asks. From his place in the sky Loki can easily find the building that

was discussed, and sees nobody else moving on the streets below.

[City] "Hmm.. best get a running start then.", Dark says, glancing at the alleyway. "I'll go first, we gotta get a few buildings

away at least before we go to ground level again, or the wolves are gonna be on us again instantly." He walks to the other side of

the building and starts running in an all out sprint before bending his legs and leaping in an attempt to clear the alley.

[convoy]Enaari sighs softly and closes up the boxes, curling up onto the seats as she tries to get comfortable.

[Convoy] Redd lays out on the roof of the truck, the radio waking him from his almost-nap, "Moving in? Lemme get back up on my

feet,"

[City] The hyena, encouraged by Dark's easy sail over the alley, swallows some before she backs up. She sprints forward on all

fours, and leaps valiantly off the edge of the building. There's a moment of fear as she closes her eyes, a moment of relief as

she sees her paws soaring over the edge... Then she barely catches herself, her hind legs falling short and making her scrabble

and claw at the building to keep herself up. "SHITSHITSHIT! Dark!" She cries as she feels herself slipping and losing purchase.

[City] Dark lunges at Smokie, gasping, "No!" in surprise, attempting to grab her front paws and pull her to safety.

[City] Darkwyrm pulls Smokie up and out of the way just as a third wolf-morph enters the alley, attracted by the noise. It sniffs

the air, ears perked, and then begins prowling around the ground below. One of the first two seems to realize their prey is

making an escape, and the silence of the evening is suddenly split by a baying cry that sends shivers down the spine and makes fur

stand on end. The cry is picked up and echoed twice more throughout that side of the little town, the wolves coordinating their

search for intruders.

[City] Smokie pants as she's pulled up, and pushes a paw to her chest. "Oh god... Thanks, Dark.. Thought I was gonna end up

havin'ta do a good impression of a crash-test dummy back there..."
[Badges] Avatar says, "Tabrina gains the [Web Fashioned] badge!"

[City] "I would have been more worried about those wolves getitng at you than the fall.", Dark mutters. "They're likely capable of

a lot more damage than that two story drop." He shrugs then looks around again at other rooftops nearby. "We're not out of the

theoretical woods yet, we still gotta make it to the mark."

[City] Smokie smiles deviously as she helps herself onto all fours. "Yeah, I could handle those pups. Good ol' Valley-style

throwdown."

[City] There's only one other building that can be reached, the third along this side of the block. That one is a short hop, but

there is nowhere to go from there but down. Back the way they came, Darkwyrm and Smokie can hear the sound of claws climbing up a

metal fire escape.

[City] Dark cringes when he hears the metallic sounds. "Tiiime to go!", he urges, and rather hastily moving across the room and

hopping across to the next roof.

[City] Smokie growls, following Dark and jumping across with little trouble this time. "Right, skidaddle!" She passes up Dark on

her rush to whatever the fastest way down was.

[City] Alright, let's get back down, quick and as quietly as possible, then we'll make a sprint for cover once we're on the

ground.", Dark says as he starts walking around the rooftop, looking for a way to climb down.

[City] There isn't a clear egress from the roof of the third building, but there is some kind of hard plastic decorative trim that

hasn't completely crumbled, and some other attachment to the building that is only one story tall - it looks like a covered car

stall. You drop down off the roof just before two of the wolf-morphs make it up the onto the roof you originally fled to, able to

continue evading them.

[City] Dark chooses to land on the awning of the car cover with an 'Oof' and rolls off, landing on his feet. "C'mon!", he calls to

Smokie and starts sprinting towards the destination and away from the wolves.

[City] The hyena pauses a moment, hesitating, looking back to see the ears of the wolves come up over the edge of the far stairs.

She snarls, as she jumps down behind Dark, rolling off just beside him. "Alright, what now?" she asks, her adrenaline pumping.

[City] Loki, having warned the convoy makes his way towards Darkwyrm and the hyena. "Dark! Hyenagirl! You can probably make a

break for the objective if you are keen to run." He warns, notifying them of the direction they should take, ready to provide

additional information if needed, and is of course ready to dive in should anybody need help.

[City] Smokie realizes she's getting left behind, and with a blush, takes off to catch up. No action movie shit, she had to

remember that rule. She jumps though, seeing Loki soar by and shout. "Alright!"

[City] Stealth abandoned, Darkwyrm and Smokie bolt for the relative saftey of the town's last bastion. Loki provides overwatch,

and is able to see as the six wolves that had been hunting the two scouts catch on. There are a few short barks, and then one

pauses to give another long howl while the other five break into runs, moving for the streets. Darkwyrm is well in the lead, and

not in danger of being caught, while Smokie's lead - although considerable to begin with - is shrinking noticeably. She's three

blocks from the Y, heart pounding, the closest wolf a mere twenty yards behind her and running on all four paws, when a shot rings

out from the fitness center. The wolf springs to the side and rolls into an alleyway, momentum arrested by a wall, and one of the

town's few remaining guardians lowers his rifle and nods at Darkwyrm from the doorway. "I can't tell if I got it. Shit. You

want to come in?"

[Convoy] Out at the convoy, Jeanine has attached a laser pointer to her P90 to help her aim in the growing dark. She seems

unphased by the rising howls of the wolves, although the truck drivers are clearly on edge. Jeanine works her com. "I've got

movement in the outskirts here, but nothing I can fire at. How's it going?"

[City] "Yes! Please open the door! The hyena behind me is friendly!", Dark calls, still keeping up his sprint, although getitng

short on breath.

[City] Can barely talk, panting so animalistically hard as she sprints up behind Dark, her rifle clattering on her back as she

pours on the steam. "Yeah! Huff.. Friendly!"

[City] Loki seems satisfied at the backup, but continues to circle overhead until Dark and Smokie are safe inside. "Dark and

Smokey are nearing the objective point. Six wolves still present. We may have to cut through those as well if we want inside...

The rest should be making their way towards you at the moment. Going to linger here a little longer to see how they react. They

may head your way regardless."

[City] The guard, some apparant mix of tiger and gazelle, lets Darkwyrm and Smokie inside. "So I hear you're with the convoy that

was bringing supplies?" he asks, eager. Out in the streets, the wolves cautiously move up along side streets and alleyways,

prowling back and forth, but they clearly know which streets to avoid and where the townsfolk in the Y can get a clear shot. They

appear to be doing some extra scouting of their own, looking for other intruders, and then patiently waiting for the next move.

One of them looks up into the sky and stares straight at Loki for a while, but then looks away.

[City] Smokie pants and huffs once she's inside, leaning against the wall of the bunker. "Oh man, thanks... God, haven't worked

that hard since Redd threw me off a bridge into the river..."

[City] Relieved to see Dark and Smokey make it inside Loki then circles towards the Caravan, gliding his way there as he tries to

get a newer sense of where the wolves are in relation to Jeanine and the others.

[City] Dark takes a few moments to catch his breath before cracking his back and looking at the guard. "Thank you, and yes, we're

with the convoy. We're here to officially report that we've arrived, are making preparations to breach the city, and to assess

your situation here, and lend aid if necessary."

[City] The tigazelle smiles happily, long cat tail swishing. "Great! They've got us holed up here... we can't leave the building

without them getting to us," he explains, then peeks out the glass door down the street, "but we've got good enough fire lanes

that they can't get to us. At least without getting hurt too badly to make them regret it. They're damned smart, and wicked

strong. And... I tell ya, mister. Ma'am. It's been two days since I had a meal, and that meal was three kernals of corn and

half a stale granola bar. I'm about ready to chew my own hand off if I don't get some real food." Out in the streets, the wolves

continue to circle and prowl. They rarely stay in one place for long, constantly shifting, slowly circling the alleys and side

streets on the outskirts of the town like sharks who smell blood in the water. On his way back, Loki can easily count eleven more

wolves; another eerie howl cuts through the night as they wait.

[City] "Roger that.", Dark says. He activates his Comm unit and radios Loki. "Send word to the convoy that we've reached the

location, and give them your threat assessment and the following information about the survivors." He spends a good minute or two

relaying most of the details the guard had just given him, as well as some other things regarding location of the building,

armaments of the guards and so on. As he awaits a repsonse, he turns back to the Tigazelle and says, I've got a few rations you

may pass around to those you see fit, but I'd recommend using them for your most sick, or your most able to fight persons." At

that, he reaches into his pocket and starts pulling out a number of granola bars.

"Now that they've found the survivors, I assume we move in?" A hint of impatience was audible in Redd's voice, if only barely. He

adjusts his footing on the roof of the truck, before reaching for his rifle, barely sticking out of the bag.

[City] Loki growls a little into his com. "The wolves seem to be waiting. Not stupid thats for sure... They are always moving and

waiting for your entry I think. They may have played this 'game' before." The dragon then circles a little lower and searches for

a cluster of wolves if he can. The air shimmers around a wolf for a moment before it erupts into a bright light, a thin arc of

elecricity leading from Loki to his target in a blinding explosion of radiance, lightning, and a sudden temperature spike.

[Convoy] "Then it looks like we're moving in..." Jeanine radios back. She climbs back up into the cab of her truck. "We'll come

on in, and maybe if they give you a chance hit 'em from behind." Aidan takes up a spot in the rearmost truck in the convoy, and

they begin heading down the street. "We're just going to plow on through if we can, boys and girls. Cover us if you can." The

wolf Loki fried lies on the pavement, scorched and smoking, while the others nearby scatter for cover.

[City] The tigazelle catches the words from the radio, and looks even more exicted yet. He gratefully accepts the granola bars,

then gets on his walkie talkie; soon another six townsfolk, all they can spare and have available, are with the group at the front

door, ready if they are needed.

[City] continues to gluide above the convoy, the dragon searching for the various wolves, banking and turning, trying to provide

as much cover as he can. When he becomes too low to maintain his gluide he lands upon the rooftops and begins following as best he

can, leaping from roof to roof, using his wings to increase the distance he can jump. Should he get a clear shot, Loki will take

it.

[City] The hyena frowns some at the six sickly-looking reinforcement. The cause of the joint operation lies standing in front of

her. She shrugs, and unslings her rifle, cradling it in a bent foreleg. "Put me somewhere I could lay down some fire.

The sun is setting off to the west, in the direction the convoy had arrived from, as the trucks start up again and begin moving into the town of Round Mountain. Jeanine Perdeaux, RSX contractor, is riding shotgun in the lead truck, while Redd and Aidan are further back with other trucks in the convoy. Smokie and Darkwyrm are with the town's survivors in the YMCA, and the streets are filled with prowling wolf-morphs. Loki flies above, having already delivered thunder and lightning unto one of the ferals; the others keep a wary eye on the sky now as they dart from shadow to shadow, sticking to cover, waiting for their chance to pounce.

[City] Darkwyrm keeps his ears open, listening to the comm chatter and awaiting a chance to lend his aid to the convoy as it makes its way into the city. It's dangerous to committ any energy to fighting yet, until the vehicles can create a distraction.

[City] Smokie stares out the glass window, her hackles raised, her short and brushy tail flagging. She's on edge and tense, and can feel the bloodlust welling up in her stomach and making her trigger-digit twitchy. She takes a deep breath, and then whispers to one of the survivors, "Can you put me up on the roof of this place?"

[City] The silvery shadow that is Loki continues to glide up above the others, trying to keep pressure on the ferals, though he is slowly losing altitude as he tries to conserve energy. Still well above most houses but nowhere near his previous height he maintains a near constant vigil as he tries his best to track the prowling wolves, taking note of any clusters, bends, and other places that may be useful for ambushes or provide an impedement for the caravan, and should he see something that may be an impediment he will notify them.

[Convoy] Jumping off the truck he had positioned himself atop, Redd makes a short dash ahead and jumps into the back of the second truck, searching through several crates before he spots the prize he was searching for, a search lamp! He tests it, and frowns as the light produced is rather dim. It's batteries had gone bad in the years since P-day. "Oh, the hummer's battery. That'll be more than enough power." Redd opens the comm a moment, "Loki, you didn't grab the jumper cables from the hummer, did you?"

[City] Loki frowns a little and tries to think back. "Migh have... Might have not. I would think that the trucks likely have jumper cables if I did not remember taking them. I do know we were pressed for time."

The convoy continues down the street. The route is clear enough the trucks won't have any problem single file, but once the final truck is a few blocks into the city - and the lead truck still two block from it's turn - the wolves make their first move. Three of them dart out of the shadows towards the truck in the middle. Jeanine tries to line up a shot out of her window but curses as she can't get a good angle; one of the wolves jumps up onto the hood of the truck and snarls at the driver, the second climbs the canvas covering on the back, and the third sinks it's claws into the passenger side door and starts wrenching at it.

[City] Dark growls and turns to Smokie. "Hear that?", he asks, "The convoy's made its move, and so have the wolves. Ready for some action?" He also motions to the guards. "Got anyone among you well fed and eager enough to help us help you?"

[City] Smokie growls some as she hears what sounds like growling over the comm. "Yeah, I head that. I'm ready. " Cradling the rifle in the crook of her foreleg. She looks around, for a moment, brows furrowed. She hopes Redd and theo thers can handle the situation.

In the building, the survivors look at eachother, and worry. "We don't want to leave the people here undefended... but we can help, yea," one of them says. "The six of us are in the best shape, I guess the others can keep a lookout and let us know if they sneak attack."

[Convoy] Turning as he hears the driver in the truck behind him, Redd spots the wolves on the vehicle, drops the spotlight and impulsively, (and rather foolishly) jumps out of the back of on truck, and lands on the hood with one of the wolves.
<Hero> Redd spends a Hero point!

[City] Darkwyrm whips out his dagger and twirls it in the air, then catches it in a backhand grasp. He raises his voice to address everyone arranged to depart and says, "Right then, let's head out!" before pushing open the doors and breaking into a sprint towards the location of the trucks.

[City] Loki begins a dive down as soon as the wolves make their move. Electricity would be a futile maneuver and could bring others within the car to harm. "Redd! Take care of the wolves upon the sides I have the-" he stops, the impulsive Redd already having made his move and he growls a protest and focuses his attention upon the wolf climbing the canvas, the dragons claws and talons going for throat, eye, and spine, aiming for a quick kill, grab, or simply knock the offender away. Regardless of the result he pulls out of the swoop shortly after.

[City] The hyena-girl, heart pounding in her chest, begins to lope off following dark, suprisingly quick even on three legs. She follows Dark, tense, ready for any ambush.

The truck lurches as Redd lands on the hood, and the bipedal wolf-morph is quick to turn and lunge at him, jaws snapping and claws scraping along the dragon's armor. The other wolf almost loses it's grip as Loki dives at it, but quickly finishes scrambling up to the roof of the truck; the door gives a loud, protesting screach as the hinge starts twisting. Four more wolves come out of a side street to attack the lead truck in a similar manner, one wolf going for the door while the others climb it, looking for more victims. Aidan lines up a shot and takes the wolf off of the roof of the third truck, and with a curse Jeanine opens her door, stands up on her seat with a leg braced on the open door, and fires a burst of rounds at the wolves. Up above, Loki can see the others getting ready to come at Aidan from behind, and far up the street, where Darkwyrm and Smokie are, the wolves that had been circling the Y give chase. The townsfolk manage to pick another one off, and the pack splits, three of the wolves chasing Darkwyrm and Smokie while the other two turn to rush at the defenders.

[City] Darkwyrm looks over his shoulder and sees the wolves giving chase. "Smokie! Got any grenades or mines to drop behind us?", he shouts. "We need something to slow them down so we can regroup!"

[City] The 'yena shakes her head, pouring on the steam to try and speed up. "Nah, got nothin'. But 'kin stay back, hold 'em off for awhile. Go on ahead!" She spins around, skidding as she does, and, holding her rifle in one paw as she braces with the other three, empties her magazine at the three wolves.

[Convoy]"Gun the engines and take a sharp turn on the next street. It should throw them off." Redd growls into his still open comm, before taking a lunging bite at the one next to him on the hood, and sinking his claws into the hood of the truck to secure himself.
<*Official*> Redd proves that they possess a stat named superior balance with a value of 3. [Found in: Special]

[City] A growl of protest escapes the dragon as his attempt at the wolf fails his attempt at picking off a wolf. "Aidan! Behind you! Three of them!" he calls out, and growls as he then gives for the two wolves rushing the riflemen, a roar escaping the dragon as he heads straight for the ravenous canines. As he nears the end of the dive he snaps his wings together and spins about in the air, the dragon delivering a kick magnified by momentum, several hundred Kilos of nanosteel, and martial training, bone splintering underfoot as he usees one as a landing pad to launch himself at the other, the dragon once again whipping about and using a tail and claw in the spin to deal with the other.
<Hero> Loki spends a Hero point!

One of the wolves chasing Smokie and Darkwyrm goes down as the hail of bullets tears it's chest open and a second one stumbles as a grazing shot throws it off balance; the third runs straight into Smokie, knocking her gun flying. His teeth lunge for her neck but she jerks to the side fast enough for it only graze her, the cut tingling with pain as he knocks her to the pavement. Redd's own lunge rewards the dragon with a mouth full of wolf meat, the wolf howling in agony and losing its footing as the truck surges. It flails, and then latches it's teeth on Redd's foot to keep from being thrown. Aidan turns and calmly cripples another wolf behind the convoy, then crouches down to brace herself, while the lead truck swings into the turn. Jeanine almost slips, yells at the driver to duck; he does so, and she sends a fullisade of rounds through his door into the wolf trying to tear through, and the last wolf on the second truck manages to finish ripping the passenger door out of it's way. Back at the Y the defenders rally as Loki drops from the sky like a golden comet, taking their attackers by surprise, and they start moving down the street to help.

[City] Smokie yelps, more from instinct than pain as she's shaved by the wolf's teeth. She tries to get her paws under the beast atop her, to claw at him with her raking claws. Her eyes flash in cold conceit as some kind of deeper, baser calculating self takes over. She doesn't need her gun or her crowbar to shred this asshole limb from limb, and her defiant growl says that aloud.

[City] "No, you fool!", Dark growls. He skids to a stop and reverses direction, running back to assist Smokie. He whips his dagger around again and throws it at the unbalanced wolf, aiming for its head. When he reaches Smokie, he throws the full weight of his body and momentum into the wolf assaulting her in an attempt to knock it off her.

[Convoy] Redd snarls at the wolf hanging off his leg, and takes a snap at its neck, before slamming his weight through the windshield to get inbetween the wolf at the door and the driver.
In a page-pose to you, Loki is going to rally the men and use 'protien shied' (Or more accurately a nantie barrier) and then charge and fling a wolf carcass at the wolves. :x (Notes Loki is effected a little by the other nanites within him. :x He is beginning to have a bit of trouble restraining himself)

[City] Loki looses a triumphant roar as he downs the two wolves and rises to his full height and gestures down the street. "Onwards! Never give up and never surrender!" he screams, a miasma of nanites escaping the dragon soon after as the air around him begins to crackle with electricity and hum with electricity, pale blue arcs of power dancing through through mists. A gesture of his hand and some of the nanites swarm around the dragon and men, forming a protective armour. He is not still for long, the dragon hauling one of the downed wolves as he charges off towards the others, aiming to lead the men while boosting moral. When in sight of the caravan and wolves the dragon cries out once again and hurls the broken wolf remains towards the rabid pack.

The wolf pinning Smokie down bites her and rips into her with its claws even as Smokie's own claws begin ripping and shredding it; Darkwyrm's assualt knocks it off of Smokie, though, and it is much less effective at piercing Darkwyrm's armor as it bleeds to death. The last wolf on the street is pawing at the knife reflexively, but it stops moving as one of the town's defenders double taps it on the way past. Jeanine drops from the first truck and takes up a position to cover the corner while the lead convoy truck continues towards the Y, and the defenders quickly move to the sidewalk to get out of the way, picking off the other wolves with their guns; the driver of the second truck is freaking out, and misses his turn entirely as he watches Redd crash into the wolf in the cab. The third truck makes a rather impressive power slide, hitting the turn perfectly and spilling a few boxes of goods, and Aidan continues to methodically take down wolves, although with six left converging on her truck her chances do not look so good.

[City] Darkwyrm wastes no time in disengaging from the wolf corpse, but makes a note to crush its neck with his heel just to make sure it doesn't get up again. He offers a hand to Smokie to help her up before proceeding to the second wolf corpse to retrive his weapon.

[City] The hyena yips some as she's bit and clawed, before Dark tears the beast off of her. Her whole underside is dank with blood, her own and the wolf's, and she has to take a moment to look over herself, and assess the damage, before she feels she's able to help herself up, on her own if she can.
Leraji gives Wolf Nads(Gear) to Smokie.

[City] Loki breaks into a sprint and with a snap of his wings leaps into the air in an attempt to close distance to the last truck where the rest of the wolves converge. "They must be ravenous! Most animals would have fled by now!" he calls out as he arcs through the air, pushing off the top of a building to gain in elevation and momentum, the dragon then beginning to descend upon the wolves in the back. He impacts with the ground in a literal explosion of electricity and incandescent light in an attempt to cause as much damage to the remainders as he can, or at least stun them momentarily.
<Hero> Loki spends a Hero point!
<Hero> Loki spends a Hero point!

[City] Smokie picks herself up and shakes herself off, quickly forcing herself to get used to the pain. She snarls a bit, and goes to take a step, before she feels something squish a little underpaw. She looked down, and... [You have acquired Wolf Nads! Doodoo, doodoo!]

[City] Dark flicks some blood off his weapon and looks over at Smokie. "You alright? Still able to fight?", he asks.

[Convoy]Redd turns towards the wolf at the door, and growls, before the wolf bursts into flames. Redd kicks the burning wolf from the vehicle, and looks towards the driver, "What?"
<*Official*> Redd proves that they possess a stat named nova meteor with a value of 3. [Found in: Special]

The wolf in front of Redd does not just burst into flames; it goes from being a wolf trying to eat a diamond one moment, to being a vaugely ex-wolf-shaped ball of plasma in the next instant. The light and the heat is intense, if momentary, and the driver is absolutely stunned by the display. He stammers something indecipherable back at Redd. Loki's assault on the last half of the pack is another flashy assault; the wolf he landed next to drops to the ground, little more than a charred husk, and two more are momentarily stunned and blinded by the light. Aidan takes the opportunity to shoot another wolf, then agiley leaps from the truck to land next to Loki, her blade coming out. The remaining wolves circle the pair, then bolt down the street as Jeanine peppers them with fire from her assault rifle. The final truck makes its way up the street to the Y, and the night goes still.

[City] Shakes her head roughly, snorting out a little bit of blood from her nose. "Yeh.. Fine." She mumbles to Dark, as she turns and begins heading back to The Y, glaring thoughtfully and licking her lips at every corpse she passes.

Jeanine makes her way up the street, on the watch for a second wave or another assault. "Everyone alive?" she asks. Most of the town's survivor's have turned out to start offloading trucks, while the tigazelle comes over to check on Smokie as well. "Oh, wow... are... are you OK?"

"Alright here.", Dark calls to Jeanine. "Are all threats neutralized?", he asks.

<Mutation> Smokie almost tips forward in surprise, Black and tan furred skin glistening as their breasts shrink as two breasts vanish!
<Mutation> Smokie's head becomes infected with Wolf Beast!
The hyena shivers some, rolling her shoulders. "Yeah, I'm... I'm good... RRou.. Just a little sore." She turns and looks over her shoulder, glaring at a corpse. "I feel like... Grrr... Raping onna these fuggers!" Her fur starts to bristle, as changes slowly wash over her, her teeth sharpen and elongate, her muzzle grows and tapers, her ears come to a point, as the fur on her head begins to darken and thicken... Before she can help it, a deep growl is working its way up her throat...

The poor Tigazelle starts backing away, eyes wide and fur bristled. "H... hey now..." he starts, gun unconciously starting to rise. "Don't... don't let it get you, ma'am! Please, don't!" he nearly cries, distressed. Jeanine eyes Smokie and the guard a moment, then nods at Darkwyrm. "Yea. We're clear. Don't let this get out of hand," she offers, before heading down one of the alleyways.

Smokie looks up, confused, though she still has a rather aggressive sneer on her muzzle. "Don't let what get me?" She snaps, "Didn't you see me out there! Damn near clawed one open! ...Hell, I reckon I earned myself some dinner... Look at it, meat all over the street!"

Darkwyrm steps beside Smokie and puts a heavy arm on her shoulder. "Not in front'a the simple folk.", he warns her. "If y'want a meal, drag one of the ones away when they're not lookin'."

"You... your..." the townie stammers a bit. Then he slowly lowers his gun, and reaches up to paw at his own muzzle. "You, erm... have big teeth..." he finishes quietly, fur still bristled and eyes wide. He takes a few steps back away from the pair. Aidan nods at them as she wanders past, and helps unload the trucks, the supplies quickly going into the building.

Loki seems to wobble precariously in place, the dragon looking rather spent for now. He seems to be panting, if ever so slightly, perhaps trying to hide this fact. He growls a little as he begins making his way towards the building. "Need some rest... sorry. Would help unload... Running low on energy." he murmurs as he heads towards the building.
You received a vote from Loki! Use +xp to see your current total

Smokie frowns a little, as Dark's heavy arm pushes some sense back into her head. She doesn't even know that her head's mutated yet, since, as a pre-acquired form, it feels as natural to her as her hyena form, or her Tousky form. "You're right... Maybe leave it as a warning t' the others." She begins to pad off to the corpse she filled with bullets, and begins to drag it out of view, in order to freely have her way with it.

Darkwyrm sighs and leaves Smokie to her thing before slipping his dagger back in the sheathe and padding off towards the trucks to start helping unload the supplies.

When the truck that missed the turn finally arrives, Redd has passed out in the passenger seat, his body too stiff to be removed from the vehicle easily but still relatively warm. A blinking warning on his comm reads "Low Nanite mass, refresh immediately!" Huh, must have burned through his internal reserves.

The tigazelle still seems rather... put off by Smokie, but at least she seems to not be entirely feral... he goes with Darkwyrm to help unload, while elsewhere in the city the sound of automatic weapons fire chatters a few times. Eventually Jeanine returns as well, and makes notes of the vehicles and their damage before moving in to join Darkwyrm and the truck drivers in the hero's welcome the town is giving them.

Late in the night, after the celebration, the nocturnity of the scene is undisturbed. The trucks, unloaded, sit dormant and cold... A wolf-looking thing stirs, a shadow in the dark as it prowls around the crates, a smell heavy of blood and something else less readily admitted. This wolf sniffs around the trucks for awhile, just a quiet shuffling, minute clicks of its claws on the asphalt... It works its way over to Redd's truck where it rears up, leaning over the window. Now its silhouette is a stark contrast to the starry night behind it...

Darkwyrm rests in the back of one of the adjacent trucks, semi-asleep, but still alert, keeping watch over their transportation back to Fairhaven. His ears perk at the conspicuous shuffling and he leans over the edge of the bed of the truck to investigate.
Everyone else is inside the Y, only a few sentries awake, and even then they are distracted by the first good meal they've had in a long time, as well as the recent victory, and are barely paying attention to anything outside.

The wolfbeast makes some noise, a sound between a whine and a growl, as it begins to pull on the door, making it rattle. The thing seems to grow a little more aggravated as she sniffs the dormant drake, eventually beginning to claw at the door with its hindpaws as it tries to climb inside.

Darkwyrm hefts his body over the truck bed and lands right next to the wolf, weapon at ready. "Halt.", he says, lips upturned in a snarl. His arm is half extended, and the sharp end of his weapon is pointed at the trespasser.

The wolfbeast turns swiftly on Darkwyrm, a snarl in its throat and its teeth bared. It postures for dominance over Dark, and in the dark, it looks just like one of the wolves from earlier...

Darkwyrm takes a few steps forward, holding out his arm and putting some weight behind his advance, attempting to pin the wolf against the truck with his arm at its neck.

The bored guard inside the building sees the motion outside, and speaks into his walkie talkie. Then he opens the door and steps out, pulling his revolver from its holster. "Hey! Everything alright?" he asks, as he circles wide around the trucks to try and get a better view.

The Wolf doesn't let itself get pinned, no, not at all. It snaps at Dark's hand, before retreating further into the cab, over Redd's unconscious body. It makes a good target against his light-refracting body.

The guard doesn't hesitate; amped up on the heroics of others, the raccoon takes the shot. He has more enthusiasm than aim, though; what was supposed to be a bullet in the head simply clips off one of Smokie's ears instead. "D... get down!"

"Gah.", Dark growls, pulling his hand back with a few more holes in it than he started with. This doesn't settle well with him. He shouts towards the guard, "Stay out of this, I got it!", he yells to the guard, then scrambles into the cabin after the wolf, inadvertantly splattering blood on the immobile form of Redd as he does so.

The wolfbeast jumps as his ear is clipped, turning his head to the gunman through the shattered window. With a loud snarl that echoes off the stillness of the surrounding buildings, he begins to snap and swipe wildly at the approaching jackal, and even seems like he's going to make a lunge...

Darkwyrm holds up his arm and covers his face, hoping his heavily reinforced coat is enough to stop the scratches and slashes from the wolf. He waits for a flaw in the wolf's attacks then attempts to grab one of its arms and throw it backwards out of the truck.

Smokie makes a loud barking snap at Dark, followed by a sudden lunging bite, disregarding whatever Armor the jackal may have as the wolf lashes out from its corner.

When the wolf latches onto his arm with her teeth, he grunts in obvious pain and discomfort. Red blotches sppear through the fabrics of his coat. However, being quite used to feeling pain, he shrugs it off and attempts to conk Smokie in the head with the pommel of his blade.

Smokie takes the blow direct to her skull, and after blinking hard a few times, she lets go, standing and swaying as she tries to get her head back in order. It doesn't look like she's out for the count, though.

Darkwyrm coils his body like a serpent, leaping over Redd and colliding with Smokie in her moment of daze, trying to knock her out through the opposite door and tackle her to the ground.

Smokie, in her daze, is easily thrown over and out the other door of the cab, straight onto her back. With a wet smack, her already tender'd head roughly makes acquaintence with the asphalt, and her body goes limp. Not dead, but definitely out for a bit. K.O.! In the glimmer of light from the Y shininy on them, Dark can see the sheen of the intact leathers which the Wolf is wearing, very familiar leathers.

"Hrmph.", Dark grunts, identifying his scouting companion totally wolfed out. He puts his weapon away again and bind Smokie's arms and legs before hefting her into the back of one of the trucks. He then starts tending to his wounds by siphoning some blood from some of the fallen wolf corpses nearby before returing to sentry duty.

Smokie stays tied up and passed out in back of the truck till morning. Dark and Aidan seem like the only ones who made it through the mission in operational order... In the morning, Smokie will probably be back to her senses, and wondering why the hell she's tied up in the back of a truck and NOT getting raped, and yet still will not have, by that time, figured out she wolfed out. For a nanite adept, she's pretty oblivious.

[[Category:RPLogs]]

User:Rihko

2012-03-27T06:33:10Z

Rihko:

Rihko Kirijo

''(Pronounced: Re·ko Key·re·joe)''

Zephyr Field Agent, Engineer, Self-Alleged 'Mad Engineer'

''(The official Zephyr file:)''

Rihko was one of the middle children of the Kirijo family of New York. Her father, Matsu, was an emigrant who earned his citizenship in the US Air Force. Her mother, Susan, was a counselor and the two met through a mutual friend. Rihko is the only survivor - Susan Kirijo was the only known relative to survive PN Day, and she died shortly thereafter when she left the bubble after contracting an inorganic mutation variation. When she initially joined Zephyr and was asked to identify a next-of-kin, Rihko declined, stating that she did not have a single surviving relative of any variety. When originally asked if she had any friends she wanted to declare as emergency contacts, Rihko likewise declined, stating none were currently alive. Recently she has listed Taggart, her mate/fiancee, as her emergency contact.

Rihko traveled extensively before PN Day. She was the Purchasing Director for s small museum/gallery in San Diego, California, and worked with private collectors on a freelance basis. Her job sent her on frequent trips, both cross-country and international. During the Outbreak, Rihko volunteered for the rescue operation in San Diego, helping in triage and logistics. She contracted a relatively mild nanite infection at the time, which left her still looking human, but she received the Zephyr inoculation just to be safe. Since she was already 'contaminated' Rihko applied for a position with Zephyr. Currently, she operates as a field agent for Zephyr, and is listed as a lab intern for Pax Ex Scientia, an independent group directed by Loki. In addition to filing paperwork, her general studies, and various errands, Rihko also enjoys tinkering and designing gadgets, and she lives at the New Ireland pub.

Other Zephyr staff members have noted Rihko for her positive attitude and resilient personality. When she first arrived in Fairhaven, Rihko did not have any experience fighting and frequently ended up in Zephyr's triage - while dealing with the other associated trauma of being overrun by ferals. Despite her trials and tribulations, though, she always remained positive and upbeat, and continues to enthusiastically pursue, well, whatever task she's currently working on.

Lately, Rihko has started a business of her own: Kirijo Arms, selling various armaments to other survivors. She runs the business in tandem with her children. It currently operates out of the Pax Ex Scientia tower.

Known Immediate Relations:
(Pre PN Day)
Matsu Kirijo (Father) (Deceased) (Went feral, put down by Susan Kirijo in self defense)

Susan Kirijo (Mother) (Deceased) (Died after leaving the New York bubble)

Miri Kirijo (Sister) (Deceased) (Murdered by feral formally known as Matsu Kirijo)

Yuko Kirijo (Sister) (Missing, Presumed Deceased)(Last known location: Las Vegas)

Angela Kirijo (Sister) (Deceased) (Murdered by looters in St. Louis)

Daniel Kirijo (Brother) (Deceased) (Killed by ferals in Minneapolis)

Tatsu Kirijo (Brother) (Missing, Presumed Deceased) (Last known location: San Antonio)
(Post Fairhaven)
Taggart (Fiancee) (Owner/operator of New Ireland)

Takumi Kirijo (Son) (Oldest son, kitsune, usually tends to the Inari shrine when not working)

Jorge Kirijo (Son)

Natasha and Natalya Kirijo (Daughters)

----
''(Unofficial Addendum)''

Rihko does not just tinker with parts now and then; although she might not understand the nanites very well, or be anywhere near as accomplised at using them as an adept or a true dedicated scientist, she is a natural engineer and excels at the practical application of mechanics and electronics. (OOC: Her first Profession was Magnificent Bastard, and she has Design level 3).

Rihko's personal philosophy is not one that she has shared with a lot of people, but she believes that, above all, one must be focused on the now. She believes that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing enthusiastically, and tends to throw herself into whatever it is she is doing - be that something as tame as filing paperwork or talking with a friend, or something like scavenging and fighting. She also believes that she shouldn't drop her problems on other people, so she tends to avoid talking about any of her past that she thinks others might find unpleasant.

Shortly after PN Day, one of Rihko's ex boyfriends in San Diego tracked her down. The man, the latest in a series of poor relationship choices, had decided to take advantage of the fall of society, and attacked Rihko. He broke one of her legs, knocked her out, and tied her to a bed so he could rape her repeatedly. Fueled by rage and hatred Rihko broke her own hand in order to slip free from the bindings, and instead of going for help she found a knife and murdered her ex. She went to post-trauma counseling for a while, but she never admitted that deep inside, there was a piece of her that had woken up. Something ruthless and feral, that crowed with joy as her ex's blood ran down her hand and the life fled from his body.

All her attempts to contact her family had failed, both in the immediate aftermath of PN day and through her counseling, so she decided to set out across country and find them. Under normal circumstances, the trip to New York meant four or five days to a week on the road (if she couldn't find a plane), and in the chaos following PN day Rihko couldn't find a plane. The trip ended up taking her a little over a month, and Rihko ran into some other unpleasantness on the way, but she did eventually make it to New York.

There, she learned that her father had gone feral, and killed her sister. And that her mother, now mostly robotic, had killed Matsu in self defense. The two set out to find the rest of the family together, and Rihko watched her mother die as they left the bubble of New York, her inorganic body unable to sustain itself without the nanite cloud.

Over the course of the next year, Rihko traveled to the other places her family had lived, and ran into the same sort of stories - people with problems, people with issues, and her family dead and gone. She also had to defend herself, with lethal force, on several occasions. Each time, she became more and more comfortable with her Beast, as she called it, calling on it for survival, feeding it all of the hurt, all of the sadness, all of the despair she felt so that it could strengthen her with rage, fighting it for control after each encounter.

She would likely have gone down a short, dark road into true psychopathy had it not been for a man she met on her trip; David Williams, a Kitsune. He could sense her trouble, and he was impressed by her determination and control, and by her dedication to her family. He started traveling with her, teaching her things about the world and helping her find ways to channel and control her emotions, instead of being controlled by them. In the end, he helped sponsor her to Prince Inari, and with nothing else left, Rihko pledged her service and become a Kitsune in turn.

Now she is in Fairhaven, trying to keep an eye on what's going on and an ear to the ground, and helping civilization cling together and rebuild.

"We must remain resolute, and guard everything we hold dear, for unstable times lead to uncivil societies." - David Williams

"The best cure for hard luck, is hard work." - Susan Kirijo

Nanite Adept (dedication)

2012-03-16T19:29:05Z

Rihko:

Zephyr Labs will accept your loyalty and offers SCIENCE! in return.

==Location==
Costs 50 Mako to dedicate yourself in the lab one step north and one west of Triage.

==Powers==
Grants the power to shift into any form you have the Total badge for (note there is no readily-available Total Human badge). Also grants access to the Recall command which allows you to teleport to your dedication point and then back to where you last recalled from. Finally you gain the [[Reconstruct]] power for combat use as you force your nanites to return to a non-bleeding pattern.

'shift' by itself lists the forms you have available. 'shift blue gryphon' changes all your body parts and gender settings to the Blue Gryphon default and costs 40 energy.

==Additional Equipment==
Two additional options are available for Nanite Adepts: the [[Nanite Fine Tuner]] is an inventory item that costs 50 mako and allows you to shift individual body parts with the 'shift legs=ashen matriarch' command. The [[Nanite Focus Device]] allows anyone with the Nanite Adept badge to use the Fine Tuner while not currently an Adept. The [[Nanite Social Devolutionizer]] is the opposite of monster bait; using it will reduce the spawn chance of a selected mutation. The [[Nanite Carnal Equalizer]] allows you to take on the gender and proportions of a species without actually changing species, and bypasses size restriction perks. The [[Nanite Spatial Recalculator]] allows an Adept to shift their size without changing any of their parts, the [[Nanite Resistor]] can be used to toggle infection immunity on and off, and the [[Nanite Sexual Stabilizer]] can lock/unlock your groin stats and keep them from changing. Finally, the [[Nanite Gender Assigner]] lets you use whichever bits you feel like using.

==Thematic Information==

The Nanite Adepts are a phenomenon that started emerging around the Zephyr building area not too long after P-Day. Individuals, seemingly at random, noticed an increased, sudden control over the nanites in their body, being able to recall complete infections they previously were subjected to. While some praise this as a sort of emotional bond to their nanites, and others see it as a sort of evolution of their new state, the truth is more worrying and mundane at the same time;
The Nanite Adept Project initiated by Zephyr Labs partially sees to the regular introduction of CnC Nanites into the food an drink supply of the Zephyr Building's cantina. The CnC Nanites, short for Command and Control, are supposed to settle down in the subject's body, and by forming a communication and control link between the subject's brain and the nanites distributed in their body, allow them to conciously or subconciously send the commands for activation of various stored forms to the infection nanites.

The CnC nanites, due to their highly complex mechanisms of linking to the subject's mental processing, are not compatible with most people of the populance. Despite regular ingestion, many people show no signs of the CnC nanites taking hold, and upon failure to do so the nanites leave the body through natural processing.

Note that ICly people are not aware of this experiment, unless they are involved in the shady background dealings of Zephyr. They just make up their own theories, altho paranoid natures certainly would notice a connection between the Zephyr Building location and the 'phenomenon'.

Next stages of the Nanite Adept Project include the [[Nanite Fine Tuner]] and the [[Nanite Carnal Equalizer]].

[[Category:Dedications]]

On the Outskirts of Woodfield

2012-02-24T02:43:25Z

Rihko: Created page with "(RP Event on 2/22/2012, ran by Leraji; Participating: Loki, Darkwyrm, Caeli, Unnatural, and Neterros) [Briefing Room, Floor 2]: RSX Briefing Room This is RSX's Briefing Room ..."

Gear

2012-02-21T18:40:19Z

Rihko: /* Equipping Gear */

As Flexible Survival has progressed, the number of choices available for people keeps increasing, and many people are worried about making the right choices when it comes to gear - what to use, how to get it, how to use it, and so on. Since these questions come up frequently, here are some collected answers!

 

== Equipping Gear ==

When you first start the game, you can talk to the Requisition Clerk in Triage to receive a gear starter kit. Depending on which kit you choose, you are given a chainsword or a laser pistol, a combat helmet, and either a medkit or an armored vest.

To see your inventory, you type 'i', 'inv', or 'inventory'. This gives you a numbered list of all the items you are carrying. For example, it may say:
*1 Chain sword
*2 Combat Helmet
*3 Armored Vest

And so on. You can view an item's stats while it is in inventory by typing '+gear 1' or '+gear 2' and so on, using the inventory number of the item. In order to equip an item, you type '+equip 1' or '+equip 2', etc. To see your currently equipped items, type '+equip' without any numbers. Here is an example of the +equip screen:

{| class="wikitable" border="1"
!Item
!Loadout
!Upkeep
!Item Level
!Item XP
!Distill Points
|----
|1 Charlotte
|Load: 21
|Upkp: 5
|Lvl: 0
|Exp:100%
|Distill: 441/441
|----
|2 Armored Vest
|Load: 30
|Upkp: 1
|Lvl: 5
|Exp:100%
|Distill: 1680/1680
|----
|3 Combat Helmet
|Load: 15
|Upkp: 1
|Lvl: 5
|Exp:100%
|Distill: 1680/1680
|----
|4 Laser pistol
|Load: 15
|Upkp: 3
|Lvl: 9
|Exp: 85%
|Distill: 2645/3110
|----
|}
Remaining Loadout: 18.8 - Total Upkeep: 10

Here, the number is the equipment slot each item is in. Load is how much loadout each equipped item uses, Upkp is the Upkeep cost of each item (in Resources). Lvl is the Craft Level, and EXP and Distill are used in crafting distillations, and so they are '''UTTERLY IRRELEVANT''' at the moment. For now, the three important things are Load, Upkeep, and Level. If you want to see the statistics of an item that is currently equipped, the command is 'load #' - note that this one does not use a plus sign.

Every character starts the game with a maximum of 100 Loadout. This can be increased through merits (Always Be Prepared, All Natural) and Roles (the Readiness role). Every character also starts with 10 Resources, and Resources can be increased to a maximum of (Player Level x2) by spending XP. If you want to equip a piece of gear, you need to have enough available loadout and resources; if you are out of loadout you just can't equip it, and if you are over budget on resources ''all'' of your gear stops working.

 

== Level Scaling ==

When a player levels up, they gain more hit points and their mutant powers hit harder or heal more damage. Gear functions in a similar manner - as it gets leveled up, any effects that cause damage (like on weapons), provide healing (like the medkit), or increase damage resistance (like armor) becomes more powerful. However, gear is also capped by the level of the character it is equipped on; a level 1 character can equip level 50 armor, but the armor will only give the character the same bonus it would if it were level 1. On the other hand, since the armor is already level 50, its effectiveness will automatically increase as the character gains levels and it won't have to be upgraded.

Damage, Healing, Regen, Heal Gain, HP Buffer, Penetration, and Damage Resist are all scaled up by level. If your gear does any of these, you will want to have it upgraded to your level at least. Summoned minions, such as Mutant Companions and Drones, are also summoned at a level equal to their item level.

Gear that gives a buff, such as Accuracy, Haste, Recharge, or DamageBuff, does -not- scale with level; you can safely leave gear with these bonuses at a low level, and still receive the full effect. Further, Children and Kangaroo Pets automatically summon at a level equal to the player's, and so they do not need to be upgraded either.

The process of actually upgrading an item is covered in the Crafting Guide (put link here)
 

== Stacking Bonuses ==

Bluntly, there are a lot of options available for gear. Some, like the items in the starter pack are [[:Category:Items|unmodifiable]]. All the [[:Category:Recipe|craftable items]] and [[:Category: Recipe Modifier|modifiers]] are on the wiki. Essentially, a piece of gear is like a new power for your character, while the gear modifiers provide various bonuses, either directly to the item in question or to whoever it is used on. For example, the 'Physical Armor' item is 'Target: Self' and 'Auto: Self', which means the bonuses it gives (+1 Physical Damage Resist and +3 Max HP) are passive bonuses just for having it equipped. Any modifiers that are added to this item will apply their Ally benefit as a passive bonus. The Liquid Bandage is an active item; when used, it targets an ally and heals them, as well as applying a Regen and Healgain buff. Any modifiers added to this item apply their Ally benefit as an active bonus. Weapons deal damage and sometimes apply negative status effects to enemies; some modifiers have enemy effects, and will apply those to targets hit by a weapon.

Although it is possible to stack bonuses from several pieces of gear, bonuses will only apply once per named source. It is possible to own and equip four different Generic Armors, but you will ''only'' receive the bonus from whichever one is the strongest. Gear modifiers act the same way; it is possible to have a Fast Physical Armor, a Fast Module, and a Fast Shield, but you can only get the passive bonus from Fast ''once''. However, the passive bonus and the active bonus of a mod will stack - someone with Fast armor can still get the full effect of a Fast Banner, for example. If you want to stack Haste, you will need to use different items that provide a Haste bonus (such as the Overclocker and the Cybernetic Reflex Enhancer) and utilize different modifiers (like one item with Fast and one item with Cool).

 

== Cost Effectiveness ==

One thing that can often surprise people is that the top of the line gear is ''expensive''. Many modifiers apply a percentage based increase to the cost of an item, which means it adds up quickly when you start adding three or four modifiers to what you are building. A Nanite Buffer without any modifiers costs 80,000 credits, five common mechanical salvage, and one uncommon electric salvage. A Heavy, Improved, Miniaturized Nanite Buffer costs 924,000 credits, and requires 62 common salvage and 5 uncommon (and one uncommon salvage costs 100 common salvage). When it comes to actual performance, even though the three-mod buffer is over ten times as expensive as the unmodded one, it only provides 36 HP Buffer (before level scaling), while the unmodified buffer provides an HP Buffer of 25 (before level scaling). Unmodified Phyiscal Armor provides 1.0 Physical Damage Resist and 3.0 Max HP for 200 creds and 10 common salvage, while a maxed out Heavy, Overwhelming, Improved, Miniaturized Physical Armor costs close to 6,000 credits and 400 salvage, for 2.0 Physical Damage Resist and 6.0 Max HP.

Essentially, the cost of improving an item increases far, far faster than the increase in a gear's bonuses. There are many people who have complained that, if they can't get the best gear, they may as well use nothing until they can afford the top gear. This is silly. Most basic gear is relatively cheap, and it can be exchanged later when you can afford it. Even items with only two modifiers are around half as expensive as a three-mod item, and can still be very useful.

So, what are some key modifiers to know when you start putting together gear?

*Generic Status Modifiers: Heavy and Overwhelming are frequently used on almost ''everything'', sometimes just one or the other, sometimes both. Heavy increases all status effects from an item by 30%, while Overwhelming is more expensive but increases all status effects by 40%. Improved will also increase all stats by 10%, and is fairly cheap. I typically recommend at least one on an item if it has any effect on stats.
*Loadout Modifiers: Miniaturized, Ruggedized, Ergonomic, and Modular all reduce the loadout and/or upkeep of an item. While this has no direct impact on the item's stats, it does mean you can get more total gear.
*New Status Bonuses: These are modifiers that add fully new stats to an item. For some items (modules, banners, amplifiers) you ''need'' at least one of these, as the base item has no effect without one. For other items, it lets you customize what benefits the item gives or what penalties it inflicts.

 
== Distillations==

Once your gear is built and ready, it can have distillations added to it afterwards. Every gear item has five available points; a level 1 distillation takes 1 points, a level 2 distillation takes 2 points, a level 3 distillation takes 4 points, and a level 4 distillation takes all 5. So, your gear can have:
*A single level 4 distillation, OR
*One level 3 distillation and one level 1, OR
*Two level 2 distillations and one level 1, OR
*One level 2 distillation and three level 1, OR
*Five level 1 distillations

Any character can put a level 1 distillation on an item. In order to put larger distillations on, a character must have the Installation skill. However, that is only to put the distills on the item; no skill is required to use one that has already been added to an item.

In addition, all distillations have a loadout requirement for them to be able to fit on an item.

Most low level distillations can be purchased from the Web shop; a character that has high Underworld and Academics skills, and the Distillery Expert perk, can buy almost all distillations from the web shop, so if there is something you need you can ask around for it.

The largest distills must be made by players; this is where your gear's distillation points come in. As you fight in combat and gain XP, all of your equipped items will gain EXP and Distillation Points. You can also add Distillation Points to items by using builder nanites and boss vials on them, but the number of points per vial you get goes down as the item's EXP goes up. Once an item has enough distillation points in it, you can go to a nanite workshop (like the one that is one up, one north from the Zephyr lobby) and turn it into a distillation; the command is craft <distill>=<item to use>.

 

== Making Gear ==

Each item requires four things to make:
*XP - Found by RPing and defeating monsters! Yes, every item requires some XP to make.
*Credits - Again, earned through RP, fighting, missions, and etc.
*Builder Nanites - If you have a nanite collector, you start collecting these. Most crafters will have plenty on hand.
*Salvage - Usually the sticking point for most items; you can see what salvage you have by typing 'salvage' in game. 100 Common salvage can be converted into 1 Uncommon salvage, and 25 Uncommon salvage can be made into 1 Rare. You collect salvage from fighting, and from doing some missions.

If you know what item you want to make, you can see what it'll cost by typing 'test item=mod1,mod2,mod3' (or just use one or two mods, or none). To make an item, you type in 'make item=mod1,mod2,mod3'. Note that you can only test items and modifiers if you know the schematics for them. Not every schematic is for sale in the shops, but most crafters have gone through the trouble of collecting them and should be able to give you a quote.

Gear

2012-02-21T09:36:20Z

Rihko:

As Flexible Survival has progressed, the number of choices available for people keeps increasing, and many people are worried about making the right choices when it comes to gear - what to use, how to get it, how to use it, and so on. Since these questions come up frequently, here are some collected answers!

 

== Equipping Gear ==

When you first start the game, you can talk to the Requisition Clerk in Triage to receive a gear starter kit. Depending on which kit you choose, you are given a chainsword or a laser pistol, a combat helmet, and either a medkit or an armored vest.

To see your inventory, you type 'i', 'inv', or 'inventory'. This gives you a numbered list of all the items you are carrying. For example, it may say:
*1 Chain sword
*2 Combat Helmet
*3 Armored Vest

And so on. In order to equip an item, you type '+equip 1' or '+equip 2', or whatever the inventory number is of the item you are trying to equip. To see your currently equipped items, type '+equip' without any numbers. Here is an example of the +equip screen:

*1 Charlotte Load: 21 Upkp: 5 Lvl: 0 Exp:100% Distill: 441/441
*2 Armored Vest Load: 30 Upkp: 1 Lvl: 5 Exp:100% Distill: 1680/1680
*3 Combat Helmet Load: 15 Upkp: 1 Lvl: 5 Exp:100% Distill: 1680/1680
*4 Laser pistol Load: 15 Upkp: 3 Lvl: 9 Exp: 85% Distill: 2645/3110
Remaining Loadout: 18.8 - Total Upkeep: 10

Here, the number is the equipment slot each item is in. Load is how much loadout each equipped item uses, Upkp is the Upkeep cost of each item (in Resources). Lvl is the Craft Level, and EXP and Distill are used in crafting distillations, and so they are '''UTTERLY IRRELEVANT''' at the moment. For now, the three important things are Load, Upkeep, and Level.

Every character starts the game with a maximum of 100 Loadout. This can be increased through merits (Always Be Prepared, All Natural) and Roles (the Readiness role). Every character also starts with 10 Resources, and Resources can be increased to a maximum of (Player Level x2) by spending XP. If you want to equip a piece of gear, you need to have enough available loadout and resources; if you are out of loadout you just can't equip it, and if you are over budget on resources ''all'' of your gear stops working.

 

== Level Scaling ==

When a player levels up, they gain more hit points and their mutant powers hit harder or heal more damage. Gear functions in a similar manner - as it gets leveled up, any effects that cause damage (like on weapons), provide healing (like the medkit), or increase damage resistance (like armor) becomes more powerful. However, gear is also capped by the level of the character it is equipped on; a level 1 character can equip level 50 armor, but the armor will only give the character the same bonus it would if it were level 1. On the other hand, since the armor is already level 50, its effectiveness will automatically increase as the character gains levels and it won't have to be upgraded.

Damage, Healing, Regen, Heal Gain, HP Buffer, Penetration, and Damage Resist are all scaled up by level. If your gear does any of these, you will want to have it upgraded to your level at least. Summoned minions, such as Mutant Companions and Drones, are also summoned at a level equal to their item level.

Gear that gives a buff, such as Accuracy, Haste, Recharge, or DamageBuff, does -not- scale with level; you can safely leave gear with these bonuses at a low level, and still receive the full effect. Further, Children and Kangaroo Pets automatically summon at a level equal to the player's, and so they do not need to be upgraded either.

The process of actually upgrading an item is covered in the Crafting Guide (put link here)
 

== Stacking Bonuses ==

Bluntly, there are a lot of options available for gear. To see a list of all gear items in game, you can check the wiki [http://web.flexiblesurvival.com/flexwiki/Category:Recipe here], and gear modifiers can be found [http://web.flexiblesurvival.com/flexwiki/Category:Recipe_Modifier here]. Essentially, a piece of gear is like a new power for your character, while the gear modifiers provide various bonuses, either directly to the item in question or to whoever it is used on. For example, the 'Physical Armor' item is 'Target: Self' and 'Auto: Self', which means the bonuses it gives (+1 Physical Damage Resist and +3 Max HP) are passive bonuses just for having it equipped. Any modifiers that are added to this item will apply their Ally benefit as a passive bonus. The Liquid Bandage is an active item; when used, it targets an ally and heals them, as well as applying a Regen and Healgain buff. Any modifiers added to this item apply their Ally benefit as an active bonus. Weapons deal damage and sometimes apply negative status effects to enemies; some modifiers have enemy effects, and will apply those to targets hit by a weapon.

Although it is possible to stack bonuses from several pieces of gear, bonuses will only apply once per named source. It is possible to own and equip four different Generic Armors, but you will ''only'' receive the bonus from whichever one is the strongest. Gear modifiers act the same way; it is possible to have a Fast Physical Armor, a Fast Module, and a Fast Shield, but you can only get the passive bonus from Fast ''once''. However, the passive bonus and the active bonus of a mod will stack - someone with Fast armor can still get the full effect of a Fast Banner, for example. If you want to stack Haste, you will need to use different items that provide a Haste bonus (such as the Overclocker and the Cybernetic Reflex Enhancer) and utilize different modifiers (like one item with Fast and one item with Cool).

 

== Cost Effectiveness ==

One thing that can often surprise people is that the top of the line gear is ''expensive''. Many modifiers apply a percentage based increase to the cost of an item, which means it adds up quickly when you start adding three or four modifiers to what you are building. A Nanite Buffer without any modifiers costs 80,000 credits, five common mechanical salvage, and one uncommon electric salvage. A Heavy, Improved, Miniaturized Nanite Buffer costs 924,000 credits, and requires 62 common salvage and 5 uncommon (and one uncommon salvage costs 100 common salvage). When it comes to actual performance, even though the three-mod buffer is over ten times as expensive as the unmodded one, it only provides 36 HP Buffer (before level scaling), while the unmodified buffer provides an HP Buffer of 25 (before level scaling). Unmodified Phyiscal Armor provides 1.0 Physical Damage Resist and 3.0 Max HP for 200 creds and 10 common salvage, while a maxed out Heavy, Overwhelming, Improved, Miniaturized Physical Armor costs close to 6,000 credits and 400 salvage, for 2.0 Physical Damage Resist and 6.0 Max HP.

Essentially, the cost of improving an item increases far, far faster than the increase in a gear's bonuses. There are many people who have complained that, if they can't get the best gear, they may as well use nothing until they can afford the top gear. This is silly. Most basic gear is relatively cheap, and it can be exchanged later when you can afford it. Even items with only two modifiers are around half as expensive as a three-mod item, and can still be very useful.

So, what are some key modifiers to know when you start putting together gear?

*Generic Status Modifiers: Heavy and Overwhelming are frequently used on almost ''everything'', sometimes just one or the other, sometimes both. Heavy increases all status effects from an item by 30%, while Overwhelming is more expensive but increases all status effects by 40%. Improved will also increase all stats by 10%, and is fairly cheap. I typically recommend at least one on an item if it has any effect on stats.
*Loadout Modifiers: Miniaturized, Ruggedized, Ergonomic, and Modular all reduce the loadout and/or upkeep of an item. While this has no direct impact on the item's stats, it does mean you can get more total gear.
*New Status Bonuses: These are modifiers that add fully new stats to an item. For some items (modules, banners, amplifiers) you ''need'' at least one of these, as the base item has no effect without one. For other items, it lets you customize what benefits the item gives or what penalties it inflicts.

 
== Distillations==

Once your gear is built and ready, it can have distillations added to it afterwards. Every gear item has five available points; a level 1 distillation takes 1 points, a level 2 distillation takes 2 points, a level 3 distillation takes 4 points, and a level 4 distillation takes all 5. So, your gear can have:
*A single level 4 distillation, OR
*One level 3 distillation and one level 1, OR
*Two level 2 distillations and one level 1, OR
*One level 2 distillation and three level 1, OR
*Five level 1 distillations

Any character can put a level 1 distillation on an item. In order to put larger distillations on, a character must have the Installation skill. However, that is only to put the distills on the item; no skill is required to use one that has already been added to an item.

In addition, all distillations have a loadout requirement for them to be able to fit on an item.

Most low level distillations can be purchased from the Web shop; a character that has high Underworld and Academics skills, and the Distillery Expert perk, can buy almost all distillations from the web shop, so if there is something you need you can ask around for it.

The largest distills must be made by players; this is where your gear's distillation points come in. As you fight in combat and gain XP, all of your equipped items will gain EXP and Distillation Points. You can also add Distillation Points to items by using builder nanites and boss vials on them, but the number of points per vial you get goes down as the item's EXP goes up. Once an item has enough distillation points in it, you can go to a nanite workshop (like the one that is one up, one north from the Zephyr lobby) and turn it into a distillation; the command is craft <distill>=<item to use>.

 

== Making Gear ==

Each item requires four things to make:
*XP - Found by RPing and defeating monsters! Yes, every item requires some XP to make.
*Credits - Again, earned through RP, fighting, missions, and etc.
*Builder Nanites - If you have a nanite collector, you start collecting these. Most crafters will have plenty on hand.
*Salvage - Usually the sticking point for most items; you can see what salvage you have by typing 'salvage' in game. 100 Common salvage can be converted into 1 Uncommon salvage, and 25 Uncommon salvage can be made into 1 Rare. You collect salvage from fighting, and from doing some missions.

If you know what item you want to make, you can see what it'll cost by typing 'test item=mod1,mod2,mod3' (or just use one or two mods, or none). To make an item, you type in 'make item=mod1,mod2,mod3'. Note that you can only test items and modifiers if you know the schematics for them. Not every schematic is for sale in the shops, but most crafters have gone through the trouble of collecting them and should be able to give you a quote.

Gear

2012-02-21T08:52:05Z

Rihko:

As Flexible Survival has progressed, the number of choices available for people keeps increasing, and many people are worried about making the right choices when it comes to gear - what to use, how to get it, how to use it, and so on. Since these questions come up frequently, here are some collected answers!

 

== Equipping Gear ==

When you first start the game, you can talk to the Requisition Clerk in Triage to receive a gear starter kit. Depending on which kit you choose, you are given a chainsword or a laser pistol, a combat helmet, and either a medkit or an armored vest.

To see your inventory, you type 'i', 'inv', or 'inventory'. This gives you a numbered list of all the items you are carrying. For example, it may say:
*1 Chain sword
*2 Combat Helmet
*3 Armored Vest

And so on. In order to equip an item, you type '+equip 1' or '+equip 2', or whatever the inventory number is of the item you are trying to equip. To see your currently equipped items, type '+equip' without any numbers. Here is an example of the +equip screen:

*1 Charlotte Load: 21 Upkp: 5 Lvl: 0 Exp:100% Distill: 441/441
*2 Armored Vest Load: 30 Upkp: 1 Lvl: 5 Exp:100% Distill: 1680/1680
*3 Combat Helmet Load: 15 Upkp: 1 Lvl: 5 Exp:100% Distill: 1680/1680
*4 Laser pistol Load: 15 Upkp: 3 Lvl: 9 Exp: 85% Distill: 2645/3110
Remaining Loadout: 18.8 - Total Upkeep: 10

Here, the number is the equipment slot each item is in. Load is how much loadout each equipped item uses, Upkp is the Upkeep cost of each item (in Resources). Lvl is the Craft Level, and EXP and Distill are used in crafting distillations, and so they are '''UTTERLY IRRELEVANT''' at the moment. For now, the three important things are Load, Upkeep, and Level.

Every character starts the game with a maximum of 100 Loadout. This can be increased through merits (Always Be Prepared, All Natural) and Roles (the Readiness role). Every character also starts with 10 Resources, and Resources can be increased to a maximum of (Player Level x2) by spending XP. If you want to equip a piece of gear, you need to have enough available loadout and resources; if you are out of loadout you just can't equip it, and if you are over budget on resources ''all'' of your gear stops working.

 

== Level Scaling ==

When a player levels up, they gain more hit points and their mutant powers hit harder or heal more damage. Gear functions in a similar manner - as it gets leveled up, any effects that cause damage (like on weapons), provide healing (like the medkit), or increase damage resistance (like armor) becomes more powerful. However, gear is also capped by the level of the character it is equipped on; a level 1 character can equip level 50 armor, but the armor will only give the character the same bonus it would if it were level 1. On the other hand, since the armor is already level 50, its effectiveness will automatically increase as the character gains levels and it won't have to be upgraded.

Damage, Healing, Regen, Heal Gain, HP Buffer, Penetration, and Damage Resist are all scaled up by level. If your gear does any of these, you will want to have it upgraded to your level at least. Summoned minions, such as Mutant Companions and Drones, are also summoned at a level equal to their item level.

Gear that gives a buff, such as Accuracy, Haste, Recharge, or DamageBuff, does -not- scale with level; you can safely leave gear with these bonuses at a low level, and still receive the full effect. Further, Children and Kangaroo Pets automatically summon at a level equal to the player's, and so they do not need to be upgraded either.

The process of actually upgrading an item is covered in the Crafting Guide (put link here)
 

== Stacking Bonuses ==

Bluntly, there are a lot of options available for gear. To see a list of all gear items in game, you can check the wiki [[http://web.flexiblesurvival.com/flexwiki/Category:Recipe here], and gear modifiers can be found [http://web.flexiblesurvival.com/flexwiki/Category:Recipe_Modifier here]. Essentially, a piece of gear is like a new power for your character, while the gear modifiers provide various bonuses, either directly to the item in question or to whoever it is used on. For example, the 'Physical Armor' item is 'Target: Self' and 'Auto: Self', which means the bonuses it gives (+1 Physical Damage Resist and +3 Max HP) are passive bonuses just for having it equipped. Any modifiers that are added to this item will apply their Ally benefit as a passive bonus. The Liquid Bandage is an active item; when used, it targets an ally and heals them, as well as applying a Regen and Healgain buff. Any modifiers added to this item apply their Ally benefit as an active bonus. Weapons deal damage and sometimes apply negative status effects to enemies; some modifiers have enemy effects, and will apply those to targets hit by a weapon.

Although it is possible to stack bonuses from several pieces of gear, bonuses will only apply once per named source. It is possible to own and equip four different Generic Armors, but you will ''only'' receive the bonus from whichever one is the strongest. Gear modifiers act the same way; it is possible to have a Fast Physical Armor, a Fast Module, and a Fast Shield, but you can only get the passive bonus from Fast ''once''. However, the passive bonus and the active bonus of a mod will stack - someone with Fast armor can still get the full effect of a Fast Banner, for example. If you want to stack Haste, you will need to use different items that provide a Haste bonus (such as the Overclocker and the Cybernetic Reflex Enhancer) and utilize different modifiers (like one item with Fast and one item with Cool).

 

== Cost Effectiveness ==

One thing that can often surprise people is that the top of the line gear is ''expensive''. Many modifiers apply a percentage based increase to the cost of an item, which means it adds up quickly when you start adding three or four modifiers to what you are building. A Nanite Buffer without any modifiers costs 80,000 credits, five common mechanical salvage, and one uncommon electric salvage. A Heavy, Improved, Miniaturized Nanite Buffer costs 924,000 credits, and requires 62 common salvage and 5 uncommon (and one uncommon salvage costs 100 common salvage). When it comes to actual performance, even though the three-mod buffer is over ten times as expensive as the unmodded one, it only provides 36 HP Buffer (before level scaling), while the unmodified buffer provides an HP Buffer of 25 (before level scaling). Unmodified Phyiscal Armor provides 1.0 Physical Damage Resist and 3.0 Max HP for 200 creds and 10 common salvage, while a maxed out Heavy, Overwhelming, Improved, Miniaturized Physical Armor costs close to 6,000 credits and 400 salvage, for 2.0 Physical Damage Resist and 6.0 Max HP.

Essentially, the cost of improving an item increases far, far faster than the increase in a gear's bonuses. There are many people who have complained that, if they can't get the best gear, they may as well use nothing until they can afford the top gear. This is silly. Most basic gear is relatively cheap, and it can be exchanged later when you can afford it. Even items with only two modifiers are around half as expensive as a three-mod item, and can still be very useful.

So, what are some key modifiers to know when you start putting together gear?

*Generic Status Modifiers: Heavy and Overwhelming are frequently used on almost ''everything'', sometimes just one or the other, sometimes both. Heavy increases all status effects from an item by 30%, while Overwhelming is more expensive but increases all status effects by 40%. Improved will also increase all stats by 10%, and is fairly cheap. I typically recommend at least one on an item if it has any effect on stats.
*Loadout Modifiers: Miniaturized, Ruggedized, Ergonomic, and Modular all reduce the loadout and/or upkeep of an item. While this has no direct impact on the item's stats, it does mean you can get more total gear.
*New Status Bonuses: These are modifiers that add fully new stats to an item. For some items (modules, banners, amplifiers) you ''need'' at least one of these, as the base item has no effect without one. For other items, it lets you customize what benefits the item gives or what penalties it inflicts.

 
== Distillations==

Once your gear is built and ready, it can have distillations added to it afterwards. Every gear item has five available points; a level 1 distillation takes 1 points, a level 2 distillation takes 2 points, a level 3 distillation takes 4 points, and a level 4 distillation takes all 5. So, your gear can have:
*A single level 4 distillation, OR
*One level 3 distillation and one level 1, OR
*Two level 2 distillations and one level 1, OR
*One level 2 distillation and three level 1, OR
*Five level 1 distillations

Any character can put a level 1 distillation on an item. In order to put larger distillations on, a character must have the Installation skill. However, that is only to put the distills on the item; no skill is required to use one that has already been added to an item.

In addition, all distillations have a loadout requirement for them to be able to fit on an item.
 

== Making Gear ==

User:Rihko

2012-02-19T22:04:05Z

Rihko:

Rihko Kirijo

''(Pronounced: Re·ko Key·re·joe)''

Zephyr Field Agent, Engineer, Self-Alleged 'Mad Engineer'

''(The official Zephyr file:)''

Rihko was one of the middle children of the Kirijo family of New York. Her father, Matsu, was an emigrant who earned his citizenship in the US Air Force. Her mother, Susan, was a counselor and the two met through a mutual friend. Rihko is the only survivor - Susan Kirijo was the only known relative to survive PN Day, and she died shortly thereafter when she left the bubble after contracting an inorganic mutation variation. When she initially joined Zephyr and was asked to identify a next-of-kin, Rihko declined, stating that she did not have a single surviving relative of any variety. When originally asked if she had any friends she wanted to declare as emergency contacts, Rihko likewise declined, stating none were currently alive. Recently she has listed Taggart, her mate/fiancee, as her emergency contact.

Rihko traveled extensively before PN Day. She was the Purchasing Director for s small museum/gallery in San Diego, California, and worked with private collectors on a freelance basis. Her job sent her on frequent trips, both cross-country and international. During the Outbreak, Rihko volunteered for the rescue operation in San Diego, helping in triage and logistics. She contracted a relatively mild nanite infection at the time, which left her still looking human, but she received the Zephyr inoculation just to be safe. Since she was already 'contaminated' Rihko applied for a position with Zephyr. Currently, she operates as a field agent for Zephyr, and is listed as a lab intern for Pax Ex Scientia, an independent group directed by Loki. In addition to filing paperwork, her general studies, and various errands, Rihko also enjoys tinkering and designing gadgets, and she lives at the New Ireland pub.

Other Zephyr staff members have noted Rihko for her positive attitude and resilient personality. When she first arrived in Fairhaven, Rihko did not have any experience fighting and frequently ended up in Zephyr's triage - while dealing with the other associated trauma of being overrun by ferals. Despite her trials and tribulations, though, she always remained positive and upbeat, and continues to enthusiastically pursue, well, whatever task she's currently working on.

Known Immediate Relations:

Matsu Kirijo (Father) (Deceased) (Went feral, put down by Susan Kirijo in self defense)

Susan Kirijo (Mother) (Deceased) (Died after leaving the New York bubble)

Miri Kirijo (Sister) (Deceased) (Murdered by feral formally known as Matsu Kirijo)

Yuko Kirijo (Sister) (Missing, Presumed Deceased)(Last known location: Las Vegas)

Angela Kirijo (Sister) (Deceased) (Murdered by looters in St. Louis)

Daniel Kirijo (Brother) (Deceased) (Killed by ferals in Minneapolis)

Tatsu Kirijo (Brother) (Missing, Presumed Deceased) (Last known location: San Antonio)

----
''(Unofficial Addendum)''

Rihko does not just tinker with parts now and then; although she might not understand the nanites very well, or be anywhere near as accomplised at using them as an adept or a true dedicated scientist, she is a natural engineer and excels at the practical application of mechanics and electronics. (OOC: Her first Profession was Magnificent Bastard, and she has Design level 3).

Rihko's personal philosophy is not one that she has shared with a lot of people, but she believes that, above all, one must be focused on the now. She believes that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing enthusiastically, and tends to throw herself into whatever it is she is doing - be that something as tame as filing paperwork or talking with a friend, or something like scavenging and fighting. She also believes that she shouldn't drop her problems on other people, so she tends to avoid talking about any of her past that she thinks others might find unpleasant.

Shortly after PN Day, one of Rihko's ex boyfriends in San Diego tracked her down. The man, the latest in a series of poor relationship choices, had decided to take advantage of the fall of society, and attacked Rihko. He broke one of her legs, knocked her out, and tied her to a bed so he could rape her repeatedly. Fueled by rage and hatred Rihko broke her own hand in order to slip free from the bindings, and instead of going for help she found a knife and murdered her ex. She went to post-trauma counseling for a while, but she never admitted that deep inside, there was a piece of her that had woken up. Something ruthless and feral, that crowed with joy as her ex's blood ran down her hand and the life fled from his body.

All her attempts to contact her family had failed, both in the immediate aftermath of PN day and through her counseling, so she decided to set out across country and find them. Under normal circumstances, the trip to New York meant four or five days to a week on the road (if she couldn't find a plane), and in the chaos following PN day Rihko couldn't find a plane. The trip ended up taking her a little over a month, and Rihko ran into some other unpleasantness on the way, but she did eventually make it to New York.

There, she learned that her father had gone feral, and killed her sister. And that her mother, now mostly robotic, had killed Matsu in self defense. The two set out to find the rest of the family together, and Rihko watched her mother die as they left the bubble of New York, her inorganic body unable to sustain itself without the nanite cloud.

Over the course of the next year, Rihko traveled to the other places her family had lived, and ran into the same sort of stories - people with problems, people with issues, and her family dead and gone. She also had to defend herself, with lethal force, on several occasions. Each time, she became more and more comfortable with her Beast, as she called it, calling on it for survival, feeding it all of the hurt, all of the sadness, all of the despair she felt so that it could strengthen her with rage, fighting it for control after each encounter.

She would likely have gone down a short, dark road into true psychopathy had it not been for a man she met on her trip; David Williams, a Kitsune. He could sense her trouble, and he was impressed by her determination and control, and by her dedication to her family. He started traveling with her, teaching her things about the world and helping her find ways to channel and control her emotions, instead of being controlled by them. In the end, he helped sponsor her to Prince Inari, and with nothing else left, Rihko pledged her service and become a Kitsune in turn.

Now she is in Fairhaven, trying to keep an eye on what's going on and an ear to the ground, and helping civilization cling together and rebuild.

"We must remain resolute, and guard everything we hold dear, for unstable times lead to uncivil societies." - David Williams

"The best cure for hard luck, is hard work." - Susan Kirijo

Gear

2012-02-19T01:00:36Z

Rihko: Created page with "As Flexible Survival has progressed, the number of choices available for people keeps increasing, and many people are worried about making the right choices when it comes to g..."

Multiplayer Updates

2012-02-06T09:00:27Z

Rihko:

The following is a list of updates made to the game since it entered open beta in 2011.

For planned future updates, see Nuku's six month plan at http://checkvist.com/checklists/97925-six-month-plan.

== February ==
'''5th'''
*DamageReturn now has soft caps at 50% and 75%, and a hard cap at 100%.
**Presuming this works like other mechanics, after 50% each point is worth half, halved again after 75%. You'd need 200 DamageReturn to return 100% of damage dealt, which would be the hard cap.
*Your 'total' badges (Total Skunk Girl, Total Blue Gryphon, Total Whatever) have vanished! This is not a drill. They're still there, just not clogging your badge list. This post will be updated once there's a good way to view them again.
**Please do not panic.
***No, really. Quit that.
****Sit down and be calm. Please. Don't make us get the hose.
*Children are changing. This is an ongoing process.
**You can @force your children to do commands starting in :, ; and ". This means they can act during RP.
**You may have ONE child or kangaroo pet out. Only one.
**Having out a child reduces your base action (that is, how much ATB you get per tick) by 30%
***Having [[Born Leader]] cuts this penalty by half, to a 15% penalty.
***Having [[Backseat Driver]] cuts this penalty by a third, to a 20% penalty.
****Having both means you're only suffering a 10% ATB penalty.
**New Kangaroo pets must be equipped like normal children. Old ones can be converted, but will function as they have for now.
**Children can now be trained! Type 'train' in front of Sandra in Zephyr's basement.
***Fresh outta the womb, children have 1 power: strike. They must use slots for anything else.
***New children only have 1 slot, but as they gain battle XP in combat they will work up to a maximum of 8 at <del>2757.68881863023</del> 2758 XP.
****After combat, all children equipped (not just the active one) gain battle xp, spread out among themselves. This does NOT suck xp away from the player - testing has shown an equipped child gains the same amount (100%) of the XP the player does.
****Resetting their training sets them back to square one; be careful!
***Slots can be used either to master a power they have in their mutations, upgrade one of those powers (one upgrade per power), master a role, just like a player would have, or raise the cap on the distills they can use (with no levels spent in distills, they can only use level 1s; one level lets you use 2, then another for 3, then one more for 4).
****If they have a stronger distill, it acts at the strength they are trained for.
****Kangaroo pets can only have 3 roles, but children can use all 8 slots for roles, if you so desire.
*****Please don't give a child 8 roles.
**Now you can panic.
*Mako pool success stories:
**Tanuki can now buy a cock count leaf at the usual place.
**Quarterback role created! Reactive, Mastermind, Fast Loading.
*[[Liquid Bandage]] coded.

'''4th'''
*Web interface tweaks:
**The web shop interface will now let you know if you do or do not have an AI program.
**The web crafting interface should now be much smarter about loadout and upkeep.
**You cannot challenge people more than one level below you in PvP. You can challenge your betters all you want, though.
*Completing web missions from the MUD should stop spitting out a bunch of HTML, and you'll get the proper command to continue.
*There are occasional reminders about commending an infection when shifting. By the way, COMMEND MORE CREATURES.
*The Medicine professional skill now grants +10/20/30% more healing when out of combat.

'''3rd'''
*Liberated children now do +5% damage and status magnitudes on powers they have locked. It's like they were born to use these attacks!
*[[Targeting]] mod coded.
*[[Siphon]] and [[Soldering Iron]] added to token stores. Robert now stocks all five salvage-boosting schematics!
*You can now vote for polls through the web interface over [[http://flexiblesurvival.com/index?polling here]]!
*[[Portable Dialysis]], [[Superconducting Magnet]] and [[Attention Deficit Remedy]] coded.
*[[Nanite Adaption Assimilator]] for sale with the mall rats. Allows non-liberated mutants to 'fix' a nativized part's power to themselves, gaining that same +5% bonus.

'''2nd'''
*The [[Abundant Supply]] power has been added to [[Rabid Squirrel]]s, bringing it to the grid!
*[[Nanite Sexual Stabilizer]] and [[Nanite Gender Assigner]] added to elite stores.
*[[Chemical Extractor]] , [[Overclocker]], [[Metal Detector]] and [[Cybernetic Reflex Booster]] recipes coded
**Chemical Extractor and [[Cooler]] both uptuned to make them far better for their own salvage, but provide a small penalty to other types.
**Cooler, Metal Detector, and Chemical Extractor are all on grid, in the token shops.
*[[Flexible]], [[Jagged]], and [[Invisible]] mods coded.
*Flexible, Hooked, and Overclocker added to the elite stores.

'''1st'''
*Staff characters can travel without restraint of river or water on the overworld map.
*You can no longer taunt friendly targets. Phew!
*notuser abilities ([[Tears of Life]], [[Delicious Treat]], etc) are now smarter about not firing when there are no valid targets.
*Rooms you have set as your respawn point now say so, instead of asking you to bond there.
*Training no longer shows crafting options until at least level 15.
*[[Energy Snack]]s have been massively buffed. Also cost more to make.
**Harder to use in combat, too; longer charge and now has an 8-round cooldown.
*A mako pool for the [[Olfactory Sensor]] was created, then finished like an hour later. Hooray!
**[[Nanite Gender Assigner]] and [[Sexual Stabilizer]] followed less than an hour after that!

== January ==
'''31st'''
*Items will now track how much xp they earn via combat for MYSTERIOUS future purposes.
*[[Crossbow]] recipe added to Hidden Camp store.

'''30th'''
*New pool for Sexual Stabilizer: allows Nanite Adepts to toggle gender-change immunity.
*Proper talk restrictions set on channels you shouldn't talk on, while still allowing you to turn them on and off and pull the history with #last.

'''29th'''
*The adjusted length/depths shown in +groin are now much less silly, though their function is unchanged.
*[[Shred the Moon]] rebalanced drastically; it is much cheaper, but far less powerful. The concept of 'temporary toggles' has been buried for good.
*You now get reward tokens randomly when RPing! Check for it on your RP ticks.
*The [[Crossbow]] mako pool is completed. Item is a recipe.
*Flunky's mako pool completed!

'''28th'''
*The [[Nanite Control Extender]] can now properly make use of the new size-changing Adept toy.
*The [[Nanite Carnal Equalizer]] can now bypass the 'lesser' size merits, such as [[Maximum Depth]] or [[Tanuki Grade]].
*Size-shifting now actually obeys which badges you have, and accepts partial matches.
*New pool started for Nanite Gender Assigner -- allows you to overwrite Male/Female Preferred with the Carnal Equalizer.
*Smaller-than-normal mutants now get a much stronger benefit/penalty to defense/HP. Fairies are now +/-32 instead of 4.
*[[Nanite Resistor]] added to the elite store. Allows Nanite Adepts to decide not to be infected by anything today.
*Tanuki stores now stocked with the Leaf: Vaginal Control.
*More mako pools! If this keeps up, we're going to have to stop documenting them.
**Bows!
**Flunky role!
***More badges added to mako pools!

'''27th'''
*[[Long Burning]] and [[Nanite Cooling]] distillations adjusted.
*[[Electrified Chainsword]] recipe lost a little damage due to budgeting concerns regarding its insane knockback.
*[[Nanite Adaptation Cleanser]] pool completed; the item is now in the elite stores.
*Body size now factors into your actual penis length/vaginal depth. The numbers in +groin now reflect this; the old standard of being within 50% of your target still apply.
**By the way, different mutants are different sizes. +groin reports your relative body size. 5 is 'average'.
*New pool list item: Tanuki vaginal control!
**The Tanuki female leaves poll has completed! That was fast.
*Body size has a mechanical component: Bigger creatures have more HP, but worse defense.
**For every point larger than 5, you gain +1% HP, but -1 Defense. Kaiju, at body size 50, have +45% health, but -45 defense. This goes the opposite way; Fairies have -4% health, but +4 defense.
*[[Tall]] and [[Short]] merits added, adjusting your scale by 20% in one direction or another. [[Human Sized]] added for people who want to skip this scale silliness entirely.
*[[Hotdogger]] mutation added to the elite store.
*[[Nanite Spatial Recalculator]] added to the elite store; allows you to change your size to that of other mutations.
*[[Nanite Adaptation Cleanser]] added to the elite store; allows liberated children to forget a power once and for all.
*The [[Module]] pool has completed! The pool for [[Area Module]] has replaced it.
*The final boss of the pet store has been turned into a resummonable boss fight. It can be summoned once per day, and has a bunch of cool loot on it.

'''26th'''
*http://flexiblesurvival.com/index?makopool allows you to view and bid on mako pools from the comfort of your own browser.
*A pile of new recipes and recipe modifiers coded but not yet available. Like [[Hooked]].
*The first mako pool success story, the [[Heat Blocker]], has been unleashed upon the unsuspecting elite stores!
*Repeat attacks no longer secretly diminished by DebuffResist.
*Some, but not all, recipes added as possible results for +reward.
**Right on its heels, the [[Dogged Reporter]] profession has occurred!
*Recipes and modifiers have been slotted into +reward.
*[[Triage Kit]], [[Ultimate Fishing Rod]], [[Amplifier]], [[Blowhorn]], and [[Uniform]] recipes coded.
**[[Hooked]] and [[Stiffened]] modifiers coded. [[Amplifying]] reworked completely.

'''24th'''
*[[Steroid Injecting Unit]] and [[Laser Scope]] added to the reward store and mako store, respectively.
*The +quest command now lists everything from your logbook and any repeatable quests on file.
*PvP fights now start with everyone at full buffs. Why yes, that does mean children start out ready to go.
*Nuku needs people to write advertisements. Inquire at your nearest Nuku.
*Four new badges added for tutors.
*Say and oSay fields added to monster entry. Define how they talk!
*Reward tokens can now be purchased in the elite shops.
*[Public] Busy Body Nuku softly churrls, "[[Adaptive Immunities]] now gives a more... reasonable... penalty."
**Anyone have the new numbers?
*[Public] Power Girl Sati jingle bells, "[[Heavy Beam]], [[Polearm]], [[Automated Weapon]] and [[Light Melee]] have been run through my calculator, enjoy the updates, especially how much heavy beam got buffed."
**Virtually all recipe mods have also been rebalanced. Your gear has probably changed!
*[[Improved Laser Pistol]] and [[Gravity Cannon]] coded.

'''23rd'''
*[[Fiery Hide]] now actually protects you from environmental heat, as designed.
*[Public] Power Girl Sati jingle bells, "I updated the following recipes to my current balance-line, to see if they scale out of control and make sure my formulas are appropriate. Go, test, have fun. ([[Shield]], [[Physical Armor]], [[Light Energy Armor]], [[Heavy Armor]], [[Generic Armor]].)"

'''22nd'''
*A freak nanite storm has ripped through the city! All currently-equipped gear suddenly found itself brimming with nanites, filling its DV to the max!
**This totally was not a fix after a bug caused a lot of people to lose a lot of nanites in their equipment. Nope.
*Haste status and [[Hesitating]] flaw made to work correctly with negative-charge powers like [[Small Claws]].
*[[Expert Angler]] cost reduced to 3 merit points.
*The germ of PvP has been placed in the petri dish of the "Who's Online" area of the web interface. Click the button to challenge opponents!

'''21st'''
*[[Winged]] merit now properly adds a generic note about wings to your description if your species doesn't normally have wings.
*[[Reinforced Fishing Rod]], [[Aggressive Soup]], and [[Ergonomic]] schematics placed into Jack's Hardware, the Hidden Camp, and the Hidden Camp, respectively.
*Referral links enabled! Go to the 'Buy Mako' area of the web interface to get a referral link. Anyone who signs up for the game through this will automatically declare you a tutor, allowing you to reap the benefits!
*HP 50 AI block coded, placed in the token shops.
*[[Scratch]] and [[Pincers]] coded as powers for low-level infections.
*[[Masochistic Fury]] coded as a power for people who hate themselves.
*[[Expert Angler]] merit added.

'''19th'''
*[[Stainless]] and [[Nanite Absorbing]] distills actually do what they say on the can now. Sorry about that!
*[[Enhanced Lingering Hurt]] distill coded.
*'poollist' command added, offering mako drives for specific goals.
**Current goal: [[Module]] recipe! When complete it will allow crafting a tiny thing to put [[Fast]] or [[Crippling]] on.

'''18th'''
*Do you like flaws? I like flaws. Have some flaws!
**[[Adapted Metabolism]]: +5 Healing, +5 NaniteUse.
**[[Nanite Fueled]]: +5 DamageBuff, +5 NaniteUse.
**[[Adaptive Immunities]]: +10 DebuffResist, +2 NaniteUse.
**[[Nanite Reinforced]]: +1 PhysicalDamageResist, +1 EnergyDamageResist, +5 NaniteUse.
***All these flaws cause you to slowly munch through your stock of builder nanites. They are still used when in web combat, but NOT when you are assisting another player.
****The benefits go negative if you run out of nanites, by the way.
****They are totally the best flaws ever.
*+pregtime command added! Gives you a general idea of how soon your babby will be formed.

'''17th'''
*AI will no longer try to use a power you do not have.
*Fishing bugs fixed. +fish/info now shows your weight tolerance.
*[[Tactical Retreat]] merit added. Run awayyyyy!
*You can no longer stack recipe mod statuses, such as Crippling, Fast, Insulating, etcetera. That means that if you have a Heavy Overwhelming Crippling Scuba Gear and a Crippling Generic Armor, you'll only get the Crippling bonus (modded by Heavy and Overwhelming) from the first one. You can stack whatever you want on active equipment (such as knives, polearms, medkits, and so forth), and may still use Overwhelming, Heavy, and others that simply modify existing statuses.
**As a side effect, your effects list is now much clearer about what gear is giving you what.
*You can no longer make italics in the public channel.
*New command: +totalkilled. Usage: "+totalkilled <mob>" gives you a readout of how many kills you've accumulated on that particular mutant.

'''16th'''
*Bleeding AI condition added to reward store. Allows you to specify a power to use when you are suffering from DOT or debuff effects.
*[[Zebra]] infection in the elite stores!
**This infection introduces the [[Escape Manuever]] ability on its legs.
*New fishing spot along the shoreline of the beach.
*Pet Shop of Horrors added to NW Fairhaven, next to the OTHER pet store. Contains [[Female Widow Convert|Black Widow]]s, [[Slinking Ferret]]s, and [[Cuddlefish]]es.
**This brings [[Sharp Bite]] and [[Camouflage]] to the grid! A good day.
**If you're lucky (well, sort of), you might even find the [[Walking Vagina|super secret boss]] down there!
***Oh, and the [[Walking Vagina|super secret boss]] has [[Enveloping Pain]] on it.
*If you collect ten [[Recursive (dedication)|Recursive]] badges, totaling 50 mako, you will get [[Nanite Adept (dedication)|Nanite Adept]] automatically. Not retroactive; if you have ten or more already, you will need to get one more.

'''15th'''
*The awarding of +reward is now account-wide. You cannot have alts just to farm rewards any longer. Sorry! :(
**On the plus side, you can now store up to 5 rewards at once, so you don't have to worry about missing one because you made the mistake of sleeping last night.
*[[Solid Frame]] can now upgrade for knockdown resistance, while [[Conductive]] can upgrade for HealGain.
*Builder nanites are now used for constructing items. More details once we have any idea what we're talking about.
**Oh yeah, and you'll now see 'Nanite mass' listed in the web interface. This is part of it.
***Testing recipes now also lists the amount of builder nanites required to make the item. It is displayed in mg.
*Items made with the [[Insulating]] modifier now slowly drain your builder nanites when worn or used.

'''14th'''
*You can now finger people without using the plus sign.
*The healing from Vampiric no longer works while dead. Sorry, but you're not REALLY a vampire.
*New flaw: [[Bad Reputation]]: Fight more Promethean/Infected Agents!
*[[Flash Freeze]] coded, if not yet balanced. You cannot have it!

'''13th'''
*AOE accuracy changed. It should work...as it is supposed to now. Continued testing on what that actually is.
*[[Normal Physics]] now allows you to go a little over the cap on bodypart-modified powers, encouraging you to struggle with your giant breasts.

'''12th'''
*[[Front Row]] and [[Back Row]] combat skills buffed. The former grants an extra 10% cover per point on your allies, while the latter grants you an extra 10% per point on cover effects planted on you.
*More flaws!
**[[Backseat Driver]]: you are more fragile, but your gain an effect identical to [[Born Leader]], with which it can stack.
*Trashing (dropping) items is now counted as combat earnings, and is throttled accordingly.
**[[Anubis Servant (dedication)|Anubis Servants]] now actually get the listed bonus for trashing items.
**Items now have a property listing who found them. Their trash value is diminished for anyone else. Early tests show it to be about -80%.

'''11th'''
*[[Adrenaline Boost]], [[Hard as Scale]] and [[Superior Balance]] on linked cooldowns instead of slots. You can master all of them, but only use one at a time.
*Similarly, [[Pounce]], [[Triage]] and [[Expansiveness]] on linked cooldowns.
*More monster role tweaks:
**Monsters under level 20 half as likely to have a role.
**The first role of monsters above level 30 counts twice. For example, a level 45 Behemoth Master Decoy now gets Avoidance, Warded and Front Row 2 before additional roles are checked.
**Powers granted by roles now have a chance to catch the random power upgrades monsters get.
*[[Scattershot 2000]] more balanced.
*New flaws added, some removed. Flaws are now intended to be game-changing choices with more negative than positive.
**[[Compulsive Artist]], -40% salvage and +10% trinket rate.
**[[Hesitating]], all powers gain +100 and then 20% more charge and +5% damage.
**[[Heroic Enemies]] now has mechanical effects. +5 levels for the chances of having roles, +1 mutant power improvement.
**[[All Natural]] now a flaw. No change except for Merit Point cost dropping to zero. Retroactive for previous AN people.
**[[Normal Physics]], Having oversized genitals will impede you. The larger, the worse the penalty. Magnitude currently unknown.
*In-game mail will now be forwarded to your email account. Previously the game was trying and failing to do this.

'''10th'''
*AI now smarter: if you don't have enough energy to use a power, it will not attempt to.
*Damage modifying distillations applied to items with DoT effects now boost the DoT as well.
*[[Controlled Burst]] 3's effect was apparently never coded and nobody noticed. This has now been rectified.
*Monsters with combat skills should get appropriate powers granted and used automatically.

'''9th'''
*Continued improvements in the new combat skills. [[Vampiric]] drains even more health if a monster is defeated by your DOT effect.
*Equipment upkeep is now rounded down to the next whole number, but [[Readiness]] is now applied to your upkeep as a whole rather than individually to each item.
**Check your equipment, your upkeep total has probably gone up!
*Self-damaging powers bypass cover, HPBuffer and vampiric effects. If you're bleeding yourself, no one can stop you. Your damagereturn won't trigger on it either, so at least you won't light yourself on fire.
*[[Warded]] protects you from DOT effects now.
*Roles for EVERYONE! Now you can fight Skunk Girl Cheerleaders, Math Teacher Determinators, and Behemoth Ninjas.
**Monsters created with Mastermind gain a pet power.
**Monsters created with Healing get a heal.
**Monsters set with pre-existing combat skills won't get any roles. Mantis with Flurry 3, for example.
*[[Modular]] added to [[Survivalist (dedication)|Survivalist]] shop.

'''8th'''
*Rejoice, ye of few levels! Partying with someone of higher level than you will automatically mentor you up to 2 levels below the level of the highest party member!
*Web shop interface now displays whether or not you have the total badge for an infection vial.
*[[Purifying Tablet]] recipe added to the library. Make use of those salmon!
*Subscribers now get access to all roles, as though every role has been learned.
**An option to make a role permanently known across your account has been added to the web interface roles page as well. Cost currently unclear, but expected to be a small amount of mako.
**To celebrate, have some new combat skills. [[Vampiric]], [[Bewitched]], [[Tar Baby]], [[Taunting Strikes]], [[Rage]], [[Sacrificial Fury]], [[Enduring Malice]] all added.
**A *lot* of [[Role]]s were added to make use of these new skills.
*[[Speed]] role now makes your next turns come faster. 50/100/150 out of 1000 baseline.
*[[Fast Loading]] role now decreases the charge time of things like energy snacks and grenades by 300 ATB per point.
*[[:Category:Monsters|Ferals]] now show what combat roles, if any, they possess.
*Inputting a command while on auto combat will no longer get overridden by your AI settings.
*Holidays are over. No [[Christmas Spirit]], [[Christmas Song]], [[Santa Little Helper]], or [[Spin the Dreidel]] until possibly next year!

'''7th'''
*Health bars should now auto-detect how wide your client window is. To reject change, type 'healthwidth 30'.
*Spread powers have a minimum spread of <del>1.5</del> 1.0 now. This is simply to prevent Spread boosters (such as Controlled Burst at rank 2 or 3) from giving it absurd boosts against single targets. For most things, this will not appear to be a change.
*[[Delaying]] distillation coded.
*[[Totemic Spear]] tweaked to account for spread stat mod.
*[[Poison Bite]] now can stack over multiple attacks for a more powerful DoT effect.
*[[Field of Dread]] Mutant power added.
*[[Tanuki]] just learned [[Bountiful Joy]]! Hooray!
*[[Fenrir]] dedicants can now smell your fear. Also your active dedication.
**Oh, and there is a set of badges for smelling active dedications. Expect to be sniffed a lot over the next few days.

'''6th'''
*Bozeman South Park added, containing [[Crested Wyvern]], [[Horned Wyvern]], and bringing both [[Magma Wurm]] and [[Crimson Wyrm]] to the grid!
*NotUser powers on a child or pet should be working as intended now. They no longer affect the summoner under any circumstances.
*+haz can now be targeted on any exit of a room, to look before you leap!
*Salvage purchases have been moved from the auction channel to the market channel.
*The ability to use the Auction channel to host auctions has been fixed.
*Perks can now be bought from from the web site at http://flexiblesurvival.com/merits
*[[Uncanny Scavenger]], [[Vigilant]], and [[Distillery Expert]] [[:Category:Merits|perks]] added.
**The obsolete Custom Work perk removed, as well.

'''5th'''
*[cock of target] and [cock size of target] work. This is not news. The news is that all the following work:
**[skin of target]
**[breast size of target]
*You will no longer accidentally cover for more damage that is being done.
*[[Moist Towelette]] added to the mall. Clean up, you filthy mutants!
*Stacked damage introduced! For sake of example, "stacked5energydamage" with a magnitude of 4 and a duration of 5 will allow you to stack up to four copies of the same 5 DoT damage status, all of which are refreshed every time you layer the power on the enemies again. This particular example would stack all the way to a 20-magnitude energy DoT that lasts 5 rounds.
*InstantCooldown (and its associated debuff) coded! Every .1 turns, it tries to apply itself to a random power that is currently on cooldown, trading .1 mag for 100 ATB.
*TiredFriend status reports the ally with the least energy (even if it's yourself).
*Due to an error, '''your AI targeting preferences have been reset'''! Go back to the AI section of the web interface and re-fix those at earliest convenience.

'''4th'''
*[[Coffee Hypo]] recipe added to Zephyr Employee Wellness Center.
*[[Enduring Effect]] recipe modifier added to the Hidden Camp in Bozeman, Montana. Head to Fairhaven Park to be flown there, or access it directly via the web interface.
**And if you've missed any recipes, the web store now displays if you know them or not.
*All instances of negative HealResist have been renamed HealGain.
*The elite stores now stock profession skills! While in your inventory, they boost their specified profession skill by 1 point.
*Lumberjack [[Role]] added. Combat skills: Enduring Minions, Tactician, Penetration.
**Someone is claiming that the SWAT Team Leader role has existed for a while, but the jury's still out. The important thing is that it has Mastermind, Controlled Burst, and Penetration.
*[[Enveloping Pain]] coded.

'''3rd'''
*Web Crafting page now at least three times as useful. http://flexiblesurvival.com/index?craft
**Displays calculated values on crafted items, such as how deadly your Heavy Improved Poisoned Aerosol really is.
**Expendable items now display quantity created.
*RSX now has a mission giver! Talk to Venice on the second floor, eastern room.
**New instances and new mission areas added as well, for Woodfield only. Woodfield gets love!
*Comm titles adjusted. No comma after them, so chat appears like this: [Public] SCIENCE! Venator watches Nuku churn through her excessive number of requests.
*String parsing now supports [if (person) is/is not herm] or [if (person) is/is not neuter].
*A new area has been brought to Woodfield, containing the [[Nanite Mage]] infection!

'''2nd'''
*Freecred throttling is now in effect! A freecred percentage of <30% gives 50% bonus cred, <150% has no bonus or penalty, and >150% divides your earnings by your percentage.
**This applies to trinket values as well.
*Damagereturn changed in good and bad ways:
**No longer triggers on damage auras like [[Slime Toss]] or [[Electric Field]].
**Ignores 66% of damage resistance instead of 50%.
*Healthwidth command: specify how long you want the health bars to be. Useful for big screens and big clients.
*A mysterious masked essayist is writing help files about detailed combat topics! See http://flexiblesurvival.com/index?help/advanced%20combat%20tips and be educated!
**Or, more directly, [http://flexiblesurvival.com/index?help/advanced%20combat%20tips/power%20selection this one on power selection] and [http://flexiblesurvival.com/index?help/advanced%20combat%20tips/upgrade%20selection this one on upgrade selection]!

'''1st'''
*Happy New Year! There's a badge for sale in the Mako shop! Today only!
*Happy New Year! You just got a lot more options in your AI list on the web client!
**Also in AI: Children now count as 'on cooldown' if they are present. You can safely set the AI to always summon them.
**Autocombat priorities except for -1 removed. Outdated information: http://flexiblesurvival.com/index?help/Auto
**AI now understands Equipment for free. Other AI programs added to Rsx's shop.
*A whole lot of recipe mods were modified, including: [[Hair Triggered]], [[Rapid Cooling]], [[Poisoned]], [[Optimized]], [[Extra Lethal]], [[Sticky]], and [[Subtle]]!
**And [[Thunderous]].
*Fairhaven Park has been opened! It contains [[Honey Bear]], [[Honey Bee]], [[Parasitic Plant]], and releases the [[White Unicorn Mare]] to the general public. 6th Street 7500.
*[[Recursor]] added to the elite shops.

==[[Multiplayer_Updates/December_2011|December]]==
'''Archived. Header is linked to archived updates.'''

==[[Multiplayer_Updates/November_2011|November]]==
'''Archived. Header is linked to archived updates.'''

==[[Multiplayer_Updates/October_2011|October]]==
'''Archived. Header is linked to archived updates.'''

==[[Multiplayer_Updates/September_2011|September]]==
'''Archived. Header is linked to archived updates.'''

==[[Multiplayer_Updates/August_2011|August]]==
'''Archived. Header is linked to archived updates.'''

==[[Multiplayer_Updates/July_2011|July]]==
'''Archived. Header is linked to archived updates.'''

==[[Multiplayer_Updates/June_2011|June]]==
'''Archived. Header is linked to archived updates.'''

==[[Multiplayer_Updates/May_2011|May]]==
'''Archived. Header is linked to archived updates.'''

==[[Multiplayer_Updates/April_2011|April]]==
'''Archived. Header is linked to archived updates.'''

==[[Multiplayer_Updates/March_2011|March]]==
'''Archived. Header is linked to archived updates.'''

User:Rihko

2012-01-28T06:17:22Z

Rihko:

Rihko Kirijo

''(Pronounced: Re·ko Key·re·joe)''

Zephyr Field Agent, Engineer, Self-Alleged 'Mad Intern'

''(The official Zephyr file:)''

Rihko was one of the middle children of the Kirijo family of New York. Her father, Matsu, was an emigrant who earned his citizenship in the US Air Force. Her mother, Susan, was a counselor and the two met through a mutual friend. Rihko is the only survivor - Susan Kirijo was the only known relative to survive PN Day, and she died shortly thereafter when she left the bubble after contracting an inorganic mutation variation. When she initially joined Zephyr and was asked to identify a next-of-kin, Rihko declined, stating that she did not have a single surviving relative of any variety. When asked if she had any friends she wanted to declare as emergency contacts, Rihko likewise declined, stating none were currently alive. Recently, she has listed a 'Takumi' as her emergency contact.

Rihko traveled extensively before PN Day. She was the Purchasing Director for s small museum/gallery in San Diego, California, and worked with private collectors on a freelance basis. Her job sent her on frequent trips, both cross-country and international. During the Outbreak, Rihko volunteered for the rescue operation in San Diego, helping in triage and logistics. She contracted a relatively mild nanite infection at the time, which left her still looking human, but she received the Zephyr inoculation just to be safe. Since she was already 'contaminated' Rihko applied for a position with Zephyr. Currently, she operates as a field agent for Zephyr, and is listed as a lab intern for Pax Ex Scientia, an independent group directed by Loki. In addition to filing paperwork, her general studies, and various errands, Rihko also enjoys tinkering and designing gadgets.

Other Zephyr staff members have noted Rihko for her positive attitude and resilient personality. When she first arrived in Fairhaven, Rihko did not have any experience fighting and frequently ended up in Zephyr's triage - while dealing with the other associated trauma of being overrun by ferals. Despite her trials and tribulations, though, she always remained positive and upbeat, and continues to enthusiastically pursue, well, whatever task she's currently working on.

Known Immediate Relations:

Matsu Kirijo (Father) (Deceased) (Went feral, put down by Susan Kirijo in self defense)

Susan Kirijo (Mother) (Deceased) (Died after leaving the New York bubble)

Miri Kirijo (Sister) (Deceased) (Murdered by feral formally known as Matsu Kirijo)

Yuko Kirijo (Sister) (Missing, Presumed Deceased)(Last known location: Las Vegas)

Angela Kirijo (Sister) (Deceased) (Murdered by looters in St. Louis)

Daniel Kirijo (Brother) (Deceased) (Killed by ferals in Minneapolis)

Tatsu Kirijo (Brother) (Missing, Presumed Deceased) (Last known location: San Antonio)

----
''(Unofficial Addendum)''

Rihko does not just tinker with parts now and then; although she might not understand the nanites very well, or be anywhere near as accomplised at using them as an adept or a true dedicated scientist, she is a natural engineer and excels at the practical application of mechanics and electronics. (OOC: Her first Profession was Magnificent Bastard, and she has Design level 3).

Rihko's personal philosophy is not one that she has shared with a lot of people, but she believes that, above all, one must be focused on the now. She believes that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing enthusiastically, and tends to throw herself into whatever it is she is doing - be that something as tame as filing paperwork or talking with a friend, or something like scavenging and fighting. She also believes that she shouldn't drop her problems on other people, so she tends to avoid talking about any of her past that she thinks others might find unpleasant.

Shortly after PN Day, one of Rihko's ex boyfriends in San Diego tracked her down. The man, the latest in a series of poor relationship choices, had decided to take advantage of the fall of society, and attacked Rihko. He broke one of her legs, knocked her out, and tied her to a bed so he could rape her repeatedly. Fueled by rage and hatred Rihko broke her own hand in order to slip free from the bindings, and instead of going for help she found a knife and murdered her ex. She went to post-trauma counseling for a while, but she never admitted that deep inside, there was a piece of her that had woken up. Something ruthless and feral, that crowed with joy as her ex's blood ran down her hand and the life fled from his body.

All her attempts to contact her family had failed, both in the immediate aftermath of PN day and through her counseling, so she decided to set out across country and find them. Under normal circumstances, the trip to New York meant four or five days to a week on the road (if she couldn't find a plane), and in the chaos following PN day Rihko couldn't find a plane. The trip ended up taking her a little over a month, and Rihko ran into some other unpleasantness on the way, but she did eventually make it to New York.

There, she learned that her father had gone feral, and killed her sister. And that her mother, now mostly robotic, had killed Matsu in self defense. The two set out to find the rest of the family together, and Rihko watched her mother die as they left the bubble of New York, her inorganic body unable to sustain itself without the nanite cloud.

Over the course of the next year, Rihko traveled to the other places her family had lived, and ran into the same sort of stories - people with problems, people with issues, and her family dead and gone. She also had to defend herself, with lethal force, on several occasions. Each time, she became more and more comfortable with her Beast, as she called it, calling on it for survival, feeding it all of the hurt, all of the sadness, all of the despair she felt so that it could strengthen her with rage, fighting it for control after each encounter.

She would likely have gone down a short, dark road into true psychopathy had it not been for a man she met on her trip; David Williams, a Kitsune. He could sense her trouble, and he was impressed by her determination and control, and by her dedication to her family. He started traveling with her, teaching her things about the world and helping her find ways to channel and control her emotions, instead of being controlled by them. In the end, he helped sponsor her to Prince Inari, and with nothing else left, Rihko pledged her service and become a Kitsune in turn.

Now she is in Fairhaven, trying to keep an eye on what's going on and an ear to the ground, and helping civilization cling together and rebuild.

"We must remain resolute, and guard everything we hold dear, for unstable times lead to uncivil societies." - David Williams

"The best cure for hard luck, is hard work." - Susan Kirijo

Known Associates: (NPCs)

Takumi - Kitsune. Rihko's son, and her 'patrol partner'. Also helps her out around the Tower.

Akiko - Goo-cow. A mercenary, and one of Balina's daughters, frequently hired by Rihko to help her out on missions.

Charlotte - Chimera? She's Muscle, with a capital M, and just showed up one day. She follows Rihko around some times, and tends to not say much, if anything. But she's good at looming.

User:Rihko

2012-01-28T06:16:27Z

Rihko:

Rihko Kirijo

''(Pronounced: Re·ko Key·re·joe)''

Zephyr Field Agent, Engineer, Self-Alleged 'Mad Intern'

''(The official Zephyr file:)''

Rihko was one of the middle children of the Kirijo family of New York. Her father, Matsu, was an emigrant who earned his citizenship in the US Air Force. Her mother, Susan, was a counselor and the two met through a mutual friend. Rihko is the only survivor - Susan Kirijo was the only known relative to survive PN Day, and she died shortly thereafter when she left the bubble after contracting an inorganic mutation variation. When she initially joined Zephyr and was asked to identify a next-of-kin, Rihko declined, stating that she did not have a single surviving relative of any variety. When asked if she had any friends she wanted to declare as emergency contacts, Rihko likewise declined, stating none were currently alive. Recently, she has listed a 'Takumi' as her emergency contact.

Rihko traveled extensively before PN Day. She was the Purchasing Director for s small museum/gallery in San Diego, California, and worked with private collectors on a freelance basis. Her job sent her on frequent trips, both cross-country and international. During the Outbreak, Rihko volunteered for the rescue operation in San Diego, helping in triage and logistics. She contracted a relatively mild nanite infection at the time, which left her still looking human, but she received the Zephyr inoculation just to be safe. Since she was already 'contaminated' Rihko applied for a position with Zephyr. Currently, she operates as a field agent for Zephyr, and is listed as a lab intern for Pax Ex Scientia, an independent group directed by Loki. In addition to filing paperwork, her general studies, and various errands, Rihko also enjoys tinkering and designing gadgets.

Other Zephyr staff members have noted Rihko for her positive attitude and resilient personality. When she first arrived in Fairhaven, Rihko did not have any experience fighting and frequently ended up in Zephyr's triage - while dealing with the other associated trauma of being overrun by ferals. Despite her trials and tribulations, though, she always remained positive and upbeat, and continues to enthusiastically pursue, well, whatever task she's currently working on.

Known Immediate Relations:

Matsu Kirijo (Father) (Deceased) (Went feral, put down by Susan Kirijo in self defense)

Susan Kirijo (Mother) (Deceased) (Died after leaving the New York bubble)

Miri Kirijo (Sister) (Deceased) (Murdered by feral formally known as Matsu Kirijo)

Yuko Kirijo (Sister) (Missing, Presumed Deceased)(Last known location: Las Vegas)

Angela Kirijo (Sister) (Deceased) (Murdered by looters in St. Louis)

Daniel Kirijo (Brother) (Deceased) (Killed by ferals in Minneapolis)

Tatsu Kirijo (Brother) (Missing, Presumed Deceased) (Last known location: San Antonio)

----
''(Unofficial Addendum)''

Rihko does not just tinker with parts now and then; although she might not understand the nanites very well, or be anywhere near as accomplised at using them as an adept or a true dedicated scientist, she is a natural engineer and excels at the practical application of mechanics and electronics. (OOC: Her first Profession was Magnificent Bastard, and she has Design level 3).

Rihko's personal philosophy is not one that she has shared with a lot of people, but she believes that, above all, one must be focused on the now. She believes that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing enthusiastically, and tends to throw herself into whatever it is she is doing - be that something as tame as filing paperwork or talking with a friend, or something like scavenging and fighting. She also believes that she shouldn't drop her problems on other people, so she tends to avoid talking about any of her past that she thinks others might find unpleasant.

Shortly after PN Day, one of Rihko's ex boyfriends in San Diego tracked her down. The man, the latest in a series of poor relationship choices, had decided to take advantage of the fall of society, and attacked Rihko. He broke one of her legs, knocked her out, and tied her to a bed so he could rape her repeatedly. Fueled by rage and hatred Rihko broke her own hand in order to slip free from the bindings, and instead of going for help she found a knife and murdered her ex. She went to post-trauma counseling for a while, but she never admitted that deep inside, there was a piece of her that had woken up. Something ruthless and feral, that crowed with joy as her ex's blood ran down her hand and the life fled from his body.

All her attempts to contact her family had failed, both in the immediate aftermath of PN day and through her counseling, so she decided to set out across country and find them. Under normal circumstances, the trip to New York meant four or five days to a week on the road (if she couldn't find a plane), and in the chaos following PN day Rihko couldn't find a plane. The trip ended up taking her a little over a month, and Rihko ran into some other unpleasantness on the way, but she did eventually make it to New York.

There, she learned that her father had gone feral, and killed her sister. And that her mother, now mostly robotic, had killed Matsu in self defense. The two set out to find the rest of the family together, and Rihko watched her mother die as they left the bubble of New York, her inorganic body unable to sustain itself without the nanite cloud.

Over the course of the next year, Rihko traveled to the other places her family had lived, and ran into the same sort of stories - people with problems, people with issues, and her family dead and gone. She also had to defend herself, with lethal force, on several occasions. Each time, she became more and more comfortable with her Beast, as she called it, calling on it for survival, feeding it all of the hurt, all of the sadness, all of the despair she felt so that it could strengthen her with rage, fighting it for control after each encounter.

She would likely have gone down a short, dark road into true psychopathy had it not been for a man she met on her trip; David Williams, a Kitsune. He could sense her trouble, and he was impressed by her determination and control, and by her dedication to her family. He started traveling with her, teaching her things about the world and helping her find ways to channel and control her emotions, instead of being controlled by them. In the end, he helped sponsor her to Prince Inari, and with nothing else left, Rihko pledged her service and become a Kitsune in turn.

Now she is in Fairhaven, trying to keep an eye on what's going on and an ear to the ground, and helping civilization cling together and rebuild.

"We must remain resolute, and guard everything we hold dear, for unstable times lead to uncivil societies." - david Williams
"The best cure for hard luck, is hard work." - Susan Kirijo

Known Associates: (NPCs)

Takumi - Kitsune. Rihko's son, and her 'patrol partner'. Also helps her out around the Tower.

Akiko - Goo-cow. A mercenary, and one of Balina's daughters, frequently hired by Rihko to help her out on missions.

Charlotte - Chimera? She's Muscle, with a capital M, and just showed up one day. She follows Rihko around some times, and tends to not say much, if anything. But she's good at looming.

User:Rihko

2011-12-31T23:13:38Z

Rihko:

User:Rihko

2011-12-31T22:51:34Z

Rihko: Created page with "Rihko Kirijo ''(Pronounced: Re·ko Key·re·joe)'' Zephyr Field Agent, Engineer, Self-Alleged 'Mad Intern' ''(The official Zephyr file:)'' Rihko was one of the middle chil..."