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Try and convince her to abandon this quest and escape with us. If we can't convince her do the teleport. And just hope Kiara drops the rats at some point. It'll help with whatever plan we're running.
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Mar 17, 2024 15:56
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Reasonably expectable actions ok, good to know. With the fight timing it will be immensely helpful and distressingly hilarious. Illuminati mooks ignore the flaming rats until they too, are on fire. Hilarity ensues. Might not even need to use the amulet since everyone will be going for emergency exits or fighting off the rats with fire extinguishers.
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Mar 17, 2024 16:07
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Outrail posted:I don't think we're going to be able to fight our way out of here. By the time we turn back the entire ants nest will know the holograms aren't real, then they'll be coming down and there's only one or two exits. Blasphemaster posted:Look, this all very impressive and I feel for you. It sucks to be screwed over but you're forgetting something crucial here. Outrail posted:Try and convince her to abandon this quest and escape with us. If we can't convince her do the teleport. Blasphemaster posted:Reasonably expectable actions ok, good to know. With the fight timing it will be immensely helpful and distressingly hilarious. Illuminati mooks ignore the flaming rats until they too, are on fire. Hilarity ensues. Might not even need to use the amulet since everyone will be going for emergency exits or fighting off the rats with fire extinguishers. You decide to lean on your natural charisma. Maybe you can, somehow, convince her to abandon this crazy idea of hers.  JOSEI: Becca... Look, this all very impressive and I feel for you. It sucks to be screwed over but you're forgetting something crucial here. JOSEI: Taking some notes is one thing, but there aren't many people with a motive to take a big drat chunk of a building back. They won't flip out over an escape, that's universally expected conduct. But stealing back your mom's lab? It's humiliating to them as a whole package, is the important thing. They're THEM. THEY will never leave a vanilla human alone after a raid like this, holographic, non-lethal or whatever. Powerful people will hold a grudge over anything, and you're outside of insulating Underworld law as far as I can see. JOSEI: poo poo, look. I was once part of a mission to help establish new international relations with the government of a small nation that just had a successful revolution. Cast out the last bits of colonialism etc. JOSEI: Guy running the whole thing was recognized to be brilliant and charismatic but was low key known to have a tendency to go all in on aggression, named his machete kinda guy. I was going over the fine details of regional water rights when one of his staff tripped on the tufted carpet and spilled the guy's lunch. Next thing we saw, the poor bastard was trying to keep his guts from spilling out.You snap your fingers. JOSEI: Just like that. JOSEI: You seen District 9? With the guy eating the bugs? THEY would probably imagine something worse and then let that demon in the lobby floss with your soul on top of it. JOSEI: So let's grab what we can carry and get the gently caress out of here. Okay?Rebecca listens intently throughout your entire monologue, nodding a bit. For a moment you think you've convinced her. You fall silent, letting her respond. DIPLOMACY ROLL: 14 +5 PERK BONUS = 19 VS DC 24. FAILURE.  REBECCA: I'm sorry, but no. JOSEI: What. Do you need me to-She holds up a hand. REBECCA: What you say makes sense. It's logical. I agree with it, mostly. REBECCA: But this is about my mother's life. I spent a year planning this. I'm not letting the opportunity of a lifetime slip away.She reaches in a pocket, and pulls a piece of paper out of it, scribbling something on it before folding it up and handing it to you. You see that it is simply labeled on the back: "DAD." This must be a letter for Malcolm. REBECCA: If you're too scared to go, that's fine. Just leave, and show this to my dad. After he reads it, he'll pay up like you succeeded at whatever contract he set up with you. He'll understand why. REBECCA: Whether you agree to go with me or leave, nothing is stopping me from continuing on my mission. Okay? But regardless you can get your payout.Ivan glances at you, and shrugs.  IVAN: An easy enough contract, then. Let's take the letter and leave.Character Sheets & Inventory
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Mar 17, 2024 17:32
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Hold on. Your mother used this selfsame equipment, backed by her knowledge, her expertise, her mastery, and sent herself somewhere even you aren't in a position to get herself back from. We don't know what the Illuminati have done with the stuff since, because we're talking about the ones that see themselves and only themselves as having a divine right to meddle. Think! The corollary to 'No outsiders can try this stuff' is 'Insiders can try this stuff'. We don't have the time to figure out what they've done with it since obtaining it and to account for that whilst making a clean getaway via teleportation, since that is doubtless one of the things the inveterate meddlers will have meddled with.
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Mar 17, 2024 19:50
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AJ_Impy posted:Hold on. Your mother used this selfsame equipment, backed by her knowledge, her expertise, her mastery, and sent herself somewhere even you aren't in a position to get herself back from. We don't know what the Illuminati have done with the stuff since, because we're talking about the ones that see themselves and only themselves as having a divine right to meddle. Think! The corollary to 'No outsiders can try this stuff' is 'Insiders can try this stuff'. We don't have the time to figure out what they've done with it since obtaining it and to account for that whilst making a clean getaway via teleportation, since that is doubtless one of the things the inveterate meddlers will have meddled with.  You shake your head, and turn your attention back to Rebecca. Ivan gets a bemused expression on his face, but allows you to continue talking. JOSEI: Hold on. Your mother used this selfsame equipment, backed by her knowledge, her expertise, her mastery, and sent herself somewhere even you aren't in a position to get herself back from. JOSEI: We don't know what the Illuminati have done with the stuff since, because we're talking about the ones that see themselves and only themselves as having a divine right to meddle. JOSEI: Think! The corollary to 'No outsiders can try this stuff' is 'Insiders can try this stuff'. We don't have the time to figure out what they've done with it since obtaining it and to account for that whilst making a clean getaway via teleportation, since that is doubtless one of the things the inveterate meddlers will have meddled with.Rebecca folds her arms, a guarded expression on her face. REBECCA: I'm pretty sure they haven't used it. They only put stuff in Archive X if they aren't wanting to mess with it, and just want to keep it out of the hand of mundane people. JOSEI: And how do you KNOW that? They could have stored it AFTER using it. REBECCA: I mean... they were asking me a bunch of questions that made it sound like they had no clue about the principles on how the dimensional tuning apparatus even works. If they had even a cursory understanding from tinkering with her equipment, they'd know. JOSEI: Does it occur to you that they might have asked you those questions in order to be able to trick you into assuming that? That they were gaslighting you? Maybe to compare what you know to what they know?DIPLOMACY ROLL: 9 +5 PERK BONUS = 14 VS DC 14. SUCCESS! She pauses, her composure a bit shaken. REBECCA: Well... even if that's true, I can't just - I can't give up! This is my only chance! What the gently caress else am I supposed to do? Go home and sit around, knowing that if I stop trying, my mom's gonna be gone forever?You notice tears welling up in her eyes under the goggles, and her lower lip begins to quiver. Rebecca seems to realize that she's on the verge of breaking down in front of two people she just met. She pulls her goggles off and angrily scrubs at her eyes, sniffing a bit as she tries to fight back the urge to cry. Character Sheets & Inventory
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Mar 17, 2024 20:12
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You're right, and it is clear this is near to your heart. We need to maximise the information we get and minimise the risk to ourselves, and that includes the potential for getting trapped by using what amounts to the biggest potential bait for you specifically. We go there, we see what we can glean, we get out conventionally with what we can. It isn't as if they're in the habit of de-archiving anything ever, after all. We've gotten this far, if need be we can go again, provided we are free to do so. There's a firmly nonzero chance they're expecting an attempt to use that stuff in situ, and have set things up accordingly to resolve in their favour.
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Mar 17, 2024 20:56
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AJ_Impy posted:You're right, and it is clear this is near to your heart. We need to maximise the information we get and minimise the risk to ourselves, and that includes the potential for getting trapped by using what amounts to the biggest potential bait for you specifically. We go there, we see what we can glean, we get out conventionally with what we can. It isn't as if they're in the habit of de-archiving anything ever, after all. We've gotten this far, if need be we can go again, provided we are free to do so. There's a firmly nonzero chance they're expecting an attempt to use that stuff in situ, and have set things up accordingly to resolve in their favour. You reach into your suit jacket, and pull out a handkerchief and hold it out to her. As she ashamedly blows her nose, you continue speaking. JOSEI: You're right, and it is clear this is near to your heart. We need to maximise the information we get and minimise the risk to ourselves, and that includes the potential for getting trapped by using what amounts to the biggest potential bait for you. JOSEI: We go there, we see what we can glean, we get out conventionally with what we can. From what I've read... it isn't as if they're in the habit of de-archiving anything ever, after all. We've gotten this far, if need be we can go again. JOSEI: Meanwhile, if we get caught or killed here... we can never make another attempt. THAT is the real end of the line. So, are you with me?DIPLOMACY ROLL: 20 +5 PERK BONUS = 25 VS DC 14. SUCCESS! She stands there, silent, sullen. Finally, she sniffs once more and nods slowly. REBECCA: Yeah, okay.REBECCA HAS JOINED YOUR PARTY! You nod back at her. JOSEI: Yeah? You'll get as much as you can here, and let me get you out? REBECCA: I guess it's the only logical option. JOSEI: Atta girl. You won't regret it, Becca. Come on, let's blow this door.You wave Ivan over, and he gives you a bemused look again, before looking over the breaching charges. He grabs the detonation cord from Rebecca, and the breaching charges, and begins setting them up in such a way as to contain the blast as much as possible. He murmurs to you as he works. IVAN: Your survival instinct is sound. But I still think we should have left with the letter.You give a half-shrug. All you can think is - "A Flash of Wisdom posted:An... interesting choice. Very cunning indeed, though not cowardly in the slightest. - that this didn't turn out half bad. But then again... you still need to see the rest of this through. With both Ivan and Rebecca working together, it doesn't take long to finish the beeline to the Archives, the storage area of the Illuminati's Leland Vault. It looks like a cavernous warehouse with rows of shelves reaching up to the ceiling... each row is a meter or two lower than the one before it, so you can see the room is easily three stories high. You wonder how the hell they get the shelves up there. JOSEI: They must have the world's tallest forklift.Rebecca sniffs a bit, sounding a little congested from her crying earlier. REBECCA: They use electromagnets, actually. That's why all the crates are metal. They just float up and down. Anyway... c'mon, I got the map downloaded to my goggles.*** Blasphemaster posted:Ok, so if she doesn't change her mind we accompany her. If she does, we save the amulet for the escape?  You spend 15 anxiety-filled minutes waiting for any word from Josei or Ivan, but no dice. Goodboy can tell you're anxious, because he keeps nuzzling up against you and trying to lick your hand, and you give him some reassuring pats and toss him another treat to help calm him down. The sound of the firefight is ferocious. You can tell the Illuminati soldiers are panicked, since the holograms give the impression that they're invulnerable to small-arms fire. Unfortunately, the same holograms seem to be inflicting zero casualties, which emboldens the defenders. It appears that they decide the truck's stasis field has something to do with the uncommon resilience of the holographic soldiers, and begin focusing their fire on it. Eventually, someone must have dug up an RPG launcher, and they begin firing methodically. The purple electrical field stops the first several RPGs, causing them to hang silently in mid-air, but then it flickers out for just a moment, long enough for one of the RPGs to pierce its hull and detonate, blasting a huge hole in the side of the truck. The holograms scatter and flicker out of existence almost immediately afterwards, and you hear several surprised curses along with a cheer from the defending Illuminati soldiers. You exhale forcefully, deciding that this is your cue to take action. With the mysterious truck no longer acting as a distraction... it's your turn now. NECROMANCY ROLL: 15 +4 PERK BONUS = 19 VS DC 12. SUCCESS! You unsling Mortis, and begin playing a sweeping arpeggio at a fast beat. You feel a bit like you should have something more like an old-fashioned acoustic guitar than an electric one for that kind of music, but shove that thought aside. It doesn't take long before you can reach out and sense, to your immense gratification, that a fire did once sweep through several nearby buildings, and most definitely did lead to the death of thousands of little rodents. You begin raising tiny, flaming, shrieking shades by the dozen, and send them scurrying into the Illuminati HQ from the entrance Josei and Ivan used, crawling into every crevice and cranny in the complex and setting ablaze anything flammable they find. You can hear the faint shouts and screams, and feel just a little bit bad. Just a little. *** As your group marches along, you hear the sound of the PA system crackling to life. "Warning, arcane intrusion det- warning, arcane - warning arcane int- warn-warn-warn-" There's a popping sound, and then the female voice says, "EMERGENCY - Fire detected in sector Alpha-1, Alpha-2, Alpha-3, Alpha-4, Alpha-5..." Rebecca pauses, obviously confused. You share a grin with Ivan, and speak. JOSEI: Friend of ours got tired of waiting, I'm guessing. We had a contingency set up to give a distraction. REBECCA: Um... okay. I hope it won't hurt anybody?You contemplate how to respond to that, considering that a flood of flaming rats is currently cramming itself into the upper levels of the Leland Vault. Then you get an idea. JOSEI: I mean, considering they messed with us...You put on your sunglasses, ignoring the dark light of the warehouse. Ivan gets an alarmed expression, while Rebecca gets a confused one. JOSEI: ...they should've expected that they'd get burned.Character Sheets & Inventory And with that, time to update the character sheets... and I think we will also have a brief intermission to see how the Illuminati are reacting to this whole mess. JessAlias fucked around with this message at 22:16 on Mar 17, 2024 |
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Mar 17, 2024 22:14
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 Victoria lingered out on one of the balcony of the Harmonium, the central meeting place of the Illuminati, smoking a cigarette moodily. Technically, the Veiled Assembly could always meet via phone or electronically. These days, sending correspondence via email wasn't uncommon between some of the members. But the problem was that only held true for SOME members. There were others, like the esteemed Arch-Magister, who seemed allergic to leveraging modern advances. The green-haired angel sighed, running her hand through her hair, and checked her watch. It wasn't long before the meeting would start. She stubbed out her cigarette, and turned to head into the Harmonium, past the various statues that lined the exterior. She paused a moment to admire the statue of Prometheus bringing fire to humanity. That one was always her favorite, for personal reasons. After passing by some other statues, Victoria went inside, heading into the main chamber where the Veiled Assembly was meeting. There were six other members of the Assembly, each about as varied and unique as people could be. Her fellow founding member of the Veiled Assembly, Arch-Magister Augustus, was already fast asleep as usual. His wizard's hat was pulled down over his face, and he was snoring softly. Victoria resisted the urge to poke him, deciding to save that for later. Titania, the elven enchantress from the Fae Courts, was standing serenely with her hands clasped behind her back. Victoria gave her a respectful nod, which Titania returned with a slight smile. Lucius, the vampire noble, was sitting in one of the chairs, sipping from a thermos. He immediately cleared his throat on seeing Victoria, and said, "Thaddeus is off doing whatever it is that he does. He promised to be here shortly." "I am already here," whispered a quiet voice from the shadows. Thaddeus Grim stepped out of the darkness, a bit too close for comfort for Victoria. She gave him a firm push away with her angelic aura, and he bowed mockingly towards her. Victoria rolled her eyes and ignored him. Thaddeus was creepy as gently caress, but he knew better than to piss her off too badly. She took a seat next to Isabella. The spymaster was fiddling around with her smartphone, checking the Illuminati intelligence network for updates. She glanced up, and murmured, "I got a report from the security team. I'm not sure if it's accurate, though." Victoria gave a half-shrug. "Can it wait? We won't get much done if we try to talk about it here, especially with Snorlax over there." She nodded towards the sleeping Arch-Magister. "You know how everything's a loving sign of the apocalypse these days, according to him." Isabella nodded back. "It's fine. I'll tell you after the meeting, unless it's an emergency. Don't worry about it." Victoria glanced at Augustus. He was still technically the Chair of the Assembly, and needed to call the meeting to order- She paused. Victoria said, "Goddammit, Orion's skipping out on the meeting again, isn't he? What's he doing this time?" Thaddeus smiled thinly. "Why, the demon is off hosting yet another one of his parties. I believe this one involves some sort of 'rave.'" Victoria pinched the bridge of her nose. Sometimes she really hated the fact that demons were allowed to join the Illuminati. Sure, Orion was an important asset who helped keep the Knights Templar at bay, but still. She couldn't stand the guy, and it definitely wasn't because she was an angel. She wasn't like, prejudiced, or something. She took a breath, and cleared her throat. "Augustus! Everyone's here who's gonna be here. Wake up!" Arch-Magister Augustus grumbled, and stirred. He pushed his wizard hat back, blinking sleepily. "Ah, yes, let me see... very well, my fellow Arch-Magisters-" Victoria interrupted, "Wrong secret society. This is the Veiled Assembly, not the Council of Merlin." Augustus blinked again, then stared at her owlishly. "What? Oh yes, yes. Very well, fellow Assembly members. I hereby call to order the latest meeting of the Veiled Assembly. Does anyone have any old business to discuss?" Victoria raised a hand. "We still need to deal with the situation in the Congo. I can't believe we're still dithering over whether or not to send a squad in to remove that artifact or not..." The meeting began to get into the swing of things, and like clockwork, Augustus descended back into the realm of the unconscious within the space of five minutes. Victoria sighed. She'd tried scheduling meetings during the day so he would be awake, but Augustus just tended to doze off anyway. She focused, trying to pay attention to what Thaddeus was saying. "...technically, with the death of so many civilians (though admittedly unfortunate), we could always use the accompanying upsurge in necromantic energy to seal the gateway. I propose-" Titania cut in. "Necromancy is unnatural. You know I barely tolerate the limited uses you make of it, but a mass ritual of this magnitude? It goes against the balance of nature. I object, very strenuously, to using it." Victoria resigned herself to the upcoming argument, and began to wonder if Augustus' usual routine of sleeping through the Assembly's meetings was such a bad one. Then Isabella quietly tapped her shoulder. She jumped a bit. "What?" "Vi... things are getting a little intense at the Leland Vault. Reports are fragmented, but someone set off an EMP... and I think the building might be on fire." Victoria frowned. "Some kind of raid?" "Yes. Initial report was a minor incursion... then it upgraded to a major one... and now it appears that the place is being swarmed by..." Isabella squinted at her phone. "Flaming rodents?" "...flaming rodents?" Victoria was not sure she heard that correctly. Isabella shrugged helplessly. "That's what the security team said. But more importantly, they said it ALSO appeared that the DeVir prisoner managed to escape during the confusion. She seems to be breaching the Archives." Victoria groaned. She remembered the whole Rebecca situation well. The girl was a nuisance, trying to break into Illuminati facilities, and constantly sending letters about her missing mother. Like it was their fault the woman vanished. "Right. Probably trying to get her hands on her mom's scientific crap. Well, if she's going to try to spin up that old kit..." The fallen angel drummed her fingers. "That's gonna take time. So they'll be sitting ducks. This'd be a great opportunity to test out Herc." "You want to roll out Hercules? He's still being prototyped. He's also just a little bit... lethal, for the infractions Rebecca is guilty of? She's not exactly a Gamma-Gamma-Gamma type of threat..." Victoria rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, Izzy. The thing was built to handle crazy poo poo like this, and it's specialized in urban combat. If Rebecca is stupid enough to try to spin up that dimensional tuning apparatus, she deserves whatever happens to her." Unfortunately, she made the mistake of saying the word "dimensional" too loudly, which happened to be one of Augustus' triggers. The old wizard jerked awake, and sat up straight. In a surprisingly booming voice, he said, "Dimension-hopping is banned! It is the sole responsibility of the Council of Merlin, on behalf of all magic users, to guard against interdimensional incursions!" The argument between Thaddeus and Titania sputtered out at the loud interruption. "Should any dimension-hopping attempt be made outside the purview of the Council, they are to immediately inform us so we can coordinate an effort with the proper authorities and prevent an apocalypse!" He turned to face Victoria, and pointed a trembling finger at her. "Who dares to defy the will of the Veiled Assembly?" "Ugh..." Victoria took a deep breath. "Just Rebecca DeVir again. Some kind of attack happened at the Leland Vault and she managed to escape. Flaming... rats apparently?" She gave Isabella an uncertain look, and the spymaster nodded. Augustus furrowed his massive, bushy eyebrows. He said, "Flaming rodents? As in a biblical plague? This is surely a sign of the End Times! If these foolish children dare to seek out forbidden knowledge of the dimensional arts and set in motion an apocalyptic scenario, we will have to call upon the angels of Celestia!" "That's not going to happen. They won't get far... I've approved deployment of Hercules," Victoria said firmly. There was an awkward pause. "...Hercules the security system, not the demigod. Sorry. Forgot to clarify." Augustus sat back, his bushy eyebrows un-furrowing only slightly. "Will your golem be able to take care of this Rebecca girl, before she wreaks untold havoc?" Victoria nodded slowly. "Technically, uh, it's a robot. But yeah. If she gets so far as to activate that dimensional transporter apparatus, it will stop her from screwing everything up." Titania leaned forward. "And if she fails, what then?" "Huh? Well, I mean, she's gonna get killed. There's no way she's winning against that thing." Victoria gave another half-shrug. "Anyway... Augustus, I guess old business is sorted out... right? So let's move on to new business. Anyone got anything to report?" JessAlias fucked around with this message at 01:18 on Mar 18, 2024 |
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Mar 17, 2024 23:45
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Eventually, the three of you manage to reach the section of the Archives known as Archive X, where all the stuff that is being put in long term storage is held. You were half expecting the segment to be musty and dusty, but apparently, the air handling systems in the facility are VERY good at keeping out any kind of dirt or mildew. Still... as you pass by some of the sealed metal crates, you notice some of them are covered in WARNING and DANGER stickers. There's even a huge oaken chest labeled "DO NOT OPEN" in red letters, and embossed with strange occult symbols inlaid with gold leaf. JOSEI: So is that enchanted or cursed or what?Ivan shrugs. IVAN: Who knows. I don't recommend touching it.Rebecca, meanwhile, is running on ahead, looking around frantically. She gives a whoop and points into the distance. REBECCA: There it is!Sure enough, when you look at where she's pointing, you see what looks like... well, a building. Or at least the wing to a building. You recognize the brickwork from the DeVir family mansion, when you were visiting Malcolm. It's like someone just sawed off a segment of the structure, put it on a flatbed truck, and towed it here.  The three of you jog over, and enter the structure. It looks like... well, a research lab. An abandoned one, specifically. The computers look rather old and boxy... from the late 1990s or early 2000s, you're guessing. Things look like a mess - papers are scattered everywhere, broken glass lies all over the ground, there's even a few scorch marks. To your surprise, after a few seconds, the lights flicker on and several of the computer screens flip on as well. They must have wired this thing into the Vault's electrical grid. REBECCA: Nobody bothered to clean up? I thought they'd at least do that much! JOSEI: Probably they only cared enough to lock it up. But... anyway, uh.You check your watch. JOSEI: I'm gonna give you... ten minutes, okay? Then we gotta get going.Rebecca's jaw drops. She looks ready to argue with you, but you hold up your hand before she can protest. JOSEI: Just keep in mind that there could be other security systems in place here we haven't disabled yet. For all we know a wizard's gonna drop out of the ceiling and start casting fireballs. Or some kinda... eldritch Kool-Aid man's gonna bust in through the wall. REBECCA: But- JOSEI: No buts. This is a but-free zone. Go do what you gotta do, and we're out of here in ten.The inventor huffs and puffs for a moment, then gives in and heads to a computer. She slides a USB stick into the computer, and starts typing commands on the keyboard rapidly. You fold your arms, and look around a moment. As your eyes have adjusted to the darkness, you can't help but notice that in this section of the Archives, the crates are stacked up almost to the distant ceiling. A part of you feels tempted to go rummaging around. > You've got ten minutes... how do you spend them? Character Sheets & Inventory JessAlias fucked around with this message at 00:33 on Mar 18, 2024 |
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Mar 18, 2024 00:31
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Rebecca. The computers have power. They wouldn't bother to do that if they hadn't accessed them. I fear we're right about the meddling, we need to be cautious. Data only. How can we help speed that up?
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Mar 18, 2024 01:17
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AJ_Impy posted:Rebecca. The computers have power. They wouldn't bother to do that if they hadn't accessed them. I fear we're right about the meddling, we need to be cautious. Data only. How can we help speed that up? You realize something while mulling the situation over. JOSEI: Rebecca. The computers have power. They wouldn't bother to do that if they hadn't accessed them. JOSEI: I fear we're right about the meddling, we need to be cautious. We probably shouldn't take anything physical... just data. How can we speed the process up?Rebecca shoots you a dirty look. REBECCA: You're already limiting me to ten minutes, what more do you want?! JOSEI: Just trying to stress time is of the essence, here. REBECCA: I'm trying to go as fast as I can, okay!While you and Rebecca bounce back and forth, Ivan idly takes the .50 caliber revolver that he had packed as a backup and begins examining it. He notices you glancing at him and shrugs. IVAN: We may be under attack soon. I like to keep my hands busy.> There is still free time to take actions or talk. Character Sheets & Inventory
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Mar 18, 2024 01:29
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Scounge around the boxes and see if you could find some important looking documents. Edit: Also IVAN check for any potential entry points and exit in case we need a quick getaway. Ghost Armor 1337 fucked around with this message at 01:57 on Mar 18, 2024 |
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Mar 18, 2024 01:46
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Josei: Make yourself useful gathering stuff.
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Mar 18, 2024 02:30
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AJ_Impy posted:Josei: Make yourself useful gathering stuff. Ghost Armor 1337 posted:Scounge around the boxes and see if you could find some important looking documents. JOSEI: Ivan, can you plan out an escape route? I know this place is absolutely massive, but... you know. At least if we plot a few courses around the acres of poo poo, we aren't just stumbling around like idiots. IVAN: Yes, yes. I can do that.Ivan gives a final look at the revolver in his hand before tucking it away. He heads off towards one of the doors leading out of Veronica's lab. You spend a while hanging around Rebecca, but eventually, get bored. Your gaze keeps gravitating out the windows of the lab, staring at the stacks and stacks of metal crates. Surely it wouldn't hurt to take a look in some of them? LORE ROLL: 7 +2 PERK BONUS = 9 VS DC 12. FAILURE. You wander over to one of the crates with "DANGER" stamped on it. You pull out your knife and slide the blade between the latches. You're expecting something cool, like... magical weapons or something. You feel pretty confident that whatever is in here is probably safe. It's not like.. they'd put evil demons or monsters in metal crates, right? You peek inside and see a small glass jar in a whole lot of padding, that has a single feather in it. You blink a bit. The feather looks... weird. Like a living flame. There's a tiny tag on it, and when you lift it up, you see that it has some kind of indecipherable ID number. "OOI-PD-0249." JOSEI: ...huh.You start working your way around the immediate area, levering open various random crates. Surprisingly, even the ones that are labeled DANGER seem weird, but not very dangerous. At least they don't do anything bad that you can tell, aside from this one comb that screamed at you as soon as you levered the crate open. That was weird. Some of the stuff is marked DANGER. Other stuff isn't. You find: - A jar with a weird feather that seems to be made of fire. [DANGER] - A horrible screaming comb. - Some kind of old treasure map. Every time you glance at it, it seems to change. It's kinda fascinating. - A ceramic pot? It's small and old, about the size of a shot glass. - A torn page from a book, written in what you recognize as Arabic. You get a headache when you look at it too long. [DANGER] - A feather quill, like the kind the Founding Fathers used. [DANGER] - A claw from some creature, like a bird or something. [DANGER] - An oil lamp. It looks like it came right out of Aladdin. [DANGER] - A beautiful, shiny pearl. - A lead box, that is really heavy and you can't open. But maybe Ivan could? [DANGER] You feel tempted to just filch all this crap. You could probably sell it all to Richter, and let him figure out what it does, right? > Select all the items, none, or some of them... except for the lead box. That is too heavy to carry, unless you get help to open it. Character Sheets & Inventory
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Mar 18, 2024 03:08
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Steal something that looks cool. Something that isn't in a box marked hazardous, danger, lethal, etc etc. Something not in any way dangerous, decomposable etc etc.
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Mar 18, 2024 03:12
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Look for anything that relates to Veronica's work. There should be some physical copies of her work that contains info that isn't recorded on the electronic archives
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Mar 18, 2024 03:23
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Ghost Armor 1337 posted:Look for anything that relates to Veronica's work. There should be some physical copies of her work that contains info that isn't recorded on the electronic archives Outrail posted:Steal something that looks cool. Something that isn't in a box marked hazardous, danger, lethal, etc etc. Something not in any way dangerous, decomposable etc etc. You decide you're going to stay AWAY from all the stuff labeled DANGER. Even if it's not obviously dangerous, it's probably not a great idea to take it. You decide to steal one or two things that look cool. First you go for the paper map. If it leads to treasure... well, you know. More cash wouldn't hurt. You feel tempted to study it right now - A Flash of Wisdom posted:Careful... don't look at that too deeply. You aren't exactly Theseus. - but decide to do that another time. Then you grab the beautiful pearl. The moment your hand touches it, you feel a slight pulse, like something stirring inside of you. But you shrug it off and stow both items in your bag. A Flash of Wisdom posted:Ah, one of Poseidon's trinkets. Fun. You tilt your head, feeling like you heard someone say... something. That's been happening a lot lately. A vague thought enters your head, about looking up something called... Poseidon? You shrug, and head back into the lab, and go poking around the scattered papers and documents for anything that looks important. Like, well, a journal, or something. Rebecca glances over at you. REBECCA: What're you looking for? JOSEI: Just see if anything else was kept in here. The research notes for the teleporter, maybe? Or her lab notes in general?Rebecca wrinkles her nose. REBECCA: Most of what's important is in the computer. Also the papers and stuff are all mixed up... we could spend ages trying to piece it back together, and if we missed one page or something, it's useless.She shakes her head firmly. REBECCA: We'd never find all of it and there's no point wasting time on that. Let's just take a copy of everything from the computer, and go. JOSEI: Alright.> A little time remains for further actions. We could open a few more crates, or grab a few more of the items we already found if we want. Or we can just wait out the rest of the ten minutes. Character Sheets & Inventory JessAlias fucked around with this message at 03:43 on Mar 18, 2024 |
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Mar 18, 2024 03:38
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Obviously we want the horrible screaming comb
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Mar 18, 2024 04:20
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Make some small talk with REBECCA. What makes you and your mother so intrested in teleportation?
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Mar 18, 2024 04:35
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Check some more non-DANGERous crates, maybe some more neat treasures will turn up.
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Mar 18, 2024 05:12
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Outrail posted:Obviously we want the horrible screaming comb Ghost Armor 1337 posted:Make some small talk with REBECCA. What makes you and your mother so intrested in teleportation? McSpanky posted:Check some more non-DANGERous crates, maybe some more neat treasures will turn up. You wander back out of the lab to take a look at the artifacts you uncovered again. For some weird reason, you feel the urge to take the horrible screaming comb. The moment you pick it up, it starts screaming again.  COMB: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! JOSEI: JESUS gently caress.You wrap the comb up in your handkerchief. It continues to scream, but at least it's muffled. COMB: ᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴴYou're not sure if you want to keep this thing, but maybe it would be fun to stick it in Bomber Joe's central air system at his house, or under a floorboard. Then he could rip the place apart trying to find it. You dig around, and find a few more items. You find a large bone horn, it looks kind of like the one that one dude in the Lord of the Rings movie blew. Boringmir? Something like that. It's kind of bulky, so you set it aside. Next, you find a brooch shaped like a raven. It reminds you of the one that Sophia gave you. You reach over to pick it up - A Flash of Wisdom posted:No. - but something prevents you from touching it. You frown. Is there some kind of... forcefield protecting this thing? You reach out again - A Flash of Wisdom posted:Absolutely not. I'm not sharing you. - and it's like trying to shove your hand through jelly. Some sweat breaks out on your forehead as you inch forward, closer and closer - A Flash of Wisdom posted:I am NOT having that meddling old bastard sticking his nose into my affairs! - and another bead of sweat appears on your forehead, followed by another. Your eyes bulge out of your head with the effort you have to put into grabbing the bauble. But finally, you manage to close your fingers around it. A Northern Whisper posted:Now, what's this that we have here? Suddenly, you feel that force that was keeping you from taking the brooch fade away. A Flash of Wisdom posted:Go away, old man! This champion is mine! A Northern Whisper posted:Hah! This young lad isn't yours at all. Don't get so worked up. You don't have dominion over all thinking people in the world, much as you pretend to. A Flash of Wisdom posted:I found him first! A Northern Whisper posted:Spoken like a petulant child. You haven't even been giving him wisdom. You've just been drip-feeding him little nuggets while leaving him in the dark. Let me fix that. You shake your head a bit, feeling like there's a strange whispering in the background. A part of you wonders if this brooch might be cursed - A Northern Whisper posted:No, it's imbued with the essence of one of my little friends. A Flash of Wisdom posted:Meddling, one-eyed bastard. A Northern Whisper posted:Yes, that does describe me well. - but you have to admit, things feel a bit clearer and sharper now. JOSEI HAS GAINED A PERK! NORTHERN WHISPER - A strange whisper carried on the north winds gives you greater wisdom. You receive a +2 on all insight rolls. You decide you're done loving around with weird magic poo poo. You wander back inside, with the shrieking comb still in your pocket. It looks like Rebecca is mostly done with downloading documents from the main workstation in the lab. She's unplugging the USB drive, and pauses. COMB: ᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴬᴴ REBECCA: Why is your pocket screaming? JOSEI: That's not my pocket. It's a comb. REBECCA: Yeah... that... definitely makes more sense. JOSEI: No, seriously. Here.You hold out the shrieking comb, unwrapping it from its' handkerchief wrapping. The moment Rebecca takes the comb, it stops screaming. Rebecca looks nonplussed. JOSEI: Weird. Why'd it stop?Ivan comes jogging up. IVAN: I heard screaming. Are you both alright?Rebecca holds out the comb. REBECCA: Yeah, it was just this thing.Ivan blinks, and takes the comb to get a closer look. It immediately starts screaming again. COMB: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!Ivan lets go, and the comb tumbles to the floor... where it continues to scream. IVAN: ...Interesting. REBECCA: Maybe it just hates guys.You give a helpless shrug, and reach down to scoop it up, covering it with the handkerchief again. Then you shove it deep into your bag, to muffle it as much as possible. JOSEI: ANYWAY! You done yet, Becca? REBECCA: Almost, just got to get one last archive. IVAN: Right. I plotted out a course. Just going to check over my gear before we get going. JOSEI: Sure.You wander next to Rebecca as she plugs the USB drive into a final computer, copying over a few files. You decide to make some small talk. JOSEI: So... what got you and your mom into the whole uh, dimensional travel and teleportation thing?She sighs a bit, shaking her head. REBECCA: Do you even KNOW how much money you can make from teleportation tech? People are ALWAYS willing to pay a fortune to get the most out of shipping things around the world. REBECCA: Besides the money angle... we could travel to the whole solar system without having to use spaceships. Go to distant stars. Start space colonies, all that jazz! It'd change everything! JOSEI: Well, you could say the same about stuff like cloning, AI, or robotics.She snorts, and rolls her eyes. REBECCA: Yeah, but it's not like me and my mom are polymath's who are perfect at everything. Like, I'm good at AI and robotic engineering, but it's not my specialty. I mostly was using kits that other people made. REBECCA: The self-driving gear on the truck was mostly taken from off-the-shelf tech. You know? JOSEI: Huh. That makes sense. You're pretty cool, you know that?Rebecca pauses, and coughs a bit. You can see a faint blush on her face. REBECCA: Really? JOSEI: You'd have to be to pull this off. Seriously. I've seen stuff like this go really bad, really quickly. REBECCA: Eheh, well thanks. JOSEI: You're welcome.With that, she clears her throat. REBECCA: OK. All done. I guess we can get going.She gives one last regretful look at the computer lab - or what's left of it - before pulling the USB drive out and shoving it into her pocket. You give a whistle to Ivan. JOSEI: Hey, Ivan! Let's get going.Ivan nods, and jerks a thumb over his shoulder. IVAN: Everything looks fine. I made a few paths of least resistance in case things are hairy. Let's move.The three of you take a brisk pace back through the Archives. You barely exit the entrance, back into the warren of corridors of the main facility, when the comb starts screaming so loudly that you can hear it even through the backpack. COMB: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!You pull it out, swearing, and consider throwing it away. INSIGHT ROLL: 20 +2 PERK BONUS = 22 VS DC 12. SUCCESS! But then you instantly realize something. This comb must be giving you a warning of some kind. It screamed when you or Ivan held it - you're both intruders, after all. You suspect that Rebecca, meanwhile, is someone the Illuminati would prefer to capture rather than kill. Character Sheets & Inventory JessAlias fucked around with this message at 04:44 on Mar 19, 2024 |
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Mar 18, 2024 18:19
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Take cover. Side office.
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Mar 18, 2024 18:23
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Take cover, keep an eye out for any nogoodniks coming.
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Mar 18, 2024 22:50
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BraveLittleToaster posted:Take cover, keep an eye out for any nogoodniks coming. AJ_Impy posted:Take cover. Side office. The three of you had been making steady progress back through the security doors that Rebecca and Ivan had previously blasted. Right now you aren't even in the detention area that Rebecca had escaped from. The scream from the comb is loud enough to draw attention from everyone within earshot - people will know roughly where you are, but hopefully not where in exact detail. You make a quick decision - time is of the essence and you could be surrounded here - and veer off to an unassuming door to your right. JOSEI: Guys, I think this thing detects if we're in danger. Follow me!Ivan and Rebecca share a brief glance before following you through the door into what seems to be an employee lounge. The small room has a couch, a TV, and a low table with a few chairs around it, plus a counter with a coffee machine on it. You gesture for the other two to join you behind the couch, and take a moment to further muffle the screaming comb by wrapping it in the handkerchief and even applying some duct tape. All you can hear now is a faint MMMMPH sound from the comb. For a short while, you wonder if you overreacted. But then you feel the ground shake, very slightly. Then again, and again. A few styrofoam cups on the counter by the coffee machine rattle against each other slightly before falling over, one by one. It gets louder, and louder, and soon there is the sound of crumbling mortar and plaster. Then there's silence. Then... a loud CLANG-CLANG-CLANG noise, getting louder and louder, as if something very big is running towards the break room. Abruptly, a hulking machine crashes right through the wall and steps through into the lounge.  It seems to know that the three of you are in here, though not precisely where. You peek cautiously around the couch, and can see that it has a name painted on the side. It's called HERCULES, apparently. You vaguely remember a Disney flick about that guy. It's... terrifying, and reminds you of that robot from Robocop. It's a hulking bipedal mech, with what appears to be a minigun on one arm and a grenade launcher on the other. And you can see an energy shield shimmering around it like some kind of weird-looking mirror, distorting its' appearance slightly.  HERCULES: SITE OF ACOUSTIC DISTURBANCE HAS BEEN REACHED. INITIATING THERMAL SCAN.There's a brief pause. HERCULES: FUGITIVE DETECTED. INTRUDERS DETECTED. YOU ARE TRESPASSING ON ILLUMINATI PROPERTY. LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS AND SURRENDER.You hear the minigun on its arm spin up, and the grenade launcher clicks in place as it rotates to face the couch that you are hiding behind. HERCULES: YOU HAVE FIVE SECONDS TO COMPLY.INSIGHT ROLL: 12 +2 PERK BONUS = 14 VS DC 12. SUCCESS! You take a deep, steadying breath. That's enough time to think. To plan. With sudden, crystal clarity, you realize that things are not as bad as they look. You're not stuck in the Archives, where there was one way in, one way out, and not much cover aside from countless thousands of metal crates. This place is a warren... multiple corridors, multiple exits, even multiple elevators and possibly even stairs. It wouldn't be too hard to lose this thing. After all... you don't have to defeat it. You just need to escape. Character Sheets & Inventory JessAlias fucked around with this message at 23:54 on Mar 18, 2024 |
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Mar 18, 2024 23:48
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Use those 5 seconds to get out of the firing line and out of its immediate range. Yell "We are complying! We are surrendering! We are throwing down our weapons!" at it as you run away in order to give it pause.
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Mar 19, 2024 00:16
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Quickly give this thing the slip, confuse it somehow, get out of its range.
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Mar 19, 2024 00:19
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AJ_Impy posted:Use those 5 seconds to get out of the firing line and out of its immediate range. Yell "We are complying! We are surrendering! We are throwing down our weapons!" at it as you run away in order to give it pause. BraveLittleToaster posted:Quickly give this thing the slip, confuse it somehow, get out of its range. OPTIONAL MOOD MUSIC - DEAD ALERT An idea forms in your mind, and you grin. You unsling the shotgun loaded with bean bag rounds, and stand up. JOSEI: Okay, we're complying! We surrender! Don't hurt us!You hurl the shotgun at HERCULES as hard as you can, and make a break for it - or rather, for the opposite direction of Ivan and Rebecca. You just hope that your trick works. The shotgun CLANGS against the mech's chest plate harmlessly before clattering to the ground. HERCULES pauses for a crucial split second of confusion before blazing away with its minigun, right where you were just standing, holes being blown in the cheap particle board desk and through the concrete of the walls. IVAN - DEXTERITY ROLL: 9 +4 PERK BONUS (COMBAT) = 13 VS DC 12. SUCCESS! REBECCA - DEXTERITY ROLL: 14 +2 PERK BONUS (DEXTERITY) = 16 VS DC 12. SUCCESS! As you run for your life, Ivan vaults over the couch, and Rebecca does a surprisingly acrobatic tumbling roll under it, the two of them racing out of HERCULES's direct line of sight as well. It pauses once again, scanning for thermal signatures, trying to locate the three of you as you dash out into the hallways once more. REBECCA: That was amazing! You should do that again! JOSEI: No loving thank you! IVAN: Can we save the talking until after we escape?The three of you run like maniacs, heading for the maintainance elevator that you had originally used to get down here. Your hope is that the emergency backup power will prioritize it... for the obvious reason that if the power goes out, maintainance workers will be the first who need free access to the facility. Behind you, you can hear the distant thumping steps of HERCULES in pursuit, slowly getting louder and louder as it gets closer. HERCULES: IN PURSUIT. USE OF EXPLOSIVES AUTHORIZED.DEXTERITY ROLL: 13 +1 PERK BONUS (LUCK) = 14 VS DC 12. SUCCESS! IVAN - DEXTERITY ROLL: 19 +4 PERK BONUS (COMBAT) = 23 VS DC 12. SUCCESS! REBECCA - DEXTERITY ROLL: 10 +2 PERK BONUS (DEXTERITY) = 12 VS DC 12. SUCCESS! You hear the coughing sound of the mech's grenade launcher firing. The moment the warning comes out of HERCULES's "mouth," a hole is blown in the wall next to you, spraying you with fragments of plaster and concrete dust. The three of you just barely manage to avoid the hail of frag grenades by diving into a huge cubicle farm off the main corridor. Ivan nearly knocks over a filing cabinet in his mad scramble for cover, as Rebecca dives into a corner, her arms over her head protectively. Apparently, several small fires started, because the sprinklers are running. The room is getting drenched in foul smelling water. After the explosions die down, you hear HERCULES stomp into the cubicle farm. It pauses for a moment, seemingly contemplating its next move. HERCULES: THERMAL SIGNATURES OBSCURED. DEPLOYING TEAR GAS.The grenade launcher whirs and clicks, obviously loading some new munitions, and there is the sound of pneumatic pistons deploying something into place. There is a coughing noise again, and suddenly - FORTITUDE ROLL: 9 +1 PERK (LUCK) BONUS = 10 VS DC 12. FAILURE. IVAN - FORTITUDE ROLL: 15 +4 PERK BONUS (COMBAT) = 19 VS DC 12. SUCCESS! REBECCA - FORTITUDE ROLL: 10 +4 PERK BONUS (TECHNOLOGY) = 14 VS DC 12. SUCCESS! Suddenly you're gagging as your lungs feel like they're on fire and your eyes water horribly. You dimly notice that Ivan has smoothly pulled a balaclava out of his jacket, and is pulling it on over his mouth and nose to filter out the gas. Rebecca's eyes are protected by her goggles, meanwhile, and she managed to get some kind of air filter from her own jacket pocket over her nose and mouth. DEBUFF APPLIED: TEAR GAS. -2 TO ALL ROLLS. You're not sure if more acrobatics or trickery is the answer here. You're coughing your lungs out, and trying to run past the mech right now would be suicide. You cover your mouth and nose with your jacket, wheezing, as you try to come up with a plan. Is there some way you could disable the mech for at least a short while? Character Sheets & Inventory Going to start breaking down perk bonuses to make them more transparent. For example... Ivan gets a GENERAL combat bonus. So if he has a fortitude roll in a combat situation, he can roll in his combat bonus to deal with it due to combat experience. This makes him very potent in fights. He is not, however, a master at resisting exotic poisons. Rebecca gets a bonus to resisting a technological threat like tear gas, but a wizard summoning a cloud of acid mist would be harder for her to anticipate and have a solution to. If any roll seems 'weird' please let me know and I can explain the logic. JessAlias fucked around with this message at 04:47 on Mar 19, 2024 |
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Mar 19, 2024 00:54
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Look for a way to disable it. Is there any water you can chuck at it? Do the others have any ideas?
BraveLittleToaster fucked around with this message at 01:05 on Mar 19, 2024 |
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Mar 19, 2024 01:02
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BraveLittleToaster posted:Look for a way to disable it. Is there any water you can chuck at it? Do the others have any ideas? As you hack your lungs out, Ivan obviously takes pity on you and gives you a spare balaclava to cover your mouth. You give him a nod in thanks. It doesn't help with your eyes much, but it's better than nothing. You speak in a hoarse rasp. JOSEI: Any... ideas, Ivan?Ivan looks contemplative. IVAN: If we could at least immobilize it for a short while, I could try to plant plastic explosives on the robot, and detonate them.He glances at Rebecca. IVAN: Can your stasis gun freeze that thing?Rebecca blanches a bit, biting her lip. REBECCA: It's... got a lot of mass. It'd take several really good shots, and I might just freeze part of it instead of the whole thing. I'd have to be perfectly accurate. But... at least my stasis gun would penetrate the force field... so it's worth a shot?> The plan Ivan is proposing will be very dangerous for both him and Rebecca... but especially Ivan. Character Sheets & Inventory
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Mar 19, 2024 01:07
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Too dangerous. Presume that thing is too tough. Don't attack it, find somewhere we can take the floor out from under it.
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Mar 19, 2024 01:27
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See if we can bait it into getting trapped, maybe in a structurally weak area.
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Mar 19, 2024 01:35
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Ivan, what about the incendiary grenades? Maybe we can blind it long enough for Rebecca to get those shots off, freeze its legs and give you a chance to stick some of your bombs on it from behind?
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Mar 19, 2024 02:48
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AJ_Impy posted:Too dangerous. Presume that thing is too tough. Don't attack it, find somewhere we can take the floor out from under it. BraveLittleToaster posted:See if we can bait it into getting trapped, maybe in a structurally weak area. McSpanky posted:Ivan, what about the incendiary grenades? Maybe we can blind it long enough for Rebecca to get those shots off, freeze its legs and give you a chance to stick some of your bombs on it from behind? JOSEI: I don't...You cough a bit. JOSEI: I don't like that. Too dangerous. JOSEI: ...though what about the incendiary grenades? Maybe we can blind it long enough for Rebecca to get those shots off, freeze its legs and give you a chance to stick some of your bombs on it from behind? IVAN: You are confusing combat optics with human eyeballs, my friend. It's obviously augmenting its' sight with thermal imaging... but the designers would be fools to not give it standard optical equipment as well.You sigh, and glance at the robot's feet through the gaps between cubicles, thinking. They're massive, easily several tons, you'd wager. They have to be, to hold up the rest of the mech... the pneumatic pistons in each leg have to be supporting the weight of a person each. And with the way it's kept crashing through walls without hesitation, the thing must have a REALLY heavy reinforced steel skeleton... you don't think the plastic explosive Ivan is carrying is gonna take the robot out on its own. It might help, but if it's only immobilized briefly... there'd be a good chance Ivan is either caught in the blast, or gets cut down. But then an idea comes to you. With how heavy that drat thing is, you could always try to mine the ground with the plastic explosives, plus whatever breaching charges Rebecca has left. Create a hole big enough that you're fairly certain the robot would fall into the subbasements below it. JOSEI: Here's what I think we should do...You lay out your plan - while you distract the mech, Rebecca and Ivan will mine an area as close to the exit as possible. Then they'll run out, with you behind them. The mech will hopefully follow in a straight line, stepping over the mined area, and Ivan can then detonate it. You're hoping the floor in this cubicle farm is weak enough that the robot would go straight through it. JOSEI: Ready? REBECCA: Got it! IVAN: Ready. JOSEI: Okay, then!You rummage in your pocket, feeling the goddamn, horrible screaming comb that saved your life once, and might save your life again. You unwrap it and start running. Between your movement and the comb's insane shrieking, HERCULES immediately turns towards you, walking at a steady pace as it moves through the cubicles. Luckily, the thin walls are tall enough to obscure its vision. HERCULES: POTENTIAL THREAT DETECTED.As you run like a maniac, Ivan and Rebecca dive for one of the entry areas to the cubicle farm, and you can see them quickly placing breaching charges on the floor. You know that the charges themselves are highly focused explosives, and when combined with the raw power of Ivan's Semtex, it will hopefully make quick work of it. Despite the methodical stride of HERCULES, it is closing the distance with surprising speed. Not to mention the fact it can just smash through each cubicle sequentially, ignoring the possibility of having to go around. In fact, it does exactly that as you approach the far side of the room. Its' gun tracks you as it optically scans the room for heat signatures, though it's obviously hampered by the sprinklers. You mutter something under your breath. Not a prayer, more of an apology. JOSEI: Sorry little guy. Hope you'll make it.You wind up your arm, and throw that comb like your life depends on it. Because it literally does. COMB: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LUCK ROLL: 20 +1 PERK BONUS (LUCK) -2 DEBUFF PENALTY (TEAR GAS) = 19 VS DC 12. CRITICAL SUCCESS! The distraction works perfectly. HERCULES locks on the sound of the shrieking comb and diverts its' fire towards it. Shell casings sail through the air, sizzling with heat, as the mech's minigun spits out lead faster than the eye can follow. At least half a dozen holes are torn in the wall as it walks forward steadily. It must have a metric ton of ammunition stored on the back of the mech itself, or else it just... magically creates more, or something. DEXTERITY ROLL: 3 +1 PERK BONUS (LUCK) -2 DEBUFF PENALTY (TEAR GAS) = 2 VS DC 12. FAILURE. You run towards Ivan and Rebecca as they just barely manage to set up the charges. Your lungs are burning due to the tear gas, your eyes are watering, and you collapse to your knees just beside them, coughing horribly. Ivan hauls you up and flings you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes before running for it, Rebecca close behind. HERCULES: REASSESSING THREAT. TARGET IS A COMB. RE-ROUTING.The top half of the mech swivels 180 degrees until the barrel of the minigun is facing Ivan and Rebecca's backs. HERCULES: TARGETS RE-LOCATED. OPENING FIRE.IVAN - DEXTERITY ROLL: 14 +4 PERK BONUS (COMBAT) -2 DEBUFF PENALTY (CARRYING JOSEI) = 16 VS DC 12. SUCCESS! REBECCA - DEXTERITY ROLL: 18 +2 PERK BONUS (DEXTERITY) = 20 VS DC 12. SUCCESS! You screw your eyes shut - unable to see much anyway - and hang on as Ivan picks up his pace, Rebecca at his heels. They barely clear the doorway as the next volley of gunfire churns up the ground they had just been standing on a split-second ago. It begins taking chase, passing over the make-shift trap that Rebecca and Ivan set up. Ivan clicks the detonator as he runs, and a moment later you hear an earth-shattering BOOM and the sound of collapsing masonry behind you. You look back over Ivan's shoulder, and get to see the gratifying sight of the mech scrabbling at the edge of the growing hole with the single articulated hand it was equipped with. HERCULES: NEGOTIATING FRAGMENTED TERRAIN. WARNING, UNSTABLE GROUND DETECT-There's a final, earsplitting shriek of metal grinding on metal before HERCULES slips completely over the edge of the hole and falls. You keep waiting for the sound of crunching metal or smashing sounds... but hear nothing. It must be a very, very long way down. Ivan carefully sets you down. IVAN: Are you alright? JOSEI: Give me a minute.He nods sympathetically. IVAN: Tear gas will do that to you.After you catch your breath, you hold up a finger. JOSEI: Just... gonna check something. REBECCA: Shouldn't we be going?You ignore Rebecca, heading back into the cubicle farm, scooting around the edge of the pit with your head cocked. Sure enough, you hear a faint cry. Not the frantic screaming of earlier. It sounds almost matter of fact. COMB: AAAAAAAAAAAAAH.You kneel down in the mucky, filthy water, and fish out your horrible screaming comb. JOSEI: Okay. Let's go. IVAN: ...what, no pun?You pause. JOSEI: Sorry. I guess I'm...You grope around in your suit, and put your sunglasses back on. JOSEI: All washed up.*** The rest of the escape is deceptively simple. With the chaos, the flooding, and everything else going on, you easily bluff your way out of the facility by claiming that you managed to capture Rebecca, and are taking her to another detention center. People don't really ask questions, what with the sheer level of chaos... and the fact that the Illuminati seem as focused on covering up what happened as trying to catch the people responsible. The three of you duck into the alleyway where Kiara and Goodboy were waiting with the van. Goodboy barks happily at seeing you again, and Kiara sighs with relief.  KIARA: How did things go?She pauses, taking in that you are all wet and exhausted... and then her eyes land on Rebecca. KIARA: YES! Excellent work!She claps Rebecca on the back with a poo poo-eating grin on her face. KIARA: We've done it! I knew we'd pull through, the Illuminati ain't nothin' to us!Rebecca struggles to keep her balance. REBECCA: Uh- who are you?You decide to make introductions. JOSEI: Rebecca, this is Kiara Everglade, she's another bounty hunter that works with Ivan and I. She was helping us out with this job. KIARA: Hi! I helped fill up the facility with flaming rodents. REBECCA: Oooooookay. JOSEI: And this is Goodboy, my dog.Goodboy gives another bark, and his tail somehow wags even faster. Meanwhile, Ivan clears his throat. IVAN: This little reunion is all well and good, but we really should be leaving the area before Illuminati reinforcements show up.Kiara looks sheepish at that, nodding. KIARA: Right. Lessgo!The van's driver guns the engine as the four of you pile into the back. The moment you land in a seat, you feel a wave of exhaustion wash over you... and realize how close you came to dying. You were so lucky, insanely lucky. Someday, your luck is going to run out. For the first time in a while, you consider what being a bounty hunter actually entails. Sure, death is not the end. But is this worth it? Can you really do this forever? Slowly, that line of thinking is washed away by the rocking motion of the van as it heads back to Malcolm's estate, and you drift off to sleep.  BOUNTY COMPLETE. Character Sheets & Inventory JessAlias fucked around with this message at 03:24 on Mar 19, 2024 |
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Mar 19, 2024 03:14
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Another chapter of Josei Joko's bizarre adventure passes successfully. He's not doing too bad!
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Mar 19, 2024 03:29
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Vi moodily kicked a chunk of broken rubble. The Archives of the Leland Vault were a mess. A huge hole that had been blasted in the ceiling was still letting in runoff from the sprinkler system. Even worse, when Hercules fell into the Archives, all his ammunition had cooked off. The explosion detonated some of the stored relics and generally made a horrific mess. She ran a hand through her messy mop of green hair, and turned her attention to Isabella and said, "Any idea who did it? I'd almost think it was Malcolm, considering that darling Becky got out, but any two-bit mercs he'd be able to hire wouldn't be able to do this kinda damage." The brunette next to Vi shook her head, glancing down at her tablet computer with its' nearly indestructible screen made from lab-grown diamond. "I don't know... these guys must be professionals. I mean, they even pried open the cases of a bunch of the restricted artifacts in Archive X to try to make themselves look like idiots, just to throw us off. Not to mention baiting us into thinking that Becky was trying to activate her mom's equipment, instead of making an escape attempt." "Yeah... hm. You think it was Armacham?" Isabella glanced at Vi. "Armacham? Mmm... no, I don't see it. They're usually very surgical about this kind of thing... going for their usual political espionage angle rather than blatantly assaulting our facilities like this. Not their style. And even if they DID do an assault like this, there'd have been far more casualties. We've filled up a burn ward, sure, but it hasn't been that bad." "Well... maybe it was Knights Templar, then?" There was a long pause as they regarded each other, and then began laughing. After a few moments, Vi wiped a tear from her eye and caught her breath. "gently caress... just imagine those sword swinging idiots trying to do this without setting off the alarms. Besides, they wouldn't have hosed around with the shades. They still think magic is all demons and witchcraft, right?" "No... I mean, most of the higher ups do. But I've heard the rank and file are getting just a little more enlightened." Vi snorted at that. "Enlightened my rear end. I'll believe it when I see it." She took a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket and lit one, inhaling deeply before blowing out a cloud of smoke. "gently caress it. We might have to write this off as a Black Org hit. I hate it when we have to just throw stuff in the "gently caress If I Know" filing cabinet." "I get you." Isabella paused, and tapped away at her tablet. "Ah. We've got a report that Rebecca's been seen at the DeVir estate. Should we apprehend her?" The fallen angel blew a perfect smoke ring and gave Isabella an amused look. "Malcolm's estate? Nah... screw it. Maybe she's learned her lesson. We've got more important things to care about." She gave her hands a clap, and called out to the workers who were running around assessing the damage. "HEY! Get a team down here to secure this place again. Full security sweep." "And after that, ma'am?" "We've got other, more important poo poo to take care of than some minor fuckups with our collection. Get the cleanup crew in, get poo poo packed back up again. Then let's turn the lights back on and get back to business as usual. Capiche?" "Understood." The worker gave a nod of acknowledgement before turning and jogging away to call in the maintenance crew. Vi took a final drag from her cigarette, and flicked it away idly before grinding it under her heel. "Just another day in Paradiso," she said to herself. CHAPTER COMPLETE. JessAlias fucked around with this message at 13:02 on Mar 19, 2024 |
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Mar 19, 2024 03:56
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Impressive, managed to both not be identified and not cause enough of a ruckus that they're going out of their way to identify us, whilst causing enough of a ruckus that we don't fit their profiles on who we might be, and actually defeating a shielded killer robot.
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Mar 19, 2024 12:07
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quote:"I don't know... these guys must be professionals. I mean, they even pried open the cases of a bunch of the restricted artifacts in Archive X to try to make themselves look like idiots, just to throw us off. Not to mention baiting us into thinking that Becky was trying to activate her mom's equipment, instead of making an escape attempt."
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Mar 19, 2024 14:24
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Yes, they fell for our fiendish diversion that just happens to look like RPG adventurer's kleptomania, dance my puppets
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Mar 19, 2024 18:49
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The next few days move at a surprisingly sedate pace. Not that you'll complain. There were zero repercussions from the damage your crew caused to the Leland Vault. Apparently, the Illuminati found the assault so embarassing that they focused ONLY on completely covering it up. You're thankful for that, it means you haven't added to your rap sheet. The news report said it was an earthquake, and a part of you wonders how they convinced all the eyewitnesses of that. Maybe they have neuralyzers? Malcolm is over the moon about you reuniting him with his daughter. The two DeVirs don't entirely see eye to eye, but the thought of losing Rebecca has softened him up quite a bit, and he is honestly trying to mend their relationship. He also threw a lot of money at Kiara, Ivan, and yourself for this job. Officially the contract was worth 1 million, split three ways, with a $150,000 advance having been paid out... at least, after Sami took her cut. You make a mental note to talk to her about renegotiating. Malcolm has increased the amount of money to a total of 1,500,000 dollars. That turns into about 500,000 each. You're going to have to figure out getting a Swiss bank account again, because there's no way you can go around carrying around that amount of money. Reflecting on the previous bounties, you realize there is no way you could have completed them on your own. You do your best working on a team. That way, all of you shore up each other's strengths, and cover for each other's flaws. You're packing up your belongings and getting ready to head east. You hear a knock on the doorframe of the room that Malcolm gave you for your stay. You look up and see Rebecca standing there. She gives you an uncertain smile. REBECCA: Hey... do you have a moment?You put down your bag, and give her a curious look. JOSEI: Sure. What's up? REBECCA: You're getting ready to head off?You nod. JOSEI: Yup! Gotta take care of some things, can't just hang around here forever.She bites her lip a bit nervously, and glances over her shoulder before taking a deep breath and holding out her hand to you. REBECCA: First off, Mr. LeFin, I wanna thank you for saving my life. You... She struggles a bit, trying to articulate something. REBECCA: I'm not used to saying this, but you were right. I would have probably died if I tried to pull that off on my own. You, Ivan, and Kiara did a really good job at making sure nothing bad happened to me... if I had just tried to fly solo and activate my mom's old equipment, that robot thing would have caught me if I was lucky.You nod, understanding where she's coming from. JOSEI: No worries. I can get where you were coming from. Though... my name's not actually Kiepon LeFin. That's just pseudonym I used 'cause we were in hostile territory. I'm actually Josei Joko.She snorts. REBECCA: Wow, yeah, that fits better. You don't seem like a LeFin.The pun, apparently, sails right over her head. You decide to leave things that way. JOSEI: I'll take that as a compliment.She cracks a smile at that, and relaxes. She seems a lot more at ease now. REBECCA: So... I actually have a question. JOSEI: Shoot! REBECCA: Can I travel with you guys?That makes you blink in surprise. You lean against the windowsill, trying to decide how to respond to this. JOSEI: Can I ask why? REBECCA: I... well, I realized I can't do things alone. And I'm still wanting to find my mom. So...She shakes her head in frustration, not sure how to put her thoughts into words. REBECCA: I need to try and make peace with dad while I can. But I won't give up on trying to find my mom. I'm just gonna be smarter about it. REBECCA: If I help you guys on your contracts, can you help me find my mom?There's a lot to unpack here, so you decide to mentally push Pause on the conversation. You cross your arms and stare at Rebecca, trying to figure out how best to say this. The young girl pushes her fingers together, looking nervous. Finally, you speak again. JOSEI: Becca, we're... not nice people, you know? We take contracts to kill folks, not just rescue them.She flinches, and her gaze hardens at that. REBECCA: Yeah, but not for shits and giggles. You only take contracts involving a hit when you know the mark is an awful person, right? As long as we're not hurting innocent people, I can help...Technically, she's not lying. But you've only taken a grand total of one contract that's a hit, and a rescue mission. You're not sure if accepting Rebecca's help is a good idea. It will make your group a little inflexible morally, and may make it difficult to work with the Illuminati. But is that a bad thing? Are you the sort of bastard who'd murder a regular person for cold, hard cash? This question's never come up before. In your past history as a juvenile delinquent and con artist, you've manipulated people who got in your way or who had something you wanted, but you've never actually HURT them. Sure, sometimes your cronies would do that, but... it wasn't your fingerprints on the murder weapon, at least. > We are at a crossroads. Adding her to the party will put Josei on one path. Refusing her will put him on another. Or, we could procrastinate on this choice, but we can only do that for so long... Character Sheets & Inventory JessAlias fucked around with this message at 22:45 on Mar 19, 2024 |
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Mar 19, 2024 22:42
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| # ? Jun 8, 2024 12:08 |
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Can we quickly consult any of our associates about this beforehand, before coming to a decision? She's got some spirit and her abilities could be helpful, but we don't know if her assisting us steps on any toes.
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Mar 19, 2024 23:03
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