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Narinth: Once you're well clear of the brass, and your party, and the giant moth-machine people, Gognan can finally open up! : "They'd have thawed you quick. This whole planet is one big red zone. That's why I'm doin' it hvac style: doc's fuckin' crazy and this stuff is a little too common. They can get it off ya but take too much and it's a one way ticket. ..." His helmet tilts back towards the group, a glint in the visor straight for Miricetti. "Well, she thinks she can control it and reverse that too. Fuckin' crazy."He watches you for a bit, patting the handle of his gun with one hand, his hip with the other. "Huh. Ya know, you're covered in it too. Ah, no offense, Nar. ... this world, it's a mess. Some good stuff on it, but uh, you don't want to keep them bots on you. They're dumb as hell, got nothing working 'em. I saw the first briefings today after that month of stasis without the stasis. Colonies of the things just buildin' simple structures and digging tunnels to nowhere. You get too many in you and.. well, you'd make a nice moth. Lousy golem. Where you folks at? Some places are more.. robust then others." Penelope: Shots fired.  : Miricetti crosses the distance, the elders(and then the crowd a moment later) all look shocked, and she's thrown her hands up and is screaming in your face. "WHAT DID YOU SAY YOU THRICE-PICKLED DROP OUT TRASH!? AM I TO TAKE THIS FROM THE ONE WOMAN IN HER HOUSE TOO STUPID TO SPREAD HER LEGS FOR DUTY?!" Wow, it's like your stepmother but in a bold new edgy direction! Miri sweeps her arm and turns her back on you, her trembling posture suggesting smoldering anger. "To side with the Vular is to embrace divine dominion! The right of the Mehman is to embrace their ascendant perfection at our side, and we can assist them in doing so far faster than mere natural evolution!" She sweeps back round, practically slashing the air with her fingers as she glares at Penelope, the nanite haze around her even providing the claw silhouette for a split second."Yours is a path of cowards and traitors, your days numbered, your only destiny to be to die in defiance or submit in shame. We would welcome you back, yet in your arrogance you will not accept your due punishment for your crimes. Hmph. Elders, be wary of who you associate with... mere criminals and... and... degenerate word whores." Miri glares daggers at Penelope. --- Everyone: The Elders seem inclined to call the whole thing off for now, as diplomacy with both parties raging at one another and neither offering proper terms is going over well... the crowd parts as new stimuli spreads, those on the outer edge parting to let someone come in and the trepidation and curiosity sweeping over the crowd, even knitting the brows of the elders. Music (Legend of Legaia - Vidna in the Mist)  : "Honored Elders, th-there is trouble.." Looks like your average Mehman, though their robes and wings are shredded most of the way across, hanging on by tatters. A translucent green-blue liquid comes from their wounds and shimmers occasionally with the work of nanites. : Mamodo's gestures would silence your bickering, if not outright block your group from seeing the Miricetti entirely. He stands at the center of the crowd, beckoning. "Come, speak.": "Raids, on the farmland, ah.. n-not the Worm, it is the Mori.. erm.." Sensations drift by Bella. <Skull Cultists. Death Worshippers. Raiders.> "They've taken of us! H-hostages, three of our minds, into the <Aching Wound>!": "!!! Ahh.. but.. they are lost, then." His massive shoulders slump and soon despair fills the crowd, Gognan shrugging to Narinth, Miricetti watching the Mehman Elders and.. where she last saw your group, her lips closed in a tight-lipped, neutral smile.
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Oct 30, 2023 00:48
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Cpt. Penelope "drat, both sets of lips are loose and flapping. Did you let everyone at the funeral know you were hot-to-trot again by hanging from the flag pole and letting the pennants fly?" Penny's microjets fire and she hovers 90 degrees parallel with the ground to illustrate the point. " 'Hey who here has an unloved spare son? THE SPIDER CAVE IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS AGAIN' and then boom, the smell of microwaved fish lets everyone know love is in the air" The sub-thrusters emit a belch of smoke in emphasis. Ronwayne fucked around with this message at 05:12 on Oct 30, 2023 |
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Oct 30, 2023 04:35
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Deputy Therapist Bella HP: 10/10 | AP: 1 Previously Bella's milky eyes zero in on Mamodo, her ironclad control over her psychic emanations unable to mask the sheer anxiously delighted vibrations of a cat with a new toy. <Shared generational memories? In a sophont? But you're clearly developing thoroughly as individuals, I haven't noticed any filial persona cloning. That's... very intriguing. I know we are discussing the maintenance of a sort of arm's length neutrality, but could I perhaps be allowed access for observation? Of course respectfully, and I'm still very curious on a xenosociological level. Perhaps some degree of trade? I expect you wouldn't have the need for therapy in the same way as... the drow,> dismissive irritation, <but I would love to explore the possibility of adapting my techniques. Although everything I've seen shows your people to be remarkably well-balanced, it seems inevitable that outliers will always develop, and the tight-knit and supportive nature of your society means those outliers are likely to be unusually difficult cases. Again, respectfully of course, my limited experience with your people however is exceptionally intriguing, and evoking a desire to contribute as best I can. This issue with the Vular and our own offshoot is broadly a matter of internal political jockeying, a shameful necessity when dealing with drow. Of course attempting to provide insight on political standards when we are one of the parties in question is fraught with issues of personal interest, and as much as I'd like to profess to being an outsider who could give a more detached and realistic primer on drow mentality I understand it would inevitably need to be taken cautiously. It's funny, though, there was this one time I had to play diplomat with a group of duergar--ah, have you met dwarves or elves? the explanation would take... well, I digress--and it was so difficult not to simply defect. Completely justifiable in their aggrievement, and the way the clanmother was behaving, just outrageous. Forgemaster Ihrilm was a delight to work with, you remind me quite a bit of him, and it was just...> This continues for quite a while. Now Bella gasps, taking a step forward towards the new Mehman, leaning down slightly, nonthreatening. <Forgive me for asking you to relive this, but with permission?> Images of assumptions about the 'Mori' flit forward, asking for clarification (raiders? dozens, hundreds?), along with a reflection of the implications of 'the Aching Wound' and a request for direction, for details and history. There's a slight hint of the promise of action, without yet any strong commitment, but still it carries an undertone of the desire to help. She turns to the group, sending a fairly quick and narrow, more private message. <Perhaps an opportunity for heroics? It's been quite some time since I've had such an unambiguous opportunity.> zachol fucked around with this message at 02:05 on Oct 31, 2023 |
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Oct 31, 2023 02:02
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Drazyn Elph-Ariness  AP: 3 | Conditions: First Stage Nanite Infection | Insight Tokens: 2 (Fingerworm Hivemind, Mothfolk Nano-Chitin Healing) <Well said, Bella. This is a great way to ingratiate ourselves to the locals.> Drazyn had to cram half a fist in his mouth to stop himself from guffawing uproariously at Penny's antics and reducing it to a simply semi-polite chuckle. "As well-deserved and well-put your criticisms are, my dear Penelope" he declares, specifically putting on a more formal tone to humorously contrast with his companion's "I do believe duty calls. We have an excellent opportunity to be of help to our new neighbors, and we should take advantage of it!" He turns with a melodramatic swish of his cape. "I shall bring our vehicle around, you find as much information as possible about this new threat. But make haste! We have farmlands to defend!" paradoxGentleman fucked around with this message at 08:31 on Dec 1, 2023 |
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Nov 6, 2023 19:20
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Narinth dal Krodven AP: 4 | Conditions: Nanite Infection I "That bad? Startin' to think we should've just remained up on the Sominaia." Narinth looks up at the sky, as if she could see the ship in orbit. "We've gone further than any Vular before us, and this is our prize? What the gently caress are we doing here, Gog?" She breathes in deep the cold air and slowly exhales, letting out a white cloud of water vapor, then shunts the reoccurring thought out of her head before she started wishing that she'd remained an unthinking tool of the Imperium and House Krodven. "I don't care how bad you want to get together to snap another bunk in half, I'm not giving you our coordinates while you serve Lyseithe you loving gonk." She gives him a flat stare. "But I think we found a decent spot to land. I mean, we only almost lost a good third of our people to the worms immediately upon arrival, so that's pretty good." She lets out a grim chuckle. "Unlucky SOB's got blown off course and ended up stranded alone with a busted engine. Cue me and a handful others who rode in like knights in shining armor and faced down a veritable tidal wave of disgusting crawling biomass. Smelled like a barbecue in hell, gunpowder and burnt flesh. Blood and guts everywhere. Not a single casualty on our side. Fuckin' glorious." She licks her teeth. "Saw something real big and nasty on the approach as the techies finished up repairs and we blasted off, though. Way too big for any gun I had packed. I reckon we cut it pretty drat close." Noticing the mood of the crowd change, Narinth shifts her attention back to the talks. It seemed like some raiders had kidnapped some of the Mehmans own and they decided to respond with... Not even trying? Upon hearing Bella's telepathic message, Narinth reply comes without hesitation. <Sign me the gently caress up. Let's do this.> She looks over to Gognan and grins. "Time to do what I do best," she says, smacks his armored backside and walks off, giving a wave as she goes. "Catch you later." She approaches the big Mehman and addresses him. "Chin up, Five. We're on it. We'll bring your people back, good and safe." She takes in the rest of the council. "And while you wait, think about what you can do for us in return. Personally, I'd love being able to walk around without having to worry about nanites trying to overwrite my body." <Look at me, I'm doing a diplomacy!> Narinth's thoughts echo out sarcastically. She whistles sharply after Drazyn as he heads for the Bumper. "I call shotgun!"
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Nov 7, 2023 00:27
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Cpt. Penelope Finishing up her performance art, Penny, who had been listening to what was going on (being a good listener/survivor meant keeping your ears open even while yelling), nods "Yeah, yeah. I think that'll show these folks we're more serious than the alternatives." Penny tips her hat at the empire representative before turning to the leader. "Alright Big Man, we're off to see what we can do for your people, don't let this one near the water supply or small children, you don't know where she's been."
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Nov 13, 2023 20:15
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Everyone: Before you depart the Mehmen bid for your attention. : "Although our gratitude would be quite large..." Anna glances from their walking frame up to Mamodo's shoulder. "I do not wish to see friends die in our place. <Aching Wound> is a terrible place, and if they are not rescued soon our companions will be lost forever. It is a vile place that poisons the song of our forebears, that steals the spark from <Machine Bliss.> If you must go..." They lean to the side, their frame mimicking the gesture, and shifting of eye and antennae matches them regarding those of you under nanite infection. "... do not linger when you feel it."Miricetti and Gognan are watching the convo at a distance. Gognan looks between your group, the Bumper, and back and forth again at least four more times before Miricetti slaps the back of his helmet to stop it. --- Music (Steamworld Heist: The Outskirts)  You ride the Bumper to the "Aching Wound", as good a name for it as you could find in any tongue. It's like the planet took a massive volcanic eruption or meteor impact on the face and kept the scar, the land permanently seared black under the falling grey snow. Bizarre yellow rifts in the land vibrate with the visible gleam of the "natural nanites" of planet Tania. Crude mechanical lights with harsh, overly powerful bulbs blare visual noise masquerading as searchlights across approaches down the grey-black valleys. You try to avoid blinding yourselves as you use binoculars to scope the situation before the Bumper would be visible. You could ride it up, it's just a matter of when you want them to know you're there.  Derelict ruins line the approach to the greatest remains of the cliffside installation, the best ruin as it were. Real quality squatter retail.  There seem to be two ways up. The narrower path to the West by the ruins and riding straight up the almost open hills right to the entrance, or going straight North.  The locals seem used to unwanted callers.  Far to the East, going around A LOT of mountainside, you see what looks like a weak water flow coming from the mountain and spewing onto the cliffs.
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Nov 27, 2023 00:33
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Cpt. Penelope "Ideas? This is out of my tactical experience. I'd jet around to see what else is out there but this is absolutely the sort of place to have sentry guns. Probably mines or planted explosives too to stop rushes."
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Dec 1, 2023 01:43
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Drazyn Elph-Ariness AP: 3 | Conditions: First Stage Nanite Infection | Insight Tokens: 2 (Fingerworm Hivemind, Mothfolk Nano-Chitin Healing) "Maybe we could try approaching from the West? We could use the ruins as cover, at least in part."
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Dec 1, 2023 08:31
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 SEBASTIAN XII AP 4 | No Conditions Not the result he expected, but perhaps the best one might ask of negotiations at this moment. SEBASTIAN at least wonders whether rescuing the Mehmans could indeed be seen as a sufficient gesture of sincerity. Still, this "Aching Wound"... It posed a very strange conundrum to them indeed. "The ruins might conceal us, but they might conceal any sentries and the like they have as well. And who is to know whether there are special countermeasures set up for invaders... Were I connected to a better mainframe, it would just be a matter of sending one of my drones to scout, but I'm not sure if they have the range at the moment..."
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Dec 1, 2023 19:37
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Narinth dal Krodven AP: 4 | Conditions: Nanite Infection I "Any approach could be littered with sentries or boobytraps, it's just something we have to deal with." Narinth says and lowers her binoculars. "That being said, I don't like how those bulbs are illuminating the hell out of the western approach. If they catch us out we risk getting bogged down, and if Anna's right, we don't want to stay here for long. If we go west we should make a rapid advance with the Bumper and engage with its gun. Comes with the risk of wrecking it and subsequently getting shot by Mei when we get back home, though." "Straight north looks better, darker. Let's leave the Bumper behind and stay low, prowl through the shadows and get ready to pounce. Still gonna be staring down that gun emplacement if we get spotted though, the idea is to get close enough to flank it before we're made. Alternatively..." "That stream far off to the east looks like it might lead into the mountain. I'd be willing to bet that's the outlet of their water source. If it's not too narrow, we might be able to use it as a backdoor to sneak past their perimeter defense and catch them by surprise. Problem is, water's gonna be close to freezing and I doubt anyone thought to pack wetsuits or rebreathers if we have to swim. Might not matter much for 'Bastian, but as for the rest of us meatbags we'll be shivering too much to fight effectively if our clothes get soaked, and that's if we can make it through in the first place. High risk high reward, but we'll have to spend some precious time scoping it out before we know if it's even a feasible alternative."
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Dec 2, 2023 12:05
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Cpt. Penelope "I don't think we have time to scout in depth. When you put it like that, North and trying to cross the distance seems best. Am I going crazy or did they just...connect those guns and lights to a generator with an exposed cable? Cutting that and then the rest of us move in seems like a plan. We're at the stage where any non-suicidal plan is better than no plan, so let's do North if there's no objections. Move fast, breach things, and kill the non-hostages before they can respond and regroup." Ronwayne fucked around with this message at 02:34 on Dec 6, 2023 |
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Dec 6, 2023 02:29
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Narinth dal Krodven AP: 4 | Conditions: Nanite Infection I "Mhmm. A blackout could give us an edge. Doubt they'd bother with all those lights if their eyes were as used to the dark as ours." Narinth takes another look through the binoculars. "Cutting the power won't do much to dim those nanites and the fires they've got going though, so don't expect them to be completely helpless." She lowers the binoculars again and looks at the others in turn to see if anyone has anything left to add, then nods. "Alright, let's get to work." She walks over to the trunk of the Bumper and stows the heavy rifle she'd been riding with and trades it for something significantly less loud: A sleek, black, submachinegun-sized miniature railgun capable of spitting small flechettes at an unreasonable rate. She slings the weapon over her shoulder but doesn't stop rummaging through the trunk before she finds the metal case containing the disinfectors from Simon. She pops it open and grabs two of them, keeping one for herself while pressing the other into Drazyn's hand. She gives him a look in the eyes, the nanite sheen clearly visible in her face. "Keep it close, in case it gets bad." Stepping away from the Bumper, Narinth faces north. "I'm taking point. Keep your stances low, your eyes open, and your mouths shut. Let's go." Narinth makes a skilled attempt at Guerrilla Tactics Intent: Take point and sneak up as close to the generator as possible without being spotted. Roll: 🎲1d6 (2) = 2 Result: Twist
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Dec 9, 2023 22:52
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Heading North... Narinth: It doesn't take long before large panels on the side of the generator pop open and a pair of angry twin-carbines jut out and start firing in your vague direction. Spitting Lead at random still pays off even for bad soldiers and a pair of slugs pierce your forearm for 1 Damage. You can hear a lot of whooping, cheering and metallic bangs and scrapes. "SOMEBODY'S AT THE DOOR!" Everyone: What next? As you've just moved closer to your target the relative directions still hold: ruins to the West, water flow to the East, entrance to the North. There's also getting out on foot like Narinth or riding the Bumper around.
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Dec 17, 2023 23:31
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Narinth dal Krodven AP: 4 | Conditions: Nanite Infection I Let's rewind that a bit. Using my Fallback Recklessness with a sprinkling of Danger Sense to turn that Twist into a Success. Serving as cannon fodder in the Vular war machine has hammered one lesson about survival above all others into Narinth, to always listen to her instincts. As she approaches the generator, she can feel it in her bones. She's being watched, and there's the unmistakable scent of death in the air. Before the panels on the reactor have even begun to open Narinth breaks out into a dead sprint, not to seek cover, but to head straight towards the source of danger. She fires her grappling hook at the side of the generator, connecting just above the gun ports, and reels herself in as they pop open. Hanging off the side of the wall, she points her nailgun in through one of the holes and sweeps the interior of the pillbox with a hail of tungsten carbide, silencing the sentries before they have a chance to start hooting and hollering.
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Dec 18, 2023 15:45
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Narinth: You have to take the time to blast out four sentry ports in total, one on each cardinal direction. As you work the hunk of junk smokes and sparks at random, the lighting on the outdoors flickering. "HEY!! SOMEBODY CHECK OUT THE SPARKER! LIGHTS ARE DIMMIN'!" Hollerin', no hootin'! No sign of anybody yet but a patrol is inevitable. Everybody: What next?
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Dec 18, 2023 23:17
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Cpt. Penelope "Follow the murder machine, use quick jumps to get between cover, call out if you're hucking grenades or reloading, put down anything that's trying to shoot her and clear her sides." Penny draws a very illegal automatic something thats somewhere between a machine pistol and smg with a folding stock, that seems quite usable with one hand even though you shouldn't, and was clearly chosen because it fits inside a long coat. "Let's get in there." 4 on a skilled command roll
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Dec 19, 2023 00:42
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Narinth dal Krodven AP: 4 | Conditions: Nanite Infection I HP: 10/10 | Miss Tokens: 0 | Powers: Trick Arrow, Wind Up Strike, Split Their Arrow Narinth looks from the heat haze coming off her gun to the mess she made of the generator and tilts her head slightly. "Oops," she says with indifference. Cutting the power cable seemed like a quaint idea at this point. Might as well knock on the door. <Bella, change of plans. Don't let anyone get too close to the generator. Things are about to get hot.> She arms a demolition charge and throws it in through the last sentry port, then makes a hasty retreat to a safe distance. Narinth makes a skilled attempt at Master at Arms Intent: Plant a timed demolition charge inside the generator. Roll: 🎲1d6 (6) = 6 Result: Success with a Bonus Bonus: Please make it explode at the most opportune time, DM!
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Dec 21, 2023 01:04
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Drazyn Elph-Ariness AP: 3 | Conditions: First Stage Nanite Infection | Insight Tokens: 2 (Fingerworm Hivemind, Mothfolk Nano-Chitin Healing) It's not really possible for a monster of Lulu's size to really sneak in, but Drazyn does his level best to shepherd her away from any windows or openings where she might immediately be spotted by a sentinel or even just a random passerby taking a peek outside. He's very impressed with Narinth's battlefield tactics, but his restless energy is getting the better of him. His eyes dart everywhere for an hint of enemy movement, and he's ready to rush at a moment's notice. He nods at Penny's order, then realizes she probably isn't looking at him. "Got it", he adds, hand raised, ready to sic Lulu at anyone taking a step outside.
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Dec 21, 2023 12:43
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SEBASTIAN XII AP 4 | No Conditions HP 10/10 Miss Tokens 0 Stealth is... Definitely not one of SEBASTIAN's capacities, and not what he was built for at all. That being said, he did had sensors fine tuned for all sorts of uses, after all, and he would make use of those at this, even if he will have to clumsily follow the others. He stands right behind Drazyn, and cameras with small sonars are used to send a wide scan for any surveillance equipment or sentries the others may have missed, as well as any makeshift traps... Rolled a 4 on a Skilled Detection roll.
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Dec 22, 2023 16:54
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Deputy Therapist Bella HP: 10/10 | AP: 1 Bella has seemed to be engrossed in the ambiance, focused more on the strange lights and... nanites? The "Aching Wound" seemed so ominous, so sinister, yet where is the threat? Earth blasted, and these mushroom things given space to grow, to become dominant, to... Things are about to get hot. Mmm. Focus. Intuition tells her that Narinth's charge is well placed, she has a sense of when it will explode, the rough size, a bit more than Narinth anticipated, so it's easy enough to nudge and guide the group a bit further away. Similarly, she reaches into the enemy's mind, raiders and cultists that should be dealt with harshly from the start. What's that noise, is it a vital component that's suddenly failed? Investigate, fix the problem, go in there now and-- Explosion Ah. Feedback. Rolled a 2 on a Psionics/Deception check to psychically lure the enemy towards the generator. Suggested twist involves psychic feedback from the targets' experience.
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Dec 23, 2023 07:13
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Narinth: Success with Bonus! As you finish your expert sabotage... SEBASTIAN: Success! ... Your team hacks into the open comms of these primitive rapscallion. To say you have a tech advantage would be the diplomatic way to describe your ability to leap into the remains of the crude base infrastructure, as well as the naked radio transmissions. You can try to affect a limited array of things, such as temperature settings, door controls or fire alarms/sprinklers. There's an inaccurate map of the base layered over the random caves, collapsed halls and other assorted blockages detected by a surveying ping: the only labeled areas are "Head Office" and "Armory." Bella: Twist! Your psionics are answered with a local psychic phenomenon, a wave of bloodlust and random compulsions drifting to you. The Mehman had warned you about this place... and even with or without nanite infection you feel it. Unpleasant, harsh droning. <Language of rigid, perfect order. Machine tongue. Dig. Dig. Dig. Dig. Dig. Dig. Dig. Dig. Dig.> You find yourself already squatting and pawing at the ground, maybe grabbing a stick. This puts you behind cover even if you're out of the Bumper, at least... and if you're in it you paw at the plasteel under your feet briefly! You can feel the taste of mania pass soon. Everyone: SEBASTIAN shares (quiet) comms inside the Bumper and over your personal devices. Helmets or air pods suffice! Muted, random barks as clueless eavesdroppers ask what the hell is going on, in so many colorful and vaguely translated words. Seems a lot of hissing for emphasis on swears for the locals. Then you spot a horde of... humanish soldiers rushing the generator to investigate it.  : They're bipedal with two arms and a head, wearing gear similar to what you have on. They just seem to be in various degrees of living decay, though not ah, classically undead, like in fantasy media or the supposed highest arts of a House or two aboard the ship. What really keeps them going despite open wounds, flayed skin and exposed red muscle mass are swirling, visibly leaking and pulsing tendrils of nano machine infection, like living static. Several are carrying makeshift weapons that emphasize cruelty in design with barbed wire, nails, etc but they're all wearing what combat gear they've salvaged and many carry guns as well.Anyway, an expert demolition charge annihilates the generator and all of these mooks. Waves of gore and shrapnel fly in all directions over your cover, flying just far enough to harmlessly bounce off the Bumper. --- Music (Legend of Legaia - Mist Infested Area) Everyone: You can hear the next radio bark loud and clear. It shuts all the random tuner-ins asking dumb questions up.  : "WE'RE UNDER SIEGE YOU static -ING MORONS! ARM UP! NEEIIOW!!! FALL IN, MEET ME IN THE BIG HALL! GET THE staticWOOFER READY!!!"Hmm. Ride the Bumper as far as you can in through the North Main Entrance? It's a big cavern, blown wider open than the original vestiges of the base structure suggests. You could go... well, at least a bit in. Until things narrow. Or use the West Ruiners, more ah, ruined than the rest of this place, somehow... or the East Water Access?
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Dec 29, 2023 02:10
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Cpt. Penelope "Squad, get up on the walls of the cavern and move forward, cover the bumper as it advances, keep random bastards with grenades and big guns off it. Sebastian, I need your sensor net to spot them before they see us, especially with the tight corridors. Uh, can we get the big worm up in front, it'll draw attention if nothing else." For the umpteenth time since making planetfall on this benighted place, Penny is glad she's in an EVA suit. It was awful trying to move in the thing but...less awful than whatever was going on with these guys. norf, keep the pressure on, don't let them counterattack. Ronwayne fucked around with this message at 18:36 on Dec 29, 2023 |
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Dec 29, 2023 18:24
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Drazyn Elph-Ariness AP: 3 | Conditions: First Stage Nanite Infection | Insight Tokens: 2 (Fingerworm Hivemind, Mothfolk Nano-Chitin Healing) "She has a name, you know." Drazyn hisses, but he nevertheless signals Lulu to take up position front and center. She's a big girl, she can take it. Plus, she's been itching for a fight for a while now, and this seems like an excellent time to satisfy her urge... although the drow nobleman is a tad worried that these guys aren't going to be great for her gastrointestinal health.
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Jan 1, 2024 12:44
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SEBASTIAN XII AP 4 | No Conditions HP 10/10 Miss Tokens 0 "An easy enough task." SEBASTIAN replies, nodding while charting a path, finding the safest places without sentries as his newly hacked sensors started to scan and map the surroundings. The sight of the strange 'undead' shamblers, meanwhile, did elicit a snide guffaw from him. "More vermin, this plant is completely infected. We should find a way to eradicate this nanoswarm infection before it is too late..." In any case, North is as good as any for him, as long as he doesn't have to sully his body by wading within the disgusting water entrance, at least...
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Jan 3, 2024 20:46
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Narinth dal Krodven AP: 4 | Conditions: Nanite Infection I Narinth hadn't gotten a very good look at the skulltists she'd blasted, but the clear view she now had of the flayed bodies rushing to the generator made her wrinkle her nose in disgust. loving nanite zombies... She double-checks that she still had the disinfector close at hand, and is relieved to find it where she left it. As her gut instinct tells her the bomb is about to go off she ducks behind cover, and a couple seconds later the generator goes sky high. The screeching bluster coming from over the comms a moment later elicits a low chuckle. Sneaking time was definitely over. Leaping out of cover, Narinth double times it over to the entrance and waits for the others to catch up.
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Jan 10, 2024 19:42
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Everyone: You ride up in or shortly with the Bumper, as nothing says a violent entry like driving into the enemy base! As you pass the remains of the generator bomb you can see that while some could pass as zombies, a few too many for comfort are only partially flayed, normal-looking humanoids who've given an arm, leg, or face... and grafted some metal bits on in crude imitation of the Mehmans. --- (You know, I was originally trying to use the Rimworld game tilesets for a spin on my usual map flair but I think it makes things quite unreadable. Rip.)  Music (Legend of Legaia - Mist Infested Area) Everyone: You sail in on the Bumper and come to a stop when the halls and tunnels of this cavern base aren't accommodating. You are able to accommodate your gathered enemies with a hail of turret mounted gunfire, dropping another few of the flayed and sending their (comparatively) intact looking commander scrambling behind cover!   Static: Some parts of the wall are moving, so thickly covered in nanites that they're shifting, blurring, static generating stretches of energy. Passing through these tiles guarantees Infection, +1 Stage of existing Infection, or attacking environmental suits.  : Base Art "What the hell!?" Autotranslation substitutes the severity of the swearing for whatever eternal damnation these beings find suitable. Peeking round the rocks she casts out a pair of strange metal capsules, but it seems some things translate across galaxies: the grenade sizzles and spark, as crude and haphazard as everything else here. A tall, lanky yet heavily armored being with gaunt yellow skin and brown-black pockmarks showing beneath the rivulets of nanites streaming from her eyes. A crude but sturdy hatcheted rifle and heavy shield are her choice of arms! : "The Empire has studied the natives in earnest, decoding their language. They call themselves Githyanki, though most aren't this indulgent of bad habits." Your communicators and the Ariness host AI, Arin, chimes in on visual ID of the alien.--- (Everybody is up even with this placeholder map so I can stop dragging my feet, you can spawn and move from any tile adjacent to the bumper. I will fix the map and add detail/fix colors later... and also as you get close enough to see or trigger it!) : You can hear the scraping, shouting and occasional gunfire of the hidden Flayed! These tunnels aren't safe! : You can stay in the Bumper, though only ranged attacks will work for it and the turret only seats one! It has the machine gun and the harpoon shot.
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Jan 12, 2024 02:15
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Cpt. Penelope "Bumper stop, foot troops, keep advancing, don't touch the walls! Its glop, you counter them with more glop and fire! -Winfred Turn the fire suppression system on the nanites, hit the big emergency red button behind the right side passenger door, with the fire logo on the outside of the bumper, and then figure out what the hell this zombie nanite glop is. -Sebastian give me as big an EMP field as we can get, and then as much radio jamming as possible, use the bumper's comms, anything to scramble them! -Arin translate for me over the bumper speakers, "WE ARE HERE FOR THE PRISONERS, GIVE THEM IMMEDIATELY OR WE WILL SMEAR YOU AND YOUR NASTY ZOMBIE CAVEMEN OVER THE WALLS UNTIL YOU'RE DEAD FOR REAL." Ronwayne fucked around with this message at 03:13 on Jan 12, 2024 |
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Jan 12, 2024 03:06
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Narinth dal Krodven AP: 4 | Conditions: Nanite Infection I HP: 10/10 | Miss Tokens: 0 | Powers: Trick Arrow, Wind Up Strike, Split Their Arrow There was nothing quite like an unattended Vular officer to complicate a situation. Seeing the Bumper roll up to the mouth of the cave and realizing she had to babysit both it and the skittish civvie inside during a combat engagement had already made the vein on Narinth's forehead start to bulge, and now she felt a pressing need to impart some NCO wisdom before it burst. But out of respect for Peneleope she'd impart it nicely, using her words, and not in her go-to manner that usually ended up with a short stay in a brig or in front of a disciplinary committee. "Penny, do we need to check your suit's oxygen mix? Let's avoid frying the people we're here to save with a loving EMP. Not to speak of the havoc indiscriminate electromagnetic mayhem could wreak on our equipment, resident robo butler, and nanite infections to boot." She slaps a fresh battery pack into her nailgun and psyches herself up to do some damage. "Now, let's pound these Gith into submission before they get any ideas about holding up the hostages. Hard and fast! Get out there and get violent!" True to her words, Narinth leaps out of the hovercar and hits the ground running while firing off a burst at the corner the Githyanki commander was hiding behind to keep her pinned. Spotting the hot grenades on the ground uncomfortably close to the Bumper, she quickly scoops them up and throws them back where they came from, then dashes west to flank around. Starting at M7, move to J7, then L5 and continue west to the corner at M0 and take cover. Narinth makes a skilled attempt at Master at Arms Intent: Return L5 grenade to sender! Roll: 🎲1d6 (6) = 6 Result: Success with a Bonus Bonus: Chuck the J7 grenade up north too!
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Jan 18, 2024 00:36
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Drazyn Elph-Ariness AP: 3 | Conditions: First Stage Nanite Infection | Insight Tokens: 2 (Fingerworm Hivemind, Mothfolk Nano-Chitin Healing) Lulu hears the captain's voice and, sensing possible prey, creepy-crawls forward on her many skittering legs, a slow hiss escaping her jaws; a trick her master taught her to look even more intimidating. As she turned a corner and appeared in full view of her future victim, that hiss exploded into an acid-dripping road of hunger. Drazyn, meanwhile, would have loved today behind and watch his beastie do her work, but tactics demanded that he actually moved. He dashed to the left, blade and pistol in hand, his mocking voice echoing across the battlefield. "You better do what the Captain says, uglies! Everyone knows you couldn't fight a paraplegic elder with a blindfold on, so you might as well give up now!" quote:Lulu is right in front of the bumper, occupying the spaces L7-L8-M7-M8. She slithers straight forward 6 spaces, until she has the commander of the enemy forces on her left (squares F7-F8-G7-G8), then marks her.
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Jan 21, 2024 17:26
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Double post
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Jan 21, 2024 19:06
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SEBASTIAN XII AP 4 | No Conditions HP 10/10 Miss Tokens 0 "An EMP? Impossible with this equipment, but... " Well, impossible for most, as it is. SEBASTIAN would in fact attempt his best to try and mess with the controls enough to get a pulse working from the Comms system, but the attempt would likely damage the Bumper itself... quote:SEBASTIAN makes a skilled attempt at Machine Repairing
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Jan 23, 2024 07:11
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Deputy Therapist Bella HP: 10/10 | AP: 1 "Eheh. Ahahah. Ehehahahahahahahahahaaahgh̵a̵h̷h̷a̶h̸g̷e̸h̴g̶h̷̡͍͋g̷̠̼̽͂h̷̛̲̦͒͊͋ạ̴̀͒h̷̹̙͂͒͝ͅg̶̣̽̀̚h̷̫̓̓̕ẻ̷̩͍̙͝h̸̙̀̏e̷̳͌h̴̼͕͊̊à̷̖̿̓a̴̧̲̮̽̓͝A̴̡̘͌̋͗Ä̸͓̼̻́́̀Á̸̢̧͂̍̊A̷̜̘̅A̸̟͂̌̽Á̴̪̌Ḁ̷͍͉̓A̵̫̜̔Ä̷̙̰́̒Â̸̢̙͍̭Â̸̧̢̺̯̾̓A̶̞̻͛̎̌A̶̡̮̍̿> A psychic shriek blasts out over the field then cuts off immediately. <The Gith. Really? The Gith! Of course, how could I have failed to see it. I've been caught in a nightmare. Pepper is playing a prank on me. Or, I died in suspension and this is in fact Tartarus. How else could it be that the one time I have a legitimate, valid, easy target, they turn out to be the same beings I have an impossible debt towards! The Gith, and here. Ha.> She steps out of the Bumper, focus trained on the gith ahead of them. <Ah well. Responsibility, as always. Purify.> An immense font of blinding yet oddly directionless hate plunges down on the gith, focused on the concept of purification of outside influences, whispering thoughts in the night, all that sort of thing. Although perhaps there's nothing to purify? In which case, a bad sign for that 'responsibility.' I think L8 is clear after Lulu moves, can end there? Got a 3, success with cost, for 'clearing malign psychic influence' on the gith. zachol fucked around with this message at 19:16 on Jan 23, 2024 |
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Jan 23, 2024 19:14
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Penelope: : "HOW ABOUT YOU SUCK START THAT GUN AS AN APPETIZER BEFORE MY CANNON, YOU FLYING TWAT!" Narinth:  Return to Sender and a Double! The grenades shortly explode and annihilate a waiting ambusher, as well as tearing along the Gith Commander for 4 Damage! Drazyn:  Your taunt draws nearby ambushers out of hiding, rushing towards your tunnel! SEBASTIAN: Success with Cost: You rig up a virus routine that will broadcast from the Bumper's systems and wreck havoc across all sufficiently advanced and magical technological wireless waves. It will destroy a large area of nanite infected terrain, assault the horribly nanite infected and disable some machinery. It will also damage the Bumper lightly and disable the turret and harpoon for the rest of the encounter. You can use it in place of an Attack later! Bella: Success with Cost: The Gith Commander rears up and violently vomits skyward a stream of viscos but clear colorless blood, the static around her eyes violently warping as it engulfs the surface of her eyes. She falls to her knees and only the frame of their shield embedded in the ground keeps them up in a kneel before Lulu, an incidental turtle stance. Their hands are hidden but the streams of nanites solidify around her head as she produces odd light. Psychic whiplash feedback indicates a strong feeling of grudge and loyalty. Gith Commander is unshakably changed! Further psionics and nothing else really will snap them out of it. The Gith did have their heretics too... --- Music (Everhood - Tinnitus Dance)  Gith Com: Damage Taken: 4 Everyone: Moving up has revealed many of the infectees, most still hanging back and ready to shoot down corridors or into kill spots, others rushing out of their spots towards Drazyn at his provocation. These mooks attack! Combat Rolls Drazyn takes a shiner on the face from a very humanoid fist cracking him across the jaw for 1 Damage! Lulu is fired upon and takes a total of 2 Damage, as well as being driven back by gunfire! Everyone: A shout rises and the caverns are shaking, some loud machinery pounding away stupidly. : "THUMP THEM OUT! THUMP THEM OUT!"You can see individual pebbles and progressively larger rock debris on the floor bouncing with the constant thumping. Something terrible further back in the darkness is building up a devastating effect! The hooting and laughter of infectees cuts in and out between each catastrophic base thump and the ceiling starts to discharge long streams of debris as cracks form!  Everyone: You're up!
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Jan 26, 2024 00:05
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Narinth dal Krodven AP: 4 | Conditions: Nanite Infection I HP: 10/10 | Miss Tokens: 1 | Powers: Trick Arrow, Wind Up Strike, Split Their Arrow With her adrenaline pumping and bloodthirst steadily rising, Narinth rounds the corner and moves up to engage. She shoulders her gun and aims carefully down the narrow corridor, but doesn't manage to find a clear shot on the skulltists that wouldn't perforate Drazyn at the same time. With a frustrated growl through clenched teeth she leaves the trigger unpressed and falls back to consider her next move. Move: Up to K-1 Attack: Narinth attacks Infectee (H-1) with Area Denial Roll: 🎲1d6 (2) = 2 Result: Miss. Gain a Miss Token. Move: Back into cover at M0.
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Feb 1, 2024 21:43
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Cpt. Penelope Penelope takes the NCO's consideration under advice and decides to compromise silently via neither rescinding the order nor following up on it seeing as there was partial compliance. There were some sweaty tactical types out that that demanded precision moves, but in her experience sometimes it was more like directing a flock of birds. "Squad, on me, round the corner, get on the ceiling and open up when I do!" Penelope fires her jets, veering through a meter wide opening in the wall sideways (crab walking mid-air was always an experience) before getting up in the infectees faces as the atmospheric wings snap open. A terrible idea in close quarters but people also didn't want to get hit with these things when you were in powderburn range, which is also the ideal range to use this burp gun. FRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP. The magazine is gone in 3 seconds. She reloads while looking to see who's still standing. Penelope attacks Infectee cluster Burst (G0) with Mammoth's Transformation Roll: 🎲1d6 (3) = 3 vs (H0) 🎲1d6 (5) = 5 vs (H negative 1) 🎲1d6 (5) = 5 All take 3 damage, and are shoved, H0 and H-1 are prone.  -Move to G1, Mammoth's transformation, aura now 5x5, slide adjacent enemies, attack -Taking the hit, they take 3 damage ea. Ronwayne fucked around with this message at 19:50 on Feb 2, 2024 |
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Feb 2, 2024 19:34
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Drazyn Elph-Ariness Drazyn: 5/5 Health Lulu: 9/11 Miss tokens: 1| AP: 3 | Conditions: First Stage Nanite Infection | Insight Tokens: 2 (Fingerworm Hivemind, Mothfolk Nano-Chitin Healing) The advantage of being a shameless provocateur is that it's relatively easy to know what's going to happen after you shamelessly provoke. In this case, Drazyn can see the punch armed at his perfect jaw coming a mile away, and he easily ducks under it, slashing at his opponent. The swipe goes wide, but judging by the telltale sounds of a burp gun getting revved up, that's fine. Drazyn smirks at his opponent just as Penelope opens fire. Elsewhere, enervated by the enemy fire and unhappy with how far away her owner is, Lulu thrashes about, her jaws snapping at the Gith commander. quote:Thanks to his Defender Boost, Drazyn has Resist 1 and takes no damage.
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Feb 5, 2024 22:22
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Deputy Therapist Bella HP: 10/10 | AP: 1 | Miss: 1 "Utterly disgusting. What is this, some bad holo drama? Hooting and hollering, disgraceful." Bella strides forward, focusing on the rear lines of these hooligans. A subtle, grinding prod goads one of them into immediate attack, counting on the only target at hand being one of their nearby 'allies.' Move to H8 (should be the most northern square below Lulu), attack with Undeniable Command on B9 to induce an at-will attack on C11, 2 for a miss. But that doesn't happen, and there isn't even a trusty nosebleed-inducing feedback loop. "Of course. Why am I trying to match this nonsense with subtlety? Everyone dies." She raises a hand, space starting to bend and crack in a halo around her, and in some kind of game a fancy casting bar would pop up above her head.
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Feb 11, 2024 08:29
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SEBASTIAN XII's turn: AP 4 | No Conditions HP 10/10 Miss Tokens 1 Role: Tactics: Penelope gets an extra move action before her turn so she can reach the square she intended according to RAW. (M10 -> M0 -> G2 passing through Drazyn and the enemies) Move: L7 Attack: Summon Earth Maid on E6 Sebastian attacks Gith Commander with Summon Earth Maid Roll: 🎲1d6 (2) = 2 Result: Miss. Gain a Miss Token Earth Maid HP 5/5 Move 6 If a creature attempts to leave a square adjacent the Maid (up to 2 squares away at level 5, 3 squares at level 9), it must make a Saving Throw. If it fails, it falls Prone. The Earth Maid has Resist 1 damage. Sockerbagarn fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Feb 11, 2024 |
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Feb 11, 2024 22:45
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Music (Everhood - Tinnitus Dance) Penelope: The grunts survive being blasted and knocked down by the squad overrunning them, they don't get up after you and the boys double tap 'em! --- The calamitous thumping of the awful machinery in the back of the cave continues to shake stone and make debris and dust billow down from the ceiling. Soon enough a limited cave in happens, the mountain sturdy... but not that forgiving. Penelope: Penelope and Squad take 2 damage as they painfully vacate the splash zone of a downpour of heavy stone! It even cuts off the path she took, among other spaces! Grunts fall back and open fire, basking in cover or the presence of nanite swarms so thick they pool and pour down the walls and floor... their bullets bounce off Maid Sierra but send Lulu retreating again, bumping Bella back with her! (Effect: Forced Move 1) Drazyn: (Grunt B7 violates Lulu's Mark.) With a howl of laughter the Gith Commander rises and reveals another handheld grenade, nanite static streaming off their hand and over it. A set of vicious spikes and barbs circles it before she drops it at her feet, withdrawing and taking a swing at Lulu. Sticky Grenade inflicts 2 Damage if picked up! The Commander takes a clumsy swing that misses! So clumsy, in fact, that Sierra knocks her down with a deft blow to the leg, dropping her face first into the back of her own tower shield, beside her own bomb. Oops! With much riotous laughter the rest of the grunts standing wheel forward a massive gun turret, finishing a combined lifting effort before briefly slap-fighting over the controls. The winner shoves his fellow and seizes both handles of a massive aiming apparatus, the barrels starting to warm up and spin as his companion watches with glee. (Targeted Zone highlighted!) : "Repurposed mining machinery has been located on the local network. Be advised, something called "Killing Machine" has come online further in the facility."In the distance the thumper continues to thump you out! The occasional irregular metals craping noise joins the chorus, muffled and distant.   ---   --- Gith Commander: Damage Taken: 4, Marked(Lulu), Prone Grunts: 4/4 HP Grunt B7: Marked(Lulu) Everyone: You're up! Doomykins fucked around with this message at 17:31 on Feb 17, 2024 |
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Feb 15, 2024 19:33
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