To everyone's horror and dismay, you are Nicole Smith. You are a SHIFTer, a human with anomalous abilities who has slowly been mutating more and more over the last few weeks. First it was horns, then it was fur, who knows what's next?Will you even be human once all is said and done?Regardless, this is good in your line of work as a Cleaner, a deniable asset used by massive mega-corporations called the Alphabet Companies and anyone else willing to pay you. Most of your jobs are from your Handler a member of a powerful family who asks you to check up on things or 'clean' up messes for him.All of this is because in the City the massive megacomplex spanning across hundreds of thousands of square miles, being a Cleaner is one of the most efficient ways of making cash if you don't care about your own safety and you can't quite get an actual proper Corporate job. As for how said job is going...You finally finished tracking down a very important briefcase for your Handler and, with little actual struggle, you retrieved it. Thanks to your job well done you have now gained access to him as a very powerful ally in the future.After hanging out at the bar with your friends, you proceeded to meet a bizarre alternate version of yourself who was corroded into an anomaly. A mind fuck and a half later, you met a mysterious CEO who wants to help you but only if you can figure out who he is. Trying to push past everything weird going on you got your newest mission:Harvesting resources from one of I-Corp's most rural, frigid subdistricts.So far your job here has been going well. You headed to a nearby village to get some side work while exploring the rest of the subdistrict. You then proceeded to meet a Graverobber and negotiated information out of them, hunted down a bank vault filled with valuables, and helped an anomaly out hidden inside of a clock tower.The spooks, including a doppelganger version of you, were also hunting you down. After an incredibly deadly fight you managed to beat them (which helps Lex manifest his own anomalous ability as well). You then headed to another village that seemed to have been abandoned. You're now heading down an underground passage hidden underneath a statue to figure out what the fuck happened here and to hopefully finish your QUOTA.Anything for a buck. At least it's not office work.ARCHIVE: https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=CleanerPASTEBINS:MAIN CHARACTER SHEET (Your stats/abilities/perks are written here): https://pastebin.com/3y638TfKALLIES (contains their stats, abilities, recruitment costs, and RAPPORT): https://pastebin.com/8gdVZBPeMECHANICS (contains basic rules about stats and mechanics.): https://pastebin.com/A9nLYWP6INVENTORY (contains your items, consumables, weapons, etc.): https://pastebin.com/n0MH6M17CITY INFO (General information about the Alphabet Companies and other notable entities): https://pastebin.com/ZP2JN7mT
MISSION OBJECTIVEQUOTA: 11/10 COLD IRON, 8/10 DRY-10, 7/7 ROTWOOD. Fill up every QUOTA meter and head back to the train station you arrived from to complete the mission.OPTIONAL OBJECTIVE #1: For every extra resource you bring back, obtain an extra $30/35/40 (Rotwood/Dry-10/Cold Iron). Total extra: $40OPTIONAL OBJECTIVE #2: Bring back a Historical Relic. $333 per relic given over. Current Historic and Relic count: 7 + one mystery relic. You'll determine which ones, if any, you're willing to give up.----After recapping your mission, you take stock of your current situation.You are currently with five allies: Wendy (A W-Corp representative with very similar mental issues to you. Has limited telekinetic abilities.)Lex (A hired thug who has recently awakened into a SHIFTer which manifests in the form of a leather jacket that blocks a LOT of damage)Ashley (A tomboy punk rockstar with precognitive abilities. Hard to spook.)Quentin (A Drone, a sapient centipede, who puppeteers corpses in order to interact with the world. Can also fly.)Alexis (A corporate suit with fingers in a LOT of pies. Has unrivaled corporate influence. Lives in I-Corp, so you brought her for any I-Corp related tomfuckery you encountered.)And what are you exactly doing? Well, you're waiting around a corner in the underground facility(?) that you found yourself in. The room right ahead has three armed goons who seem to be hunting down the people of WHITEROCK, the village built above the underground facility you're in. Bad news, they're on high alert due to the DRONE among them smelling out Quentin.Well. Seems like you have to do something. You could go guns blazing and shoot them all down but that last fight with the Excisor and your doppelganger has tired out your allies a lot. You rather not immediately rush into another fight. That's when Ashley quickly makes up a plan for the rest of you to execute.[SIXTH SENSE] "Okay." Ashley keeps a firm grip on the bloody hunting knife she's holding. "I got a plan. It should work BUT I'll need you guys to do something. And it's going to sound weird.""Well, spit it out, they're getting closer." Alexis whisper-yells. She's not wrong. You can hear their footsteps getting closer."Quentin. Fly past them as quickly as possible. Buzz your wings really, REALLY loud. We'll go from there.""that sounds like a stupid idea what are you-" Before you have time to question why THAT's the plan the clairvoyant picked, your group has to make a snap decision. The three figures you saw before turn right around the corner you were hiding behind. They're immediately shocked to see six people waiting for them there.Quentin quickly unfurls his wings and flies right past them. The sheer RACKET from his wings echoing between the cluttered together stone walls in such a way as to seemingly get louder and louder and louder and louder. You can already feel your ears developing tinnitus as a defense mechanism against that god damn buzzing.
All three of the goons are immediately set off-balance by the noise. It doesn't actually do any damage to them but the man with tusks (and Lex as well) are hit the worst by it. Both of them drop to their knees with their hands clutched around their heads, gritting their teeth in pain.You outnumber them 2.5 to 1 so it doesn't take long for the rest of you to deal with the stranglers. By that, you mean that you smash your knee into the Drone's stomach while everyone else moves to beat the everloving shit out of the disabled Half-Graverobber and the Bodysuit Woman with punches and kicks. You want them ALIVE after all, not dead.>48!It's over before it even started. The distraction paired with how quickly everyone sprung into action left all three of them in bloody heaps. Not enough to kill but all of them are knocked out; they're going to take a few minutes to wake up. After you wait for Lex to shake off that buzzing sound, you move the three of them back to the break room.There's not much to tie them down with but Quentin finds some old musty tablecloths and, with Wendy's help, makes some makeshift ropes with them to tie the goons down onto some steel chairs. While you let your allies deal with all of that, you take a moment to use your WHISPERS OF THE CITY ABILITY to get a rough idea on the nearby environment.>-1 RESTRAINT! 5/10 RESTRAINT LEFT!The mental image shows you this:-Heading down the north hallway heads to a barracks room where you're detecting a LOT of movement from. You can make out an elevator somewhere in there as well alongside a hidden passage to a secret room of some sorts.-HAZARDOUS MATERIALS's airlock has a secondary opening mechanism hidden next to the keycard scanner, seemingly for emergencies. The room itself doesn't go anywhere, though, for obvious reasons.-RESEARCH LAB is adjacent to a production facility you're detecting faint movement from. -There's a hidden hatch in the middle of the Breakroom you're in. From what you're reading, it leads to some sort of hidden shelter. You can't tell if any movement is there.-There's two floors to this facility and it seems the only way down to the second one is via elevator. The elevators by the entrance you came from only seem to go from the surface to the first floor. Something is blocking them from going downIt goes black from there.By the time you snap out of this, the three goons are waking up. The restraints aren't that good but with their weapons taken and their bodies beaten black and blue...they're not going anywhere. The only one who seems like he could put up a fight is the Half Graverobber but Ashley keeps her hunting knife close to his neck to prevent any funny business."You fuckers! Why are you here? Let me guess, you're against the Revolutionary huh? Of course you would be you FUCKING SCUM!" The Half Graverobber snarls with a zealous fervor you were not expecting from him. Your group is understandably confused at this. Who the fuck...?
[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] You faintly recall hearing the TV Man talking about a revolution attempt that would happen soon. It was about two, maybe three, weeks ago?[SEEKER OF THE CITY] He claimed it would be within weeks or months as well. Odd timing considering some other major events happening soon."Revolutionary. Pft. We're not in communist Russia anymore." Wendy jabs her pointer finger into the man's chest. "We wont' humor your pathetic larp. Grow up." "Wait, so-""Shut up!" The Bodysuit Woman hisses at the tusked thug before he can spit out anything else. "We're not supposed to say anything about him. Besides, our associates will be here soon.""YEAH. THAT NOISE WAS LOUD. YOU DON'T THINK THEY HEARD?" The Drone matter-of-factly states. "PHI AND ALGIZ WILL BE HERE TO DEAL WITH YOU ANY MOMENT." Those are ETF Agent callsigns. Why are there trained agents here of all places?"That doesn't matter-" Lex takes a moment to wipe some blood trickling from his ears. "I suggest you start talking before we leave your allies a 'present'. Do we understand each other?" He nods towards Ashley. She presses her knife right against the tusked man's neck."Ngh. Fine. We'll talk.""You better." You take in a deep breath to collect your thoughts. "Answer honestly and we won't kill you horribly. That's all we're asking." Due to how weak they are, you imagine you could send two groups of two allies to explore the other nearby areas while you and Ashley talk to them.You doubt you'll have time for too many questions. Pick four to ask them.>'You said something about a revolutionary. Who is he? Why would you think we're attacking you because of that?">[SEEKER OF THE CITY] "Are you with P-Corp? ETF agents and that one bit about extraction...I doubt I-Corp would be happy if they knew another corporation was messing with their turf.">"This place was empty for a week. I don't get why you're returning here now of all times. Was it because of the Cleansers meeting here?">"Why are you attacking WHITEROCK of all places? I can't imagine they would be the only place with artifacts.">[PERSON OF INTEREST] "Look, if your group is with a revolutionary, perhaps we have common ground. Do you know about STILLE DAG?" Enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all. >"This place is weirdly out of place. Do you know why it's hidden under a village? Is it connected to the DARK FOREST or reactor?">[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] "Something about this operation is rubbing me the wrong way. We know there's twelve more highly armed people here; What could be so dangerous here that warrants that level of firepower?">"Is this the only location your group cares about? Or are there others? And for what reasons are you interested in THOSE locations?">Write in.
Choose two locations for your allies to investigate in the meantime.>HIDDEN SHELTER. Who knows who might be there? Maybe some survivors hid there. You imagine there would be a lot of survival supplies as well you could sell to other villages.>HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. If nothing else, you could get some nasty chemicals so some of your smarter allies can make chemical weapons with. Might be useful down the line against tougher foes.>RESEARCH LAB. If this place has artifacts, you imagine a good chunk of them would be here.>PRODUCTION FACILITY. Could be a lot of raw resources there and you imagine someone IS hiding there.>BARRACKS. Might as well get a head count on who else is here, maybe eavesdrop on them and get an idea on how armed they are.And anything specific you want your allies to find? Pick two for them to focus on.>RESOURCES. The more, the merrier, and it's better to get more excess resources to sell so you don't have to worry about selling any relics you find. (You'll get 1d4 ROTWOOD, 1d4 DRY-10, and 1d6 COLD IRON)>RELICS. Couldn't hurt to find some relics. Maybe it'll be useful for future missions, maybe it'll be just a neat trinket to sell off. (You'll roll 2d100 to determine the quality of the Relics.)>INFORMATION. The more knowledge you have, the better. (You'll roll 4d100 to determine how much information you get and how relevant it is. At minimum, you'll get some immediately useful information on this facility to fill in the gaps of your mental map.)>SURVIVORS. You want to make sure they're out of here, alive. (You'll get a LOT of goodwill from the neighboring villages and some I-Corp favor but no immediate reward.)---Long time no see. A hurricane really messed up with the plans I had and some other personal matters also muddied things. We should be back to regular operation now.
Welcome back. Glad you didn't drown in the storm bro.
>>6134936>[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] "Something about this operation is rubbing me the wrong way. We know there's twelve more highly armed people here; What could be so dangerous here that warrants that level of firepower?">'You said something about a revolutionary. Who is he? Why would you think we're attacking you because of that?">[SEEKER OF THE CITY] "Are you with P-Corp? ETF agents and that one bit about extraction...I doubt I-Corp would be happy if they knew another corporation was messing with their turf.">"Why are you attacking WHITEROCK of all places? I can't imagine they would be the only place with artifacts.">6134937>BARRACKS. Might as well get a head count on who else is here, maybe eavesdrop on them and get an idea on how armed they are.>HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. If nothing else, you could get some nasty chemicals so some of your smarter allies can make chemical weapons with. Might be useful down the line against tougher foes.>RELICS. Couldn't hurt to find some relics. Maybe it'll be useful for future missions, maybe it'll be just a neat trinket to sell off. (You'll roll 2d100 to determine the quality of the Relics.)>INFORMATION. The more knowledge you have, the better. (You'll roll 4d100 to determine how much information you get and how relevant it is. At minimum, you'll get some immediately useful information on this facility to fill in the gaps of your mental map.)
>>6134936>>6134937Welcome back QM>[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] "Something about this operation is rubbing me the wrong way. We know there's twelve more highly armed people here; What could be so dangerous here that warrants that level of firepower?"I assume the BARRACKS has those other people here. Best steer clear until these 3 goons go tell their buddies to let us be>"Why are you attacking WHITEROCK of all places? I can't imagine they would be the only place with artifacts."I want to solve the loose end of the Cleanser couple and their mystery contact topside. 15 randos just waltz on in, kill the mystery contact, kill one of the Cleansers, KO the other, then swarm this underground facility? And all we know is the bodysuit woman here said this last thread:>"Extraction said they were here and they would be hiding some valuable artifacts here. That's it."Something doesn't add up...>'You said something about a revolutionary. Who is he? Why would you think we're attacking you because of that?"What is this about?>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] "Are you with P-Corp? ETF agents and that one bit about extraction...I doubt I-Corp would be happy if they knew another corporation was messing with their turf."Threaten them with the corporate hammer coming down if they try to fuck with usI don't wanna be enemies with these guys, there's more of them than there are of us and we're on different unrelated missions. No real need for any conflict especially after that superboss fight we survived>HIDDEN SHELTER. Who knows who might be there? Maybe some survivors hid there. You imagine there would be a lot of survival supplies as well you could sell to other villages.Did we not wanna come here to WHITEROCK because we heard there were survivors here? Is that not why we voted for going to this ruined town in the last thread, instead of going someplace with resources we want or is cooler than this dump?>PRODUCTION FACILITY. Could be a lot of raw resources there and you imagine someone IS hiding there.And we also decided to come here because of fulfilling our quota. Checking back the last thread, that drone in the MAP SHACK of LOVE TOWN marked this on our map:>"WHITEROCK. ONE OF THE PREVIOUS VILLAGES WE TRADED WITH. WENT RADIO SILENT A WEEK AGO. PRESUMED DESTROYED AND DEAD, INVESTIGATE FOR SCRAPS? IT WAS FAR MORE PROPEROUS THAN US IN NATURAL RESOURCES."We are 2 DRY-10 away from filling the quota. Let's get that handled first thing so we don't spend the blizzard night on this mission. And who is hiding in that PRODUCTION FACILITY?>SURVIVORS.Literally why we voted to go here, come on people!>RELICS.We need LOOT and this place has some!!!>>6135028Yo check it>a hidden passage to a secret room of some sorts.But the barracks has the other goons in there. We can't get to the DELICIOUS SECRET!!! while they're there and they might be hostile to us until these 3 chucklefucks get them to stand down
>>6134937>>6134936>"Why are you attacking WHITEROCK of all places?">[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] >[PERSON OF INTEREST] >[SEEKER OF THE CITY]We need a bigger picture of their operation and what kind of oversight they have. >HIDDEN SHELTER>PRODUCTION FACILITYSECRETS PLACE. I will not allow any more secrets to be kept from me. >SURVIVORS>RELICSENTER, HANDLERQM. Welcome back!!!
>>6135132+1Welcome back HandlerQM. :D
>>6135272Change>>6134936>"Why are you attacking WHITEROCK of all places?">'You said something about a revolutionary. Who is he?>[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] >[SEEKER OF THE CITY]>HIDDEN SHELTER. >PRODUCTION FACILITY.>SURVIVORS.>INFORMATION.
>>6134936Welcome back QM! >'You said something about a revolutionary. Who is he? Why would you think we're attacking you because of that?">[SEEKER OF THE CITY] "Are you with P-Corp? ETF agents and that one bit about extraction...I doubt I-Corp would be happy if they knew another corporation was messing with their turf.">[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] "Something about this operation is rubbing me the wrong way. We know there's twelve more highly armed people here; What could be so dangerous here that warrants that level of firepower?">"Is this the only location your group cares about? Or are there others? And for what reasons are you interested in THOSE locations?">>6134937>RESEARCH LAB. If this place has artifacts, you imagine a good chunk of them would be here.>PRODUCTION FACILITY. Could be a lot of raw resources there and you imagine someone IS hiding there.>INFORMATION. The more knowledge you have, the better. (You'll roll 4d100 to determine how much information you get and how relevant it is. At minimum, you'll get some immediately useful information on this facility to fill in the gaps of your mental map.)>SURVIVORS. You want to make sure they're out of here, alive. (You'll get a LOT of goodwill from the neighboring villages and some I-Corp favor but no immediate reward.)
QUESTIONS:CAPTAIN'S COMMAND: AkJ, IaM, Zzt, dsV, f8yREVOLUTIONARY: AkJ, IaM, dsV, f8yWHY WHITEROCK?: AkJ, IaM, Zzz, dsVSEEKER OF THE CITY: AkJ, IaM, Zzt, dsV, f8yPERSON OF INTEREST: ZztANY MORE LOCATIONS: f8yLOCATIONS:BARRACKS: AkJHAZARDOUS: AkJHIDDEN: M8h, Zzt, IaMPRODUCTION: f8y, M8h, Zzt, IaMRESEARCH: f8yWHAT TO LOOK FOR?RELICS: AkJ, IaM, ZztINFO: f8y, M8h, AkJSURVIVORS: Zzt, M8h, f8y, IaMSo, it seems like the questions + locations are pretty set in stone and I don't feel like delaying a vote for a tiebreak for a minor resource vote sooo. I'll let you search for relics + information but you'll only get a limited amount of info. I imagine you'd want L O O T more than anything.Three anons, roll the following.>2d100 (INFORMATION. HIGHER is BETTER.)>2d100 (RELICS. HIGHER is BETTER.)and>1d100 (MYSTERY RELIC from a sidequest you did here. 1-45 = POWERFUL WEAPON, 46-75 = POWERFUL CONSUMABLE, 76-90 = ESOTERIC/MYSTERIOUS OBJECT, 91-100: ANOMALOUS PARADIGM)>>6135017>>6135132>>6135153>>6135272>>6135399Thanks for the warm welcome. I really wish I posted earlier but life gets in the way, you know? It may take a bit for me to get fully back into the swing so I apologize if the next few updates are bumpy.
Rolled 78, 31 = 109 (2d100)>>6135456INFORMATION
Rolled 36, 24 = 60 (2d100)>>6135456Relics
Rolled 9 (1d100)>>6135456Gun gun gun gun gun I want another gunGlad to have you back QM. It’s been a hot minute, I thought this thing was abandoned for a while. Glad to hear that you’ve survived 2024’s hellish weather.
>>6135548Looks like you may have got your wish...
>>6135573OH YES, OH YES WE BOTH REACHED FOR THE GUN THE GUN THE GUN THE GUN
Before you do anything, you unwrap the bundle containing the mystery relic to find...>NAGNAT M2005 (RELIC FIREARM. The last Russian revolver model before the Old World ended. Made out of silver. ATTACK ROLL: TALENT+WILLPOWER+2. Inflicts EXPOSED on hit, increasing RESTRAINT and FLESH damage taken by 2 for the rest of combat (can not stack). Uses REVOLVER AMMO.)>You obtain 4 REVOLVER AMMO as well!Your captives are rightfully concerned to see you pulling out a gun on them. "No, no, this isn't for you. We're collecting relics too. Look. I'd just have Lex beat the shit out of you if I wanted you dead."Lex immediately fixes his posture like he's a dog hearing his own name. "Damn right. Seems you're shit out of luck since I'm leaving you with these two." He nods towards you and Ashley. "C'mon, guys. Let's go explore."Wendy and Alexis split off to check the PRODUCTION FACILITY while Lex and Quentin pry off a tile that had a tiny yet distinct scratch on it, which leads directly to the HIDDEN SHELTER."OH ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING!" The Drone Goon hisses, the loose skin covering his featureless face vibrating with impotent rage. "WE WERE LOOKING EVERYWHERE FOR SOMETHING HIDDEN! YOU'RE WORKING FOR WHITEROCK HUH? HUH???""No. I just have my own methods. Now, Ashley, ask them something."Ashley presses the knife harder into the Half-Graverobber's throat. "You said something interesting about a revolutionary. Who is he? You seemed so eager to talk about him mere moments before.""Don't tell her a single thing, Pasternack, or I'LL GUT YOU MYSELF!" The Bodysuit Woman struggles fruitlessly in her restraints."...Don't got a choice, Liz." Pasternack looks up at the two of you with an odd glint of pride, of all things, in his eyes. "He's a man who has inspired all of us. Everyone here, in my group. We're...followers of him, I suppose?""I feel like that downplays what he does for us but that works." Liz reluctantly agrees. "He didn't send us on this if that's what you're asking. We've just paranoid about those who would want to stop him.""Such as?" You try to prod for more answers."Corporate executives, his fellow associates who think he's too radical, the works. You don't get a lot of fans when you want to help your common man while outright rejecting the corporations."This doesn't sound particularly relevant to your situation but you can't lie, if he really is just trying to help others, you don't have a problem with him on principle. "You sure he would be proud about your group pillaging some poor village?" Ashley snidely remarks."WHAT HE DOESN'T KNOW WON'T HURT HIM. WE NEED TO GET RESOURCES. WE KNOW J-CORP AND B-CORP WOULD MAKE A STINK IF THEY KNEW. IF THEY KNEW!" The Drone Goon cryptically jabbers. You assume it's some sort of riot they plan on starting. Would make sense as to why they want relics; They are powerful."Next question. Why are you attacking WHITEROCK of all places? I can't imagine they would be the only place with artifacts."
"Feh. They deserve it." Liz wryly chuckles. "We heard rumors about them hogging resources that other villages need. Graverobbers complaining about a lack of resources for rituals, humans complaining about survival...""And this fuckin' facility they're built above? Greed, greed. They already have shelter and resources. We're just adjusting the scales." There's a hint of outright disgust oozing from Pasternack's words."So. You wanted to play revolutionary hero." Ashley doesn't even pretend to humor their excuse. "I would think you would've tried talking to them instead of shooting to kill anyone you saw.""THEY DESERVE IT. WHAT ELSE CAN WE SAY?" The Drone Goon is the only one to respond. You only have their words to work on. Best to press onto another question."Okay. Whatever. Something about this operation is rubbing me the wrong way." You can feel a faint reverberation of the Admiral in your bones. "We know there's twelve more highly armed people here; What could be so dangerous here that warrants that level of firepower?""SIMPLE. WE HAD DECENT INTEL THAT SOMEWHERE IN THIS FACILITY, THEY HAD ACCESS TO SEVERAL LOW-GRADE ANOMALIES. EASILY CONTAINED EVEN BY NOVICES BUT...""We wanted them back. For the cause. And we know how dangerous even a A1 Anomaly can be. Safer than sorry." Liz shrugs as best she can with the restraints.You and Ashley share a look with each other. Both of you take a solid moment to see if they're just rambling schizophrenically or if their intel was right.[SEEKER OF THE CITY + SIXTH SENSE] There is something off about the air. Both of you can feel it. It's hard to say what exactly is wrong with it, though."Fine. Makes sense. Still, I wouldn't think you would need to shoot anyone you saw- Or, well, crush people's heads in.""I like doing it. Fuck you." Pasternack spits back. Well you found your culprit there. "Greedy fucks deserve it.""Hey, Lex is probably feeling jealous you're talking to another half-bre-" "Shut it. Let's finish the questioning.""Fine." You clap your hands, preparing for your last question before you have to deal with the rest of them. "You're clearly working for P-Corp. ETF agents and that one bit about extraction...I doubt I-Corp would be happy if they knew another corporation was messing with their turf.""Pft. Like they would ever know-" Liz is about ready to dismiss your comment but you interrupt her."Does Alexis Morozov ring a bell?"All three of the tied up 'revolutionaries' immediately freeze up once they hear that name. None of them is willing to pipe up after that."Good. Enough jokes. Talk." This time, Ashley presses her blade hard enough into Pasternack's throat to draw blood."W-we work with ETF A-a-agents. The Revolutionary r-really likes working with them, w-we don't know why, h-he doesn't like talking about himself but he just likes using them, okay?" Pasternack blabbers on on on. He's clearly worried he's going to be a headless stump soon."SOME SAY HE'S ONE HIMSELF."
"W-we're not officially with P-Corp but, yes, by association by having a lot of ETF Agents...w-we are sorta sponsored by them?" Liz shrugs. You have a somewhat clear picture now: You might actually be able to reason with these guys with the right pressures.The grudge against WHITEROCK seems to be more out of personal politics than anything else; Their main goal here is to acquire the anomalies and artifacts here. The revolutionary himself seems interesting but you doubt you'll see him for a bit. Maybe you could even attempt a ceasefire for mutual benefit?That's when your allies return from their investigations. For Lex and Quentin's part, they managed to find a whole family of survivors! One man, one woman, two young kids. All of them are clearly far too stressed to really process what's going on. Glassy gazes, raggedy hair, the faint stench of madness. They've been here a while.The the coast is clear, they immediately rush for the elevators. "HEY, THERE'S A SNOWSTORM ABOVE, WAIT UNTIL WE CAN ESCORT YOU!" is fruitlessly shouted out by Quentin. You're not sure they heard him.Pasternack desperately tries to break from his restraints to rush after them but you give him one firm kick to put him in his place. Fuck, he really seems to have it out for them.Quentin quickly stuffs something your hand. You take a moment to scan over it.>78, 31You find yourself holding a book that seems to be an instructional manual about how to operate the emergency shelters. Skimming through it leads you to find a hand drawn map of the facility you're in.There's three hidden bunkers, one of this floor and two on the second. Seems like the two on the second floor are in a section labeled "BRIEFING". Maybe it's where the former residents of this facility would get instructions before WHITEROCK took over? Who knows.You also get some locations for the anomalies they were rambling about. It's all just numbers and letters so you can't get that good of an idea but you now know the passwords for CELL A2-T-PHYS, A1-T-MIXED, D2-M-PEND, and B3-M-MENTAL. Could be useful bargaining chips.Alexis and Wendy on the other hand managed find two survivors and, funnily enough, they're androids. Both of them are in mechanic's uniforms and they seemed to be here to help repair/operate the machinery in PRODUCTION. Their exteriors are covered in dents and holes but they're otherwise okay. She silently stuffs two items into Alexis' arms before stumbling after the family."...Feh. You do realize who you just go, right?" Liz snarks at your group."I rather trust the people who went into hiding over the people playing hero. Be glad we're not here to fight." You snap back. You take stock on what your allies found in the rooms...QUOTA RESOURCES OBTAINED! >+4 COLD IRON, +2 ROTWOOD, +2 DRY-10!>QUOTA COMPLETED! YOU MAY NOW LEAVE!Kickass. There's nothing forcing you to stay in this snow-struck hell anymore...but let's see what else you found.
SHELTER RESOURCES OBTAINED>GRADE A RATION x4 (Highly nutritious and actually tasty! Soldiers would kill for this. Literally. Heals 1 FLESH and RESTRAINT, adds +2d4 to the next three FLESH and/or TALENT rolls the user makes.)>WATER PURIFICATION DEVICE + IODINE TABLET PACK x5 (Not useful to you at all but can be sold for a massive profit.)>MATTER RECYCLER MARK v1 (A simple device meant to stretch out resources. While in your inventory, you have a small chance to earn AMMO back when firing your weapons.)PRODUCTION FACILITY RELICS OBTAINED!>HELIOS SEEKER MKv2 (MISC RELIC. An odd looking detonator painted blazing orange. Has no use...for now. You feel like this thing is VERY powerful if you figure out how to use it.)>MASK OF SORROWFUL COUNTERNACE (MISC RELIC. A white porcelain mask that smells weird. Produces a slow stream of acidic black liquid that can be used to burn both flesh and metal.)Before you have time to do anything else, you can hear the sounds of a bolt action firearm clicking into place. Your group immediately turns to see three armed ETF agents standing by the northern hallway. You can make out the faint impression of a half dozen or so more men behind them.One is a young woman with a sparkle in her eyes and dirty blonde hair, the other is a scarred man with a missing arm and left eye, and the third one is so generic you can't even describe him. All three of them have an odd arm sash that's a messy pattern of various colors and patterns."W-wait! T-they're not h-here for the Revolutionary!" Liz screeches out, clearly not wanting to be in the crossfires of any fight when she's already bloodied and bruised.The woman with dirty blonde hair takes one good long look at your group before she decides to go along with it. "Okay. You six: Talk. Now. I wanna know what you're here for. I think you're reasonable people. Otherwise you would've killed my friends.""Who are you?" Alexis tilts her head as if the woman was familiar for some reason. "I swear my brother talked about someone like you.""Oh! I'm Phi! ETF-Phi! Nice to meet you, sorry about the guns but uh...you know. WHITEROCK. Greedy bourgeoisie. The works."Wendy narrows her eyes as if the woman just took a shit right in front of her face. "Don't you dare spit out communist drivel at us.""Shush. We're here to talk to them. Look, we're not here to fight. Would you be willing to negotiate with us?" Alexis tries her best to prevent any further scuffle."Mmh. Depends. Depends what you want. Depends what you'll offer." Phi shrugs without any real interest in what's going on. You can tell the group behind here is squirming, gnashing, for an excuse to kill someone. You're not sure how much of their violence is actually for whatever cause they're for.Not your place to judge, though.
What do you want to say to them? Pick as many as you're comfortable picking. You have $5577>"Look. We know you want to hunt down some anomalies; We can help you. For a price." What's wrong with a little greed? (MEDIUM CHARM CHECK: 45, rolling 12d6 as a group. Succeed and they'll accept your offer, paying you a lump sum of cash and letting you take your fair share of anomalous goodies here.)>"We have the password to the anomaly cells. We'll give them to you in exchange for you letting the survivors leave." (They'll be willing to help escort the survivors out for the passwords. They'll probably lose access to any unique anomalous goodies in this facility as payment unless you pick the CHARM CHECK option as well.)>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "I'm curious about your revolutionary friend. We may have a common goal." Try to broker an alliance with them. (The spooks will probably learn about this and will be a bigger nuisance in the future but you imagine getting into contact with the revolutionary will help a lot in the future.)>"We would like a non-aggression pact. Let's pretend this never happened." Both of you are ultimately here for different reasons. Some money might help. (-$400, You'll be allowed to explore the facility without any hassle, allowing you to scavenge in the SECRET ROOMS you know about to find whatever loot's left. You might make back more than you spent!)>"You want relics? We got relics. Take these." Give them HELIOS and the MASK. They don't seem that useful... (You'll lose both relics but you'll be given $575 and a decent stockpile of ammo and medicine from the armed ETF agents.)>[P-COMPANY FAVOR] "We're with P-Corp too. I even have an ETF friend. Here, he told me to give you this." (-1 P-CORP FAVOR, -2 C-EXTRACT, leaving you with 1 FAVOR and no regular C-EXTRACT. FRANK, an ally you didn't hire this mission, will gain an extra boon next time you hire him. In the next two missions you do, you'll have some passive support from various ETF agents as payment.)>"We're willing to buy some relics off of you. We got money to spare." (-$900. Choose THREE out of SIX of the following categories: WEAPONARY, ARMOR, MISC, CONSUMABLE, ACCESSORY, AMMO. You'll get one relic from each category.)>Write in. (Offer them something else instead of cash? Ask for another deal? Ask them some questions? Something else completely?)>>6135548>Glad to have you back QM. It’s been a hot minute, I thought this thing was abandoned for a while. Glad to hear that you’ve survived 2024’s hellish weather.Oh trust me, I didn't want this to go the way of my last quest.>>6135573>>6135685>>6135548Yes, you indeed got a cool gun. You best cherish it like your own child. Like a dog willing to bite any attacker.Or at least that's what Casey would say about her own gun.
>>6135696God, how I hate people like these "revolutionaries". You'd think these depictions are a parody, but I've seen plenty of people like that online. I hate them so much.>"Look. We know you want to hunt down some anomalies; We can help you. For a price." What's wrong with a little greed? (MEDIUM CHARM CHECK: 45, rolling 12d6 as a group. Succeed and they'll accept your offer, paying you a lump sum of cash and letting you take your fair share of anomalous goodies here.)>"We have the password to the anomaly cells. We'll give them to you in exchange for you letting the survivors leave." (They'll be willing to help escort the survivors out for the passwords. They'll probably lose access to any unique anomalous goodies in this facility as payment unless you pick the CHARM CHECK option as well.)
>>6135709>"Look. We know you want to hunt down some anomalies; We can help you. For a price." What's wrong with a little greed? (MEDIUM CHARM CHECK: 45, rolling 12d6 as a group. Succeed and they'll accept your offer, paying you a lump sum of cash and letting you take your fair share of anomalous goodies here.)>"We have the password to the anomaly cells. We'll give them to you in exchange for you letting the survivors leave." (They'll be willing to help escort the survivors out for the passwords. They'll probably lose access to any unique anomalous goodies in this facility as payment unless you pick the CHARM CHECK option as well.)>"We're willing to buy some relics off of you. We got money to spare." (-$900. Choose THREE out of SIX of the following categories: WEAPONARY, ARMOR, MISC, CONSUMABLE, ACCESSORY, AMMO. You'll get one relic from each category.)WEAPONARY, CONSUMABLE, AMMO
No.6079075https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/6071053/"What do you know about the City?""Within the next month, something horrible will happen. Something that will reshape how the City operates. Something that, sadly, you will probably not be able to stop. It is done by another man who, from my perspective, is already dead. A revolutionary damned by his own ego.""Do I know this man?">"No. But you will soon. You've already met an associate of his. The Man on the Phone will know if you ask him.">>6135709>"Look. We know you want to hunt down some anomalies; We can help you. For a price." What's wrong with a little greed? (MEDIUM CHARM CHECK: 45, rolling 12d6 as a group. Succeed and they'll accept your offer, paying you a lump sum of cash and letting you take your fair share of anomalous goodies here.)>"We have the password to the anomaly cells. We'll give them to you in exchange for you letting the survivors leave." (They'll be willing to help escort the survivors out for the passwords. They'll probably lose access to any unique anomalous goodies in this facility as payment unless you pick the CHARM CHECK option as well.)>[PERSON OF INTEREST] "I'm curious about your revolutionary friend. We may have a common goal." Try to broker an alliance with them. (The spooks will probably learn about this and will be a bigger nuisance in the future but you imagine getting into contact with the revolutionary will help a lot in the future.)Let’s pick this option because we are going to meet him or make an alliance with him anyway in the near future.>"We would like a non-aggression pact. Let's pretend this never happened." Both of you are ultimately here for different reasons. Some money might help. (-$400, You'll be allowed to explore the facility without any hassle, allowing you to scavenge in the SECRET ROOMS you know about to find whatever loot's left. You might make back more than you spent!)Use one DAMDAM PILL to add one surplus to the CHARM Roll for an increased chance.https://dice.clockworkmod.com/
>>6135709>"Look. We know you want to hunt down some anomalies; We can help you. For a price." What's wrong with a little greed? (MEDIUM CHARM CHECK: 45, rolling 12d6 as a group. Succeed and they'll accept your offer, paying you a lump sum of cash and letting you take your fair share of anomalous goodies here.)>"We have the password to the anomaly cells. We'll give them to you in exchange for you letting the survivors leave." (They'll be willing to help escort the survivors out for the passwords. They'll probably lose access to any unique anomalous goodies in this facility as payment unless you pick the CHARM CHECK option as well.)and fuck it>[PERSON OF INTEREST]Nicole is NOT anti-City. She is anti-glownigger. I'd rather she not deviate from that>"We're willing to buy some relics off of you. We got money to spare." (-$900. Choose THREE out of SIX of the following categories: WEAPONARY, ARMOR, MISC, CONSUMABLE, ACCESSORY, AMMO. You'll get one relic from each category.)ARMOR because we still need the good defensesCONSUMABLE because I'm curiousAMMO because same>"We would like a non-aggression pact. Let's pretend this never happened." Both of you are ultimately here for different reasons. Some money might help. (-$400, You'll be allowed to explore the facility without any hassle, allowing you to scavenge in the SECRET ROOMS you know about to find whatever loot's left. You might make back more than you spent!)And I want those secret rooms!
>>6135969Change>>6136041+1
Meant to close earlier but my internet shorted out for a good long while. First it was a storm then this. Let's see.CHARM CHECK: ALLPERSON OF INTEREST: IaM, kbkBUY: AkJ, IaM, kbkCEASEFIRE: Xky, IaMPERSON OF INTEREST: IaM, XkyLET SURVIVORS GO: ALLI'll go with CHARM CHECK + LET PERSON GO + BUY (with the categories being ARMOR/CONSUMABLE/AMMO). I need two anons to roll 6d6 for the CHARM check. If the total is 45 or higher, you win. We'll see what items if any you'll need to consume to pass after you roll.
Rolled 3, 4, 2, 2, 6, 2 = 19 (6d6)>>6136327AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAfirst 6d6
>>6136339https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX-FMvt83fA
Rolled 1, 6, 5, 6, 2, 6 = 26 (6d6)>>6136327Second
>>6136339>>613636345 exactly
>45 exactlywaow.writing.
You try your best to ignore the fact most of the ETFs in front of you have fully loaded shotguns and assault rifles. They would fucking kill you if you put up a fight. Best to be diplomatic. "Look. We're not here to fight you; We're not even planning on stopping you from finding whatever anomalous nonsense you find here. BUT!" You clear your throat to make sure they hear you clearly. "On two conditions.""You don't have any room to negotiate, deer bitch." The one armed ETF agent snarls. You can already feel him reaching for the revolver holstered around his waist. "No, no, Algiz. Let her speak." Phi holds her hand up, interrupting her comrade. "Go on." <"I can sense something has latched onto her. Something STRONG. Rather not risk letting it out.">[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] Heh."Lex."Lex unfolds the paper slip he found and holds it up towards the group. "We have the passwords for the containment cells. We could save you a lot of time and effort if you work with us."Phi breaks away from her group, hand gently resting on her service pistol, to check the list. Lex pulls away before she can get a solid look at it."Yeah, no." Alexis steps in to help negotiate. "We have two conditions.""...Name them." Algiz is fiddling with the belts and patches on his tactical suit, clearly wanting this over with."One. You let any survivors in here out. In one piece." Ashley glances back at the hallway your group came from. "Look. They didn't have any weapons. They're hiding like rats: Do you really think killing them in cold blood will help your cause?"Pasternack is about ready to start a spiel about how they deserve it when Phi and Algiz both concede, each solemnly nodding in approval."Yeah. I thought they were planning an ambush, frankly. We are in enemy territory." "...The Revolutionary would kill us if he heard about this. We will be willing to do it for the pap-""Ah, ah!" Wendy finally butts in. "And we want to work with you. To ri-ri-ri-" She interrupts herself by clearing her throat with the wettest cough you have ever heard from a human being in your life. "...assist in your anomaly issue.""Please explain why the fuck we would need YOUR assistance?" Generic ETF prods at her with clear distrust at the undiagnosed schizophrenic.[HUNTER OF THE CITY] "The amount of money it would take for all fifteen of you, including these chucklefucks-" She slams her leg into the chair of one of the captives which nearly knocks them over. Liz yelps, barely managing to keep herself upright. "to be armed with anti-abnormality rounds would be far too costly.""I HEARD OF A STORY FROM MY ASSOCIATE, ALEXIS." Quentin gestures towards the tired Russian woman in question. "SHE ONCE SAW AN ANOMALY BEING HIT WITH A ROAD ROLLER AT FULL FORCE AND SURVIVING. UNLESS THE ANOMALY IS VERY WEAK I DO BELIEVE THAT FOUR OF THEM WOULD BE TOO MUCH EVEN FOR YOUR GROUP.""wait did you say four?" Now you got Phi's interest. "We were only expecting one, maybe two."
"Yep. Four. Now, granted, a half dozen ETF agents and some random goons? Maybe it's enough." Lex half-heartedly shrugs. "Maybe. I wouldn't bet on it.""All we're asking is for us help you for a small payment for all six of us. We're not asking for much. I say..." You're not sure how much to ask. You gesture at the rest to spit out their offers."Not much of a fighter. $50." Alexis doesn't bother pretending she's any actual good in a fight. "I can try talking them down?""Killed an anomaly before. Know how to fight one. $100." Ashley holds up the hunting knife you gifted her. "Got this from said anomaly actually."Lex shows off the barbed wire wrapped around his fist alongside the PARADIGM draped over his shoulders. "Killed a...what was it? X5? Yeah, something cool. $150 for me!""I CAN MAKE THEM HURT." Wendy tries her best to not look TOO crazy but her toothy smile isn't helping her. "$125.""I KILLED ONE TOO. $75."You pipe in with your own experience such as killing the Admiral and Dreary Night Murderer along with your encounters with the anomalous. After all is said and done, the Agents take a moment to stew on this information. You don't bother offering them a price for your services.>45!"We did hear something about an X5 being killed in the Infinite Sea. You do match the description of the supposed person who did it." Phi rubs her chin for a moment. She's clearly deep in thought. "Okay. How about this? We'll pay a lump sum of $400 for all of you. Drone and Office Lady seem like dead weight but the rest of you are fine. Especially the Deer Lady.""I FIND THAT ASSESTMENT TO BE QUITE DISAPPOINTING." Quentin forces his shell to twist its mouth into a frown. Took a lot of effort considering how stiff his frozen body is. "FINE. NICOLE?"You shrug. Hey, that's good enough for you. You plan on giving that money back to them anyways for some relics. "Sure. Actually, though, this is going to sound weird but I'd like to immediately spend that on some of the relics you have. I got the cash." You dig in to pull out $500. "We'll treat that $400 as a discount. $500 for three artifacts."The agents mutter and argue amongst each other if it's worth it but they seem to decide that $500 for both your services AND pawning off some relics so they can focus on the anomalies is worth it. You quickly exchange cash with them to receive...RELICS OBTAINED!>MICROJET RIFLE CARTIDGES x6 (RELIC RIFLE AMMO. Specialty ammo that accelerates to speeds 3.5x faster than an average bullet while being nearly silent. Shots made will not be detectable by enemies and you deal an extra 4 FLESH damage with sneak attacks.)>INFLIRATION BODYSUIT MODEL #0001 (RELIC ARMOR. A bulky suit made out of rubber and ballistic fibers that has a very rudimentary AI installed. Blocks 1 FLESH and RESTRAINT from all sources. Twice per mission, can turn the wearer semi invisible, granting 2d4 to a stealth check or removing 2 dice from an enemy's attack.)
>HEMATGON BAR x3 (RELIC CONSUMABLE. An old Russian classic made out of condensed blood, milk, syrup, and enough drugs to kill a horse. Heals 4 FLESH and replaces 1 CRIPPLING INJURY with a weaker version.)>-$500! $5277 left!"Fine. We concede. Let the three you tied up go WITH their weapons." Phi gestures towards the group you beat the shit out of.You nod, glancing at Ashley and Lex. They promptly untie the three before reluctantly handing their weapons back to them."Pasternack. Liz. Qbert. Wait by the entrance with the survivors. Guard them. If we hear that you lay ONE hand on them, you'll be fed to whatever monsters are hidden in this facility."They promptly get the hint. They scatter away from the group, heading back down the hallway you came on to guard the survivors. You just hope they can follow orders well enough to not stir shit. The ETFs and other goons promptly head down the northern hallway, not caring if you follow them or not."So. What's the plan now? Do we just work with them for the time being?" Alexis prods you with a question."I don't see why not. Look, we already secured the villagers, we're just here to get some extra cash at the end of the day." You shrug. That's really the only reason you're doing it."I respect the opportunist spirit! You don't get up in the corporate ladder without breaking a few eggs and mingling with the enemy!" You can't quite tell if Wendy was being sarcastic or not with that comment."Let's follow them before they decide to change their mind on the deal." Ashley urges the group to move on already. You do so, but not without getting a can from SHADOW something vending machine. You crack it open to see that the drink has already condensed into a sticky slurry that's basically inedible. Good for ink at least- Oh Lex just snatched it out of your hand."Look. After that fucking bug stunt, I deserve this.""ONE, RUDE. TWO, ASHLEY SAID IT AND WOULD YOU BLAME ASHLEY'S IMPECCABLE PLANS? DO YOU THINK I DID NOT NOTICE YOUR HEARTBEAT RAISING WHEN-""I could crush your head like a fucking watermelon, Quentin.""AND I WOULD CRAWL UP YOUR ASS LIKE A BUTTWORM IN MY UNDYING ACT OF VENGNANCE, LEX. DO NOT TEST ME.""Gay." Wendy and Alexis giggle in unison at the two play-bickering with each other. There's not much else to do since the hallway forward is a featureless stretch of stone. It's far too long for any reasonably cognizant architect to build; maybe they were drunk while making it? Who knows.It takes a solid five minutes before you arrive at the barracks. As expected the room is a very simple and cramped series of bunkbeds smooshed together to save as much space as humanly possible. You count at least twenty or so bunkbeds and there's barely enough room for the six of you to stand a comfortable distance from each other.That's when you hear a pair of footsteps from the only path forward: the eastern hallway (not counting the secret rooms you know are here.)
Phi shows up with an odd look on her face; You think she's embarrassed for some reason."Y-yeah. The elevator is taking a while to bring everyone down. Something's wrong with it, it's slower than we expected. M-mind if I wait here with you guys? I-I know we were on-""Hey, no harm no foul." Lex cuts her off before she can beat herself up anymore. "You okay though?""Y-yeah. Have to act tough around the guys, haha, the revolutionary wouldn't be proud to see me fraternizing with some random nobodies during a mission.""RUDE. ANYWAYS, WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY WANT?""Dunno. To wait with you guys...?"Seems like you got time to burn. Choose four actions.>Just take some time talking to Phi. She seems to be reasonable. Try to earn some favor with her. (Roll 1d100+15 to determine how much she's willing to open up to you. Higher is better.)>Well, you're here, so you might as well check out the SECRET ROOM HERE! FOR LOOT! (Can spend up to two actions on this. For each action spend, roll 3d100 to determine what loot you get. Higher is better!)>[QUENTIN ALLY] "LET ME CHECK SOMETHING." Have Quentin check out what's wrong with the elevator with his flight ability. (Saves you time in the future, earning you an extra action next update and slightly increasing the amount of loot you can obtain on the second floor)>[LEX ALLY] You feel like you should apologize for the impromptu ear assault you gave Lex. Check up on him. (You'll earn +0.5 RAPPORT with LEX and boost his TORMENTED SPARK PROGRESS by 20%. If you pick the chat action and he's one of the two allies to get +0.5 RAPPORT, he'll also immediately gain his CAPSTONE/FINAL BOON.)>[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND + ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] You can't lie, after hearing her internal monologue, you are tempted to show off some of your powers. Try to impress her. (CHALLENGING WILLPOWER DC: 28, rolling 7d6 by yourself. Earn 1 P-Corp Favor and the Respect of the Revolutionaries on success, easing up any checks involving them in the future. Adds +10 to the TALK TO PHI vote on success.)>[ALEXIS ALLY] There's an odd look on Alexis' face. Something about these Revolutionaries are bothering her. Try to see what's bothering her. (You'll earn +0.5 RAPPORT with Alexis. You imagine what she'll tell you will be useful in the near future.)>[WENDY + ASHLEY ALLY] Take some time to discuss how they plan on handling the anomalies and try to offer some advice with Wendy's and Ashley's help. They know how best to deal with the anomalies. (Due to the time spent strategizing, you'll lower all DCs against the upcoming anomalies by 2 and you'll also have a better idea how to peacefully resolve any encounters with them.)>Just take some time to chat with her and your allies. You'll probably get into some hot water soon; Best relax for now. (Heal 2 RESTRAINT, gain +0.5 RAPPORT with two random allies.)>Write in.I'll try to update quicker this time to make up for the time I lost via shitty internet.
>>6136516>[QUENTIN ALLY] This is definitely a must have. I got the feeling we are potentially going to have an escape sequence in this underground facility because we are chased out by powerful anomalies or the facility will self-destruct or something like that.>[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND + ANOMALOUS ABILITIES]>[ALEXIS ALLY]>[WENDY + ASHLEY ALLY] I prefer we don’t fight the anomalies entity in the underground facility that can potentially collapse if the fighting gets really destructive. Let’s try a peaceful path first.
>>6136546Supporting
>>6136546+1
yeah I highly doubt a four vote unanimous majority is breaking and I did say I wanted a quicker update so fuck it! We ball!Three anons, roll the following>2d6>2d6>3d6You can reroll two dice thanks to MANAGER'S FLESH.
Rolled 2, 2 = 4 (2d6)>>6136674
Rolled 5, 3 = 8 (2d6)>>61366742nd of the 2d6s...Updates are fast! Yowza.
Rolled 3, 2, 1 = 6 (3d6)>>6136674
Rolled 2, 2 = 4 (2d6)>>6136693Reroll 2 and 1
>19Failure. However, you have a insane amount of surplus items, so let's use some of them. Pick up to two to use.>DREAMY PINK MOSS (You have three of these. Short duration after use. Can be used to reroll 3 dice and boosts your WILLPOWER by 1 while active, adding 1d6 to this check and to future WILLPOWER checks.)>MOONSTONE FRAGMENT (You have two of these. Can be used to reroll 3 dice.)>SINNLÖSCHEN (You have two of these. Has a very long duration after use. Boosts your WILLPOWER by 2 and lowers FLESH damage taken by 1 while active. Adds 2d8 to this check. Future WILLPOWER rolls will have you rolling d8s instead of d6s as well. Drains your RESTRAINT while active.)>LUCK INVERTER (You have two of these. Inverts the dice you roll, converting your dice to 5+5+2+3+3+5+5, or 28, giving you an automatic success. Offers no further benefit and these are typically better saved for combat.)
>>6136700>DREAMY PINK MOSS (You have three of these. Short duration after use. Can be used to reroll 3 dice and boosts your WILLPOWER by 1 while active, adding 1d6 to this check and to future WILLPOWER checks.)>MOONSTONE FRAGMENT (You have two of these. Can be used to reroll 3 dice.)
>>6136702+1
Hour has passed, so I'm just going with DREAMY PINK MOSS + MOONSTONE FRAGMENT.One anon, roll an additional 6d6. Your current dice are2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 5You'll reroll everything but the 5 (since it would be silly to reroll it) + gain an additional 1d6.
Rolled 4, 2, 5, 3, 4, 5, 3 = 26 (7d6)>>61367166 rerolls+additional d6 is 7d6
>>61367224+2+5+3+4+5+3+5 = 31, or a pass (barely)Writing now.
>>6136516>[QUENTIN ALLY] "LET ME CHECK SOMETHING." Have Quentin check out what's wrong with the elevator with his flight ability. (Saves you time in the future, earning you an extra action next update and slightly increasing the amount of loot you can obtain on the second floor)>[LEX ALLY] You feel like you should apologize for the impromptu ear assault you gave Lex. Check up on him. (You'll earn +0.5 RAPPORT with LEX and boost his TORMENTED SPARK PROGRESS by 20%. If you pick the chat action and he's one of the two allies to get +0.5 RAPPORT, he'll also immediately gain his CAPSTONE/FINAL BOON.)>[ALEXIS ALLY] There's an odd look on Alexis' face. Something about these Revolutionaries are bothering her. Try to see what's bothering her. (You'll earn +0.5 RAPPORT with Alexis. You imagine what she'll tell you will be useful in the near future.)>Just take some time to chat with her and your allies. You'll probably get into some hot water soon; Best relax for now. (Heal 2 RESTRAINT, gain +0.5 RAPPORT with two random allies.)
>>6136801And I am a slowpoke. Fuck me.
"Excuse me." You turn away from the group to promptly chomp down on some literal moss and a hunk of stone. Anything for an advantage."I-Is she doing what-""Yep!" Lex firmly smacks Phi on the back. "Don't question it. It's how she gets inspiration." >-1 DREAMY MOSS AND MOONSTONE FRAGMENT.You immediately spin back around and firmly plant your hands on Phi's shoulders. "Quentin, go check on the elevator. I have something to show her.""OKAY. DON'T FRY HER BRAIN." Quentin almost unfurls his wings but after remembering what happened last time, he decides to just walk down the hallway instead."That's something you can do?" Phi can't decide whether to be worried or intrigued at the prospect. "I kinda wanna see it now."You decide to go with PUPPETEERING since it's probably more immediately threatening than, say, Telekinesis. You want to shock and awe her after all.You reach your hand out to shoot out dozens of translucent pink strings that only Lex and Ashley react to (given that it seems only anomalous humans can see this ability.) They latch onto her arms and legs, allowing you full control of her body.>28!At first Phi doesn't seem to notice what's going on but as she attempts to move, you keep her rooted where she's standing. She glances around, only her head still mobile, trying to process what exactly is going on.You then promptly disarm her by telekinetically ripping out her service pistol from her holster.You wonder how it's this easy. Even with a pair of gloves that makes using your powers easier, you should be burning RESTRAINT to puppeteer h-[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] Consider it a one time favor. Keep going."W-what the...okay, wow, I. I think I've seen ONE anomaly that could freeze people but telekinesis as well-" She lets out a small yelp as all of a sudden, a patch on her left shoulder begins to smolder. FOCUSED TELEKINESIS is a hell of a power.That's when you finally let her go. She stumbles to the floor now that your PUPPETEER strings have been dispelled. She pats out the smoldering part of her uniform before rearming herself. "...Father Above. You could've killed me if you wanted to, huh?""Probably! Though I would be immediately gunned down by your eleven comrades once you screamed. I'm not bulletproof." Well you can sometimes block them but you think you've done enough for now."Fair! Yeah, yeah, you'll be a good asset. The last time I ever worked with an anomaly was, I dunno, when Zeta-" She clears her throat. "Nevermind.">+1 P-CORP FAVOR! +RESPECT WITH REVOLUTINARIES "Maybe don't set her shit on fire next time, though." Alexis firmly smacks her hand onto your shoulder. "You do realize how bad they could've looked, right?"[SIXTH SENSE] "Eh. I would've stopped her if it was going too far.""Disgusting displays of power only barley tempered by the will of humanity." It's funny how much of a hypocrite Wendy is being."Yeah, yeah, hey. Wendy. Ashley. Go talk with Phi for a bit. I gotta talk with Alexis real quick."
Ashley, Lex, Wendy and Phi all take the hint and head to the opposite side of the room to give you and Alexis some time to talk. You turn to her to see quite the odd expression on her face.It's worry. Not for herself, no, you've seen her glancing around during combat or tense encounters in case shit hits the fan. It's for someone else. Someone close to her."It's about the REVOLUTINARIES, isn't it?" Seems like your guess was right on the money since she immediately begins spilling her guts out to you."I recognize them. I recognize those weird sashes." "Hm? The ones with the weird colors?" "Yeah, yeah, them.""My...brothers have been talking to them. Felix, Jack, they've been mingling with them. I overheard some of the conversations they were having." She keeps glancing back at Phi to make sure she's not overhearing this. "Dangerous conversations. Overthrowing CEOs, going head to head with the Thumb and the Eye, radical shit."[SEEKER OF THE CITY] Eye is B-Corp, Thumb is J-Corp."They have no sense of self preservation. I guarantee you, 100%, most of them will be a liability down there and WILL stir shit if you don't tard wrangle them. They barely have enough self awareness to keep their mouths shut. Do NOT tell them anything you want to keep secret."Probably a good idea you didn't mention the spooks then.>REVOLUTINARY SIN (PRIDE) KNOWLEDGE x2 OBTAINED! (They believe themselves to be invulnerable and unstoppable under their Head Revolutionary's guidance. Can be spent to add 4d4 to CHARM, CONNECTIONS, WILLPOWER or RESTRAINT checks involving Revolutionaries.) "...Thanks for the heads up. And, uh, look. I can't pretend I can do anything about your brothers but if I see them, I'll try talking to them. On your behalf."Alexis is stunned to hear that out of you. "Huh?""Consider it a favor for tolerating all of the bullshit I've put you through the last few days. Back to back jobs, fighting the Excisor. That stuff." You try your best to put on a smile for her. "I can tell this is more about your family than any personal issue with them."Alexis tries her best to keep up a consummate expression but there's the faintest hint of a smile on her face. "Thank you.">+0.5 RAPPORT WITH ALEXIS!The two of you rejoin with the others to get a rough overview of what your plan will be. Seems like they even got a map and everything. They quickly recap you on what your strategy will be.Phi has informed you of a specific set of actions that ETF Agents used that they call "Anomaly Works". Supposedly these are what they use in P-Corp Containment Facilities to interact with them. Each anomaly will like at least one and will be neutral to another. The temperament of the anomaly decides what works they like the most.She gives a brief overview of each of them. Seems like there's five major ones they can do on the field; Nurture, Appease, Bond, Subdue, Observe.
NURTURE: This work entails attempting to satisfy the physiological needs of an anomaly. Food, water, physical affection, etc. Anomalies that prefer this work tend to be animalistic or impulsive in nature.BONDING: This work entails satisfying the social needs and desires of an anomaly and to encourage a relationship. Sentient anomalies or those who need attention or acknowledgement the most desire this work.APPEASE: This work entails attempting to improve the living conditions of an anomaly or to enable what it represents, such as offering it items or cleaning its surroundings. Anomalies who like cleanliness or loathe being neglected like this work.SUBDUE: This work entails repressing the anomaly's desires through physical or verbal means. Anomalies who love violence and those who need to be carefully watched to not hurt themselves like this work.OBSERVE: This work simply entails watching and studying the anomaly to see what it does. Anomalies who love attention and those who are easily to spook like this work."The idea is that we'll try to negotiate with each of the anomalies by doing works on them. If we can properly wrangle them without having to fight them, we can get out of here in one piece." Phi explains. "It loathes me to say this but most anomalies do not react well to being subdued. Though from what I've seen, those who love it will tend to be too pitiful for me to enjoy hurting..." Wendy chimes in."I've seen anomalies here or there and I know they're...sorta like robots? Operating like they're on a script. Like Bene-" Ashley clears her throat. "These five works will probably be better than interacting with them off the cuff. Doing the two works the anomaly likes most will most likely neutralize it as a threat."You wonder why you didn't learn this in the P-Corp Facility mission but then you remember that the facility was long in disrepair; It probably wouldn't have helped much with the anomalies you did interact with.>ANOMALY WORK KNOWLEDGE OBTAINED! (All DCs involving anomalies will be reduced by 2 for the foreseeable future. SEEKER will give you hints on which works are best used on anomalies.)That's when Quentin comes back with about eight of the other ETF agents. All of them look pretty damned worried about something. You're pretty sure that there should be three more agents here. That's when Quentin drops a pretty big bombshell."ANOMALY WAS IN THE ELEVATOR SHAFT. WATCHING, WAITING. SPIDER WEBS WERE IN THE SHAFT." What the fuck? "WHEN IT SAW NO MORE WERE COMING, I SAW IT RUSHING AFTER THE THREE WHO ARRIVED. I TOOK TIME CLEARING THE WEBS SO WE CAN GET THERE SOON.""Fuck. Physical description?" "CREATURE WAS A MULTI LIMBED ARCHANID-LIKE CREATURE MADE OUT OF PORCELAIN AND CHINA. ITS LEGS WERE MADE OUT OF SMALLER DOLL LEGS SMASHED TOGETHER INTO A ROUGH APPROXMIATION OF A SPIDER LEG. HEAD WAS A HUNK OF WOOD WITH A FACE OF A 'BABUSHKA' PAINTED ON IT. NO MORE DETAILS WERE SPOTTED."
Seems like either one of them already got out of their cell or there's five of them down there. You imagine the ETF aren't dead yet, they ARE trained for shit like this, but you need to get there now."Fuck. No time to waste. Let's move!" Lex gestures at everyone to fucking book it. There's no time. Your group and the rest of the REVOLUTINARIES make a break for the elevator. Thanks to Quentin clearing up the clog, both of your groups manage to get down the second floor remarkably quick. You swore he even tinkered with the old hunk of shit directly to make it run better. It only takes four minutes for you to reach the second floor and what you see is...certainly something. The room you find yourself in appears to be a very large cafeteria littered with long, dusty rectangular tables. Vending machines that have long since ran out of stock line every space of every wall. With how many tables and machines are here, you imagine this place could easily feed and hold 300 people without any issue. You assume there has to be a LOT more barracks than just the one on the first floor.Though, the main thing that catches your eye is the vast amount of stringy white webbing scattered throughout the cafeteria. Dozens of feet worth of web reach up from the floor to the ceiling above. It's laid out in such a way that as you get closer to the enter of the cafeteria, it gets harder to avoid getting stuck in a web. Doesn't help that the tables have been moved to make traveling without tripping hard.As for what's in the middle? Three ETF agents trying to retreat alongside...https://youtu.be/ma3kLsKSbac - GRANDMA OF NESTS You think Quentin undersold what the anomaly looked like. Hanging on a massive hunk of webbing is an anomaly that looks like it came straight out of a horror movie. Eight long, spindly legs made out of cracked porcelain that have punched their way out of a massive Matryoshka doll. The Matryoshka doll is oddly shaped, resembling that of a spider's body with the rear half being bulbous and fat compared to the skinnier top half.The head and body of the Matryoshka doll have been partially separated, still connected by a thick string of webbing. You can just barely make out a glint of something shining inside of the gap."KHEHEH! KHEHEHE! KHEHEHEHEHE!!!!" The anomaly cackles with the voice of a crone straight out of some shitty fairytale. "AH! IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE MAMA HAS SEEN BABA, YAYA, OR PAPA! WHY ARE YOU LEAVING?""Shit! I can't get a clear shot. Have you cleared the web?""Trying! Gamma, help me!""TRYING!" The three ETF agents are trying their best to claw through the webbing but it's pretty damn thick and sticky so their progress is short. Oddly enough the anomaly isn't attacking them yet.She- It skitters across the webbing to keep a watch over the retreating ETFs.
A thick yellow liquid dribbles out of the gap of the doll and onto the floor below, quickly congealing into something like a thick mucus. One of the ETFs steps into it and he has to rip his foot out of his boot in order to keep retreating. That's when the anomaly finally notices your group."KEH? KEHEHE! KEHEHEH! COME ON! DON'T YOU WANT GRANDMA'S COOKIES?""I can't get a clear shot yet." Phi whispers to you. "Try to negotiate with it first.""It seems friendly, actually." Ashley points out. "Too friendly. I think it could attack us if it wanted to but it isn't.""...This is a game to it." An odd smirk crosses Wendy's face. "It thinks we're children."You take a moment to let SEEKER give you a hint on how best to approach it...[SEEKER] When did you last talk to your grandparents?[SEEKER] It wanted out of that doll so bad. To be able to move again.[SEEKER] The webs are meant to keep the ETFs in but she sure is taking her time. She didn't build this web to hunt.Hm. That's all you got. How do you want to approach this? Due to Quentin's assistance, you can pick TWO works.>[LEX ALLY + NURTURE] "Hey, granny! C'mon, chase me!" Try to get the anomaly to another part of the cafeteria to buy the agents some time...and to tire it out. (AVERAGE/VERY EASY FLESH DC: 14, rolling your 4d6 and Lex's 6d6. How much you tire her out depends on whether one or both of you succeeds.)>[APPEASEMENT + QUENTIN ALLY] "Grandma, you're making a mess. We were trying to visit you but you gunked up the elevators." Try to convince the anomaly to let you and the ETFs tidy up the cafeteria with Quentin's help. (TALENT THRESHOLDS: 27/32/37, rolling 10d6 with Quentin's help. You'll clear out more and more of the webs for each threshold you pass, helping out the agents escape easier.)>[BONDING + ALEXIS ALLY] "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" "...hey, babushka." Try to distract it with a friendly conversation. (MODERATE CHARM DC: 28, rolling 8d6 with Alexis' help. You'll learn more about the anomaly's mindset on a success. Might calm it down too?)>[SUBDUE + WENDY ALLY] "Ah, damnit, you're making a mess!" "Come here. You hurt yourself, let us check." Order her to come closer so you can inspect the self-inflicted damage. (EASY VIOLENCE DC: 29, rolling 10d6 with Wendy's help. Succeed and you'll be able to inspect both the damage it did to itself and what the gleaming object inside the gap is. Might be important.)>[OBSERVE + ASHLEY ALLY] "Oh, nice webs! Mind if we take a look?" "We want to learn from the best." Take some time to investigate the webbing. (MEDIUM COGNIZANCE DC: 25, rolling 8d6 with Ashley's help. Succeed and you'll be able to figure out what quirks, if any, her webbing has and how to best circumvent it, reducing the APPEASEMENT thresholds by 4.)>Write in. (Modify a work order? Use an item? Offer the anomaly something?)>>6136801>>6136802Eh, my fault for taking too long with this update as well but haha. Storm knocked out internet for a bit.
>>6136854>[OBSERVE + ASHLEY ALLY] "Oh, nice webs! Mind if we take a look?" "We want to learn from the best." Take some time to investigate the webbing. (MEDIUM COGNIZANCE DC: 25, rolling 8d6 with Ashley's help. Succeed and you'll be able to figure out what quirks, if any, her webbing has and how to best circumvent it, reducing the APPEASEMENT thresholds by 4.)
>>6136858+1Ah yes, returning to the roots...
>>6136854>>[BONDING + ALEXIS ALLY] "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" "...hey, babushka." Try to distract it with a friendly conversation. (MODERATE CHARM DC: 28, rolling 8d6 with Alexis' help. You'll learn more about the anomaly's mindset on a success. Might calm it down too?)>[OBSERVE + ASHLEY ALLY] "Oh, nice webs! Mind if we take a look?" "We want to learn from the best." Take some time to investigate the webbing. (MEDIUM COGNIZANCE DC: 25, rolling 8d6 with Ashley's help. Succeed and you'll be able to figure out what quirks, if any, her webbing has and how to best circumvent it, reducing the APPEASEMENT thresholds by 4.)
>>6136858>>6136854Didn't see the 2.Add:>[APPEASEMENT + QUENTIN ALLY] "Grandma, you're making a mess. We were trying to visit you but you gunked up the elevators." Try to convince the anomaly to let you and the ETFs tidy up the cafeteria with Quentin's help. (TALENT THRESHOLDS: 27/32/37, rolling 10d6 with Quentin's help. You'll clear out more and more of the webs for each threshold you pass, helping out the agents escape easier.)After Observe.
>>6136854In addition to my vote in >>6136860 supporting>[OBSERVE + ASHLEY ALLY]I'll add my second part that I forgot>[APPEASEMENT + QUENTIN ALLY]so what >>6136868 said
>>6136969+1
>>6136854>[BONDING + ALEXIS ALLY] "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" "...hey, babushka." Try to distract it with a friendly conversation. (MODERATE CHARM DC: 28, rolling 8d6 with Alexis' help. You'll learn more about the anomaly's mindset on a success. Might calm it down too?)
OBSERVE: AkJ, k2D, IaM, nk9BONDING: xuJ, k2DAPPEASEMENT: IaM, AKj, nk9Welp, you know the drill. Need two anons to roll the following>8d6 (OBSERVE)>10d6 (APPEASEMENT)
Rolled 3, 6, 2, 6, 5, 2, 5, 4 = 33 (8d6)>>6137269
Rolled 4, 1, 6, 2, 6, 1, 6, 6, 1, 6 = 39 (10d6)>>6137269
>>6137280>>6137296Very nice, gentlemen. Very nice indeed.
Things look a lot more dangerous than they seem. You get the impression that OBSERVING what's going on will be a better idea than just rushing in. You approach the webs and begin to carefully inspect them. The webs themselves seem remarkably thick compared to the average spider webbing. It more has the texture of clumps of hair stuck in a shower drain than anything."Target moving!""Nicole!" You feel two hands grabbing onto your shoulders, pulling you back in the nick of time. Seems like the GRANDMA OF NESTS (SPIDER GRANNY, maybe?) managed to dart over to where you were at in mere seconds. She's way faster than you expected."KHEH? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Heaven Above, she fucking reeks as well. A thick haze of old person scent radiates around her entire body. You can now make out that the shimmering thing you saw earlier in the gap of her body was a pendant.You think you saw a picture of an old man? You didn't get a good glimpse.You turn to see that Ashley was the one who pulled you away. She's clearly wary of the anomaly now but she clears her throat, trying her best to distract it. "She wanted to learn from the best.""Oh!" It clicks for you. "Yes, yes, I wanted to study your webbing. It's very interesting."You can hear your other allies trying not to retch from the stench radiating from the anomaly; It doesn't help that thick sticky mucus is dribbling out of the gap of her 'neck' and FUCK. That smells like rotten eggs."...KEH! SURE, SURE, NOELLE. GRANNY DOESN'T MIND. IT'S GOOD TO LEARN FROM YOUR ELDERS!"" Sticking to the webs she laid out, she skitters right back to the ground of trapped ETF agents. Good, buys you time.Ashley then lets go of your shoulders to investigate the webbing. "Don't know a lot about spider stuff but I heard something about spider webbing being better than Kevlar if it had the same weight.""Yeah, S-Corp said something about wanting to use it for construction purposes." Alexis chitters out. "Just cut it." Wendy scoffs, clearly impatient."I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND-" Ashley cuts Quentin off by trying just that: Cutting it. Her hunting knife does manage to leave a massive cut in it but as soon as she pulls her knife back, the webbing begins to patch itself up. Self repairing, that's no good."Hm. It can be damaged but I doubt physical force can leave a serious impact. Try that mask you found a while ago. Fire is probably not a good idea considering..." She gestures at how much webbing there is; You're smart enough to know big fire + enclosed space = uh ohYou hold MASK OF SORROWFUL COUNTENANCE over the webbing, letting the blackened ooze dribble onto it, but nope! It slides right off. Odd. Cutting does nothing, fire is too risky, acid does nothing."Wait. it's an anomaly. Maybe it has some topsy turvy logic to it. Maybe we do the opposite of what's normal?" Ashley proposes."What, getting stuck in it?" Phi is a bit skeptical on Ashley's proposal...
You, however, go for it. You press your hand down on the webbing. It sinks in like it's made out of putty and it takes Ashley pulling on your arm for you to get unstuck. >33! That's when you notice something. The mass of webbing you pushed down on is now warped and twisted out of shape, opening a gap in the web.Looking back at the ETFs, they seem to be making slow progress since every time they make any damage to the webbing, it heals back up...but the webbing they manage to warp and twist doesn't heal up.Blunt force seems to be the way to go."We'll circle around to keep an eye out for any other anomalies who might think we're too distracted to notice them. Mind if I take over your squad?" Phi turns her attention to you. You give her the thumbs up, gesturing at everyone but Quentin to follow her."...MMH. IF I MAY SPIT OUT MY OWN OPINION, I THINK THERE'S A LOGIC TO PRESSURE BEING THE ANSWER."You try to think on what it could possibly be. The anomaly clearly seems lonely, that much is certain- Wait. Lonely, pressure...a hug?Quentin nods, seemingly already having picked up on that. "WEBBING IS MEANT TO CAPTURE FOOD FOR A SPIDER, AFTER ALL." Hm. You feel an uncomfortable half-remembered memory wiggling in the back of your mind. Taut skin, sunken cheeks, liver spots on her hands. A barely living husk of a woman laying in a hospital bed right in front of you.Your mother, not that young herself, brought you in to check up on her.That scent radiating from her, like musty old beer. Disgusting. She forced you to hug her and-"NICOLE?" Quentin is gently shaking your shoulder. You snap out of the weird haze you were putting yourself in."I'm fine. Let's hurry up before it loses interest in 'playing' with them. Both of you have to take turns pressing down on the webbing with whatever you two have on hand: An old baseball bat for Quentin, your own booted foot for yours truly.>39! (6 over third threshold)!You two make quick work of the webbing in your way. Due to you not wasting time trying to feebly cut through it, unlike the ETFs (and you can't blame them, they're in the belly of the beast and it's really counter intuitive), you make rapid progress to the sentence.In fact, by the time you arrive, you think it's only been three or four minutes. In the center, you notice how the various tables scattered around now have oddly detailed lamps, knickknacks, and trinkets made out of webbing resting on them. Almost like someone was trying to make a home here.The ETF agents (you do note their outfits look a bit cobbled together on closer examination) quickly take the opportunity to rush down the now opened pathway out of the center. The nesting doll spider immediately notices this and tries to skitter after them...but her attention is now focused on you and Quentin now."YOUNGINS ALWAYS LEAVE SO SOON WHEN THEY COME TO VISIT GRANDMA. IT'S QUITE SAD: I EVEN DECORATED MY HOUSE JUST FOR THEM. THEY DIDN'T SEEN LIKE THEY LIKED MY DECORATIONS."
She skitters up the 'ceiling' of the maze of webbing. There's an almost visible air of sadness radiating from the spider that, if not for the stench radiating from her, would almost make you sad."WELL, WE ATTEMPTED TO PESERVE YOUR...DECORATIONS AS BEST AS WE COULD." Quentin gestures at how the two of you pushed your way here without damaging the webbing. "IT'S HARD FOR VISITORS TO COME IF THEY GET STUCK OUTSIDE, RIGHT?""I." SPIDER GRANNY takes a moment to investigate the path you two carved in and nods as best as she can given her lack of a real 'head'. "I SUPPOSE YOU ARE RIGHT. I..." She goes silent now. Without the presence of the ETF agents she deluded herself into believing were her visitors, a lot of the energy she has is gone.[SEEKER] OBSERVE seemed to have a GOOD effect on her but APPEASEMENT seems to have been NEUTRAL. You need another work (or some other action the anomaly likes) to neutralize it."How long have you been here?" You try your best to hold back your disgust for the anomaly's stench."I DON'T REMEMBER. I JUST REMEMBER THEM PUTTING ME IN HERE AND TELLING ME THEY WOULD BE BACK." Ouch. You feel like you heard that phrase before..."WELL. WE'RE HERE NOW, AREN'T WE?" Quentin tries his best to placate the anomaly. He doesn't get a response.How do you want to deal with the anomaly now?>[NURTURE] Hold your arms out. Offer her a hug. Try to ignore the smell. (-1 FLESH to you and Quentin, leaving you at 3/8 and Quentin at 3/4. CHALLENGING FLESH DC: 18, rolling 4d6 with Quentin's help. You imagine she'd react really well to a successful hug; You'll likely receive a gift.)>[SUBDUE] "Grandma, they're busy people. I know you're lonely but you can't force them to stay here. Didn't you see how scared they were?" Try to point this out to the anomaly. (EASY VIOLENCE DC: 30, rolling 10d6. This will likely snap some sense back into her, for good or ill, on success.)>[BONDING] "You've been here for a while. How about we talk?" Sit down on one of the sticky tables and just let her jabber your ear off. (Very likely to work but both you and Quentin need to roll 1d10 respectively. 6 or lower results in taking 2 RESTRAINT damage.)>[QUENTIN ALLY] "...THEY ABANDONED YOU, LIKE A PEST. A NUISANCE." Quentin seems like he has something to say. "I. I KNOW HOW THAT FEELS." Let him talk to her. (CHALLENGING RESTRAINT DC: 18, rolling Quentin's 4d6. There's a high chance he gains a permanent upgrade if he passes this check.)>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Gently pry the pendant out of the gap of her neck. (MEDIUM WILLPOWER DC: 26, rolling 8d6. You'll get some insight on the anomaly and might even help it remember its humanity, if it ever had any.)>Write in. (Use an item to boost your rolls? Try another work/action on the anomaly? Ask GRANNY or QUENTIN something?)(You can modify the NURTURE roll by consuming up to two charges from your ADRENALINE IMPLANT. For each charge, you heal 2 FLESH and add 2d6 to your roll.)
>>6137447>[NURTURE]Use two Charge.>[SUBDUE]>[BONDING]Use two JOYVEL PILL.>[QUENTIN ALLY] Give the Quentin a one RAW MOONSTONE CHUNK.>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Having her as an allies will be nice.Use one MOONSTONE FRAGMENT.https://dice.clockworkmod.com/
>>6137447>[QUENTIN ALLY] "...THEY ABANDONED YOU, LIKE A PEST. A NUISANCE." Quentin seems like he has something to say. "I. I KNOW HOW THAT FEELS." Let him talk to her. (CHALLENGING RESTRAINT DC: 18, rolling Quentin's 4d6. There's a high chance he gains a permanent upgrade if he passes this check.)
>>6137447>>[SUBDUE] "Grandma, they're busy people. I know you're lonely but you can't force them to stay here. Didn't you see how scared they were?" Try to point this out to the anomaly. (EASY VIOLENCE DC: 30, rolling 10d6. This will likely snap some sense back into her, for good or ill, on success.)
>>6137447>[QUENTIN ALLY]Give him a RAW MOONSTONE CHUNK as >>6137659 said. I want my boy Quentin to feel better
>>6137447>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Gently pry the pendant out of the gap of her neck. (MEDIUM WILLPOWER DC: 26, rolling 8d6. You'll get some insight on the anomaly and might even help it remember its humanity, if it ever had any.)
>>6137659Change >>6137447>[QUENTIN ALLY] Give the Quentin a one RAW MOONSTONE CHUNK.
>>6137659+1Let's party.
>6137447>6137659Sure. Support!
QUENTIN: JhS/+RV (thank you for changing because I would veto doing EVERY action. Probably should've remember to write 'pick one'), k2D, IaM, ZztANOMALOUS: f8y, AkJSUBUDE: F20Tell you what. I'll let you do ANOMALOUS ABILITIES as well since it isn't THAT time consuming. Three anons, roll the following>4d6 (Quentin's default roll.)>3d8 (RAW MOONSTONE CHUNK)>8d6 (Your WILLPOWER roll.)>>6137960>>6137879Also, checked your thread on a whim, found it incredibly funny we both did something spider related at the exact same time. Funny how that works out.
Rolled 3, 4, 2, 2 = 11 (4d6)>>6137961Rolling for Quentin.QM has psychic abilities. It is known.
Rolled 3, 6, 2, 4, 6, 3, 5, 4 = 33 (8d6)>>6137961
Rolled 6, 6, 3 = 15 (3d8)>>6137961Thank you for giving it a look; spiders were something I decided on like 2 weeks ago. Can always use more people if you want to check it out. Kinda slow but it is picking up some pace, what with back to back fights and us finally getting to America and getting some of the main plot started.>Moonstone
>>6137981>QM has psychic abilities. It is known.Considering the amount of times I have talked with my friend(s) and I accidently mindread them, you can call me Nicole with how often that happens.RegardlessQUENTIN: 26 (hard carried by MOONSTONE CHUNK. Good thing we're burning through these.)ANOMALOUS ABILITIES: 33 (success, no qualifications about it.)Writing.
Almost against your will, something clicks in your head. Two bugs hidden away in shells stand before you. One is trapped in a doll while another is trapped inside a frostbitten corpse. It would be funny if you weren't mentally chastising yourself for comparing a friend to a random anomaly.[UNSTABLE] ALL HUMANS WILL BE LIKE HIM SOON ENOUGH ANYWAYS. DEAD, FILLED WITH BUGS, EATEN FROM THE INSIDE OUT.Quentin has picked up on this as well if his distant, aimless expression has anything to say. He digs into his pocket to pull out that old wallet he's had this whole mission. You have a feeling he's about to do something that'll mess with his mind hard so, as a precaution, you give him a RAW MOONSTONE CHUNK.He takes a deep breath of the fumes radiating from it before tossing the now impotent rock to the ground. As he puts the wallet back into his pocket, SPIDER GRANNY slowly closes in. More of that foul smelling yellow mucus dribbles out of the crack of her shell.Quentin tries not to retch as it soaks into his pants. "...THEY ABANDONED YOU, LIKE A PEST. A NUISANCE."SPIDER GRANNY stops whatever she was planning. Her separated head and body are beginning to pull closer and closer together for some reason now; You have to make a move here. You focus on the pendant hanging inside of the nesting doll's body with your telekinesis.It's pretty stuck in there; Your first attempt to pull it out does nothing. You try again and again, each time resulting in the same level of success: None. That's when...>33!You finally manage to dislodge it. You send it flying over to your hand and catch it with ease. You try to hold back your gagging as you realize it's coated in a watery, foul-smelling mucus.The image inside of the pendant is of a husband and wife, both around their late 70s if the grey hair and wrinkled skin has anything to say. The wife's in a simple dress while the husband is in a tuxedo. An ancient, withered priest stands next to them with an old religious book in hand.[SEEKER OF THE CITY] You faintly recognize it as the 'King James Bible', a very rare antique by today's standards. She's ancient if the woman in here is her."NO, NO, THAT CAN'T BE RIGHT. THEY'LL COME BACK." You turn your attention back to SPIDER GRANNY. She's staring down at Quentin and while you can't read any expression due to the nesting doll's frozen face, it's clear her attention is all on him now. "THEY. THEY PROMISED.""I'm- I'm sorry." Quentin's voice immediately loses the flat monotone it normally has. If you didn't know any better, he almost sounds...human. "I. Look. I know how it FEELS. I RE-" He struggles to KEEP sounding human, though. "Relate. I was left alone too. For a long while.""THEY'LL COME BACK. I PREPARED ALL OF THIS FOR THEM!" SPIDER GRANNY uses her many legs to gesture towards the massive net of webbing filling the cafeteria. "A HOME FOR. FOR ME AND THEM TO. TO PLAY WITH MY GRANDKIDS AND. FEED THEM COOKIES AND. WHAT ABOUT THOSE FINE YOUNG MEN?"
"Those were soldiers, miss. They were scared of you." Quentin slowly places the baseball bat he used to clear the webbing on the ground. "I get it. No one likes me either." He holds out his hand and with a sickening tearing of skin and meat, his true self pops out of the palm of his hand.A centipede."Haha, funny, isn't it. I feel a sense of kinship with you. I guess it's because we were both seen as pests.""I DON'T." SPIDER GRANNY's 'head' slowly drifts to stare down at her spidery legs. "I. WHERE ARE THERE? I. I'M NOT A PEST, KYEH KYEH! THEY HAVE TO COME BACK! TO VISIT THEIR GRANDMA!" You can hear the cope dripping out of her words. Her desperate attempt to keep up her twisted viewpoint. "STAY! STAY! GRANDMA WILL MAKE YOUR BOOBOOS GO AWAY!""When's the last time someone has come down here?" The centipede sticking out of Quentin's palm skitters right back into the rotten body it's piloting. "When's the last time anyone has talked to you?"The silence lingering in the air after his question says all. >26"...You're not alone any more." Quentin is trying his best to hold back something that he's clearly been holding back for a while. "I'm not alone either. You don't have to be alone anymore, I'm here for you."In the blink of an eye, SPIDER GRANNY jumps off of the webbing and onto the ground. She skitters right up towards Quentin as if she's about to attack but she simply sits there. Staring at him.He presses his hand against the nesting doll's head. "I get that it hurts. To be alone. To hear people chattering and enjoying their lives while you're left to rot here. Alone.""I. THE RADIO'S STILL PLAYING. I TRIED TO CALL FOR MY NURSE BUT SHE. WHERE IS SHE?" The ecstatic, crazed energy once in her voice is beginning to fade. "Where's my son...? He should've been here.""Do you know where you are?" Quentin continues to rub his hand against her face."I...IN A. Nursing...?" She sounds lost, scared, confused as if slowly waking from a dream."A place where humans leave their elders to rot. I'm sorry. They won't come back. But we can be here in lieu of them.""...Grandson? What are you talking about?" Oh no. You recognize that lost, aimless tone of voice. The cleansing rains of Alzheimer's that slicks through the contents of your mind. "I. Can you turn the radio on, dear?" Her spider legs are shaking now as if under the effect of a neurodegenerative disease. All of that youth and energy is fading away.[SEEKER OF THE CITY] An instinct. An impulse. She's asked for the radio many times."Why...why is no one ever around anymore. Nobody ever comes to visit me..." [UNSTABLE] If anyone did visit her, they stopped coming a while ago. When it got real bad. Will your friends stick around when you become like her?Quentin rests his face against the nestling doll's head, gently rubbing her 'cheek.' "It's okay. We're here now."There's nothing anyone here can say. The silence is the only answer that anyone could give. The WORK RESULT was...
SPECIAL BONDING: GOOD!The nestling doll spider soon lowers herself onto the floor, laying completely flat on it. All of the energy is gone from her; For a brief moment, she's herself now. Being loved by someone."It's okay.""I'm okay." Both of them mutter to each other with faint, comforting whispers.That's when you move in. You hold the pendant you took and hold it right up towards SPIDER GRANNY. It is snatched from your hands almost instantly by a pair of spindly legs. She holds the pendant up to her face to stare down at the old yellowed picture. My husband. It. It was all so quiet once he left.I ran out of tears so, so long ago. So did my children.They saw the writing on the wall. They left me here, to rot. To decay.Like a bug in a corpse. I'm just a bug to them. I."..." The pendant drops to the ground. With a sickening crack, the nestling doll's neck opens up to reveal what's inside of the anomaly. Someone starts to crawl out of the now open doll and with a SPLAT, something hits the floor.A woman in a faded green winter coat far, far older than anyone you have ever seen in your life lays in a puddle of dark yellow and orange mucus. Her body is ravaged with mutations; Her arms are sharpened spider legs from the elbow down. Thick layers of chitin cover the left side of her face while the right side of her face has four jet-black eyes scattered on it.Four more spider legs poke out of her dress, resting loosely at her sides. What little hair she has left is not hair but thick, white webbing. It almost reminds you of Benedict; A half formed abomination of an anomaly and a human.[SEEKER OF THE CITY] She's too far gone to become fully human again. Her mind is too ravaged by age and disease. She's doomed to become an anomaly again in a few days tops.You can feel something budding in Quentin's soul as he sees the partially restored human before him. He's not awakening a PARADIGM or anything, no, but it's clear this has changed him. "Thank you." He mutters, both to you and towards the anomaly. Even if it's only short lived,>QUENTIN gains +1 MAX RESTRAINT and CHARM!>QUENTIN gains ESPRIT DES ABANDONNÉS! >LYUBOV has temporarily joined your party! She won't be of much use right now.[AIMER LES ABANDONNÉS] Even if you have never had true love, even if people abandon and forget you, the bugs will burrow into your heart. Quentin gains +1 to a random stat permanently for every 3 corpses he BIOJACKS. In addition, when first BIOJACKING a fresh corpse corpse, he'll temporarily gain a BOON from said enemy for the duration of said BIOJACKING.Might be wise to get him a new body; The one he's in is barely holding together. You imagine the moment he leaves this frigid wasteland it'll melt into slop. At least he has some harvested organs from the SPOOKS to improve whatever body he hops into next.That's when you hear a small army's worth of footsteps approaching your group.
It's the rest of your party + the dozen or so ETF agents that you decided to follow. You notice how tense all of them are and how they all snap their gazes towards the two of you.That tenseness fades when they see the now lifeless nesting doll-spider and the mutated old lady standing by you."She's the anomaly." You nod your head at her. "She's not really much of a threat anymore. Hell, she's probably going to revert back to one soon enough." LYUBOV doesn't seem to notice your comment. Hell, she doesn't notice much of anything."Ah." Phi gestures at her group to keep their firearms holstered for now. "We'll take her in later. Best to keep her someone safe once we're out of her. Can she defend hersel-" Phi has to dodge something being shot right at her: A thick strand of webbing.Turning to see the source, Lyubov has her left spider arm-leg held up. A small crack at the tip of the leg seems to be where the web came from. "Grandma. Keep safe." As soon as she finishes speaking, she goes numb again."Noted. Just keep her in the back.""There's a situation going on." Ashley cuts through the chatter. They DID come back to get you for a reason. "We didn't want to go further without you two- three.""LEAD THE WAY." Quentin moves to rejoin the party alongside Lyubov. You stay behind for a moment to reclaim the pendant. Something tells you it's important.>FORGOTTEN PENDANT obtained. (ODDITY ACCESSORY. When equipped, boosts the two lowest stats of the wearer by 2.)>ODDITIES are a weird in-between a RELIC and an PARADIGM. They tend to have slightly weirder or more unique effects than normal relics but no true anomalous power.You follow the ever-growing group towards whatever problem they now found themselves in. You doubt it's an anomaly since they probably would've dealt with it by now. None of them seem to be injured or dead yet at least.Your group heads down a hallway leading northwest deeper into the facility. You have no idea where you're heading so you lean in to ask your allies."The machines down in some research lab here keep blaring some coded message." Alexis fills in on what's been going on. "It seems the anomaly you dealt with was the only one that broke out...for now. That we know of."[HUNTER OF THE CITY] "The machine has a spook in it. There's an anomaly in there. Blabbering nonsensical codes from a dead world." You only now notice the torn up wires hanging in Wendy's hand. "Didn't even react when I did this!""Yeah. Real creepy shit in there." Algiz buds into your group's conversation. "We found two cells nearby; Those anomalies are still inside. We'll deal with those later." Good, good, one more anomaly to deal with. Maybe you can leave after that."Oh, right." You lean in to whisper to Algiz and Phi about the works you did with Lyubov and what she responded well to. The two nod, thanking you for the info whenever they do drag her to a containment cell. Soon enough, you arrive at the research lab in question.
The actual lab itself is pretty barren. There's shelves that once held various chemicals and raw materials but those are (mostly) empty now. There's no equipment like microscopes or centrifuges or whatever you'd expect for a chemistry lab.All that there is inside of this lab is...radio machinery. Lots and lots and lots of it. On every single counter, shelf, table or chair there's another random schizophrenic mess of wiring and cabling stuffed into old and bulky radios from the 1930s. Each of them are seemingly connected to each other, all of which leads to something in the center of the room.A pile of radios piling ten feet up, hitting right against the roof of the lab itself, stands proudly in the center. Well, it's more than a pile. The radios that make up the pile have blended together and merged into an amalgamation of wood, wiring, and vacuum tubes. The dials are written in Russian but from what Alexis tells you, it's all just gibberish.There's an odd electricity to the air. Suddenly, everyone (especially you and Wendy) begin to feel some sort of presence in the room now. The radio themselves didn't read as anomalous to you but as they turn on...".-- -. .. -- .- -. .. ." An odd series of morse code blips begins to pour out of the radio. You faintly recall learning it during one of your more delusional episodes involving the spooks but that's just gibberish. It doesn't mean anything. ".-- .-. .- --. --.. .- -- . ---. . -. ...... .-- .-. .- --. --.. .- -- . ---. . -. ......!" You swear it almost sounds...taunting?"It's been blaring that ever since we got here. Creepy shit." Lex shivers upon hearing the code start up again.[LYUBOV ALLY] The mostly silent elder suddenly awakens from her stupor. "It doesn't want you here. My grandchildren, they...they would try talking to it but...that's why they stayed on the first floor and..." She goes silent now. You doubt she's actually referring to her kids; Probably the people of WHITEROCK who have been using this facility. She's not wrong given the odd air in the room getting worse and worse and worse.The ETF agents move to try to communicate with the anomaly through whatever means they can. LYUBOV slowly stumbles after them in an attempt to help in her dazed state. You turn to your group for any advice, you're not sure how to communicate with something that seems to be in the waves.[SIXTH SENSE] "I don't think we should be here. There's two other anomalies, let's deal with them. Let the ETFs kill themselves here. If we must do something, we should alter the signal."[HUNTER OF THE CITY] "It's clearly planning something. We should break it, weaken its connection. If that spider lady was right, it sees us as a THREAT."[BIOJACKER] "THIS SHELL IS FAILING ME. I WANT TO TRY SOMETHING DUMB BEFORE LOSING IT: JAB ONE OF THE WIRES INTO ME. I AM INTERESTED TO SEE IF I COULD ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE."[I-CORP RESIDENT] Alexis seems to figure something out. "I think I can translate it."
"That's not normal Morse Code, it's an I-Corp variant. Let me try to communicate with it WITHOUT jabbing random things into Quentin."Lex doesn't seem to have much to say. "Maybe we can fix it somehow?"From your perspective...[SEEKER] It is attempting to communicate, that much is for certain. If it wanted you dead it would've attacked by now.[SEEKER] However. These radios look weird. On closer examination these seem to be military radio equipment.[SEEKER] You can hear the faintest bit of something else in the noise too. Screaming, loud banging, like gunshot being fired.[SEEKER] The signal seems to weaken and calm down whenever you approach them. You're not sure why.Hm. Which one do you go with? Pick up to three.>[NURTURE/LEX ALLY] You do have an old toolbox. Fix up the mass of radios; Maybe it'll help with the signal too. (MODERATE COGNIZANCE DC 28, rolling 8d6 with Lex's help. Succeed and you'll fix the old radio's parts, presumably satisfying the anomaly and lowering the DC of BONDING by 4.)>[APPEASEMENT/ASHLEY ALLY] Alter the signal, try to find a way to communicate with it WITHOUT Morse Code. (MODERATE TALENT DC: 35, rolling 10d6 with Ashley's help. Succeed and you'll be able to actually communicate with whoever's on the other side. You'll learn more information on the anomaly on future checks. Lowers DC of BONDING and SUBDUE by 3.)>[BONDING/ALEXIS + LYUBOV ALLY] Let the two Russians communicate with the anomaly. (HARD CHARM DC: 34, rolling 7d6+1d4. Succeed and the two will establish communication with the anomaly, allowing your groups to discuss and bargain with each other.)>[SUBDUE/WENDY ALLY] The air here feels wrong. Something about the signal is bothering you. Try to weaken the signal. (MODERATE VIOLENCE DC 38, rolling 11d6 with Wendy's help. Succeed and you'll guaranteed the anomaly will be unable to hurt your group. Any negotiation with the anomaly will be easier as well.)>[OBSERVE/QUENTIN ALLY] Quentin's plan sounds fucking stupid. You're all for it. Jab some wires into him. (FLESH + RESTRAINT DC 15, rolling both Quentin's 4d6 and 5d6 separately. Pass the FLESH check and he won't take any FLESH damage. Pass the RESTRAINT check and he'll understand the anomalous radio and the signal a lot better, reducing the DC of SEEKER by 8, BONDING and SUBDUE by 2.)>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] Try to figure out why the radio is calming down around you. (RISKY WILLPOWER DC: 36, rolling 8d6. Succeed and you'll be able to gain a PARADIGM From the anomaly!)>Grab an ally and check somewhere on the second floor while the others work here. Maybe there's a missing piece here (LOCATIONS AVAILABLE: CONTAINMENT CELL D2-M-PEND, A1-T-MIXED, ARMORY, COMMUNICATION RELAY, MAJOR GENERAL OFFICE, BARRACKS. Pick which ally to bring.)>Write in. (Give an ally an item? Modify a WORK ORDER action? Try something else? Use an item on the radios? Ask the ETFs something?)Made the update longer as an apology for the delay, passed out mid-writing.
>>6138346Did we use THE ADMIRAL'S MEDAL this mission?If not,>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] Try to figure out why the radio is calming down around you. (RISKY WILLPOWER DC: 36, rolling 8d6. Succeed and you'll be able to gain a PARADIGM From the anomaly!)This seems like an ideal heck to auto-passIn any case,>[APPEASEMENT/ASHLEY ALLY] Alter the signal, try to find a way to communicate with it WITHOUT Morse Code. (MODERATE TALENT DC: 35, rolling 10d6 with Ashley's help. Succeed and you'll be able to actually communicate with whoever's on the other side. You'll learn more information on the anomaly on future checks. Lowers DC of BONDING and SUBDUE by 3.)>[BONDING/ALEXIS + LYUBOV ALLY] Let the two Russians communicate with the anomaly. (HARD CHARM DC: 34, rolling 7d6+1d4. Succeed and the two will establish communication with the anomaly, allowing your groups to discuss and bargain with each other.)
>>6138357>Did we use THE ADMIRAL'S MEDAL this mission?You have not.
>>6138357+1 nice setup there
>>6138357+1
>>6138357Yes. Go for it. Support +1
>>6138357+1RUSSIAN TO RUSSIAN COMMUNICATION GO
Rolled 4 (1d4)Waow. Completely unanimous. Welp, here we go. Three anons, roll the following. I'll roll the 1d4 for the CHARM/BONDING check.>10d6 (APPEASEMENT)>7d6 (BONDING)>8d6 (SEEKER)
Rolled 3, 2, 5, 5, 6, 1, 4, 2, 3, 6 = 37 (10d6)>>6138952
Rolled 6, 6, 4, 1, 6, 4, 4 = 31 (7d6)>>6138952
Rolled 3, 1, 2, 2, 6, 1, 6, 1 = 22 (8d6)>>6138952
Oof. That SEEKER one hurts a lot. Welp, pick an option to unfuck that horrid roll since I imagine you want the PARADIGM. First to three gets picked.>USE ADMIRAL'S MEDAL (Autopasses, but you won't be able to use it for the rest of the mission.)>POP A SINNLÖSCHEN and your HARVESTER'S NECKLACE (Leaves you with one pill for the future. +2 WILLPOWER, You'll reroll your check as a 10d8 and future WILLPOWER checks you roll will have d8s instead of d6s. Will drain your RESTRAINT while active.)And if you pick the second one, which items do you use to negate the RESTRAINT drain? Pick as many as you want.>JOYVEL ZETA PILL (Consumes the one you have, heals RESTRAINT to 9/10)>You do have that old OATH TO CONTAIN shield... (Consumes two out of three charges on the PARADIGM. You won't take any passive RESTRAINT damage for a bit.)>Take a NOLNOL pill (Leaves you with 2 NOLNOL pills left. Empowers your active but weak RESTRAINT regen, allowing you to outregen the RESTRAINT damage.)>EMBRACE THE PAIN. (You do have weak RESTRAINT regen active. You have a decent chance to just block some nasty damage.)
>>6138966>USE ADMIRAL'S MEDAL (Autopasses, but you won't be able to use it for the rest of the mission.)Don't let it turn into 99 Elixirs. It's no guarantee we'll encounter another check worthy of using it (unless Handler lets spite control him). And if we do, then we can pop the SINNLÖSCHEN.
>>6138966>>USE ADMIRAL'S MEDAL (Autopasses, but you won't be able to use it for the rest of the mission.)
>>6138966>USE ADMIRAL'S MEDAL (Autopasses, but you won't be able to use it for the rest of the mission.)
>>6138973>>6138975>>6138993Noted. Writing.It's fitting how you're using the ADMIRAL'S MEDAL to autopass this check. You'll see.
>>6139001Fun!
Okay. You are really curious why it seems to calm down around you but you rather focus on improving the signal before you do anything reckless. You let the ETFs fiddle with a majority of the radio equipment; You imagine they would have more experience in that department than you.You decide to team up with Ashley to go along with her plan. Well, specifically her plan to fix the signal, you don't care to leave right now. Anomalies are cooler than random empty rooms.The two of you approach one of the more maligned growths of random radio circuity and parts that makes up the 'vessel' of the anomaly. Ashley slams her foot against one of the loose panels to expose some REMARKABLY ugly looking wiring. Looks like what you'd put together during a maniac episode. Pink, yellow, orange, red, cyan wires twist and tangle with each other. Some of the wires are even in colors that you don't have words to describe aside from 'Puce' and 'Anti-Purple'. You doubt you can do anything with this, really."Hm. Do you see, like, a transmitter or something? Maybe we can bend it back into shape." Ashley promptly puts the panel back on. The two of you scan across the tumorous mass of technology. Eventually, you look up at one of the taller towers of radio machinery to see something quite odd: A small pole with at least eighteen different antennae jutting out of it.The pole is short and stubby since it has to fit within 10 feet due to the room's ceiling but you think you two can climb up and reach it."Think that'll help?""Probably. I can climb up, can you?""I climbed worse things. C'mon."It's a struggle for the two of you due to how disjointed the structure itself is but it's not long before the two of you reach the antenna tower. You realize what the issue is; The antennae are gunked up to high hell and all of them are bent at incredibly awkward angles."I'm not much of a radio expert but I know this can't be good for the signal." Ashley tries to remember something and apparently she manages to remember some old radio factoids. "Wait. I think alcohol can help dissolve this. Didn't we get some vodka a while back?""Oh, yeah!" You pull out a bottle of POTATO VODKA. You crack it open and gently pour about a sixth of the liquor onto some of the antennae. The built up oil and grime washes off and..."Я cкaзaл тeбe, чтo никтo нe бyдeт...Ich habe dir gesagt, Maria, ich liebe dich, aber ich kann nicht...生きたい!生きたい!" As soon as you heard legible words, it cuts right back off to the morse code. "... .-.. .- -... -.-- .--- ... .. --. -. .- .-..-"You think you're on the right track."Hey! The signal's getting better!" You hear Lex yelling from somewhere below. You rather not look down since even if you're only 10 feet up, you're not the best with heights. Especially while on THIS type of structure."I think we have to bend the antennae back into shape. You think you can help me with that?" You ask Ashley.
"Yes but please, be gentle when you do it.. I tried this with my brother's radio and fuck, I made the signal way worse."You take the left side of the tower while Ashley takes the right. You each carefully bend and adjust the antennae in different directions, keeping a keen ear for the radios below to see if you're messing up with the signal or not. It's a long process to make sure you don't fuck up the signal...>37!"Hey! We got a signal, we got a signal!" You can hear Alexis almost beaming with joy; Which is odd given she normally is. You can't quite make out what's being said by the radios now from up here though."Woo. You know, I should probably start messing with radios as a hobby thing. They're still what most people listen to music on these days..." The two of you carefully move down the pile of radios. You're still hurting from your last fight and Ashley still has some lingering pain in her feet.You approach Alexis and Lyubov to check up on them. Wendy is keeping guard by the doorway (and to not break anything else) alongside Lex, while Quentin is buzzing around to tweak various antennae all over the room."Oпepaтop? Oпepaтop?" Lyubov gibbers out. A headset with a small microphone is draped over her half-mutated head at an awkward angle. She seems oddly familiar with the radio set. "Oтвeтьтe, пoжaлyйcтa. Пpoвepкa cигнaлa.""Пpивeдитe кoгo-нибyдь, ктo гoвopит пo-aнглийcки." Alexis joins in, chattering into her own headset microphone. At first you don't hear a response but Alexis. "Любoвь-">35!Suddenly, you can hear something crackling to life over the radio. Lyubov and Alexis both pull off their headsets and as soon as they do, the most horrific noise screeches across the mass of radios. A sound you're oddly familiar with, since you were in a training simulator of one only a few weeks ago.A warzone."Signal received! Signal received! It's a nightmare here, Operator Alexis and Operator Lyubov! Status? Status?" A young woman with a thick accent screeches over a volley of gunshots and distant explosions. "We need backup! Now! Now!""Location, Lieutenant Morozov?" The haze clouding Lyubov's decayed mind seems to be gone for now. "We need a location. We do not currently have access to your location and we have only recently received your signal.""We're about 20 miles away from Volkivka My squad just got ambushed by a flank of German soldiers and we're on the retreat. Currently hiding behind some rubble; I hear a Panzer coming. We NEED backup.""THEY TAUGHT US SOME BASIC HISTORY BACK IN Q-CORP. ISN'T THAT...OLD WORLD?" Quentin flutters over to you and Ashley to whisper while the others focus on chattering with the soldier. That's when you see Wendy approaching your group.You can almost smell the shit-eating grin on Wendy's face with how smug and self assured she is.
"Yep. German victory, it was. Something I-Corp is still sore about.""Probably not wise to mention that." You point out to Wendy."Feh. I'll get some enjoyment out of this if I can't break it, okay? I'm trying here." And you gotta applaud her for holding back her tard rage."Fair, fair. And I respect that." You gently pat Wendy on the head, much to her annoyance."How the hell are we getting a signal that old?" Ashley mutters before realizing what your group is dealing with. "Well, okay, here's the issue.""Can we even do anything to help them? It's, what, some battle in the past?" Ashley points out the issue on sending any 'backup' to the ancient soldiers. "We're just getting a signal."All of you mutually shrug. You don't really see an opening to do anything and none of you are historians so it's not like you can give specific advice from the past."We are unable to send backup at the moment due to our position. Do you have any way we could possibly reach you?" Alexis tries her best to offer help to the soldiers. After all, if the anomaly is keeping this signal alive, there must be a reason for it."Not sure if I can, our boss only wants to establish a true connection to those we...W-wait, I-I...is someone with you? I sense something." The young soldier's voice changes, as if she was a mere echo of something bigger.You hesitantly approach the anomaly, holding up your ADMIRAL'S MEDAL->AUTOPASS!"F-fuck! FUCK! IT'S HIM! IT'S HIM! I KNEW IT WAS HIM!" A sudden rush of interference blares across the radio's speaker. The ETFs have to desperately finagle with the many dials and switches around them to keep the signal from shorting out completely. "H-he should still be on the Pacific Theater! How do you have HIM with you?""What?" Alexis and Lyubov are both confused as to what she means by that at first...but then Alexis remembers hearing about the Admiral last mission. "Oh fuck." Ashley and Lex both immediately recognize that name, each putting on a tough expression to hide the fear still in their hearts. That mission was rough for them.Wendy simply snorts, approaching the radio with a snide look on her face. "We have him, yeah. Got a problem?""I...t-tune your signature to 6.22.15.52 and adjust your frequency to 3625 kHz. W-we need to get into contact with an ally of ours you s-seem to have access to." Huh? You glance at the medal in your hands.[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] War is all I cared about, Nicole. I changed my side a lot in the old wars depending on who was winning or losing. To keep things fun.[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] False hope was more amusing than complete, boring domination."You hear the soldier, folks!" Alexis yells out to the ETFs. They swarm around the mass of radio equipment like ants on a tasty treat. You take a moment to analyze how good the two works you did are.[SEEKER] Appeasement was GOOD. It needed a better connection, it wanted to reach out. Without a receiver, the signal can't transmit.
[SEEKER] Something about BONDING wasn't good, though. It was NEUTRAL. Establishing a bond doesn't seem to matter to them. They don't want words, they want something more.Once the ETFs are done adjusting what was asked of them, you can feel an electric buzz filling the air.All of a sudden, reality itself seems to begin to rip apart like a fabric blanket being pulled apart and shredder by an industrial shredder. It seems to start near the end-most part of the pile of radios and soon enough, a hole is ripped through the room.A rift has suddenly formed in the room your group is standing in now. It's about the same size as an average doorway in someone's house; big enough for a person to fit in through. What you see through the rift is...something.A young woman who looks oddly similar to Alexis if not for her black hair and being far, far skinnier is hiding behind a trench dug into the blood-red dirt of whatever war-torn battlefield she's in The sky has also been tinted this awful crimson red hue. There's hardly any light shining down onto the war torn battlefield and what light you do see is tinted this awful red color.Dust bellows out from the rift, scattering onto the floor of the lab you're in. In the distance you can make out the outlines of tanks skittering across a mostly barren battlefield. Far, far above in the sky you can even make out warplanes flying above head.The soldier is bleeding really, really heavily from her stomach; You're not a doctor but you think the enemy got a lucky rifle shot off of her. She's clearly been bleeding for a bit since she seems woozy."W-where is he? W-whatever, don't have time to ask."Signal established. Finally, someone can hear our voices even after all of this time.So much time has passed we thought our stories would never be heard.This is a recording of the day THEY have forgotten. For our story does not matter to history.We shall bring you to a chaotic place—forgotten by many—that you must acknowledge. Acknowledge us.PLEASE PLEASE I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR THIS PLEASE PLEASE WE'RE ESTABLISHING OUR CONNECTION-A flurry of voices screeches in your ears. God, you occasionally hear these voices around anomalies but this is almost ear-piercing. You grit your teeth, trying to power through it."P-please. I-I need help."Lyubov stumbles over towards the rift while the rest of the group, including your party, is keeping some healthy distance from it."..." She silently stares at the soldier before staring back at your group. As if silently asking for you to help her out like you helped her. You feel obligated to do something now..."H-here. M-my...my mom gave this to me but...t-the Admiral will want this. H-he's with you, I can sense it." She tosses something through the rift. You move to collect it.
>BROKEN TRANMISSION OBTAINED! (PARADIGM ARMOR. A homemade military officer uniform, tattered with age. A red star is stitched onto the back of it. +1 to ALL stats to the wearer. Has a small chance to negate 2 FLESH damage from RANGED ATTACKS.)Hot fucking damn. Okay, now you feel REALLY obligated to help with loot like this."The signal is getting weaker by the second." Phi calls out from one of the many switch and button panels. "That rift won't stay open for longer than 15, maybe 20, minutes. Tops."You take a deep breath...>+1 RESTRAINT from AZURE REGENERATION! 6/10 RESTRAINT LEFT!Best to make your moves now. What do you want to give what you assume is an echo of a long, long dead soldier? Pick up to three non-WORK offers, one WORK offer and any amount of FREE ACTIONS.)>[NURTURE] Rush in through the rift and patch her up with some of your supplies. Now. She needs to keep fighting. (-1 STANDARD ISSUE MEDKIT and 2 GAUZE ROLLS. +1 I-CORP and X-CORP FAVOR. She'll survive for now, that's for certain. Perhaps all she cares about is surviving.)>[APPEASEMENT + ASHLEY ALLY] She might already be a lost cause. "...Knock her out. I'm not sure she'll make it." (You'll heal 3 RESTRAINT and FLESH. -4 POTATO LIQUORS and 1 TRANQUILIZER SYRINGE, leaving you with none. She'll be able to rest in peace. Perhaps that's what this lost signal needs the most.)>[SUBDUE + WENDY AND LEX ALLY] You notice a group of soldiers approaching the trench she's hiding in. Let them indulge in some HYPERVIOLENCE. (VIOLENCE THRESHOLD: 38/43/47/51, rolling 13d6. For each threshold they pass, the less damage they'll take and the more old world WEAPONS, AMMO, and ARMOR they'll bring back. The only thing history remembers is who wins and who loses, right?)>[OBSERVE + ALEXIS ALLY] "Tell us your story. We'll make sure you'll be remembered." Try to convince the soldier to talk about herself. (MODERATE CHARM DC: 25, rolling 7d6+1d4. Succeed and you'll get a detailed log of her lifestory, recording this forgotten battle down in history. Perhaps that's all she needs to rest.)>[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] Something is drawing you to the battlefield. Step out and empty your mind. (HARD RESTRAINT DC: 26, rolling 6d6 by yourself. You're not sure what will happen on success aside from you being able to boost a stat of your choice by 1.)>You don't see a weapon on her. Toss her some equipment so she can keep fighting (-1 SERVICE PISTOL, -BALLISTIC SHIELD, -5 PISTOL AMMO. In exchange, you'll get 1 random RELIC WEAPON and a good piece of RELIC ARMOR.)>Give her some CONSUMABLES to improve her odds of getting out of there. (-RAW NOVASTONE CHUNK, -1 WHITE POWDER, -1 SYNDICAKE. In exchange, you'll get $500 in old world currency AND 4d100 random CONSUMABLES.)(1/2)
>Toss her some useful EQUIPMENT to even the odds a bit. (-ECM JAMMER, -1 DYNAMITE BUNDLE, -1 MAKESHIFT NAPLAM MOLOTOV. In exchange, you'll get one RELIC EQUIPMENT and three pieces of good, regular EQUIPMENT.)>[AIMER LES ABANDONNÉS] "I'M NOT LETTING HER DIE HERE." Shit, what is this idiot doing? Well, guess you have to help him now. (HARD WILLPOWER DC: 48, rolling 12d6 represent everyone's efforts. Succeed and you'll help Quentin rescue this poor, bleeding soldier from a warzone she might not survive in.)>Try to ask for something else. (FREE ACTION. Feel free to ask her for whatever. You imagine she has a lot of RELICS, useful OLD WORLD INFORMATION, and potentially some ANOMALOUS ARTIFACTS due to her unique nature. You'll be told what she'll ask for in exchange.)>Offer her something? (FREE ACTION. Write in what you want to give. Depending on how much or how valuable it is, she'll give better and better stuff in exchange.)>Take an item to alter your odds of success? (FREE ACTION. What items and for what checks?)>Write in.(To clarify, NURTURE + APPEASEMENT + SUBDUE + OBSERVE are the 'work' offers, rest are the 'non-work' ones.)(Meant to post earlier, got distracted. I apologize.) >>6138973>(unless Handler lets spite control him)Nah, I don't let spite decide my actions. I'm not THAT petty. You did get something REALLY good for using the medal anyways so don't feel too ashamed.
>>6139200>[AIMER LES ABANDONNÉS]Alright lads, this is a new path that has opened up because of our choices. Let's mosey.
>>6139200>[AIMER LES ABANDONNÉS] "I'M NOT LETTING HER DIE HERE." Shit, what is this idiot doing? Well, guess you have to help him now. (HARD WILLPOWER DC: 48, rolling 12d6 represent everyone's efforts. Succeed and you'll help Quentin rescue this poor, bleeding soldier from a warzone she might not survive in.) Fuck. I love bug boy. He is a good noodle.
>>6139200>[OBSERVE + ALEXIS ALLY] Give the Alexis one AXAXAX PILL. This is the Alexis ancestor, it can be very valuable for the Morozov family.>[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND]Use one SILVER CIGARETTE PACK and one MOONSTONE FRAGMENT.>Give her some CONSUMABLES to improve her odds of getting out of there.>Toss her some useful EQUIPMENT to even the odds a bit.>Try to ask for something else. Can you tell us any things value about your family history and valuable information?>Offer her something? Give her 1 SERVICE PISTOL, BALLISTIC SHIELD, 5 PISTOL AMMO, 1 STANDARD ISSUE MEDKIT, 2 GAUZE ROLL, 2 GRADE A RATION, 1 IODINE TABLET PACK and 1 POTATO VODKA. I wonder how this will affect the Morozov family history?>Write inIntroduce ourself.
>>6139323It will be great if we manage to establish strong connections to the Alexis (Morozov) family because of this.
>>6139294>>6139321Is this a good idea to bring someone from the past to the present? We don’t know how this will affect the Morozov family history if we do it and potential unknown consequences. Will some members of the Morozov family straight up disappear completely because of this action?
>>6139199Is there no end to this russiabooism?>[OBSERVE + ALEXIS ALLY] "Tell us your story. We'll make sure you'll be remembered." Try to convince the soldier to talk about herself. (MODERATE CHARM DC: 25, rolling 7d6+1d4. Succeed and you'll get a detailed log of her lifestory, recording this forgotten battle down in history. Perhaps that's all she needs to rest.)>[AIMER LES ABANDONNÉS] "I'M NOT LETTING HER DIE HERE." Shit, what is this idiot doing? Well, guess you have to help him now. (HARD WILLPOWER DC: 48, rolling 12d6 represent everyone's efforts. Succeed and you'll help Quentin rescue this poor, bleeding soldier from a warzone she might not survive in.)>[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] Something is drawing you to the battlefield. Step out and empty your mind. (HARD RESTRAINT DC: 26, rolling 6d6 by yourself. You're not sure what will happen on success aside from you being able to boost a stat of your choice by 1.)>Use items:"ÉTOILE" BLOOD REPLACEMENT VIAL - will give us +3 willpower and +2 restraintPEP PILL ZETA - +4 to restraint rollPOTATO VODKA - roll additional die after rolling a 1'OATH TO CONTAIN' - +1d12 to restraint rollRAW MOONSTONE CHUNK - +3d8 to willpower roll
>>6139200>>6139199So many cool options... so much trouble...BUTbacking >>6139323EXCEPT we do these for the Captain's Command>PEP PILL ZETA - +4 to restraint roll (USE ONE)>POTATO VODKA - roll additional die after rolling a 1 (USE ONE)>'OATH TO CONTAIN' - +1d12 to restraint roll (ONE charge of THREE)>MANAGER'S FLESH - reroll ANY 3 dice at ANY time for ANY check we wantThis should all be enough for us to hit 26>>6139353We still have 2 RAW MOONSTONE CHUNK left which could be great for other allies as we go, and I wanna clutch the blood replacement vials until the base assault
SsC7CRwz is me.>>6139377+1
>>6139200Add to my vote in >>6139377>[AIMER LES ABANDONNÉS]I forgot to do that this morning
Rolled 4 (1d4)>>6139353>Is there no end to this russiabooism?You picked the mission in the Not!Russian district, it'll end as soon as the mission is over with. Given how you got all the resources you need, you can call off the mission at any time and just leave.We'll probably vote for that after this whole Radio Encounter tomfuckery.Anywho.[AIMER LES ABANDONNÉS]: Zzt, AkJ, k2D, IaM, TTB[OBSERVE + ALEXIS ALLY]: K2D, IaM, ScC[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND]: k2D, SsC, IaMGive her some CONSUMABLES to improve her odds of getting out of there: SsC, IaMToss her some useful EQUIPMENT to even the odds a bit: SsC: IaMSeems like the main idea is to do AIMER + OBSERVE + CAPTAIN'S COMMAND. I'll decide that to show you what SsC's item giveaway write in would give and let you decide if it's worht taking.IN EXCHANGE FOR 1 SERVICE PISTOL, 1 BALLISTIC SHIELD, 5 PISTOL AMMO, 1 STANDARD ISSUE MEDKIT, 2 GAUZE ROLL, 2 GRADE A RATIONS, 1 IODINE TABLET PACK, 1 POTATO VODKA, YOU WILL OBTAIN-15 RIFLE AMMO ("I-I lost m-my gun but you can have this...")-MOROZOV FAMILY HEIRLOOM (Alexis gets +1 to a stat of her choice.)-2 DILUTED ICP VIALS (A bubbling neon blue liquid that is occasionally produced by anomalies under specific situations. Lets you add 35% progress to any SHIFTer ally's progress bar, speeding up how fast they gain new powers. You currently have four SHIFTers that can use this item.)Do you accept? Vote as you roll.>YES>OFFER A BIT MORE (-1 extra GAUZE ROLL, WHITE POWDER, and ECM JAMMER. You'll get a random RELIC EQUIPMENT, WEAPON, or ARMOR.)>NO---------------------------------------------Aside from that, you know what time it is. Dice time. Four anons, roll the following.>7d6 (OBSERVE, QM will roll 1d4.)>6d6 (DEFAULT RESTRAINT ROLL) >1d12 (CAPTAIN'S COMMAND)>12d6 (WILLPOWER)You'll be able to roll an extra dice upon rolling a 1 for the DEFAULT RESTRAINT and WILLPOWER rolls. We won't consume the BLOOD REPLACEMENT VIAL or RAW MOONSTONE chunk yet since 2/3 people who voted to use an item didn't want to use it. You may also reroll three dice on the WILLPOWER check due to your allies assisting you in it via Manager's FLESH (that and it is the harder of the two.)>>6139321>Fuck. I love bug boy. He is a good noodle.pic related
Rolled 5, 4, 3, 1, 1, 3, 2, 5, 4, 1, 1, 4 = 34 (12d6)>>6139731Will power
>>6139750Fuck me.
Rolled 6, 1, 4, 1, 1, 6, 3 = 22 (7d6)>>6139731>YES
Rolled 4, 4, 4 = 12 (3d6)>>6139750I guess rerolling 3 of the ones.>>6139731>Yes
Rolled 4, 2, 2, 1, 5, 6 = 20 (6d6)>>6139731I will roll the default restraint roll>>6139750>>6139751>>6139831>You'll be able to roll an extra dice upon rolling a 1 for the DEFAULT RESTRAINT and WILLPOWER rolls.You can still reroll that fourth 1
Rolled 10 (1d12)>>6139731>YESWe're going to need to use the consumables guys, don't be stingy.Btw Handler, how does Potato Vodka interact with rerolls? Can we roll a 1, roll an additional die from the vodka, then reroll the 1?
>>6140020And is it an extra die for every 1 rolled?
Rolled 3 (1d6)>>6140019Wait no that's not a reroll but an extra die, my badWell I rolled a 1 so I'm rolling a 1d6?
>>6139731>YESthat's good stuff from the items offered>>6140019>>6140023Holy shit the rolls this time around are real bad. I wouldn't be averse to breaking out a cheap consumable or two for getting past these
Fell asleep while waiting for rolls, let's see.>>6140020>>6140023For every 1 you roll, you flatout roll an extra dice.This activates before rerolls.So, I need an anon to roll 4d6 for me for the WILLPOWER check. You passed the other checks, no question about that
Rolled 3, 3, 5, 5 = 16 (4d6)>>6140163
Cool. Checking.WILLPOWER: 59 (Drunk Luck IS a good status. It's just that Potato Vodka isn't something you can get a lot of outside of I-Corp)RESTRAINT: 30OBSERVE: 26And people seem to accept the proposed write in exchange so we're going with that. You'll be spending-2 POTATO VODKA (you consumed one to get the DRUNK LUCK to begin with, after all.)-2 GAUZE ROLLS-2 GRADE A RATIONS-1 SERVICE PISTOL-1 BALLISTIC SHIELD-5 PISTOL AMMOand-1 STANDARD ISSUE MEDKITAlso, -1 charge on OATH TO CONTAIN, but you got two charges left and it recharges per mission who cares.Writing.
Best not to waste time.You dig through your INVENTORY and for a moment, you wonder if it's wise to throw items from the future back into the past...before realizing most of the stuff you're giving her isn't that advanced. Not like you're giving her C-EXTRACT or a teleporter or something.You show them off to her and after some quick and desperate negotiation from her end, she tosses three items through the rift. They clatter on the other side unharmed. You return the favor with your own items.>+15 RIFLE AMMO, +DILUTED ICP VIAL x2, +MOROZOV FAMILY TIMEPIECE She squints at the gun you gave her but she quickly figures out how to load it after a brief lookover of it. Alexis decides it's probably best to just point out the elephant in the room."Hello, yes, we don't have much time." Alexis gingerly picks up the timepiece. "I'm Alexis Kirovitch Morozov...the third?" <"Hate having to use my full name but she's possibly my ancestor, I have to clarify.>Lieutenant Morozov is obviously confused upon hearing that name. "The third? No, no, the only Alexei in our family...my aunt just gave birth to him a few weeks ago-" She's promptly cut off by an ear-shattering explosion going off dangerously close to where she is. "M-mortar. M-make it quick."She removes the belt from her uniform and bites down HARD on it before using your medical supplies to patch herself up."Look, we don't have much time. We want to...""Record. Your story." Lyubov chimes in but before you can hear whatever the two are about to say...Your legs start moving all on their own. Step by step, you find yourself drifting ever closer to the rift. You're not sure why, you don't WANT to go into it-[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] July 28th, 1944. You're going to experience a true battle. Not one of your mock training exercises. [CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] Go along with the ride. I won't let you die. Not yet."Nicole what the FUCK are you doing?""Get her away from it! Now!" "Shit! Anomaly has mind-altering effects. All other units, back away!" A torrent of voices screech in an attempt to get your attention or to get others away from what they assume is the radio rift's meddling.You have enough willpower in you to dig through your inventory for some POTATO VODKA and your OATH TO CONTAIN PARADIGM. You down the bottle of booze faster than you have in your life as all of a sudden, it all goes black.>30!It takes a moment for you to regain consciousness and once you do, you realize that you're in the middle of an active god damn warzone! The upside is that right now, you're not that far away from the rift. You can still see it and the trench the past Morozov is hiding in if you turn your head around.You turn to look at what you feel in your hands. You instinctually tighten on whatever you're holding and oops! Bad call! You were holding the head of some random old world soldier. You're not even sure how you did that but you feel...powerful. Incredibly powerful.
It's as if a series of electric wires were jabbed into every spare millimeter of flesh in your body.You black out again. When you next wake up, a mortar shell explosion knocks the wind out of your body. Pieces of shrapnel rip through your body but despite this normally being lethal, you just eat the damage like it's nothing.You black out again.When you wake up again, you find yourself hiding in a trench. The stench of spilled blood and rot surrounds you. The bodies of several German soldiers lay by your side, each torn to shreds by what can only be assumed to be anomalous means.You hear someone gibbering in German. "Wo ist das Hirschmädchen?!"A rush of thunderous footsteps is approaching your location. Shit-You black out again.You're running away from a tank that seemingly had a hole ripped right out of it with someone's bare hands. You look down to see that oh, yeah, you did that. You're not even sure how but it feels like plastic in your hands.[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] Your body is such an interesting vessel. Strong by human standards, pathetically weak by mine.[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] I never could handicap myself properly for my favorite game. I must thank you.[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] Men are born for games. Nothing else. Every child knows that play is nobler than work...That's when you finally regain control of your body. Purely off of instinct, you begin to rush over to the Rift. You have no fucking idea how long you've been out and you really, really don't want to get stuck back in the past. Bullets graze mere inches away from your head. The smell of smog and what you assume is mustard gas by the foul sulfurous scent pierces your nose. Every inch of your body aches...but you finally return to the trench where the Rift was.You feel something slamming you in the back; Feels too light to be a pistol shot but too heavy to be an explosive. Long distance sniper shot? Yet you easily push through it as if you weren't hit at all.>26!"...and that's why I thought I was going to die alone WAIT IT'S HER SHE'S BACK-" Before Lieutenant Morozov can say another thing, you jump down into the trench and roll right back into the present. Seems like they were able to convince her to talk while you were out on your bender.As you collapse onto the floor, coughing up what you can assume is blood (though it's a bright orange and pink color instead of red), you oddly feel...revitalized. Even though you immediately collapse onto the floor from the sheer adrenaline crash of what you did.>THE ADMIRAL'S GAME has flooded his energy through your body! You have fully healed FLESH and RESTRAINT!>FLESH: 8/8, 10/10!>You have gained 1 STAT POINT upgrade and an upgrade to CAPTAIN'S COMMAND! You'll vote on this later.[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] Thank you for the entertainment, Nicole. I shall rest now.Temporal distortion levels are critical. Please check your sensors for any errors.It'd be a shame for nobody else to hear your last words.
Regular people can't stop war. But perhaps, you can remember the people who have to fight it.You look up to see a swarm of ETF agents looking down at you like you're a dead person walking. Lyubov and Alexis are busy scribbling something down; presumably the stories that the other Morozov were on about. "What the FUCK was that?" Phi pulls you back onto your feet. "A-and how do you look BETTER than when you first went into there? Huh?""D-don't ask. We don't have time. L-listen to..." You mutter out, still reeling from what happened.The rift is beginning to flicker and fade in and out of reality. The view of a far, far away past is being overwritten by a haze of static. Lieutenant Morozov is propping herself against the trench wall, flashing a faint smile towards your group."T-thanks for listening. I'm not sure why you're here but knowing m-my family will be safe is...good for my peace of mind. Even if I die, at least I'll be-""NOPE. NOPE, NOPE, NOPE."Huh?Quentin, who has seemingly been dead quiet during the last 20-30 minutes (going by the surface thoughts of everyone around you), finally speaks up. It's hard to make out his expression given how his shell's facial muscles have been frozen stiff but sheer indignant rage radiates through his body language."The fuck you mean no?" Wendy tries her best to read Quentin's frozen expression, to little avail. "She's just some poor wench. The least we can do is record her story before she dies-""I BELIEVE YOU ARE SORELY MISUNDERSTANDING THE SITUATION. NICOLE WENT THROUGH THE RIFT JUST FINE, RIGHT?"Lex is the first to pick up on what Quentin is about to do. "I-I ain't smart but isn't this going to mess with timeline shit?" <...Quentin, if you're a real man, you would do it anyways. I know you have it in you.>Alexis seems to pick up what Quentin is putting down but she's more confused than anything. "I. I don't remember a Dasha Morozov in my family tree?" "Quentin, we have no idea if what you're doing is safe." Ashley tries to be the calming voice among your group as the ETFs are shouting at him to not do anything rash. "Maybe we already did enough-"[AIMER LES ABANDONNÉS] "ONLY A COWARD WOULD LET SOMEONE DIE WHEN THERE'S EVEN THE SLIMMIEST CHANCE TO SAVE THEM." Before any of the ETF agents could grab him, he blitzes over to the rift with bug-like agility and reaches a hand through the closing rift. "Shit!" The ETF agents decide that the only good option at this point is to delay the rift closer; It may be in desperate cope that your group would be able to pull him out in time. "Man the stations. Stabilize the connection!"The rift stabilizes for a moment but it's clear that the frantic work of the ETF agents is only buying you seconds. Your group quickly moves in to do the only thing they can really think to do in this situation: Putting their own hands through the rift.
Lyubov takes a moment to gingerly put the book she was scribbling in down before moving in to help as well. The signal is getting weaker by the second and all of you know that if something doesn't happen soon, you will all be losing an arm at best.Dasha stares at the horde of arms offering her salvation. She hesitates, if only for a moment, when you only have seconds on the clock to spare. Deciding that it's now or never she reaches out to grab onto Quentin's hand. A connection made throughout time, space, and species. A red string is being tied around your souls.The most horrific sound is blaring throughout the lab your group is in. It's a mix of a cat being skinned alive in reverse, a klaxon having a panic attack, and a tornado siren. The electric buzz filling the air is almost enough to fry your group alive. All of you are so, so tempted to let go of her as you help Quentin pull her through the rift...>59!The whole lab is drenched in red for a brief moment before everything goes dark. A high pitch yelp is barely audible over the awful noise. Then, it all goes quiet. For what feels like minutes, no one knows what's going on. Only the faint sound of breathing mixed in with heavy boots thumping around in darkness can be heard. When the lights come back on, though, you see something you never quite expected to see.A soldier, presumably from the 1940s if ADMIRAL was correct, laying prone on the floor. Her short, black bob hairdo is slick with a thick paste of grime and sweat. Her body is oh, oh so thin; It's very obvious she hasn't eaten proper meals in weeks if not months. Her uniform isn't much better. Her olive green lieutenant, olive green pants, jet black boots and cap are all drenched in sweat, blood, grime or all of the above.Her waist has been wrapped in a thick layer of gauze which is now soaked red with blood. It seems just enough to keep her standing up. But that's the thing. She's here. Alive. Right in front of you.The rift's gone and from the sounds of it, the radio has gone quiet. You can still sense that whatever anomaly is inside of the radio equipment, it's still there. Alive in the system. But for now, that's not what matters."...W-where am I?" Dasha is, understandably, beyond bewildered at the surroundings she's in and the people she's looking at. The mundane stuff is clearly way out of her league of understanding right now, let alone the anomalous relics you have or the fact you have deer antlers or the fact a walking talking corpse is what dragged her into here. "I. I wanna lay down."Everyone else collapses from the rush of whatever just happened, finding whatever sturdy table or chair is still left in the lab to sit down at.Somehow you feel like this action won't change the past in any meaningful way. If you can trust what Alexis said and with the general implication of what was going to happen to her, she probably died before having kids.
As for what YOU did with the Admiral's inf-[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] I only killed the ones that were destined to die. ...Right.>DASHA MOROZOV has joined the party! You feel like this will have ripple effects throughout the whole City somehow. Oh well.>DREAMY MOSS WEARS OFF! "I wanna go home." Alexis weakly mutters.Well. Do you want to go any further? Or do you want to end your mission while you're on a roll? You already did all you NEEDED to...>Strong YES. No point stopping now when you're on a roll like this, baby! Keep exploring the facility!>Weak YES. You might as well check out one more location in this facility before leaving. (Choose one to visit: CONTAINMENT CELL D2-M-PEND, A1-T-MIXED, ARMORY, COMMUNICATION RELAY, MAJOR GENERAL OFFICE, BARRACKS.)>Weak NO. Tell the ETFs to help you find any survivors here before leaving. (You'll get to pick one more DISTRICT LOCATION to explore.)>Strong NO. You want out of this district. Now. (ENDS MISSION.)CHOOSE A STAT TO BOOST BY 1! YOUR STATS ARE AS FOLLOWEDFLESH: 8/8 (+2 from COMBAT BODYSUIT MARK ZETA)RESTRAINT: 10/10 (+1 from ECLIPSE TALISMAN)VIOLENCE: 8 (+1 from COMBAT BODYSUIT MARK ZETA, +1 from NEW YOU (LEX))TALENT: 7 (+1 from SPOOK SHADES)WILLPOWER: 7 (+1 from UPGRADED TALISMAN)CHARM: 5 (+1 from ANTLER CHARMS)CONNECTIONS: 6COGNIZANCE: 7 (+1 FROM SPOOK SHADES)>FLESH (+1 MAX FLESH)>RESTRAINT (+1 MAX RESTRAINT)>VIOLENCE (+1 VIOLENCE)>TALENT (+1 TALENT)>WILLPOWER (+1 WILLPOWER)>CHARM (+1 CHARM)>CONNECTIONS (+1 CONNECTIONS)>COGNIZANCE (+1 COGNIZANCE)Pick one CAPTAIN'S COMMAND UPGRADE!>[CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY] The mere presence of the Admiral inside you has given you an air of unwarranted respect. Those in positions of authority will generally treat you better and you'll occasionally unlock special skill checks when interacting with them.>[CAPTAIN'S FOCUS] In the face of danger, you'll give them a toothy grin and a wild guffaw! When rolling RESTRAINT or WILLPOWER, you roll d7s instead of d6s.>[CAPTAIN'S EXPERIENCE] Small fragmentary pieces of the Admiral's memories lingers in the back of your mind. When you start a mission, two of your stats will be raised by +1 for the duration of the mission. The stats picked will be whatever will be the most useful for said mission."Why?" Dasha meekly whispers. "W-why did you do that for me...?" It's as if she's confused at the mere fact she's still alive.>"To save you. Does there need to be any other reason?">"Frankly? I was curious to see what would happen.">"I trusted Quentin knew what he was doing.">"How's your injury holding up?" Focus on the more important matter here.>"I wanted to repay Alexis by helping her family out. You're her family so..." >"Does it matter? You're alive. Enjoy that.">"As payment for the cool loot you gave me. Felt I owed you one.">Write in (Pick multiple responses? Say something else?)Sorry for the delayed update. At least you got a lot to vote for here.
>>6140375>Weak YES. You might as well check out one more location in this facility before leaving. (Choose one to visit: CONTAINMENT CELL D2-M-PEND, A1-T-MIXED, ARMORY, COMMUNICATION RELAY, MAJOR GENERAL OFFICE, BARRACKS.)The SECRET ROOM!!! in the BARRACKS to sate the last urge to discover what is hidden, then we're fucking OUT of this frozen-over hellscape, okay people? Literally the only thing I want to do now after all this insanity. If we didn't have missions and reality keeping us anchored, we could literally go days solving mysteries and kicking ass and looting shit... but we don't have days. We have life and duties and friends and more.>CHOOSE A STAT TO BOOST BY 1!I have no fucking clue! Anybody have any ideas? Anything to boost for a specific weapon of ours or an ANOMALOUS POWER? Maybe FLESH just so Nicole is harder to kill now? Some other stat for whatever reason? I'm at a loss here>[CAPTAIN'S FOCUS]I feel this fits Nicole's character better, but I can easily change this if somebody else has a better idea or reasoning. Maybe picking AUTHORITY would be better because it's Admiral and not Nicole exactly? No idea either>"Frankly? I was curious to see what would happen.">"I trusted Quentin knew what he was doing.">"I wanted to repay Alexis by helping her family out. You're her family so..."I feel all 3 of these fits Nicole.
>>6140375Ah. Gonna need to eat and think about this some. I fucking love the Admiral, he is a homie.
>>6140181>can’t get potato vodka outside of I-CorpIf only we knew someone who is massively connected to I-Corp… hmm…Also, I think I stumbled across Nicole’s theme song on YT. Unfortunately no mentions of deer though.https://youtu.be/DFonaNm2Oa0?si=BUQEY-A208Bmankh
>>6140375>Weak NO. Tell the ETFs to help you find any survivors here before leaving. (You'll get to pick one more DISTRICT LOCATION to explore.)We need to get the fuck out of here.>WILLPOWER (+1 WILLPOWER)>[CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY] The mere presence of the Admiral inside you has given you an air of unwarranted respect. Those in positions of authority will generally treat you better and you'll occasionally unlock special skill checks when interacting with them.No more getting treated like shit.>Write-in“It was all Quentin, the guy who looks like he’s about to fall over dead. I don’t know what’s come over him today but something earlier lit a fire in him. He’s moving with more purpose than I’ve ever seen. Maybe you should talk to him? His appearance is… interesting… but don’t let that put you off, he’s one of the most solid guys you’ll find these days.”
>>6140375>Strong YES. No point stopping now when you're on a roll like this, baby! Keep exploring the facility!Visit the A1-T-MIXED Cell.Let’s check out these anomalies to see if they are friendly or not. I don’t want to leave the friendly anomalies to potential abandoned forever in here.>WILLPOWER (+1 WILLPOWER)>[CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY] This will be very helpful dealing with the corporate family or CEO.>"To save you. Does there need to be any other reason?">"I wanted to repay Alexis by helping her family out. You're her family so..."I still worry about the consequences of screwing with the time travel. When we leave this district, we need to call MARUYAMA (since he is knowledgeable in time stuff) to ask him if there are any consequences to what we did here. >Write in Ask Alexis, Do the heads have a rule on time traveling, and have we broken any the heads law with what we did?https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5982952/No.6008030"Okay, so facilities like this have four damage types. Physical and Mental, simple enough. Mixed is when the bastard does both and Esoteric is the shit that hurts what makes you YOU." Clover explains what he knows about the mostly abstract series of numbers and symbols."A-X is how hard it is to contain." Naomi fills in her own gaps. "A is that it never breaches or it refuses to for whatever reason., B is that it may breach sometimes but is otherwise cooperative. C is that it's hard to contain and X means it's basically impossible to. 0-5 is just scaling how much damage it can do."
>>6140375>Weak YES. You might as well check out one more location in this facility before leaving. (Choose one to visit: CONTAINMENT CELL D2-M-PEND, A1-T-MIXED, ARMORY, COMMUNICATION RELAY, MAJOR GENERAL OFFICE, BARRACKS.)Barracks>CHARM (+1 CHARM)>[CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY] The mere presence of the Admiral inside you has given you an air of unwarranted respect. Those in positions of authority will generally treat you better and you'll occasionally unlock special skill checks when interacting with them.>"To save you. Does there need to be any other reason?">"I wanted to repay Alexis by helping her family out. You're her family so...">"As payment for the cool loot you gave me. Felt I owed you one."
>>6140375Changing my vote in >>6140377 to>CHARM (+1 CHARM)and>[CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY]while the rest of it remains the same
>>6140640ChangeWILLPOWER (+1 WILLPOWER)Switch to>CHARM (+1 CHARM)
You decide to keep exploring for the time being or in other words, a Soft Yes. To be quite frank though, you're getting sick of this district already...which bodes well for your main non-monetary reward for this mission: Property in I-Corp's district.At the very least it unlocks more options on what items and opportunities it has-Something crackles in your pocket. You pull it out to reveal your FORGOTTEN SIGNAL PARADIGM, which has mostly been quiet since the start of the mission. The ETFs are slowly beginning to realize just how many PARADIGMs you have. Some are whispering conspiratorially without any care of you hearing them to 'simply steal her stuff' but the rest really rather not start a fight for no good reason."...80 dead and 500 injured...Apartment Block #G-A1-SW-194-B is no longer operational..." That doesn't sound like a warning for your current mission.[SEEKER OF THE CITY] That's your apartment block. The one you were living at a mere eight to ten hours ago.[PERSON OF INTEREST] We all know who did it.[CAPTAIN'S COMMAND] They knew you weren't there. It's a warning shot."...One of ancient time is in this facility. It seeks the anomalous to empower its tribe. Be wary, for it is hungry for power." And then it goes quiet. You can only assume it's referring to the Graverobbers. Your question is why one is down here; It doesn't make sense if they arrived the way you came from.You'll worry about that later. You have a confused lady from the 1940s to talk to.>"To save you. Does there need to be any other reason?""I-I suppose n-not? Y-you can't blame me for..." She makes a wide sweeping gesture towards EVERYTHING around her. You really can't. "I...aren't those soldiers?""Officially, we're more like hired contractors." One of the ETF Revs is about to go on a massive rant about ideology or something but you cut it off.>"I wanted to repay Alexis by helping her family out. You're her family so...""Her and I do have a long work relationship, yes." Alexis is still reeling from everything that's going on but she's a consummate professional; Doing the work she does requires her to be able to control herself even in the weirdest situations. ""O-oh! Yeah, uh, I have to ask you about how the family is. Once we're out of here that is." That seems to have calmed her down more than the previous explanation at the very least. It simply makes more sense to her."And...well." You're not sure how best to say this but you try, at least. "It was mostly Quentin. The guy who looks like a corpse." You don't have to point to him it's pretty obvious who you're referring to. Maybe you should talk to him? His appearance is… interesting… but don’t let that put you off, he’s one of the most solid guys you’ll find these days.”She glances at Quentin. He looks back at her. You can visibly see her face twist into an expression of disgust yet, at the same time, gratitude.
One last thing before you go anywhere that's been a real needle in the back of the brain though."So. I think all of us, even HER, realize the elephant in the room. Are we all going to get fucking arrested for this?""Eh?" Phi doesn't seem to understand what you're on about at first...before it clicks. "Oh.""Yeah. Is T-Corp going to obliterate us for messing with time this much? Or, well, the Head?"[SEEKER OF THE CITY] To your knowledge, most time travel in the City is very limited in how far back it can go. The most expensive commercial available Temporal Rewinder only rewinds time by a few seconds.Alexis takes a moment to think over it before shrugging. "From what I know, one way forward time travel or stretching out time isn't something the Head cares about. Statis, jumping a day into the future, buying a few hours so you can do more in the moment? That's fine."Wendy joins in given her role as a corporate representative, even if it's for another Company. "Backwards is VERY frowned upon in T-Corp and the City as a whole. Wouldn't be shocked if it was a taboo but if it is one, never heard seen it in writing."[SEEKER OF THE CITY] Taboos are laws that, if broken, will result in the Head coming down to snap you in half like a piece of wood.[SEEKER OF THE CITY] The most well known ones are "NO UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS OF SINGULARITY PATENTS BY THIRD PARTIES" and "PAY YOUR FUCKING TAXES OR DIE."Maruyama might know more specifics but it's probably wise not to fucking mention this to anyone else. Ever. Besides Maruyama.You take a deep breath before you go anywhere. You feel the faintest twitch in your eyes. Whatever's causing it is making all of your allies to back away from you. As soon as it starts though you feel...energized. As if there's some sort of power, aura, radiating through your system.It quickly fades away from the rest of your body except for your eyes. Lex is the first one to speak up on what she sees."Your eyes have a ring in the middle now. Is that, uh, normal?"You don't feel like answering.>+1 CHARM! CAPTAIN'S COMMAND IS NOW CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY.You'll probably leave this place after you check out the barracks. Not to say you would mind going to check out a containment cell or two but...you're done here. You got enough relics and resources to empower a small armor.You decide to leave the ETFs behind to do their own thing; You really have no further use for them and they have no further use for you. Most of them stick behind to fiddle with the radios while the rest scatter to investigate the rest of the floor. With some half hearted goodbyes your groups separate...though one slips you a piece of paper before letting your group leave. You scan it to see it's an address somewhere in L-Corp's district. "MEET US LATER IF WANT" is scribbled underneath. Nice grammar. You'll keep the note thoughNow, onto the Barracks! It's not actually that far away from the lab, thankfully, so you can search it real quick!
Your group arms itself just in case anything goes wrong, though. The only thing between you and whatever's inside the barracks is two cheap metal doors with no lock on them.Guns and spidery limbs are raised in anticipation but as you push it open telekinetically, nothing happens at first.You'd assume that FORGOTTEN SIGNAL was wrong about a GRAVEROBBER being here...if not for the growling you hear. The growl is deep and gravely, reverberating through the silent halls like an earthquake suddenly hit the facility/shelter you're in.Your group slowly steps into the barracks regardless if only because you hope there's still some survivors in here.The barracks themselves are MASSIVE in both size and how fucking intimidating it is just standing inside of them. Spartanic bunk beds with the thinnest sheets and pillows known to man are stacked up 20 feet up to the very top of the ceiling. The bunk beds are separated into two distinctive clumps that are separated by the remnants of a wall going right down the middle. One side has bunk beds with pink sheets while the other has blue sheets; It's obvious what the wall is meant for but given the lack of locks and the sheer thinness of the walls, you imagine unsavory acts were done in these barracks. Not like it matters since the wall has been torn to shreds by something, leaving the two halves of the barracks exposed to each other. Whatever torn the wall down did so without any effort and, as Lyubov taps it with her foot, you can tell it was just cheap plaster with no structure to it.Where there was once the wall is an odd figure...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYeRtG_TSX8 - OCCUPIED BARRACKS"INTRUDER. THIS IS MY DOMAIN NOW. LEAVE OR I WILL OBLITERATE YOUR VERY SOUL." The figure standing before you is certainly a Graverobber but something about him is off. He has the muscle and bulk expected of a pureblood Graverobber. He stands at an impressive 15 feet and the sheer density and bulk of his arms, legs, and torso tells you that he's at the physical peak of his species. His tusks are long and yellowed, forcing his lower jaw to be permanently extended in an awkward overbite.His skin looks exactly like that of a granite statue; Matte grey and covered in deep cracks that would be oozing blood if they were on a normal human's. The female Graverobber you saw also had matte grey and cracked skin. Seems like a genetic feature of them.The oddest thing is what he's wearing. While the other Graverobber you met worn a simple fur coat, he's wearing an army uniform that shouldn't fit him at all but it somehow melds to his body just perfectly. Looks almost like Dasha's, even. Instead of the typical shovel welded by Graverobbers, he has a porcelain mace oozing a foul black substance from the various holes drilled into the macehead.An old pendant made out of solid gold also hangs around his neck.You can sense those are PARADIGMs or RELICs. Fuck.
"Sir!" Dasha snaps her attention towards the obviously hostile Graverobber. "Drop your weapon. Now.""NO." For a moment you thought you heard a young child crying but it is silenced as quickly as you hear it. You thought you hear it somewhere in the back but you can't see anyone. There has to be a survivor pocket here. "MY STRENGTH, MY AUTHORITY, SHALL NOT BE DEFIED.""What's your name, dear?" Lyubov tries her best to keep a calm, cool tone in her voice. "We just want to know.""IGOR. IGOR DMITRIEVICH VOLKOV." Igor takes a long, deep sniff of the air before pointing his mace at you. "YOU HAVE WHAT I SEEK. GIVE UP YOUR RELICS AND I SHALL AND THE FAILURE LIVE."Failure?"WHAT A PATHETIC HALF BLOOD. YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO GROW." You can feel the contempt in the gaze he's giving Lex. "OUR BLOOD SHOULD STAY PURE. NOT TAINTED BY HUMAN WEAKNESS."This is...quite different from the last Graverobber you met. You almost assume the PARADIGMs are overwritten his mind but you can't quite tell how much is the artifacts and how much it's...just him."We know there's survivors of this facility here. Please, let us-" Before Ashley can say more, Igor cuts her off with a low growl."AND LET THEM STEAL WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY MINE? DO NOT EVEN ATTEMPT TO HUMOR THAT NONSENSE AGAIN. THEY WILL DIE HERE; AS THEIR WRETCHED SOULS DESERVE.""YOU HAVE 60 SECONDS TO LEAVE MY TERRITORY. OR ELSE." The grip on his mace tightens.You turn to your group for some advice.[TORMENTED SPARK] Lex leans in to whisper to you. "I don't know much about my, uh, 'old blood' but I feel it in my bones that something ain't right with him."[HUNTER OF THE CITY] "I smell the whiff of a puppeteer playing with his mind. I think he's compromised." Wendy hisses with both disgust and fear in her voice. "I do not think we can talk him out of this. Violence is the only answer."[INVOLVED] "This is all wrong. This feels like a set up, a distraction. Too convenient. A last minute threat? Now? Someone is pulling the strings." Alexis is obviously confused as to why he's here. You have your doubts on it too.[LYUBOV ALLY] "He's still a scared little boy. Playing like he's a grown up. Dressing up in a uniform that doesn't belong to him. He's letting it get to his head, poor soul."[ATHLETIC PHYSIQUE] "I can tell whatever he's wearing is fucking him up. I think I can steal one, maybe it'll clear his mind a bit." Ashley's offer would be a nice 2 for 1 deal.[AIMER LES ABANDONNÉS] "WHATEVER IS HAPPENING TO HIM DOES NOT INVOLVE US. THIS IS NOT OUR PLACE TO FIGHT. SECURE THE SURVIVORS HE PLANS ON KILLING. THEN WE LEAVE HERE."[DASHA ALLY] "That uniform is of a Kapitan. I-I'm not smart when it comes to whatever he is but...he put that on because he thinks it gives him more authority. He'd only listen to someone higher in the chain of command."Lot of decisions, little time to make them.
How do you handle Igor? Pick up to three>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Try to find a way to snap him out of whatever's making him so aggressive. It can't just be the PARADIGMs, right? (MODERATE WILLPOWER DC: 25 , rolling 7d6. You'll be able to dispel part of whatever madness has taken him over, potentially opening up an actual conversation with him and learning what drove him to this place to begin with.)>[WENDY ALLY] You don't want to fight him but Wendy's suggestion may still have weight. Let Wendy unleash her !VIOLENCE! upon him. (VIOLENCE THRESHOLD: 19/22/25, rolling 6d6. Every threshold passed, Wendy will put up more of a fight, impressing the Graverobber. He'll pay out in information and QUOTA RESOURCES depending on thresholds passed.)>[CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY + DASHA ALLY] "Do you think you have authority over me, wench?" Put him in his place with Dasha's help. (HARD VIOLENCE + CHARM DC: 54, rolling 13d6. You'll make a stir amongst the various Graverobber Villages upon making him kowtow on a success, earning you some help far down the line. Reduces the DCs of TORMENTED SPARK and LYUBOV/QUENTIN ALLY by 5 on success as well.)>[TORMENTED SPARK/LEX ALLY] "Your blood is foul. These artifacts you have...they are tempting you." Lex is rambling on autopilot now. Back him up. (+0.5 LEX RAPPORT. MODERATE RESTRAINT DC 17, rolling Lex's 5d6. Succeed and he'll prove his worth towards the Graverobber, earning 35% of his TORMENTED SPARK progress. Reduces ASHLEY ALLY DC by 2 as well.)>[ALEXIS ALLY] "Give me a moment. Something's not adding up. Why is he even here?" (EASY COGNIZANCE DC: 16, rolling Alexis' 6d6. She'll be able to piece together a reasonable explanation for what's going on and who you can blame this on.)>[LYUBOV/QUENTIN ALLY] "THE SURVIVORS ARE ALL WE CARE ABOUT." "We do not seek your relics. We want the youngins to leave. Peacefully." (MEDIUM RESTRAINT DC: 24, rolling 7d6. Succeed and he'll concede and accept the request, allowing the few survivors here out without a fight.)>[ASHLEY ALLY] Prime a distraction for Ashley. The less anomalous junk he has melting his mind, the better. (MODERATE TALENT DC: 22, rolling Ashley's 6d6. Succeed and she'll be able to steal one of his relics, weakening the fervor he's in AND giving you a phat piece of loot. Reduces ANOMALOUS ABILITIES DC by 3 on pass.)>[HELPED OUT GRAVEROBBERS BEFORE] "I met Svet! I helped her out! Please, we're really not here for a fight." (You're certain knowing that you helped out a Graverobber will mess up his resolve. He'll be willing to escort your group and all of the survivors you rescued, improving the amount of I-CORP FAVOR and goodwill you receive later.)>Let's leave him alone and just go, haha. (Can be picked any number of times.)>Write in (Use an item? Try something else?)
>>6141163https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/6071053/>>6078152>"Those who DO live there are, well, I've heard rumors about 'Graverobbers' living down there Big, burly men and women with massive tusks that wear bizarre masks and wield massive shovels. Very territorial and ritualistic people. I've heard rumors they've been around since 1152. They might be willing to barter and bargain with you if you have the right obscure artifacts or powers.">>6081421>"...THE GRAVEROBBERS ARE VERY SUPERSTITIOUS. THEY FEAR WHAT THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND. KEEP THEIR EXPOSURE TO ANOMALOUS ITEMS OR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY TO A MINIMUM." It then goes quiet.>>6083888>"Was it a Graverobber that did it?" Ashley asks. "I've been hearing a lot about them. Something is telling me they're important for some reason.">"Nah, nah." Don shakes his head. "They look big and scary but they're flighty creatures. Bear ripped it off when I tried to kill it for me."He is partly or completely compromised by paradigms or by something. I'm not sure all this information will be useful if he is partly or completely controlled by something.
>>6141163>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] >[CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY + DASHA ALLY]Use one AXAXAX PILL.>[ASHLEY ALLY]Give Ashley one DAMDAM PILL.
>>6141163>[CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY + DASHA ALLY] "Do you think you have authority over me, wench?" Put him in his place with Dasha's help. (HARD VIOLENCE + CHARM DC: 54, rolling 13d6. You'll make a stir amongst the various Graverobber Villages upon making him kowtow on a success, earning you some help far down the line. Reduces the DCs of TORMENTED SPARK and LYUBOV/QUENTIN ALLY by 5 on success as well.)Naval captain is around a colonel equivalent iirc>[TORMENTED SPARK/LEX ALLY] "Your blood is foul. These artifacts you have...they are tempting you." Lex is rambling on autopilot now. Back him up. (+0.5 LEX RAPPORT. MODERATE RESTRAINT DC 17, rolling Lex's 5d6. Succeed and he'll prove his worth towards the Graverobber, earning 35% of his TORMENTED SPARK progress. Reduces ASHLEY ALLY DC by 2 as well.)>[ALEXIS ALLY] "Give me a moment. Something's not adding up. Why is he even here?" (EASY COGNIZANCE DC: 16, rolling Alexis' 6d6. She'll be able to piece together a reasonable explanation for what's going on and who you can blame this on.)
>>6141186Are you sure you want this graverobber left unchecked? The way he is acting is deeply concerning. He poses a potential high danger to locals, villagers, other graverobbers, and including himself if we don’t knock some sanity into him and try to find the cause of why he is acting like this. This is the reason why I pick [ASHLEY ALLY], [ANOMALOUS ABILITIES], and >[CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY + DASHA ALLY].
>>6141186Isn't Lex Ally option about knocking sense into him?
>>6141253Lex Ally option only earns respect, not solve the root problem, and it is only a temporary solution. He will definitely go back to his highly unstable old way. We need to permanently get rid of his anomalies staff off him and dispel the anomalies fuckery effect on his mind. Secondly, even if we earn his respect or make him not hostile to us, then what about other people in the local area? Will he treat them with the same courtesy? The way he treats us in the beginning is literally firing off multiple red flags. I will not be surprised if he kills a lot of innocent or okay people in the local area for easily unintentionally angering him or getting in his way or having stuff he wants due to how highly unstable and short-tempered he is. He needs to be dealt with permanently, now, to prevent more innocent life loss.
>>6141163backing >>6141171I don't care why he's hereI don't care who he isI care about him ceasing to be a threat so we can get the survivors out and fuck off out of not!Russia already... but Nicole's apartment is nuked so we need to go to the new place here in District 9
>>6141163>[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Try to find a way to snap him out of whatever's making him so aggressive. It can't just be the PARADIGMs, right? (MODERATE WILLPOWER DC: 25 , rolling 7d6. You'll be able to dispel part of whatever madness has taken him over, potentially opening up an actual conversation with him and learning what drove him to this place to begin with.)>[CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY + DASHA ALLY] "Do you think you have authority over me, wench?" Put him in his place with Dasha's help. (HARD VIOLENCE + CHARM DC: 54, rolling 13d6. You'll make a stir amongst the various Graverobber Villages upon making him kowtow on a success, earning you some help far down the line. Reduces the DCs of TORMENTED SPARK and LYUBOV/QUENTIN ALLY by 5 on success as well.)>[HELPED OUT GRAVEROBBERS BEFORE] "I met Svet! I helped her out! Please, we're really not here for a fight." (You're certain knowing that you helped out a Graverobber will mess up his resolve. He'll be willing to escort your group and all of the survivors you rescued, improving the amount of I-CORP FAVOR and goodwill you receive later.)
>>6141163>>6141171Support.
Rolled 1, 3, 7 = 11 (3d8)CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY + DASHA ALLY: ALLANOMALOUS ABILITIES: b9H, IaM, f8y, AkJASHLEY ALLY: b9H, IaM, AkJTORMENTED SPARK: wj4ALEXIS ALLY: wj4HELPED OUT GRAVEROBBERS, f8ySeems pretty locked in what to do. Three anons, roll the following.>8d6 (ASHLEY'S ALLY)>13d6 (CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY)>7d6 (WILLPOWER)You still have DRUNK LUCK ACTIVE, so you may roll an extra dice for every 1 you roll on ANOMALOUS ABILITIES or CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY.Rolling the 3d8 for the. I'd say DRUNK LUCK can't affect THAT even if it's boosted Captain's Authority, otherwise that would be really strong.
Rolled 4, 2, 3, 5, 3, 6, 6, 1, 1, 5, 1, 2, 2 = 41 (13d6)>>6141580>13d6 (CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY)
Rolled 3, 4, 2 = 9 (3d6)>>6141588Reroll
Rolled 3, 6, 6, 2, 1, 4, 5, 3 = 30 (8d6)>>6141580>ASHLEY’S ALLYRollin’!
Rolled 6, 6, 6, 1, 2, 2, 5 = 28 (7d6)>>6141580>WILLPOWER
>>6141588>>6141590>>6141596>>6141615CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY: 61ASHLEY: 30WILLPOWER: 28 (with a DC of 22)Writing. Should be the last or second to last thing you'll do this mission since, look, you've done a lot. Most of your allies are probably tired at this point.But hey. You got a FUCK TON of loot and some neat character powers + character moments so it all balances out.
>>6141617QMWhat happened to Casey pirate hat?https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5982952/No.5984785>CASEY NOW HAS FANCY PIRATE HAT EQUIPPED (+???. Benefits of it will be revealed later.)Also, you forgot to add/update this to the inventory, Allies and main character (FAVORS AND KNOWLEDGE) sheets:https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5982952/No.6000231>+1 G-CORP (GLOBETROBBER) FAVOR!>+AUTOMATIC GPS TRACKER (Automatically activates at the start of the mission. Points towards the most direct route to your MISSION GOAL.)https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5982952/No.6001389>MAX: 3.5/8 Rapporthttps://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/6071053/No.6071059>+1 I-CORP and Z-CORP FAVOR due to Maruyama + Alexis's meddling!
>>6141629>Pirate HatIt's a joke item. It's just a pirate hat. It's not a magical PARADIGM or ODDITY, nor made out of something special.>GPS + G-CORPNoted, added. GPS wasn't really relevant for the last few missions you were in.And before you ask, yes, I'll add in the loot you gotten from the last updates soon enough. And yes, I didn't forget the Alexis stat boost, you'll see it this update. And yes, I know the MAIN CHARACTER SHEET isn't updated with your new upgrade OR stat boosts or HP healing. I will fill those too.
>>6141617Going on that ship ride was one of the better choices we have made. Love the Admiral.
"Woah, big guy. I don't think you should be swinging that around. I think I should have it.""AND WHO ARE YOU TO ORDER ME AROUND, MANNISH WENCH? YOUR WOMB SMELLS BARE AND I CAN SMELL THE TAR IN YOUR LUNGS, YOU ARE WORTHLESS-" "LEX!"Lex immediately closes the gap between the group and Igor. He puts all of his weight into smashing his shoulder right into Igor's torso. The Graverobber is barely affected by the attack and already has his mace primed to attack to smash in Lex's head like a grape. HOWEVER! "WENDY! NICOLE!" He's too distracted by Lex to notice anyone or anything else.Both of you rush in to grab onto the Mace. You two are not going to be able to rip it out of his hands; He has a vice grip on it. That's not what matters though. You two are just strong enough to prevent him from attacking.Lex moves in to help and his sheer gorilla strength is enough to pry it out of his hands. It hits the ground with a clatter but your group of three is shoved back HARD by Igor. You worry that he's about to rearm himself when...He misses it by a few inches. When you check to see what moved it, you can see sweat dribbling down Wendy's face. Her hands are held out, palms exposed. She used her telekinesis for that. Good thing she's 'leeching it off you' or whatever cope excuse she used.Igor snorts and moves in to grab at the mace again.>30!The telekinetic trick bought Ashley just enough time. Turns out the 'wench' he was making fun of was way faster than he was. Ashley snatches the mace off the ground and easily ducks away from Igor before he could try grabbing her. Your group breaks away from him to see how he'll react now that he doesn't have a weapon."YOU. YOU...yo-you...WHORE! DAUGHTER OF QALRI! VILE DEMON!""Turns out a 'boyish wench' was faster than you. Now, are we feeling better, big boy?""The only demon here is y-you. H-had to make ME use my powers. Feh, tastes awful to use.""Uh, don't think we should be making fun of him. Smashed my shoulder in him and it was like hitting a stone wall."Igor places a hand on his forehead. His eyes, which you note have the same shine as actual gold, are beginning to dull. Whatever spark of pure unfiltered POWER he had moments ago is flickering. "H-HOW DARE YOU DISRESPECT SOMEONE OF MY AUTHORITY...?""Authority? Sir, I do not know who you are or what army you stand for but you have a Kaptain outfit. We have an Admiral here.""ADMIRAL? BULLSHIT. I DO NOT SEE-" You interrupt him before he even has any room to speak by first intentionally clearing your throat as loud as you possibly can.[CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY] "Do you think you have authority over me, wench?" A deep, silky voice that sounds nothing like your usual speaking voice comes out of your mouth. "I may not be THE Admiral but I imagine you can feel HIS presence, no? Even if you do not know his name."Despite his knees shaking, Igor is putting up an air of flippant indifference. "NO. YOU SPEAK IN LIES."
"Lies? I believe my allies can tell dozens of stories on the horrors I have dragged them through and the many, many foes FAR tougher than you that I have bested. But perhaps words mean nothing."You dig into your pocket to hold out two medals: One from the ADMIRAL himself and one from your impressive training track record at X-Corp.Dasha steps in to check the medals before letting out a small gasp, clearly playing it up to spook Igor. "Ooo? Zat's some medals of recommendation from the Admiral of the Fleet himself. Equivalent to that of the Army General...seven rungs above you.""Indeed. And he would not be amused to hear a KAPTAIN talking like this.""NO, NO, THIS. THIS IS A BLUFF. A TRICK-""Nope. That Admiral guy? Shit, man, he's way more powerful than you." Lex interjects. He would know, he DID help you beat him. "And she bested him in a fight.">61!While he's still trying to act indifferent, it's clear what you just said shook him to his core. The ADMIRAL's presence is radiating around your body now (his 'vessel' as he likes to call you) and even if you wanted to, you can't hide it now.He takes one step back. Then another. Then he collapses against one of the many bunkbeds with an expression of indescribable terror as he realizes who he's actually talking to. He's barely able to control his breathing and if you focus well enough, you swear you can hear his heart beating from all the way over here."I-I." The odd echo in his voice is now gone. He simply sounds like a very deep, gravely voiced man. "GET AWAY FROM ME! BACK, BACK, BACK! I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT!""WE WON'T. JUST...STAY THERE." Quentin turns to look at you, as if expecting you to do something else. You feel like there's something missing here so you decide to use a power of yours you don't have that much of a practical use for.SIGHTJACKING. Almost immediately, your vision goes black as you can access to his point of view. What you see is, to be quite frank, worrying. He doesn't see barracks; He sees the battlefield you and Dasha were in mere minutes ago. Your group is nothing more but armed soldiers to him. Granted your group did come in armed but...You see that in his eyes, you're not wearing your thick winter uniform but instead of a very flashy magenta Admiral's uniform that's decorated with dozens of medals and awards. In your hands is a massive harpoon gun that's ready to pierce right through him.Hm.His perception of reality is fucked. You gesture at your various allies to put their guns up before, at the same time, raising your hands up to show that you're not planning on attacking. As your group raises their hands in the air, you notice a distortion in his vision. >28!You keep SIGHTJACKING up enough to attempt a little trick with it. Focusing intensely on what you're seeing, you begin to try 'tuning' his vision by squinting your borrowed eyes. Everything begins to go blurry and then, with a small pop, your vision goes black.
You have to blink a few times upon returning to your perspective. You can see that the wild, scared look in the Graverobber's eyes is gone now. It seems that someone or something forced that 'perspective' of him being in a life or death war on him. There's a meekness to his posture now that wasn't there moments ago.He's almost like a scared animal with how he's observing your group. "I. I JUST WANTED TO...PROTECT MY VILLAGE. I. DON'T HURT ME." He sounds a lot younger too. While before he sounded like a grizzled and experienced soldier, he now sounds like he's a Graverobber version of a confused 30 year old."We won't. All we want is for you to let the survivors go.""AND FOR US TO KEEP THE RELIC OUR FRIEND TOO.""YEAH. YEAH, SURE. I. I WAS ONLY HERE BECAUSE I HEARD RUMORS ABOUT THIS PLACE HAVING ARTIFACTS. ARTIFACTS THAT MY OTHERS IN BLOOD FEAR." Igor takes a moment to swallow the thick ball of spit building in his throat. "FELT IT WAS THE ONLY OPTION. I. I HEARD FROM A FRIEND IN A WEIRD UNIFORM. SO I TRUSTED HIM."Alexis cocks an eyebrow at that. "Any reason why WHITEROCK specifically?""I DON'T KNOW. I ONLY TRUSTED HER ADVICE. THE RELICS WERE POWERFUL BUT MY HEAD, FUCK, MY HEAD..." Yeah, you're not getting much out of him. At least he's saying."Listen. Discard those relics and give them to the wretches in the next room over. Go back to your village and I shall arrange my connections with W-Corp to handle this."Igor looks up at Wendy upon hearing her office and with a small nod, he gets off the ground and pushes past your group to get the hell out of this facility. Well, that went better than you thought. You suppose having a X5 class entity stuck in you does that."So, what cool loot did you steal?""I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.""You youngins have fun. I did my part." Lyubov takes this time to depart the group. That's fine, she didn't do much anyways.>LYUBOV LEFT THE PARTY."Well, check it out!" Ashley shows off the mace she stole from Igor. You take a moment to analyze its stats.>+MACE OF ACERBITY (ODDITY WEAPON. A porcelain mace constantly oozing out a foul black tar. ATTACK ROLL: RESTRAINT*1.5, rounded up. Inflicts MELTED on hit, reducing MAX FLESH by 4 and lowering any attack dice the target rolls by 3.)Neat! This should disable any fighter easily. The issue is who gets it...eh. You worry about that later.Your group takes its time to find the survivors in the barracks but once you obtain them, your group heads off towards the surface. You order your allies to search for any secret rooms in both Barracks and while the one with the Graverobber had nothing of value, the first floor one had some okay loot.You tally it up to see...LOOT OBTAINED!>$300>RIFLE AMMO x4>POTATO VODKA x2>POTATO WHISKEY (A much stronger booze that has some equally potent downsides. Heals 3 RESTRAINT and 1 FLESH, applies a -2 debuff to COGNIZANCE and WILLPOWER for a long duration afterwards. Best used on allies who don't use those stats.)
>SOVIET POCKETWATCH (While useless on its own, may be useful as a crafting component by your more tech savvy allies.) With nothing in the way and nothing left for your group to say, it doesn't take long to arrive back above ground.Once you do, you see that the fire raging above has burnt out, leaving behind only ashes and embers where there were once houses. Alongside the other villagers you helped recover from the first floor, you'd guess you have at least 12 or 14 survivors. Nice.>+3 I-CORP FAVOR FROM RECOVERING SOME SURVIVORS!Q-Bert, Pasternack, and Liz are waiting around in the now abandoned and ruined village as well. They're clearly waiting for their rev friends to return so they can escort the villages. Now that you found everything you needed to...You collapse onto the floor. Exhausted.-------MISSION COMPLETED!REWARD MONEY: $821EXTRA RESOURCES MONEY: $260ADDITIONAL REWARDS: YOU NOW HAVE ACCESS TO AN I-CORP APPARTMENT! GOOD, SINCE YOU JUST LOST YOUR PREVIOUS ONE! YOU ALSO GET ANOTHER +2 I-CORP FAVOR FOR DOING THE MISSION.TOTAL CASH NOW: $6898You look down upon your relics. You can sell a few of these for some extra cash, you know. You might as well decide what you're willing to sell and what you're keeping.LIST OF RELICS YOU CAN SELL.>GLOBUS MODEL 5-19-2 (RELIC TECH. A complex electromechanical analog computer that used an elaborate system of gears, cams, and differentials designed to help you in case you're lost. Will also give 3 I-CORP FAVOR (leaving you with 9) or G-CORP FAVOR (leaving you with 4))>HELIOS SEEKER MKv2 (MISC RELIC. An odd looking detonator painted blazing orange. Has no use...for now. You feel like this thing is VERY powerful if you figure out how to use it.)>MASK OF SORROWFUL COUNTENANCE (MISC RELIC. A white porcelain mask that smells weird. Produces a slow stream of acidic black liquid that can be used to burn both flesh and metal.)>RADIO R-3-121-5 (RELIC EQUIPMENT. A very sturdy radio that, due to unusual design, produces untraceable signals. Allows for long distance communication without the Spooks or any other faction being able to know. Can also be used to contact allies you didn't hire for information.)>INFLIRATION BODYSUIT MODEL #0001 (RELIC ARMOR. A bulky suit made out of rubber and ballistic fibers that has a very rudimentary AI installed. Blocks 1 FLESH and RESTRAINT from all sources. Twice per mission, can turn the wearer semi invisible, granting 2d4 to a stealth check or removing 2 dice from an enemy's attack.)>MOSIN NAGNAT (RELIC WEAPON. Uses RIFLE AMMO. ATTACK ROLL: HIGHEST STAT OF USER+3. The gun of the gods.)>NAGNAT M2005 (RELIC FIREARM. The last Russian revolver model before the Old World ended. Made out of silver. ATTACK ROLL: TALENT+WILLPOWER+2. Inflicts EXPOSED on hit, increasing RESTRAINT and FLESH damage taken by 2 for the rest of combat (can not stack). Uses REVOLVER AMMO.)
>MINDBREAKER REVOLVER BULLETS x6 + MINDBREAKER RIFLE AMMO x4 (RELIC AMMO. Attacks made using this ammo bypass all mental protection and will deal massive MENTAL damage on hit. Good for eliminating targets otherwise too hard to kill.)>MICROJET RIFLE CARTIDGES x6 (RELIC RIFLE AMMO. Specialty ammo that accelerates to speeds 3.5x faster than an average bullet while being nearly silent. Shots made will not be detectable by enemies and you deal an extra 4 FLESH damage with sneak attacks.)>HEMATGON BAR x3 (RELIC CONSUMABLE. An old Russian classic made out of condensed blood, milk, syrup, and enough drugs to kill a horse. Heals 4 FLESH and replaces 1 CRIPPLING INJURY with a weaker version.)Which ones are you willing to give up, if any? (1 HEMATGON BAR = $133, 1 MINDBREAKER REVOLVER BULLET = $85, 1 MINDBREAKER RIFLE AMMO = $99, 1 MICROJET RIFLE CARTIDGE = $105, all else = $623. Sell prices have increased due to high (6, at the moment) I-CORP FAVOR)>You'll give up...(Write in what. If you choose to sell GLOBUS, specify I or G-CORP.)>While not a relic, you might as well sell these to I-Corp too. (-WATER PURIFICATION DEVICE + IODINE TABLET PACK x4, -ECM JAMMER. +1 I-CORP FAVOR and $775.)>You'll keep all of them. You don't NEED to sell this.This is just a small rewards wrap up. Probably won't be open that long, probably 12-14 hours tops depending on how slow votes are.Meant to post earlier but I got dragged into dogsitting for a family member. Something about a funeral. Not really involved in who died but it sorta shook me up.You'll get your choice on FREE TIME ACTIONS after this.
>>6141754>You'll give up...(Write in what. If you choose to sell GLOBUS, specify I or G-CORP.)>MASK OF SORROWFUL COUNTENANCE (MISC RELIC. A white porcelain mask that smells weird. Produces a slow stream of acidic black liquid that can be used to burn both flesh and metal.)>NAGNAT M2005 (RELIC FIREARM. The last Russian revolver model before the Old World ended. Made out of silver. ATTACK ROLL: TALENT+WILLPOWER+2. Inflicts EXPOSED on hit, increasing RESTRAINT and FLESH damage taken by 2 for the rest of combat (can not stack). Uses REVOLVER AMMO.)
>>6141754>You'll give up...(Write in what. If you choose to sell GLOBUS, specify I or G-CORP.)>GLOBUS MODEL 5-19-2 Sell to G-Corp.G-Corp is in a not okay position, and silver agents can use this to their advantage. So let’s sell it to G-Corp, so G-Corp is less desperate and much more hesitant to work with the silver agent.>MASK OF SORROWFUL COUNTENANCE (MISC RELIC. A white porcelain mask that smells weird. Produces a slow stream of acidic black liquid that can be used to burn both flesh and metal.)
>>6141753>HELIOS SEEKER MKv2 useful to blow up the silver agent base if needed.>RADIO R-3-121-5 We are absolutely keeping this.>INFLIRATION BODYSUIT MODEL #0001We should give this to Kiara.>MOSIN NAGNAT Who should we give it to, Kiara, Clover, or Naomi?>NAGNAT M2005 We should Give this to Casey.
>>6141793Our three highest stat rolls are Benedict’s Violence (11), Lex’s Violence (10) and Alexis’ Connections (10).Alexis’ current weapon is the Royal Blue Derringer, which rolls Connections +2. If we give her the Mosin she can 1) stay farther away from the fight and 2) roll an extra D6 in combat.Not to mention… come on, are we seriously going to leave the iconic image of the Soviet woman sniper on the table here? It’s a fucking mosin nagant!Then again… QM, do we know Dacha’s stats yet?
>>6141783That sound big brain.Support.>>6141813Lets keep it and hand it out as needed. Rifle ammo is hard to come by. Her keeping the derringer is good just for that reason.The Mindbreaker ammo seems like it is going to be very useful if we need to kill another super-glowie or maybe a dopple at the base. The blood and syrup bars are a pretty great healing item for allies who won't just get pasted from a straight 4 flesh damage.We are now honorary Ruskies from this mission.
>>6141783+1
>>6141813>QM, do we know Dasha’s stats yet?They weren't super relevant towards this mission but sure, you can have it now since unlike Lyubov she might actually come back.DASHA MOROZOV [???]FLESH: 4RESTRAINT: 6VIOLENCE: 6TALENT: 6WILLPOWER: 2 (-4 from FISH OUT OF WATER)CHARM: 2 (-4 from FISH OUT OF WATER)CONNECTIONS: 0 (LOCKED, though you doubt it was that high of a stat anyways.)COGNIZANCE: 5 (-2 from FISH OUT OF WATER)BOONS:[SOLDIER FROM ANOTHER WORLD] As a soldier from the Red Army, she's a very skilled combatant who managed to survive as long as she did for a reason. DASHA rolls d8s whenever she makes an attack roll and, once per mission, can convert every roll below a 3 on a VIOLENCE/TALENT/FLESH roll into 3s[STEELY FOCUS] She has to keep a steel trap mind in order to not panic in a fight. Whenever Dasha isn't at full RESTRAINT, she gains +1d2 to all checks per missing RESTRAINT to represent her growing focus. At 3 or less RESTRAINT, she also gains +1 to FLESH, VIOLENCE, TALENT and WILLPOWER.BANES:[FISH OUTTA WATER] She's not meant to be here. At all. And it's very, VERY obvious from how she looks and acts. Dasha will have a high chance on taking RESTRAINT damage upon seeing something unfamiliar and she has a sizable stat penalty to most mental/social stats. Her CONNECTIONS are also permanently set to 0. This BOON will be weakened over time.[BARELY HOLDING ON] Her body has been pushed to the limits thanks to the War and she's still recovering from a lack of food, stress, and other wear and tear from the war. Whenever she takes ANY FLESH damage, roll a 1d6 to determine if she gets a CRIPPLING INJURY. (1-2 = NONE, 3-4 = MINOR INJURY, 5-6 = CRIPPLING INJURY)INVENTORY-RED ARMY UNIFORM (Currently stained in blood and torn to shreds but it's still a decent enough piece of armor. Has a small chance to block 1 FLESH damage. +2 CHARM and VIOLENCE for checks against X, J, or R-Corp employees or representatives)-SERVICE PISTOL-5 PISTOL AMMO-1 IODINE TABLET PACK-1 POTATO VODKA-1 STANDARD ISSUE MEDKIT (Has one charge left)-1 GAUZE ROLL-2 GRADE A RATIONS-1 BALLISTIC SHIELD-FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS (A memento to keep her sane. No other major use aside from keeping Dasha somewhat sane.)-YOUNG RUSSIAN LADY PHOTOGRAPH (She's really cagey about this one and who's in the photo. You imagine it's just best not to ask.)Voting is still open for another 4-5 hours.
>>6141753SELL>GLOBUS MODEL 5-19-2TO G-CORP>MASK OF SORROWFUL COUNTENANCETHE REST ARE TOO GOOD TO SELL EVEN IF WE COULD REACH 5 DIGIT CASH IF WE DID SOHOLY SHIT WE MADE BANK THIS MISSION, WE ARE AT 7K!!!!!!
>>6141973I hope she didn’t ask Quentin too many questions. Even his longtime friends find his… quirks… a little unnerving.
>>6141754Fun fact about Gyro-Jet/Micro-jet ammo IRL. They continue to accelerate out of the barrel for a time as opposed to just normal bullets which begin slowing the second they are out the tip. For a Gyro-Jet, it is actually safer to be close if you are being shot because it hasn't had time to fully accelerate. And yes, I know not a gun guy, and it doesn't really matter, but at 3.5x the velocity of a normal 7.62x54 round, those would be going almost 10,000 feet a second or almost 7,000 mph. They would break the sound barrier several times over and would be pretty loud doing so; that is half of why guns are loud. Suppressed rounds are intentionally constructed such that they are sub-sonic.But these are just fun facts, I don't really care that these are quiet it is just a day off and I am enjoying a drink.
>>6142147To be fair it's cooler for bullets that somehow travel at 7k MPH to be insanely silent than to actually be accurate with gryojets since of what you just mentioned because the only real 'use case' of a Gryojet in the moment is if we somehow ever go to space and start shooting people. There's a reason they never took off (well that and they costed an arm and a leg to make.)As for how it actually works? Shooting it is so fucking loud that no one can hear anything ever again since their ear drums rupture. :)Anywho, seems like you're selling the totally not SCP 035 mask and the Globus to G-Corp. Writing, should be very quick since I don't have a lot to write, probably posted in the next hour. Have this small little side update to make up for what will be a pretty small update -----"S-so. Should I ask...?"Everyone looks over at Dasha. She hasn't really been speaking much aside from convincing the Graverobber that you had more authority over him. She's been keeping to herself and you can't blame her."Speak up. You're stuttering like a schoolgirl, it's embarrassing. You're in the FUTURE! Granted, by foul means, but I've forgiven worse things.""...yeah, Dasha, what's wrong? If it's about our family then I can tell you for certain we're doing fine.""No, no, uh. Should his eye be...hanging out like that?"You have no idea what she's talking about until you look over at who she's pointing at. Oh. Quentin's body is looking REALLY bad, all things considered. The one functional eye his SILVER AGENT SHELL still has left has actually popped out of his eye socket. He's holding his hands out to catch something falling out of him and on closer examination, it's his teeth. His gums have rotten to a point where his teeth are beginning to fall out."Ah. He's a Drone. Quite the useful species, yes yes, but he hasn't had a new body in a while." Wendy brushes off the body horror happening right in front of the group. "We plan on getting him a new shell soon anyways."Dasha doesn't even know how to respond to that. She blinks slowly, as if barely able to process the words she just heard. "Whuh?""Don't worry about it. I get it's kinda creepy but he's, uh." Ashley slings her arm over Dasha's soldier. "Look, I was horrified too when I first saw him doing this stuff but you get used to it.""LEX. CAN YOU HELP ME?""Oh, yeah, bro. Just stand still."Your group and the group of survivors both have to turn away as Lex begins impromptu dental and ocular surgery (read: stuffing the rotten parts back into place) on Quentin. Well, except for Wendy, who's waiting with rapt attention."It is impressive how he can keep a body functioning despite all of the damage and rot it has taken. I knew that Drones were hardy but..." If you didn't know any better you would think she's a bit TOO interested in the morbid sight unfolding. "Nicole, your associates are VERY interesting. I must thank you for showing me this.""U-uh, yeah. Sure."
>>6142165Yeah, was just having fun. Shooting a Gyro-Jet pistol or carbine is on my bucket list just because. Not paying like 100 buck for a bullet, though. And hey, if Elon ever starts really getting people in space, those guys might make a comeback. Who knows?
>>6142165Quentin... first you have the bee girl, now the crazy German after you... how will you deal with this?
After taking some time to ponder over what relics you want to sell (and ignoring the horror show going on), you decide there's really only two worth selling: The mask and the analog computer. The porcelain mask is useless now that you have the MACE version of it and the computer is ONLY useful for being sold.Considering what you heard about G-Corp's situation in the past (and it wasn't very good due to it being a new company) AND the fact an apartment complex blew up in it? You feel like they deserve this much."Woo! Okay, I'm not much of a doctor but I think it's good enough. Just, uh, yeah. Is it good enough?""YES. QUITE. LET'S CARRY ON; PERHAPS WE CAN CARRY ON OUR USUAL RITUAL OF ALCHOLIC AND DEBAUCHERY?""Up to Nicole but woo, yeah. I think I need one. Calling ME a boyish wench...fuckin'...eugh." "Is she wrong?-" "Wendy I know you're not talking. You have a pixie cut, at least MY HAIR IS LONG!" Ashley isn't wrong, her red hair goes all the way down her back while Wendy's brown pixie cut is, well, a pixie cut. Though to be frank both aren't exactly the peak of femininity Same could be said for you really."I prefer the red hair, to be honest." "Of course you would, Lex, I know that you would use your half-blood hands to PIN HER TO THE GROUND TO FUCK HER-""Can we NOT do this. Especially with my I don't even know how many greats-grand aunt around?"You clap your hands to snap them out of the petty arguments and insults they're throwing at each other. You can't really blame them; It's been a really stressful mission. "Let's go. Sun's starting to set." The storm that was hampering any progress in or out of the district is gone now. Granted it is still freezing cold up here and you want out of here. Now.You do take this time to peel off your NEW YOU PARADIGM, if only because you feel your brain is about to fry if you wear it for any longer. It takes a bit and you feel a lot less protected from the cold now...but it's the price you have to pay to prevent an Igor situation.>-1 VIOLENCE! ANIMALISTIC IMPULSES REMOVED! NEW YOU WILL BE DISABLED FOR NEXT MISSION!Your group hushes up after hearing your command, thankfully out of respect rather than fear. They are still your friends after all. There's nothing here for anyone of you. You do have to wait a bit for some revs to come up to the surfaces to help lead the three revs you beat up + the rest of the survivors.Once the survivors are secured, though, your group begins the long trip back to the train station. With no real threats left, you break out GOODS OF THE LAND so your party can snack on some warm food and some hot chocolate to make the biting cold a little bit less terrible.Dasha, for her part, is almost about to cry upon biting into a fresh piece of bread with chunks of real meat and bread in it. It's like she hasn't eaten a proper meal in years. You wouldn't be shocked given she was in a war, after all...It's not long before your group arrives back at the train station.
It's as empty as it was when you first got here. Lex places the PARADIGM and QUOTA BOX back where he found them so they can be collected for later. You slip in the two relics you want to sell as well.>+3 G-CORP FAVOR, +$1246! TOTAL CASH: $8144It feels good to be rich. You could almost afford a three month long permit for some proper in a Nest, the most upper class subdistricts of any District. All that's left to do is to wait for the train to arrive. Before you think about how you want to spend your free time, you feel Dasha tapping you on the shoulder."...I have a favor to ask.""Go on?""I-I wish to...understand this world better. If you don't mind, can I be...Alexis' replacement? For when she's unavailable?"You decide to shrug and accept for the time being. No point saying no.>DASHA is now an ally you can hire! You can hire her when Alexis is otherwise unavailable, whether through working too many missions or through other events in the story!Now with that handled, time to plan out your FREE TIME ACTIONS. Pick four.>It's tradition at this point. You imagine everyone wants it. Find a bar somewhere nearby I-Corp and get fucking wasted. (+0.5 RAPPORT with all but Ashley, maxing out Alexis' RAPPORT. You'll get some time to socialize with your allies and a chance to pick two BOONs for Alexis.)>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] You need some time to readjust with the new subdistrict you're going to be living in. Once you're in District 9 proper, explore it to get a feel for the land. (You'll get a general overview of what shops or locations of interest you can visit in I-Corp alongside finding some old caches. You can still visit G-CORP but more options to spend your cash can't hurt.)>[WENDY ALLY] You can tell Wendy feels a bit wimpy for not being able to do much with her telekinesis. Help train her to use the abilities she's borrowing from you. (WILLPOWER THRESHOLD: 33/36/39/42, rolling 10d6+1d3. For each threshold passed, Wendy will develop her telekinetic ability more and more. Pass all four and she'll borrow another power from you.)>[ALEXIS ALLY + HIGH I-CORP FAVOR] "Hey. This is going to be a long shot but...wanna meet some I-Corp reps?" Oh? This could be useful for finding that one mysterious CEO. (-2 I-CORP FAVORS, leaving you with 4. You'll gain +1 CONNECTIONS permanently and the rare chance to meet people VERY high up in I-Corp's corporate ladder. Will help you figure out who the MYSTERY CEO is too.)>[LEX ALLY + ASHLEY ALLY] The two punks are looking at each other as if they had the most ingenous idea in the world. "Hey, Nicole." "We know a cool punk venue nearby. Let's show these punks some TRUE MUSIC." (+1 RAPPORT with Ashley, +0.5 with Lex. You might be able to get some M-Corp favor and lore if you pick this option.)>[QUENTIN ALLY] You do want to ask Quentin what caused a fire to start burning inside him; He seems really energetic all of a sudden. (+0.5 RAPPORT with Quentin. You'll get a chance to unlock another BOON for him.)(1/2)
>[PERSON OF INTEREST] With Ashley's help, try to figure out WHY the spooks decided to bomb your apartment complex NOW of all times. (MEDIUM COGNIZANCE DC: 33, rolling 9d6+1d3 with Ashley's help. You'll get a good idea on what their plan is beyond 'trying to send a message', helping you in the Base Assault later.)>[DASHA ALLY] You know, you feel kinda bad for Dasha. Mostly because she doesn't know what the fuck is going on. Sit her down and catch her up to speed with the rest of the world. >Write in. -----"HEY, NICOLE. RANDOM QUESTION.""Mmh?" You turn to check on Quentin."...UH. IT MAY BE A BIT MUCH TO ASK BUT CAN WE POSSIBLY HUNT FOR A NEW SHELL? FOR ME? I IMAGINE IT WON'T BE A PLEASANT ACTIVITY..."It is obvious his shell is about ready to melt, especially once he's out of I-Corp and back to literally any other district.How do you handle the SHELL question? You'll do this in between your FREE TIME ACTIONS.>RUMMAGE AROUND I-CORP FOR ALREADY DEAD PEOPLE (Costs nothing but your selection of shells will be pretty piss poor. You'll have three okay options to choose from.)>'FIND' SOME 'NASTY PEOPLE' TO 'TURN INTO A SHELL'. (-2 RESTRAINT, leaving you at 8/10. You'll get a choice of three great Shells, though you won't be too glad 'making shells' for him. It is necessary, though.)>[Z-CORP FAVOR + BENJAMIN ALLY] CALL UP BENJAMIN ONCE YOU HAVE SIGNAL. ASK FOR A FAVOR. (You have two favors, choose how many to spend. 1 will get you two decent shells to choose from and 1 I-CORP ITEM for free, 2 will give you a selection of 5 high quality SHELLS for Quentin to choose from and three random Z-CORP ITEMS.)>Ask another ally for some advice? Maybe they'd have a better idea. (Write in who to ask.)>Maybe a better option will present itself later? Tell him you'll think about it later.>Write in (How do you want to help him with his SHELL?)This vote will be open longer than the last one, if only because there's more to actually chew on here.You are also rich now. 8k is a pretty amazing threshold to reach.
>>6142214Wooooo, money! I am sure it will be gone soon. Will think about this a tad since a longer vote and a lot of options.
>>6142211>>6142214>BAR>SEEKER>POI>DASHA>'FIND' SOME 'NASTY PEOPLE' TO 'TURN INTO A SHELL'.BUT WITH>Ask another ally for some advice? Maybe they'd have a better idea.ASKING ALEXIS, SHE KNOWS THE KIND OF RUSSIAN THUGS THAT ARE TROUBLE TO EVERYBODY, AND THAT NOBODY HERE WOULD MISS OR FEEL BAD ABOUT THESE SCUM GETTING "SHELLED" BY QUENTIN
>>6142173I see your speculation on space guns and raise you an underwater AK.Seriously though, I wonder what bullets would look like if we didn’t have to worry about aerodynamics. Maybe space men would just shoot each other with ball bearings.
>>6142211Free time actions:>It's tradition at this point. You imagine everyone wants it. Find a bar somewhere nearby I-Corp and get fucking wasted. (+0.5 RAPPORT with all but Ashley, maxing out Alexis' RAPPORT. You'll get some time to socialize with your allies and a chance to pick two BOONs for Alexis.)>[ALEXIS ALLY + HIGH I-CORP FAVOR] "Hey. This is going to be a long shot but...wanna meet some I-Corp reps?" Oh? This could be useful for finding that one mysterious CEO. (-2 I-CORP FAVORS, leaving you with 4. You'll gain +1 CONNECTIONS permanently and the rare chance to meet people VERY high up in I-Corp's corporate ladder. Will help you figure out who the MYSTERY CEO is too.)>[LEX ALLY + ASHLEY ALLY] The two punks are looking at each other as if they had the most ingenous idea in the world. "Hey, Nicole." "We know a cool punk venue nearby. Let's show these punks some TRUE MUSIC." (+1 RAPPORT with Ashley, +0.5 with Lex. You might be able to get some M-Corp favor and lore if you pick this option.)>[DASHA ALLY] You know, you feel kinda bad for Dasha. Mostly because she doesn't know what the fuck is going on. Sit her down and catch her up to speed with the rest of the worldAnd for Quentin:>[Z-CORP FAVOR + BENJAMIN ALLY] CALL UP BENJAMIN ONCE YOU HAVE SIGNAL. ASK FOR A FAVOR. (You have two favors, choose how many to spend. 1 will get you two decent shells to choose from and 1 I-CORP ITEM for free, 2 will give you a selection of 5 high quality SHELLS for Quentin to choose from and three random Z-CORP ITEMS.)Two favors. Only the best for our bug man. If we get him a good enough shell that Benjamin can stabilize then we only stand to benefit down the line. A random Russian thug will wither into a pile of potato mush inside of a week.
>>6142214 >[WENDY ALLY] Use one SYNDICAKE.I don’t want to waste the boons we give her, and we need to buy consumables from the Z-Corp pharmacy store.>[LEX ALLY + ASHLEY ALLY] Our Rapport with Ashley is 3.5/8>[PERSON OF INTEREST]Silver agent threatening the G-Corp to work with them?>[DASHA ALLY]It will be quite bad for us to rescue her and left her with no information about this city and the world.>[Z-CORP FAVOR + BENJAMIN ALLY] CALL UP BENJAMIN ONCE YOU HAVE SIGNAL. ASK FOR A FAVOR. (You have two favors, choose how many to spend. 1 will get you two decent shells to choose from and 1 I-CORP ITEM for free, 2 will give you a selection of 5 high quality SHELLS for Quentin to choose from and three random Z-CORP ITEMS.)Two Favor.
Bonus Mission Plan.>[BONUS MISSION] "This is going to sound incredibly pathetic but I need you to do this for me. I haven't had contact with my family in a while and I need you to find where they're at and how they're doing. I'm worried, okay?" REWARD: $1000, +1 RAPPORT with your Handler, +1 CONNECTIONS to you and two allies of your choice upon completion, and you'll become a honorary Foxtrot (which will help you interact with corporate families easier). RISK LEVEL: MEDIUMHaving help from the corporate family will definitely be a major boon against Silver Agent Organization.My plan is Casey, Clover, Max, Benjamin, and Kiara will be joining the bonus mission. Casey and Max will deal with the Foxtrot family. Clover for protection. Benjamin will help Kiara analyze any evidence on the whereabouts of the Foxtrot family. Also, Clover can help with training Casey and Benjamin on using a revolver gun. (NAGNAT M2005 and LAWBRINGER)What do you think of my plan, Anon?
>>6142211>It's tradition at this point. You imagine everyone wants it. Find a bar somewhere nearby I-Corp and get fucking wasted. (+0.5 RAPPORT with all but Ashley, maxing out Alexis' RAPPORT. You'll get some time to socialize with your allies and a chance to pick two BOONs for Alexis.)>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] You need some time to readjust with the new subdistrict you're going to be living in. Once you're in District 9 proper, explore it to get a feel for the land. (You'll get a general overview of what shops or locations of interest you can visit in I-Corp alongside finding some old caches. You can still visit G-CORP but more options to spend your cash can't hurt.)>[PERSON OF INTEREST] With Ashley's help, try to figure out WHY the spooks decided to bomb your apartment complex NOW of all times. (MEDIUM COGNIZANCE DC: 33, rolling 9d6+1d3 with Ashley's help. You'll get a good idea on what their plan is beyond 'trying to send a message', helping you in the Base Assault later.)>[LEX ALLY + ASHLEY ALLY] The two punks are looking at each other as if they had the most ingenous idea in the world. "Hey, Nicole." "We know a cool punk venue nearby. Let's show these punks some TRUE MUSIC." (+1 RAPPORT with Ashley, +0.5 with Lex. You might be able to get some M-Corp favor and lore if you pick this option.)>[Z-CORP FAVOR + BENJAMIN ALLY] CALL UP BENJAMIN ONCE YOU HAVE SIGNAL. ASK FOR A FAVOR. (1 favor)>>6142396Might be a good idea
>>6142211>It's tradition at this point. You imagine everyone wants it. Find a bar somewhere nearby I-Corp and get fucking wasted. (+0.5 RAPPORT with all but Ashley, maxing out Alexis' RAPPORT. You'll get some time to socialize with your allies and a chance to pick two BOONs for Alexis.)>[ALEXIS ALLY + HIGH I-CORP FAVOR] "Hey. This is going to be a long shot but...wanna meet some I-Corp reps?" Oh? This could be useful for finding that one mysterious CEO. (-2 I-CORP FAVORS, leaving you with 4. You'll gain +1 CONNECTIONS permanently and the rare chance to meet people VERY high up in I-Corp's corporate ladder. Will help you figure out who the MYSTERY CEO is too.)>[PERSON OF INTEREST] With Ashley's help, try to figure out WHY the spooks decided to bomb your apartment complex NOW of all times. (MEDIUM COGNIZANCE DC: 33, rolling 9d6+1d3 with Ashley's help. You'll get a good idea on what their plan is beyond 'trying to send a message', helping you in the Base Assault later.)>[LEX ALLY + ASHLEY ALLY] The two punks are looking at each other as if they had the most ingenous idea in the world. "Hey, Nicole." "We know a cool punk venue nearby. Let's show these punks some TRUE MUSIC." (+1 RAPPORT with Ashley, +0.5 with Lex. You might be able to get some M-Corp favor and lore if you pick this option.)>>6142214>'FIND' SOME 'NASTY PEOPLE' TO 'TURN INTO A SHELL'. (-2 RESTRAINT, leaving you at 8/10. You'll get a choice of three great Shells, though you won't be too glad 'making shells' for him. It is necessary, though.)
>>6142396I’m down but isn’t the Head meeting tomorrow?
>>6142459I thought it was the day after. Better if the QM clarifies before we go to mission select
>>6142461In which case, should we take the day off and let our allies rest? We’re going to need everyone on their game for this one.Maybe we can have Adam take a look at that Helios thing instead of going on a mission
>>6142352Change[WENDY ALLY] Switch to [It's tradition at this point.] option
>>6142396I like it.>>6142352>>6142214Support
>>6142211>It's tradition at this point. You imagine everyone wants it. Find a bar somewhere nearby I-Corp and get fucking wasted. (+0.5 RAPPORT with all but Ashley, maxing out Alexis' RAPPORT. You'll get some time to socialize with your allies and a chance to pick two BOONs for Alexis.)>[ALEXIS ALLY + HIGH I-CORP FAVOR] "Hey. This is going to be a long shot but...wanna meet some I-Corp reps?" Oh? This could be useful for finding that one mysterious CEO. (-2 I-CORP FAVORS, leaving you with 4. You'll gain +1 CONNECTIONS permanently and the rare chance to meet people VERY high up in I-Corp's corporate ladder. Will help you figure out who the MYSTERY CEO is too.)>[LEX ALLY + ASHLEY ALLY] The two punks are looking at each other as if they had the most ingenous idea in the world. "Hey, Nicole." "We know a cool punk venue nearby. Let's show these punks some TRUE MUSIC." (+1 RAPPORT with Ashley, +0.5 with Lex. You might be able to get some M-Corp favor and lore if you pick this option.)>[DASHA ALLY] You know, you feel kinda bad for Dasha. Mostly because she doesn't know what the fuck is going on. Sit her down and catch her up to speed with the rest of the world.>[Z-CORP FAVOR + BENJAMIN ALLY] CALL UP BENJAMIN ONCE YOU HAVE SIGNAL. ASK FOR A FAVOR. (1 favor)
BAR: ALL (since sve changed his Wendy vote to BAr and AkJ is supporting it)SEEKER: Bbh, wj4, POI: Bbh, sve, wj4, F20, AkJLEX + ASHLEY: D9P, sve, wj4, F20, AkJ, f8yDASHA: Bbh, D9P, sve, AkJ, f8yALEXIS: F20, f8yFIND NASTY PEOPLE: Bbh, F20Z-CORP FAVOR x2: D9P, sve, wj4, AkJZ-CORP FAVOR x1: f8ySo, BAR + POI + LEX/ASHLEY + DASHA + I WANT TO SPOIL OUR BUG MAN wins. Since I doubt four votes for SEEKER or ALEXIS would come out of the woodwork.It's just the COGNIZANCE check you have to worry about. Three anons, roll the following.DRUNK LUCK is still active but it'll wear off after this check. Roll an extra dice per one you roll.>5d6>4d6>1d3>>6142459>>6142461>>6142480The HEAD MEETING/CHANCE TO INVADE SILVER BASE is the day after tomorrow, so you still got one day of regular missions before you're dragging into some pretty serious shit. >>6142242I would be scared if you somehow spent 8.1k within a day. >>6141813Oh, lemme just tell you something. The actual highest stat amongst your allies is OTTO FOXTORT'S CONNECTIONS, at a 16. I don't blame you for not remembering but I updated the allies page to include DASHA and OTTO's stats.
Rolled 5, 5, 2, 5, 2 = 19 (5d6)>>6142719
Rolled 3, 4, 3, 4 = 14 (4d6)>>6142719
Rolled 3 (1d3)>>6142719
"So." You clap your hands to get everyone's attention. "We're going to get shitfaced. The question is: Does anyone have a specific location they want to get shitfaced at in mind?""We could go to one of the mines I own!""None that the rest of you could afford.""I DO NOT PARTICULARLY CARE.""U-uh, I'll go with the rest want."Ashley and Lex are oddly quiet on what they want but you can tell by the looks on their faces that they have the same idea. "Hey. We have this new chick, yeah?" "How about we show her some true music? Some true PUNK MUSIC? We both know a cool venue nearby.""what the fuck is punk music." You wish you could describe the level of confusion on Dasha's face."Hm. Anyone got any issues with that?"Wendy and Alexis let out a disappointed sigh but they seem willing to go along. Quentin shrugs. Dasha is still beyond confused but she gives a hesitant thumbs up."Cool! Alright, you two. We can do to a venue as LONG as it has a bar nearby. We WILL have to make a small pitstop for Quentin's sake but sure. Let's go to a music venue this time around.""Woo!" Ashley flashes the giddiest, most unfitting smile possible but immediately hides it under a dispassionate smirk. "I mean. Thank you, that would be nice.""C'mon! Nicole's cool, she wouldn't have said no!""Haha, yeah, thank you. Very flattering." You clear your throat. "I'll need to talk to Ashley for a bit. Rest of you can go onto the train when it-" And right as you said that, the train finally arrives. Huh. Perfect timing. Your allies (sans Ashley) broad the train to wait and chat amongst each other. Now that you have some privacy, Ashley approaches you with a knowing glint in her eyes."So. It's about them, isn't it?""Yep. It just doesn't make a lick of sense to me. Why NOW? They should've known I wasn't there.""Well, it did seem like it was sending a message, no?"You sit down on the icy cold floor of the train platform. "No, I get that, but sending a message would be like...what. Killing one of you guys? Sending a whole squad to intimidate any shop or vendor into not selling stuff to me? Something more subtle than bombing a place or somethin'?""Well, think about it like this. How often have you come across one of them when they're doin' something and you interrupt their plan?" Ashley digs into her jacket pocket to pull out a cigarette (cheap brand, does nothing for your mind). She offers you one and you take it. You light both up with your FOCUSED TELEKINESIS. "They probably waited until you were gone for a reason.""Still. Why NOW?""Isn't that HEAD MEETING happening soon? Like, almost two days from now? I imagine there has to be some reason they picked NOW to do it, while you were out of the picture.">36![PERSON OF INTEREST] Wait. You think you got something.[PERSON OF INTEREST] One: A lot of the shops you know are located near or very close to your Apartment. The ones that weren't destroyed are probably closed or have moved somewhere else now.
[PERSON OF INTEREST] Two: This will be a very high profile incident. The news will be all over it. All of G-Corp's attention will be on it...[PERSON OF INTEREST] And not what they plan on doing next. They need everyone distracted for a few days so they primed a very obvious, very destructive incident to keep everyone's attention.[PERSON OF INTEREST] That base is almost certainly going to spring in to do something while G-Corp is distracted with both the incident and the meeting. G-Corp's defenses will be too splintered to stop them."Shit." "Yeah." Ashley seems to pick up on the exact same things you're picking up on. "I imagine those spooks are mobilizing soon. You don't have a lot of time; They're probably ready to turn the streets red. Maybe it's a coup, even."[SEEKER OF THE CITY] G-Corp is one of the newest, least established, and weakest companies by Corporate standards. It could be a surebet by their standards.Nothing you can do at the moment but you have to get into contact with that one G-CORP REP you have contact info for.You finish your cigarette and toss it over the edge of the platform. "Mmh. Shit, thanks, that was bothering me ever since I heard it.""No problem. Considering they tricked my brother into playing along with their stupid games, I have no love for them either."With that handled, the two of you board onto the train. You plop down onto one of the longer seats so you can lay your body down on it. Physically, you're in prime FLESH and health but you're exhausted after another long mission. Dasha slowly approaches you while the others are busy chatting amongst themselves. You sit up so she has room to sit down but she gestures at you to lay back down."Didn't mean to interrupt your rest. I could imagine things were pretty rough, Tovarishch Nikola.""It's Nicole. No need to be formal either.""O-oh! Wasn't being formal. S-sorry, good with English but some words slip my mind. Companion? Close to that word."Oh. You get what she's trying to say. "Comrade, eh? That's what you're trying to say.""Yes, yes! The word those armed men were using." Dasha is trying her best to keep up a smile but it's obvious something is worrying her."What's up?""...This world is different from what I knew. I. You know lot, yes? Could you teach me? I don't feel comfortable with others, especially rotten man. I know he's kind but...""I get it, I get it." It takes a bit for you to sit back up but you soon find a comfortable position. "So. Let's do it quick. Most of the human race lives inside the walls of the City. Massive megacity that holds billions on billions of people. Shaped sorta like a fucked up circle.""U-uh huh?""Instead of the nations you knew, there's 26 Corporations instead. Each of which holds enough land and resources to be on par with the nations you know of. They're listed A through Z.""Alexis said we are in I-Corp, yes? Is the Union still around?" You almost don't want to answer this.
"From my understanding, the Union broke up a decade before the City formed, if ancient history classes told me anything."You can almost feel a physical wave of disappointment radiating from Dasha. "So. It wasn't worth it, huh." She collapses onto the seat next to you. "The fights. My comrades dying.""Mmh. Maybe not in the sense of the Union living on but those armed men call themselves Revolutionaries. Perhaps your efforts weren't in vain if they succeed?" You shrug. You've never been much for ideological talk but it seems like something Dasha would want to hear.Seems like that's enough to give her a faint smile, at least. "I suppose the more things change, the more they stay the same. I...I can understand where they're coming from."You spend a decent twenty minutes giving her a basic overview of the Companies and the various occupations and human sub-species. It's a frankly simplified, non-comprehensive explanation but you can tell by how awe-struck Dasha is that she probably needs time to digest that as is."They breed centipedes to pilot bodies to work for the capitalists?" "Mmh." "There's cannibal humans with black blood?" "mmh." "ROBOTS WHO CAN THINK? Ooo! What a fascinating place...I suppose I-Corp shall be my place of resident for now.""Probably a smart idea. Alexis should hopefully get up to speed with the more down-to-earth groups. Oh, I will say, you DID win the space race." "What's a space race?" "Basically, the Soviets managed to travel to space before the Americans did." "OOH!!!"With that little pep in her step, she darts over to where Alexis is sitting to chatter endlessly about that little detail. You can almost feel her staring right into your soul but when she sees how excited her ancestor is, she easily lets you off the hook.>DASHA is now informed on the general structure of the world she's in! FISH OUTTA WATER will be easier to weaken!You take this time to dial up Benjamin for the whole 'Quentin needs a new shell NOW' issue. He picks up almost immediately. "NICOLE ARE YOU OKAY I HEARD ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN G-CORP FROM MAX AND-""Woah, woah, don't deafen me. I'm fine. Just had a rough mission is all." You rather not tell him about the GIGANIGGER SPOOK you had to kill."Oh! Good! Woo! Haha, wasn't worried at all that you might've died while I could've done nothing about it! Teehee!" "Benny!" You can hear Max cut him off over the line. "You're laying it on a bit thick!""Yeah, Max is right- Wait why is she with- Okay, whatever. I need a favor from you and Z-Corp.""Hm?""Like. Right now. Instant. I need a few clone bodies. Ideally, I need you to meet me in, uh...I-NU-6. That's where I'm heading to now.""Oof. That's a bit of a rush order. How many?""Five?""Yeesh. Yeah, yeah, I can do that but you'd probably burn through all of your favors with Z-Corp for that kind of rush job. And for FREE, mind you." He pauses, as if pondering what to say. "I can pull a few strings though. Any reason why you need them?"
"Uh. Long story short, I have someone who needs a new body. That's all I can say.""Say no more! See you on the other side." "Bye, Nicole~!" And the line goes dead.>-2 I-CORP FAVORS!Your train arrives at NU-6 not long after. The train station here is a lot more occupied and busy than the one in NU-7 (given it's not abandoned) but you don't have time to drink in the details of the brutalist architecture. You tell your allies that you and Quentin will be back later and after confirming they'll wait at the station for you, the two of you exit the station in search for Quentin's new bodies.The buildings are all the same generic grey boxy tower that are all clumped together to be as efficient as possible so it's really hard to tell any of them apart from each other. The names don't help since like a lot of the shops you saw in ANTILIA, they just have simple names like "PHARMACY" and "APARTMENT BLOCK" and "DINER".You soon find one location that's out of place and that's because it has an almost obnoxiously obvious marker painted on its wall: A pink deer. Wow, thanks Ben.You two step inside of what looks like another generic, barely constructed grey building. The front room doesn't have any furniture in it and is only a grey concrete shell of what a room should be. There is a locked iron door that you assume leads to the backroom. You approach it and knock on it, yelling out your name.The door unlocks. The two of you proceed inside to see...https://youtu.be/G5ciZFmMw7k - Z-CORP LABA jury rigged laboratory that, by all measures, should've been audited for being unsafe ages ago. A schizophrenic bundle of electric cables are jabbed into a series of five life-pods, each of which are filled with a bright cyan fluid that's almost like gelatin with how thick it is. Five naked bodies are suspended inside of the slurry, three men and two women.A set of tubes are embedded into their sides while their faces are covered by a breathing apparatus. Seems like they could live inside there for years if need be."Welcome!" "Heya, Nicole! Long time no see!" Standing by the tubes are two allies you haven't seen in a hot minute: Benjamin and Max.Benjamin's bird nest hair-do has been slicked back into a more neat and tidy hairstyle. A long, flowing white labcoat with veins of teal running down all throughout it is draped over his sparkling white waistcoat and dress shirt. A tasteful teal bowtie also rests on his chest. Max, on the meanwhile, hasn't changed her look that much. Her tuxedo suit (with a tasteful crimson bowtie) and dress pants are a dull amber hue. Her greyish-blue hair is still the same messy boyish cut it's always in.You note both wear the same pair of white gloves. How adorable.Both of their smiles fade upon seeing the rotten corpse trailing behind you. Oh, right, none of them have ever MET Quentin before have they?"Woah. No wonder you asked him for a rush job. He looks like he's about to drop dead, keh!"
"I-is that man okay? I..I'm not sure if I can do much with-""I WILL BE FINE." Qunetin digs into his inventory and throws down a pile of oddly preserved blue-tinted organs. It takes a moment to remember he took these from the various SPOOKS he killed. "COULD YOU INSTALL THESE INTO THE BODY I WISH TO INHABIT?"Benjamin kneels down to check the organs. He's a bit stumped upon seeing their bright blue hue but he immediately realizes what's up with them. "These are filled with a bunch of blood replacements. I recognize these; I even procedue some of them. But this amount of staturation would cost a lot of..." "Benny I don't think we should ask questions. Just stuff them in so he doesn't look like he's about to keel over.""Fair enough!" You decide to toss each of them something you were already planning on giving them: The VX-NINE SAMPLE for Benjamin and the KRAKATOA PAINTING PAINTING for Max.Benjamin digs his teal-frame glasses out of his front pocket to take a look at the sample. With a small nod, he gives a thumbs up. "I can do something with this."As for Max, she's awestruck at the sight of the painting. If you didn't know better, you'd suspect she was about to start crying. "...Thanks. I'll have to repay you for this later.">+1 KRAKATOA FAVOR! +0.5 RAPPORT WITH MAX!Even Benjamin seems to appreciate you finding it. "Thank you for finding that. I think one of her grandaunts was complaining about an old missing painting like that.""MY SHELL? SORRY FOR BEING CRASS BUT-" As soon as Quentin speaks, his left arm literally slogs off of his body."We'll get r-right to it! P-pick your shell! I'll talk to Nicole for a quick sec!" Benjamin steps up to you and pulls open his labcoat, revealing a small selection of Z-Corp items. "Pick three. I'll have to bring the rest back.">All SHELLS will all share the PASSIVE of SILVER AGENT ORGANS. Quentin will be able to use BLOOD REPLACEMENTS as if he had a EVIGT/SILVER IMPLANT USER.QUENTIN'S DEFAULT STATS WITHOUT A SHELL, for reference.FLESH: 2RESTRAINT: 4VIOLENCE: 2TALENT: 5 (+1 from SPOOK SHADES)WILLPOWER: 2CHARM: 3 CONNECTIONS: 2COGNIZANCE: 5 (+1 from SPOOK SHADES)CHOOSE QUENTIN'S NEW SHELL! HE'LL OBTAIN A BOON AS LONG AS THE BODY IS FRESH.>A slender woman who has some pretty solid looks and curves. You could easily imagine her being a ballerina or gymnast. (+3 TALENT, +3 MAX FLESH, +3 CHARM, +1 MAX RESTRAINT. Quentin will obtain a BOON that will increase his mobility and his ability to dodge attacks.)>A thick, brawny man who could probably eat bullets for lunch, breakfast, and dinner. (+6 MAX FLESH, +6 VIOLENCE, +1 TALENT. Quentin will obtain a BOON that'll make him even HARDER to kill than he already is.)>The most generically average man you have ever seen in your life. At the prime of his health, though. (+3 MAX FLESH, +2 TALENT, +1 to all other stats. Offers no BOON to Quentin. It's just a very good shell overall.)(1/2)
>A rather dorky looking teenage boy who doesn't seem all that impressive. Benjamin does say he has some VERY dense brain matter in that noggin of his. (+3 COGNIZANCE, +3 WILLPOWER, +2 MAX RESTRAINT, +1 TALENT, +1 MAX FLESH. Quentin will gain a BOON that lets him easily see through illusions and lies, anomalous or otherwise.)>A middle aged woman who could easily worm her way into the corporate world with the intense look on her face. (+4 CONNECTIONS, +2 MAX RESTRAINT, +2 CHARM, +2 MAX FLESH. Quentin will gain a boon that allows him to passively increase MISSION REWARDS and OPTIONAL OBJECTIVES if he's hired for a mission.)Choose three Z-CORP ITEMS from BENJAMIN!>Z-CORP AMPULE x2 (Heals 2 FLESH and RESTRAINT, no questions asked. A very potent healing item.)>"NIENAWIŚĆ" BLOOD REPLACEMENT VIAL ("Had to pay a lot to get this." A jet black vial that radiates an off aura. When consumed, boosts VIOLENCE by 6 and the user rolls d8s on VIOLENCE checks for a long duration. On a SILVER IMLANT USER, heals 5 FLESH as well.)>HEMOGLOBIN GRENADES x3 (Bright white balls with teal paneling all over them. Produces a thick sticky red substance that clogs up doorways or freezes enemies in place, requiring them to make a VIOLENCE check to break out of. Passively deals MIXED DAMAGE to anything trapped by its gel.)>HUMAN ESSENCE EXTRACTOR MODEL "SUPPLEMENT" (A highly complex handheld surgical device meant to extract all manner of things from a human body. Can be used once on a CORPSE to gain a charge. Spending 10 charges can increase any stat permanently by 1.)>HEMOCLOBBER (An odd looking baseball bat. ATTACK ROLL: COGNIZANCE+3, deals MIXED DAMAGE. Slowly gains charges when hitting an enemy, up to 5. Once at full charge, all charges can be spent to heal 2 FLESH and RESTRAINT.)>Z-COMPANY NATURAL FIBER ARMOR (A long labcoat made out of a fibrous material that repairs itself and the user. +1 MAX FLESH to wearer and gives them a weak but always active HEALTH REGEN.)
>>6142901>A slender woman who has some pretty solid looks and curves. You could easily imagine her being a ballerina or gymnast. (+3 TALENT, +3 MAX FLESH, +3 CHARM, +1 MAX RESTRAINT. Quentin will obtain a BOON that will increase his mobility and his ability to dodge attacks.)This will be great for scouting a large area or searching something.>"NIENAWIŚĆ" BLOOD REPLACEMENT VIAL>HEMOGLOBIN GRENADES x3>HUMAN ESSENCE EXTRACTOR MODEL "SUPPLEMENT"
>>6142901>A rather dorky looking teenage boy who doesn't seem all that impressive. Benjamin does say he has some VERY dense brain matter in that noggin of his. (+3 COGNIZANCE, +3 WILLPOWER, +2 MAX RESTRAINT, +1 TALENT, +1 MAX FLESH. Quentin will gain a BOON that lets him easily see through illusions and lies, anomalous or otherwise.)>Z-CORP AMPULE x2 (Heals 2 FLESH and RESTRAINT, no questions asked. A very potent healing item.)>"NIENAWIŚĆ" BLOOD REPLACEMENT VIAL ("Had to pay a lot to get this." A jet black vial that radiates an off aura. When consumed, boosts VIOLENCE by 6 and the user rolls d8s on VIOLENCE checks for a long duration. On a SILVER IMLANT USER, heals 5 FLESH as well.)>HEMOCLOBBER (An odd looking baseball bat. ATTACK ROLL: COGNIZANCE+3, deals MIXED DAMAGE. Slowly gains charges when hitting an enemy, up to 5. Once at full charge, all charges can be spent to heal 2 FLESH and RESTRAINT.)This'll go to Ashley
>>6142900>A slender woman who has some pretty solid looks and curves. You could easily imagine her being a ballerina or gymnast. (+3 TALENT, +3 MAX FLESH, +3 CHARM, +1 MAX RESTRAINT. Quentin will obtain a BOON that will increase his mobility and his ability to dodge attacks.)THE GIGA DODGE>"NIENAWIŚĆ" BLOOD REPLACEMENT VIALNo way I will ever pass on this>Z-COMPANY NATURAL FIBER ARMORARMOR ARMOR ARMORWEAK HEALTH REGENALWAYS ACTIVE>HEMOGLOBIN GRENADES x3Look as much as I want that organ extractor for INFINITE STAT SCALING for Quentin, we did spend too much resources surviving the Noelle/Bell superboss fight. This will at least help us recover a bit more on the aoe debuff department>>6142995Ignoring Handler himself, highest COGNIZANCE ally is Kiara at 8 and she's ALREADY eating good with us getting so much stuff suited to her over and over. If we do get this this can be better for Naomi instead, but her LINGERING SCARS will still nerf that heal. The bat wants her to always be hitting shit and winning, but having her in melee besides the occasional sadism indulgence is not wise
>>6142900>A slender woman who has some pretty solid looks and curves. You could easily imagine her being a ballerina or gymnast. (+3 TALENT, +3 MAX FLESH, +3 CHARM, +1 MAX RESTRAINT. Quentin will obtain a BOON that will increase his mobility and his ability to dodge attacks.)>>6142901>"NIENAWIŚĆ" BLOOD REPLACEMENT VIAL ("Had to pay a lot to get this." A jet black vial that radiates an off aura. When consumed, boosts VIOLENCE by 6 and the user rolls d8s on VIOLENCE checks for a long duration. On a SILVER IMLANT USER, heals 5 FLESH as well.)>HUMAN ESSENCE EXTRACTOR MODEL "SUPPLEMENT" (A highly complex handheld surgical device meant to extract all manner of things from a human body. Can be used once on a CORPSE to gain a charge. Spending 10 charges can increase any stat permanently by 1.)>Z-COMPANY NATURAL FIBER ARMOR (A long labcoat made out of a fibrous material that repairs itself and the user. +1 MAX FLESH to wearer and gives them a weak but always active HEALTH REGEN.)
>>6142992Change>HUMAN ESSENCE EXTRACTOR MODEL "SUPPLEMENT" Switch to >Z-COMPANY NATURAL FIBER ARMOR
FUCK ITI'M MOVING TO A NEW PLACE IN A WEEK AND I'M STRESSED AND ANXIOUS, SO I'VE BEEN TOO BUSY TO DO THE AUTISM, BUT I'M GOING TO DO THE AUTISM ANYWAY!!!>>6134927>the noiseI wonder if we should get Lex a pair of earplugs? It might be interesting to have him deaf to no-sell any sonic attacks, while still communicating to him via telepathy. Spooks and other baddies might be able to exploit his Graverobber biology otherwise>>6134936>RevolutionaryIs it him? Is it our man Administrator back when he was Zeta and he was insanely anti-City and the Head hated him? This is all in the past...>PHISame Phi from HELP WANTED!>>6135695>bundleThat was from LOVE TOWN for looting the stash in the Bank plus rescuing the missing villagers>NAGNAT M2005Ignoring Nicole who has enough ranged weapons, and ignoring Kiara who has a SERVICE PISTOL plus a DOUBLE-BARREL SHOTGUN, this can be best used by either Ashley or Frank based on stats. Right now our ONLY revolver users are Nicole, Clover, and Wendy based on current gear.Somebody with a lot of TALENT but not much else can make better use of a basic SERVICE PISTOL than something with multi-stat power like this. Anybody can still use this to stick EXPOSED on a tough bastard, so it has versatility. If we're only going to have this for the great debuff, then the user's attack roll stats don't matter>PasternackMust be a fake/assumed name if the lore detail about Graverobbers and short names hold true>don't have a problem with himIf he's this much of a balls-to-the-wall radical, he might have a problem with Nicole or anybody that is fine with the City on principle. Nicole is not pro-City but she isn't anti-City either. I don't look forward to this meeting if it ever happens>>6135696>hogging resourcesThat's not what LOVE TOWN implied before, was it? Very scummy if true>>6135697>A2-T-PHYS, A1-T-MIXED, D2-M-PEND, and B3-M-MENTALNever breaches, physicalNever breaches, mixedBreaches often, what the fuck is PEND supposed to be?Rarely breaches, mentalI don't get the Ts and the Ms either>>6135703>GRADE A RATION x4Naomi and Frank would have their day brightened by this. Naomi would have the heal nerfed, but it's the thought and the buff that counts>WATER PURIFICATION DEVICE + IODINE TABLET PACK x5I wonder if the IODINE TABLET PACK does anything by itself? Either way both of these could be great bargaining chips>MATTER RECYCLER MARK v1BIG VALUENEVER SELLING THIS>HELIOS SEEKER MKv2What could this blow up?>MASK OF SORROWFUL COUNTENANCEKinda boring? It has uses but we can do everything this does better with what we all have>young woman with a sparkle in her eyes and dirty blonde hairPhi before MEETING the MEAT>scarred man with a missing arm and left eyeNew face>so generic you can't even describe himNew face?
>>6136504>and assault riflesWith ass rifles being pretty rare in most of the City on top of the ammo price extremes, whoever is funding these revs must be big. Perhaps a corporate head wanting to sow chaos, or secretly in cahoots with their idealism?>assistWendy has been getting some nice character development here and there>A STORYI wonder how much the allies have been swapping mission stories offscreen?I've thought of who we know that hasn't been given any rundown on the glownigger menace, and those are Ben, Max, Maruyama, and Frank. Everybody else has been with Nicole during a glownigger being encountered or killed - or in the case of Adam and Benedict they've been direct victims of the silver agents.>>6136506>any actual good in a fightAs long as she has ROYAL BLUE DERRINGER, she can contribute meaningfully>this informationAlmost every single one of Nicole's group has come a long way from the start. Everybody's become seasoned vets from the whole... almost a month Nicole's been doing this with them>match the descriptionCouldn't we have simply pulled out the PHOTOS of dead Admiral and showed them off? Lex and Ashley are in the shots too>DISAPPOINTINGI agree; Quentin has been one of the best characters in this entire quest full of great characters>MICROJET RIFLE CARTIDGES x6The only rifle we have is Nicole's ASSAULT RIFLE, and she's also the only rifle user right now. These 6 are good for 2 rounds of attacks since the rifle eats 3 ammo per combat round of firing. Could CAMO IMPLANT into using these on something that really needs to be stealth killed?>INFLIRATION BODYSUIT MODEL #0001This can go on Naomi with how fragile she is, but anybody can use this if they need the armor or are similarly frail>>6136507>HEMATGON BAR x3The only people too low in FLESH to use this are>Ben>Max>Naomi>Casey>CloverAnd those are also the most easily-killed of all the allies right now>condensed into a sticky slurry that's basically inedibleI hope my analysis posts are easy to read...>play-bickeringThis and the fist bump they had earlier? They've got a real unlikely friendship built>far too longLong hallways in MY video games? It's more likely than you think... Also don't think I didn't notice this come up a few other times. It's understandable padding in the City architecture and this quest
>>6136845>pair of glovesIf we got that matching cape that had the same effect, we could have stacked them>FOCUSED TELEKINESISWe should use this more often, thanks for the reminder>>6136846>Felix, JackI miss them too QM>REVOLUTIONARY SIN (PRIDE) KNOWLEDGEWe haven't had this mechanic happen since the VANITY SIN of F-Corp from way back in the diner mission>faintest hint of a smileAll the ice has almost melted...>>6136850>Anomaly WorksYes QM, I too miss HELP WANTED! from time to time. Too much work and too much info to go back to that. This way here is much better on you and us players>why you didn't learn this in the P-Corp Facility missionBecause we're getting it in a big HELP WANTED! callback moment here, c'mon>ANOMALY WORK KNOWLEDGESEEKER keeps doing heavy lifting for Nicole. ANOMALOUS is falling behind in comparison>>6136853>GRANDMA OF NESTSA straight horrorshow without subversion is refreshing to read>>6137433>SURE, NOELLENicole will get used to it eventually>>6137435>half-remembered memoryThis is a big Nicole lore drop compared to the barest drip-feed over the entire quest. I wonder what it could mean?>not that young herselfGuess that explains Nicole's autism?>>6138330>give him a RAW MOONSTONE CHUNK.Now 2 left, QM!>very rare antiqueN-Corp would KILL to get a King James Bible>sounds...humanA REAL BOY?!?!?!>>6138333>when you become like herThat's IF, not WHENAlso the answer is at least a couple of them would. That counts>>6138334>doomed to become an anomaly againDo you keep them alive to harvest them for energy, or do you kill them and give them rest?>[AIMER LES ABANDONNÉS]This encourages us to have less quality corpses maintained for longevity, and instead many shittier corpses for him to keep using up and discarding in turn. It also encourages us to use him as a suicidal distraction more. After the glowie base assault, we should lean into all this properly and see how that goes
>>6138335>FORGOTTEN PENDANTAnybody without an accessory or without that many gains should have this. I wonder what'd happen if the character has only multiple lowest stats, or only one lowest? Eh I guess we'll figure it out later? The +2 to two stats is still huge value if it's for something like FLESH for our frailest friends>>6138337>faintly recall learning itMust be from before the quest begins>>6139180>legible wordshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F3jRibdY0E>not the best with heightsWas Nicole always like that?>>6139181>music on these daysRadio will never die unless all tech dies>oddly familiarReminds me very strongly of this passing NPC from Disco Elysiumhttps://discoelysium.fandom.com/wiki/Yvonne>VolkivkaIs that a real place? I can't seem to find it>BASIC HISTORYImagine glass cages of centipedes all on desks in a classroom listening to a meatbag lecturing world history at them>>6139184>pat WendyNicole is the big sister? But isn't Wendy older than her?>establish a true connectionHave we heard this before?>Admiral last missionI completely forgot this last detail, what was it?>hide the fearI wonder how they'll take learning Nicole has had the Admiral in her since he died out in the Infinite Sea?>>6139187>a recording of the day THEY have forgottenIs this radio tower clusterfuck the anomaly that FORGOTTEN SIGNAL is from?>hear these voices around anomaliesI always like the lore-important flavor text being perceived in canon>>6139199>BROKEN TRANSMISSIONWho the fuck do we give this to? It's so fucking good anybody can use it in any role>>6139731>2 DILUTED ICP VIALSBenjamin and Max might need this more than Lex and Maruyama do, with how we haven't got them on a mission in a long while.>>6140361>MOROZOV FAMILY TIMEPIECE What stat did she get the permanent +1 to?>July 28th, 1944Not on wikipedia. A true lost battle of WWII only something made to transmit forgotten events can do...>>6140362>finally regain control Nice short sequence. Admiral would have partywiped us if he were actually serious and not a glorified power-hungry manchild>bright orange and pink colorOh right Nicole never took a blood replacement vial yet even though she's a silver implant user. Never had a reason to yetSPEAKING OF>REPROGRAMMED "VYDRŽAŤ" IMPLANT>+3 MAX FLESH and +1 to two stats of the user's choiceMy opinion is this goes to Benjamin>REPROGRAMMED "ELNIAI" IMPLANT>+1 WILLPOWER, CHARM, COGNIZANCE, and RESTRAINT when installed into someone. Once per mission, it may reduce all damage taken by one attack to 1My opinion is this goes to Max, not only because of the damage to 1 ability but because it gets her to 4 on all of those stats except putting CHARM to 6. This puts her CHARM equal to Alexis and Maruyama, and she can use SUGAR WAND X the best of anybody in the group... but we don't know yet if her anomalous SPARK is any good with that or not
>>6140365>you're a real manSame as what I said before about Lex and Quentin being bros>don't remember a DashaIs she even a real person or just some simulacrum generated by the radio anomaly? Or is she too old or obscure for the family tree to show her existing?>>6140375>ripple effects throughout the whole CityWe still have MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN ERA that can pull stuff from the past. Should use that power again if we canI'm calling it here early. Fuck this shit tires me out but it's fun and I like it
>>6143493>Is that a real place? I can't seem to find itNope. It doesn't exist in the real world.>I completely forgot this last detail, what was it?When you were talking to some S-Corp business men who were also hunting down a briefcase your group was searching for, you flatout told them YOU were the one who opened their ports by 'killing' the Admiral. Alexis was with you on said mission as well.>What stat did she get the permanent +1 to?You'll see this update.Anywho,SLENDER WOMAN: ZiD, IaM, F20NERD: wj4BLOOD REPLACEMENT: ALLHEMOCLOBBER: wj4FIBER ARMOR: F20, ZiD, IaMZ-CORP AMPULE: wj4HUMAN ESSENCE: F20HEMOGLOBIN GRENADE: IaM, ZiDMade an oopsie reading the votes. Thought it was a tie, it wasn't. You're getting the BLOOD REPLACEMENT + FIBER ARMOR + HEMOGLOBIN GRENADES alongside the SLENDER WOMAN for Quentin. It's late, I'm a bit tired, apologies for the fucky wucky. Writing.Due to the FREE TIME votes you picked, you'll be maxing out two ally's RAPPORTS. You'll get what's called a CAPSTONE BOON for Alexis and Lex, which is essentially just a selection of three really really good BOONS to finalize their abilities.Granted, you can still upgrade allies with implants and other items after their CAPSTONE BOON, but this is the most they can upgrade naturally through being fwiends with them.
After you take your share of items, Benjamin closes his labcoat to focus on his patient. "So? Found one you liked?">+"NIENAWIŚĆ" BLOOD REPLACEMENT VIAL, Z-COMPANY NATURAL FIBER ARMOR, and HEMOGLOBIN GRENADES x3 "THE SLENDER WOMAN, PLEASE. I WOULD PREFER A SHELL WITH THE FLEXIBILITY NEEDED TO AVOID DAMAGE. I REQUEST YOU DRILL A HOLE INTO THE BACK OF ITS HEAD TO...ALLOW ME ACCESS."[GULLIBLE] "Sure! I don't know why the back of the head specifically but I assume you have some sort of reason! Let's lead you to the operating theater!" Benjamin accepts the blatantly shady request without really questioning it.He detaches the statis pod with the SLENDER WOMAN BODY and proceeds to wheel it into a side room connected to the laboratory. Quentin stumbles after him as fast as his fully rotted body can. It's now just you and Max now."So. How's work been?" She speaks with a low, more collected tone now that Quentin (a total stranger) is out of the picture. "Been a hot moment since I've seen you.""It's been something. Had to kill a clone of myself, had to track down and 'fight' a CORPORATE ADMINISTRATOR-" "-wait what do you mean you dealt with an administrator-" "-and I also may have visited a P-Corp facility for decades ago?" You proceed to give her a quick rundown of the last three missions you were on.It takes a moment for Max to process everything. "Woo. Okay, wow! No wonder why Benny was so interested in you if you can do all of that back to back. It's been THREE DAYS and you've done all of that? I have to ask:" A flood of concern washes over her expression. "Are you...are you okay? Do you need to talk about something?"Huh? You cock your eyebrow, not sure how to respond.[SHELTERED] "I. I dunno, I just thought it was the right thing to ask." She fidgets with her hands, not sure how to continue the conversation. "Sorry. Still a bit stressed over that apartment block bombing thing.""Hey, hey. It's fine." You faintly smile at her concern over you. "Look. It's rough sometimes but it's also fun. Probably better than being a beancounter or working a 9-to-5, you know?""I suppose. Just know me and Benny are looking out for you. We're here if you need us.""Hey! Maybe I'll take you up on that offer. I know you guys need some experience on the field with those powers I gave you.""Oh! Yeah! You should see us when we can team up and use our powers to make everyone look like CHUMPS-" Before she can show off what cool power she unlocked, two figures stumble out from the surgical theatre. Quentin, who now has the shell of a slender lightly tanned woman which is now dressed in punk rock clothing. "THIS BODY WOULD DO. I WILL MISS HAVING A MALE SHELL BUT THIS WILL BE ACCEPTABLE FOR NOW."and Benjamin, who looks both horrified and mesmerized by what he saw/did. "...fascinating. Well, your friend here has his fancy organs inside. he should be ready to go.""Awww. Shame you can't stay longer. I imagine you got places to be, Nicky."
"Well. We'll catch up later, huh? Don't be a stranger~!""We'll see. You two have a good day.""You too!" "See you around, Nicky."With that done, you proceed to exit the lab with Quentin's new shell in tow. You take a moment to check what BOON he got from it...>QUENTIN now has FINE TUNED REFLEXES! (Whenever Quentin rolls to dodge an attack, he may roll twice and take the highest result. Quentin also now rolls d7s on TALENT checks when doing risky maneuvers while flying, climbing, or sneaking.)"Nice." "NICE. I CAN CERTAINLY USE THIS SHELL EFFECTIVELY. SHALL WE DANCE TO PUNK MUSIC AND GET SHITFACED, AS PER OUR ALLIES' DESIRES?""You read my mind. Let's get going."The two of you arrive back on the train and, after another thirty minutes travelling on the hunk of junk, you arrive at another NU-6 station about a few miles from the lab you met Max and Benjamin at. Upon arrival and the doors to your train opening up...https://youtu.be/h49yLu6kkVs - M-CORP PUNK VENUE Oh. Oh, Lex and Ashley were NOT kidding about it being Punk. Your ears are assaulted by a blaring cacophony of screeching voices and jeers that's blending and mixing in with blazing fast drums and guitar solos. It takes a moment for everyone sans Lex and Ashley to stabilize from the assault on their ears.It's only then do you realize that besides the station you stepped out of, there's barely any buildings where you're at for MILES. The venue itself seems to just be hastily put up in the middle of an empty frigid part of land that this part of NU-6 hasn't developed yet. If you didn't know any better, it was set up only a few hours ago.The venue itself doesn't really seem to have much security or structure to it, if any at all. Aside from a vague and loosely defined series of fences meant to keep the mob of punks, thugs, and other rowdy lowlifes inside a general area there's only two main structures to this outdoor venue. One: Six large pop-up bars along the east side of the 'mosh pit' or whatever the center the mass of almost-rioting punks are in is called.Two: The concerte stage itself, towards the front. The band currently has three Drones, two Androids, and one Cleanser currently jamming away at their instruments.Dasha is currently overstimulated by the sheer EVERYTHING of what she's seeing.Alexis is really, really trying to hide her contempt at the situation she got dragged into...>ALEXIS RAPPORT IS NOW AT 7/7!"You know what?" The contempt washes away from her face as quickly as it appeared. "Lex and Ashley picked this for a reason; They clearly wanted to show us their interests. I'm willing to give this a shot."Wendy is a lot more receptive upon seeing how rowdy it all is. "Oh, you need to loosen up! Look at all of that carnage waiting to spill out. All of those thoughts that could be crystalized into HUMAN EXPERIENCE-""YOU HAVE ISSUES, WENDY. I SAY THIS WHEN WE ARE LED BY A WOMAN WITH ANTLERS WHO IS..."
"EITHER AUTISTIC, SCHIZOPHRENIC, ON THE VERGE OF BECOMING AN ANOMALY, CUTE, OR ALL OF THE ABOVE.""I WILL ADMIT. I DO LIKE THE VENUE.""Quentin you sly dog." Lex playfully slugs Quentin on the shoulder. You note no one is really questioning his new shell at this point. "Flirting on her? I thought that Casey chick you were talking about was the woman of your-""SHUT UP.""Hey, you're the one who fired the first shot here." "Yeah. Take responsibility, chump."Quentin, due to his shell's peak freshness, has the ability to blush now! And by god, it's neon red. "HRM." "Heh. You and Lex really do go well together, huh?" Ashley goes to light up another cigarette when something interrupts all of you."So enthralling...THIS is the music of the new world?" Dasha is, as she said, enthralled by what she sees. "I would never see something like this back in my hometown. Alexis, we must travel to see the wonders of this new world!""I- Okay, okay, I'll be there in a moment. Ashley, mind watching her?""Gladly. I rather not have her spilling her brains out within what? An hour of us bringing her here?" She wraps her arm around Dasha's shoulder. "C'mon. Let's show you the words of PUNKDOM. Quentin? Wendy?""I'LL COME, SURE." "Hehehe~! Time to show these chumps some true expression."Before the four leave, Ashley flashes a smile to you. "Thank you for letting us come here. It means a lot; I really didn't think you'd accept.""C'mon, I'm not that callous. You guys go enjoy yourselves.">+1 ASHLEY RAPPORT! +0.5 RAPPORT WITH LEX! It's now just you, Lex, and Alexis. You find it funny how after almost a month of being a Cleaner, it all returns to you three. It's clear they find it funny too considering the smirks both of them are giving you."To imagine I met you at some random bar, not knowing how much you'd change my life with all of the nonsense you dragged me into. To think I would be in the position of power I was in because of one random girl.""To think I managed to find some friends after being alone for so, so long. Even if some of them are dorks who take themselves too seriously.""It's funny, isn't it?" Both say at the exact same time."I suppose it is, huh?"The three of you make a beeline towards the bar. You met at one, you might as well solidify your bond for good at one. Oddly enough there's not a lot of people going to the bars. Most of them are too entranced by being part of the crowd to really bother with the booze.You and Alexis are obviously confused but as you find some stools to sit on, Lex explains what he knows about it. "Yeah, M-Corp dudes are weird. The music they make is good but they get into this weird...trance state. Hard to explain. It's like they turn their brains off.""Mmh." The bartender, a wizened old hag with cataracts, leans in to chatter with your group. "They like it that way. I would know, used to be with M-Corp proper before I got too old to join the FEVER."
[SEEKER OF THE CITY] The FEVER? You recall hearing that before; It's supposedly a mental state that M-Corpers can willingly induce in themselves.[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] It is an anomalous phenomena that can be induced with the right series of melodies, instrumentals, and frequencies. It offers a euphoria far, far better than sex. N-not that you would know.The crowd listening to the music is completely focused on the music they're listening to. Bodies gyrating, arms and legs swinging in every direction without care of who they hit. Complete and total unity under one goal: TO BOOGIE. TO BE ONE WITH THE CROWD.You can barely make out Ashley, Quentin, Dasha and Wendy in the crowd. In comparison to the others, their dancing is VERY tame to how violent the rest of them are acting. It's almost quaint."Never really been much of a FEVER fan myself. I dunno. It just feels weird to turn my brain off now. Uh, oh, yeah. Three beers for us. I'll pay.""Comin' right up, big boy."Soon, three glasses of watered down beer are slid over to you and your two pals. "I can almost envy it. I don't really have much time to relax these days. I probably would've shot myself if I said this a month ago but...""You wanna boogie?" Lex can't decide whether to laugh at or with Alexis. "Damn. I didn't think you had it in you.""Silence. I think it would be fun."One of the entranced punks slowly stumbles towards the barricade between you and the pit. He glances up at your trio, seemingly snapped out of his trance for the briefest of moments. "...yeah, bro. It's all one symphony. Where we can just say FUCK THE WORLD, we don't NEED anything. WE don't need those stupid ALPHABET COMPANIES besides M-CORP, BRO. UNDER M-CORP, all of us can be who we TRULY ARE! ANIMALS WHO WANT TO GROOVE, BABY!"Soon, he falls back into the FEVER and disappears into the crowd.[SEEKER OF THE CITY] You now remember a bit more about M-COMPANY. They seem really intensely focused on the MIND and how MUSIC impacts it. To create a world where all is solved through song.[UNSTABLE] It's a stupid, silly way of seeing the world. It's pathetic even.[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Yet, they're a powerful company for a reason. All of that emotion and energy they produce through the FEVER...You turn back to Alexis and Lex. You easily gulp down the beer you were given in one go. "So. It's funny how no matter how much we see, no matter how much we do, it all goes back to this. It's cute in a way.""Would you want it any other way? I prefer this over boring HR meetings.""C'mon, Nicky. You've been with us long enough to know one simple fact. We're here to have fun. With you."You can't help but to smile at that. It's hard to remember sometimes that your allies are your friends, your confidants. People who would be willing to die for you.You notice Alexis glancing down at the family heirloom she was given. For some reason you sense she's more focused than before.>+1 MAX RESTRAINT TO ALEXIS
"So. Nicky. Alexis. Wanna make a pact?""A pact? I know we found out you're half graverobber but isn't that a bit primitive?""I guess. But I want to show that our friendship really does mean something. Even when we're bones and dust, it was worth it."You three all share a look with each other. The bartender hands all of you another drink and, without saying a single other word, the three of you share a toast. You can feel the RAPPORT between Alexis, Lex, and yourself solidifying into an unbreakable bond...YOU UNLOCKED TWO BOONS FOR LEX AND ALEXIS! CHOOSE LEX'S REGULAR BOON!>"What if I actually trained to use these power tats beyond just punching shit?" (WORK SMARTER. +2 MAX RESTRAINT, +1 WILLPOWER and COGNIZANCE, upgrades ANOMALOUS TATTOOS. He may now spend 2 RESTRAINT to imbue an object or surface with anomalous energy. This can be used to set traps for enemies or to launch himself or allies for quick escapes.)>"The world means nothing to me, man." (FUCK THE WORLD. +2 MAX FLESH and RESTRAINT. Lex now takes 1 less damage from all sources and twice per mission, he can ignore a CRIPPLING INJURY. This stacks with CALL ME LEX's innate damage reduction.)>"I want to keep you guys safe, you know? That's all I care about." (SOUL BOND. +1 VIOLENCE, WILLPOWER, and CHARM. Every time an ally takes FLESH damage, Lex gains 1 charge (up to 5). Lex may spend 5 charges at any time to boost all stats of one ally by 1 for a medium duration.)CHOOSE LEX'S CAPSTONE BOON!>"I can't lie, Nicole, after everything I went through? I don't think anything can kill me anymore." (PINNACLE OF FLESH. +4 MAX FLESH. Twice per mission, whenever Lex would take damage that lowers his FLESH below half, nullify that damage and heal him for 3 FLESH. Lex will block the next 5 FLESH damage he would take after activating his ability.)>"My blood feels different. Weird. Off. But not in a bad way, you know?" (ANCIENT BLOODLINE. +1 to ALL STATS. Lex will gain +3% extra TORMENTED SPARK PROGRESS from all sources and he'll have an additional choice on what power to obtain. Speeds up how quickly he gains new anomalous powers by a LOT.)>"I don't really need to change. I am who I am and, you know, that's not a bad thing." (IF IT AIN'T BROKEN. +3 VIOLENCE, +2 MAX FLESH, +1 TALENT. Lex will now roll d7s on ALL VIOLENCE/FLESH/TALENT checks and will roll d8s on all melee attack rolls PERMANENTLY.)CHOOSE ALEXIS' REGULAR BOON!>"After everything we've been through, Nicole? It's hard to imagine what CAN stop us." (TOO BIG TO FAIL. +2 MAX RESTRAINT and CHARM, +1 WILLPOWER. Alexis converts all 1s she rolls into 2s. She may convert all 1s an ally rolls into 2s twice per mission.)>"I used to be scared when I was in situations I couldn't talk my way out of. Not anymore." (COLD AS STEEL. +1 MAX RESTRAINT, TALENT, MAX FLESH and VIOLENCE. Whenever ALEXIS encounters an ANOMALY, enters COMBAT, or an otherwise high stakes situation, she gains +1 to ALL STATS for the duration of the encounter.)(1/2)
>She digs into her pockets to pull out her phone. "Hey. Dump it." (CORPORATE MANIPULATOR. +2 CONNECTIONS, +1 CHARM. Due to Alexis' many connections, you'll gain an extra MISSION during MISSION SELECT and all mission rewards are now slightly improved!)CHOOSE ALEXIS' CAPSTONE BOON!>"You know, Nicole. Once you reach a certain level of capital...it becomes boring. I suppose using it to help you would be good enough." (HEART OF CORPORATE POWER. +4 CONNECTIONS and CHARM. As long as ALEXIS is alive, you will be allowed de-facto authorization to CORPORATE EXCLUSIVE ITEMS that would normally require decades of service of a company to get at a hefty discount from all shops + Alexis herself. Offers you items you otherwise couldn't get.)>"I know a lot of people in a lot of high places, Nicole. I could earn you a position, you know." (FAVORED BY THE CORPORATIONS. +2 CONNECTIONS, +1 RESTRAINT, +1 WILLPOWER, +1 COGNIZANCE. Alexis will now be able to get you into contact with very powerful corporate figures otherwise unreachable by mere Cityslickers, potentially letting you negotiate some very powerful contracts with them.)>"...I have a plan, Nicole. A plan you may think is impossible." (RISING CORPORATE STARLET. Offers no immediate bonuses or stat boosts but you imagine Alexis will soon quickly reach higher and higher positions. Perhaps she may even become a CEO of an Alphabet Company. Imagine what she could do with that power.)-------Here's their current stats so you have a better scale on what the stat boosts do. To clarify, pick one REGULAR BOON and one CAPSTONE BOON for each character.ALEXIS FLESH: 5 (+1 from MEDIUM QUALITY BODYARMOR, +1 from I-CORP BRIEFCASE, +1 from MEDAL)RESTRAINT: 6 (+1 from MEDAL, +1 from AMBERBRIGHT RING)VIOLENCE: 3 (+1 from I-CORP BRIEFCASE)TALENT: 5 (+1 from I-CORP BRIEFCASE, +1 from SPOOK SHADES)WILLPOWER: 4 (+1 from AMBERBRIGHT RING)CHARM: 6CONNECTIONS: 10 (+2 from CORPORATE OWNERSHIP.)COGNIZANCE: 6 (+1 from SPOOK SHADES, +1 from AMBERBRIGHT RING)LEXFLESH: 6RESTRAINT: 5VIOLENCE: 10 (+1 from BARBED SPIKED BRASS KNUCKLES, rolls 12 when intimidating.) TALENT: 4WILLPOWER: 4CHARM: 2CONNECTIONS: 2COGNIZANCE: 2Would've posted earlier but the board was shitting the bed pretty hard and still kinda is.
>>6143617>"What if I actually trained to use these power tats beyond just punching shit?">"My blood feels different. Weird. Off. But not in a bad way, you know?">(ANCIENT BLOODLINE).Is Lex going to have some sort of power similar to the Avatar State? >She digs into her pockets to pull out her phone. "Hey. Dump it.">"...I have a plan, Nicole. A plan you may think is impossible." This will pay off in the long run.
>>6143493SUGAR WAND X should be given to Casey because of her [PARADIGM PERSAUDER] Boon.Casey should have REPROGRAMMED "ELNIAI" IMPLANT because she will eventually have an anomaly power (I still definitely want to inject four ICP syringes into her, turning her into an eldritch godbug), which will require spending restraint to use, and Max has the [WELL ENDOWED] boon, which she will be well supplied with quality corporate stuff and other things. Max will eventually get her own/buy an implant if we upgrade her [WELL ENDOWED] Boon.Here is a hint on what Casey's anomaly power will be if we inject ICP syringes into her.https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5982952/No.5991133[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Some deep, primal part of you tells you that whatever power she might get from the ICP Energy would 'create' and 'consume' something. While you 'manipulate' and 'perceive' things. Also, Max will get more exclusive stuff if we hire her on the next mission.https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/5982952/No.5995625>MAX will get far better and far more exclusive items when she joins your party!
>>6143616For Lex:Regular:>"The world means nothing to me, man." (FUCK THE WORLD. +2 MAX FLESH and RESTRAINT. Lex now takes 1 less damage from all sources and twice per mission, he can ignore a CRIPPLING INJURY. This stacks with CALL ME LEX's innate damage reduction.)Capstone:>"I don't really need to change. I am who I am and, you know, that's not a bad thing." (IF IT AIN'T BROKEN. +3 VIOLENCE, +2 MAX FLESH, +1 TALENT. Lex will now roll d7s on ALL VIOLENCE/FLESH/TALENT checks and will roll d8s on all melee attack rolls PERMANENTLY.)Alexis:Regular:>"After everything we've been through, Nicole? It's hard to imagine what CAN stop us." (TOO BIG TO FAIL. +2 MAX RESTRAINT and CHARM, +1 WILLPOWER. Alexis converts all 1s she rolls into 2s. She may convert all 1s an ally rolls into 2s twice per mission.)Capstone:>"...I have a plan, Nicole. A plan you may think is impossible." (RISING CORPORATE STARLET. Offers no immediate bonuses or stat boosts but you imagine Alexis will soon quickly reach higher and higher positions. Perhaps she may even become a CEO of an Alphabet Company. Imagine what she could do with that power.)QM, you can’t just dangle that in front of me and expect me to not bite. >>6143645It’s not that I don’t like Casey, I just don’t get why everyone is enamored with her. Or with her ability to become “the god bug”. I’m now so out of the loop that I need to ask one of y’all for an explanation.
>>6143616>"What if I actually trained to use these power tats beyond just punching shit?" (WORK SMARTER. +2 MAX RESTRAINT, +1 WILLPOWER and COGNIZANCE, upgrades ANOMALOUS TATTOOS. He may now spend 2 RESTRAINT to imbue an object or surface with anomalous energy. This can be used to set traps for enemies or to launch himself or allies for quick escapes.)>"I can't lie, Nicole, after everything I went through? I don't think anything can kill me anymore." (PINNACLE OF FLESH. +4 MAX FLESH. Twice per mission, whenever Lex would take damage that lowers his FLESH below half, nullify that damage and heal him for 3 FLESH. Lex will block the next 5 FLESH damage he would take after activating his ability.)>>6143617>She digs into her pockets to pull out her phone. "Hey. Dump it." (CORPORATE MANIPULATOR. +2 CONNECTIONS, +1 CHARM. Due to Alexis' many connections, you'll gain an extra MISSION during MISSION SELECT and all mission rewards are now slightly improved!)>"I know a lot of people in a lot of high places, Nicole. I could earn you a position, you know." (FAVORED BY THE CORPORATIONS. +2 CONNECTIONS, +1 RESTRAINT, +1 WILLPOWER, +1 COGNIZANCE. Alexis will now be able to get you into contact with very powerful corporate figures otherwise unreachable by mere Cityslickers, potentially letting you negotiate some very powerful contracts with them.)
>>6143616>>6143617>FUCK THE WORLDQuentin is the PISSFAGGOT. Plus Lex can still care for the shit in said world.I don't like WORK SMARTER, it doesn't fit his playstyle and build hereSOUL BOND takes too long to get good>ANCIENT BLOODLINEI want to play more into his newfound Graverobber heritage. Flavorwise and full potential of this is greatI love the sound of the other two though so I won't be miffed whatever Capstone wins it>CORPORATE MANIPULATORALL IN ON THE CORPO TRAIN... oh and better mission loot. I hope this quest continues long enough to benefit from that KEKI kinda like Alexis staying a general noncombatant outside of ROYAL BLUE DERRINGER's big big CONNECTIONS scaling, so no COLD AS STEEL for meConverting 1s to 2s is still pretty meh since they still count as no successes in fights but they help in normal checks; TOO BIG TO FAIL are also famous last words too, and I don't want that against Alexis>RISING CORPORATE STARLETDo it, become one of the Head. Change da world. The natural peak of Alexis' ambition and efforts made real. She can memorialize Nicole and the group if shit goes horribly wrong for everybody and she's the last one standing to live. If not, then even as one of the Head itself I doubt Alexis will ever forget Nicole and all this. Nor will she let it be forgotten.Both HEART OF CORPORATE POWER and FAVORED BY THE CORPORATIONS are still good, same as Lex's Capstones>>6143645>SUGAR WAND XWe'll need to get her CHARM up more too, but yeah you're right I forgot that boon>REPROGRAMMED "ELNIAI" IMPLANTI won't deny Casey is another good candidate for it. I'm just worried for Max and Ben falling behind on roles and specializations>inject four ICP syringes into herOh you're THAT guy. Yeah that might be doable unless we save 1 or 2 of them for others>upgrade her [WELL ENDOWED]We've yet to see her upgrades, but that's a possibility>'create' and 'consume' somethingThat sounds super hot not gonna lie>more exclusive stuff if we hire her on the next missionOn the other hand, do we want to pass a day taking NO MISSIONS if it means everybody can be rested for the BASE ASSAULT?>>6143650As with many things in life, it's literally just one guy. It's almost always one fucking guy every time that's behind almost anything that ever happens ever
>>6143616>FUCK THE WORLD>IF IT AIN'T BROKEN>TOO BIG TO FAIL>HEART OF CORPORATE POWER
>>6143672We should take a day to explore our new place and stock up before the District 7 raid. It’ll let our allies rest as well.We should also take the Helios Seeker to Adam. He’ll be able to figure out what it does and how we can smoke the Silver base with it.
>>6143695I agree, we can get non-mission stuff done
>>6143616>FUCK THE WORLD>ANCIENT BLOODLINEMost fitting for Lex's revelation during this mission.>TOO BIG TO FAIL>RISING CORPORATE STARLETThis is the easiest vote I've ever made in this thread. Hah! Failsafe option + potential to make a difference.>>6143645>>6143650I'm always amused by the Caseyfag and his love for bugge. I'm also amused by Casey's existential crisis and development so far — she's becoming more like her other main inspiration, if you know that.
>>6143712>>6143638Change>"What if I actually trained to use these power tats beyond just punching shit?"Switch to>"The world means nothing to me, man." >>6143650>>6143672Turning Casey into a murder machine cannibal monster is frankly funny to me.>>6143712Not!bloodfiend Don Quixote? :)
>>6143695Sure
>>6143616CHOOSE LEX'S REGULAR BOON!>"What if I actually trained to use these power tats beyond just punching shit?" (WORK SMARTER. +2 MAX RESTRAINT, +1 WILLPOWER and COGNIZANCE, upgrades ANOMALOUS TATTOOS. He may now spend 2 RESTRAINT to imbue an object or surface with anomalous energy. This can be used to set traps for enemies or to launch himself or allies for quick escapes.)CHOOSE LEX'S CAPSTONE BOON!>"My blood feels different. Weird. Off. But not in a bad way, you know?" (ANCIENT BLOODLINE. +1 to ALL STATS. Lex will gain +3% extra TORMENTED SPARK PROGRESS from all sources and he'll have an additional choice on what power to obtain. Speeds up how quickly he gains new anomalous powers by a LOT.)CHOOSE ALEXIS' REGULAR BOON!>She digs into her pockets to pull out her phone. "Hey. Dump it." (CORPORATE MANIPULATOR. +2 CONNECTIONS, +1 CHARM. Due to Alexis' many connections, you'll gain an extra MISSION during MISSION SELECT and all mission rewards are now slightly improved!)CHOOSE ALEXIS' CAPSTONE BOON!>"I know a lot of people in a lot of high places, Nicole. I could earn you a position, you know." (FAVORED BY THE CORPORATIONS. +2 CONNECTIONS, +1 RESTRAINT, +1 WILLPOWER, +1 COGNIZANCE. Alexis will now be able to get you into contact with very powerful corporate figures otherwise unreachable by mere Cityslickers, potentially letting you negotiate some very powerful contracts with them.)
REGULAR LEX BOONWORK SMARTER: F20, f8yFUCK THE WORLD: fuL, 8m8, vl5, 3AP, TecCAPSTONE LEXANCIENT BLOODLINE: 8m8, 3AP, Tec, f8yIF IT AIN'T BROKEN: fuL, vl5PINNACLE OF FLESH: F20REGULAR ALEXISCORPORATE MANIPULATOR: 8m8, F20, 3AP, f8yTOO BIG TO FAIL: fuL, vl5m, TecCAPSTONE ALEXISRISING CORPORATE STARLET: 8m8, fuL, 3AP, TecFAVORED BY THE CORPORATIONS: F20, f8yHEART OF CORPORATE POWER: vl5Aside from REGULAR LAEXIS, all of these have a pretty solid majority and I assume everyone who will vote has voted. Clsoing vote, writing.As for the Caseyfag? Here. Have a treat while you guys wait.--------You are Casey Smith and you're having the time of your life to be completely honest! Why, exactly? Is it because of paperwork that the humans around you call boring? Well, sure, who doesn't like that. Is it because you just saw a really cool ad? Oh, you won't lie! The look on the actress' face when she was selling you Axolotl Tallow (sponsored by S-Corp) was A-Grade material!"GET THEM!""Boss, should we really? A f-fast food order isn't really worth-""OH! AND I GUESS YOU DON'T WANT TO BE PART OF THE JAGGED MAW SYNDICATE, HUH?!"Oh, right! You were dealing with some really nasty costumers at your place of work: CLOVER SUITE! Some really rowdy customers! You had to come out with Kana and Marla, your fellow coworkers, to deal with the issue!"I'm sorry! You ran out of sufficient funds-""BULLSHIT!" The rather rude thug interrupts your explanation! Gasp! "IT'S NOT OUR FAULT YOU'RE CHARGING $65 FOR A HAMBURGER, SODA, AND FRIES!!""Sir." Kana tries to explain on your behalf. "That soda is specifically from the Old World. The meat and spuds are also of the finest quality. I believe you misunderstand-"Sadly the thug is too rude to let your friend finish! He charges in to apprehend your fox-headed friend, his muscles bulging underneath his quite tacky (but tasteful!) Hawaiian patterned jacket!Marla valiantly charges in but his other goon moves in to distract her! While you trust she'll be able to deal with such a lowly thug, your focus is on Kana!It's a good thing you prepared for a customer service issue such as this! Before he can even attempt to attack your coworker, you thrust your hand forward...SWISH! SHICK!...and pierce his skull with the old rapier in your hand. You found it in the lost and found so it's not in the best quality but it does its job well!The thug boss collapses to the ground! Subarashī! Wonderful!The other thug promptly raises his hands up in surrender! "P-please, he put me up to this. I-I don't want no trouble!"Marla promptly shoves him to the curve before asking for your opinion, "So?""...That villain wishes to repent. Ban him from the casino henceforth for a month! If we shall see his sorry expression here again, he shall be pierced by my blade!" You love your job! You wonder how Nicole is doing? You hope she's having fun wherever she's at!
>>6144059L-la Creatura!..
>>6144059Queen Bee of... not Hatred. What would it be?
Lex reaches into his mouth and casually rips out one of his canine teeth without flinching. He doesn't react at all when his tooth regrows within mere seconds. "Hehe. It's funny, isn't it? Not being human.""Lex, you're 50% human. Me and Nicole have worked with people who are 0%-""Nah. I don't care about it anymore. Hell, I think it's cool. Something unique. Something strictly me." He tosses the tooth into the FEVERISH CROWD. "You know. We're all freaks. Even you, Alexis. That's how the world sees us and FUCK what it thinks, you know?">+ANCIENT BLOODLINE and FUCK THE WORLD to LEX!"What are you trying to say?" You're shocked to hear only curiosity in her query; There's no anger in it. "I'm a freak? Please.""You have so many connections, so many people you could hang out with. You can probably become a CEO if you wanted to! Yet you hang out with us!""I can't lie, Alexis. He's not wrong."Alexis is slow to answer but given the shit eating grin she's sporting, she found a particularly funny answer to give out. "Well. Freaks are willing to do stuff my other associates are too weak and cowardly to do. Freaks are willing to actually talk to me without squirming underneath my heel.""And, to be frank, you're more entertaining than the NPCs on the corporate ladder.""That's the spirit! Woo, glad to finally know you're not such a bore after all.""You sorta have to roll with the punches with this group. Especially with My Little Deer: Pink Nightmare Edition."You can feel the heat in your cheeks with that comment.Before the two can jab at you further, a faint ringtone blares from Alexis' pocket. She picks it up and answers without even checking who it is. "He bought? Dump it. She sold? Pump it. The Harvester is uncertain? Increase the price of M.E.A.T INCORPORATED stock by 250%." She hangs up immediately after.She notices the two of you looking at her and she simply shrugs before you can even attempt to say anything. "What can I say? I have fingers in a LOT of pies.>+CORPORATE MANIPULATOR!"Yeah, that tracks. Don't ruin MY portfolio.""I know your portfolio is $5 in a coin you minted called Lexcoin.""Yeah! Don't mess with it.""You're gonna miss the peak of the FEVER." The bartender points towards the gestating crowd. The speed of their twitching, wild movements have slowly been slowing down, as if they're slowly reaching an invisible peak. It's only now that you notice the music is dead silent now. "You got about five minutes to get in before the PEAK.""Th-thanks?" You shrug at the Bartender's off advice. Lex immediately springs in to join the crowd, only looking behind for long enough to give you and Alexis a thumbs up. It's now just the two of you. Nothing but each other to talk to. After making sure he's gone, Alexis grabs onto your shoulder."...You ruined me, Nicole.""W-wait, what?""You ruined me by giving me the stupidest, most impossible idea I have ever had in my entire life. An idea that gives me...""Hope."
"Well that's cryptic!" You nervously laugh at this odd tone shift coming from Alexis. "Pray tell, I'm not a mind- Well, this time I'm not a mind reader. What's up?""It's a stupid, silly plan that I know won't pan out but. I want to become a CEO. Maybe even one with the Head itself."Oh! Well that's something else. "And I inspired this insane goal how?""I think we can both read the writing on the walls with the Spooks. They have their tendrils in so many pies if they're able to afford the stuff they can. I want to help you from the inside of the system and...""Let me guess. You want someone to remember all of this. Someone to remember Lex, me, Dasha, Ashley, everyone else?"Alexis looks shocked at your on-the-spot assessment. You do remember a bit of what the Admiral said: The Head wants to archive everything notable it sees. "Yes."[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] You smirk at her. "Well. Guess it's nice having another crazy on board. Welcome to the cl-""Shut up." She firmly (yet playfully) pushes you away. "Let's join the FEVER or whatever." It's blatantly obvious she's trying to stir the conversation away. >+RISING CORPORATE STARLET TO ALEXIS!You climb over the barrier with her right as the music begins to pick up again. You two desperately squirm through the crowd to meet up with your allies and: Woah. Yeah they've seen better days. All four of them have had their outfits ruffled up or even lightly torn up from the violent trance the crowd was in.The weirder part is how ecstatic all of them look. Drool is dribbling down Wendy's chin, Dasha's eyes have glazed over completely, the faintest buzz can be heard around Quentin, and Ashley is still dancing to a beat that isn't even playing anymore.Before you, Lex, and Alexis can even ask what's going on: The music starts up again.The crowd of nameless punks and thugs begins to move with the rhythm and, as if a puppeteer was controlling your movements, you begin to move alongside them. Your other allies quickly fall back in line and as you dance with them, you can feel it rushing through your nervous system: Endorphins. [ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Even the strongest of wills can't resist it unless you block out the music. Go along with it.You, in fact, do the opposite of 'resisting'. You instinctually perform moves that you realistically should not be able to do without any proper experience: Your body easily twists into off, jagged angles that would be insanely uncomfortable or flatout harmful. This may or may not have resulted in you rear kicking some random guy behind you SEVERAL times.Yet despite how awkward looking and dangerous your body is moving, you can feel a LOT of eyes locking onto you from the various rebellious concert goers. Not of fear or anger but of, for a lack of a better term, respect? Pride? The music blaring in your ears is only getting louder and louder but you can make out what they're saying still."She's THAT attuned with the FEVER-"
Everything quickly becomes a blur. The alcohol in your system combined with the enthralled expressions on your allies' faces plus the music worming its way through you is beyond intoxicating. You try to ignore how good your body feels like now.The following hour is only barely perceived by you in snippets.Lex gets into a fight with one of the more rowdy thugs. The thug breaks his fists on Lex's torso without leaving a dent on Lex himself.Dasha is way, way too involved with the 'FEVER' going on around her. Her uniform top is off, leaving only her bar to keep herself decent. Your other allies are trying to hold back their laughter (or shame in Alexis' case.) [or jealous in your-]Ashley is promptly jetted up into the sky by a buzzed Quentin, in part to keep her away from the rioting crowd due to her injuries and in part for the thrill of it. You're just glad she's keeping her jacket on...Wendy...Wendy is shockingly not doing anything violent. She's just clinging onto you, mumbling about how you're really cool and how she wishes she could find a dude to settle down with. Alas, she says, you have tits and a slit. You hope it's just the FEVER going through her.You lost track of Alexis after Wendy started blabbering in your ear but you do see her chattering with a bunch of people enthralled by the FEVER. You think one of them handed her a fat stack of cash for some reason?It all blurs from there. By the time you remember where you are, it's already night time. The band's gone. The bar is gone. The other partygoers are mostly gone except for a few other stragglers seemingly waking up from their own trances like your group. All of your allies are in various states of undress...with the worst instance being Dasha only wearing her underwear.Not like you're any better. The only thing keeping your decency (besides your bodysuit) the winter pants you have on.Luckily, Alexis seems to have found her RED ARMY UNIFORM. "We will not speak of this. I have the power to liquidate all of your assets and pump them all into the worst stocks possible." No one is really in a state to disagree. A firm cough draws your groups attention. A very eccentric man with neon green hair and an outfit that looks like something a TTRPG character would wear is standing before your group. "Impressive! I have not seen movements like that since the Jagged Riots of 2230. I must ask your name, deer lady.""Wh? Uh, it's, uh. Hrm. Erh." [UNSTABLE] "What is it to you? What do you WANT?" You can't help but to be suspicious of him."Hey, hey, no need to get so testy. I'm here to tell you that M-Corp will remember. Simple as. Your I-Corp Friend told me about you and I had to say, I'm interested.">+1 M-CORP (HEARTBEAT OF THE SOUL) FAVOR!"who is he Alexis.""i geninuely have no idea."Wendy snaps out of her daze and slurs out; "He's a...regular minim. some low rank but important M-Corp..." She promptly collapses onto the floor. Poor girl.
"W-well, thanks, but as you can see we have to be going.""Oh, I wouldn't want to hold you. You can go along now."With that awkward conversation over with, your group promptly stumbles out of the now empty venue and onto the train that brought you here. You also take this time to put your discard clothes back on.Your group is too tired to really do or say anything else and over the next hour, the train stops and lets one off the train so they can stumble back home. It's only when it's just you and Ashley that you finally arrive at your new sub-district: I-PHI-4.Ashley pulls something out from her pocket and skims over it. She clicks her tongue, clearly trying to focus her attention on what's written on it. "Okay, okay, Alexis told me where your new place is. Just follow me."You two exit the train and onto the streets of I-PHI-4. The layout of it is a bit different from the rest of the Blocs you typically see in I-Corp. Instead of an endless wave of grey bloc, the buildings here are all painted in bright hues. Reds, greens, yellows, oranges, the works. The buildings are also a lot more personalized, each with their own different structures and layouts.The main thing of the streets you're now in that really catches your eye is that scattered throughout the sidewalks are weathered and tough trees similar to the ROTWOOD species you were harvesting last mission. Berry bushes grow between the alleyways of buildings, flowers grow through the cracks of the concrete road and sidewalks...It's all oddly peaceful here. As if you weren't in an urban sprawl built in a winter wasteland. That illusion breaks a bit when you see that the apartment complex your new apartment is at looks nearly the exact same as the one back in G-Corp.Oh well. "See you around." Ashley signs off after making sure this is the right location. Welp. Another day has passed. Another day of hard work and toil has paid off. You step up the staircase to the front entrance of the complex before taking an elevator ride to your apartment (located on the 10th floor.)Opening the door to your new apartment shows you...an actually livable apartment. It's a two bedroom apartment with an actual living room, kitchen, and bathroom instead of the one bedroom sprawl mess you lived at before. The bed actually looks like it would be comfortable to sleep in, the bathroom doesn't reek of mold and hate, and the living room has a leather couch! A leather couch!!! And the view from up here: Your old apartment only had one shitty window you couldn't see anything out of! This apartment actually has a balcony you can walk onto!This seems like it would cost a FUCK TON- Oh my god.Your attention is drawn towards the TV in the living room. Instead of a shitty CRT TV, a true and honest to god Flatscreen LED TV. It even comes with a game console installed in it! You probably wouldn't be able to afford this apartment at ALL normally.
You're now realizing how good of a mission reward this is if only for your mental health.Woo. You can worry about your cool apartment later.You strip all of your clothes off and head to the bathroom for a long, nice shower. Once you finish drying yourself off, you immediately collapse into bed....For once, you don't wake up exhausted or hungover. The bedsheets are heavy and thick. The heating actually works. For once, you feel like you got a true eight hours of sleep.>Due to your APARTMENT'S HIGHER QUALITY, all TRAINING actions have been upgraded due to your better quality of rest.MONEY: $8144What do you want to do, Nicole? You have four actions to spend.You may spend $450 to pick an extra action.You may spend $550 to make one temporary stat boost you acquire permanent. (i.e if a choice boosts your VIOLENCE and TALENT by 1 temporarily, spending $550 can make the VIOLENCE boost permanent while spending $1100 makes BOTH permanent.)TRAINING>This really isn't training but...you just want to relax for once. Boot up the console and enjoy yourself. Relax. (Boosts your MAX FLESH and RESTRAINT by 1 for the duration of the mission.)>Work on those calves, baby! Gotta be able to run when the spooks come a knocking! (Boosts TALENT and VIOLENCE by 1 for the duration of the mission.)>Focus on your anomalous abilities. Guns are cool but you need to use your powers more proactively. (Boosts MAX RESTRAINT and WILLPOWER by 1 for the duration of the mission.)>Take some time chatting with yourself in the mirror. You may need a smooth tongue later. (Boosts your CHARM and CONNECTIONS by 1 for the duration of the mission.)RESUPPLY>You know, it's been a while since you went that old ANOMALOUS SHOP back in District 6. Might be wise to get some more anomalous artifacts and weird trinkets for the BASE ASSAULT.>You have some items you want upgraded or scrapped; Head down to IPPO'S REFINERY back in District 7 to get some of your old loot upgraded.>Time to open up a corporate CATALOG. You've been saving these for a rainy day. (Choose two to look at. W-Corp has stat boosting consumables and anti-anomaly weapons, J-Corp has a variety of weapons and ammo, and V-Corp has VERY cheap if shoddy consumables/ammo/items.)>Check out one of your old caches nearby. See what stuff you have hidden away. (You'll roll 5d100 to see what loot you acquired. You may write in a general category of supply to search for to increase the odds of getting it.)PERSONAL>[PERSON OF INTEREST] You need to go back to G-ALPHA-1 to investigate the damages and to check up on old confidants. (You imagine you can still access the shops but you have no idea what condition it is in otherwise.)>[UNSTABLE] Even with your new TV, he can still find you. Focus on the strange colors and sights of the TV; Talk to the TV MAN. (He'll tell you valuable information that will likely be relevant for today's upcoming events.)
>[SEEKER OF THE CITY] Take some time to wander around the District. It's new and kinda scary, after all. (Gives you a chance to learn the layout of the new subdistrict you're in. You'll roll 4d100 to determine what you find in said wanderings.)>Call up an ally. Check up on them, just in case, you know? (CHOOSE TWO: KIARA/MARUYAMA/ADAM/FRANK/NAOMI/CASEY/CLOVER/BENEDICT. You'll gain +0.5 RAPPORT with them and a general idea on their status.)>Call up a corporate contact. (Costs no free time actions. Write which corporate rep to talk to: D-Corp, G-Corp, J-Corp, V-Corp, or W-Corp. You might be able to make a bargain with them.)>Call up a corporate family you're allied with. (Costs no free time actions. Write in which corporate family to talk to: Anjaros for Wastes and Spook lore, Krakatoa to check up on Gregory and Max, Wiltshire to learn about the City, or Alex to check up on X-Corp's operations.)----Didn't meant to take this long with this update. Also, I noticed a bit of discussion about skipping today's mission to spend time stocking up. I'll probably still offer you a mission but I'll add in an option during MISSION SELECT to deny any of the missions and take a whole day to simply do FREE TIME ACTIONS, if you feel the time is better spent preparing and spending your insane surplus of cash upgrading allies or buying items.I will say that your allies WILL be available for the Base Assault even if you don't decide to rest.
>>6144245>all TRAINING actions have been upgraded due to your better quality of rest.IT'S TIME TO USE "THAT"!!!!!>You may spend $550 to make one temporary stat boost you acquire permanent. (i.e if a choice boosts your VIOLENCE and TALENT by 1 temporarily, spending $550 can make the VIOLENCE boost permanent while spending $1100 makes BOTH permanent
>>6144247>spend $450 for one extra action.>Time to open up a corporate CATALOG. You've been saving these for a rainy day. J and W. We will need lot a ammo for our friends for base attack.>Check out one of your old caches nearby. See what stuff you have hidden away. EMP weapons and grenades for screwing with silver agent implants and electronic.>[PERSON OF INTEREST] You need to go back to G-ALPHA-1 to investigate the damages and to check up on old confidants. >[UNSTABLE] Even with your new TV, he can still find you. Focus on the strange colors and sights of the TV; Talk to the TV MAN. >[SEEKER OF THE CITY] Take some time to wander around the District. It's new and kinda scary, after all.Try to find a Z-Corp or pharmacy shop. We need to buy a lot medicine supplies for the base attack. I strongly doubt we and our team will come out unscathed.>Call up a corporate contact.Call G-Corp Rep and tell her the silver agents are behind the bombing in their district, and we can help them get revenge by destroying one of the silver agent bases in their district. Ask her if she can shut down all trains in the area around G-ALPHA-2 (silver base location) in the next day to prevent any silver agent from escaping the base by using the train when we begin to attack the base and prevent reinforcement from the silver agent force to relieve the base.>Call up a corporate family you're allied with. Contact Ms. Wiltshire to get information and a map about the G-ALPHA-2 (silver base location).Call Alex if he can provide any military jammer equipment to disrupt Silver Agent base communication capabilities and explosive supplies to us and any assistance he can to help us attack the base. Also, tell him that Anjaros soldiers will be present for the base attack as well.>Call up Call Bill. Where did he place the chemical weapon barrel?
>>6144281Fuck it+1 thisBut when will we use THAT >>6144250? Later in the day if we pass on a mission? Sukane had that service from the start but we've never done it. We now have the money and time and stat bonuses for it, c'mon guys!
QM Will we meet The Man on the Phone on this day?
>>6144290You'll meet him today but you doubt you can meet him right now. Something is telling you he's busy with something and he can't drop it. Expect to meet him some time during a mission or, if you skip the mission today, during your long set up phase.>>6144286Whenever you have free time and you choose to train a stat. I don't decide when you use it, it's simply an option.
>>6144290I'm more curious about the Mystery CEO in orange.>I want you to find me later. Somewhere more private. If you can find me, I know you're smart enough to help me with a plan I have later.He's directly enemies with the silvers and we got some insight into who he might be from bits in the mission just now>"...SPOTTED CEO AT G-CORP...TRIED TO KILL, HE USED...UNKNOWN SINGULARITY TO SCARE OFF AGENT. A WHITE FLASH OF LIGHT...">"Why WAS he wearing J-Corp's colors? Aren't they WITH us? I swear that Singularity reminded me more of A, B, C or L-Corp's-"SPEAKING OF>"...PLANNING TO INSERT...SIX AGENTS INTO HEAD MEETING...CODEWORD TO TALK TO THEM IS...AZURE NIGHTMARE..."This info needs to get into the right hands and soon>>6144296Cool thanks!
>>6144281Add>Tell Alex and Anjaros about the six silver agents inserted in the head meeting and the code word. And all the silver agent plans.I will go to sleep now.
>>6144286I want to do the bonus mission because QM clarified on the allies will joining the base attack, and I believe the supplies we will get if my plan gets chosen will be sufficient.>>6144247>I will say that your allies WILL be available for the Base Assault even if you don't decide to rest.
>>6144303Oh this >>6142396Yeah sounds good to me>>6144302+1 this too
>>6144281I can +1 that.Why don’t we have X-Corp deploy to the area? We can have them establish a cordon and a QRF in case we end up shit creek.They can use the building blast as a cover to say they’re trying to apprehend some terrorists.Hell, we’re going there anyways. Let’s draw up a map of the area for them while we’re at it.
>>6144401I remembered this from J-Corp Catalog>ON HIRE J-CORP OFFICER (1 per $675 or 1 A-ENERGY + $50. If picked, an officer will passively assist you during the upcoming mission in the background. Has no morals or qualms about the job in question. Things will just seem to go a bit easier during your missions. The more hired, the better.)And eavesdropped from the FORGOTTEN SIGNAL at the start of the ice material mission>Why WAS he wearing J-Corp's colors? Aren't they WITH us?
>>6144418>Take the word "overseer," like a sample>Repeat it very quickly in a crew, for example>Overseer, overseer, overseer, overseer>Officer, officer, officer, OFFICER>Yeah officer, from overseer!>You need a little clarity? Check the similarity!https://youtu.be/xt7hoHBcY9k
>>6144401We still don’t know how much support the X-Corp will provide to us yet for the base assault.>>6144418Also, I want to buy three ON HIRE J-CORP OFFICER to be used for clearing out all civilians in the surrounding area, keeping people out of the area, and alerting us to any suspicious things while guarding. I worry there will be civilians and bystanders that will get hurt when we begin the base attack. [We still have the one FISH PILE (VERY RARE)][H-CORP ID] TRAIL CLEANSING PROTOCAL will also come in very handy for cleaning any evidence of our doings when we are finally done with the base.Should we tell the handler that we are planning on attacking the silver agent base?
So we're mostly just going for GH0's plan, it seems. I need three anons to roll the following>2d100 (first half of SEEKER)>2d100 (second half of SEEKER)>5d100 (CACHE)The SEEKER TABLE has been modified slightly from the one in G-CORP due to your new location. Due to you actively searching for a pharmacy, you'll find it without consulting the table but if you roll the NEW PLACE/SHOP RESULT, you'll find a higher quality Pharmacy.1-13: There's not a lot of people around here and few want to talk to you but you manage to squeeze some information out of them. (You'll get some general information about what's going on in the City.)14-39: Huh! You think you recognize that figure. Maybe you should stop and talk to them. (You'll meet a member of an ALPHABET COMPANY or another FACTION you have favor with. You'll get a chance to earn or spend FAVORS on them.)40-54: Oh, that's an interesting looking building! (You'll gain a new place to visit during your SETUP and FREE TIME phases, like a Shop.)55-71: There's something weird about the alleyway you walked past. You decide to take another check. (You'll learn a useful secret about the City.)72-84: "You're with Alexis, yes?" An old woman in a babushka scarf rushes up to you. "She told me to tell you this, yes." (You'll get some general advice on how to handle your objectives and future missions. Very helpful old lady.)85-94: A figure rushes up to you and shoves a package into your arms. Something tells you that you're being wrapped up in something. (You'll obtain a hint to your current MYSTERY or, if you have no MYSTERY, you'll get one. MYSTERIES offer stat boosts and some useful information on the machinations of the CITY when solved.)95-98: Oh no. Something's wrong here, you know it. The air's all WRONG. (ANOMALY ENCOUNTER.)99-100: A sudden snow storm hits you. You find it hard to breathe now. Something's happening... (SPECIAL ENCOUNTER!!!)CACHE TABLE 1-18: Consumable (self explanatory. Drugs, ammo, one time gadgets, healing items, if you use it and it disappears it counts.)19-31: Defensive (Armor, pepper spray, tasers, cloaking devices, anything meant to protect you.)32-58: Offensive (Explosives, ammo, new kinds of guns or melee weapons, etc. Something meant to hurt people. You're 100% certain to get some EMP weapons or grenades from this option.)59-84: Supportive (Counterfeit IDs, tools, advanced cameras, etc etc. Something to help you out in the field.)85-95: Exclusive (Stolen company resources, company exclusive items, etc etc. Something that usually only highly connected people get.)96-99: Anomalous (You're not quite sure what you'll get if you roll this.)100: MYSTERY BOX! (Reroll an additional 3d100. You'll get a rare and unique item of the categories you roll. If you manage to roll another 100, ???!?!?!?!?!?!?)If you don't roll OFFENSIVE, the category with the most hits OR the lowest roll will be converted into an OFFENSIVE RESULT.
Rolled 88, 70 = 158 (2d100)>>6144680Rolling Seeker set 1
Rolled 10, 4 = 14 (2d100)>>6144680Rolling Seeker set 2
Rolled 17, 88, 12, 51, 63 = 231 (5d100)>>6144680
>>6144683>>6144709So in all it's>general City news info>general City news info>useful City secret>new MYSTERY getAnd the basic-ass russian pharmacy we seek. Pretty decent in all for the day before BASE ASSAULT>>6144615>how much supportOr the nature of said support>buy threePricey if we have no A-Energy to price offset. That money could go to something else too, and we could buy 2 cops instead of 1?>the one FISH PILE (VERY RARE)Whatever we use it for better merit it. That's some DAMN good ocean fish for a high value group's dinner>TRAIL CLEANSING PROTOCOLSomehow I suspect the spooks will find out Nicole did it anyway, but it says it can at least confuse them until they do? I figure it is worth the price if we do decide to buy it. WAIT A SEC. It might help to stop heat from reaching the allies participating. Maybe even the J-Corp cops we buy, and X-Corp support, and Anjaro's men, and any other friendlies could be safer in the aftermath by extension. Yeah on second thought I'm all for buying this now. Let's do it when the time is right, NOT on this day before>tell the handler that we are planning on attacking the silver agent base?If we're going to take the Handler family bonus mission like you suggested, we can just tell him during that?>>6144725>2 consumable>1 offensive>1 supportive>1 exclusiveAt least one of the things will be anti-tech and anti-implant guaranteed, so that's great. As long as Kiara is nowhere near where they're used, it'll be fine
It takes a moment but you have a general layout of what you plan on doing before worrying about the Mission Question.BASIC HOUSEKEEPING (You're here!)-Talk to the TV MAN -Talk to the G-Corp Rep, Ms. Wiltshire, Alex + Anjaros, and Bill-Look through CATALOGSEXPLORATION -Check out District 9, Sub District PHI-4-Try to find a pharmacy in PHI-4 -Check out District 7, Sub District ALPHA-1 to see how bad the damages are.MISSION-Decide whether to go on a mission or not-Talk to the HANDLERProbably easier than trying to do it all at once after all. That and it gives you an excuse not wear any clothes for another few hours. You do have to do the obligatory "CALL SUKANE SO YOU CAN GET MORE TIME" call. At this point it's both routine for both you and him.Right as you're about to hang up though..."So. There's been a real stink at T-Corp recently. They're actually getting into a disagreement with I-Corp over it now.""Huh. Usually we hang up by now." You're shocked at any sort of cordial conversation with him. "Really? How come?""Some major TimeTax disagreement. 'Yesterday', as per T-Corp's Atomic Time Standard, a massive spike of temporal energy was detected in their territory. Enough to warrant a $105k TimeTax. Granted that's small for the Company itself but they're trying to deny it happened."[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Seems like Dasha isn't some construct of the anomaly! She's real! A real human bean![SEEKER OF THE CITY] Assuming you going back and forth is treated as one trip, that's 52.5k per person. No wonder why backwards time travel is so limited."W-well! I hope one of my associates can clear that over on T-Corp's behalf." You are absolutely not paying for that. Best to play dumb. "H-hopefully that doesn't jack up the prices of my purchases.""Doubtful. A one off incident isn't going to do anything- Yes, Maruyama? No, no, it's not because of your sword. I-Corp. Yeah, yeah-" He hangs up.Well that's weird but, as you check out the window, it seems your purchase went through. It is pitch black outside. That should be enough to get everything done that you want.>-$450!Now, time for some more calls. First up, G-Corp Rep. You really need to ask for her name if you're going to be in contact with her-She picks up immediately the moment you dial her number. "HEY YES WE KNOW ABOUT THE BOMBING WE ARE NOT ABLE TO TALK ABOUT IT AT THIS CURRENT TIME WE ARE TRYING TO STABLIZE CALL BACK LATER-""Woah, woah, it's me. Nicole!" You have to shout pretty loud for her to hear you. You can hear a lot of racket over the line; Seems like wherever she's at, they're on severe damage control. "Ohthatscoolnicolerealcoolcool." She does not seem comforted at all to hear back from you. "Your apartment was the one hit, yes, we'll be willing to give compensation. Would a free train-""I'm not here for compensation! Calm down, calm down. I'm here to help you."The line goes quiet and for a minute, you're afraid she actually hung up.
"Huh?" Thankfully she didn't. "What?""I know who caused the bombing. I'm wary to say their name in case they're listening right now. They're a group of agents who are attempting to disrupt the various Alphabet Companies and they caused the bombing to overwhelm G-Corp. They are currently in your district as we speak.""...I haven't spelt in 28 hours, yeah, overwhelming is a bit of an understatement. I haven't considered someone tapping our lines, though.""I would check that out the moment we hang up. I need you to stop all train travel to and from G-ALPHA-2 tomorrow; We believe that's where they're at. I plan on solving the issue at the root.""I. I suppose I can do that. Not like any trains are going anywhere in ALPHA 1 through 9 anyways- Shit, shit, gotta hang up. O-Company is complaining about how close it was to their district." That's that, then. Next up: Wiltshire.---"Oh! Nicole! What do you wish to know this time?""G-ALPHA-2. Tell me about the Subdistrict.""Hmmm. That's close to that bombing I heard about. ALPHA-2 is actually a pretty affluent part of G-Corp; I think it's actually close to their Nest of BETA-2! A good chunk of G-Corp's transport manufacturing happens in ALPHA-2, though it's also pretty overpopulated and undermaintained."[SEEKER OF THE CITY] Tracks with what you know about G-Corp. ZETA-4 and KAPPA-5 could be argued as more improtant for manufacturing but that's semantics."The weirdest thing about it is that they were producing an excess of materials over the last few weeks and all of it can be traced back to a new manufacturer working there: Dellt Aegis. Yet despite this manufacturer existing and us having its location...I have not seen a single person actually working there."[PERSON OF INTEREST] Dellt Aegis. STILLE DAG. It's an anagram. It's the spooks. You're almost insulted at how lazy the anagram is."Give me a map of that manufacturer. Now.""Sure, sure! I will say that's not the only weird business there but I'm too old to check myself. There's supposedly a pharmacy working with Z-Corp called BIOMETRIC DAG but it's never open. Check it out if you can."That's all you can get out of that call but the implications are worrying. It's possible they're targeting all of the affluent subdistricts in the main 26 districts. Food for thought later you suppose; you'll get that map when you're selecting whether to go on a mission or not today.-----The next call is pretty short and to the point. "Supplies?" Alex grumbles over the line."Supplies. Military jammer equipment and explosives?""Low on those. Supplier got hit. Assuming it's them.""Got any to spare?""A few. Shit battery so they won't last long. The explosives I can spare were cobbled together from a Y and W-Corp supplier, very unstable.""Good enough. Anjaros will be there. Could you possibly give any more support?""Could send three or four good men. Wary of giving more; Others are busy examining or tracking other locations."
"Good, good. I have to warn you. AZURE NIGHTMARE, Six 'issues', HEAD MEETING. Relay that to the Anjaros.""Fuck!" You swear he nearly shattered his phone from how hard he was gripping down on it. "Fuck, fuck, I didn't expect that. I have to contact J, X, and B-Corp's CEOs."Oh? You could use this as an excuse to learn more about that MYSTERY CEO. "Wait, before you go. Does J-Corp's CEO have any association with a Light-based singularity?""Hm?" Alex seems confused by the question but before he hangs up, he does give you a very useful hint. "Light-based Singularity? I know A-Company has one that manipulates light to create illusions and they have been working with J-Corp over some propaganda films."Oh! That's a lead. "Last question. Does J-Corp have any issues with K-Corp?""Some, yes. Aside from some small squabble over chemical weapons, K-Corp seems to be producing a lot more of it to the worry of a LOT of the Alphabet Companies. Not sure why." Oh that's not good at all. Either K-Corp knows about the spooks and they're going nuclear on removing them or......You rather not think about it. You hang up with Alex afterward.>You'll be given some extra support during the base assault! Explosives, jamming equipment, and a few soldiers as distraction fodder will be sent.>UNKNOWN CEO MYSTERY HINT OBTAINED! (It's clear your CEO is working for A-Corp. Max, Gregory, and Roland Krakatoa would likely know more. K-Corp also seems to be acting really shady as well.)One last call before CATALOGS (you'll save TV MAN for when you're about to leave)----"Hey, Bill. Where did you place the chemical barrels that I asked you to dispose of?""I kept one for myself and made sure to seal it up real good; Keeping it in a secure location in NU-7; AWAY from any populated areas. Rest were placed into a secure transport vehicle and shipped to C-Company for proper disposal.""Wait. C-Corp? Not K or X-Corp?""Yep! K-Corp's been real shady and probably wouldn't want their stuff back right now. X-Corp...would probably arrest me if they knew I had it. C-Corp can destroy it discreetly due to their Singularity.""Hm. Would it be possible for me to get some samples of it from the barrel you have left?""Sure, sure, but only a few. This shit would rot you from the inside out: Gotta be careful on how to store the samples."Well, you're done with phone calls. You hang up on him after a quick goodbye and now, it's time to do your favorite thing ever...SHOPPING!!!!!!!It gives you an excuse to burn through all of the money you got. You cross your legs before cracking open the old musty CATALOGs. Best to save some money for the PHARMACY you're checking later too.MONEY: $7694 BARTER SUPPLIES: C-EXTRACT x2, DEGRADED C-EXTRACT x2 (Counts as 2 A-ENERGY), FISH PILE (VERY RARE) x2 (Equal to 3 A-ENERGY), FISH (SPECIAL) x2 (Equal to 1 C-EXTRACT).FAVOR: 1 J-CORP FAVOR, 2 W-CORP FAVORS-10% DISCOUNT ON J-CORP ITEMS, 20% DISCOUNT ON W-CORP ITEMS
J-CORP CATALOG ITEMS>HOLLOWPOINT PISTOL ROUNDS (3 per $112 or 6 per A-Energy. Allows the user to reroll four of their dice when fired.)>CRYO GRENADE (1 per $225. Deals lingering cold damage to enemies, reducing their max FLESH by 2 and their dice amount by 3 permanently. Extra effective against biologicals.)>KRAV MAGA MANUAL (1 per $675 or 1 C-EXTRACT. When used on you or an ally, boosts their VIOLENCE by 1 permanently and their innate melee/unarmed attack roll by 1 side (d6 --> d7 --> d8, etc etc etc).)>ON HIRE J-CORP OFFICER (1 per $675 or 1 A-ENERGY + $50. If picked, an officer will passively assist you during the upcoming mission in the background. Has no morals or qualms about the job in question. Things will just seem to go a bit easier during your missions. The more hired, the better.)>EMERGENCY HOTLINE RADIO (1 per C-EXTRACT or $669. When used, a pair of J-Corp officers will arrive to assist you and your allies as soon as possible. Very useful when a situation gets too dire.)>HANDGUN AMMO (4 PISTOL AMMO PER $76, 3 REVOLVER AMMO PER $103, 6 PISTOL + 5 REVOLVER AMMO per 2 A-ENERGY.)>EXPLOSIVE REVOLVER AMMO (4 per $300. When attacking, you roll an additional +2d10 and you deal extra splash damage to two random enemies.)>SHOTGUN SLUG (2 per $70, 6 per A-Energy. Shotgun go pew.)>[H-CORP ID] TRAIL CLEANSING PROTOCAL ($675 or 2 A-Energy. After you complete your next mission, a group of J-Corp and H-Corp employees will take their time to wipe away any physical trace that you were ever in the general area you were in. Very good for distracting and confusing the spooks.)>[J-CORP FAVOR] HEAD OF SECURITY ARMORED COAT ($1500 + 1 J-CORP FAVOR. You're not here to coddle a bunch of criminal scum. +2 MAX FLESH and +1 VIOLENCE. Blocks 3 FLESH from RANGED ATTACKS and 1 FLESH from MELEE ATTACKS.)W-CORP CATALOG ITEMS>ANTI-ANOMALY ROUNDS (3 per $120 or 7 per A-ENERGY. Can be used as PISTOL or REVOLVER ammo. When hitting an anomaly or a person with anomalous abilities with one, the target takes 2 extra FLESH and RESTRAINT damage.>POLISHED VOIDSTONE (1 per $600 or 1 C-Extract + $120. Boosts all stats by 3 on consumption for a short duration and once it wears off, boosts one stat of the user's choice permanently by 1.)>POLISHED NOVASTONE (1 per $276. When used, reduces all dice on nearby enemies by 1 for the rest of combat and sets most enemies ablaze, dealing fire damage to them over time.)>MOONSTONE (1 per $280. Blocks up to 3 RESTRAINT damage before shattering. No bells, no whistles, you get what you get. Also blocks any damage you take when using an ability.)>ECLIPSE SILK BOMB. (2 per $200. When used, it creates a thick web made out of sticky silk in a small area around where you threw it, blocking approaching enemies and creating cover in the middle of battle.)>RAW WHITE DWARFSTONE (1 per $360. When consumed, grants the consumer 2 FLESH and RESTRAINT damage reduction for a short duration by converting major organ systems into stone.)
>QUNQUN PILL (1 per $125. Produced by a B.A. Heals 1 CRIPPLING INJURY, no questions asked.)>MOONSTONE FRAGMENT (2 per $80. A fragment of a Moonstone. It crackles soothingly. Allows you or an ally to reroll three RESTRAINT or WILLPOWER dice when consumed.)>REFINED BINARYSTONE (1 for 1 C-EXTRACT. Boosts two of the user's stats by 1 permanently, no questions asked, no gimmicks. It just upgrades people.)>LEYLEY PILLS (2 per $96. When consumed, adds a temporary 2 point shield to your FLESH and RESTRAINT. When you take FLESH/RESTRAINT damage, you lose one point instead.)>PROTOTYPE ANTI-ANOMALY PISTOL ROUNDS (6 per 1 C-EXTRACT + $600. When it hits an ANOMALY or SHIFTER, deal 3 extra FLESH and RESTRAINT damage. Inflicts lingering ESOTERIC damage, reducing their max stats.)>[W-CORP FAVOR] HIRCHSTONE (1 per W-CORP FAVOR. A specialized, fur-covered stone made by a Wendy Walker from an unknown pink/orange blood sample. Increases WILLPOWER by 8 and reduces all RESTRAINT damage taken by 2 for a short duration on use.)>[W-CORP FAVOR] CRYSTALLINE ANTLER COVERS (1 W-CORP FAVOR + $825. ACCESSORY. Oh, who could this item possibly be for, HMM??? +1 WILLPOWER and MAX RESTRAINT, slowly generates various W-CORP GEMSTONES as long as the user wears it.)>CRYSTAL AMMO (PISTOL ROUNDS = 4 per $200, SHOTGUN SLUG = 2 per $225, RIFLE AMMO = 3 per $250, REVOLVER AMMO = 3 per $215. Attacks made with this ammo have a high chance of inflicting CRIPPLING INJURIES due to sharp jagged hunks of rock exploding inside of the target's body.)What do you want to purchase?>Write in. (If an item has "X per MONEY/RESOURCE", you can buy multiple times. Otherwise, you can only buy it once.)[UNSTABLE] A small part of you wants to make fun of Wendy for the two new CATALOG options that she clearly added just for you. Do you...?>YES. (You'll need to make a CHARM check. If you pass, you'll get some extra RAPPORT with her.)>CALL HER BUT TELL HER YOU THINK IT'S CUTE, ACTUALLY. (You're not sure how she'll respond to this.)>DON'T BOTHER HER. (Safest option.)>Write in.I meant to post earlier but something came up.It's time to finally spend all of that money you're saving up. Otherwise, what's the point of getting money to begin with?
>>6144863OP can we get those conversion rates of Money and A-Energy and C-Extract?
>>6144887$350 for A-ENERGY, $625 per C-Extract.So the Degraded C-Extract is worth $700FISH PILE (VERY RARE) is $1050FISH (SPECIAL) is $625and C-EXTRACT is C-EXTRACT.You can either use them in place of cash or, well, use it for items that cost that resource.
FUCK IT I'LL AUTISM>>6144864>>6144875J-Corp>CRYO GRENADEBuy 2 = $450Get nades back after superboss, they HELPED>KRAV MAGA MANUALBuy 1 = $675This one's for Ashley, she's primarily melee>EXPLOSIVE REVOLVER AMMOBuy 4 = $3001 per revolver users like Clover and Wendy and if anybody gets LAWBRINGER or NAGNAT M2005, mostly the former>[J-CORP FAVOR] HEAD OF SECURITY ARMORED COATBuy 1 = 2 DEGRADED C-EXTRACT + $100 + 1 J-CORP FAVORThis is amazing armor for somebody like Naomi, but anybody who relies on VIOLENCE can use it to be way less squishy"When consumed, boosts WILLPOWER, COGNIZANCE, and RESTRAINT by a random amount between 0-2 for a limited time at the cost of taking 3 FLESH DAMAGE." is not worth it to me in keeping them for useW-Corp>MOONSTONEBuy 1 = $280Maybe Benedict?>POLISHED NOVASTONEBuy 1 = $276See nades>ECLIPSE SILK BOMBBuy 2 = $200See nades>RAW WHITE DWARFSTONEBuy 1 = $360For... some ally I guess?>MOONSTONE FRAGMENTBuy 4 = $160>REFINED BINARYSTONEBuy 1 = 1 FISH PILE (SPECIAL)Too good to pass up>PROTOTYPE ANTI-ANOMALY PISTOL ROUNDSBuy 6 = 1 FISH PILE (VERY RARE) + $175One shot for 1 extreme high priority target, nothing more. Use only when it's a MUST>[W-CORP FAVOR] HIRCHSTONEBuy 1 = 1 W-CORP FAVORFor anybody who needs 8 fucking WP for whatever massive check plus 2 RESTRAINT damage down>[W-CORP FAVOR] CRYSTALLINE ANTLER COVERSBuy 1 = 1 W-CORP FAVOR + $825Thanks Wendy>CRYSTAL AMMOBuy 8 pistol + 6 shotgun + 3 rifle + 6 revolver = 1 FISH PILE (VERY RARE) + $705Spread around allies. I honestly think at this point Nicole should just ditch all her pistol ammo of all types to her allies. Revolver + SIGNATURE FEDKILLER + Ass Rifle are enough rangedTOTAL SPENT:$45062 FISH PILE (VERY RARE)1 FISH PILE (SPECIAL)1 J FAVOR2 W FAVORREMAINS:$31881 FISH PILE (SPECIAL) I wanna give that one to Benedict...I want to keep regular C-Extract just in case we can do crazy shit like inject it in an ally... and I most DEFINITELY want to keep the 3 Admiral C-Extract as a huge bargaining chip or big injection moment with Captain's Command
>>6144995Anybody wanna buy better shit or drop some of this for whatever reason, go ahead and spill it. You might have better ideas
>>6144995+1 butAdd buy 3 QUNQUN PILL.
>>6145068I'm fine with that. What about a couple LEYLEY PILL? They help in fightsWe need to have enough money after next mission for stuff like TRAIL CLEANSING and the cops, plus hiring all allies. Can't spend too hard.
Marked, marked, marked, and marked. You won't bother calling Wendy, she probably doesn't need you bothering her.>-$4881, -2 VERY RARE FISH, -1 SPECIAL FISH, -2 DEGRADED C-EXTRACT, -2 W-FAVOR and 1 J-FAVOR>OBTAINED CRYO GRENADE x2, KRAV MAGA MANUAL, 4 EXPLOSIVE REVOLVER AMMO, HEAD OF SECURITY ARMORED COAT, MOONSTONE, POLISHED NOVASTONE, 2 ECLIPSE SILKBOMBS, RAW WHITE DWARFSTONE, MOONSTONE FRAGMENT x4, PROTOTYPE ANTI-ANOMALY PISTOL ROUNDS x6, HIRCHSTONE, CRYSTALLINE ANTLER COVERS, 8 CRYSTAL PISTOL AMMO, 6 CRYSTAL SHOTGUN SLUGS, 3 CRYSTAL RIFLE ROUNDS, 6 CRYSTAL REVOLVER ROUNDS, QUNQUN PILLS x3YOU NOW HAVE $2813 LEFT!You're absolutely vomiting up a large majority of your excess inventory once you hire your allies this mission (or tomorrow when you do the BASE ASSAULT). You remember that a lot of your allies don't really HAVE a lot of equipment soooo. Yeah.You won't bother the voices in your head over what to give them, you'll just go with your gut on that. Your brain power is wiped from SHOPPING. You turn the TV on to listen to the TV MAN'S ADVICE.It takes a long while for him; There's only harsh static and the sense that something is WRONG but luckily he flickers into view before you begin worrying he might not come up at all. He's sitting down by a fireplace inside what seems to be a fancy mansion's library/study. He takes a moment to scan around your new APARTMENT. "Nice. So, let's cut to brass tacks for tonight's show. We both know, as audience and actor, we have places to be. And we both know we know you don't want to repeat information you already heard. It's been over a year! We both know our places now!"You cock an eyebrow but you can't really interrupt him when he starts talking, you know what much. [UNSTABLE] He knows you rely on him for INFORMATION. POWERFUL AND POTENT INFORMATION. HE HAS YOU BY THE OVARIES, THE NUTS, HE HAS OUR NAME ON A LIST."First! There's a storm abrewing in the Corporate Sphere." Two small screens pop up by the armchair he's resting in. Each of them shows a similar sight: A group of shadowy figures huddling around a large conference table. It's hard to count how many there are but there's roughly 52 split across the two screens. "Due to the Meeting happening tomorrow and the large host of incidents all happening around the exact same time, the Corporate Directors are trying their best to organize whether they should continue with the Meeting or not. But of course, the gears of corporate progress can't stop now. We both know who would suffer if the Meeting was delayed."[SEEKER OF THE CITY] The 52 men and women directly below the CEOs in terms of power. They say that 4 Directors working together have the same power as one CEO."So, instead, they're overclocking the engines of corporate commerce. To be fair, it would've been like this even without the Silvers, but every mission you'll have access to today will be FAR riskier than it would normally be. However!"
"Equal and opposite reaction. Every mission, especially with some nudges of a Corporate Administrator in training, will have their rewards massively boosted. The lowest one I saw, money wise, was $3000."Fuck, that could be enough to bounce you back from the catalog purchases. "Wait." You remember something. "Does the safety thing you said from our last session still track?""Indeed. C, O, Q, V and Z-Company's district (3/15/17/22/26) should be safer still for today, tomorrow, and the day after.""In addition, depending on the mission you pick, you'll earn some minor favor with one of the corporate CEOs during the meeting. You obviously won't know what you'd get from siding with a CEO but it'll be a nice bonus."Huh. "Well, you have two more things to say. What else should I know about.""Two! Due to incredibly bountiful harvests from the Infinite Sea due to a certain deer clearing up a certain Admiral, U, T, and S-Company (who directly border the Sea) have been quickly rising up in Corporate Power. Even V-Corp is getting some boons due to bordering the ocean as well.""While other companies know you exist and have benefited from your existence, those four and G-Corp have and will benefit the most from your interference. So I imagine you'll get a choice of a Corporate Sponsor during the Head Meeting from one of those five. You may need it, things will only get more dangerous after the meeting. This isn't the end. It's only the middle of our story."You have a feeling you might be able to earn another sponsor choice or two depending on what you do today but that's worryingly cryptic. You always assumed the Base Assault would be a climax, a hooray, to your fight against the spooks. What could be more dangerous than heading into the den of your enemy?"Three! You have a double agent in the Silvers that you don't know about. Currently, somewhere within the City, a certain group of assassins have heard about what you did to Noelle and Bel. All five of them are worried about their own safety now." Huh? Is he talking about the 521 Association? Granted, only Ashton and Noelle have shown themselves, but..."While I doubt they'll be allies with you (you have enough as is), expect to meet some of them today. They'll attempt to bargain with you to save their own skin. That is all." With that, the television turns off. Hm. You suppose killing one of the silver agent's top threats was enough to scare them.[UNSTABLE] SHOULD WE KILL THEM? IF THEY BACKSTABBED THEIR EMPLOYEERS, THEY MIGHT JUST BACKSTAB US TOO.[PERSON OF INTEREST] Let's be pragmatic. The spooks have been deterred by us so far but they've never sent more than a few agents at us at a time.[PERSON OF INTEREST] We're heading into the belly of the beast. I say we can take what help we can.[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Didn't you hear they were SHIFTers too? May be worth it to have some more anomalous might on your side.Hm. Food for thought.
Well, that's homekeeping done. Time for some exploration.A quick shower and dressing up in some basic winter clothes later, you step out your apartment to see...the package is here already. You push it back inside before closing the door behind you.As you head down to the streets below, you wonder what you should focus on first. You decide the first thing to do is to find your cache here. Gives you an excuse to also wander around your new SUB DISTRICT too.---The actual sub district itself is...really, really lonely once you start exploring it. There's barely anyone outside; It's just you and maybe the occasional stray dog rushing after some small furred rat or something. Despite the buildings being painted in all sorts of bright hues with all sorts of cute decorations hanging off them, no one wants to go outside.You shrugged it off when you first arrived here since it was late at night but it's only an hour or so away from sunrise, there should be somewhere outside besides you.Every time you walk past a building, you notice the curtains sliding open to let dozens of eyes stare down at you. It's as if everyone here doesn't trust your presence; As if you were a bad omen. As a consequence of this, most of the shops you could've gone here are closed, even though you hear people chattering inside.It takes you turning around a corner to find a building that isn't trying to hide the fact its open to you: A dingy, grimy gambling den. Great. It's a pretty shabby place with a few outside chairs and tables with old CRT TVs right in view. A group of three old men who are probably retired are sitting around a table, mumbling about what horse to bet on.ALl of them snap their gazes over to you. Shit, walking through snow is a lot louder than you thought. For a moment you thought they were going to start something but they immediately break into fits of laughter upon seeing you."Ha! Told you, Vlad, ₽50 that we'd see a 'furry'.""Fuck you. You made me lose a bet!"Pft. Okay, maybe you can get some information out of them. You approach the table and dig through your pocket for the 500 'ruble' you stole from the bank. You toss it onto the table, knowing this is probably the best chance to spend it. "Sowwy. Here's payment."The three old men stare down at the bundle before looking back at you. "So. I just want to talk. Is that okay?""Uh, woo, sure. Yeah." "Uh huh." "What do you want?""Info. That's all. Tell me what you've heard.----"Oh! Sure. Heard that there's been a sudden uptick of those Syndie types lately. You know, lousy no good criminals?" "Ivan, you were criminal too." "Shut up. It's weird! Normally not so many criminals around. Boris said it may be because of shadowy influences.""You make me sound like crackpot! I said it was from rich dude! Rich powerful dude! Heard he calls himself 'Delta Foxtrot'." Huh? "Looks like face got turned into ground meat! Very spooky man!"
Wait, wait, that sounds like the Handler's Brother. The mission dealing with him was almost a month ago at this point.You SWORE you saw him killed right in front of your eyes.Didn't your Handler kill him after you killed his guards? Didn't he finish the job? You swore he pummeled his brother to death. That's real bad if he's somehow still alive. You have to tell him about this later----"D-Company," Oh? That's a name you haven't heard in a bit. "Been working with O and F-Company. O for raw grounds, F for refining coffee grounds." Oh. It's boring news. "All three have been real desperate for work lately due to incident."Oh? Interesting. "What kind of incident?""Apparently, supplies from Wastes have been drying up. Most of coffee beans come from there. Most have been saying they were joining some 'revolutionary', bleh. Though it odd, revolutionary supposedly likes coffee. So he's been whining about wanting more coffee from those three companies."Huh. You could get a two for one: Winning favor with one of the three Companies and getting an in with that Revolutionary you keep hearing about."Apparently, revolutionary plans on doing something day after tomorrow! Some big show of his revolution! Pathetic! I expect B-Corp to blow him right out of ground! Been hearing that B-Corp is expecting him to do something dumb!"Then the three lose interest in you. Huh. You're supposedly meeting up with the Man on the Phone later and something's telling he may be involved with that group somehow. Maybe you can spread that warning to him later.With that situated, you keep on wandering.----You manage to find the pharmacy you were looking for but to be quite frank, something's telling you that you don't have time to check out all of its stock nor do the employees WANT you around. You can already tell the swarm of nurses inside there want you out as soon as possible. You'll remember this location in case you want to visit it later, though!<Quick explanation for GAUZE, TRAUMA, STANDARD MEDKIT and ADRENALINE SHOT. LEYLEY and Z-CORP AMPULES had their stats shown in previous updates.>GAUZE ROLLS: Heals 1 FLESH, weakens 1 CRIPPLING INJURY, or heals 1 CRIPPLING INJURY if used with a UVX itemMEDKIT: 3 charges. One charge can heal 1 FLESH, two can heal a CRIPPLING INJURY, three revives someone out of CRITICAL STATE with half FLESH.TRAUMA KIT: 5 charges. Same as the medkit but it just has more charges.ADRENALINE SHOT: Fully heals FLESH and RESTRAINT, removes panic and revives anyone in CRITICAL STATE. Deals damage equal to half their FLESH and RESTRAINT after it wears off.)You decide to buy...>Some RANDOM supplies. (-$50. For every $50 you spend, you'll roll 1d100 on a chart to determine what you get. Write in how many times you wish to purchase this.)>Some basic supplies. (-$350. You'll get GAUZE ROLL x3 and STANDARD MEDKIT x2.)>Some advanced supplies. (-$700. You'll get TRAUMA KIT x2, ADRENALINE SHOT, LEYLEY PILLS x2)
>Some VERY advanced supplies. (-$900. You'll get 2 Z-CORP AMPULES, TRAUMA KIT x2, ADRENALINE SHOT x2)>Buy multiple supplies (Choose two or more supplies to buy.)>Don't buy anything.After deciding what to buy, you continue to wander. You have a feeling you'd stumble onto something interesting soon enough.Your next stop is something that's quite interesting: An old law firm. You don't really see these anywhere in the City anymore. Not because there's no laws period, no no, it's just that most legal disputes are solved by VIOLENCE or corporate browbeating than third party firms these days.The door is currently boarded shut. Seems no one is here anymore.It's clearly fallen into disrepair but the thing that catches your eye is the banner hanging above it. On it is the face of what you assume is the man who used to run this joint. You immediately recognize the face, however, because you saw him just a day ago.The Mystery CEO.Now, granted, he's a lot younger looking in the banner. Probably about ten years ago by the lack of greying in his slicked comb-over and thick bushy mustache. You could actually learn some information about him from here; You doubt he even remembers he worked for this law firm.Making sure no one is looking, you promptly rip the boards off with your telekinesis before stepping inside.https://youtu.be/8nXCv0pjIoc - FEELS LIKE YOU'RE INTRUDING The place has been gutted long, long before you came in here by the looks of it. Anything that wasn't too heavy or nailed down has already been dragged out of this place many years ago. The front lobby only has a set of old filing cabinets (chained shut by the looks of it) and a heavy, sturdy wooden front desk.Every door you see on first glance around the lobby has been boarded and sealed shut. Would probably be too much effort to break into for. The filing cabinets aren't too much of a worry, though. You pull out an old lockpicking set you got for situations like this.[OVERWHELMING TALENT BONUS!] You open them in mere seconds. The filing cabinets are now yours.You're about ready to flip through them when you sense something off with them. You push them to the side to notice...you left a cache here? Odd. You know you had and still have a habit of blacking out and doing shit so this isn't the weirdest place to find a cache.CACHE SUPPLIES OBTAINED!>EMP GRENADE x4 (Very effective against those with implants and robotic threats. Targets multiple enemies. Disables nearby electronics and implants for a short duration. When used on a mechanical anomaly, android, or cyborg, you roll an extra 4d6 dice when attacking it and deal automatic FLESH damage to them.)>N-COMPANY BLESSED ARTS SCROLL 4: BINDING (A blessed piece of paper imbued with the hopes, dreams, and spirits of several N-Corp priests. When used, up to three targets are bound in place by blessed chains, preventing them from attacking for a turn.)
>K-CORP UNIVERSAL PURGING AGENT (A thin, watery paste contained in a plastic bottle. Has three charges. When used, it instantly purifies a room's worth of contaminants and allows for safe travel through otherwise dangerous locations. Can also dissolve organic materials that are too tough to damage.)>O-CORP BRANDED INSTANT COFFEE x2 (Boosts the user's TALENT by 2 and grants them a 20% dodge rate to all attacks for a short duration.)>'HAPPINESS IN A PILL :)" (An oddly marked bottle filled with 5 bright cyan pills. No clue what they do! You should ask Benjamin what these do...)Odd but useful, you hope.You crack open the filing cabinets in an attempt to find out who the fuck that UKNOWN CEO is. You have to go through a lot of useless files but soon enough, you find a file folder that holds your interest. Flipping through it, you find your target.MR. LEOHT 'ANON' MAUS, OWNER OF LEOTH LAW AND LIGATION FIRM.CONTACT INFORMATION: 10-999-992. LIVES IN J-CORP BETA-9, HOUSING LOT BETWEEN WESTLAND AND MARY ST.It even has his face on it; the same as the face on the banner. You could try contacting him now!...but you're still not sure why he wanted to find you specifically. Or even who else might be working for the spooks. Who knows if contacting him would be safe.You have to think hard about the two people you want to talk to right now.Do you want to tell Otto Foxtrot/your Handler about his brother possibly still being alive?>YES. Something's fishy, how the fuck could he have survived that? You doubt Otto wanted to be merciful. >Call him but don't say its his brother just yet. Ask him if he knows of a Delta Foxtrot. Maybe he's an unrelated nuisance?>NO. It could just be a rumor, you have no way of confirming it for now.>Write in.Do you want to call the MYSTERY CEO right now?>YES. He wanted you to investigate and figure out who he is. You got a decent idea, why not?>Don't contact him yet but leave a voicemail. See if it's the right dude even. Could be your mind playing tricks.>NO. Too risky. Who knows if the spooks are listening to you RIGHT NOW?>Call up some of your contacts about the location he supposedly lives in. You'll meet him there later.>Write in.Doing a small gap vote in between the shopping and mission selection votes. Don't forget to vote for the pharmacy choice as well.
>>6145314Pharmacy:>Some advanced supplies. (-$700. You'll get TRAUMA KIT x2, ADRENALINE SHOT, LEYLEY PILLS x2)Delta Foxtrot:>Call him but don't say it’s his brother just yet. Ask him if he knows of a Delta Foxtrot. Maybe he's an unrelated nuisance?Mystery CEO:>NO. Too risky. Who knows if the spooks are listening to you RIGHT NOW?Not when we have this much heat on our heads. It’ll just out him to the spooks at large.
SHIT I forgot to include thanking Wendy! Ah well we can do that right before the BASE ASSAULT just fine>>6145312>>6145313>>6145314backing >>6145347
>>6145313>Some advanced supplies. (-$700. You'll get TRAUMA KIT x2, ADRENALINE SHOT, LEYLEY PILLS x2)>>6145314>Call him but don't say its his brother just yet. Ask him if he knows of a Delta Foxtrot. Maybe he's an unrelated nuisance?>Call up some of your contacts about the location he supposedly lives in. You'll meet him there later.
>>6145347+1
>>6145313>Some VERY advanced supplies. (-$900. You'll get 2 Z-CORP AMPULES, TRAUMA KIT x2, ADRENALINE SHOT x2)It's just an extra 200>>6145314>Call him but don't say its his brother just yet. Ask him if he knows of a Delta Foxtrot. Maybe he's an unrelated nuisance?>NO. Too risky. Who knows if the spooks are listening to you RIGHT NOW?
>>6145314If not too late, changing vote from >>6145354 to backing >>6145673
>>6145552Change>>6145673+1
>>6145673+1
Ah, right, you decided to buy the VERY ADVANCED BUNDLE.>-$900>+Z-CORP AMPULE x2, TRAUMA KIT x2, ADRENALINE SHOT x2Oh! You also forgot you bought a REFINED BINARYSTONE too. You'll add that to your mental list.>+REFINED BINARYSTONEWith that settled, you take a good long think on how to handle this. You really shouldn't call 'LEOHT'. Not with this much heat. Not with the spooks being as active as they are. Not with your BIG DAY approaching. Maybe you'll ask around about where he lives with your trusted allies and Otto maybe but...No. Not right now, at least.You keep the folder regardless. Just in case. After closing the folder and placing it back into your inventory, you decide it's probably best to check up with the Handler about the other Foxtrot you heard about.He picks up the moment you dial up his number. Can't blame him with your track record. "Hello, hello! How's my number one Cleaner? Well, probably more fourth place over my whole career buuut in the last year? Definitely number one.">TARNISHED GOLDEN NECKLACE ACTIVATES!>"She doesn't normally call me this early. Something's wrong. Something's wrong, I don't like where this is going."<"Doing well! As well as I can be given the circumstances. So, uh, it's about a rumor I've been hearing. Do you know anything about a Delta Foxtrot? Supposedly starting syndicates across the City?""Oh. Well, that's certainly a name. A name that I have definitely heard of before. A name that-" It's clear he's deflecting or hiding something. "Where the fuck did you hear that name? Who told you that?""I heard some old dudes over here in I-Corp talking about him.""Well that's a shock! Not sure why they would be talking about my old man when he's six feet under. Got a description of who this motherfucker is?""Mashed up face, like ground beef, supposedly rich and famous?">"No. No it can't be."<"We'll talk about this later. I need to talk to some of my contacts. If you see someone matching that description, DO NOT ENGAGE WITH HIM." The line goes dead after that. That reaction basically confirms your suspicions but that comment about him using his father's name is odd.More and more odd details adding up, huh? [UNSTABLE] WOULD HE BE THAT MUCH OF AN ISSUE TO DEAL WITH? DIDN'T WE DEEPFRY HIS BRAIN WITH CHEMICAL NERVE AGENTS? PLUS THE HANDLER MASHING HIS FACE IN?[PERSON OF INTEREST] Well I think we all know who would interfere, after all the only way he could've-[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Let's not assume it's always the spooks. They're powerful but there's a million other factions or benefactors who could be blamed.There's nothing you can really do for the time being. With nothing else to check out in this general area, you make your way over to the train station so you can check up on your old sub-district: G-ALPHA-1. The station attendant looks at you weirdly when she sees what district you're heading towards. "Miss, do you know...?"
Before she can question you more, the landline on her desk starts ringing. She picks it up and after a VERY short and tense conversation, she gives you approval to head towards that sub-district.[CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY] Seems like that trucker girl is good for some things after all.You easily find a seat in the dead empty train cabin and, feeling a bit tired already, you drift off into a light slumber.You're immediately woken up by a group of people violently tapping on the train window. You open your eyes to see a whole assorted group of people standing around on the platform of G-ALPHA-1's train station. There has to at least be five different corporate groups working here: K-Corp workers in safety yellow and orange hazmat suits, S-Corp construction men in dull cherry red vests and gas masks, J-Corp police officers in their bright orange uniforms, R-Corp Rangers in some stereotypical cowboy uniforms and ponchos...There's even some people in uniforms it takes a moment for you to recognize. There's about five to six weathered old men in white buttoned up shirts held up by black suspenders. O-Corp, you think. EVERYONE is wearing gas masks at the very least, you note.They're all trying their best to repair the train station which is in some pretty heavy disrepair. Massive chunks of the structure have either been warped into awkward positions or are just gone outright.[SEEKER OF THE CITY] Seems K and J-Corp called a truce to deal with this incident. You swore they were still trying to kill each other over the chemical weapon incident you caused a month ago. "Miss, you can't be here." the K-Corp Hazmat Worker's voice is laced with static from his suit's voice filter. "You have to leave-""Wait." An officer approaches the train to get a better look at you. "She matches the description of what G-Corp Southern Rep said. Let her through.""Fine. Put on some safety equipment at least, miss." You're now allowed to step out of your train.You thank him for the advice and promptly equip the GAS MASK tucked away in your inventory. You carefully walk past the five corporate groups to see what the hell happened outside if the station looks like this.https://youtu.be/vC9QLsyDsz8- - COLD RUINS THAT WERE ONCE YOUR HOME[UNSTABLE RESOLVE] Oh. Oh fuck.[PERSON OF INTEREST] This is their most vile trick, huh?The place barely looks like what it was once even a day ago. Where there were once snow-covered buildings, roaring fires, and people of all strips wandering around and chattering with each other...is ruin. Most of the buildings around you have been caved in completely only to leave behind piles of rubble and barely held together support structures.The streets themselves were hit even worse. Massive sink holes have formed in the ground that you'd estimate are at least five, maybe six, feet deep. The sidewalks have massive cracks running through them or are flatout gone, replaced with bare and frigid dirt.
It doesn't get any better no matter where you look. It's all the same level of destruction for as far as your eyes can see. As expected, the power lines are also knocked down. Luckily it seems like they already shut down the power here so the now loose and severed power lines are just inert cabling but that means this place has to be in complete blackout.Something in your INVENTORY begins to beep. You check to see what it is...and it's two of your DETECTORS. The RAW MOONSTONE GAS DETECTOR and the P-CORP ENERGY COUNTER. You'd had one or two beep before but both at the same time?[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] The weirdest part is you sense no anomaly here. The only anomalous presence here should be you.[PERSON OF INTEREST] Didn't they experiment with anomalies? That's how Benedict got stuck as a half-anomaly, half-human. Like a manufactured SHIFTer. No use just speculating. Thankfully you're able to explore the ruined streets with ease due to your well trained body. Jumping over massive gaps or having to climb around/over some rubble to continue forward isn't that much of an issue when you're not rushing yourself.In your travels, you do begin to notice that not every building is completely destroyed. A lot of the SHOPs you went to over your career are either being repaired or are still in operation, though most of them are out of power.You passed by CALORE NERO, that old coffee shop you saw yesterday, and it seems to have power. Though the whine of several generators nearby tells you how. It is fucking packed to the brim with people; At least fifty to sixty of them.Meanwhile, you see the old man from IPPO'S REFINERY helping out some of the S-Corp Construction Workers with repairing some of the smaller buildings. You doubt they can repair every building immediately but you're glad they're doing something.>SEEKER ROLL: 63!One of the buildings currently being repaired by a group of S-Corp workers looks...weird. Very weird. You stop in your tracks to get a better look at it and the first thing that raises your alarm bells is how pristine it is. While a lot of the other buildings being repaired are still in the very early stages of being repaired, this one?This one looks brand new! It's like it suddenly popped out of nowhere. The new office building they built is also really, really vibrant with how it's painted. The bright red paint they painted it with had to be put on just mere seconds ago since droplets of it are still rolling down the building."How's the transplant?" You overhear one of the workers muttering to the other."Good, good. Had to get some samples from another building. Rejection rate is at 5% right now.""Can G-Corp afford it? They have the spare rubble for it but gestating one still takes time."Gestating?You take a closer look at the building. While every other building is coated in snow, there's no snow within a 15 foot radius of it. Hell, there's PUDDLES OF WATER on the ground. It's oddly hot here...
Wait. Can't be.You swear that building is moving ever-so-slightly. As if it's breathing."It should enter stasis by tomorrow. Should we really be putting one here? What if someone tries stealing its...?""Shut up. Who knows who could be listening?"That's when the two of them snap their gazes over to you.You promptly rush down the street before they get the wrong idea.>CITY SECRET: LISTEN TO THE BUILDINGS (Seems like S-Corp's buildings are partially organic in nature. Perhaps you could use this to your advantage? You'll unlock special voting choices when exploring urban sprawl and you'll have an easier time losing people in chase.)>Maybe you can even harvest materials from them if you find the right ones?You try to find where your apartment is but you have to stop in your tracks as you find yourself at the edge of a massive barricade blocking your way forward. Luckily, there's no barbed wire or anything, basedou take a moment to climb over it to see...Oh no. Where there was once your apartment is a crater. There's not even any ruined buildings or damaged roads here. For as far as you can see, which you can only assume stretches through the whole City block your apartment building was at, there's only bare dirt and stone. There's no hint that there was ever anything constructed here at all.A thick haze also hangs around Ground Zero; Which your detectors are more than happy to tell you is a mixture of something anomalous and MOONSTONE GAS. It seems to linger around the site like a bad smell, refusing to leave. Luckily it seems warded away by an array of of bright yellow fluorescent lamp bulbs attached to both sides of the barricade: Some sort of K-Corp tech?What you know for certain is that the Spooks aren't fucking playing around anymore. If your detector is reading correctly, that gas could probably melt you even with the gas mask on.You climb down the barricade and stumble away from the sight you just saw. You really, really need to get back at them for this; You doubt that it was just 80 dead and 500 injured anymore. The damage is too much for it to be that low anymore.You bump right into an old looking man during your stumbling. Looking up, you see that it's Neal from that one shop you used to go to. The old man wraps an arm around your shoulder and you think he's smiling; Hard to tell with his gas mask."Hey! Glad you're alive. Y-yeah, you can probably tell our business is probably shutting down here. I knew you stopped visiting but uh...just in case you came here for me.""..." You feel bad at the fact a lot of the old shops you used to come to are probably out of business now. You decide, if only to feel good, to scribble something down and hand it to him. "Call this number. It's from an associate of mine, Alexis Morozov.""Send it to IPPO'S, CALORE NERO, and uh." You point in the rough direction of that one unmarked shop you saw. "Look for a man with some tattoos. She'll find you a place to set up shop at."
"Ho! Guess you're a lifesaver, huh!" He firmly pats you on the back before ripping the piece of paper out of your hand. "Sure, sure. See you around.""See ya?" You don't care much for him but you felt he deserves that much for helping you out before you found better sources for equipment.>All of the G-CORP SHOPS will be moved to somewhere safer thanks to you checking up on them!You collapse onto the cracked sidewalk. That's when the HANDLER comes a ringing. You pick it up and meekly answer with a simple, "Hey. Came to visit G-ALPHA-1. It looks awful here."The line is quiet at first. "Yeah. I know that much. I had a worker of mine check up on that place after I heard the news. Thank god you worked for I-Corp yesterday, huh?""Yeah." You want outta here, especially if the spooks think you are coming down here to check on their 'warning shot'. "Can we just get this over with? I feel sick.""Let's get to brass tacks then. Hell, I wouldn't blame if you didn't want to work. If you don't-""Thanks for being considerate but let me think."CHOOSE YOUR MISSION! (All mission rewards have been jacked up considerably, thanks to Alexis' help + high demand for work!) >[ANOMALOUS] "We got reports of a certain anomaly that's been terrorizing District 14. Some sort of big crash test dummy thing called APEX PREDATOR? Whatever it is, it's been killing a lot of people. Recontain or weaken it enough for the ETF to get." REWARD: $4777, +4 P-CORP FAVOR, 8 A-ENERGY PACKETS AND 2 C-EXTRACT, you'll get a new boon and potentially some PARADIGMS! RISK LEVEL: OVERWHELMING Regardless of who you pick, Benjamin and Max will offer you intel to help you on this mission.>"C-Company needs a guard for one of their establishments. Especially after everything going on, shit is getting real tense across the City. Workers are also hard to find right now for obvious reasons. Keep an eye on everything, it'll be fine. May or may not be haunted!" REWARD: $3000, +3 C-CORP FAVOR, +1 MAX RESTRAINT to you and all allies who join you this mission. RISK LEVEL: MEDIUM-HIGH>[!!WARNING!!] [ANOMALOUS?] "V-Company called. I'm not sure how or WHY you managed to impress them but they want to drag your ass out to do a favor for them. Something about an old building that was ran by the Company that came before the Company that V-Corp took over. Explore it, grab what you can find, and escape. Alive." REWARD: $14000, +10 V-CORP FAVOR, V-Corp will personally offer you a role in their company in the future, you'll learn more about the world before the City. RISK LEVEL: Good luck. You'll need it. :)>[!CAUTION!] [ANOMALOUS] "P-Company is having a hard time producing enough power to keep up the increased demand across the City. Go to a facilities of theirs and work on some anomalies for hem, okay?" REWARD: $5000, +4 P-CORP FAVOR, you and all allies brought will gain +1 to three stats (you get to choose your own) and a random BOON upgraded. RISK: OVERWHELMING(1/3)
>"The eggheads over at D-Company are facing an issue with their own facilities. Someone is sabotaging them and we need your help to figure out who and why. Catch and kill whoever they are." REWARD: $4000, +4 D-CORP FAVOR, you'll get a bundle of RESTRAINT healing items and specialized coffees from D-Corp. RISK: HIGH.>"Q-Company is having an issue with producing the latest lines of Drones. E, X, and H-Corp have done their best but they still haven't figured a solution out. Go in there, help them, FIX IT." REWARD: $3111, +3 Q-CORP FAVOR, you'll get a chance to upgrade yourself or your allies with biological upgrades from Q-Corp. RISK LEVEL: MEDIUM-HIGH>"There's been something odd happening in Z-Corp's district. Some unknown kind of disease has been spreading across all of the GAMMA subdistricts like a wildfire. Find out what's causing it and stop it." REWARD: $5000, +3 Z-CORP FAVOR, you'll get a lot of medical and healing items that may help out in the base assault. RISK LEVEL: CHALLENGING>[!CAUTION!] "Want to commit incredible levels of hyperviolence? I know you do, you sick bitch! You sick fucking bastard! I got a corporate elite I want you to hunt down and do unspeakable things to! DO WHAT COMES NATURAL!!!" REWARD: $6850, +1.5 RAPPORT with OTTO, +3 HUXLEY FAVOR, +1 max VIOLENCE and TALENT to all allies who go on this mission. RISK LEVEL: RISKY>"S-Company is begging me to send you back to their district for a mission so here: Due to your involvement in clearing up the INFINITE SEA, there's a lot more product being brought in than people who can process it. Just handle some fish and relax, okay?" REWARD: $3000, +1 S-CORP FAVOR, your apartment will be upgraded to allow you to train easier at home, you get to keep some of the fish! RISK LEVEL: NORMAL? (Seems too easy...)>"Keep your head on straight if you pick this. One of the Corporate Administrators from N-Corp wishes to explore a certain section of T-Company's district. Something about a deal they want to make with T-Corp. Keep him safe." REWARD: $3800, +2 FAVOR with N and T-COMPANY, you'll get a selection of time altering and holy equipment to bring back home for the BASE ASSAULT. RISK LEVEL: LOW-HIGH>[BONUS MISSION] "This is going to sound incredibly pathetic but I need you to do this for me. I haven't had contact with my family in a while and I need you to find where they're at and how they're doing. I'm worried, okay?" REWARD: $3250, +1 RAPPORT with your Handler, +1 CONNECTIONS to you and two allies of your choice upon completion, and you'll become a honorary Foxtrot (which will help you interact with corporate families easier). RISK LEVEL: MEDIUM-HIGH>[CORPORATE MANIPULATOR MISSION] "A friend of a friend told me about this. Over at O-Company, they're having issues with a local syndicate who's been harassing their farmers non-stop for some reason. Negotiate or kill the syndicate so we can keep producing food." REWARD: $3750 and +5 O-CORP FAVOR. RISK LEVEL: MODERATE.(2/3)
>Maybe you shouldn't go on a mission today? (You won't get any rewards from doing a mission but it gives you the whole day to prepare for the HEAD MEETING and BASE ASSAULT.)WHO TO HIRE? CHOOSE UP TO FIVE ALLIES TO HIRE, AS LONG AS YOU CAN AFFORD THEM. ALLIES USED LAST MISSION CAN NOT BE SELECTED. ALLIES WITH [UPG] WILL BE OFFER A BOON VOTE WHEN YOU BRING THEM.AVAILABLE MONEY: $1913>[UPG] BENJAMIN. Fully licensed as a pharmacist, Open Minded to the supernatural. Has a crimson spark that needs a push to ignite. Delusional, credulous, and naive. ($42)>MARUYAMA. Resilient mindset, has a way with negotiations and blending in with crowds. Has a latent spark waiting to bloom. Has the resolve to handle any mission thrown his way. Emotionally and physically spent. ($75)>KIARA. Fellow explorer of the City with a vast amount of knowledge. Artificial physiology lacks the same limits as flesh and bone. Can mimic other people. Has vastly improved cognizant abilities and can react quicker than most humans. Prone to making rash decisions. (Free if you pick a mission tagged [ANOMALOUS] or [ANOMALOUS?]. $75 otherwise.)>ADAM. A long career of working as a chef has instilled amazing levels of accuracy and technical precision. Practicing surgeon and mechanic. Hard worker. Tends to overcorrect when situations get dicey. ($85)>[UPG] MAX, an Aristocrat. High in demand with the Companies and has extensive access to corporate assets. Held in contempt by other Cleaners and the working class, very sheltered. Has a chaotic spark that longs to explore the world. ($80.)>NAOMI. Well versed in all military matters and a great commander. Has old glowie habits she's trying to break out of. Has a knack for analyzing the quirks and potential of people around her. Slowly regaining her SILVER AGENT skills. Old age and scars have ruined her body. ($155)>FRANK. His main job as an ETF agent grants incredible combat and non-combat experience and far higher base stats. Has access to resources you could never hope to get by yourself. Incredibly blunt and crass, liable to piss other people off (including you). ($230)>[UPG] CLOVER. A casino manager who larps as a cowboy, has the sharpshooting skills to back it up. Unshakeable morale and has a resolute will that's hard to break. VERY stubborn. Has a hidden ability. ($175)>CASEY. Optimistic spirit lightens the mood of everyone she interacts with, very experienced at convincing people. Has a queen bee-like mindset. Emotional. ($60)>BENEDICT. A chef partially transformed into an anomaly. Half-man-half-machine anatomy grants immense strength and physical resistances, has anomalous powers and abilities. Fractured mind that requires careful observation, UNSTABLE. (+$444 if you hire him. You get more money hiring him as you raise Adam and his own RAPPORT.)(1/2 for allies)
>OTTO. Literally your boss. Has an unbreakable level of confidence in himself and has the capital to force his way into any corporate situations. Also literally your boss, so keep him alive. PERSON OF INTEREST to the SPOOKS. (35% of your MISSION PAYOUT.)>DASHA. A russian soldier from the past. Is very skilled in combat and keeps her nerves in high stress environments. Has a frail body and is a fish out of water in this futuristic CITY. ($125.)>NO ONE. YOU'RE GOING ALONE.To offer some clarification, if you pick the "NO MISSION TODAY" option, you can still hire some allies to help you prepare if you want to. OTTO would probably cost a flat sum of $500 if you hired him without going on a mission, though.Mostly just adding the option to skip a mission since I did see some discussion on wanting to explore, stock up, and let your allies rest and I felt that was a fair choice. Though you can still pick a mission if you wish.ALEXIS, LEX, QUENTIN, ASHLEY and WENDY aren't available since they worked last mission and allies (usually) can't work twice in a row. They're real human beings who need rest after all.
>>6145923>[BONUS MISSION] "This is going to sound incredibly pathetic but I need you to do this for me. I haven't had contact with my family in a while and I need you to find where they're at and how they're doing. I'm worried, okay?" REWARD: $3250, +1 RAPPORT with your Handler, +1 CONNECTIONS to you and two allies of your choice upon completion, and you'll become a honorary Foxtrot (which will help you interact with corporate families easier). RISK LEVEL: MEDIUM-HIGH>[UPG] BENJAMIN.>[UPG] MAX.>KIARA.>[UPG] CLOVER.>CASEY. Reason: >>6142396
>>6145956+1Holy shit that's so much money offeredLook at those payouts
>>6145956Let's go with thisBtw, is it me or did APEX PREDATOR go up in risk? Maybe we should've taken care of it sooner
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2024/6071053/No.6073991>Katherine lived and was humiliated by Otto. She'll absolutely remember this and will probably be a pain in the ass in the future...Question anon, do you think it is Katherine inpersonate Delta Foxtrot since she has shapeshifter ability and she is a Handler ex-lover potential know lot Foxtrot family history?
>>6146016He did yeah. But we have bigger fish to fry and we can always try to go for him after the BASE ASSAULT>>6146029Great idea to throw at him on the mission and see what he thinks
>>6145923>[BONUS MISSION] "This is going to sound incredibly pathetic but I need you to do this for me. I haven't had contact with my family in a while and I need you to find where they're at and how they're doing. I'm worried, okay?" REWARD: $3250, +1 RAPPORT with your Handler, +1 CONNECTIONS to you and two allies of your choice upon completion, and you'll become a honorary Foxtrot (which will help you interact with corporate families easier). RISK LEVEL: MEDIUM-HIGH>[UPG] BENJAMIN. Fully licensed as a pharmacist, Open Minded to the supernatural. Has a crimson spark that needs a push to ignite. Delusional, credulous, and naive. ($42)>[UPG] MAX, an Aristocrat. High in demand with the Companies and has extensive access to corporate assets. Held in contempt by other Cleaners and the working class, very sheltered. Has a chaotic spark that longs to explore the world. ($80.)>ADAM. A long career of working as a chef has instilled amazing levels of accuracy and technical precision. Practicing surgeon and mechanic. Hard worker. Tends to overcorrect when situations get dicey. ($85)>BENEDICT. A chef partially transformed into an anomaly. Half-man-half-machine anatomy grants immense strength and physical resistances, has anomalous powers and abilities. Fractured mind that requires careful observation, UNSTABLE. (+$444 if you hire him. You get more money hiring him as you raise Adam and his own RAPPORT.)>CASEY. Optimistic spirit lightens the mood of everyone she interacts with, very experienced at convincing people. Has a queen bee-like mindset. Emotional. ($60)
>>6146039Props to you for picking A&B, but I'm sticking to Clover and Kiara. I miss both of those and we had Adam and Benedict during the briefcase mission
>>6146016They’re all increased risk.The TV MAN told us that shit is going down City-wide. The corporate directors are trying to make their power moves before their bosses meet up tomorrow. Also, apparently the 521 people are going to try to waylay us at some point.In terms of mission, I’ll give a +1 to:>>6145956It’ll be worth the risk to upgrade Ben, Max and Clover.
>>6145912>[CORPORATE MANIPULATOR MISSION] "A friend of a friend told me about this. Over at O-Company, they're having issues with a local syndicate who's been harassing their farmers non-stop for some reason. Negotiate or kill the syndicate so we can keep producing food." REWARD: $3750 and +5 O-CORP FAVOR. RISK LEVEL: MODERATE.>[UPG] BENJAMIN>[UPG] MAX>[UPG] CLOVER>DASHA
"So. This is going to sound super embarrassing and as a TRUE RED BLOODED MALE, I would loathe to stoop THIS low to ask my most TRUSTWORTHY WORKER to do a SOLID FOR ME, RIGHT BEFORE-""I've seen actual children act less snooty than you right now. What's the big deal?"All of the energy in his voice vanishes like air being pushed out of a balloon. "It's about my family. I haven't heard anything from ANYONE in my family in the last two weeks. They're not dead, I know that much, but due to my work and general family squabbling I haven't gotten into contact with them for a bit.""Huh. I mean, if that's all, that doesn't really sound like a mission. This sounds like you're venting to me.""Okay. Normally I wouldn't even bring this up but I finally tried calling them a few days ago and every time I tried to, my phone would immediately go on the fritz. Tried contacting them online: Same thing. Computer would hard crash to the desktop. This isn't them ignoring me, someone is actively trying to sabotage my attempts to communicate with them."Oh! That's a LOT more worrying than simple family drama. "Do you think it's them?""Could be but I have no evidence it is 'them' aside from it fitting with their M.O. For all I know, it could be some other corporate family trying to rile up my family for whatever reason.""So here's what I need you to do. There's four main figures in my family I need you to get into contact with. I have no idea where they are specifically at, only which sub-districts they might be in.""Well, tell me the locations. Some physical descriptions would be nice.""Alright. Here you go." He quickly rattles off a list of names and what he recalls about them and their activities. -Seath Stone Foxtrot, associate of D-Company, male. Works as a head researcher at a D-Company containment facility. Brown hair, brown eyes, tanned skin. Has a very bulky physical build. Sub District: D-ALPHA-5 or D-ZETA-9.-'Double A' Foxtrot, violent yet loyal worker for R-Company, female. Works as a training instructor of R-Corp Rangers. Very generic looking, most noteworthy feature is a pattern of scars in the shape of a cross on the center of her face. Sub District: R-GAMMA-2 or R-GAMMA-3.-Gabriel Foxtrot, devoted believer of the Father Above, male. A priest who has decided to take a pilgrim to L-Company on behalf of N-Corp. Long, shaggy blonde hair with an equally long blonde beard, red robe. Sub District: L-OMEGA-9 or L-ALPHA-1.-Molly 'Princess' Foxtrot, young and devoted bug lover, female. An excited yet inexperienced member of the family who went to Q-Company due to her love of insects. Wears thick overalls, gloves, and boots wherever she goes. Has dyed orange hair. Sub District: Q-PHI-7 or Q-TAU-2.Huh. Aside from a brief visit to L-Corp's district, you haven't gone to any of these players before. A good corporate opportunity to get some corporate favor and to see more of the City (after finding his family of course)
[SEEKER OF THE CITY] As a quick refresher, L-Company is a very ill tempered company who has a no tolerance policy for anyone who slights them or disrupts the peace. Has a caste system depending on how well you mesh with their collectivistic society.[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] D-Company is a very new, very overworked corporation created 20 years ago. They are tasked with the containment and study of anomalies. You've heard rumors their districts are supernaturally dark at all times.[SEEKER OF THE CITY] Q-Company is where Drones come from. It's a very single minded company that cares about productivity and work efficiency at any cost. You heard their districts are safe but very drab and boring to be in.[UNSTABLE] R-COMPANY IS A COMPANY FILLED WITH COWBOY LARPERS WHO ARE TASKED WITH EXPLORING THE WASTES, A NEAR INFINITE DESERT THAT SPANS THE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY. THEIR DISTRICT IS ALSO VERY ARID AND DRY AND AWFUL!"Make sure all four of them are okay. I know they're tough enough to handle themselves normally and this is kinda pathetic of me to ask. There's also a fifth one but I'm not AS worried about her. Consider her your optional objective.">OBJECTIVE: GET INTO CONTACT WITH THE FOUR MENTIONED FOXTROT FAMILY MEMBERS. CONFIRM THEIR STATUS AND REPORT THEM TO THE HANDLER>OPTIONAL OBJECTIVE: FIND THE FIFTH MEMBER. REWARD: $650, M-COMPANY FAVOR x2, +0.5 RAPPORT WITH ASHLEY AND THE HANDLERHe rattles off the fifth member's description.-Fang Foxtrot, upcoming musician, female. The Handler admits he basically knows nothing about this family member but feels morally obligated to watch after her. SUBDISTRICT: M-GAMMA-1 through 9.That name sounds familiar. You swore Ashley said she used to go by Fang. Maybe it's a coincidence. "Can't lie, it'll probably be a wild goosechase trying to find her. Focus on the other four first.""You know? I'll go look for them. I do expect to be paid pretty well after all is said and done but as long as you pay me? I'm willing to do it for you.""Thank you. Call me whenever you find one or if shit is really dire. I'll write off the ticket costs for you, just focus on finding them." With that, he hangs up. You decide to call up some of your own allies and tell them to meet you up at I-PHI-4 (given that's where you live now). You were pretty curt with your calls so you imagine they're pretty worried about you but...you need to focus on the mission first.Heading back to the train station after getting a quick spray down by some K-Corp hazmat suiters, you board your train back to your new home. You close your eyes to take a quick nap while you still have a chance to afford such a luxury. You hope whatever dreams you have aren't weird and ominous.When you next open your eyes, you realize you didn't dream at all. Odd. Guess your mind is too preoccupied to really put extra energy into dreaming. You see that you're about ready to arrive at I-PHI-7. Goodie. The train doors open to reveal some familiar people on the platform.
Clover, Max, Benjamin, Casey and Kiara! Your pals! Your chums! Your chumps!Max and Benjamin look the exact same as when you last saw them aside from their eyes looking a bit different. Benjamin's eyes have a faint orange hue to them while Max has a dark red tint to her eyes. "Heya! "So, has his new body rejected him yet? I am quite excited to hear how it's doing." "Benny, it's only been what. 8? 12 hours? He's not even with her anymore." "Aw.">CRIMSON and CHAOTIC SPARK progress + their abilities will be revealed next update!Clover is a god damn giant in comparison to all of the short girls and the manlet that is Benjamin. He still has his big bulky poncho and yellow/black checkered scarf. If anything, the only difference from last time you saw him is the bags under his eyes. "So. A search and rescue mission? Or just a search mission?""Search." You clarify. "Ideally no rescuing. Handler didn't say much.""Figures-""HARK! I SHALL HELP THEE RESCUE THESE INNOCENT MEN AND WOMEN OF GLORIOUS REPUTE!" What the fuck- What the hell is Casey wearing?Hastily thrown on top of her yellow dress shirt and honeycombed tie, she now sports a jury-rigged chestplate and a pair of shoulder pads that looks more like what a medieval knight would wear than anything. Gripped TIGHTLY in her hand is a weathered rapier that has seen better days.Her brown slacks and shoes + off yellow hair tied in a ponytail look the same but the armor is taking you out of it."She said she was 'inspired' by me and wanted to be a hero too. I thought it was mighty cute until I realize she wasn't gonna be a Ranger.""I made this out of the armor you gave me earlier!" Casey immediately breaks character. "Do you like it? I didn't want to step on Clover's toes so I thought this would be the most appealing to the group!">CASEY lost LIGHTWEIGHT VEST + LIGHTWEIGHT HELMET + SHOULDERPADS. CASEY now has MAKESHIFT KNIGHT ARMOR! (Blocks one CRIPPLING INJURY per mission, has a medium chance to block 1 FLESH DAMAGE from melee attacks!)>CASEY now has WEATHERED RAPIER! (ATTACK ROLL: TALENT-2, can be used alongside a one handed gun. Has a 1/6th chance of deflecting most melee attacks thrown at her. Currently equipped with her MBF MODEL 129.)"I still think being a cowboy would've been cooler.""S-sure, Casey. It looks nice." "Aw. You can be a bit nicer to her, you know? It's clear she's putting a lot of passion behind it.." That voice with a faint static overlay to it sounds familiar. You turn to see who it is: Oh! Right! Kiara! It's been a long time since you've seen her.She has you dead to rights with a pair of finger guns. The bulky android seems to be looking a lot better than when you last saw her, all things considered. The orange bomber jacket and black turtleneck sweater she has on are clearly brand new and from a MUCH fancier brand. The latex faux-skin covering her arms, face, and legs also seems freshly maintained as well. "Been a while, hasn't it?"
The last thing you take note is that her LED eyes have a bright blue hue to them due to that BLUESPACE MODULE she has installed. That and she has some tacky jewelry on but bleh. "It has been...well, It's been a long time since I've seen any of you. Except for Max and Ben but that was only for a little bit.""You didn't think of calling me first?" Kiara would be fluttering her eyelids if she had any. "How rude! I'll kill you!""Like hell you would.""Ngh! Damnit, you're right. You're too lovable.""Pft." Max rolls her eyes at the sappy display being shown. "So. Corporate family nonsense again. Hopefully this time I don't have to hear about a teenager being kidnapped.""I will admit, that did detract from the mine exploration we had." Benjamin sagely nods. "I do have a hypothesis on who could've blocked your boss' communications."[DELUSIONAL] "You see, I believe it's a form of extraterrestrial life-""Benjamin. Please. Aliens don't exist. You just watched one too many movies last night.""Max! We have living centipedes in skinsuits, sentient robots, AND anomalies. ARE ALIENS THAT WEIRD-" Hoo. You forgot how much of a nutcase he could be."Welp. I can tell we got some time before we decide where to go next, huh." Clover claps his hands. "So. Boss. Anything on your mind?"You do want to see how your allies have changed since you last saw them. You take a moment to see your allies' new abilities...----CHOOSE A BOON FOR MAX, CLOVER AND BENJAMIN!MAX>Max has clearly been training since you last hired her. Her body, while still thin and stringy, has some actual tone to it. "My family has some good genetics, you know?" (FIVE STAR TRAINING. +1 MAX FLESH, +1 TALENT, +1 MAX RESTRAINT, +1 CHARM. Due to her extensive mental and physical training, Max rolls d7s on RESTRAINT, TALENT, and WILLPOWER checks. She also adds d7s when assisting you in those checks.)>"You know, in business, it's not the first person to think of an idea who succeed. Why apply that to just business?" (COPYCAT. +1 COGNIZANCE, +1 WILLPOWER, +1 CONNECTIONS, +1 MAX RESTARINT. Max is now able to mimic far weaker versions of an ally's BOON depending on the situation. She picks one at the start of mission and can switch to a new one once per mission.)>There's an almost glimmering innocence to her expression. "I want to learn about the world I've been sheltered from, you know?" (UNDYING CURIOSITY. +1 to two random stats. Max will slowly but passively gain permanent stat boosts as she works with you. In future BOON votes, she'll have an additional BOON to pick from. A slow yet steady upgrade.)>There's some faint surgical scars all around her body. "One upside of having Benny as a boyfriend? I can ask him for some...improvements." (AUGMENTED BODY. +1 COGNIZANCE, +1 MAX FLESH, +1 CHARM, +1 TALENT. Max can attempt to wirelessly connect to electronic devices to gain access to them or to use them from a safe distance. Her body also resists most negative effects of consumables.)(1/2)
CLOVER>Clover's busy chatting with your other allies. You can overhear him trying to give them some basic trigger discipline and other useful gun-related advice. (COWBOY ADVISOR. +2 TALENT, +2 COGNIZANCE. Twice per mission, Clover may add +2d8 to any TALENT or RANGED ATTACK roll an ally makes. Allies will also passively get better at using firearms during a mission.)>"I don't know what it is but I feel oddly lucky." He's not wrong. There's an almost palpable aura around him that seems to comfort everyone around him. (GUNSLINGER'S GRIT. +2 CHARM, +1 MAX FLESH, +1 WILLPOWER. Clover's DEADEYE SHOT now triggers on 5s alongside 6s. Good things also just seem to happen to Clover and the rest of your party.)>"After all that weird shit I saw in that facility, I wanna make sure I ain't ever thrown off balance again." (SHERIFF'S RESOLVE. +2 MAX RESTRAINT, +2 WILLPOWER. This boon has three charges that recharge every mission. Clover may spend a charge to autopass any check to resist a mind altering effect or to avoid being incapacitated/stunned by an item or power.) BENJAMIN>You only now notice how grimy and dirty his previously pristine attire is. "Ha, sorry for the mess. After seeing that Drone, my mind has been racing!" (MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE. +2 MAX FLESH, +2 COGNIZANCE. Benjamin now has a knack for noticing small discrepancies and details even your most vigilant allies wouldn't notice. COGNIZANCE DCs for everyone in the party are also slightly easier when he's in the party.)>His eyes now glint with an uncharacteristic confidence. "I had to talk my way through the corporate world. Max has taught me some VERY good advice..." (BIRD BRAINED CHARISMA. +1 MAX RESTRAINT, CHARM, CONNECTIONS, and WILLPOWER. People just like Benjamin now and are willing to be open and cordial to him. You'll unlock special skill checks to learn information they'd otherwise wouldn't tell you.)>"So. Now that I have my own ability, I've been thinking. Why not create some anomalous junk with my new abilities?" (ONTIKINETIC. +2 WILLPOWER, +2 MAX RESTRAINT. Benjamin can, on a successful WILLPOWER check, temporarily imbue otherwise normal items with anomalous abilities depending on the scenario. Maybe you can train him to make more permanent anomalous artifacts later.)>As Benjamin cracks his shoulders, you notice there's an odd glow in his veins. "I've been testing out some new chems on myself. Hopefully they'll help." (SELF EXPERIMENTATION. +2 MAX FLESH, +1 TALENT, +1 VIOLENCE. Benjamin passively regenerates FLESH and can slowly heal CRIPPLING INJURIES by himself. Whenever he uses a consumable that boosts his stats, he gains an additional +1 to the stat(s) they boost. He also ignores the negative effects of CONSUMABLES.)Current ally stats are in https://pastebin.com/8gdVZBPe under "CLOVER GUAN", "BENJAMIN AARON", and "MAX KRAKATOA".You'll vote for what location to head to, alongside with a minor implant vote, next update. Sorry for delay.
>>6146558>There's an almost glimmering innocence to her expression. "I want to learn about the world I've been sheltered from, you know?" >Clover's busy chatting with your other allies. You can overhear him trying to give them some basic trigger discipline and other useful gun-related advice.>His eyes now glint with an uncharacteristic confidence. "I had to talk my way through the corporate world. Max has taught me some VERY good advice..."
>>6146557>There's some faint surgical scars all around her body. "One upside of having Benny as a boyfriend? I can ask him for some...improvements." (AUGMENTED BODY. +1 COGNIZANCE, +1 MAX FLESH, +1 CHARM, +1 TALENT. Max can attempt to wirelessly connect to electronic devices to gain access to them or to use them from a safe distance. Her body also resists most negative effects of consumables.)>"I don't know what it is but I feel oddly lucky." He's not wrong. There's an almost palpable aura around him that seems to comfort everyone around him. (GUNSLINGER'S GRIT. +2 CHARM, +1 MAX FLESH, +1 WILLPOWER. Clover's DEADEYE SHOT now triggers on 5s alongside 6s. Good things also just seem to happen to Clover and the rest of your party.)>His eyes now glint with an uncharacteristic confidence. "I had to talk my way through the corporate world. Max has taught me some VERY good advice..." (BIRD BRAINED CHARISMA. +1 MAX RESTRAINT, CHARM, CONNECTIONS, and WILLPOWER. People just like Benjamin now and are willing to be open and cordial to him. You'll unlock special skill checks to learn information they'd otherwise wouldn't tell you.)
>>6146571The only things we have that scale COGNIZANCE are>LOST IN TIME (PARADIGM WEAPON. An automatic crossbow drenched in black, thick tar. Oozes with the memories of what is forever forgotten. ATTACK ROLL: COGNIZANCE+WILLPOWER+1. Deals ESOTERIC damage. Consumes 1 BOLT per attack.)>TORCH GUN+ x6 (ATTACK ROLL: COGNIZANCE+1. Due to burning fuel more efficiently, each can be used 6 times. They can now burn things 50% quicker than normal torch guns, saving you time in stressful situations.)And both are limited ammo unless we retrieve the crossbow bolts after something dies or we miss6 Ben Frank Alexis7 Naomi8 Kiara HandlerWhat do you make of Ben and his stats or "build"? And why those upgrades and not shit like GUNSLINGER'S GRIT or SELF-EXPERIMENTATION?
>>6146557>There's an almost glimmering innocence to her expression. "I want to learn about the world I've been sheltered from, you know?" (UNDYING CURIOSITY. +1 to two random stats. Max will slowly but passively gain permanent stat boosts as she works with you. In future BOON votes, she'll have an additional BOON to pick from. A slow yet steady upgrade.)>>6146558>"I don't know what it is but I feel oddly lucky." He's not wrong. There's an almost palpable aura around him that seems to comfort everyone around him. (GUNSLINGER'S GRIT. +2 CHARM, +1 MAX FLESH, +1 WILLPOWER. Clover's DEADEYE SHOT now triggers on 5s alongside 6s. Good things also just seem to happen to Clover and the rest of your party.)>His eyes now glint with an uncharacteristic confidence. "I had to talk my way through the corporate world. Max has taught me some VERY good advice..." (BIRD BRAINED CHARISMA. +1 MAX RESTRAINT, CHARM, CONNECTIONS, and WILLPOWER. People just like Benjamin now and are willing to be open and cordial to him. You'll unlock special skill checks to learn information they'd otherwise wouldn't tell you.)
>>6146585>2 votes back to backFuck it time to throw mine in>>6146557>UNDYING CURIOSITYOn brand big gains over time>>6146558>GUNSLINGER'S GRITOn rolling 5s? YES>SELF EXPERIMENTATIONConsumables up? Max FLESH up? Health regen? YESMEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE would be better if we had more COGNIZANCE-scaling shit to give him where this upgrade puts him at 8 like Kiara. We know nothing about his CRIMSON SPARK yet eitherBIRD BRAINED CHARISMA is so on brand I won't feel that bad if it wins, but we need him to NOT BE AT 2 FLESH WHERE ANY STRONG HIT WILL INSTACRIT HIM
>>6146585I worry that SELF-EXPERIMENTATION BOON will cause Max and Benjamin future children to have potential bad side effects, and why pick BIRD BRAINED CHARISMA because to make him rank up faster in the Z-Corp to gain enough connection and favor so that we can call Benjamin for help to get the Naomi body back up news and have a blood replacement like the silver agent and fix up the Dasha body too. Why don’t I choose GUNSLINGER'S GRIT BOON because I want to train our team up to be good at firearms.
>>6146603>future childrenOh right, good point>rank up faster in the Z-CorpI see>train our team up to be good at firearmsWell maybe next time... because I'm in on GRIT
>>6146571Change[COWBOY ADVISOR] Switch to [GUNSLINGER'S GRIT]
>>6146557Max:>There's some faint surgical scars all around her body. "One upside of having Benny as a boyfriend? I can ask him for some...improvements." (AUGMENTED BODY. +1 COGNIZANCE, +1 MAX FLESH, +1 CHARM, +1 TALENT. Max can attempt to wirelessly connect to electronic devices to gain access to them or to use them from a safe distance. Her body also resists most negative effects Clover:>"I don't know what it is but I feel oddly lucky." He's not wrong. There's an almost palpable aura around him that seems to comfort everyone around him. (GUNSLINGER'S GRIT. +2 CHARM, +1 MAX FLESH, +1 WILLPOWER. Clover's DEADEYE SHOT now triggers on 5s alongside 6s. Good things also just seem to happen to Clover and the rest of your party.)Benjamin:>His eyes now glint with an uncharacteristic confidence. "I had to talk my way through the corporate world. Max has taught me some VERY good advice..." (BIRD BRAINED CHARISMA. +1 MAX RESTRAINT, CHARM, CONNECTIONS, and WILLPOWER. People just like Benjamin now and are willing to be open and cordial to him. You'll unlock special skill checks to learn information they'd otherwise wouldn't tell you.)
>>6146593>we need him to NOT BE AT 2 FLESH WHERE ANY STRONG HIT WILL INSTACRIT HIMI was planning on just stuffing him in a barrel before combat broke out. Or have Q and Lex meat shield.
>>6146557>There's an almost glimmering innocence to her expression. "I want to learn about the world I've been sheltered from, you know?" (UNDYING CURIOSITY. +1 to two random stats. Max will slowly but passively gain permanent stat boosts as she works with you. In future BOON votes, she'll have an additional BOON to pick from. A slow yet steady upgrade.)>"I don't know what it is but I feel oddly lucky." He's not wrong. There's an almost palpable aura around him that seems to comfort everyone around him. (GUNSLINGER'S GRIT. +2 CHARM, +1 MAX FLESH, +1 WILLPOWER. Clover's DEADEYE SHOT now triggers on 5s alongside 6s. Good things also just seem to happen to Clover and the rest of your party.)>You only now notice how grimy and dirty his previously pristine attire is. "Ha, sorry for the mess. After seeing that Drone, my mind has been racing!" (MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE. +2 MAX FLESH, +2 COGNIZANCE. Benjamin now has a knack for noticing small discrepancies and details even your most vigilant allies wouldn't notice. COGNIZANCE DCs for everyone in the party are also slightly easier when he's in the party.)
Clover is the first to get your attention. "Any of y'all experiencing this? I mean, mayhaps I'm overthinking matters," He lifts up his worn leather boot to show a $50 bill underneath it. "but I'm right sure this is the fifth time this has happened in a week!""What the?" Kiara kneels down to check the bill. It only takes a quick scan for her to notice something off about it. "Hey! I lost this bill like a day ago! I recognize the grease stains on it. Wish I had it before I was kicked out of that store but hey!""Well, missy, you can keep it! It's yours.""Jackpot. Sweet."Clover leans forward a bit, pointing a finger gun at Kiara, all while flashing a shit eating grin. "No problem, missy. Least I could do."Everyone except for Casey and Benjamin are desperately trying to hold back their laughter (even Clover seems to realize how silly he looks). Can't deny it's charming though.>+2 CHARM, +1 MAX FLESH, and +1 WILLPOWER TO CLOVER! HE NOW HAS GUNSLINGER'S GRIT!"Ah! I see you are trying to charm the young women here." Benjamin seems to have totally misread what's going on. "What a dastardly scheme. We're all lucky that I, Benjamin Aaron, have seen through your trickery!" He's trying way too hard to make his voice sound deeper, it almost sounds nasally. "I-"Max tries to say something to her but all she can do is to start bursting out in uncontrollable laughter. Benjamin immediately turns to look at her with a slightly panicked expression. "Y-you okay?""Y-yeah, yeah. Woo. Y-you were laying it on WAY too thick there." She wipes a tear from her eye.""You sounded like you were doing a really shitty secret agent impression." An electronic snort exits Kiara. "Aw. I thought I sounded cool." He immediately bounces back, however, because he's putting back on the faux-deep voice. "Answer yourself, Clover!"Clover blinks a few times before shaking his head. "I can't even mad at this. Maybe polish up on your gal's advice a bit more. I imagine she put you up to this.""She has been giving me some useful advice on how to talk to people, yes! Glad you guys enjoyed my performance!" >+BIRD BRAINED CHARISMA to BENJAMIN! He gains +1 MAX RESTRAINT, CHARM, CONNECTIONS, and WILLPOWER!As for Max? The only real difference you can see is a general sense of, well, excitement. She gives the group a thumbs up. "Hopefully this mission's better than the last ones we are on, eh?"Everyone begins to mutter in agreement. Hard to really name a mission your allies have been on that wasn't fucked up in some way."Hopefully I can expand my horizons a bit, you know?" Max murmurs to herself.>+UNDYING CURIOSITY TO MAX! SHE GAINS +1 MAX FLESH AND +1 WILLPOWER!"Well, I'm going to give you guys some of my excess inventory. I'm your boss so I am obligated to give you guys new tools (and it's totally not because a lot of my stuff is useless to me.)""HARK! SHOW US THE GOODS!" Casey's yelling was just loud enough to get some nasty looks from people outside the station.
You proceed to vomit out all of your goods onto the floor (metaphorically).[WELL ENDOWED] MAX ALREADY CAME WITH>PISTOL AMMO x14 (To fuel her gun.)>CITY DISTRICT MAPS (Maps of the eight main subdistricts you're heading towards + a general overview of M-Company. This will help both you and Kiara out greatly with exploration.)>BOTTLE OF SUMMERSET 1752 x6 ("To smooth things over, you get me?" Very rare bottles of wine that can be used for bribes or heal 4 RESTRAINT to an ally.)>P-COMPANY MATTER PHASER x2 ("In case we come across someone we DO NOT want to fight". Each has one use. Temporarily alters the molecular structure of walls to allow specific people through while keeping others out. Buys you time if you need to escape.)>EMAG CARD (Has three charges. A charge can be spent to gain access to otherwise electronically locked devices/doors or to irreparably damage electronics without drawing too much attention.)>EARPIECE x4 (Allows your whole party to communicate with each other even if you split up.)MAX OBTAINS>FORGOTTEN PENDANT (She has by far the worst stats of your allies. Boosts her VIOLENCE to 4 and her COGNIZANCE to 5.)>BROKEN TRANSMISSION (She's probably the one who needs the stat buff the most.)>TASER (You don't need it, she'll probably use it well.)>EXPLOSIVE PISTOL ROUNDS x3 + SILVER AMMO x3 + PROTOTYPE ANTI-ABNO PISTOL ROUNDS x4 (She has a pistol, she can use these.)CLOVER OBTAINS>CRYSTAL REVOLVER ROUNDS x3, ARMOR PIERCING REVOLVER ROUND x3, HEAVY REVOLVER BULLET x2 (AMMO)>DAMDAM PILL, WHITE POWDER x1, O-CORP BRANDED INSTANT COFFEE x2 (All of these can boost his TALENT, which is GOOD with his boons.)>LUCK INVERTER x2 (In case he rolls DOGSHIT on an attack roll or in case he needs to weaken an enemy's attack.)>SYNDICAKE (Again, rerolls are good.)CASEY OBTAINS>SUGAR WAND X! SUGAR BEAM BLAST~! (Best user of it besides Max but she has a boon to make it more useful.)>'OATH TO CONTAIN' (Again, PARADIGM USER. She can certainly use it better than you can.)>FOUL TOOTH (In case of combat. She heals more off it than anyone else.)>GORILLA GRIP GLOVES (So she doesn't lose grip of her rapier. You also don't need it.)BENJAMIN OBTAINS>LOST IN TIME + 3 STEEL BOLTS (Best user aside from Kiara and Kiara already has good weapons.)>HARVESTING KIT (You doubt you'll find any anomalies this mission but Benjamin can use it the best out of anyone.)>BEYOND LOVE AND HATE (You no longer need it, you got a WAY better melee weapon now. You don't really know who else could really use it.)>TRAUMA KIT (You don't expect him to be in the frontlines, so he can be your healer.)>Z-COMPANY NATURAL FIBER ARMOR (He's super fucking squishy, this will boost his FLESH a little bit higher and give him some much needed survivability.) KIARA OBTAINS>CRYSTAL PISTOL ROUNDS x6, ARMOR PIERCING PISTOL ROUNDS x3, HOLLOWPOINT PISTOL ROUNDS x6 (You don't need PISTOL AMMO anymore.)>FREEZING LIGHT GRENADE (In case shit goes down.)
>TORCH GUN+ (Backup weapon or in case you fight something weak to fire.)>WATERLOGGED SILVER WALKIE TALKIE x4 (So she can upgrade herself with the spare parts.)>-ALL MENTIONED ITEMS FROM YOUR INVENTORY ASIDE FROM MAX WELL ENDOWED ITEMS!Your party simply stares down at the pile of stuff you poured out of your pockets before silently placing them into their own inventory. That's a nice load off of your inventory to be quite honest."Anyhow, it's R/D/L/Q/M, correct?" "Well, M is optional, but yes." "It may sound plumb crazy coming out of me but I'd say we focus on the one in M first. He did say he was morally obligated to watch her. We're morally obligated to go for her first.""I don't think the order we pick matters that much." Kiara shrugs. "I'm mostly worried about Q-Company since, uh, androids aren't treated the best over there.""I shall smooth over any and all disputes that could arise!" Casey firmly pounds at her makeshift chestplate. "I was HR employee of the month at over 28 establishments for a total of 74 months!""She ain't wrong. She's a good worker.""The thing that's bothering me about all of this is why they're radio silent NOW of all times. My family's been buggering me crazy about my appearance at the Head Meeting tomorrow.""Perhaps they're being silenced by someone? The timing is quite off I will say that." You should probably tell the two about the spooks on the train ride over to whatever District you pick.Speaking about the two, you take a moment to analyze their new anomalous abilities.>MAX CHAOTIC SPARK PROGRESS: 35/180. ABILITY COUNT: 1>MAX GAINS PROGRESS FROM THE FOLLOWING TRIGGERS-1% whenever she passes a CHARM, CONNECTIONS, or RESTRAINT check.-2% whenever she uses an ABILITY.-4% whenever her SHELTERED or HATED: CLEANERS BANE activates-25% whenever Benjamin obtains a new ability.MAX'S FIRST ABILITY IS OIL SLICK!-Max can now create shimmering layers of oil that's hard to remove through non-anomalous means.-She can spend 1 RESTRAINT to shoot out a glob of oil onto an enemy on a successful CHARM roll. The next time the enemy is hit by a source of FIRE DAMAGE, they take 3 extra FLESH damage.-She may also spend 1 RESTRAINT to apply SLICK MOVES status to herself, giving her a 50% dodge rate from all attacks and a +2 TALENT bonus.>BENJAMIN CRIMSON SPARK PROGRESS: 45/170. ABILITY COUNT: 1>BENJAMIN GAINS PROGESS FROM THE FOLLOWING TRIGGERS-1.5% whenever he passes a WILLPOWER or COGNIZANCE check-2% per RESTRAINT healing he receives.-15% whenever he encounters an anomaly or SHIFTer.-25% whenever Max obtains a new ability.BENJAMIN'S FIRST ABILITY IS ASHEN WINGS-Benjamin can manifest a pair of wings made of smoldering ash for free, though this drains his RESTRAINT over time.-While his wings are active, Benjamin gains a limited form of flight similar to what Quentin can achieve.
-At the cost of spending 2 RESTRAINT and putting his ASHEN WINGS ability on cooldown, he may shoot out a plume of smoldering ash at an enemy. He adds COGNIZANCE to any attack roll he's making and immediately deals 3 FIRE-BASED FLESH DAMAGE to the enemy.[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES] Oh. The two lovebirds have abilities that synergize with each other. That's almost sickeningly sweet.As your allies talk to each other, you take a moment to think some things over. Which District do you head to first? Might as well start with one and work your way from there.>District 4. It sounds ominous and who doesn't like ominous places? Besides, maybe you can weasel some anomalous goodies from the Foxtrot working there. >District 12. You've been to this district before so it may be easier to explore than the rest. Gabriel also sounds like the most peaceful Foxtrot to deal with.>District 13. Otto did say it was optional but that doesn't mean you have to put it off to the end, right? Maybe you can spend some M-CORP FAVOR here too.>District 17. She's probably the one most in danger out of the five you know about if someone is after them. Best check up on her first.>District 18. Something is telling you this Foxtrot will be the most annoying to deal with when you find her. Best to get it over with. You remember you have a few old implants. You COULD implant them in yourself but you think your allies would benefit more from them. Choose an ally to give the following (Kiara can't receive one due to being a robot. She has other ways of upgrading herself.)REPROGRAMMED "VYDRŽAŤ" IMPLANT (+3 MAX FLESH, +1 to two stats that the ally chooses on their own discretion.) >CLOVER (Boosts his FLESH to 8.)>MAX (Boosts her FLESH to 7.)>BENJAMIN (Boosts his FLESH to 6.)>CASEY (Boosts her FLESH to 6.)>Save it for later.REPROGRAMMED "ELNIAI" IMPLANT (+1 WILLPOWER, CHARM, COGNIZANCE, and RESTRAINT. Once per mission, they may reduce all damage taken from an attack to 1.)>CLOVER (Gives him 6 WILLPOWER, 7 CHARM, 3 COGNIZANCE, 5 RESTRAINT)>MAX (Gives her 6 WILLPOWER, 7 CHARM, 5 COGNIZANCE, 5 RESTRAINT)>BENJAMIN (Gives him 6 WILLPOWER, 7 CHARM, 7 COGNIZANCE, 7 RESTRAINT)>CASEY (Gives her 7 WILLPOWER, 6 CHARM, 4 COGNIZANCE, 4 RESTRAINT)>Save it for later.I know there's one more IMPLANT in your inventory but I think three things to vote on is fine enough. You'll get a chance to install that IMPLANT into someone when you choose the next District to visit.Small note about the CHARM ROLL bit on Max's ability: It just depends on the enemy/target and how fast/small it is. Might not even need a roll if it's something like a GIGANIGGER SPOOK.
>>6147197 >District 17. She's probably the one most in danger out of the five you know about if someone is after them. Best check up on her first.Some mystery group definitely wants to do something bad with the Foxtrot family. Let’s check her first and make sure she's safe.>BENJAMIN (Boosts his FLESH to 6.)Self-explanatory>CASEY (Gives her 7 WILLPOWER, 6 CHARM, 4 COGNIZANCE, 4 RESTRAINT)Let’s upgrade her restraint.
>>6147214I'll support this
>>6147214+1We need to stack as much COGNIZANCE on Ben as possible, he's the COGNIZANCE guy of the team nowMax scales off TALENT, CHARM, RESTRAINT... do we give her the LAWBRINGER instead of Ben?
>>6147239Also I apologize as I cannot continue my analysis autism as easily due to real life events I'm going through recently and still now. Does anybody besides the QM read them and get ideas?
>>6147214+1
>>6147214Supporting
You toss the two highly advanced SILVER IMPLANTS over to Benjamin. UNLIKE Naomi, you don't feel like randomly slashing people's necks open just to stuff some implants inside them. "One labeled VY goes inside you, EL goes in Casey. You're the closest thing to a surgeon we got right now. Think you can do it?""Can do! Max actually told me she wanted some implants for-" Max promptly covers his mouth before he can spill anything else.She's blushing like mad so you feel like it's best not to pry. With Casey and Benjamin now busy with the implants, you decide to settle on which district to head to first.>+ELNIAI IMPLANT for Casey, +VYDRŽAŤ for Benjamin. Benjamin chooses +1 WILLPOWER and COGNIZANCE as his bonus stats.>Both now count as SILVER IMPLANT users for BLOOD REPLACEMENT VIALS."I say we should go with Q-Corp as our first stop. The others are probably able to fight off whoever's been messing with my boss' attempts to communicate with them. Some young little girl obsessed with bugs though? I have my doubts."Kiara is obviously hesitant about this but she can't really refute your point. "Yeah. Can you guys promise me something, haha, totally not worried about causing a scene with the Drones haha.""Didn't ya work with that Quinny boy a few days back?" Clover nonchalantly asks. "I think she's worried more about the Drones attacking her than anything." Max points out. "But we should be able to smooth over any issues. Question, uh, he did say there's two locations right?""I'm just going to start with Q-PHI-7 first. It's a 50/50 chance either way.""Fair."Benjamin and Casey rejoin your group after you settle on Q-PHI-7 being your first location. You make a mental note of the surgical scar on Casey's neck and Benjamin's left shoulder just in case. "Prithee, are thou ready for the journey of a lifetime?!""Implants are done. Gotta say, where did you find these? Did Max give them to you? They looked pretty high tech!""Uh, I'll explain later." Good timing, the train arrives right before you have to explain the fact you stole them from a doppelganger of yourself and (probably) Lex. The train car is absolutely packed with people but you rather not wait for an emptier train to arrive. As the others shove their way onto the crowded train, you pat Benjamin on the shoulder. "Two questions. One: What's, uh, the safe dose of ICP to inject in a person at any given time? How bad would four syringes at once be?""That would kill someone." Benjamin is looking at you like you have two heads. "Two syringe in one day is probably pushing your luck."[UNSTABLE] AW! BUT WHAT IF WE WANT TO TURN CASEY INTO A FUCKING GODBUG RIGHT NYOW!!![UNSTABLE] THIS IS A FUCKING SCAM I WANT HER TO BECOME A GOD WE'RE A GOD SHE CAN BECOME A GOD TOO!"Second question. Tell me what these do when you have the time." You stuff the HAPPINESS IN A PILL BOTTLE into his hands."Oh! Sure! Also, take this. Neat little sample you gave me yesterday." He hands you a small box.
[GUNSLINGER'S GRIT] Luckily, your group manages an empty spot on the train car with enough space for all six of you to hang around in.You open the box to find...>MODIFIED VX-9-BN GAS GRENADE x2 (Filled with a modified VX-NINE gas that erases the soul. Inflicts SOUL ROT when breathed in, reducing all stats by 6 while active.)Hoo boy. You forgot how good the items Benjamin can make are. You imagine this can instakill a lot of regular humans and weaken otherwise nasty threats.You find yourself staring out of a window, waiting to arrive at Q-Company's district. You take this time to check up on FORGOTTEN SIGNAL for some quick advice on the mission."...CURRENTLY ALL FIVE ARE...NOT IN ACTIVE DANGER. HOWEVER, EXPECT HEAVY RESISTANCE FROM THE FOXTROTS AS YOU TRY TO SAVE THEM. TOO STUBBORN AND COCKY FOR OWN GOOD.""DO NOT BE SCARED TO LEVERAGE...CORPORATE FAVOR IF NEED BE. THAT IS HOW THESE FAMILIES...TALK.""UNKNOWN WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR INTERCEPTING SIGNAL BUT BE WARY. THEY MAY BE FOLLOWING YOU AT THIS VERY INSTANCE."The signal goes out from there. You quickly scan for anyone suspicious on the train car your group is in right now but you don't notice anyone shady. Hrm.Good thing you brought Max along at least. The scenery soon changes from an icy wasteland to...well, you wish you could see anything. That's the issue, everything below the tracks is blanketed by a thick layer of fog. You can maybe see five feet in front of you if you squint but yeah, it's as if the fog has consumed everything here in Q-Corp.ANALYZER MODEL UPDATE] Kiara seems to be trying to peer past the fog right alongside you. "Oh, trying to see what's down there? For a place that mostly bug men live at, it actually looks pretty cool down there.""Wow. Thanks." You wish you could see. Maybe once you arrive at the station you'll get a clearer look around you."No problem!"Benjamin slides the pills back into your pocket alongside a small note. Seems he has a rough idea what they do.>HAPPINESS IN A PILL BOTTLE STATS REVEALED! (Has 5 pills. One pill heals 3 FLESH and boosts all PHYSICAL STATS (TALENT/VIOLENCE/FLESH) by 2 for a short duration. Has the side effect of possibly inflicting a good, neutral, or bad MUTATION status. Harmful MUTATIONS will require some healing items and COGNIZANCE checks to remove.)Hm. Keeping this under 'use for emergencies or base assault', then.Your train soon arrives at the Q-PHI-7 train station. Your group has to wait a while for the crowded train car to empty enough for your group to actually depart the train but once you do, you're actually stunned by what you see. The first thing that catches your attention is how TALL the station actually is, with the boxy ceiling stretching up a solid fifty feet by your estimate. The ceiling itself is made out of a smooth and polished glass that would let fresh and natural sunlight shine down.The fog ruins the intended effect but you can appreciate the architecture nonetheless.
The floor, walls, and columns are made out of a smooth pearly white stone with speckles of black and grey scattered across. Everything seems to have this clean, polished slickness to it that none of you (except Max) are used to at all.Past the ticket counters (which have remarkably neat and orderly lines), you can make out a variety of neat mini-shops and restaurants from a variety of other corporations. All of them are packed too so it seems like this train station is a pretty active hub of commerce. The only issue? Your group sticks out like a fucking sore thumb.You see about one human for ever fifteen Drones and one Android for every hundred Drones. Any non-drone presence sticks out like a sore thumb in the haze of blank faces and samey grey and black business suits. On the upside you know if you're being followed by any non-Drones. On the downside, you imagine hiding in this District is going to be pretty hard.You thank your lucky stars that the fact this place is ran by Drones means you're in and out of the line within, what, two minutes? You're just about ready to use the GPS you got to get an idea where Molly is when a commotion catches your attention. It doesn't sound like a fight just yet but there's a LOT of shouting somewhere nearby.The crowd is too busy staring at the floor or their phones to really notice it but you feel like you should at least check it out. Your group heads in the direction of the noise, ready to draw their weapons if you have to enter a fight THIS soon.The source of the noise is quickly identified as a pair of Drone security guards preventing a man from exiting the train you were just on. You didn't notice this man while on it but now that you got a look on it, it's clear he's from the upper crust. His suit has the tell-tale sign of it being NOUVEAU FABRIC by the teal stitching and veins running up and down his business suit. His briefcase, slicked blonde hair, and earpiece hanging out of his ear tells you he's probably a stock broker or something?"What do you MEAN I can't exit? I have a ticket right here!" The broker waves it at the two Security Drones. "I even paid extra to prepay for a cab to drive me to my hotel!""WE APOLOGIZE SIR. HOWEVER WE WERE GIVEN A CREDIBLE TIP FROM AN ANONYMOUS SOURCE THAT IT WOULD BE A RISK TO ALLOW YOU ENTRANCE TO OUR DISTRICT." The taller one mumbles in the usual deadpan monotone Drones speak in."INDEED. WE ARE WILLING TO REFUND YOUR TICKET AND ALLOW YOU TO TRAVEL BACK WITH NO FURTHER PENALTY. HOWEVER, IF YOU ATTEMPT TO RESIST, WE ARE AUTHORIZED TO USE LETHAL FORCE.""This is fucking bullshit! I'm supposed to be at a shareholder meeting with a Q-Corp subsidiary right now! I can't leave now, I have to be there in the next 30 mi-""WE APOLOGIZE, SIR, BUT WE HAVE REASONABLE DOUBT THAT YOU ARE AN IMPOSTER. OUR TIP WAS QUITE CREDIBLE."The squabbling is only getting worse. Your eyes are drawn towards the Glock 83s hanging off their belts. This might get nasty.
"What are they on about?" Max is the first to pipe up. "I recognize that uniform, hell, Rosaline showed my dad that design not even three days ago!""Nick. Ya said somethin' about people messin' with them Foxtrots? Could be they're the ones messing with this dude right here.""Denying a rightfully paid ticket? That's not only insulting towards the consumers, it's also just mean! We have to do something!"How do you approach the situation unfolding before your group? Choose two.>You rather not stay here longer than you have to. Check your GPS and start searching for Molly. (Saves you time.)>That 'anonymous tip' sounds real fucking shady. Try to search for some other guards to ask them why they accepted such a bogus sounding tip. (Doesn't require a check and is a safe option overall but it will cost some time.>[CASEY ALLY] Tell Casey to make a distraction for the Broker. It is only two guards. (MEDIUM TALENT DC: 17, rolling Casey's 5d6. Succeed and the guards will be distracted long enough for the broker to sneak past them without drawing too much attention. You imagine he'll pay you by offering you tips on how to handle the five Foxtrots down the line.)>[BENJAMIN'S BIRD BRAINED CHARISMA] "If he's an imposter, why aren't you arresting him? Isn't that a bit weird?" Let Benjamin question the guards on their supposed 'tip'. (MEDIUM CHARM DC: 19, rolling 6d6. You'll get a lead on who's been sending obviously shady tips, helping down figure out which group may be messing with the Foxtrots.)>[MAX ALLY] Some corporate strong arming couldn't hurt. "We can confirm that man is a trusted associate of the Vanni family." (EASY CONNECTIONS DC: 18 (-3 from VANNI FAVOR), rolling Max's 7d6. Succeed and they'll apologize for the hassle, letting the Broker through and earning you some Q-COMPANY FAVOR down the line. May draw attention if anyone is watching.)>[KIARA ALLY + PERSON OF INTEREST] "I bet $100 they're watching to make sure he doesn't exit the train." Help her search for anyone shady in the endless sea of Drones. (COGNIZANCE THRESHOLD: 37/41/45, rolling 11d6+1d3. Each threshold increases the chance of finding someone shady and passing all three will make MAX ALLY completely safe.)>[CLOVER ALLY] "Sirs, sirs, shouldn't y'all be somewhere else? We've heard some mighty nasty rumors." Pretend to be undercover Security staff. Maybe they'll slip up and reveal something juicy. (CHALLENGING VIOLENCE DC: 30, rolling 7d6+1d3 with you assisting Clover. The guards are likely to slip up and reveal some very enlightening information about what's going on in the Sub-District, possibly warning you of any incoming danger.)>Write in.Got distracted.I swore I remember someone writing in "ask Benjamin what'd happen if someone got injected with 4 ICP syringes". Or maybe I was just remembering that one Caseyfag wanting to do it. Decided to add it in regardless.>>6147240I mean even if it's only me, I still like reading through it.
>>6147714>That 'anonymous tip' sounds real fucking shady.Let’s purge the mystery group mole or corrupt officials working for them in Q-Corp. nip it in the bud. Q-Corp will appreciate this.>[KIARA ALLY + PERSON OF INTEREST] They will not expect us to immediately try to find them and "deal" with them.We don’t need to pick [BENJAMIN'S BIRD BRAINED CHARISMA] because we will eventually find out who the mystery group is.
>>6147722+1Skip steps and go for the throat moment we ID who's who, this isn't our first rodeo and we got other people to find
>>6147714>[MAX ALLY] Some corporate strong arming couldn't hurt. "We can confirm that man is a trusted associate of the Vanni family." (EASY CONNECTIONS DC: 18 (-3 from VANNI FAVOR), rolling Max's 7d6. Succeed and they'll apologize for the hassle, letting the Broker through and earning you some Q-COMPANY FAVOR down the line. May draw attention if anyone is watching.)>[KIARA ALLY + PERSON OF INTEREST] "I bet $100 they're watching to make sure he doesn't exit the train." Help her search for anyone shady in the endless sea of Drones. (COGNIZANCE THRESHOLD: 37/41/45, rolling 11d6+1d3. Each threshold increases the chance of finding someone shady and passing all three will make MAX ALLY completely safe.)
>>6147722>>6147752>>6147792>"WE APOLOGIZE, SIR, BUT WE HAVE REASONABLE DOUBT THAT YOU ARE AN IMPOSTER. OUR TIP WAS QUITE CREDIBLE."Could it be a disguised Katherine? Or is this man the real deal?
>>6147752>>6147792We need to find out why Guard accepts suspicious tips and purges the mole/corrupt official working for the mystery group.Sure, we help the corporate elite get to his place, but then the rot will be left unchecked, and I definitely do not doubt the Mole/corrupt official in Q-Corp will do a lot of things screwing with us while we searching for Molly Foxtrot. We need to nip it in the bud.>>6147722Add>Read the corporate elite guy minds to find out he is an imposter or not.
>>6147714>>[MAX ALLY] Some corporate strong arming couldn't hurt. "We can confirm that man is a trusted associate of the Vanni family." (EASY CONNECTIONS DC: 18 (-3 from VANNI FAVOR), rolling Max's 7d6. Succeed and they'll apologize for the hassle, letting the Broker through and earning you some Q-COMPANY FAVOR down the line. May draw attention if anyone is watching.)>>[KIARA ALLY + PERSON OF INTEREST] "I bet $100 they're watching to make sure he doesn't exit the train." Help her search for anyone shady in the endless sea of Drones. (COGNIZANCE THRESHOLD: 37/41/45, rolling 11d6+1d3. Each threshold increases the chance of finding someone shady and passing all three will make MAX ALLY completely safe.)
>>6147240I scan through them. I have done similar in a different quest and managed to spoil/figure out a couple of reveals before intended. Have also had a number of paranoid ideas that didn't come to anything. Yet.If you are enjoying them yourself, keep going.>>6147714>[KIARA ALLY + PERSON OF INTEREST] "I bet $100 they're watching to make sure he doesn't exit the train." Help her search for anyone shady in the endless sea of Drones. (COGNIZANCE THRESHOLD: 37/41/45, rolling 11d6+1d3. Each threshold increases the chance of finding someone shady and passing all three will make MAX ALLY completely safe.)>[MAX ALLY] Some corporate strong arming couldn't hurt. "We can confirm that man is a trusted associate of the Vanni family." (EASY CONNECTIONS DC: 18 (-3 from VANNI FAVOR), rolling Max's 7d6. Succeed and they'll apologize for the hassle, letting the Broker through and earning you some Q-COMPANY FAVOR down the line. May draw attention if anyone is watching.)Not the Caseyfag but making her a Godbug would be pretty funny.
So, it seems like Max and Kiara Ally are the ones winning so you know the rules by now. As for the MIND READ, sure, I'll take that into consideration. Whoever he is, he's not mentally resistant enough to warrant a WILLPOWER check to bypass his mental resistances.Three anons, roll the following.>11d6 (MAIN BULK OF KIARA ALLY)>7d6 (MAX)>1d3 (CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY HELPING YOU OUT)You may reroll 3d6 on the 11d6 due to Kiara's [DREAMSPACE MODULE] BOON. We'll see if you need to use up any other rerolls from there (probably not any on Max, you'd have to roll pretty bad to fuck up there.)
Rolled 5, 5, 2, 5, 6, 4, 2 = 29 (7d6)>>6148377Max
Rolled 1 (1d3)>>6148377Cap
Rolled 5, 4, 5, 4, 5, 6, 4, 6, 6, 1, 2 = 48 (11d6)>>6148377Kiara’s ability
Rolled 17 (1d30)MAX: 29 KIARA: 49Clear and cut. Writing. Don't mind the dice I'm rolling, it'll be a surprise tool that'll help us later.
"Max. You can probably settle this little dispute, right?""Oh! Absolutely! Watch and learn!" [SHELTERED] She's actually pretty excited she can do, like, the one thing you know she has a lot of experience in.You do scan the Broker's mind to make sure he's not an imposter. You do know of ONE corporate suit with an ability to copy/mimic other people.>17! Q-CORP x2!<"I told you, we're going to get there, sweetheart. You have to wait a little longer-" "THIS IS THE WORST! I CAME HERE TO GET A NEW SHELL AND THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH?">That's a Drone's voice. In his head. A female Drone to be specific.[ANOMALOUS ABILITIES + UNSTABLE] It doesn't sound like it's being projected in his head or, like us, a part of his broken mind. That's a second mind inside of him.Well at least you know he's real; You have no idea why he allowed a centipede to crawl into his brain or whatever's happening but you've seen weirder things.Max breaks away from the group to approach the scuffling security guards + Broker with the unwarranted confidence befitting a nepo baby. "Excuse me. Could you possibly explain why you're stopping my associate here? And making a scene while you're at it?"The two guards turn to face Max while making sure they're still blocking the broker. "WHO ARE YOU?" "YOUR TICKET HAS BEEN APPROVED, MA'AM, BUT WE CAN NOT ALLOW AN IMPOSTER THROUGH.""Well-" Max freezes up for a moment, as if suddenly realizing how dangerous it might be to outright state her name. "I'm from a very esteemed family. Direct associates of the Vannis, who MADE the suit THAT man is wearing-"Okay, hopefully she can buy you some time so you and Kiara can check to see if anyone is watching. You have Casey, Clover and Benjamin stay behind to keep a watch on Max before you start searching through the crowds with Kiara's help."I bet you $100 someone's watching him." Kiara whispers to you, having to stand pretty close to you to avoid being lost in the shuffle. "Probably us as well now. They have to be close by, right?""Could be. Could be a waste of time too. Maybe they didn't expect someone to interfere?""Pft. Depends if it's the spooks or not. If it's them, they are ABSOLUTELY watching." That is true. At this point you made enough of an enemy of them for them to treat you like a live grenade.The issue is: What if the person watching is a Drone? At that point it would be like trying to find a specific John Smith within the City. But the two of you make some quick assumptions. "Well, if someone's watching, they're probably trying not to sta-" A handful of Drones shove right past the two of you without even looking up from the floor. "-nd out.""Hard to get a good line of sight here. Saw any store they could've been waiting at? One that has line of sight with the train?"Kiara's LED eyes immediately shine a bright green. "Good idea. Analyzer program found three places that would have line of sight. Let's rule them out real quick."
>37The cafe itself is pretty empty and would have line of sight of the train normally but it's blocked off by a wall of semi-opaque glass. You'd have to leer around it like a super obvious creep. That's a no go but you did overhear someone saying a 'Molly' would be at some 'Drone production demo' nearby.>41The next location you check is a small clothing store that WOULD have line of sight but fuck, man, that place is crowded beyond all measure. There's barely enough room in there for the Drones to squirm around, let alone for someone to inconspicuously watch the train.All of them seem to be buying the same specific 'Vanni' branded suit and tie that the Broker was wearing. Odd.>49!"Hm. Call it a hunch but let's go here." Kiara drags you over to a pretty non-descript newspaper stand close to the cafe you walked past. There's only one man waiting by it and he seems like any other non-descript Drone you saw. He's currently reading a newspaper.The two of you each grab a newspaper to skim through "Why are we doing this?" You whisper to Kiara."I checked, this place has line of sight. Just pretend you're watching him."The two of you stand there, pretending to watch the Drone. At first he doesn't seem to notice the two of you but as the two of you continue to spy on him, his body tenses up and he's clearly looking around as if he's expecting you to say something."HEY. DUMBASSES." He quietly hisses at the two of you. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?""Reading a newspaper. What are YOU doing?" You hiss right back. "We're waiting for the train, you know?""THAT'S A LIE. YOU JUST CAME O-""Oh? You were watching us leave the train? Why?" Kiara asks.A beat passes. The Drone folds the newspaper up and immediately breaks into a sprint. This throws both you and Kiara off guard and by the time you try to freeze him in place with your PUPPETEER ability, he ducks into a nearby crowd. You lost him. But he's also no longer watching the train now.However, in the rush to get away from you, he left something behind. An ID card. Kiara picks it up and scans it before tossing it to you. "It's a fake but I got a read on where he could've gotten it. It's from some shady part of town; probably from a Syndicate dealer. I'll mark it on your map later."Oh? Maybe you can get them to rat out on who they gave the card to.With that handled, the two of you head back to rejoin your group. It takes a moment to shove through the crowd. Once you rejoin your group, you find that the Broker has managed to step off the train...but it's clear the Guards are still on high alert."HE MAY BE YOUR ASSOCIATE BUT WE HAVE HEARD RUMORS OF A SHAPESHIFTER. WE CAN NOT LET ANYONE THROUGH WITHOUT PROPER ID-""I'm sorry, I've been on enough public transport to know you should not be giving this much of a shit. Listen..." Max notices you and Kiara returning and, feeling comfortably, drops the truth."I'm a Krakatoa. The same Krakatoa family that is working with the Vanni family."
"The same Vanni family that made that custom made suit. I have spoken with him over the phone yesterday, I can confirm that is my associate.">29!"WAIT." "KRAKATOA?" "OH WE ARE NOT BEING PAID ENOUGH FOR THIS SHIT." "WE'RE FIRED, AREN'T WE?"It's hard to tell with their lack of facial experiences and monotone voices but you think they're probably realizing how fucked they are if this comes out."LISTEN, SIR AND MISS, WE ARE WILLING TO OFFER YOU A REFUND ON YOUR TICKET-""AND A FREE COUPON TO ONE OF OUR ESTEEMED Q-CORP REFINERIES-""IF YOU DO NOT TELL YOUR FAMILIES ABOUT THIS."The Broker sighs. "You're wasting even more of my time. Shoo."The guards promptly scatter like the bugs they are. That's when he addresses your group with a mixture of confusion and gratitude. "Uh. Thank you, strangers. Why exactly did you help me out there?""Partner, it's clear those guards were corrupt and I didn't want ya to have to bribe them. So we let the pipsqueak talk."Max huffs at this dismissive comment but she nods nonetheless. "Yep. Consider it a Krakatoa favor.""Didn't expect to see one of you here. Name's Heathcliff, by the by." Heathcliff holds out something to Max. She takes it before promptly stuffing it into your hands. "Oh. She's your boss?"You check to see that he tried giving Max a 5 day VIP pass towards a Q-Company owned hotel. You'll pocket that for sure.>+1 Q-COMPANY (QUANITY) FAVOR!"Friend." You clarify. "We're here on behalf of another corporate family.""Mmh. Well, I got to get going but, tell you what, I'll put a good word in for you guys." With that situation resolved, you wonder where you should go next.The GPS in your inventory beeps. Looking through the map, it seems like the location Molly is CURRENTLY at is some sort of toy store about ten miles from the station. Odd. You could go to check on her now but there's a few other locations you could go to.Where to next, Nicole?>[MAX ALLY] "Hey, actually, mind if we head to the meeting you're going to?" There has to be a reason they stopped him in particular. Follow after Heathcliff.>[CASEY ALLY] "We shall charge to save her right now! Posthaste!" Follow the GPS. She's not the only one you have to save. The quicker you get out of here, the better.>[KIARA ALLY] "I think the 'production demo' is happening at a convention hall nearby. We should check it for any traps or stalkers waiting for Molly." You might be able to catch some in the act before Molly could get hurt.>[CLOVER ALLY] Search for the dealer. Make him squeal on the group that shady Drone was working with. You do have some decent muscle in your group.>Something about how easily the guards fell for the fake tip is bothering you. Investigate the station further; maybe there's something more at play here?Anything you want to do on your way over?>Write in. (FREE ACTION, as long as it's quick and reasonable.)Meant to post earlier but I passed out.
>>6148672>[CASEY ALLY] "We shall charge to save her right now! Posthaste!" Follow the GPS. She's not the only one you have to save. The quicker you get out of here, the better.Onward!
>>6148672>[CASEY ALLY] "We shall charge to save her right now! Posthaste!" Follow the GPS. She's not the only one you have to save. The quicker you get out of here, the better.>Write in. (FREE ACTION, as long as it's quick and reasonable.)Blow kisses
>>6148793+1 the write in
>>6148672 >[CASEY ALLY] "We shall charge to save her right now! Posthaste!" Follow the GPS. She's not the only one you have to save. The quicker you get out of here, the better.Casey, Clover, Max,>Something about how easily the guards fell for the fake tip is bothering you. Investigate the station further; maybe there's something more at play here?Nicole, Kiara, Benjamin (we need him because [BIRD BRAINED CHARISMA] Boon)
>>6148875Casey will definitely win over Molly because of the Molly bug lover trait.
>>6148672>[CASEY ALLY] "We shall charge to save her right now! Posthaste!" Follow the GPS. She's not the only one you have to save. The quicker you get out of here, the better.
>>6148772>>6148793>>6148925Do we really need the entire team to secure Molly in the toy store? We should use our team much more efficiently, like spitting the team up to do different tasks.