Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/14(Thu)03:00 No. 499946 ID: 753403
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I am exhausted, and I feel as though my heart is going to give out at any moment. I keep running. We have disturbed them, and now they want us. It is their one purpose in life, and they would chase us until they dropped dead. We are occasionally turning around to fire at them, but the need for haste damages our effectiveness.

Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/14(Thu)03:00 No. 499947 ID: 753403
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Darkness is beginning to settle over the landscape, and the last half-hour of sunset has been wrought with chaos. Samael has expended his ammunition, and the only plan that seems viable at this juncture is to position ourselves at a point that is unreachable to the parasites. We are approaching the edge of the forest, and a cliff face similar to the one we initially descended is drawing near.

Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/14(Thu)03:01 No. 499948 ID: 753403
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A volley of bullets overhead beats down on the parasites, killing many of them. The fire continues in bursts until the last one is dead, or incapacitated.

A handful of people are at the top of the cliff. One of them, wearing a more unique armour configuration than the others, speaks to me now.

Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/14(Thu)03:01 No. 499949 ID: 753403
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>”Hey, hands up!”

I sling my weapon behind my shoulder. In an attempt to camouflage, I try to simulate the outcasts' speech.

“Hey, we're cool... bro.”

>”What are you doing down there? Are you infested?”

No way, we're clean!

Tell them of your destination.

Nope!

Thank the man for saving our asses and tell him that we are not infested.

We are coming from the south looking for a man named Toldeg.

Stay on your toes, i dont think they saved us just out of the goodness of their hearts

Luckily not. You?

no, we were running away from the infested. the infested don't eat other infested, see?

'dont know anyone called that'

1/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/14(Thu)18:17 No. 500065 ID: 52ce83
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“No, the parasites don't eat their own, man.”

>”Where did you hear that? It's only true if you're advanced.”

“Well then, we don't know. But probably not. We haven't touched any of them since we got here? Why, are you infested?”

>”What? Why the hell would I be? I'm not the one arsing around down in there with them!”

“That doesn't mean anythin-”

>”Do you want a bullet in you? Stop it! Now I'll ask again, what are you doing down there?”

I clear my throat.

“We're looking for a researcher. Name's Toldeg. Hear he's got some neat info we want, ay.”

>”Why are you talking like that? Are you retarded or something?”

“Ugh, sorry. Look, we are from a settlement further South, and w-”

>”Really? You look like you're from the city, to me. We don't want your kind here. Look, you even brought one of them with you!”

He briefly points his pistol at Gryr, who, by her body language, is dissatisfied with my negotiation attempts so far.

“She is an outcast, like me. Please let us into your settlement. We just need to see the researcher, Toldeg, and then we will go.”

2/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/14(Thu)18:17 No. 500066 ID: 52ce83
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>”What, so you can assassinate or kidnap him or something? And what makes you think I'm even associated with any settlement? I could just be a bandit, and you're telling me all this stuff I don't care about, when all I'm going to do is kill you all and loot your bodies. I bet that big fella'd net a lot of trade in spare parts.”

I do not know what to say.

>”Unfortunately for me, I'm not a bandit, and I'm not that lucky. But that doesn't mean you're any better off. I'll let you in, but what do I get out of it?”

This guy must be a mercenary or something. Should I give him something? What?

>>500066
"I thought you said you weren't a bandit. Are you going to let us in as you said you would or are you going to ask me for a bribe?"

we ain't got jack shit, man. oh, I know! a hug!

De we still have some of those sugar bars?
I if we do I'd say it's time to part ways with them.

offer the totally not noxious sugar bars

If he won't accept the sugar bars, and he still demands something; offer the stone.

If he still doesn't seem satisfied after the sugar bars, the stone, offer Gryr.

>>500177

Hahaha.

No.

1/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/16(Sat)03:07 No. 500347 ID: f133bd
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“We do not have anything. The sum of our goods is more-or-less what you see already.”

>”More or less, huh?”

I grunt.

“Look.”

I rustle around in my pouch and bring out the sugar bars that were given to me by the merchant in the other settlement. What is left of the daylight shines through them, bringing out their red colouring. I hold them out towards the mercenary, awaiting his answer.

>“What?”

“All I can really give you are these.”

>”Yeah, and what are they supposed to be?”

“Dietary energy supplement.”

>”Food? Not only have you just been playing down in there with maggots, but it's probably filthy. Why the hell would I want that? ”

“Because you want something and it's all I have. What else could I possibly offer you? A hug?”

The mercenary snorts and holsters his sidearm.

>”Whatever. Get 'em up here.”

The mercenary turns around and walks away from the ledge, leaving his men to help us up.

2/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/16(Sat)03:07 No. 500348 ID: f133bd
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From the lower-ranking mercenaries, who are slightly more polite than their leader, we learn that this settlement is one of the biggest known. They have more natural resources here than most other settlements, and a comparatively large number of technical and scientific minds in the population.

We are taken to the blackened walls of the settlement. It is inset into a cliff, making it difficult to see from the sky. Something about it reminds me of the city. The mercenaries guide us through a smaller enclosure and into an airtight container; a door in the front and the back. I start to feel concerned, but I comply anyway.

>”This is for decontamination. Please wait.”

We are sprayed with some kind of gas. A nozzle along a mechanical rail, which spirals around the chamber, moves about us, emitting the agent. When it stops, somebody opens the inner door, and we are invited into the settlement.

Darkness has fallen. Should we immediately seek out Toldeg, or search for some accommodation first?

If it's too late to politely knock on his door, go find accommodation first. Also, is that a functioning satellite dish I see? Someone's still got working equipment in orbit?

>>500349
It could also be bouncing of a passive aerostat, or if this place is in a deep valley, be a direct LoS link to a mountaintop relay.

>>500347
>What else could I possibly offer you? A hug?
that line was brilliant.

Seek to sell the stone

seek Toldeg.

1/3 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/19(Tue)05:19 No. 501054 ID: 56c90d
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Toldeg is the reason we are here at all, so it makes sense that we should seek him out before doing anything else. After all; we told the mercenaries that we would take this course of action.

All of the residences in this settlement are far more impressive than those that exist in the one from whence we came. The outcasts here have had a far more successful attempt at planning and construction – presumably working under less pressure, and with more materials.

After some very brief information-getting, we find the house of the researcher. We are greeted by a solid, metal door. I knock on it, and instead of opening, a cold and cheap-sounding, metallic voice emits from a speaker set above.

>”State business into the microphone, or leave.”

There is a small microphone by the door. I press on the button and speak into it.

“We wish to see Toldeg. We have questions.”

>”Hold.”

There is a small pause.

>“State business into the microphone, or leave.”

I press the button again, and speak in a low voice.

“I want to ask about... some strange creatures.”

>”Hold.”

The door slides vertically upwards.

>”Enter.”

2/3 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/19(Tue)05:20 No. 501055 ID: 56c90d
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The room is irregularly pentagonal in shape, and its walls are littered with clusters of what appear to be robots. Or rather, pieces of robots. Very few are whole. There is a narrow flight of stairs to our right, and a door to our left, which is presently closed. Another robot is leaning against it, like a corpse.

The metallic voice sounds again.

>”Please move down the stairs.”

3/3 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/19(Tue)05:20 No. 501056 ID: 56c90d
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The stairs are dark, and I have to be careful to not trip while descending them. There is a small corridor following them, which is also not lit. I can see light emitting from a doorway ahead though.

I am disturbed by a scream, which sounds horrific. Raising my weapon, I turn to the others.

>“Did you hear that?”

I hear Lex ask Gryr.

>”Of course I did. Now get ready.”

>“Right.”

We slowly move up, and the screaming begins again. This time it is accompanied by thumping and thrashing. I realise that it is not human-sounding. At least, not entirely.

Moving into the room at the end of the hall, I see nothing, except for a man working at a desk. He looks up from his work, and stares right at me. Next to him is a large, metal box. It is the origin of the screaming.

>”Is there some way that I can help you? Wait-”

He gets up from his seat and walks towards me, moving in front of the box as though to hide it from me.

“Are you Toldeg.”

>”Yes, that's me. What are you in need of? I promise that I hold nothing of interest to your masters. How did you get past the mercenaries..?”

As he emerges from the shadows, I realise that his old face looks bizarre. Human, but somehow wrong.”

“What? No, I am not a soldier.”

>”Then why did you seek me out? What do you actually want from me?”

How does he look wrong? Could he be a cyborg?

Tell him we came looking for knowledge about the walking dead, tell him how and where we met one. And possibly look onto Gryr if she might share what little she knows about them.

It's time to get over with this. Confess.

Tell him that you were exiled and now the only reason you think of is to live and to get promoted to a an ordinator, but those are only thoughts. In fact you think that the life inside the great walls is as thin as it's meaningless. But you are still interested in what they keep in such value that they killed your subordinate to keep him silent. These walking dead creatures, a monstrosity, a mystery.

If this Toldeg is trying to get back to the city himself, this plan will piss on the leggings.

>>501074
That's stupid. Just tell him you were exiled for seeing them and wish to find out more.

tell him you've been banished from the city. tell him that the reason for it is because of the things you've seen and told people about. tell him about said things and that you're here to find out what they are. after all, the city tries to keep things as hush-hush as they are, they must be afraid of it. which means they're a serious threat to the city, which makes them an extremely serious threat to everything not even protected by the massive walls of the city.

>>501056
what's in the cage? it might be someone he's experimenting on.

1/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/22(Fri)08:37 No. 501715 ID: c3b767
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Toldeg is certainly a cyborg. He has a slightly strange, unnaturally hunched hunched stature, that damages my impression of his humanity.

“I was a soldier, but now I am a pariah. The reason I was exiled was because I lay witness to something that can only be described as an animated skeleton. There was nothing about it that I could rationalise. Not only did I see it, but I 'killed' it, after it tried to kill me. I now seek to find out about them. I want to find their origin.”

There is another howl from the cage behind us.

“What is that noise?”

2/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/22(Fri)08:38 No. 501716 ID: c3b767
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>”It is a pet of mine. And yes, I know what you're talking about. I have some information, though limited, of these creatures, that could possibly help you.”

Toldeg's face is a mask. I see it now. It blinks, and the mouth moves, but it is not human.

>”But, I have my own problems, and a heavily armed party such as yourselves is exactly what I need to resolve it.”

“I would rather not get involved in any more conflicts, if I can help it.”

>”I can't force you to do anything. But if you want to help me, I will help you. Otherwise, well, perhaps there are others with some information, but maybe there aren't.”

were listening

If it gets us the information well help him. But we can't make promises on account of our friends, they all had their own reasons to help us get here.
They can decide will they help us further.

>>501716
He will, of course, provision any expedition on his behalf, yes? Our supplies were drained and we lost one of our number in the journey here.

alright. what is this task? it better not be more than an itch in a place he can't reach.

1/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/22(Fri)21:23 No. 501885 ID: 536591
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“You will need to reveal more information before we accept. Since others in my party seek information from you as well, then I assume that they are also included in this. I can only hope that all you need help scratching your back.”

He laughs, though I was only half-joking.

>”No, I need you to do something that is too dangerous for me to do alone.”

>”I want you to rid this settlement of mercenaries. I don't care how; kill them, drive them away. Just make them go.”

2/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/22(Fri)21:23 No. 501886 ID: 536591
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“What is your problem with the mercenaries? They seem to be guarding the settlement.”

>”That is precisely the problem. They arrived a few months ago. Not aggressive towards us at the time. A small band of them. Evidently, they are better trained than our militia, and somehow, quite well-equipped. They offered their protection, in return for allowing them to stay.”

“That seems not unreasonable. Why do you want them to go.”

>”Things changed. Their leader, Nosk, became more demanding. He and his mercenaries began regularly robbing the people here. Saying that we 'owed them.' Our own militia, far less experienced, and already retired at the time, didn't have much hope of driving them out, ever. When they started to realise how we were thinking of getting rid of them, they started watching us. Instead of danger, they are more interested in monitoring the civilians.”

“Interesting. When we arrived here, mercenaries tried to rob us.”

>”Then you see why they need to go.”

“You just let us into your shop. What if we were mercenaries, and we wanted your things?”

>”They wanted, and they've taken. Anything you saw already, they have regarded as uninteresting. They have most of my salvaged and repaired weapons, my working androids, my communications devices...”

“If we are to drive them away, you will need to provide for us. We spent our weapons away in the Iron Forest. Unless you have a lot of bullets, or new weapons, then we are not going to be able to do much for you.”

>”I said they have taken most of my weapons.”

There is loud shriek, which turns into some kind of unusual, throaty gurgling.

>”The mercenaries have taken everything that isn't hidden. It's fortunate that I have hidden some supplies, then, isn't it?”

The gurgling becomes louder. It is... annoying.

>”Hold on, I'll feed you in a minute!”

I think for a moment.

“So if we do this, you tell us everything we want to know, yes?”

>”Yes. If you need to take overnight to think it over, then you can use the spare room upstairs. There probably some bedrolls there. Just move the junk out of the way, first.”

some rest will do us all good. we've been through some serious shit.

you might wanna talk to Lex about her feelings and stuff. it helps to speak them out, sometimes. just make sure to pretend you're actually listening.

>>501886
what in all fucks is in that cage!?
his request seems reasonable though I'm not sure how we'd go about it. accept sleeping upstairs and talk with the group there to form a plan. before you head to sleep find out what you have to work with and get a map of the city with their points of power on it, their barracks, headquarters and so on.

dang. maybe inspiration (brickshitting nightmare) will come upon our next rest

Take a civilian walk outside to get better feeling of the surroundings and the mercs before you go to sleep. Keep a sharp eye.

Sounds reasonable. Talk it over with the rest of your group to see if they want in. If not, Im sure you can handle the mercs on your own. Just sneak up on them one at a time and kill them, then hide the bodies. Maybe bring them to the doc's thing to eat or toss them to the worms.

And ask if that thing'll keep you up. Not that you're ungrateful for the offer- just want to be sure you get a good night's sleep.

Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/25(Mon)05:06 No. 502288 ID: 2edc22
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I do not really have a choice as to whether we are going to do this task. Of course, perhaps 'we' is not the appropriate word. I thank Toldeg for his hospitality, and lead the party back up the dark stairs.

Samael remarks;

>”I don't like the way that guy looked at me. I dunno about you, but I feel pretty uncomfortable here.”

“You are lucky that you need no sleep. I imagine that our night will not go undisturbed.”

>”Hm. Probably.”


Returning to the upstairs room, I push aside the metal corpse leaning against the door. It is heavy.

The inside of the room is messy. There is a table with some electronics on it, and there are tools on the floor. Pushing them into the corner, we are able to lay out our bedrolls, in preparation for the night. Tomorrow, I will explore the town. Perhaps I will get some insight on how I might go about handling the mercenaries.

I decide this is an ideal time to set aside Lex, and talk to her about what happened today.


“Lex, may I have a moment?”

>”Yeah...”

“How do you feel about what happened? To your brother, I mean.”

>”What do you mean, 'how do I feel?' How do you think I feel?”

She begins to sob.

“Do you want to keep following me? I imagine this journey has not been what you expected.”

>”What am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to just, what, stop? Stay here? Go back through that awful place, back home? Who's gonna take me?”

“Hmm. I suppose that is a valid point.”

>”You sound like you don't even care! Why didn't you save him down there?”

“There really was not much I could have done. We were ambushed.”

>”You led us into it!”

“Actually, I just followed that squat fellow...”

>”Why are you being like this, Mord? Don't you have something to say?”


I actually had not prepared myself for such an event as this, and I do not know how to properly respond to Lex's grief. In the military, there is something of a culture based around death, though not every soldier subscribes to it. We expect it frequently, and are even conditioned to be more pragmatic about it. I never realised this, at first, and it was not until my contact with outcasts became more frequent, that I noticed the contrast. With that said, it is not so easy to lose somebody that you care about.

>a) Reassure her that there will be increased safety in the future

>b) Scorn her for being so pitiful

>c) Remind her that it was her fault that Lox came along at all

>d) Other – specify

apologize for fucking up? following the mutant was your call after all.

>>502290
Haha, that was our fault. And I guess we're him.

Yes, Mord, a leader takes responsibility for everything that happens to his followers. This man's death was 100% your responsibility, 100% your fault. Own it. Carry it.

Also, CHA confirmed for dump stat.

>>502288
there is nothing practical to say. her family is dead. tell her you do care, show some fucking sympathy, it is what she needs. this was your fault and her grief is on your hands. you might be out of your element but you can't afford to fuck it up. give hugs if appropriate and help her grieve as necessary. also stop having your men walking into obvious traps, that would be nice.

>>502293
Yes, accept responsibility with appropriate contrition.

MrBrush 2013/03/25(Mon)11:16 No. 502313 ID: 710329
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Say maybe that everyone has been written an end in the stars, the same stars all matter in our bodies came from, and the end that you allowed for Lox was pitiful and you're so sorry for it to have ended that way. No one can read the stars, but everyone has to go back there in this earthen vessel of ash and dirt someday and it will be together, not alone like Lox seems to have gotten there.

you fucked up. let her know his blood is on your hands and that while you have a mission, every loss and gain matters and will come around if you are all willing to make it

"I am sorry; grief over the death of a loved one was something that was never allowed of me. In the military we were tools of war, and while one might miss his favorite tool from time to time the feeling is brief and quick to pass. I know nothing of civilian life, or the life of an outcast. I never had family nor friends. I am still learning how to be human, and not a soldier, for the first time in my life. Lox's death was my fault and mine alone. I can do nothing to atone for that, save ensuring your survival and the survival of everyone who has chosen to follow me. I am sorry for the loss of your brother and the grief I have caused you. I do not know what I can do to help. If it is my life that you wish in return then you may have it."

Load and cock your rifle, and hand it to her. She's not going to shoot you, but it will show her how serious you are.

>>502344
Ooo. Perfect.

Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/26(Tue)06:10 No. 502412 ID: 31443f
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I exhale loudly. Perhaps for a while too long.

“I am sorry for your brother's passing. Truly, but please understand that I do not know what this is like. I have never held anybody dear to me, for as long as I have lived. I have no parents, no siblings, and the only friends I knew shared my outlook. Your brother's death was my responsibility. I know, it was my lapse in judgement that caused us to enter that mutant lair. If there was some means by which I could reshape those events, then I would. But there are none, and I have to live with this.”

>”You don't care. You barely knew him, and you didn't even get along. Why would this weigh on your conscience?”

“It just does.”

I have an idea. I go to hand her my firearm, but upon remembering that it is depleted of ammunition, I stop. Instead, I draw a combat knife. Its gleaming blade is pure; free from the contamination outside of its protective sheath. I pass it over to her.

“If you believe that your brother's death must be paid for with my life, then by all means, take it. You are welcome to it.”

She stares at the knife for a long time.

>”You're probably wearing body armour. Why would this solve anything?”

“It is a gesture of my sincerity.”

She hands the knife back to me.

>”I don't need it.”

She sniffles.

>”What happens if I die? At least Lox was a good fighter. I'm just a useless kid. Would you just leave me in some ditch? Or down in some gross dungeon, like my brother? Would it affect you, at all?”

uh. yes. besides, if we thought you were useless we wouldn't have brought you along.

Confess, we just want to abuse her sexually.......................

>>502412
"It would. You're my responsibility, with Lox gone; I will not allow harm to come to you. It is the very least I can do for both you and him. I had no intention of leaving your brother where he lay, but Samuel informed me that he did not think it safe to go down there again and I trust his judgement on the matter. It would not have made sense to potentially lose more people trying to retrieve him, I am sorry. You needn't worry about what will happen when you die because it will not happen. Period. I will not allow it, and neither will Samuel or Gryr. If you wish to become a good fighter, I will train you myself. Do not feel forced to become one, however; we will manage with or without."

Go for an awkward hug. I mention the awkward because you have probably never hugged anyone before.

Even if something were to happen, she'd probably get a proper burial with rights read and all that jazz.

1/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/29(Fri)00:27 No. 502694 ID: d80353
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“Lex, please realise that I encouraged you to accompany me here. If I did not see value in you, then I would have turned you away.”

She does not seem reassured.

“I am responsible for your safety now. In fact, I was from the moment you accepted my mission. My mistake that caused your brother's death was a tragedy that will not happen again. You do not need to fear about your fate, because as long as you are under my command, you will not come to harm. I vow this to you. If you feel that you require martial training to better protect yourself, then I will offer it.”

I place my hand on her shoulder as a comforting gesture.

“Do you feel better now?”

She seems hesitant.

>”...A little.”

“Good. Then it is time to rest.”

2/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/29(Fri)00:27 No. 502695 ID: d80353
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I dream.

Under an immense pile of cold, dry corpses, I feel crushing weight. I begin to suffocate.


I awaken again, relieved that none of it was real. The air in Toldeg's home is frigid. The room is pitch black, and silent, save for the calm breathing of my companions. I pull my blanket up to my neck and try to resume my sleep.

countity count sheep.

i guess we can try suffocating / crushing the mercs. become the fear

1/3 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/31(Sun)22:38 No. 503017 ID: b8d5d1
File 136479473105.png - (45.25KB , 800x800 , 21.png )

I awake in the early morning, feeling unusually inspired by the eve's nightmare. Lex is still resting quietly in her bedroll. Samael is sitting in the exact place he was when we went to sleep. His eyes are devoid of the red-coloured glow that they normally exhibit, and instead remain unlit. I suppose that he, too, is sleeping, or whatever equivalent to sleep he practices. Gryr is absent from the room.

I crawl out of my bedroll and make my way out into the cold air of the main room, squinting in the light while my eyes remain unadjusted. In my newly awakened state, I forget to take care about the poorly lit stairs. I trip down them, but manage to grab on to the rail, and prevent a painful impact. When I enter Toldeg's lab-room, I see the white coated cyborg at his desk, doing whatever it is that he does. He does not look up from his work. I smell an unusual odour. Rotting meat. I do not know if I remember it being present yesterday. Gryr is staring into the unusually quiet cage. When she sees me, she walks away from it and greets me.

>”I would ask if your night was peaceful, but judging by how restless you seemed, I will guess that it was not.”

“Just a nightmare, Gryr; I am unburdened by it.”

Toldeg interrupts us:

>”There is a shower in the back, if you need it. I don't have any food right now but, well, somebody else might.”

I eagerly take him up on his offer, as it has been a few days...

***

When I return, I have it in my mind that I would like to explore the settlement. I need to find out where the mercenaries' base of operations is, what their schedule is, and use this information to formulate a plan to destroy them. I am also very hungry, and I do not think I would like another energy bar or desiccated pseudo-meat.

I decide to invite Gryr's attendance. Her supposed expertise in urban combat would be helpful to have during this entire venture.

“Gryr, as an ordinator, you understood the ways of combat in the city, yes?”

>”It was my sole purpose during that time, Mord.”

“Well, would you like to come with me, to look around the settlement today?”

>”I... suppose I am not doing anything today. I must admit that it does not sound very exciting, though, Mord.”

“What? We need to find out about the mercenaries. It does not need to be exciting, but informative.”

She snorts.

>”Yes, of course I will.”

Her voice sounds as though she is trying to not laugh about something I do not understand.

2/3 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/31(Sun)22:39 No. 503018 ID: b8d5d1
File 136479476627.png - (57.71KB , 800x800 , 22.png )

There are not many people around yet. A handful, to be sure, and patrolling mercenaries. The streets are very quiet. Again, I am interested to see the quality of building here, compared to the Southern settlement. Many of the buildings are multistory, and far more solid-looking. Though, they still have a look of stark utilitarianism. There is not any room for choice aesthetics here.

3/3 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/03/31(Sun)22:39 No. 503019 ID: b8d5d1
File 136479478593.png - (62.16KB , 800x800 , 23.png )

There are snipers situated in various locations. Not necessarily out-of-sight, and I do not know if this is intentional or not. At this point, it does not directly make a difference to us. Today is for strategy formulation. I need to find out more about the mercenaries than what Toldeg has shared.

I am considering directly asking the mercenaries to provide details about themselves, however it will be hard to do so without sounding like a schemer. It might be worth visiting various occupants, but again, I do not want to draw suspicion.

This is where you come up with information gathering techniques.

I think Gryr was hitting on you. Briefly ponder potential romance.

strike up conversation about the mercs with some not-mercs

strike up conversation about the non-mercs with some mercs

>>503025
>>503044
>>503078
Yes, yes, yes.

>>503017
you dumb autistic stick in the mud, it sounded like you were asking her out on a date. and she agreed. you know what dates, are, right? it's an important part of courtship. yes, that kind of courtship.

Go see the leader of the mercenaries and try to find out by intrusive questioning if they already think you're a threath to them, but don't give away our mission. Just hoot around.

1/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/01(Mon)22:54 No. 503453 ID: a06152
File 136488205612.png - (58.87KB , 800x800 , 24.png )

I decide that, at this juncture, the mercenaries themselves would be the most appropriate party to question.

Approaching a sniper situated upon a bridge, I wave my arms to draw his attention.

“Excuse me!”

He is very casual. He slowly turns around to face me, as though my presence is highly uninteresting. He briefly scopes me with his rifle.

>“Yeah, what do you want?”

“I wanted only to ask some questions.”

>”What for? Who are you?”

“My name is Mord. I am just a visitor. I only wanted to ask about this place, since it is unfamiliar.”

2/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/01(Mon)22:54 No. 503454 ID: a06152
File 136488207934.png - (51.49KB , 800x800 , 25.png )

>”Why? What reason is there that you can't just go around and explore like everyone else? You don't look much like 'visitors,' either.”

I am beginning to regret not shedding more of my original uniform before undertaking this journey. Having Gryr in a more-or-less intact ordinator uniform is not very helpful, either.

>”Are you military? I assume not, because if you were, I don't understand how you're actually in here, and not dead. I imagine that even city forces aren't stupid enough to send a spy around without a disguise.”

“What? Do not be so idiotic. If I were a spy, I would not be asking you questions so plainly. Now comply.”

He laughs.

>”How do you know about what a spy would do? I think you had better explain yourself a little clearer, friend.”

Claim to be exiles or defectors, whatever you think is most convincing. Say that the military armor is better than whatever you thought you could scrounge up out here.

Make a note to get yourself a new helmet, or modify your current one to look less like an official one. Maybe ask our new scientist friend to do it. He seems cool.

Tell him the truth. You were once a Corporal in the military but saw something you shouldn't have while on a patrol, and were simultaneously discharged from service and exiled from the city to cover it up. You're here at this camp purely because you want to know more about what you saw.

If he asks what it was you saw, go ahead and tell him. He might know something or have seen it before.

tell him the truth. not too much of it, though.

tell him the truth. not too much of it, though.

1/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/03(Wed)03:06 No. 503677 ID: 0a368f
File 136498361840.png - (47.64KB , 800x800 , 26.png )

I decide that there is no harm in exhibiting honesty towards him.

“We are just exiles. You have no reason to fear us.”

>”I don't fear you. Now, what do you want?”

“Oh. Well, you know. This is our first time visiting, and we would like to know the landmarks. Just general directions, if that is not an inconvenience.”

>”It is, but to spare myself the possibility of you re-visiting me, I will tell you anyway.”

“Great.”

2/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/03(Wed)03:07 No. 503678 ID: 0a368f
File 136498364196.png - (140.88KB , 800x800 , 27.png )

>“There's a weird old scientist back the way you came. If you need stuff fixed, he's easy to push around. Over this way, there's a shop. They used to sell guns and shit, but there isn't anything good left, if you were wondering. Look for the memorial stone. It's near there.”

With one hand raised, he offers vague directions as he explains.

>”Upper levels are mostly residential, but there's a brothel just up there if you decide you need it. Cheap drinks, pretty girls, you know. But they don't open 'til late. Other than that, well, there isn't much to talk about.”

“Thank you.”

>”Yeah, now scat.”

That was marginally helpful. It might be worth investigating those places, although I could ask somebody else altogether.

Go check out the shop, if these guys robbed it the owner is bound to hold a grudge and will surely help us driving these mercs off. We might start thinking about recruiting people to our cause, though it does pose a risk of someone snitching us out.

Ask Gryr how were any snipers in the city situated, seems strange that these guys are just standing around, are they guarding something that is not obvious right away?

The brothel might be a good place to find some information about the mercenaries, who are high ranking and such.

the gun store. pretend to browse and ask him where all the good stuff is, or went.

I guess it'd be helpful to ask the ladies of the night, but that'd probably be awkward with Gryr in tow.

go talk to the shopkeep and maybe find out where or how the mercs are getting their supplies

From the sniper's position, are there any other mercs in view? Taking him out and getting his rifle seems like a good starting point if you decide to remove them by force.

1/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/04(Thu)05:43 No. 503832 ID: 2e79fc
File 136507942297.png - (60.98KB , 800x800 , 28.png )

The shop seems to be the best place to check first. If the mercenaries have shaken down the shopkeeper in the past, then we might find a potential ally there. The brothel would be an ideal place to ask about the mercenary leader – or leaders. Perhaps some of the employees there are more... intimately familiar with Nosk and his henchmen than the general public.

Following the somewhat unspecific directions offered by the mercenary, we follow the path through the town. Somebody has gone to the immense trouble of covering the entire ground in steel sheets. My feet clank over the dirty plates as I walk. Eventually, they carry me to the stone the mercenary mentioned.

The stone is unremarkable. A boulder, roughly shaped to resemble a cube. What is more remarkable, is that there is actual fresh-looking grass growing about it. On its face, it reads:

>This stone is laid in memory of the honourable Lord Exo Par I, who founded this settlement in the year of CMLIV A.C.

>May he find peace in death.

That was fifty-one years ago. I remove an empty alcohol bottle, which I notice lying in the grass around the stone.

The store is just next to it, existing on the ground level. Crude letters, reading 'Emporium,' are carved from metal, and bolted to the top of the store. They have been further painted in a bright yellow, with little care for neatness evident.

2/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/04(Thu)05:44 No. 503833 ID: 2e79fc
File 136507944786.png - (23.25KB , 800x800 , 29.png )

We enter the store, and to my surprise, the shopkeeper is not in sight. In their place; a wall, with a mesh-covered slot for communication, and a flap, existing presumably for the transmission of goods. There are shelves around, but they are mostly bare. There are some provisions, but, as expected, nothing in the way of weaponry.

A voice calls out from behind the screen:

>”I don't have anything left, and I don't have any money.”

Gryr walks to the wall, and tries peeking through the flap.

>”Don't try anything, lady. That flap doesn't move unless I undo the bolt.”

>”Eh, apologies. We don't mean any harm to you. Tell us about yourself.”

>”I am just a shopkeeper. I have about as much to say, as I do to sell, so just spit it out, or get lost.”

>”Come on, now. There isn't any necessity for harshness. We are just curious~”

>”What are you? A detective? City interrogator? That guy over there - he's your muscle, right?”

“Hey.”

>”I am sorry. We mean to cause no fright or stress. Please, if you are comfortable with it, tell us about the mercenaries.”

>I dunno. I don't want them to come in here with a plasma cutter and a pair of exposed wires.”

>”Why would that happen?”

>”What? Because they are pushy, self-entitled scum. That fucking psycho leader of theirs threatened to burn me to death if I didn't give over my last gun. It was a family heirloom!”

>”So you do not like them?”

>”Hmm, whatever gave you that idea?!”

“We need to know more about them. What do they do? Where do they go? Spit it out!”

>”Easy, pal. Where's your manners at?”

“I apologise. Just tell us, immediately.”

>”Short answer; dunno, okay? I just stay in my home. I don't stick my nose where it doesn't need to be, in case I smell something bad. And those mercs – they smell fuckin' awful, if you catch my meaning. I mean, they gotta have a base or something, right?”

“Yeah, well, we had guessed this.”

>”Uhh, the whorehouse. That's where I'd go if I was stuck as part of your typical, sausage factory merc outfit. The main gates. They overlook the visitors coming in and out. Other than that, dunno what to tell you. They wander around. They're freeloaders pretending to guard the place. What would you do in that position?”

“Where do they get their supplies, normally?”

>”Well, they rob me, and the other shops. We occasionally receive goods via air from another settlement. The last time it arrived, the mercenaries received it, and took what they wanted from it. We had to scrounge through what was left. It's always the ammunition and the explosives, that they go for the most.”


I wonder if there is anything else we should ask him.

Ask him about the settlements militia.
Who was their leader and how to we get in contact with him. If we get enough people to support us we might be able to drive the mercenaries out minimal violence.

anything we can do to help?

we need to figure out where and when the next drop is. we're going to have ourselves a turkey shoot and carve a good number of them down when they huddle around to steal it. it will also be when any sort of reprogramming of the security turrets takes place, as well as anything else we can muster up.

for the whorehouse ? poison. free drinks on us

How many of them are there? You should be asking this question of everyone so that you can get a rough estimate of troop strength.

1/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/05(Fri)09:52 No. 504031 ID: 72e438
File 136518072689.png - (91.04KB , 800x800 , 30.png )

“Tell us more about their leader. How do we contact him?”

>”Do I look like 'mercenary F.A.Q.' to you? His name's Nosk, or... Nox. Something like that. Real asshole. Like I said – threatened to make a barbecue outta my store. He's the one in the fancy beige suit. Impossible to mistake him. He's come in here before, so like, he's bound to be around somewhere, right? You wanna talk to him, why not just trot on over to him and introduce yourself?”

“How many mercenaries do you believe there to be situated here?”

>”How should I know? I'm not responsible to babysit them.”

“Do you not even have an estimate?”

>”Probably not an accurate one! Twenty or more guys? Sometimes in groups, sometimes alone. I just guess about twenty, twenty five – odd mercs have showed up here at various instances. Who's to know for sure, but them? If you're so keen to find out, why don't you just go ask?”

“Not immediately. But if we need you in any way, we can rely on your allegiance, yes?”

>”Ehh, yeah. I mean, don't get me wrong; I want those guys outta here so I – and the rest of the folks here – can get back to a normal life. But at the same time, I ain't gonna go out spraying bullets at 'em, 'cause I don't want to feel the boot if it fails. Know what I mean?”

“I think I do. Thank you for your cooperation. We may be in touch in the future.”

Gryr and I leave the store, having harvested as much information as possible, from the proprietor.

2/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/05(Fri)09:52 No. 504032 ID: 72e438
File 136518075227.png - (88.31KB , 800x800 , 31.png )

>”Good morning.”

There is a mercenary waiting for us, a few metres away from the store. He walks over to us. In his hands is a light machine gun. He is a man of impressive stature, wearing armour that looks relatively thick and heavy. He eyes Gryr pensively.

“Do you need our help with something?”

>”Hm? No. I was just wondering how you guys were going. Doing a bit of shopping, I noticed...”

I sense trouble.

>”You were in there a while. Get something for your lady friend here? She looks demanding.”

“No, not specifically.”

The air is quiet. Other than the three of us, there does not seem to be anybody in the immediate area.

>”Then what did you buy? Gimme a look.”

Show the stone maybe... no wait. It's a souvenir. He can't have it.

>>504032
"apparently the shop is empty. we were trying to convince him to show his wares but it seems he really has nothing to sell."

>>504036
This.

"We bargained with him for a while, thought maybe he was just holding out on us, but it turns out this prick really has nothing in there. What a waste of time."

nothing. everything was taken. also, ITS A STONE

YOU DIDNT MAKE IT

that place is not as much a shop as a it is former shop.

>>504036
Also ask him his name, and if he knows anywhere better stocked.

>>504038
It's a football!

Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/05(Fri)20:03 No. 504110 ID: b91fc2
File 136521740647.png - (51.23KB , 800x800 , 32.png )

“We bought nothing.”

>”Really?”

“We tried to bargain with him for a time, though, as it happened, he actually had no stock. It was a waste of time.”

>”What were you after?”

“Nothing, just basic provisions. Maybe you can tell me where else I might go for supplies.”

>”Need some food? Gimme a half-hour with your little girlfriend and we'll see what I can manage.”

“That will not be necessary.”

>”What are you gonna do if I take her, anyway?”

“You will not.”

The mercenary walks very close. He stands over me in a clear intimidation attempt. I have battled bigger and more dangerous things than a pushy man with a gun. I do not back down. He brings his head too close, and I make a kissing noise with my mouth.

He laughs.

>”You'd better watch yourself, buddy.”

He begins to back away, before turning around and wandering down the street. I watch him until he is out of sight.

“Sorry,” I apologise to Gryr.

>”For what? I appreciate your defence. Though, he would not have achieved anything with me. An ordinator is a honed sword, or an impenetrable wall. These fools are like children with guns.”

“Armed children have many uses.”


I need to decide my next move. I could continue investigating, or return to Toldeg's home, to share what we know with the others.

it would be worth sharing what we know, particularly about the drops and if theres a way it can be manipulated. also about the brothels' operation ..

>>504110
share what? we know nothing yet.
go to the brothel.

1/3 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/09(Tue)03:31 No. 504795 ID: 0683fd
File 136550351860.png - (31.19KB , 800x800 , 33.png )

Apologies for the delay. I was developing this.

We do not know enough, yet. We need to visit the brothel, and ask about the mercenaries there. The problem is that, as the mercenary said, it does not open until late.

Gryr and I spend the rest of the day wandering about in the settlement. We do not encounter more difficult situations with the mercenaries, but their eyes are upon us for much of the day. For the most part, the day is uneventful. However, we meet an elderly woman, who tells us of one of the prostitutes in the brothel. She says, if we want to overthrow the mercenaries, we will find an ally there. We are not offered a name, but instead are told that the woman is unmistakable.

When we believe the night to be late enough, we move to the brothel.

There are small lanterns adorning the building, each emitting a soft glow. However, there is another, more disturbing lantern: a helmet. It clearly belonged to a soldier, once. Light shines out of the eye lenses, and the bullet hole that put the helmet to use here. I feel angered by it. Not because these worthless outcasts had overcome somebody like me. That is a possibility that all soldiers must accept. But rather, because he is now reduced to a trinket. That his nameless body has been lost, yet still, his helmet still sits as a novelty lantern outside of a whorehouse.

There is a mercenary, already unconscious from excessive alcohol intake, lying on the balcony; his legs hanging off of the edge. I resist the urge to expel my anger unto him.

2/3 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/09(Tue)03:32 No. 504796 ID: 0683fd
File 136550353706.png - (35.18KB , 800x800 , 34.png )

I pound on the door. I can hear soft music emanating from inside the walls.

3/3 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/09(Tue)03:32 No. 504797 ID: 0683fd
File 136550356939.png - (43.97KB , 800x800 , 35.png )

A young woman opens it for me. The interior of the whorehouse is smoky, and dimly-lit. There are more lanterns hanging from the ceiling, many of which emit light that is pink in colour. The air smells like incense, or perfume. It is pleasant. Some women are dancing. Others are speaking to mercenaries and other patrons. There are many mercenaries. I see that they appear to remain armed, with many holstered sidearms in plain sight. Most look hopelessly drunk, which might cause more problems if I do not act cautiously around them.

Another girl greets me immediately, with a tray of drinks in-hand. Her shapely body is barely covered, for obvious reasons. However, she is scarred. Not grotesquely, but there are many small scars marring her skin. A collar around her neck tells me that her employment here is less than voluntary. Interestingly, not all of the prostitutes I can see are collared. When the girl sees Gryr, she begins to tremble.

>”No, please... not here.”

Her voice is quiet and frightened.

“What?”

Gryr is reassuring.

>”We are unaffiliated with the city. There is no need to fear us, as we are here only on personal business.”

The girl expresses immense relief. She then looks embarrassed, but quickly regains her composure.

>”Then, how may I assist you? Would you like a drink, or some company?”

Why is Mord here? Is it under false pretences, or will he be completely honest as to the nature of his business?”

Let's be circumspect, but there's no reason to outright lie. Indicate that drinks will do for now, then settle in and survey the area, looking/waiting for someone that stands out unmistakably.

Think this is our ally? The scars and the collar make her stick out and even if she isn't her she is probably holding a grudge against the brothel owner and the mercs and might know stuff.

Say yes for the drinks and the company, find a place where you can chat in private.

we're here to drink. and maybe chat.

Ask for a light and revealing garment for Gryr. This is for the show that you're going to spend your time with to bitches in private.

honesty can wait for someplace more private

>>504802
Nah, ours is probably more noticeable than that. Gotta remember, this is a whorehouse used by those mercs. The scars are probably just from them getting to rough with her in the back. And, it was said there are others with collars on.

Order drinks.

>>504802
I don't think she means company for chatting...

1/3 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/10(Wed)03:52 No. 504962 ID: be452b
File 136559116002.png - (51.40KB , 800x800 , 36.png )

I briefly consider that this woman is unique enough to be the one I seek. But I soon realise that she is anything but. Many of the other girls appear to have suffered in some manner. A small handful bear collars similar to this one.

“Give me a drink, please,” I respond.

She reaches to her tray, and removes a glass, handing it to me.

>”Perhaps, you would enjoy my company~”

“No. Begone,” I say, flatly.

She looks slightly offended, but then silently bows her head and moves away, offering drinks to the other patrons.

Gryr gently puts a hand on my shoulder.

>”Mord, your way with women is truly inspirational. I am going to keep a watch over the location, from the bar over there. You must find our girl. If you instead find trouble, let me know, and I will come to your aid. Likewise, if the situation becomes too turbulent for me, I will be sure to inform you.”

“How?”

>”I will call out to you, loudly.”

With that, Gryr moves past me, and makes her way to the bar.

2/3 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/10(Wed)03:53 No. 504964 ID: be452b
File 136559118277.png - (43.94KB , 800x800 , 37.png )

I do not taste my drink. It is purely for the purpose of dispelling the image of being here on business, and my business is to find the prostitute about which we have been told - and get answers from her.

I move further into the back of the brothel. There are women lying around on silken blankets and pillows, most of whom proposition me. Some grasp at my clothing as I walk, but I slap their hands away. The perfume-type smell is strong here, and the lighting is dim. But the peace of the environment is offset by the sound of fornication in the rooms beyond. It is far from charming.

All I see are these mundane whores. There is nobody unusual here.
But then, my eye is caught by a strange silhouette in the very back of the establishment.

3/3 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/10(Wed)03:53 No. 504965 ID: be452b
File 136559120316.png - (65.55KB , 800x800 , 38.png )

At first, I think she is a statue. Her very presence is something I thought I would never see.

She is one of the Repto-Humanoids that were indigenous to this world when humankind arrived over one thousand years ago. At that time, the desperate human leaders were not interested in sharing the planet with another intelligent species, and so a mass genocide ensued, that caused the supposed extinction of their entire kind. Being on a technological level similar to the Dark Ages of Earth, they stood no chance of repelling us.

On a pile of cushions, she sits alone; tall, and ornamental. Her scales are black, but shine in a deep, metallic blue. On her head and neck is a crest of white hair, like a horse's mane, though as if exaggerated. In her hand, a glass - though she does not sup of it. Her powerful-looking tail curves around her, completing the statuesque image. I do not know whether I would be so bold as to label her as 'attractive,' but her form is incredibly fascinating to me.

She shows no acknowledgement to my presence. But, awestruck, I have been standing here and examining her for some time, and I am certain that she has noticed me by now.

This is surely the woman I seek. How do I approach her?

ok so disguise is out of the question. ask what she is having and offer her your drink, for starters. inquire if you can be alone to speak, nothing more.

Holy shitters, it's a Reptoid! Ask her wheter her race breastfeeds the offspring and note that there's not much difference between our two races after all.

SNAKETIIITS

SNAAAAAAKEEEEEEETIIIIIITSSSSSSSSS

uh I mean just walk over and say hello

Ask how much for a threesome
Tell her that you are here for business but the mercenaries are making things hard for you and you came here looking to do something about the situation.
So would she mind showing us somewhere more private.

Simply ask to be alone with her. Don't let anything else slip while you are in the company of other women as you do not know who could parrot what you say to a merc.

When and only when you have her alone, then inform her you're here for business not pleasure and want to drive the mercs out on the request of that scientist and the shopkeep.

You have manners when you feel like it and a command of formality. Use it. Be polite, and business-like. Invite her to talk privately. If she asks why, just tell her that she was recommended.

If you can get her alone, that's when you can start going into more details. Explain that you're new to this town, and you've agreed to help remove the mercenaries if possible.

(More deets about her would be cool, too)

1/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/12(Fri)01:33 No. 505360 ID: 148aa5
File 136575561813.png - (54.08KB , 800x800 , 39.png )

I decide that I must still disguise my motives until I am in private. I approach the alien as though I were a customer. As she turns her head to face me, her tongue flicks out, licking the air.

“You are quite a sight. May I spend some time with you?”

Her voice is smooth.

>”So you desire my company?”

“Yes. You were recommended to me.”

Setting down her glass, she rises from her 'nest.' Standing, she is taller than I am, with my head only slightly higher than her shoulders. She leads me down the corridor into a private room. When she closes the door behind her, I admit my true purpose.

2/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/12(Fri)01:34 No. 505361 ID: 148aa5
File 136575565353.png - (42.45KB , 800x800 , 40.png )

“I am not here for pleasure. I come here with a serious task, and I have been told that you are somebody who can aid me.”

>”For what reason would I aid a human such as you? A skeleton, no less! Take your fire and your wrath, and use it elsewhere! This world now lies dead.”

“I do not know why. All I know is that these mercenaries are cancerous to your settlement, and that you are somebody with whom I may have a common goal.”

>”And what is your goal?”

“I want to destroy the mercenaries, as it furthers my true purpose.”

>”The mercenaries make the villagers suffer, and this pleases me. Yet, I also seek to make the mercenaries suffer, just as they have inflicted suffering unto me. Just as your entire species has inflicted suffering unto mine! Humanity is the true cancer!”

The Reptoid hisses. I find it uncomfortable. I fear she is near to sinking her envenomed teeth into me.

>”And after I have helped you, you leave, do you not? You abandon me to continue my slavery here?”

“I am sure I can arrange something for you?”

>”No. You will pledge your cause to my freedom. You will die before you fail me!”

“I swear it. But for now, I require your co-operation, miss...”

She says the name in her own language. I have no hope of reproducing it.

>”In your tongue, it translates somewhat into 'the newly fallen snow,' 'the white sky,' or even 'frost,' contextually. It makes reference to the unusual colour of my crest.”

“I am honoured to meet one of your people. I am Mord.”

She does not seem to acknowledge it.

“There is knowledge that I must attain from you, and I understand you know these mercenaries better than most people.”


What information are you going to ask of the reptoid?

Ask for every tactically relevant detail you can think of.

Troop strength. Leadership structure. Weaknesses. Habits. Places they frequent. Secret weapon caches. Her personal assessment on the situation.

Is there anything SHE can do beyond providing information? Are there other allies that she knows of? Will others fight if you begin something?

Ask about the brothel owner and possible bouncers who will try to stop us when the time comes to free Snowy.
Depending on the situation we could free the other slaves as well, play the hero.

how to kill them as dead as possible while we remain as alive as possible.

also, what does she mean by skeleton? the armor of the guard?

>”In your tongue, it translates somewhat into 'the newly fallen snow,' 'the white sky,' or even 'frost,' contextually. It makes reference to the unusual colour of my crest.”
Call her Vanilla Ice.

wel bash there fookin eads in we sware on are mum

>>505361
where are they operating from? where do they keep they supplies, weapons and ammo?
can she provide exact guard posts and patrol routines or is this something we're going to have to find out ourselves?
how well trained are they?
is there anyone else that will join the 'resistance'?
any ideas on how to supply ourselves?

about her freedom:
what's keeping her here, a contract or someone physically holding her? who does she 'belong' to?
suppose we get her out of here, how is she going to remain free? after all, humans will always try to subdue her.
2 ideas:
1. she'd have to start pretending to be human somehow. a well made armor can help, but i can't see how she'd be able to disguise that tail.
2. we'll take her somewhere where she'll be accepted for who she is. the town we came from seem to be friendly, but i don't know if they're that friendly. we'll have to ask the others.
either way, unless there's some hidden reptoid settlement somewhere she'll have to live amongst humans for the rest of her life and she's going to have to deal with it.

Let's call her Frost. No need to insult her by naming her after washed up white rappers.

Trying to get her to be your traveling companion may be very beneficial. She likely knows the native fauna and terrain better than we ever will. Perhaps she knows more than can be of help.

Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/12(Fri)20:19 No. 505473 ID: a5e901
File 136582318486.png - (37.20KB , 800x800 , 41.png )

I decide to address her as 'Frost.' I ask my questions:


“From where do the mercenaries come? Do they have a base of operation?”

>”Yes. The town hall. That is the biggest building, and so they have set up in there. I imagine this is where they also keep the weapons they take. Some men brag about fire power. They store explosives in there, I have heard.”

“Do you know how well-trained they are?”

>”At what? Fighting? I don't know this; I have never fought them.”

“Oh, alright. What about their leadership structure?”

>”Some boastful men say they are the leader, but I know it is a lie. Nosk; he is leader. He does not visit every day. But when he does, it is for one particular girl only: Vei.”

“Are there other leaders?”

>”Possibly. They brawl often. It is hard to know who is in charge, or if they are just arguing among themselves. They show respect to the barkeeper. He is one of their own.”

“Do you know about troop strength? Numbers?”

>”I have counted twenty three unique mercenaries, but this does not mean I have seen them all.”

“Do they have any habits, or other conventions?”

>”Yes. When they fight, the loser will buy drinks for the others. On the sixth day, they receive drinks for less money. A lot visit on this day. Outside of this building, I cannot say very well what they do.”

“So, what is keeping you here?”

>”Zore, my gross mistress. She is without care for our suffering. I may despise your species, but the other girls here, I feel pity for. Only some are here willingly. Those who are not, suffer at Zore's whims. The girls that are continually resistant, must wear electrical collars. When the mercenaries took over, they took control of the bar, but allowed for Zore to continue her business of sex slavery. I do not dare to try escaping. They stun me, and then torture me to make me learn. They shock my flesh, and tear my skin. This is why I am here.”

”Will anybody fight against the mercenaries.”

>“I am certain. If you destroy Zore, these girls will, and so shall I.”

“Lastly do you know where we might get weapons?”

>”The mercenaries' base would be the best place to find superior weaponry in sufficient quantity.”

Hopefully, you find enough options here.

>>505473
would this Vei be able to kill him by herself when they're alone?
how many are here on a typical sixth day? if it's most of them we could consider assaulting their headquarters while most of them are drunk and busy in the brothel. the girls are going to have to make sure there's enough noise though.
can we poison the drinks on the sixth day? do any townsfolk still come here?

do they really only have a single base of operations, which is the same building in which they store all of their ammo? that is downright stupid. we could exploit that somehow. such as with an explosion or a siege.

Yes, detonating all the explosives in the town hall somehow would be magnificent. I'd be willing to guess that they'd lose all of that, including ammo exploding with it. Guns might survive here and there, but they're nothing but clubs without ammo.
Then again, it might be worth it to snag some for ourselves before obliterating what's left...

Ask how loyal this Vie girl is to them, and if she'd be willing to help us. It would be terribly risky for her, however, and we'd risk being found out. Ask if there is also some kind of control system for those collars we can snag sometime. I want us to take down their mistress and free these fine young ladies to do whatever they want. Everyone deserves a bit of free will, yeah?

I've no clue how to deal with the leader of the mercs, since taking out the mistress would probably put him on alert...

the first thing we should do is get rid of Zore. question Frost about Zore's habits, when she'd be the most vulnerable, etc.

we should do this without people getting too suspicious of us, so maybe we can use poison? does Frost know where we could get some, and who it is that cooks around here, or otherwise has access to Zore's food and is willing to help kill her?

weve learned a lot more. we have times and places of congregation, with exploitable behavior. i think a problem is getting Vei involved, if at all.

Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/15(Mon)01:37 No. 505843 ID: 934e6b
File 136601507384.png - (63.91KB , 800x800 , 42.png )

Mature filter temporarily disabled. Live it up while it lasts, faggots.


“Do you know if this Vei is capable of killing Nosk?”

>”Vei is a sweet girl. I do not know if she would do this, but if it came to a physical struggle, she would be easily overpowered.”



Before any of that, the first task we must complete is to destroy Zore.

“I believe the best way to assassinate Zore would be by way of poison. Do you know where I might acquire poison?”

Her black, unblinking eyes stare.

>”Yes. I can provide poison for your purposes. It is rich, and paralytic. Giving the venom a few moments to take effect will ensure her permanent silence.”

This is good news. The only difficulty I can now see is devising an effective method of delivery. Frost and I spend a short while thinking together.

“Aha! I could bring a new type of drink, and poison it. When she tastes it, she will die!”

>”Do you have tools for brewing?”

“I do not need them. It need not be a legitimate brew. It just needs to be poisonous.”

>”Very well. Do you have a vessel to carry my venom?”

“Hmm, wait a moment.”

I search around in my pouches. I withdraw my water bottle.

“Only this.”

>”Ensure it is completely clean before you drink from it again. You are still needed alive.”

Frost takes the bottle and spits her venom into it. Re-attaching the lid, she hands it back to me.

“Hmm, after this, I think I will simply throw it away.”

>”After you have done the task. I will tell the other girls about Zore's death, and the upcoming revolution, so that they do not mention it to the mercenaries.”


The question now is; do we address Zore now, or do we come back later? If we do it correctly, we should be able to poison Zore without the mercenaries being made aware of it.

>>505843
if she is made aware that she had been poisoned she will scream and call for help. subterfuge will be paramount.

Does Zore live in the brothel or does she have a home somewhere else? Where does she eat? We will probably have to wait a bit and collect more information before we make our move.

yeah, ask about her habits and habitat.

It would be best to ensure that Zore ingests the poison somewhere isolated, so that she can't alert anyone else, or have time to administer an antivenom; it is unlikely they would allow something as dangerous as Frost to remain around without some way to neutralise her poison.

Preposition Zore for a private 'audience' or, if she isn't involved in the business herself, ask to talk to her privately about a business deal. If she demands an answer up front say you want to discuss an arrangement between Zore and Gryr. When you have her alone, offer her the drink.

A couple more questions for Frost:
What is keeping her here? she has no collar.
Are there any others of her kind that she is aware of?

Offering her a drink out-of-the-blue would be very suspicious. If you can organise some sort of drinking contest, and spring the poison as 'some of the good stuff' partway through, that might work better, and she would be drunk enough to diminish her chances of raising an alarm.

we'll need to devise something far harder to read than offering a drink we havent tasted. it may be out of the question to find some way of drinking it ourselves without suffering its effects or providing a very good illusion we have tasted it without actually doing it. Otherwise, any routine of hers we can figure out or even assume with a good degree of certainty can be tainted at the proper places.

Thank Frost for the info and lets go find Gryr and ask her would she like to do a service to this community by assassinating the scumbag who owns this brothel.
And while the poison would be a inconspicuous way to assassinate Zore i don't see why she couldn't as well be either strangled or stabbed to death.

If Gryr agrees and needs a diversion Mord should get drunk and start a fight.

1/6 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/18(Thu)02:01 No. 506470 ID: 226073
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Sorry for the delay. I wrote myself into a corner, and after some lack of motivation, I have decided that the only way out, is straight through. Therefore, prepare yourselves for cutscene clusterfuck.

I decide that the time is now. Zore's death is minutes away. My plan begins to come together.

“Madam, I require one last favour of you.”

>”Yes?”

“Tell the girls to make it loud in here.”

Something resembling a smile crosses Frost's lips.

>”It will be done.”

I leave Frost, and go to see Gryr.

2/6 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/18(Thu)02:02 No. 506471 ID: 226073
File 136627573001.png - (64.99KB , 800x800 , 44.png )

Gryr looks unhappy. A drunk mercenary has his arm slung about her, and is currently telling her about the time he seduced a drowner matriarch – something I assume she would not tolerate when peace is not an absolute necessity.

I signal for her to come over to me. She slinks out from under the arm of the mercenary, but he does not like it.

>”Hey! Come back here, ya bitch!”

I decide to intervene.

“Apologies, friend. She is with me. Allow me to pay for the next round!”

I take the alien 'gallstone' out of my pocket, and throw it underhand, to the barman. He looks impressed enough by it.

>”Drinks on that guy!”

They all seem cheered enough to leave us alone.

***

I lead Gryr to Zore's office, explaining to her my idea of poisoning her.

>”No, Mord. That is a terrible idea. If she suspects anything at all, and she calls for help, then this whole thing is done for. You need to be quick, and brutal.”

“What do you have in mind?”

3/6 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/18(Thu)02:02 No. 506472 ID: 226073
File 136627575682.png - (57.35KB , 800x800 , 45.png )

I knock on Zore's door. The woman that answers is grotesque in appearance. Her height is matched by her width, with her blubbery face covered in make-up. She wears a long, grey coat, with brass buttons on it. Noises come out of her mouth, but they are less attention-grabbing than the flapping jowls adorning it.

>”I said, what do you want?”

I push Gryr into the room. Her hands are bound by a cable tie – though loose enough that she could escape if necessary.

“I caught this out in the dust. I wanted to sell her to you.”

>”What? Selling one of yer own, eh?”

“No, I am an outcast. She, and two others alike ambushed our camp. We were fortunate that we were not unprepared for ambush, so we still prevailed. This one is the only survivor. As you can see, she is not undesirable. Do you not wish to enslave her as a whore in your fine establishment? I imagine many men would revel in the opportunity to gain revenge onto one of the loathed 'oppresors'”

>”Ooh, I see. How do I know she won't kill somebody?”

“You could collar her.”

I walk around behind Zore, causally observing some of the items on her shelf, while she appraises the ordinator before her. A human skull, and an eyeball in a jar, among them. I listen, to ensure the noise outside is sufficient.

“But-” I casually continue. “If you choose to collar her, I offer a warning.”

>”And what is that?”

???/6 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/18(Thu)02:03 No. 506473 ID: 226073
File 136627579282.png - (56.35KB , 800x800 , 46.png )

“She has a thing for being choked.”


With those words, I snap my arms around Zore's fat neck, constricting her windpipe and causing her to flail and snort, like some wild pig, caught in a trap. She desperately grasps at my arms, trying to get enough leverage for another tiny breath, but she is not strong enough. Gryr, having slipped out of her binds, restrains the woman's legs, as they try to kick. I increase the amount of pressure around her neck, until I hear a crack, from deep within her throat.

Eventually, her struggles subside, and I carefully let her down. Checking for a pulse, I confirm that she is dead.

>”She has a thing for being choked?”

I laugh.

5/6 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/18(Thu)02:03 No. 506474 ID: 226073
File 136627581616.png - (45.87KB , 800x800 , 47.png )

“We can not simply leave her here, like this. It would be highly suspicious. Can you help me move her onto this chair?”

Gryr and I lift the body onto the chair behind the desk.

“We need to make it appear as though she killed herself.”

I find a piece of paper. With a pen, I write a note to go along with the body.

6/6 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/18(Thu)02:03 No. 506475 ID: 226073
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Gryr does not like my note.

>”Are you being serious?”

Gryr writes a new note. I admit, it is mildly more persuasive than mine. She scrunches it up and puts it on the desk, to appear as though Zore had disregarded the message.

>”That should give them something to think about until somebody realises she died of strangulation. I do not imagine the level of forensic science available to these outcasts will put us in any immediate danger of discovery, but there is no reason to be careless.”

We leave the room, locking it behind us.



Zore is dead. The brothel must continue to function as normal, for the night. However, the girls will be free by the morning.;

Now, I need to decide if we are to return to Toldeg, and the others, or go straight to the Mercenaries' base. We do not have any ammunition for our guns, which is a problem.

the base. get ammunition from the slain bodies of mercenaries !

Stop at Toldeg and see if he has any solution for our ammo problem. If not, then to the base. You'll have to procure your arms on-site.

Also since you just poisoned all these mercs, you have plenty of sidearms to choose from.

Return to Toldegs place and get the supplies he said he had hidden. Also might be a good idea to get Samael to come with us before moving on to the mercenaries' base.

Who knows we might get this whole thing over tonight if we continue being this efficient and if enough mercs are distracted by the brothel.

I'm sure the women here would be happy to assist you in divesting any mercenaries of their weapons, ammunition, and vital bodily fluids.

>>506479

we didn't poison anybody, unless I misheard something.

it's a good idea though. we should ask Frost for syringes or darts or something. that and the poison might let us get to the ammo cache unnoticed.

we'd best do it tonight, before the sun comes up and people notice the dead pimpette.

1/4 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/25(Thu)05:20 No. 507647 ID: fb1428
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I need to dumb the art back down again, I think. Line-work, like I have been doing recently, is far too time consuming.

It is best to return to Toldeg's home before we strike the town hall. Samael will be needed to carry weapons back.

Toldeg, Lex, and Samael are still there, expectedly. Samael greets us.

>”Welcome back, Mord. I trust your day was productive.”

“Not yet. We need your help immediately. We will be going to the town hall to steal guns.”

>”Right now? What?”

“Get a pack. We will be moving soon.”

Toldeg provides us with suppressed pistols, with no extra magazines. With several duffel bags, we make our way to the town hall, moving through the back alleys wherever possible.

2/4 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/25(Thu)05:21 No. 507648 ID: fb1428
File 136689246196.png - (35.45KB , 800x800 , 50.png )

The stealth operation here will be left to your imagination. Thinking it up (and especially, how to make it interactive) has caused me more stress than it is worth, and I need to keep this thing moving.

The guards did not put up any resistance. Those who were here, and not at the whorehouse, or otherwise occupied, were not expecting our raid. They were all put down quietly.

The weapons were kept in no overly ordered manner. It looked as though some initial attempt was made to store them in one particular room, but there were weapons and ammunition everywhere, in actuality.

We load our bags with whatever useful things that we find, keeping alert, for any guards potentially returning.

3/4 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/25(Thu)05:21 No. 507649 ID: fb1428
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>”Mord, why do we need this many guns?”

I turn to Samael.

“Because we are going to supply them to prostitutes.”

>”I didn't realise the gals had it so bad, that they needed military-grade weapons.”

“They will be dealing with more than boisterous customers, soon enough.”

>”What's going on?”

“We need soldiers to drive away the mercenaries forever, and now we have some.”

>”Hm!”

4/4 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/25(Thu)05:21 No. 507650 ID: fb1428
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Gryr is planting plastic charges in the building, ensuring that they are invisible to someone not searching for them – and unseen by those who are. We will be ready to detonate them when the time is right. In the mean time, we have plenty of weapons and ammunition with which to supply those who support our cause. We even manage to take some undamaged armoured vests and helmets.

We will have to wait until the mercenaries have left the brothel, to bring weapons to the prostitutes. But when they realise what has happened here, the conflict will be set into motion, I predict. We will need to make sure that our affairs are in order at that time.


Uh, dunno if there's much to suggest here. But, if there's something, feel free to mention it. Otherwise, expect a continuation soon.

you could always fire a few gunshots where the bombs are planted and blow the building up after the mercs flood it.

you could also rig a gun to fire at whoever opens the door to the brothel. I'm assuming that's where the non-combatant whores will hole up, and that the mercs might go after them after they realize it's the whores who are shooting their asses.

Rather than setting off charges randomly, it would be possible to use a few initial explosions to drive the mercenaries into a more enclosed area such as a street or alley. They'll naturally want to run away from explosions, so you can use that to make them move in a rough direction, or to evacuate cover.

Of course, you will want them to run towards more charges that you have daisy-chained around the place, hopefully kiling or at least stunning them whilst you open up with small arms. Surround the plastic explosives with nuts, bolts, nails or other small but dense objects for extra effectiveness.

1/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/28(Sun)07:11 No. 508004 ID: 930df3
File 136715831756.png - (29.59KB , 800x800 , 53.png )

We return to Toldeg's home, with our bounty of guns and ammunition. We do not take the time to sleep.


We wait until the mercenaries leave the brothel, in the early hours of the morning, and then make our way back there, with haste. As soon as they return to their base, they will realise something has happened. It is critical that we are able to arm the prostitutes before anything goes wrong.


Frost lets us in, and we begin to distribute the weapons to the girls. We help them out of their slave collars. We are also able to give fatigues to most of them, and vests to some, so that they may cover themselves.

The next half-hour is spent instructing the girls about what is happening, and how to use their weapons properly. Some are familiar with it already.

2/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/28(Sun)07:12 No. 508005 ID: 930df3
File 136715833110.png - (24.45KB , 800x800 , 54.png )

Lex watches the settlement out through a window.

>”Guys, Mord! They're really alarmed. Some are knocking on doors.”

“Then it will not be long until they bring their search back here.”

>”Too late! Two are coming up here, what do we do?”

Wait and see if they knock or let themselves in.

Have the girls who look like they've fired a gun before take up positions out of view in the main room and prepare for an ambush. You and Gryr take up positions on the side of the door that the hinges are on. Exterior doors usually open inwards, so the door will conceal you if/when it opens.

If they knock, do nothing and see if that will prompt them to enter on their own.

If they enter by themselves, yank them aside and kill them with a knife to the throat. The more mercs you can isolate and neutralize without alerting the main force, the easier they will be to deal with.

If they call for backup and more mercs head over to the brothel, prepare to signal the ambush. Thankfully, you have a narrow walkway leading up to the brothel doors that makes an excellent choke-point with no cover.

Once/If a firefight breaks out in the brothel, be prepared to take the fight to the streets; you want to hit the mercs fast and hard while they're confused and separated from each other. You don't want to give them the option to organize or regroup.

Well things are going to get loud soon anyway so we may as well be the ones who start it.

Tell Frost to have her prostitute army shoot the two mercenaries in front of the brothel and then barricade themselves in.
Meanwhile our gang sneaks out the back and circles away from the brothel, so that when all the mercs are surrounding the brothel and distracted we can sneak in from the back and kill them.

have Samael's hydraulics greet them.

1/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/29(Mon)01:31 No. 508122 ID: 9d4445
File 136722429989.png - (37.03KB , 800x800 , 55.png )

We move out of sight, and hide in the shadows. We prepare ourselves for a gun-battle, if need be.

The men knock on the door.

>”Hey, open up!”

They pound the door more fiercely.

>”Open it, or we'll let ourselves in!”

I look at Samael.

“Take care of them when they come inside,” I whisper.

Samael hides next to the door, and waits.

>”It's unlocked!”

A female voice cries out. I do not recognise the voice.

2/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/04/29(Mon)01:32 No. 508123 ID: 9d4445
File 136722432020.png - (25.72KB , 800x800 , 56.png )

The door slowly opens, and the two mercenaries walk in.

>”We're sorry for this disturbance, ladies. We've had some trouble back at the base, and we need to check-”

The same voice speaks again. It's Samael! He steps behind the mercenaries.


>“I'm sorry. We're closed.”


He snatches one mercenary's head in his great hand, and then uses the body like a flail, beating the other one to death with immense force. But, not before the mercenary is able to squeeze the trigger of his weapon for a moment. Four loud shots are fired off into the ceiling. It will have earned the attention of the others, for certain.

Well time to lead this prostitute army to victory!
Engage the enemies outside and then start advancing towards the mercenary base, if we can get them to barricade themselves inside we could blow them all up.

Maybe it would be wise to split the party and have Mord, Gryr and Samael each lead a team of prostitutes so we can attack from several directions simultaneously.

Quickly nab the bodies and sit them down at a table the furthest away from the door. Use them to lure more mercs into the building. Prep an ambush inside the brothel to take out the guys who enter the building itself.

Have Gryr take a large team around one side of the building and have Samuel take a smaller team around the other side to catch the mercs in a pincer. When the ambush inside the brothel is sprung, that's their cue to go into action.

Gryr's team will move out ahead to be your front line for any street fighting and will move to cut off the retreat of any mercs caught between the ambush team and Samuel's flankers.

As soon as the mercs in the brothel are slain, send Samuel's team out and around the front line to flank, and take your (Mord's) team around the opposite side. While the merc's attention is on the flanking teams, have Gryr push her lines forward. While Gryr's team pushes forward to join with the flanking teams, you (Mord), Samuel, and at most one or two of the more skilled fighters in your group circle around and hit the mercs from their rear.

Tell Samuel and remind Gryr of that sniper you talked with, and make him a priority target. The last thing you need is Gryr's advance stalled because they're pinned by sniper fire.

fuck.

well, I suppose he did as you asked. everyone to arms! we can't all afford to hole up in the building- buildings are vulnerable to the explosives they likely still possess.

so yeah, some of our forces should go outside as they charge us. try to find cover before they arrive and stay hidden as good as possible. try to hide the bodies inside if the mess isn't too big, to buy us some time until they figure out it was us.

Lex has been through a lot, so she probably ought to stay inside to guard the whores inside. she should be prepared for an evacuation in case of the aforementioned explosives.

split up and flank the sniper roosts if possible. provide cover for our forces as they move out from the known structure.

Stay in the building, it'll offer protection. Watch all windows and be ready for grenades.
Also, check for wounded. If those shots hit anyone, take them into a back room where they might be treated and kept safe.

1/3 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/05/09(Thu)03:23 No. 509447 ID: 9f1b99
File 136809502837.png - (21.88KB , 800x800 , 57.png )

I'd again like to thank Slinkoboy for taking the time to fix some little mistakes I'd made in here, such as broken spoiler tags.

As I predicted, the mercenaries become alerted by the accidental gunfire. They move in force to the brothel, and up the ramp. Losing her cool, one of the silly ex-whores shoots at a the mercenaries, despite that they have no confirmed sighting of us. I immediately tell her to stop, but it is far too late.

To my surprise, they are in possession of nano-mechanical cover systems. The small devices project a squirming barrier of living machines, which deflects bullets and absorbs energy weapons. Surely they are stolen, as no outcast engineer could ever possess the technology to produce them.

The mercenaries place them on the ramp up to the brothel, and the shimmering, black shields grow into form. Some of the mercenaries move behind the barriers, and deploy a heavy machine gun.

2/3 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/05/09(Thu)03:45 No. 509449 ID: f4aa6b
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They do not hesitate, and begin firing their gun onto the building. The bullets perforate the metal walls. Through the holes, bars of daylight pierce the airborne dust. One of the girls is shot in the chest. She falls onto her back, groaning, and gasping for air. The vest covering her torso had saved her this time. Others fire too, but their weapons do not seem to pierce the walls.

This building is not providing adequate cover. We lie on the floor, and wait for the gunner to stop. When he does, Gryr takes Frost, and a small group of girls and leaves the main room. They go to a hatch in the floor, which leads to the lower building. They intend to flank the mercenaries, and divert their attention.

3/3 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/05/09(Thu)03:46 No. 509450 ID: f4aa6b
File 136809636714.png - (29.48KB , 800x800 , 59.png )

In the mean time, Samael stands up and fires a large machine gun through the small window. Its fire rate is very high. The sound is like the tearing of paper, though much louder. The brass pours over the floor below him like a liquid.

This building's defence is flimsy, and will not be sufficient if more powerful weapons are brought into play. It would be wise for us to move out of here immediately, but the mercenaries have fortified the ramp, and it will be hard to remove them. We could follow Frost and Gryr out through the trap door.

not yet. hold the mercs back a bit.

Leave the building in intervals one by one to provide Gryr and Frost enough of a distraction while tactically conserving your numbers.

It's definitely important to keep them focused on the building. Send the squishier targets through the trapdoor first, have everyone else provide covering fire.

This brothel has a bar, right?

Ever made a molotov cocktail?

Get some high-proof bottles of alcohol, uncork it, wet the rag with some of the alcohol, then pour some dish soap in the bottle. If they don't have dish soap for whatever reason to clean stuff you can use styrofoam from the chair cushions, baking soda, egg whites, tar, motor oil, or even blood (You got two dead mercs thankfully) to thicken the mixture. Stick the rag 3/4ths into the bottle, and either recork it or tape up the top. Shake it so the thickening agent mixes with the alcohol. Then light the rag and hurl it at the mercs on the bridge to deny them their cover.

The thickening agent will cause the flames to smoke thick, so you can use that fact to conceal your position if you need to.

1/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/05/12(Sun)20:54 No. 510196 ID: 51e9d1
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I would like to send some of the whore-soldiers through the trapdoor after Gryr, but my opportunity to do so is cut short. The machine gun fire begins anew. The sound of bullets puncturing the walls is loud.
I get the idea to burn the gunner out from behind his shield. I crawl on my stomach over to the bar, from where the mercenaries were getting their drinks only last night.

I search the shelves for some high-alcohol drink, and find one. A corked bottle, filled with an outcast home brew. On its label, the words “Old Goride,” in the ridiculous outcast language. I look for something with which to thicken the fluid. There is a large bottle underneath the basin. The liquid in it is rather viscous, and it smells of soap. It must be detergent. With a rag that I find on the floor, I now have the components to assemble some sort of home-made incendiary grenade. I hope that it works.

2/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/05/12(Sun)20:55 No. 510197 ID: 51e9d1
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I wait until the machine gunner stops firing and, having lit the rag, run to the door, and hurl the grenade. It explodes over the cover, with a crash. The burning liquid is thrown over the area, causing a brilliant flame. The gunner is engulfed in fire, and his high-pitched wails sound as he tries to extinguish himself futilely. In his panic, he falls from the ramp.

The ramp is now on fire, and a thick layer of smoke blocks the line of sight with the other mercenaries.

Sweet! Everyone through the trap door, except for the harder targets, who'll keep firing from the brothel.

make more ! hail gay satan !

keep making more molotovs and throwing them while the others escape.

Is the ammo for the machine gun cooking off? If not, you could dash down the ramp behind the near side of the barrier, and swipe it (and maybe the gun too) when the Molotov dies down. The nanobarrier works in both direction, right?

Good.

Ask if Samuel can see through the smoke or not. He was built for war, which sees a lot of dirt/smoke/shrapnel flying about and he has a built-in voice synthesizer complicated enough to alter his voice realistically on the fly, so its not a bad guess.

If he does, have him suppress the area in front of the ramp like he has been. If he doesn't, have him let up for a moment. Take some people to the second floor and see if you can't pick off anyone either abandoning the approach to the brothel due to the fire, or moving forward to recover their equipment.

Properly placed suppressive fire should be enough to keep some mercs pinned while someone with a better vantage point makes the kill shot. On the other hand, the lull in shooting should be enough to bait some of the more opportunistic mercs to try to quickly recover their equipment. If you can, try to cripple one out in the open for even more bait.

1/1 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/05/19(Sun)03:10 No. 511656 ID: 6c0005
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“Samael, are you capable of seeing through the smoke?”

>”Yes.”

“Then continue to suppress them. I will make more grenades, and attack the approach. Lex, go with these girls, and leave the brothel. Follow after Gryr, but stay out of sight.”

I send them out through the trap door. Samael and I continue to suppress them from this building.


Meanwhile, Frost, Gryr, and their soldiers have emerged from below the brothel. Using large bins as cover, they flank the mercenaries by the brothel's approach. Eventually, the mercenaries are forced away from the location. Several lie dead below the ramp. Fortunately, none of us have serious injuries.

The mercenary force is now fleeing. It will not be long until their morale is restored. It might be worth sending a scout across the rooftops, to see where they go until then.

Or do something else!

Yeah scouts are a good idea we don't want to stumble into an ambush, just tell em to watch out for snipers.

I wonder could we rally some residents to join our fight?

send yourself with a jillion molotovs.

>>511668

aww yeh, let's Hoviet Sero this shit.

Have some of the girls recover the dead merc's equipment. If they're packing HMGs and nanoshields, they might have some other interesting pieces of equipment on them.

It would be best to keep hitting them as they retreat, to force them to choose between a fighting retreat which will slow them and any potential regrouping down or breaking ranks and running which will scatter their forces. I am worried about them heading to where their friends have set up an ambush, however.

Do these mercs have handheld radios, headsets, any sort of personal communication device? If they don't, then they likely don't have any way of setting one up and you should be fine to press the attack while you and your troops are in good condition and those mercs aren't; Time to recoup is in the favor of the force worst off, which given you report injuries as minor, is the mercs.

If the mercs do have communications devices, their fallback point likely involves a strong defensive position or a snare ready to close on whoever is following them, which is not in our best interest to siege. Send a small force to harass the retreating mercs on their retreat, and have them fall back themselves the moment the mercs reach their defensive line. An ambush will be set up assuming a larger force following them on the ground, so your rooftop scouts could work well to this end. Make sure your roof team is fleet of foot and can aim. Give them some of the merc's radios so they can listen in on their comms; it'll help them avoid any surprises along the way.

Lastly, check up on Lex and see how she is holding up. Time on the front lines in the middle of a siege the day after her brother died likely isn't doing her any favors.

Ideally we'd funnel them as they fall back to their base. Then blow it once they're inside.

1/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/06/01(Sat)05:07 No. 513800 ID: 95f8c0
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Questing advice: Improper preparation is a quest killer.

I decide that I should be the one to do reconnaissance. I tell Samael to join the others, and follow after me at a distance. Then, with an armful of pre-prepared grenades, I dash across the rooftops of the settlement, following in the wake of the fleeing mercenaries.

2/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/06/01(Sat)05:07 No. 513801 ID: 95f8c0
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As expected, they lead me to the town hall. Some have already prepared their cover in expectation of a follow-up assault. They were not wrong to do so. I do not yet have their attention, but if I linger about here for too long, I will certainly be spotted. I see two options here:

1. Leave the rooftop quietly, and return what I have found to the others, allowing them at least a small amount of intelligence, with which they may establish a basic plan in this very brief window.

2. Throw my home-made incendiary grenades upon them, which may demoralise them temporarily, but certainly result in a brutal, head-on battle.

return with intelligence. this is a job for throwables and more so its not a prolonged shootout in their favorable defensive position

They've already holed up in a defensive position. Fighting here is pointless and disadvantageous when you can wait for them to come to you on your terms. Return with intelligence, and be prepared for a counter-offensive when the mercs rest and re-arm.

If the building they're holed up in is made of some flammable materials, go ahead and lob a few firebombs and immediately retreat. Otherwise, keep them for a better opportunity.

Who has the trigger for the explosives planted inside the Town Hall?

if you can't rig the explosives to go off after you return and not be detected in the meantime, just leave.

1/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/06/04(Tue)06:59 No. 514478 ID: cb948e
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I leave the rooftop, and gather the group leaders. I share with them the sights I gathered from above.

“There are barricades about the town hall. Guarding its doors, perhaps ten soldiers. Inside, I suspect there to be more, though I did not see, of course. There are several armed with heavy machine-guns. I did not throw these onto them, so as to postpone the battle by a few minutes.”

I hold up my armload of grenades, for emphasis.

2/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/06/04(Tue)07:00 No. 514480 ID: cb948e
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Gryr is the first to speak. The morning sun gleams brightly off the dirtied white of her ordinator's helm.

>”Then we must demolish their base, and send them, gripped with terror, into the streets. From there, we could ambush the stragglers from multiple directions.”

“What is to happen if they choose to stand?”

>”They will run. They are largely undisciplined. It is plain to see this.”

“Then we will each take command of a group. When you are in position, I will detonate the explosives.”


There will probably just be a natural progression from here to the next update (i.e, no need to suggest), but if you feel the need to change the course of things, then be my guest.

you could use your molotovs to cover all but one side of the base with flames and ambush them when they make the obvious choice of exit.

>>514503
We already have explosives planted in their base, no need to do that. Just rain the molotovs down on them as they run.

Maybe give a prostitute some molotovs and set her on one of the rooftops either on the other side of the building where you cannot cover, or to free yourself up to physically engage them.

1/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/07/14(Sun)20:25 No. 524572 ID: e59cd4
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I trigger the bombs. A loud crack splits the air moments later, followed by panicked shouting and gunfire. The town hall collapses in a cloud of dust and smoke. We begin the assault.

2/2 Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/07/14(Sun)20:26 No. 524573 ID: e59cd4
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The remaining mercenaries resist us with all their might, and the battle becomes ferocious.

That mercenary leader is behind you with a knife, trying to take advantage of the confusion to cut you.

Step forward to put a bit of distance between you two, then drop down to lower your center of gravity. Shoulder-check him in the legs; he'll probably step forward when you do to catch up and you can use his forward momentum to table-top him over you.

Depending on how close he is, that mercenary made the mistake of bringing a knife to a gun fight.

lunge forward !

disarm him, but be ready to block his knife with a thick part of your armor in case he's too fast.

he might help end this conflict if he's captured alive.

Mord!!AwZwHkBGWx 2013/07/22(Mon)22:47 No. 526441 ID: d86f93
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I turn around to see Nosk, holding a knife. While I am surprised, it is not enough for him to end my life easily. In a matter of seconds, he lunges at me with the knife, and I duck below his attack. His weapon goes over my head, and I use the opportunity to grab his wrist. With my other hand around his leg, I manage to overturn him, throwing his body onto the ground.

In the following moments, he scrambles to get back to his feet. I do not have much time to capture him, if that is the course of action I desire.

create distance, fire indiscriminately

Just bash him in the head with your rifle until he stops moving. Should be fine.

Step on his knife arm, use your rifle as a lever for neck-breaking.

let's not kill at random, hit his head with rifle

Lets kill him, and every other mercenary to ever exist. At random.

This guy is the mercenary leader, meaning people are following him; be it because he's scary, skilled, smart, or rich. Any way you look it, losing him will either further disorganize their ranks or be a hit to their morale.

Best to kill him now so that he won't stab you in the back later. In an environment like this there is nothing to gain by being nice to your enemies.