ximilian: (Default)
ximilia mods ([personal profile] ximilian) wrote in [community profile] ximilialog2022-02-02 06:57 pm

MISSION: BAD COMPANY, PART 2

M I S S I O N   4 . 2

INTROTHE DREAM DEFERREDYOUR WAKE UP CALLFYI

// INTRO. WELFORD BRANSON  


It is barely past twilight in Scorpion’s Bend, the twin suns having just set, taking their light with them — but the moons delay, and so darkness lingers over the town as Lan Xichen’s conversation with one Welford Branson comes to an abrupt end. At the same time, all around the town, the team will notice the town natives around them stilling — some freezing in the middle of a sentence, a man with a fork in the air, a woman mid-step on the street, some youngsters with their mouths open in laughter. All of them become statues in less than a heartbeat; still, eyes vacant, like everything that made them seem alive has been taken away.

And then — a reverberating sigh, echoing heavily in the ears of all the Orbers. What follows are words, spoken by a chorusing voice now familiar to most of the team —

Well now you’ve done it.

The orb’s echoing sound is filled with disappointment, even annoyance.

Some may see that amidst all the frozen townspeople, an old man runs, clawing at his thinning hair. Some of you may hear his words, muttered, desperate:

I don't understand, I thought 'twas just a bad dream, everyone was fine, don't understand, what in the name of the Eight could've done somethin' like this —”

The disbelieving mumbles trail at his wake, making it clear he does not know what is going on at all — in fact, you may have a better idea as to what has happened than he does. But as you turn to follow him, open your mouth to yell at him to stop... everything around you shatters.

The lights in the buildings grow dim and break; the smell of food disappears; the horses in the stables simply fade away. You notice that if you were wearing or carrying something you bought while here, it too disappears, your clothes turning to those you had on upon arrival, all equipment shimmering away slowly.

But perhaps most importantly… the frozen statues of people crumble into ash right in front of you. It may fill the floors of the now-silent, dusty and worn-down houses, or it may blow away with the harsh desert wind — whichever it is, sans the team, the town of Scorpion’s Bend is now devoid of people.

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// PART I.THE DREAM DEFERRED  


The town that now surrounds the team is very different from the one it used to be — the houses are quiet, filled with sand and dust; doors broken, tables turned over, drawers open and mostly empty, aside from anything not valuable. The beds in Thornbush Inn are ragged, insects of various sizes skittering along the floors. The Saloon is dusty, furniture broken, and a lone piano stands in the corner, half its keys having crumbled away. The door to the Mayor’s office is ajar, a banging sound repeating as it hits the wall in time with the wind.



1.0   In the corners of the Sheriff’s office, the school and the church, the embera slither along, searching for food; owl-shrews hide from the Orbers on the streets, while feathered coyotes howl at the five moons now lending their light to see the town’s destruction better. The team may be the only living humanoids, but they are not the only living beings in the town anymore; in the absence of people, animals have made the town their home. And coexist they must, now, to survive the rapidly dropping temperature of the night that has fallen upon them.


2.0   The next morning, as the moons disappear underneath the horizon and let the two suns bring out their scorching rays once more, the team wakes up to the reality of having to survive Scorpion’s Bend… with very little supplies. So search the empty houses, for they still stand; the fire that has burned away the people has not touched the buildings… but they have not been immune to the passing of time, or the harsh weather in the desert. You may find clothing, basic equipment, pots and pans left on a now-cold stove; but no valuables, no money, no gems, no jewelry, no weapons.

But amidst your search through the town, remember that what you need, first and foremost, is to find water and something to eat — it will not be long until the suns are high in the sky, and some of you are already in desperate need of proper nourishment, without being left to endure the scorching temperatures the days on the planet of Badrock bring.


3.0   But should you want to brave the heat, you’ll find it is now possible to leave the town and venture out into the desert. Out there, the rock dragons search for prey, while bald vultures circle above your head in groups of three or four, their shrieks growing in volume the farther you walk. If you show weakness, any weakness, they strike — and the dragons, sensing their chance, are not far behind.

And when you least expect it, the ground underneath you trembles, like a small earthquake is approaching you… and then you see it: from the sand, a whale surges up, then another, and another, arcing through the air like suspended there, before the sand swallows them once more. Should you get too close, you too may be swallowed underneath the sand; unless you’re very, very careful, or have in your arsenal something else that may help you to deal with these near-immortal giants that have swam across the deserts for hundreds of thousands of years.


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// PART II.YOUR WAKE UP CALL  


Time passes at a snail’s pace without the comforts of the town you were used to. Scorpion’s Bend is now a wasteland you must survive, and it clearly isn’t easy. Some of you might question whether retrieving the orb is still an endeavour worth pursuing after all of this, but the rest of you know that it is. That you’ve come this far and you’re nearly there; you just need to band together and form a gameplan.

As the suns begin to set over the horizon on yet another grueling day of scorching heat and rough, dry sand in the ghost town of Scorpion’s Bend, you might begin to hear a distant thunder that has nothing to do with an oncoming desert storm or otherwise. It rattles at the already weakened structures of the old Saloon and the General Store, bits of broken glass and debris vibrating with the raucous sound of clattering hooves, feet, and paws. And as the sound of the invasion grows louder – you’ll hear the unmistakable manic howling and bellowing in accompaniment: these are the Bouldersnakes that some of you have already heard much of.



4.0   The Bouldersnakes are not a group to be taken lightly, and have garnered the fearsome reputation that they now hold for a reason. Kicking up dust, they arrive like a cloud of chaos in different sizes, shapes, and forms. Some have the ability to shrink and grow in size to match their opponents in physical size and weight. Other Bouldersnakes are agile and quick; and others yet are superhumanly strong and robust – either way, they make for formidable opponents when you, yourself, have been weakened from weeks of a lack of proper nutrition and sleep. The individual members of the Bouldersnakes are like a band of bloodthirsty brothers: from all walks of life and all colours and creeds, with a severe and mean streak to them, who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

What goals, you ask? Should you listen carefully, their leader, riding a winged lizard-like creature, shouts to their underlings:

Find it! This is where it told us to come to. We missed it last time, but no more! I don't care what we have to do, we're getting our hands on that thing!

As it so happens, you are not the only crew in search of that elusive orb; the Bouldersnakes have been tracking down the whereabouts of this mysterious and all-powerful object themselves, burning through towns – quite literally – to get it. News that Scorpion’s Bend has seen a resurgence of life and might still be the resting place of the orb has the bandits seeking out the town again. Their first round through Scorpion's Bend about a year ago had them coming up empty-handed (save for a few bits and baubles), but this time they are determined to find what they've come here to find. Though if there’s anything left here to salvage... they’ll ransack as they please.

Whether you confront them head-on or they catch you in hiding, they won’t easily back down from a fight. It will be best to keep your distance if you can manage it, and hope that they’ll pass you by. But the Bouldersnakes have their weaknesses too: once maimed, they still bleed, and none of them are immortal, though they are notoriously difficult to kill based on their talents alone... and when they carry weapons, too, well — those not accustomed to battles may find it best to hide. And even for those with fighting experience under your belt, teaming up with your fellow Orbers and combining your shared skills will be your best chance at survival.


5.0   By the time the suns have disappeared and the moons have risen, the Bouldersnakes invasion will make the bandit attack from the other night seem like a childish tussle. The Bouldersnakes don’t play nice and have adapted to the harsh lands as ruthless survivors. They arrive like a wave, many equipped with weapons: guns, sabers, pistols and small knives. A few others have engineered their own specially crafted weapons made of metal and magic (in the shape of guns, blow-torches, and blades) that wield a special element harnessed from mined ore called ‘pulsefire’. It is this pulsefire, glowing a deep blue (like the hottest colour of flame), that has the capability to destroy all living beings and allows the bandits to systematically ravage unsuspecting towns down to ash, reap its benefits (either for the town’s riches and wealth, or and especially: for any supply of ore), and then leave without a trace.

The best way to fight against pulsefire is to acquire weapons of pulsefire of your own and best a Bouldersnake before they best you. (Think high stakes, noon-time duels of the pistol.) Of course, this is a very risky and very dangerous affair as one shot by pulsefire could mean your untimely demise and the element itself isn't easy to put out either, so it might be best to work in teams to strategically disarm and swipe a pulsefire weapon to use before they manage to overwhelm you.

NOTE:   If your character is alive, your character will be vulnerable to the effects of pulsefire. Unliving things such as buildings and infrastructure will not be affected. Pulsefire has a slow spread-rate over unliving things, but its effects on the living are instant. Once in contact with the element, pulsefire quickly consumes the living body and spirit until it is turned to ash. Putting pulsefire out over unliving things is relatively easy, but once pulsefire has touched the living, there's little to no chance of making it out in one piece.


All through this, you must still remember your goal — it is not to stay in Scorpion's Bend, or even fight the Bouldersnakes, but to find the orb... and that means finding Welford Branson. How will you convince him to give you the orb, when all signs point to him not even knowing what it is, or what it has done? That is what you must decide... if you survive the Bouldersnakes in one piece, of course.

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F Y I

The events in this log take place ICly right after the end of the NPC thread.

The voting for how to get the orb is now open! Please head HERE to submit your idea for how the team should proceed to get the orb, or +1 others’ ideas.

The conclusion of the mission and the return to the station will be posted on February 13.

If you have questions about anything in this log, please direct them HERE.

And finally, your soundtrack for this log:

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NAV

catchatting: (pic#14582755)

[personal profile] catchatting 2022-02-12 12:12 am (UTC)(link)
It might as well be Russian for all Zari can follow it, but she recognizes enough words to know what the basic topic is. Grafting, tissue--she understands what the words are, at least, because she did get good grades when she was in school. It's just that she didn't bother going to college since she already had a career. So she follows it just enough to know how impressive it is that he knows so much about something like that.

"Just get me a long shirt and something to belt it with and I'll have a chic dress going in no time." She moves into the space and perches on the edge of a sleeping pallet, clearly a lot more comfortable for the familiar face and distraction.

"Thanks. You must be used to weird emergencies. You'd think I would be, too, by now."
catchatting: ([squarebox]TA2_17)

[personal profile] catchatting 2022-02-12 12:19 am (UTC)(link)
At least back towards the town, there are more of their people. At least, Zari hopes there are. She tries not to let her anxiety overshadow the faith she has in a lot of them to now how to defend themselves and each other or at least know how to hide well enough until help can get back to them.

"Oh em gee, I'm not prepared to be some big dog's meal today!"

She takes his hand with maybe too much enthusiasm, squeezing it tight and clearly ready to run as soon as he does, because she'd rather not be fighting coyotes and armed-to-the-teeth assholes with no cover.

The sand, at least, is packed tight enough around here that she doesn't find herself stumbling as she runs, but she glances back to make sure they aren't be followed.
catchatting: ([refresher]50081609337_4ae09df036_o)

[personal profile] catchatting 2022-02-12 12:23 am (UTC)(link)
"What the hell does that mean? Whose else's fault would it be?!"

With her emotions running high and nowhere else to focus them, she just winds up gesturing wildly as she raises her voice. Unbelievable. At least her brother takes responsibility for his stupid smoke-related choices and John's--She's going to stop thinking about John.

"You know they make patches and gum for that, dummy."
catchatting: ([refresher]50081362451_602f52e10c_o)

[personal profile] catchatting 2022-02-12 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
Zari is just staring at her like she's grown a second head. How can she be so calm about almost getting cornered from behind?

"Well... someone has to watch your back!"

She's clearly flustered and it's not from the exertion of fighting, because she's really stayed out of close combat for the most part, but the idea of losing one of her friends down here? Totally not acceptable!

The guy she'd blasted starts to get up and grip his weapon again, so Zari slams her palm towards him, wind knocking him back down and wrenching his weapon several yards away where it slams into the sand hard enough to go half-under.

"Will you stay down, you over-sized rodent?!"
hatejakku: (just never use any icons ever)

[personal profile] hatejakku 2022-02-12 12:32 am (UTC)(link)
[ At least if no one reported back, maybe they'd have time or the element of surprise. As it is, Finn can't see the bandits lingering on an attack. It's coming. Today.

This knowledge doesn't snap him out of it, though, as much as he'd like it to. Finn's far too caught up in what he'd just done, the repercussions of it, what this says about him, what this says about everything he's been going through for the last week and a half--

Jim letting go of him feels... cold? Less warm. Either way, it brings him back to the moment. In a perfect world, he should probably have a moment to freak out and process, but there is no time and he's almost grateful for it. An excuse to put off reality in favor of what's about to happen. Which... the ensuing attack feels like it's on a much smaller scale than what could be coming, like he'd just thrown a pebble in an ocean and the tsunami is on its way. Isn't that what Kirigan said he was? A tidal wave?

Dammit, stop, focus. He blinks hard and takes a deep breath. ]


We'll send a message out. [ They weren't the only ones gathering supplies. The Orbers are scattered, and the minutes are flying by fast.

He steps over the bodies to make a hasty exit. ]
We'll secure the practice and saloon, build a line, work our way out from there. [ Medical supplies and provisions. They can't lose that stuff, not if this fight's going to be as bad as he thinks it will. ]
spoilers: (distance:  deed is done)

[personal profile] spoilers 2022-02-12 12:54 am (UTC)(link)
Kirigan or Itachi. Got it.

[ She'd met one of them, anyway. River's still adjusting to the whole 'magic is real' bit. Science is one thing, but magic? That's about like asking her to believe in ghosts. ]

I hope you're wearing one.

[ Does she not trust his sense of self-preservation? She thinks he might lean toward self-sacrificing, and too many people she cares about already possess that quality. ]

It isn't your job to save everyone, Sweetie. At least not by yourself. [ It's only lightly chiding. ] Haven't we had this conversation?
aurable: (pic#15402733)

[personal profile] aurable 2022-02-12 03:03 am (UTC)(link)
[ Arrogance had snared them before, and you would think four million years of experience with taking it on the chin would hammer the lesson home. Neither of them should have brushed off the possibility of a counterattack out of hand. Drift had been the worst offender of the two. Already blinded by anger and looking to answer hurt with blood, he had painted a target on his back. — Bucking orders and going in hot-headed with retaliatory savagery was that last bit of Deadlock he was never going to shake off. And now, he was given a harsh reminder that he didn't have sole claim to that old habit.

It was an overworked phrase to say everything happened so quickly. Still, there was no better apothegm than Megatron blindsiding the Bouldersnakes with all the polite introduction of a freak hurricane.

Drift barely had time to register how he had been a hairsbreadth from being shot like a dog when Megatron entered the fray. Struggling as the stone-flesh Bouldersnake continued to pin him down with their whole body weight, Drift only caught the fight in flashes. It wasn't until he repeatedly slammed the back of his helm — finials were drawn back to terrible points — that Drift maimed his primary attack enough for them to let go. By that point, there was enough blood saturated into the dirt for that 'Snake and several of their compatriots to lose their footing and trip over themselves in the mad scramble to get out of range. The Bouldersnake that Megatron had dispatched had shifted back to their original size. They were falling back into a gulley of congealing blood, drowning in the death throes of their own gore.

Line of sight clear, Drift looked up in time to see Megatron as he knew him. The Megatron that held the lives of thousands of planets crushed between his heel with that whimpering ember of fury now swept back up into a forest fire. For him. Megatron had gone back on his promise — had given up that oath of pacifism they had so bitterly argued over before. For him.

— It was then Drift saw the Bouldersnake who had nearly been his executioner, make one last stand. Putting Megatron in their crosshairs. ]


Watch out!

[ Arching his bound legs up, flailing on his side, Drift used the bindings like a whip. It was inelegant, and pain sang with sharp notes throughout his legs as the rope cut deeper into his severed tendon cables. The pain was nearly blinding, but Drift struck true. The rope, nearly thick as a log, crashed into the Bouldersnake with enough force he could hear the crunching of ribs and solid thunk as their skull cracked against the sun-baked earth. ]

Get. BACK! [ Twisting his upper body around, Drift continued to thrash and try to fight the interlopers still convinced they had a chance. Resorting to snapping and erratic movements — anything, to get the last Bouldersnakes in range to rip them to shreds or crush them like insects. If Megatron was prepared to sacrifice his fragile peace for him, then Drift could only pay in full. ]
oiorpata: (121)

[personal profile] oiorpata 2022-02-12 03:48 am (UTC)(link)
[ animals are generally better than people, andy would agree. ]

[ she shoots him a faint grin at his suggestion. ]


Like a horse. [ or most wild animals. andy lives to domesticate. ] Too bad they don't make whale saddles. We might be too small for these guys to notice before all this is over.
oiorpata: (84)

[personal profile] oiorpata 2022-02-12 04:06 am (UTC)(link)
Only for the last hundred years or so. I don't think we have the right ingredients here, so we'll have to make up for it when we're back on the station.

[ yes of course andy loves a good s'more. chocolate? marshmallow? what's not to love?? ]
oiorpata: (120)

[personal profile] oiorpata 2022-02-12 04:10 am (UTC)(link)
How do you handle blood regularly? Prepping it is pretty gross, objectively speaking.

[ some people cannot and that's valid. andy just isn't one of them. ]
hatejakku: (wow)

[personal profile] hatejakku 2022-02-12 04:27 am (UTC)(link)
Finn has no idea what 'oh em gee' means but he's not going to stop right now to ask. Besides, her hand having a death grip in his is a comfort he's been needing for the last hour, so that's nice.

He chances a glance back, too, and happily notes that they aren't being followed. The coyotes have successfully distracted a lot of the bandits even as they start to run away, too. It won't be too long before the bad guys get their heads on straight again and go after them, though. They have seconds, maybe.

Which is why Finn takes a hard right down an alley. "We need to lose them!" Said in explanation for why he's not running in a straight line anymore.
morethan084: (lip bite)

[personal profile] morethan084 2022-02-12 04:42 am (UTC)(link)
So what did you do when you went camping before then for fun?

[Leaning forward, Daisy rests her arms against her knees as she looks from the fire up at Andy.]
bindsthedead: (art-cause for concern)

[personal profile] bindsthedead 2022-02-12 04:57 am (UTC)(link)
You mean instead of well meaning platitudes about them being in a better place?

[Sabriel had heard such things being said, on occasion. Even before she studied necromancy, she'd been able to feel things die, and explanations that animals were 'just sleeping' had been brushed aside.]
coordination: (party rock in my basement)

[personal profile] coordination 2022-02-12 05:56 am (UTC)(link)
[ That gets a snort out of Yzak as he moves when he sees his chance - he's not in that bad a state that he needs to fall back just yet - not when there's still so much chaos around them that he can help quell. ]

Don't need to!

[ He spares that much in response as he springs to his feet, dragging the blade in his hand up the back of the leg of one of those Bouldersnakes that Xichen threw slightly off balance. ]
cheapbastard: (butcher004)

[personal profile] cheapbastard 2022-02-12 01:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Still handy.

( he nods over at jim before remembering that he'd picked up something earlier that might help. he pulls it out of his belt and eyes it. it's the end of a bayonet that rosinante had let him have.

he glances at jim and shrugs. )


Not a gun but it might do some damage.
hikae: (29)

[personal profile] hikae 2022-02-12 02:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Mmmm, desert poultry.

[ Majima takes offered skewers and shoots Yelena a smile. The blanket is a powerful item to find, and have, in their current circumstances, so he's glad she got her hands on one. ]

Ah— can ya believe I never had them? Marshmallows not birds. [ Especially not on fire. Not many occasions for that. ] I mean, I never ate a vulture either—

[ He waves his hand as if he was shooing that subject away ]

Kept thinkin' they were sweet treats.
unbreachable: (pic#14412148)

[personal profile] unbreachable 2022-02-12 03:21 pm (UTC)(link)
No, but that would sure be useful.

[ He just wiggles his hands, then drops them and slips them into his pockets. ]

Didn't have a weapon when I came in, and everything from the damn town disappeared. Kinda got left with nothing.
construing: (conversation.)

[personal profile] construing 2022-02-12 03:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh. Uh, thanks.

[ a little surprised, gwen looks at the cloak. it seems normal but for that blue shimmer. she knows better than to look a gift horse in the mouth, and with venom's relief echoing in her head, she's not about to turn it down.

she does, however, let her own hood seemingly dissolve away into bubbles of black which absorb into her skin. no point being double-hooded, that's just ridiculous.

she still has to ask,
] You good?
unbreachable: righthemisphere (pic#14410228)

[personal profile] unbreachable 2022-02-12 03:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah. I mean, you're right. We do, otherwise we're not all gonna make it back.

[ He is inching closer, checking the kid over, making sure that all that blood on her isn't hers. ]

But it's also okay to feel bad about it.
oiorpata: (20)

[personal profile] oiorpata 2022-02-12 04:03 pm (UTC)(link)
I can give you a minute.

[ it's not misplaced confidence - she doesn't even sound confident, just matter of fact. andy can and would keep the snakes away from erik to give him a moment. ]
winscenario: (fifty five.)

[personal profile] winscenario 2022-02-12 05:39 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Jim stares down at the blade, similar enough to a knife that he can definitely see its usefulness right now. He's not sure if Billy means for him to use it, but before he gets to ask another of the thugs tries to lunge at Billy, and Jim grabs the knife without thinking, stepping in front of Billy and holding the blade tightly as it sinks into the thug's midsection.

There's a grunt, then the heavy body collapses onto the ground, blood spilling from the wound, staining the blade and Jim's hands a little. His eyes are wide as he glances back to Billy, as if it's the first time he's seen what a blade can do. ]
winscenario: (sixty three.)

[personal profile] winscenario 2022-02-12 05:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Not good enough leverage to be worth the witting murder of any of these thugs, no matter their motives or how far they might be willing to go. That would make them no better, after all. But Jim knows he's the outlier when it comes to that, that most people would think Finn's reaction reasonable and justified. Not quite self-defense, but close enough to look the other way.

Jim's just going to put that away for later. Add it to the list of things they absolutely need to talk about once they're back on the station. ]


Do that. Those three ran into us, but it's likely there are more sneaking around, checking other areas of the town.

[ And the practice and saloon are definitely top of the list of concerns. If they get there, it might mean losing all their supplies, either stolen or destroyed. So that's straight to where Jim's headed, as they make their way out of thehouse. ]
oiorpata: (100)

[personal profile] oiorpata 2022-02-12 06:39 pm (UTC)(link)
[ it's incredibly odd to be concerned about a weapon for the first time in centuries, but the part that makes that easier is the centuries themselves. andy is very good at dodging. ]

[ still, she rolls over the sand at the same time xichen appears on the scene, wielding a flute. if she hadn't already heard about his magic she would be bewildered, but instead she is finally treated to a display of his power. ]

[ the snakes go flying and andy uses the chance to climb back up to her feet in a swift twist, her own sword in hand and a scooping her gun back up in the other. she is already recovered and completely unharmed by the time he reaches her. ]


So that's the power of music. [ she tries very hard not to grin, but the amusement is there at her own dumb joke. ]
oiorpata: (118)

[personal profile] oiorpata 2022-02-12 06:48 pm (UTC)(link)
That face should not make Andy laugh, but it nearly does, making her bite down the grin that threatens. Very few things about combat break her calm about it anymore. She is more interested and impressed by Zari's apparent magic.

"You just got to him before I could." She is still very unconcerned. "Impressively, I might add."

But Zari's second strike gives her a moment to catch her breath and assess. She does a quick check of the ammo left, then scans the scene. She saved Andy a bullet with that blow.
firstroar: (pic#6891970)

[personal profile] firstroar 2022-02-12 06:57 pm (UTC)(link)
[ah, well. he smiles apologetically.]

I may not be...the best assistant, in that case. My apologies.