MISSION: BAD COMPANY, PART 2

[ximilian]

● ● ● M I S S I O N   4 . 2

INTRO • THE DREAM DEFERRED • YOUR WAKE UP CALL • FYI

// 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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Comments

Megatron » Transformers IDW

[flickerandfade]

1.0 ( Open )

[ As night descends, it brings with it that cutting desert cold that can take unwary and unprepared travelers by surprise. Fortunately, those travelers are usually organics for whom relatively minor drops in temperature can be an issue. Megatron is not one of those and is doing quite well, thank you. Especially now that he hasn't any need to hide himself away. He's pulled himself up outside one of the crumbling buildings and sits in his little-seen until this point alternate mode, a large and menacing looking alien tank.

Fortunately for all of you shivering organics, he also puts out a lot of heat at this size. He has an engine and a spark and the gods alone know what else powering him, which means perching on his engine deck (or, if you're very polite) inside the control cabin makes for a much warmer proposition than thin blankets and guttering fires. He allows it, of course, but he doesn't have to like it. As someone clambers upwards: ]

Don't smear any of your excretions on me, if you can help it.

2.0/3.0ish ( For Dean )

[ With the sun beginning to rise, now's the time when there's light to see and to start searching for the necessaries of life. So his engine rumbles up from it's low idle and Megatron eases himself along the streets. He could take on his own form, but the tank is somehow less obvious than a nearly forty-foot robot. And treads can cover a great variety of terrain faster than feet.

So here he is, Dean in the commander's hatch as they move along a dusty road that might as well not exist, bumping and scraping along. It's not a smooth road, and the fact that megatron casually ignores the idea of avoiding potholes, dips, or large rocks probably doesn't help--he's mostly thinking about himself, sorry Dean. As they pull up atop a small rise, with the already burning morning sunlight beating down on them, Megatron speaks up. ]

Do you see anything? Any vegetation or sign of habitation?

[ There might be (some) water in town, but Megatron isn't about to let the party limit themselves to a single known source, just in case. ]

4.0/5.0 (Open)

[ As the renewed attack begins, Megatron moves to position himself somewhere with a good view of what's to be happening. He doesn't take a weapon himself (nor does he wish to, unless the most dire of circumstances arise), instead he's trying to coordinate, moving from place to place as quickly as he to carry information, to offer advice and keep everyone informed of the battlespace. As he watches the ebb and flow of the fight he is thinking, always thinking. Plans and possibilities raised up, considered, stored or discarded as the situation demands.

It's in this role that you might run across him, whether in his alt-mode or towering over the roofs of the decrepit town at his full thirty-eight foot height. He makes quite the landmark, though, so he may end up attracting the attention of some of the Bouldersnakes attacks. As the fight goes on, his voice comes to an ear: ]

Two hundred meters to your left. A group of them are attempting to approach through that gully.

[ Or: ]

Push forward to the right. They've lost some appetite for it there and we might be able to keep them on the back foot.

[ Or other commands. Well, advice. But they guy did lead a war for millions of year. ]

( If you'd like a different or closed starter, hit me up on plurk gravenrose )

1!

[xwing]

Excretions, Megatron? Really? [ he sounds like he's a heartbeat away from laughter, though, patting the tank fondly as he settles back against the outside of his cabin compartment. ] I hadn't planned to lick you, but now I'm considering it. [ he is not considering it and it's pretty obvious from his tone, but still.

he draws his knees up, looping his arms loosely around his thighs and trying very hard not to shiver. he's been surviving on, uh, less than he probably should have, considering--he has advantages in the force and being accustomed to lean times--and it's finally taking its toll. he's having trouble sleeping, trouble regulating his body heat, trouble with a lot of things. they need to get this finished, and soon, for everyone's sakes. ] Thanks for this, by the way. I know you're not really comfortable with it.

Re: 1!

[flickerandfade]

Do not lick me.

[ He sounds positively disgusted by the idea, thank you. He's learning to be better about organics but he's not over all of his prejudices, unfortunately. The engine beneath Luke rumbles onwards, and Luke can no doubt feel a welcome updraft of warmth as it leeches through the hatchways covering the access. ]

The mission would be in considerable difficulties if any of you died of something as simple as freezing to death.

[ A pause. ]

Have you been handling the heat well?

[xwing]

[ he readjusts to better get warm, still smiling helplessly at the disgust in megatron's tone. does he really think luke would do it..? considering his opinions of 'organics' before his reformation, maybe he does.

the question earns an affirmative hum. ] The heat doesn't bother me. I think I told you before, but my home world was a desert, and we also had twin suns. [ a slightly uncertain pause, chin tilting up so he can peer at the sky. ] .. Actually, this world reminds me a lot of home in some ways. [ it's maybe an unfortunate admission, given the troubles they've had here, but there's no way around the fact that tatooine is a pretty awful planet. ]

--Have you? Been okay in the heat, I mean. Heat and dust and sand aren't exactly easy on delicate parts. [ and while megatron and drift aren't as fragile as humans, he knows they must have quite a few delicate parts. ]

[flickerandfade]

You mentioned it, yes.

[ Megatron has seen many worlds with any number of suns. Has seen so many worlds that it is hard to remember each one. This one feels much like any other. Dirty and miserable and nothing like home. Then again, there was little that would ever truly be like home. The great rust seas. The acid deserts. The towering cities and metallic mountain ranges. ]

Does it make you miss home?

[ He finds it hard to imagine that this place would make anyone nostalgic, but then it isn't his home they speak of, is it? ]

I have been in hotter and dustier places. While it isn't comfortable, I will get along just fine until our time here is done.

[xwing]

Not even a little bit, [ he admits with familiar good cheer. ] There are some things I miss about Tatooine sometimes, but there's not a lot about it that's worth getting misty-eyed over. Cobb may disagree, though.

[ he pats the frame beneath his body fondly, but he's quiet for a few moments as he considers what it must take to get all the grit out of megatron's joints. ]

Do you have everything you need to clean up after? I mean, I'd assume you use more than just water.

[flickerandfade]

He seems more fond of it than you, from what I understand.

[ The pat to his frame registers and it feels strange having someone show that affection to him in a physical way. ]

Correct. We use a variety of cleaning chemicals and solvents, some of which are... not safe for organic exposure in large amounts. We have enough that we'll manage, regardless, I think. Your concern is notable, though.

( 5.0 )

[scarcastically]

I got it.

[ erik moves easily, with his gold jaguar suit. having been in plenty of wars, this kind of landscape is easy for him to navigate and he acts with stealth and little talk. he doesn't feel the need to fill the air when there's dirty work to be done. ]

Re: ( 5.0 )

[flickerandfade]

Good.

[ Megatron doesn't tend towards effusive words in this situation, either. So he turns his attention away for a moment to relay some information to someone else, then back towards Erik. ]

When you've finished with that, drop back. You're getting a little far from easy support.

[scarcastically]

[ his claws twitch, but his training remains so he gives a little grunt before pulling back. ]

This looks like a mess.

[flickerandfade]

That's because it is a mess. They're dangerous, but not terribly well organized which is a boon to us. It means we have an easier time repulsing their attacks--for now.

[ Megatron towers over the town, scanning the outskirts as he tries to intuit the next rush. ]

I don't like it.

[scarcastically]

[ erik grins under his hood, swiping his chin. ]

Isn't this old hat to you?

[flickerandfade]

[ There's a distinct sensation of grumble. ]

Extremely. Not that I'm fond of it.

[scarcastically]

No one's fond of it, but I figured this is just the motions.

[flickerandfade]

I have a particular skill at these sorts of operations. It would be foolish of me not to apply it, even if I don't pick up a weapon myself.

[scarcastically]

Yeah, but you applied it to soldiers. Fighters.

[ erik jabs a thumb at the skirmish. ]

People here may be chockful of powers and abilities, but they ain't much in the field.

[flickerandfade]

We weren't always soldiers. We were miners and workers. Clerks. Data recorders. We became soldiers out of necessity.

[ Erik has a point, though. ]

They need discipline and organization. That's all.

[scarcastically]

[ a brief snort. ]

You thinkin' of wranglin' this lot somehow?

[flickerandfade]

I have considered it, but I think it would be an exercise in frustration.

[ Megatron says in a dry tone. ]

Everyone is too independent minded. Nor have I the desire to be military dictator.

4.0

[hikae]

[ With battle arena one giant stage of chaos— yeah, directions are helpful, even welcome. ]

Thanks. On it—

[ Bouldersnakes have the advantage of weaponry and mounts, but he can adapt, he has to. For now Majima's focus on taking out or wounding targets separated from the main group with surprise attacks, and then disappearing back into the ruins just as quickly. And with the teamwork communication still open, an idea dawns at him, and he sends another message ]

Ya know, if ya notice stragglers anywhere else lemme know.

[ And then he peeks off his cover to confirm the location of the Bouldersnakes and throws a grenade-like thing, he stole from one of the Bouldersnakes moments before. It does go off with loud noise and brief light. But for a second or three Majima won't be able to tell whether that was a flashbang or an actual explosion. He does not have the luxury to hope for the latter. ]

Re: 4.0

[flickerandfade]

[ Megatron's voice is calm, film, and utterly devoid of anything like worry or fear. Such things do no good in this situation. ]

There are two or three of them lingering, but I think they'll be seen off by the time you're finished.

[ The Bouldersnakes yell and curse as the grenade goes off, one of them even breaking cover to try and beat a faster retreat. ]

They're making a run for it. One of them is, anyway. Now's your moment, Majima.

[ruinously]

[ This is the coolest fucking thing Dean has ever experienced, hands down. Riding in a sentient tank? Hell yeah.

Man, he wishes he could tell Sam about all this. He'd never believe it.

It's a little (lot) bumpy, but this is way too awesome for him to give a crap about being bounced around. ]

Not yet. Hoping there's a well or something around there that's not dried up just yet.

[flickerandfade]

There must be something.

[ Megatron is pretty sure there has to be something, anyway. Humans as he understands it require water in order to live and settling someplace without easy access to it would be foolish in the extreme. Then again, humans can be... strange. Not that Cybertronians are much better sometimes. ]

They would be foolish not to settle near water, in my understanding.

[ His engine idles for a moment as he sits on the top of the rise. Maybe it would be easier to see something if he turned into his robotic-mode. But then... eh. It's all the same. ]

I am not well versed in searching for water. It wasn't a strictly necessary component of our survival.

[ruinously]

Yeah, you're right.

[ It wouldn't make any sense for people to settle in a desert environment without a steady, reliable source of water. So there's something around here -- Dean just has to figure out where. ]

It's just what, energon for you, right?

[flickerandfade]

Energon is our primary fuel source. We also need to ingest some mineral supplements, coolant, and other necessaries, though most of the time we can go without all but fuel.

[ The tank rumbles, as if frustrated by the barren stretch of badland laid out before the pair of them. ]

As always I am amazed that such fragile creatures chose to live in such inhospitable places.