ximilialog | MISSION: BAD COMPANY, PART 2

MISSION: BAD COMPANY, PART 2

● ● ● 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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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[At least moving around is helping to keep her warm. Once the bed is settled down, Daisy straightens up and crosses her arms over her chest.]

...I don't think we're talking about the same kind of snake.

[It gets her to laugh though, whether that had been his intention or not.]

[Getting a piece of crispy snake from the cloth-bag near the water, he tears off a piece and holds the greasy piece of meat out to her.]

Well, I guess that depends on what snake you want.

[A small smile on his lips as he pops the other piece of the snake in his mouth, lips shiny as he chews.]

[Laughing as she takes the piece from him, Daisy mirrors him and tries not to be disgusted by the texture as she chews it. Better than dirt? Maybe, but not by much.

The person who had come in before her leaves with nothing, and she assumes whatever had been in the house Aleksander has already found.]

So what can I call you now?

[She asks teasingly, as they have no reason to pretend anymore.]

What do you want to call me?

[The curiosity that always lingers when they talk, the way she looks at the world - after everything- still with a sliver of hope. Still smiling, still reaching out as if that wasn't the hardest thing of all.

He smiles, licking his fingers clean one at a time. The aftertaste of charred meat is worse than the initial one of chicken, but it's better than starving. It's better than the empty hole in his stomach that aches and groans.]

Anything but Gleb.

[The smile on her face isn't going anywhere, not when she's around him. As easily as she can push him out of her mind when she has to, she's laid awake a lot of nights wishing she was next to him instead.

Taking a seat on the old mattress, Daisy scoots back until her back is resting against the wall.]

Really? I like the name Gleb. It reminds me of-

[Watching her for a second, pausing mid-sentence, he sits down next to her. Shoulder to shoulder, against the rough wooden wall. The mattress groans and something small scuttles away and disappears in to a dark corner.]

I knew a man once- only, I suppose he was really just a boy, but to my young eyes, he was a man. He worked in a forge in one of the small villages we came through.

He was Inferni, someone who calls to the fire- and he made the most sturdy swords. Sharp and durable. He taught me how to make my own.

[Daisy brings her feet in closer when she spots some sort of bug scurry off when Aleksander sits down, her expression softens as he explains where he got the name from.

Well now she feels bad for teasing him about it,]

He sounds like a great guy.

[Bringing her legs behind her, Daisy tucks her hair behind her ear before moving to rest into him a little. Chin resting against Aleksander's arm as she looks up at him.]

What happened to him?

[It takes so little to wrap his arm around her, to pull Daisy in close and let her rest against his chest as he stares off in to the dark.]

The same thing that happens to too many of my kind. He was killed, for being who he was.

[Frowning as he stares off ahead of them, Daisy brings her hand around to stroke her fingertips up and down his back in a soothing gesture.]

I'm sorry.

How old were you when that happened?

Fourteen? Maybe fifteen.

[He snaps back, head tilting to watch Daisy in the dark.]

Young enough to think that I knew everything, but old enough to suspect that I might be wrong.

[Those early years, before he learned the meaning of eternity.]

I always liked the name, even if I hated the story.

[Daisy remembers being that age, feeling very much the same way. But to be that age and lose someone like that? She can't even imagine.]

I'm sure he'd like that you've kept his memory alive by using his name here.

I doubt he would care one way or another.

[Grisha lived violent lives, with violent ends. That never changed, the world unwilling to bend to his will. But he would make the whole world listen.]

Is that something you do, in your world? Keep the memories alive with names?

I think he would.

[Of course, Daisy doesn't know him. But the way Aleksander talked about him makes her think he would.]

Some people do, yeah. Some name their babies after family members who are still alive too.

[The house is not surprisingly drafty, and Daisy doesn't hesitate to press herself that much closer to him. Seeking warmth.]

How are you holding up?

Really?

[Despite the late hour and the cold sneaking in from the dark outside, despite the miserable situation they find themselves in - again, he smiles, facing brushing against Daisy's hair for a second.]

Your home has strange customs. Celebrating vegetables and trees, and now naming babies after family. The only ones who do things like that in Ravka, are the royals. The tsar was named for his grandfather, and he named his son after some relative or other.

[Daisy laughs, because when he puts it that way it does sound pretty weird.]

Says the guy that comes from a world where fictional books aren't a thing.

[If he's mentioned the tsar before, Daisy doesn't remember.]

Tsar? Whose that?

Maybe they are a- thing on one of the isles, or in Novyi Zem. We don't have much time for frivolous things like fiction.

[Not the common ravkan, anyway. But Ravka always had a different set of standards for those in power and the tsaritsa did seem to find time for mindless things.]

The king. Our tsar, Pyotr Lantsov the third, is the king. The ruler of all of Ravka and the one we have all sworn allegiance to.

It sounds like you need to make some time then.

[Daisy teases, tilting her head up to look at him. Watching his face as he explains exactly what a Tsar is.]

Including Grisha?

[Does that mean he protects them as well?]

I'll rest when I'm done. That's when I will find time to read for pleasure and to- do all those other things that people do for fun.

[Nodding against her hair.]

Yes. We are ravkan, after all. Most of us, at least. And all in Ravka bow to the king.

[With just the barest hint of resentment creeping in to his voice, the weakling on the throne was more than simply a waste. He was dangerous, too selfish and too vain to think further ahead than to his own table, letting all of the country starve to gild his own coffers.]

[Daisy can't help but laugh, because really, she's never seen him relax. Not for long. Does he even know how?]

Yeah? What other things?

[It's sad just as much as it is endearing, in a way.]

Going to be honest, it's hard to imagine you bowing to anyone.

[Not that it's a bad thing. She just always pictures him in leadership roles.]

I- don't really know. I haven't thought about it in a long time.

[He had never thought about it. The war would never end until he made it end. The annihilation of his people would not falter, nor would it ever stop, not until he found a way to force their hands.

What would he do, once the fighting came to an end?]

That seems to be a sentiment that you share with many people, and it might be the reason why the tsar so loves to see it. Don't you have a king? A queen, perhaps.

[Daisy frowns when he admits to having absolutely no idea what people did to unwind.]

You like to ride horses, right? People make that into a hobby.

[Is she going to help him come up with a list? Maybe.]

Not in my country, no. But some do.

I do, yes. But I can hardly spend every waking hour on horseback. That's not good for the horse.

[He could rule Ravka for a thousand years, ensure that his legacy would never be corrupted by the lazy aristocrats. Rule with an iron fist and see to the safety of his people, not simply in Ravka, but in the whole world.

No more pyres.

No more experiments.]

I still have time to think on it, I hope. There is no telling when we might be done here.

No? But who then rules in your country?

Well the horses don't have to worry about that with me.

[She'd love to never get back on a horse again, even with Aleksander taking the lead.]

We have a President, they're the head of the government and commander in chief of the armed forces.

[She explains in what is hopefully an easy enough way for him to understand.]

Riding wasn't for you? You did well enough, for someone who's unused to it.

[She managed to stay on it, even with those long skirts.]

A tsar, but you call it something different, then. Our tsar has a whole host of advisors, his generals and of course the aristocracy.

Are you kidding me? I thought I was going to fall off the entire time, and no one ever mentions how much it hurts your legs after.

[The only reason she even stayed up there was thanks to him and his death grip on her.]

And you're one of those advisors?

[From what he's told her, and from what she's seen, he's very powerful. It's hard not to imagine that the King would want him involved when it came to Grisha.]

● ● ● M I S S I O N 4 . 2

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