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

Slowed down is still useful. It'll give people more time to get out of the way.

[ but now she has a better understanding of it, if he's going to stick around with her for a bit. she's as ready as she ever is for the next round, but - ]

I don't want you to wear yourself out. I'll be able to take some of them out. [ probably most of them, but she's realizing that sounds more unbelievable to people. ]

That is what I am hoping. [he can do that for others.

he shakes his head.] I will be alright.

I can catch the Bouldersnakes before they strike, I can hold more than one at a time in place . Holding them in place then won't wear me out if you're able to get close safely. [if there's just a few. but hey, they can take care of this quickly if xichen freezes them in place and andy takes care of business? ]

I can get close. [ she says it quite casually and matter of factly. ] Just watch for pulsefire.

[ she slips away from him after that, putting herself off to the side in a position where she can more easily slip behind them once xichen freezes them. she has to admit, she's curious to see this power of his in action too. ]

Alright. [xichen can work with that, if she can sneak up on them.

he has to be quick, he knows so that the bouldersnakes don't have the chance to fire at him before he's able to play.

they're swift, when they arrive, the two of them. xichen's quick to jump backward and out of the way as they charge at him with blades, both faster than he expects. but they're close enough to one another that it's perfect for him to strike. or rather, for him to play.

he's put some distance between himself and the bandits, so he raises his flute and plays a slightly different tune as they prepare to charge again. this time the energy that flies at them does not knock them down, instead lifting them up into the air. what it doesn't do is freeze them fully, they float a few feet above the ground and struggle in place, waving appendages and weapons around.

it shouldn't work like that, but xichen will take it until he realizes that they're slowly floating back down.]

[ it would be easy to just... shoot them as they approach, but with her limited ammo, andy is trying to preserve the bullets for emergencies only. ]

[ she waits for xichen to strike first, not entirely sure what to expect from his flute, so when the bouldersnakes fly up in the air she doesn't know it's not what's supposed to happen. maybe this is what he meant by freezing. ]

[ when they start to float back down to the ground, andy rushes in; she moves quick and light and precise on her feet. she throws a kunai into the lower-back of one of them and he cries out. the other tries to shoot at her when he realizes she's coming, but she's there too fast and she swings her sword first, cutting his hand off at the wrist, the pulsefire weapon falling to the ground with his limb. ]

[it's frustrating, to use his qi and know that it is not as effective as it should be. yet, he's aware it isn't a waste.

as andy deals with the bouldersnakes, xichen stops playing. hurt as they are, it's easy to trade flute flute for sword and strike at the one that's lost his hand in case he's still able to cause trouble.

xichen is panting as he looks over at andy, offers a small smile.] They were meant to be more frozen then that but this place...

Edited 2022-02-22 01:57 (UTC)

[ she grabs the one with the kunai in his back and throws him to the ground, on his back, thereby pushing the knife in even further. he groans and the blood seeps out from beneath him as andy kicks the pulsefire weapon away from him as well. ]

[ in contrast to xichen, it's like andy hasn't even broken a sweat. ]

It worked out either way, don't worry about it. Is it the fatigue? Or just the general fuckery?

[xichen notices the fact that unlike him, his companion is far from tired. he wishes he could hide this, but it would be dishonest when asked so directly and this time he is not sure there is benefit in side stepping.

nor does he wish to sidestep.] Both. [honest, followed with a wry smile.] This place seems to affect my powers but I am sure the lack of sleep since arriving here has not helped. [likely, it is also his panic over ford. such emotional reactions tend to misalign meridians and xichen is sure he will head that way, if he does not rest properly soon.

he hopes in retrieving ford, they are able to give him peace and return to the ship without much trouble. then he can rest.]

The malnourishment probably isn't helping either. [ she kicks the one with the kunai in the head, knocking him out cold, then squats to turn him over to retrieve the weapon. she wipes her sword on his shirt in the process, haphazardly cleaning it. ]

[ then she just... does a quick search, to see what else he has on him. ]

You can fight without your power, so maybe conserve it for pulsefire emergencies. It won't do anyone any good if you pass out in the middle of this.

No. Snakes do not make a good diet. [he says that easily, like it's a fact he's known before coming here.]

I think I will be alright to not pass out. [but he will be careful, does not want to be a liability. so, the wise man concedes.] That was my plan but it seems there are still other occasions where it is necessary. [concedes some.] I would not have been able to help you without cultivation. [and he cannot stand by. not only because of precepts, but because she's someone he's grown to care for. a friend, perhaps, if he allows himself to consider he has developed those.]

They work in a pinch, but no, not particularly sustainable in the long run. [ if they could at least add some grains or veggies... she too sounds like she's speaking from experience. ]

[ she glances at him as he explains it, trying to push away the mild concern. she'll have to trust he knows what he's doing. ]

I'm getting to see more and more of it in action. [ the cultivation. ] But thanks. Trying to avoid the pulsefire is proving the biggest problem here.

[xichen keeps scanning the horizon, only satisfied a moment later that they are safe for this conversation. he does not lower his guard though, ready to leap into action if needed.]

Hopefully I can show you its more healing properties soon. [an amused smile, tired but almost playful.] It is easier when not alone. [if they stick together, they can watch out for each other. ]

[ oh haha healing. oh right. physical healing might not be what he's talking about, but that's where her brain goes. ] Are you implying I'm going to get hurt, Xichen?

[ she is half teasing. ] I suppose in that case it'll be good you're watching my back.

[ it's always fun to amuse herself that way when people don't know she can't die. ]

If you do, the music can assist. [then a beat.] If you do. [playful still. he trusts that she can take care of herself. andy has proven that, after all, but what is teasing between friends?]

Keep an eye out on mine as well.

[ she mildly grins. ] It just keeps sounding better and better. [ ha ha, sounds. ]

I don't intend to get hurt, so maybe that'll be one facet of your cultivation I won't get to see. [ more like... can't stay hurt. one day he's bound to find out! ]

I'm something of an expert in that, so you're in good hands. [ as long as they're in the same vicinity at least. ]

[careful, you might get an actual laugh out of him! for now, it's still a soft chuckle.]

Neither do I. [he can be a bit prideful too, you know.] Then we're a good team for this.

[ she'll get it one day! she's been figuring out his ticks. ]

Lucky for you I know how to work in a team too. Let's get a move on.

Let's go. [xichen nods, smile melting into comfort as he looks out at the ruins of the town before him.

they aren't safe where they are so moving on is the right idea, finding shelter or perhaps those in need of their helping hands. with andy at his side, he feels more confident of what they may face.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

MISSION: BAD COMPANY, PART 2

● ● ● M I S S I O N 4 . 2

F Y I

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