Just a Passing Assassin...

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

Spiral: Debt?!

Spiral: Have to admit I feel pretty disconnected from whoever I was when I was alive, feels like a stranger racked up my debt and left me here.. Appreciate the info though.

Spiral: Any files left on us? A way to figure out who we were before?




Steady: Dell could get them for you but he might take his time after that earlier stunt…

Steady: Whenever he respawns anyway.

Spiral: Please, I want to see my contract.

Steady: I’ll ask someone to look into it. Uh….

Steady: Best I can anyway. Sometimes files get lost…? Yours are probably fine though.

Spiral: Who owns this place anyway? Government? Some independent branch?

Steady: Sort of the latter? Some kind of entity from what folks remember. Possibly the result of a demonic pact of sorts.

Steady: Dude has a nice voice from what I remember but yeah…

Spiral: And do I have to do bounties? Like….

Steady: No but… it’s kind of the best and fastest way to pay your debt around here you know? Plus you get plenty of perks.

Steady: Besides, you got my back and there’s nothing saying you have to take on the outright murdery stuff.

Steady: Though that’s where the big money comes from actually.



Fiddle: It's the unfortunate truth really...  the best way to make money is to take those risks.

Fiddle: I mean my debt  is paid off personally but...

Fiddle: The issue comes down to the same as a lot of folks... I don't know where to go back to.

Fiddle: If you're taking that job actually, the MIA one I'd like to come too. 

Fiddle: Someone getting killed and not respawning unsettles me.

You take a look at the rescue mission's listing again. 



 The target's photo is there, a mix of canine and reptile.

[Lilium Mortem]

I'm not gonna even ask about the video-game ass respawning y'all are talking about, just gonna roll with it. alright I think we should do the MIA bounty, If Fiddle is joining us that makes me less apprehensive against unknown dangers that might have taken the agent out.

[King-Clod]

Yeah, I feel you on it being unsettling...makes me worry why they were out there in the first place.
Should we head out now? I'm not sure how we...go about doing missions.

[MarxzVulpez]

MIA mission sounds like a good starting point...after we chow down of course

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

 Spiral: Think we should really do that MIA mission. After we eat but knowing Fiddle’s coming along is pretty assuring here… but I dunno, can't help be nervous about it too.



Fiddle: It takes more than one mentor to prepare someone for a call to action.

Fiddle: Saving a comrade is absolutely that. There is no room for error here.

Fiddle: We will do nothing but our best.



Steady: It’s true, especially given the circumstances of the job…

Steady: I don’t want to have to find out first hand why the respawner stopped working.

Fiddle: We’ll minimize trouble if we make it a group effort.



Rico: I don’t got much to say, 4D or I will do mission control for you as we go so.. You know. Got your back too.

Steady starts heading toward the cafeteria.



Steady: I’ll grab food for us, and then we’ll go to the equipment room. Gotta make sure you’re all fueled and revved up you know. Like… damn. I dunno. Shouldn’t get too worked up but the idea of the repawner breaking down scares me you know?

Spiral: Unnerves the heck out of me too… not entirely sure what it means but I’m guessing that’s like… death if you don’t come back.

Steady: Yeah… praying our friend here’s gonna be okay. Like… I dunno dude.

Steady: Anyway I’ll be right back.

She leaves before returning quickly with plates for the two of you. You take your first bite of the skewer, they’re savory and tender to the point that your mouth immediately is overtaken with flavors. The onions and peppers have a perfect crispness while the meat just melts you. There’s a bit of a kick but it only adds to it.

The rice is a comfy contrast. It’s fluffy and hot. You break the egg yolk and it gives it this nice goopiness to it. There’s a tinge of soy sauce to the entire thing that gives it this distinct salty flavor. You want more….

You finish up pretty satisfied with the entire thing. You’re perfectly full but… you were promised dessert. What do you want?

[King-Clod]

kingdom hearts 2 popsicle!

[skinstealer]

seconding kingdom hearts 2 popsicle

[Ignispark]

you know those really cheap artificially fruit flavored sticks of ice that come in tube shaped plastic packets?
do they have those?

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

 Spiral: Kind of feeling ice cream, maybe some kind of popsicle or a boli or something….



Steady: Why not both! Your first day right?

Spiral: Really? I mean… in that case one now and one later?

Steady: Yeah! I can hook you up on the way to the armory. One before and one as a reward for finishing.

Spiral: Sounds good... The armory?

Steady: I mean yeah, you need to defend yourself somehow right? Anyway let’s get started on that.

You’re taken to the cafeteria briefly where you and Steady grab yourselves popsicles. The coloration is a vibrant blue, the kind of dyed sweet you have vague memories of growing up.

It’s… surprisingly salty? No… sweet? There’s a tinge of vanilla as well. The combination of these flavors melting in your mouth is something creamy but nuanced. You kind of love it actually…  the inner core has a certain milkiness that’s softer than the rest.

When you’re done you wish you had more…

The two of you arrive at a booth.

The operator waves at you.



???: A new face, been a bit.

Steady:  Mmhmm! He's with me. She just started today.

???: Excellent. Fill out this form quickly and we'll look into options.

 

Weapon Class:

Secondary Weapon Class: 

Biggest Stregnths

Biggest Weaknesses

Are you Squeamish?

Are you familiar with Witch Tech?

Are you Interested in Lost Tech?

How Satisfied Are you with your Current Body?

[King-Clod]

Weapon Class: Hammer

Secondary Weapon Class: Gun

Biggest Strengths: My muscles, babyyyyy. Also scrap-sensitive. Good at figuring out and hitting weak-spots.

Biggest Weaknesses: Not very agile, don't know own strength yet. I don't always take in my surroundings when rushing into a fight, often gets tunnel vision on enemy.

Are you Squeamish?: Not a bit.

Are you familiar with Witch Tech?: You bet I am! The memories are pretty fragmented though.

Are you Interested in Lost Tech?: No clue what it is but heck yeah

How Satisfied Are you with your Current Body?: It's alright, could use a prehensile tail though.

[Lilium Mortem]

Weapon Class: Warhammer

Secondary Weapon Class: machine gun

Biggest Stregnths
empathy, curiosity, anti-authority

Biggest Weaknesses
Bullets, Impulsiveness, anti-authority


Are you Squeamish?
only on rollercoasters, literaly no where else, not even one of those super fast spinny rides.

Are you familiar with Witch Tech?
I am a witch, so yes, very familiar

Are you Interested in Lost Tech?
I'm a witch, so yes, very

How Satisfied Are you with your Current Body?
still feeling it out, but pretty ok.

[Ignispark]

Weapon Class: Warhammer

Secondary Weapon Class: Gun

Biggest Strengths
Curiosity, Analysis, Scrap-Sensitive

Biggest Weaknesses
Curiosity, Impulsiveness, A bit clumsy

Are you Squeamish?
Not even a smidgen.

Are you familiar with Witch Tech?
You betcha.

Are you Interested in Lost Tech?
Hell fucking yeah.

How Satisfied Are you with your Current Body?
Needs more sharp bits. It'd also be ideal if the tail could grab stuff.

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

You fill out the form and hand it over to the mouse running the booth.

Weapon Class: Warhammer



???: Good choice! Could use something other than the sad swordsmen we keep seeing these days. You have your own?



Spiral: Mmhmm! It’s in my bag.

???: Ah! Love the charm, adorable.

Sub-Weapon: GUN

???:

Biggest Strengths: MUSCLES, Scrap sensitivity, Analytical, Good at Finding Weak Spots, Anti-Authority.

Weakness: Tunnel vision, not very agile,impulsive, clumsy, Anti-Authority.

???: A rebel are you?

Spiral: To the end.

???: Understandable. Seems like you got a good eye too, that’s always handy.

Are you Squeamish?: Not at all, minus roller coasters.

???: You’ll need that. Thankfully a coaster is unlikely to be a target on the job.. Though not impossible.



Steady: Yeah… that poor Parrot… bad call on everyone's part.

???: Aye, rough stuff.

Are you Familiar with Witch Tech?: You bet, memories are fragmented but I am a witch.

Are you Interested in Lost Tech?: No clue but sure am.

???: Noted… I might have an offer for you.

How Satisfied Are you with your Current Body?: It’s alright, still feeling it out. Needs more sharp bits and a prehensile tail though.

???: Gonna need time for the tail but I can supply the sharp bits easy.

???: So, things I can give you based off what I know.

???: I can supply you ammo and a side arm of choice so long as it’s conceivable. You think it, we got it.

???: We can also set you up with a first aid kit, a scanner, some spiked padding, and I can talk to R&D about the tail.

???: If you’re feeling extra brave though, we can set you up with some witching wares, a lot of stuff not even from this world..

[Lilium Mortem]

Sidearm huh, got something that used wind to pack a punch? Would sinergise nicely with our affinity. Also a knife, a knife is always useful.

And yes totally show me the magic goods.

[Ignispark]

...would it be possible to attach the gun as like a cannon on the arm, so that its possible to shoot while swinging the hammer? That sounds like it'd be pretty cool. It'd be good to have a couple kinds of ammo if possible. Like, normal stuff, maybe something with an incendiary in it? Uh...

The scanner, first aid kit, and padding all sound like good ideas. Also good to hear that the tail will be worked on uh.
Witching wares is also a good idea. Stuff not even from this world is a great sign. Means it'll be a lot of interesting and novel equipment. Nothing better then fresh stuff to get your claws on and all that.

[MarxzVulpez]

how about a gun that can be attached to different points? so like, it could go from wrist mounted, to shoulder mounted, to even maybe being deployed as an auto-turret. different ammo types would be great to have as well

First aid kit, scanner and such sound fantastic

let's check out the Weird Stuff as well, it sounds intriguing

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

Spiral: A knife would be a nice start, always handy in a pinch.

???: Good call, always handy to have a knife for utility. I’ll set you up with a standard multipurpose one.

???: Anyone who’s worth their salt knows how much you can get out of a thing, lot of experts here carry one.

Steady: Never needed one personally.



???: You’re a bit of a special case. Anyway.

???: Easy enough.



Spiral: Sounds good

Spiral: Also, do you have an arm cannon? Or like, a mountable gun?



???: Arm cannons we got a couple of options for.

???: The Facebreaker is a favorite for heavy duty jobs, functioning as both a melee tool and a “pill” launcher. The launcher works with a variety of custom made pills that are catered to preference. Piercing shots are popular, scramble rounds are good for slime based creatures and sludge rounds allow you to spray foes with a toxin that’s hell unpleasant to the senses to the point that folks will just faint.

???: There’s louder pill types but I wouldn’t hand them out unless someone’s proved responsible enough. No offense but I have nothing to gauge off of with a newcomer.

???: We also got the Junkshot, an arm cannon meant to slide onto a sensitive’s arm and focus shots of loaded scraps. They’re potentially decently powerful but it really comes down to how good you are with magic yourself. They also put a massive toll on scraps so you gotta be careful. Thankfully they have a limiter to prevent excess use without disabling.

???: As for mountable options, we have well…  options!



Spiral: How many?

???: Uh… I can count I guess but-

Steady: You don’t gotta do that. It’s called an option. It’s a little buddy that hovers around to a person they’re linked to and fires on command. They can be built for other purposes but the gun options are well liked since they let you melee and fire at the same time.

Steady: They’re admittedly on the weaker end so they won’t take out tougher built foes in one shot but their suppression fire is godly.

Steady: They also can be used to safely shoot behind cover though they can’t take much abuse themselves.

???: Essentially a gun you puppeteer without having to hold it!

Spiral: Why are they called Options?

???: Because the witches in R&D are big nerds.



Spiral: That doesn’t really explain….



Steady: You’ll wanna get used to that. Options are a pretty good example of what comes from lost tech.

Spiral: Speaking of, you still good to show your wares?

Steady: Yeah! There’s some entry level stuff.

???: Mm, unfortunately I can’t give you everything but a taste is fair enough.



???: We got the Demiparry, a glove that posts your reaction speed enough to catch and throw back any attack. Requires a strong wielder to take full advantage and it only holds a few charges but it’s a life saver.

???: Will warn you, you’ll find yourself going through changes. Not always bad ones though but you’ll see the world way differently after moving that fast on a regular basis.


Steady: Personally love these dude, you gotta try them at some point.

???: The Common Cutter is a hatchet with the ability to rip into other worlds. Targets struck with it will link with alternate versions of themselves and temporarily transform into them. There’s a lot of room for creativity with it.

???: Striking foes to double the scan data or potentially weaken them by forcing them to work with a completely different body.

???: Striking yourself and potentially gaining new abilities at the moment.

???: Hitting things in the environment to shift their properties. It’s not the most reliable thing but for a risk taker it’s wonderful.



Steady: It’s pretty funny, turned a guy into an ant once.



Steady: The and was still the same size though so he kinda just broke my arm immediately after.

Steady: Anyway after a scan I am now as strong as nature’s greatest monster so it’s worth it.

???: We also got the Checkpoint. It’s a handy little dagger. Stab a spot, and you can warp to it anytime. Handy for combat, getting to high points, escaping, the works!

???: It’s the most straightforward of these I imagine but they’re absurdly popular with a lot of longtimers around here.

Steady: Yeah, saved my bacon plenty. If you’ve got good aim you can do pretty much anything with it honestly.


???: Will say, I can’t let you have all these options at once. It’d be a lot to carry and a lot of tools risked on the field. Between the cannons, the option, and the lost tech stuff I’m only allowing you to have three. Pick wisely.


 

[Guest]

I don't know about the other too (may add an additional post later on them) but I do absolutely want to go with the Options (name one Strider and one Gradius)

[Lilium Mortem]

wait are we really allowed to have armed drones? feels like that shouldn't be legal. No drones, don't like the idea. The checkpoint seems incredibly useful, even if I can't use it in combat due to my hammer being a duel wielded weapon. having an on demand falback teleport you can place whenever is already great.

[King-Clod]

We already have a dual weapon that we're gonna need to get used to before we grab any more weapons, yeah, so it'd probably be best to get some rather hands off things to start.
I'd say an Option, the Demiparry, and the Checkpoint.
We'll have to come back for that Common Cutter for a mission that requires scanning someone though.

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

Spiral: Are we really allowed to just have drones? Doesn’t sound legal.



???: They’re really more like orbitals honestly, not really a remote weapon or fully automated either. Things also have more of a scalding shot than real bullets. Hard to fit lead rounds when they're so tiny.



Steady: It’s a gun that just vibes.

???: Mm! Spot on. They come in pairs if you’d like!

Spiral: I guess I’ll take a pair. 



The mouse places down the two orbs...? Two orbs front of you.

???: These things are disabled until you make it to the field, can’t have you misfiring them in here.

Spiral: They’re small…

???: Have to be, need them to be easy to pocket. You’ll learn to appreciate that. Should give them a name I think, might be lucky.

Spiral: Red one can be Strider, and the white one is Gradius. 

???: You sure came up with those quick huh?

Spiral: They remind me of something from a game so…

???: You’d love the witches here, would get along just fine.

Two more choices left.

Spiral: I want the demiparry.

Steady: Hell yeah! You got good taste dude.



A big metal gauntlet and a smaller companion glove are placed in front of you. 

???: Honestly a good call for a beginner like you. Thing saves your bacon in a pinch and you need to a bit of a safety net when getting used to jobs like this. 

???: Granted you’ll still get knocked on your ass a lot. Occupational hazard.



Steady: Yeah. I mean I can give you the old sana, sana. 



Spiral: The what?

Steady: Sana Sana, colita de rana?



???: Don’t think invoking the frog’s tail is gonna do much…

Steady: Hehe…

One last pick.

Spiral: Hand me the Checkpoint. Got the sense it’s going to be handy.

???: Mm, honestly I would’ve picked that too. If someone managed to die in a way where they aren’t respawning, you might run into trouble where you’ll need to bail. 

Steady: Yeah… praying it’s just an error and we can bring the body back.

???: Word of advice, just grab the head and run to safety if possible. Priority with that quest of yours is to save the target. Finding out who did it is optional. 

A pair of knives are placed down in front of you along with a trigger.



???: Would also advise taking up a second contract. Getting multiple jobs done a day will net you a bonus. Also if the first quest falls apart? Grab some pay with a plan B. 

???: My two cents.


You look at your contracts again. 


The Junkyard Reaper

Quest Type: Investigation
Main Objective: Verify Subject’s Danger Level
Side Objectives: Successfully Scan target, Witness Target’s Proxy, Leave Job Offer
Danger Level: 2

Description: They don’t seem like all that much but rumors around them suggest they're a destroyer of worlds potential threat. Possibly worth scouting. Verify their true strength. Will pay in basic vouchers and early access to any mod developments found.


Heavy Metal Queen
 
Quest Type: Bounty
Main Objective: Scan the Target or bring back a sample.
Side Objectives: Witness the Target’s Scrap Form, Witness the God Parry, Steal their Guitar
Danger Level: 3
 
Description: A Duelist in a far away land, said to be the master of defense. Track them down and scan them, they seem like the key to some giant advancements. You’ll be rewarded with a copy body and access to mods, as well as vouchers.


Would be good to fall back on something.. If you want to leave, you want to pay off that debt as soon as you can.

[King-Clod]

Heavy Metal Queen seems like it could be fun, what do you think Steady?

[Ignispark]

seconding HMQ, scanning seems like a pretty solid thing to get done and skedaddle...however, it does have a higher danger level. Asking for advice seems sound.

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

 Spiral: Thinking of Heavy Metal Queen, could be fun. Scanning and skedaddling out seems like an easy enough job but the danger level is higher…



Steady: Danger levels are scaled toward one person unless something else is said so… you’re all good my dude. Plus that sounds hype honest.

Steady: I mean not a fan of kings and queens but if she's metal she can't be that bad right?

Steady: Anyway no idea if Fiddle is willing to work a second job with us but even then you and me is plenty.

Steady: You ready to go then? Do your first mission together?

Spiral: Think I am.

Steady: Nice. Let’s get going then.

The two of you wave your goodbyes to the seemingly nameless for now keeper of arms and get going.

She leads you down a hallway until you reach the elevator at the end.

You’re not sure what to say but she gives you a genuine smile

After a brief ride down, you’re in a more rough and concrete basement, one with a wall of doors.



Spiral: What’s this?



Steady: The gateway, it’s how we sort of drop in and out of reality. Because that never came up once.



Spiral: Are we not in reality?



Steady: I mean we are sort of? But like…. You know.

She sticks her hands in her pockets.

You shake your head.

Steady: It’s like, small and isolated. Folks here made contracts with supernatural entities. We’re the souls of people from across time and space and just orbiting the world we’ll be stepping into like a moon. Pockets...

Steady: None of my memories match anything in the world out there though, I’m probably from pretty far out.

Spiral: You mentioned being a witch so you got lucky and were probably local.

Steady: I guess I should’ve clarified that earlier. Once Fiddle gets here we’re gonna jump. Any last minute questions though? It’s your first job and all. Otherwise brace yourself.

 

[Ignispark]

Uh, how does one brace themself for jumping into reality?

[King-Clod]

How do we get back after the job is done?

[Lilium Mortem]

can the gateway go anywhere in the world? and are we allowed to use it when we're off the clock?

[Guest]

How sudden is the transition? is it like walking through a door or more like door hallway door? also just wanted to say that it's nice to have some friendly company for this, thanks for bein chill!

-Marxz-

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

 Spiral: How do we get back when we’re done?



Steady: One of the operators watching missions will spawn the door. Speaking of…

She puts a finger to the back of her ear.

Steady: Anyone live right now?

There’s a rumble in your ear before sound clear as day begins to play.



4D: I’m here! Actually needed to pop in and tell you something anyway. Your friend Fiddle went up ahead to do some prep and recon.

4D: Location is near a small practically abandoned beach town. Your rescue target was investigating an urban legend there, possibly bumped into it and got dragged out of radius for one of us to zip their consciousness back.

4D: Hopefully their memory loss hasn’t been too bad, the longer you’re dead the harder it is to retrieve you intact….



Steady: Yeaaaah, don’t want to be dead.

4D: We never actually got a flatline but… they just vanished. Blipped out and became unresponsive. Been a good day and a half so… you know.

Steady: Don’t personally like that.

4D: Anyway, the place is ready for you two whenever. Just through the gate~

Spiral: Speaking of, how does the transition through go? Is it smooth? Do we just walk through the door and we’re there?

Steady: Pretty instant, just watch the landing.

4D: Mm! While the object detection is good about spawning the door in relatively safe areas, sometimes they pop in at an angle.

4D: Careful where your foot goes.



Steady: Personally I like to do superhero landings when that happens.

Steady: Sometimes I mess up.



4D: I’m a naked terminator pose person myself.

Steady: Naked what…

4D: Not sure? Don’t remember much of my past life but that’s something I got vividly around.

Steady: Feel that. Something about that reminds me of one of the few snippets I got. Was at a sort of event where a lot of people were in costume.

Steady: Me and some.. Friends? I think they were friends. We took a ride out to go to this place and we were all dressed up as characters we thought were neat?

Steady: One of them was fairly simple, barely really counted. She was just dressed in a white shirt and pants and put a little makeup on. Really tired look.

Steady: ‘Nother one was wearing a brown wig with ears popping out the top. We had a whole conversation about double ears I think since she had them on the side…. Also had this blue dress she spent an eternity working on. Was really proud of it though. She actually brought a costume for each day but that one I remember vividly…

Steady: There was a guy in a red coat and blond wig too.. Got a lot of attention for other people at the event, way too much cheek pinching. Someone threatened him with a paddle more than once? A lot of wig work actually…

Steady: I had one too! Really spiky with a big old sword. Had to make it out of foam since the think would be too big to carry. It looked pretty good actually! I mean I had help but… the paint made it almost look real in the end!

Steady: We were so broke after all that though but it was fun mostly.



Steady: Think my mom hated that we blew all our money that summer on stuff like that. I had a job though so I figured I’m allowed. Plus city food is soooo good...

Steady: Anyway sorry for derailing so hard, got too excited there.

4D: None of us mind listening! Does make me weirdly nostalgic too though… wonder if I had something like that…

Spiral: Yeah it’s fine, honestly nice having some friendly company through all this.

Spiral: Thanks for being so chill, today’s been a lot.

Steady: It’s no biggie..



Spiral: Quick note, can we use these for fun? Like can we go somewhere to hang out?

4D: Good question! We have hours in the evening for it actually. People have checkpointed a good number of places that they like.

Steady: Or because they met someone cute there.



4D: Folks on top hate that second one but I’m not going to snitch~

Steady: You better not~

4D: Anyway we should really get going soon…

4D: You all good to go?

Steady: As ready as I’ll ever be.

She looks directly at you.

Steady: You good for it?

You give her a nod of confirmation.

Suddenly she grabs you by the hand and pulls you with her through the door with her.

You nearly tumble but she manages to catch you with ease.

You guess she can’t have you eating shit on your first day.

There’s an instant shift, a feeling of sea breeze in your face. You scan your area. It really is a small place, practically nothing there but a few homes bathed in sunset. One stands out as being significantly higher up than the rest. Between it, a restaurant by the road, and one other small home there’s an absence of light coming out of any windows.

Fiddle seems to be nowhere in sight.



Steady: Alright rookie, we’re here. Since it’s your job I’m gonna let you lead but I’ll try to nudge you to the right place if you stray too hard.

Steady: How do you wanna start us off?



You're a little overwhelmed to be honest but... they're all counting on you and they've got your back. Trust your gut.



 

[Lilium Mortem]

let's go to the restaurant, ask around to see if anyone saw our guy or knows any weird bullshit nearby that'd mess with the respawn system.

[King-Clod]

Hmm. The home without lights seems interesting enough, might wanna check by there.

[skinstealer]

restaurant to Scope Shit Out

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

 

Spiral: The restaurant might be worth checking out, figure if there’s people there someone could give us the gist of what’s going on, right?



Steady: I mean yeah, in a place like this people tend to know everyone around. Least that’s what I’ve experienced anyway.

Steady: Normally I’d call it cozy but…  dunno.

Steady: Vibe seems lonelier than usual. Anyway we’ll know soon enough right?

As the two of you approach the place, there’s a certain faded quality to everything that makes you strangely nostalgic.

The paint, the tables, the menus you can see through the glass doors…

You remember something.

Spiral: You know places like these are supposed to be pretty good right?

Steady: Yeah? You know the saying right? If a local place has stuck around this long-



Spiral: Food’s gotta be worth something!

Steady: If we didn’t just eat I’d say we should vibe here…

Spiral: Maybe…

The two of you enter.

Fiddle is pacing around the front counter.

Steady: Yo! We caught up to you already!



Fiddle: Mm, glad you managed to. Set up base here for now. Did a proper scan.

Steady: What’d you find?

Fiddle: Place is a massive dead zone, it’s possible to warp in but not warp out. Some kind of blocker.

Steady: Seriously?

Spiral: What should we do from here then?

Fiddle: I’d say look for a cause and bail. If we rescue our target this time, that’d be good too but…

Steady: But we can’t afford to risk all getting killed here.



Fiddle: Something really wrong is happening, I don’t like it…

Steady: It’ll be okay. How far out’s the exit?

Fiddle: 6 miles. It’ll be a good walk if we want to bail.

Fiddle: Whoever’s sorting jobs really set people up for failure by ranking it so low.

Steady: Do we know if the blocker is natural?

Fiddle: Not sure…

Fiddle: I think we teleported in on some massive phenomenon.



Steady: Shit dude…

Spiral: Are there any people around?

Fiddle: There’s an old man at the small house on the edge and a big place behind a gate.

Fiddle: Other than that… nothing.

Fiddle: I was told that nightfall is something to be wary of. Find shelter and all.

Spiral: It’s pretty late…..

Steady: Yeah, whatever move we make from here we gotta work fast. I got bad vibes….

Fiddle: We could station here. Could search for something better. There’s plenty of empty homes, a library, possibly the big gated place…

Fiddle: The old man might know more.

Fiddle: I don’t think we’ll escape in time if we were to flee… and I’d feel wrong not rescuing our ally.

Steady: We’re stocked up right? We could make a solid defense no matter how this goes…

Fiddle: Aye.

Steady looks directly at you.



Steady: Sorry this first day’s already kind of a nightmare… We’ll make it out of here though. Promise.

Fiddle: Mm…

Steady: I wanna hear your input too also, we gotta work quick and all be on the same page.

 

[skinstealer]

old man's the best bet, i think

[Lilium Mortem]

Its too risky to try and run on foot. we should investigate while we have daylight to burn and hopefully find a way out that way, as soon as we can, get a message out or leave, whatever comes first. also does the checkpoint work inside this anomaly? I just got it!

[King-Clod]

oooh checkpoint is a good idea. if we get someone to open a door in, and we get our other checkpoint through that, that could be a safe way out. would take some work, and some backup, though.

Other than that, I'm thinking gated place. Gates might help keep us safe, right?

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

 Spiral: I brought a checkpoint with me, does it work in here?



Fiddle: Don’t see why not. The barrier seems to be an issue for things trying to mess in here, but we’re already in here. The technology works differently enough at least.

Spiral: If we’re able to get a door open, we could stick it in from one end through the other right? And then be able to warp through safely if things go screwy in here? Might be a lot of work and need backup.

Fiddle: Mm. Maybe. We could for sure at the very least use it to get us back to shelter if we over extend. Place has metal screens for the doors and windows to at the very least shelter us, and I found a storage room that’s also viable in a pinch.



Steady: Honestly it’s all good thinking, Right now at the bare minimum we need to survive the night since we can’t sprint out of radius safely, I don’t think. We have time to explore but not time to walk, not until morning.

Fiddle: Mm…

Spiral: We could visit the old man, or we could check the gated area. Gates are pretty safe from whatever might be troubling here. Person might have a way for us to send a message too…

Fiddle: That’s true, there’s clearly people in there based on the fact that the lights are on.

Steady: Let’s give it a knock and if things go wrong we could retreat or check out the old man’s place. Real talk though, whoever scored this job a danger level of 3 is getting a paycut.

Fiddle: Higher stakes for certain. Hate. No time to waste then.

The three of you step out of the food joint and into the streets, the gated building in clear view of you all.

The entrance has a button and a speaker. Steady looks over to the three of you, hesitant to push. You’re interrupted by a voice.

???: I can see you loitering. I take it you have business- or will we have to escort you away from the property?



Steady: We’re travelers looking for a bit of help, you mind?

???: Travelers? Been awhile since we’ve seen any, though you’re out rather late. It’s quite dangerous…  I must ask my master what to make of your situation. It’s risky opening the doors when the hour of terror is so soon…

Fiddle: More reason to assist, please…

???: Please? Perhaps I’ll put a good word in for you… hang on.

There’s a long period of silence, a good 10 minutes.

You all feel increasingly nervous as the sun continues to sink into the horizon.



Steady tries to give you a smile to the best of her ability and Fiddle looks like they’re on the verge of tears.

Finally the voice returns.

???: The master wishes to talk to you on one request…

Fiddle: O-Oh?!

???: They’re curious about you snakey friend’s attire. Tell…. Um…



Spiral: Him and Her are both fine.

???: Thank you. Ask him about how she came across such a sense of fashion and perhaps tell them some about herself. They want to get to know more about you. 

[Lilium Mortem]

Group huddle: can we tell them I have necromantic retrograde amnesia? I feel like that would be a bad idea. should I make something up?

[King-Clod]

Hmm. Let's see what we can remember...

I always liked the vibe of bounty hunters and knights growing up, and styled my fashion here off of a mix of old westerns and jrpgs. It's not 1 to 1, I put my own spin on it, but I think it fits me well. I always used to quote old movies when practicing punches as a kid, it was goofy, but it was fun. I think I could quote the entire first half of Midnight Orbit Outlaws if you wanted me to.

[Ignispark]

Uh...A good hat never goes out of style and leaves lasting impressions.

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

You huddle with your group. 



Spiral: Should I tell them I have necromatic retrograde amnesia? Feels like it could be a bad idea but…

Steady: I mean you remember some stuff right? At least more than usual. 



Fiddle: I think it’d net you some sympathy. We need that right now urgently.

Spiral: Should I make something up?



Steady: Nah.. just try to mesh something together from what you can piece together. You managed to have enough of a gut instinct right?

Spiral: I guess.. 

Steady: You got this!

You think hard.

???: Is everything alright?

Spiral: Yeah just… it’s a little hard for me to remember honestly. I got some memory issues so it takes a bit.

???: Ah… I’m sorry. 

Spiral: I do have enough though I think.

Spiral:Always a big fan of bounty hunters and knights growing up. A lot of my fashion is inspired by a mix of westerns and JRPGs.

???: What was that last word?

Steady: JRPGs! You know, games?

???: …Sure. Continue? 

Spiral: Anyway I used to always quote old movies while practicing punches as a kid, could recite all of Midnight Orbit outlaws by heart if you wanted me too. And uh… some basic theory I guess too.



Spiral: A good hat never goes out of style. That's what I believe. 

???: Hmm… give me a moment to open the gate. The master will be the one to meet you first. They’re certainly eager. 

THe large gates open up with a loud noise, the mechanism clearly needing a bit of a oiling. 

Steady gives you a little high five while Fiddle nods in approval. 

You feel proud. 

The stone path to the door is suddenly lit as to invite you.

The three of you go down the road until you reach the end, There’s a but of rustling at the other side of the door. Someone is fumbling with the doorknob. 

Then it creeks open. 

A friendly face with a vampiric look.



???: Hello! Hurry inside before nightfall takes you. You’re welcome to stay here until sunlight. Sorry for the check, I have my assistant monitor for… reasons I’ll explain in a bit.

???: The three of you look great by the way! Never seen folks quite like you I don’t think.

They look directly at you. There's a cute excitement to them.

???: Adore the hat and jacket, makes me wish I was a little more daring with my fashion choices personally.

???: Anyway, sorry to go off so much, should let you get a word in,

???: Talk to me. I’m sure you have many questions right now considering… the state of this town.

[Lilium Mortem]

could you start with why it's dangerous to travel at night? that seems like a pressing issue, then move on to why it isn't possible to teleport out of the region.

[Guest]

How should we refer to you? 'Our Gracious Host' is fun but can be a bit of a mouthful in casual conversation
-Marxz-

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

Spiral: Could start with why it’s dangerous to go out at night. 



Fiddle: The old man in town seemed to be very insistent on this too and most people are gone…



???: That’s a complicated matter…  but the overall gist is there’s a creature who appears once the sun fully goes down. It has the ability to track down those who are directly under the stars and moonlight and without the proper repellent will try to break into your home. 

???: Thankfully this place is a fortress it cannot penetrate but… alas, many townsfolk were claimed. It seals your soul into a deep sleep and fests on your life force. Those unlucky enough to encounter it are trapped in nightmares. 



Steady: Did that happen to everyone?!

???: Many. Plenty were able to leave as far as I know but most didn’t have the option to escape this town… 

Spiral: Speaking of escape, why can’t people seem to teleport out of here?

???: Teleport…? I’m a little lost…

Steady pulls you aside for a moment.

Steady: Most folks aren’t aware of how we got in, who we are, or even that this kind of tech exists. Think you’d be best avoiding mentioning something like that. 



Spiral: Oh… 

Steady: That said, might be a good target for a scan.. Got a sense this guy is strong. Your body’s been implanted with one so you just gotta be sneaky about it..

Spiral: Wait, when?! 

Steady: Got chipped when you went through the portal, fast and painless. You can use your hands to gain data on anyone now…



???: Is.. is everything alright?

Steady: Mm. Sorry, we’re from out of region and all so… you know.

???: I really don’t… 

You try to save face. 

Spiral: Quick question, what can we call you? “Our gracious host” is fun but kind of a mouthful. 

???: Have I really not said my name yet? Embarrassing… 



???: The name is Cabinetta, lord of this castle! Built it myself by hand. 

Cabinetta: I’ve been living in this town for a long time. It’s always had rough luck but this is the worst I’ve seen of it…

Fiddle: Cabinetta, has a nice ring to it,

Cabinetta: Really think so?

Steady: Absolutely. 

Cabinetta: Ah… well… thank you. 

Cabinetta: So… continuing on, I’m guessing you’re looking for something, yes? If you visited the old man AND my place I imagine it’s not as simple as a pit stop. 

Cabinetta: I don’t take it you’re here for me but I imagine there’s more business to this. 

[Guest]

To start, I have to compliment your handiwork! This is a very impressive fortress to have made by hand.

But, as nice as it may be to sightsee here, you'd be right. We're here to try to find an old colleague of ours who went missing in this area. I'm just hoping they aren't caught in that nightmare you mentioned...

(As an aside to Steady, how do we use the scanner? Would it be obvious if we did?)

-Clod (on mobile)

[Lilium Mortem]

An associate of ours has gone missing in the area. We came to investigate.
And these people trapped in nightmares, does the creature keep them alive to continue feeding or does it kill them via the soul sucking thing?

(Aside to steady) is there anything wrong with telling people who we are? It's not like we're doing anything illigal right? What's with all the cloak and dagger?

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

 Spiral: So first thing’s first, have to compliment your handiwork, you really made this fortress by hand?



Cabinetta: Yes! Though admittedly I cheated here and there, have a bit of magic in my pockets.. I’m glad to hear you like it though…

Cabinetta: Anyway, continue.

Spiral: Right so… we’re here to investigate our colleague going missing. They were last seen recently in the area.

Cabinetta: Ah… how recently?



Fiddle: Day and a half.

Cabinetta: Mm…. continue.

Spiral: Hope they haven’t been caught up in this…

Cabinetta: Mm..

Spiral: What does this creature do after anyway? Keep them alive to keep feeding? Suck out the soul to kill them off? 

Cabinetta: …Could you give me some time to talk to my assistant? I’ll explain briefly but… I’ll show you in just a moment.

They shuffle off to the other room.



Steady: I got a bad feeling…

Fiddle: No kidding.



Spiral: Mm… can we talk briefly? While we’ve got a moment? Stuff's bugging me.

Steady: What’s up?

Spiral: Why can’t we say who we are? Why all the cloak and dagger here? We’re not up to anything illegal are we?

Steady: Nothing like that, just good policy to keep things close to the vest about hopping worlds like that.

Steady: That sort of knowledge catches more attention that you really want. Had folks get poked at like a martian crashing in the desert for talking too much. Treat it as any other bounty hunting job, you don’t go around telling people who hired you left and right.

Spiral: I guess that makes sense…

Steady: You wanna make as little noise as possible, especially since folks will try to track us down if we’re not careful.

Spiral: What about the scanner? How does it work?

Steady: Hold on…

Steady reaches out to you.

Spiral: Huh?

Steady: Shake it.. But like, really want it when you do.

You reluctantly follow along.

Spiral: I don’t get what you’re…

SCAN NOW…

The voice flashes in your head. You wince.

Steady: Ah, see it’s working fine. Just a moment longer…

She clings onto your hand for a good 20 seconds.

SCAN LEVEL MAX… DATA STORED

Spiral: What was that all about?



Steady: You got a scan of me! All it takes is contact and bam, you’ve mined a person for all sorts of traits you can use later.  Normally you shouldn’t do that with a co-worker but someone had to show you once.

Steady: Don't snitch on me though...

Steady: When we’re done with the job you can turn it into the lab and they’ll hook you up with some options. Species, abilities, individual adaptations. That sorta thing.

Spiral: Huh…. that easy?

Steady: That easy!

Spiral: And we won’t get caught?

Steady: Not if you’re slick about it, though grappling someone in a fight works too.



Steady: People go for fancy suplexes sometimes. It's pretty hype.

Spiral: Neato…

Steady: Anyway I’m sure someone like them has something valuable enough to gain. The longer you can keep in contact, the better the scan. See if you can like… I dunno, high five them? Hold their hand? Something.

Spiral: I can work with that-

Cabinetta cuts you off as they re-enter.



Cabinetta: We believe we’ve found your person, the timeline lines up. I can take you to them to verify in a bit but they’re… in a state of sorts. A lot has happened recently and they seem to have gotten caught in a crossfire.

Cabinetta: If you’d like me to get you some tea or something before we continue I could, you're going to be here all night more than likely.

Fiddle: I'm ready to progress I think...

Steady: Same.

Cabinetta: Very well then...

You're lead down a hallway and taken through a door to a guest room.

Cabinetta creeks open the door.



You see your rescue target tucked under a blanket on a large bed. They're breathing at the very least.

Cabinetta: Don't know where to begin here so.. fire away.

[MarxzVulpez]

How long have they been in this state? Were they like this when you found them, or did it happen after they got here to you? What more can you tell us about the one causing this and or the condition itself? While our main reason for being here is to find out what happened to our coworker, now that we know more about the situation we'd like to see what we can do to help.

[Lilium Mortem]

Anyone got any mumbo jumbo soul diagnostics? (Would a SCAN reveal anything useful?)

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

 Spiral: How long have they  been like this? Where they like this when you found them or after they manage to get here?



Cabinetta: Yesterday, they were rescued in the middle of the night but not before being inflicted with a plague. Their life force is safe but they’re in a state of limbo so to speak. They’ll respond to simple stimuli but they’re incapable of doing much else.

Cabinetta: They’re fairly defensive on touch however. My assistant was bitten a few times attempting to give them medicine.

Cabinetta: I should introduce them to you later….

Cabinetta: They were sickly when they got here and ended up progressively worse over the night until they stopped responding.



Steady: Sounds like some sort of venom.

Cabinetta: Mm, very much the case. You do not want to be bitten by the creature that lurks  around here at night.

Cabinetta: My friend in town was able to ward them off from the worst case scenario but…

Cabinetta: I don’t really know what to do.

Cabinetta: The thing appeared relatively recently in the history of this town and has absorbed many into itself. I’ve never had one get poisoned and survive

Cabinetta: Well… aside from myself of course.

Spiral: Is there anything we can do to help out? We’re here to find our co-worker and now that we know more, we’d like to.



Fiddle: Mmm, this creature seems like a danger to everyone. Can’t have that roaming freely.

Spiral: Also are there uh.. Any soul diagnostics you have?

Cabinetta: They seem healthy in that regard but they would benefit from a more efficient medical center…  they’re stable for now but the state they’re in worries me.

Steady: No kidding.

You turn to your friends.

Spiral: Would a scan be any good here…?

Fiddle: With your basic level scanner? Maybe if we could get a signal to someone out there. Those at the home base can make better sense of the data we collect.

Cabinetta: Scan?

Steady: We’re researchers of sorts! Scan all sorts of life to make fancy body mods, improve the condition of others and all that.

Cabinetta: Ah! Do you have a device for such? I am curious…



Steady: Yep, we got a fancy scanner that records biological data and all, Wanna give it a try?



Cabinetta: I’ve always been curious about the process of mod work so… certainly!

Steady nudges you.

Spiral: Me?

Steady: Yeah! Make it look slick though.

Fiddle: Mm, put some personality into it.

The spider looks at you expectantly, as if waiting for a magic trick.

You just need to maintain contact for a few seconds…. You could just hold their hand but there’s pressure on you.Something sweet like sweeping them off their feet? Or the old school gladiator handshake?… could suplex but not sure how much they’d appreciate that… maybe they would actually? How are we doing this?