DS-087
The deck of the Recruiter's ship,
the Vanguard, leaves your jaw hanging. Even from watching the interior of the ships from other ships that docked in nearby villages, none compared to this. Inlaid with bronze trimmings, with sculptures and statues of heroes from the King's Men, and a vast hologram of the star system you're in, it exhorts a feeling of awe and majesty. You think that this room alone is worth more than the lord's keep down on your home planet. You and the other recruits anxiously await the Drill Master's arrival, waiting to be assigned to your different squads. There are more recruits who have been taken from other places from your planet and the neighboring worlds, as well as other officers-in-training.
The Drill Master appears as a hologram, usurping the holopad which housed the map of the star system. His voice is amplified through the speakers placed around the deck.
"Welcome, initiates, to the Vanguard. Over the next year, you will be trained in the ample techniques and stratagems of war. Over the next year, you will learn to fight and die for the King and the Kingdom. Over the next year, most of you will die. Those who survive will continue risking your lives, for the rest of your lives, until you die by blade, or bullet, or time. Welcome to the King's Men."
"You have all been assigned a team of five, plus a Drill Sergeant who will instruct you through your training," the hologram says as you check your holopad, given to you earlier, showing your new teammates and locations on where to go. "Training will begin when we've arrived at planet DS-087."
You head to the briefing chamber to meet your new team. Walking down the hall you get bumped and pushed by the excited initiates trying to get to their chambers. You finally make it to your chamber, a small room at the end of the hallway, with a round table with six seats. They are already taken, with two empty. You take your seat and wait for your drill sergeant to arrive. The door opens, and you turn and see a tall man, with his hair tied in a ponytail. His features appear as those from a planet who've descended from the Orient, and his face is stern and worn. He bears a scar down the side of his cheek, and his left hand seems biomechanical.
"Initiates. Stand at attention!" he yells. The five of you all stand and salute. "I am Hiroshi, former Colonel, Kingsman Veteran, and your Drill Sergeant. This next year will be hell. You will feel the flames of the sun, the cold of the void, and face death in the face."
A hologram emerges from the center of the table, showing a world designated as DS-141. "This is planet DS-141, known by the locals as Khar-dok. It is a wasteland, filled with tribes of raiders, thugs, and warriors. It is here that your first months of training shall begin. You will learn to survive with nothing. To live off of nothing. To fight with nothing. To die with nothing. You will be thrown into this world, with no weapons, no food, and no way out. The only way you're getting back on this ship is when I accept your victory."
Hiroshi continues the briefing. "The planet is filled with feral animals, twice the size of any you've seen before. The land is barren, and water holds the same value as gold. Your goal is to recover a spacecraft that has been hijacked by raiders, and use it to return to the Vanguard. You may use any methods possible to retrieve it. You will not receive aid, not even in the brink of death. Your lives depend on one another. The people are tribal and savage, and will not listen to gold or titles, only strength. Prove to them, as well as us, that you are strong."
"You will be dropped there after your basic training is complete. You will learn different skills, and you will not have time to learn all of them. Your team should have a wide assortment of skills, and you should be able to work together," he turns and faces you. "Caine, as their officer, you are to decide which skills they should learn. Success lies in your hands."
Hiroshi leaves, and you are left with an important decision. Each person only has time to learn two skills.
Melee Combat
Various combat skills, armed and unarmed. [Pick a specific weapon to be proficient at]
Ranged Combat
Throwing rocks, firing bows, and using rifles. [Pick a specific weapon to be proficient at]
Stealth
The ability to sneak around, pick locks, break loose of bindings, eavesdropping, disguising yourself, etc.
Deception
Lying, sweet talking, bribing, acting, making "friends", etc.
Lore
Learn all about the language, cultures, customs, wildlife, and geography of the planet you're heading to.
Survival
Tracking, hunting, butchering, making tools, etc.
Technology
Engineering traps, using advanced tech, piloting spacecraft, repairing weaponry, etc.
Mikael Baxter
Relationship: Acquaintance
Skills:
[None]
Characteristics:
Aggressive
Warmonger
Ana van Holl
Relationship: Acquaintance
Skills:
[None]
Characteristics:
Shy
Clever
Alberd Stream
Relationship: Acquaintance
Skills:
[None]
Characteristics:
Loyal
Determined
Harrold Stike
Relationship: Acquaintance
Skills:
[None]
Characteristics:
Cunning
Clever