((I was lying when I wrote that 'last-minute matters' bit. Jeez, adwarf, you should've gone when I sent you on your face in the dirt just on the edge of your camp. WE'RE MOVING - I hope no-one else intended to do something still.))
---
The Long Red Road
With surprisingly little fanfare, the Myrmidon and the champions in her hold ride out from the abandoned fortress. The gods do not show themselves, though riders from Aeraimua's and the Weaver's camps form an honor guard to the edge of the approaching dust storm. There they turn and race to get to safety before the howling winds and dust reach them - they disappear, as does everything else, when the storm engulfs the heavy vehicle.
Shutters close and the air takes on a stale taste, recycled again and again to keep them cut off from the cloud outside. The machinery whirrs and clicks without pause - first irritating, but soon a familiar background noise, along the thrumming of the engine. It blasts out behind them, providing ready power for everything onboard. Humidity rises steadily until those of the group who can sweat are sweating and uncomfortable, with the rest feeling little better. The champions have little to do, save Kazren, who has no choice but to drive according to the route chosen, as visibility is zero. Seeker assures them the storm will end soon.
He, or it, is soon proven correct, as light again floods through the cameras and viewports. The shutters open one by one and bathe them in fresher air and cool. The landscape beyond is not yet very different - a seemingly endless red plain, stretching onto the horizon - though not quite flat, despite the best efforts of the relentless wind. The surface of Elysium is scarred, broken, carved full of rifts, craters, holes. Sometimes they see ruins, half-covered by dust, alone in the emptiness. A dried-out riverbed follows the road for a while. It does not seem to have carried water for a long time now. There are signs of life, even here, but only recognizable to experienced eyes. Arlia sees cragbird nests where others only see rocks, stalking, mutated lizards where there only seems to be dust picked up by the wind, territory marks of snow cats and their prey. Insects burrow in the earth - she does not need to see anything to know this. It is a dry land, a hard one, but life holds on. It is a comforting thought, for her mission.
Symbols on the map fall behind or the sides as they drive on, the six heavy wheels of the Myrmidon gouging deep tracks in the earth under them. At some point they have arrived on a road, only packed dirt, though it is barely recognizable as such. If there have been any signs for travellers, they were carried off long ago. Sculpted stones on the roadside sometimes give distance, but the letters and numbers are often too faded to make out. Kazren is thankful for the map - they are approaching the small Baichakl settlement by the lake, though it seems it will take hours yet before they can see any signs of 'civilization'.
***
'There is something ahead,' Seeker says, after they have travelled a while - over an hour, certainly.
'I would advise you to slow down, honored champions.'[1] From the cameras, Kazren can't see anything. Seeker cannot seem to specify - it points the champions' attention to an instrument on the control board which seems to be flashing 'obstruction on the path'.
---
HP: 20/20
AP: 50/50 [-4 to all Damage, regenerates +5 AP every turn where not hit]
Traits: Augmented Strength,
Preserver's AuraAbilities: None
Equipment:+Bio-Alloy Shield [AP: 20/20, -4 to all Damage, Shield Use: +0]
+
Bio-Alloy Form [AP: 50, -4 to all Damage, regenerates +5 AP every turn where not hit]
Favor: 0
Funds: 1500*
HP: 15/15
AP: 40/40 [-3 to all Damage]
Traits: Machine Resistance,
Machine MobilityAbilities: None
Equipment:+
Boomer Gun [Dam:3/RoF:1/Acc:-1/Clip:6/Mod Slots: 1 (Free)/Special:
Close Range III] [
6/6]
+
Robotic Body [AP: 40, -3 to all Damage]
+3 Self-Repair Kits [Heal +15 AP when used]
+
KinstoneFavor: 0
Funds: 1500*
HP: 30/30
AP: 20/20 [+2 to Close Range Damage, -4 to all other Damage.]
Traits: Wasteland HealerAbilities: *
Swarm Scouting [No cooldown]
Equipment:+
Charged Bolas [Dam:3/RoF:1/Acc:+0/'Clip':3/Mod Slots: None/Special: Stunning (-1)] [
3/3]
+
Antique Sixshooter [Dam:4/RoF:2/Acc:-1/Clip:6/Mod Slots: 3 (Free)/Special: None] [
6/6]
+
Thermal Spear [Dam:4/Speed:1/Acc:+0/Uses:5/Special:
Flame] [
5/5]
+
Wilder Aegis [AP: 20, +2 Close Range Damage, -4 other Damage. 3 turn cooldown to activate after being shattered.]
+
Crushed Redlash Beetle [+1 to Combat Roll for 1 turn when used]
Favor: 0
Funds: 950*
HP: 40/40
Shields: 2/4 Resistance [Absorb 3-6 damage per hit]
Traits: Born to Run,
StealthyAbilities: None
Equipment: +
Magbow [Dam: 3/RoF:1/Acc:+0/Clip:10/Mod Slots None/Special:
Long Range IV] [
10/10]
+
Burst Shielder [Can take 4 Hits before shattering. Absorbs 3-6 damage per Hit. +1 Shield Regen.]
Favor: 0
Funds: 1500*
HP: 40/40
AP: 20/20 [-4 to all Damage]
Traits: Aggressive FighterAbilities: None
Equipment:+
Hybrasi Greatsword [Dam: 5/Speed: 1/Acc: -1/Special: None]
+
Light Shotgun [Dam:2/RoF:3/Acc:+0/Clip: 9/Mod Slots: 2/Special:
Scatter,
Close Range II] [
9/9]
+
Oathsworn Armor [AP: 20, -4 to all Damage]
Favor: 0
Funds: 1500*
---
Skills have been renamed to 'Traits'. It should've been like that from the beginning.
Kazren has taken the Driver's position. There's the main gunner's place behind, but also a sort of co-pilot's seat where you may use the RPD missiles at the front - the Driver can fire those, too, but Kazren may not want to do it, or has to focus on battle manouevering most of the time. That place or anyone can also attempt to boost the systems, get targeting solutions, etc etc. Right now, there's not work for all of you at once - the main gun, the driver and the co-driver/spotter/whatever are recommended, and whoever's left may do what they wish (messing with the engines and such, for example - only 90% chance of blowing everyone up!). One may even pray fervently at the altar during every battle, it might even help!
Not that you'll need battlestations right now. Or will you? Dun dun.
I'll get the Myrmidon's spoiler and information into the next turn at the latest - the stats are on a different computer right now.
Author
Topic: Elysium - A World of A Thousand Gods (Chapter I) (Read 16038 times)