Just kidding. I finished it.
I also configured Notepad++ with some of my commonly used BBcode tags. It's harder to get lost in the textwalls now:
2025 GREENHEART TIME, MAY 21st, 301 P.L
ERROR: FAILED TO CONNECT TO INTERNET TIME SERVER.
Ciri (Twinwolf):You notice a rope pulling from the leg of shuttle G2 into a giant hole outside the camp. Someone's clearly attached to it. The rating of the rope, printed on the length, reads '25t/line'.
The rope goes loose after some time.
Base StatusCargo Sled: Requires about 4 units of metal plating.
Jail: Requires some kind of lock, and 1 unit of metal plating per side.
Upgrade a Vehicle: You can give +1 armor on one side of either vehicle by replacing a Metal Plating from the vehicle with a Hull Plating from the destroyed shuttle.
The shuttle can be salvaged for: 4 Hull Plating from the cockpit, 8 Hull Plating from the body (can trim 2 more)
The Armored car can be salvaged for: 6 Metal Plating, 4 Hull Plating
The Assault Gun can be salvaged for: 8 Metal Plating, 4 Hull Plating
The Thermal Lance can be used to cut metal plating and hull plating
You find one welding/cutting kit in the Assault Gun
You have 0 Hull Plating
You have 0 Metal Plating
You have a cargo sled which can easily transport cargo by hand
Status: (All bodyparts can take 5 damage)
No damage to any limbs
Suit took 0/10 damage
Traits:
Timeskip: +1 to time-consuming actions
Reconnaisance: Reward: +1 to observance (reduces enemy stealth rolls)
(Miniquest) Rescue Operation: Locate the stranded shuttle (Reward: +1 to tracking targets)
Inventory:
Magnus Hazardsuit: Gives +1 to DEFENSE rolls. Also provides the user with air, chemical protection, and limited thermal regulation. Roughly 48 hrs left on battery.
Oxygen Mask + Tank (5 minutes)
Trooper's Pistol (Power: 5) (Accuracy: 5 in close proximity, 3 at range)
2x pistol mags (8 shots each)
RC Drone (gets -1 to resisting wind)
Nole (Slayer1557):
Nole replied, "Yea, I'm not sure I could understand without actually experiencing it. I'll just have to take your word on it. Will you be ok without access to the portals? I'm not sure we'll be getting anything like that working any time soon."
When they discover the scorched crater he added, "Alright, let's check it out and see if there's any survivors. From the looks of things, I wouldn't be certain of anything. Be careful in case they're hostile. If we can't pick up on Mark's signal, we should probably turn back after this. I don't want to get so far we get lost. Do you agree?"
Nole approaches the crater, keeping an eye out for movement from the wreck or the surrounding area. Does the wreck look recent? Things still burning? Check for survivors first. No survivors? Take stock of what remains and what is in working order.
((Oh, and how far have we travelled from the shuttle, in either time or distance? With how post by post RTD's go, I'm never sure if it's minutes or hours. Possibly useful: How long has it been since we woke up, and I set that timer?))
You've been walking for no less than 20 minutes, so you're roughly between one and two kilometers away from the base. The radio connection is still crystal-clear.
As you approach the crater, Night comments on the virtual world:
"I wouldn't discount the possibility of bringing it back. Especially if we come into contact with... uh... the...colony ship ghost? I wonder where she is."She doesn't seem even slightly shocked by the sight of bodies near the tank.
[5-new miniquest] You investigate the exploded vehicle, noting that the fuel tank seems to have been the cause of the explosion. The fire is not smoking, although your suit's olfactory sensors simulate the smell of burnt metal and flesh with a stunning resemblance to the real thing.
It seems most of the dead people crawled around a bit before their deaths. One of them seems to have died from a gunshot wound to the temple, but the gun is nowhere to be found. In fact, all of them seem to be missing their pistols.
You notice an unburnt white bandage soaked in the sand next to one of the bodies.
They are all wearing what used to be army uniforms except the fully-blackened one... who is actually in a Magnus Suit! It seems to be offline (radio turned off), but the material looks completely unharmed.
You haven't touched any of the bodies yet, because all of them are stripped clean of equipment.
You have 10 red fish, 1 cooked
You have 6 green fish, 0.8 cooked
You have .9 cooked sand slug
Status: (All bodyparts can take 5 damage)
No damage to any limbs
Suit absorbed 1 puncture (9 left)
Traits:
It's not Rocket Science: +1 to using scavenged gadgets, excluding weapons
(Miniquest) Scout: Find a sustainable source of food (Reward: +1 to finding clues while tracking people and animals)
(Miniquest) Not Real Science: Successfully grow a plant (Reward: +1 to applied science such as botany, chemistry, etc)
(Miniquest) EE 417-Intro to Digital Communications: Build up a basic understanding of a local language (Reward: +1 to communicating and decyphering language/codes)
Master Chef: Eating one of your meals gives you a +1 to a character's next action
Aftermath: If you encounter a crash site, +1 to finding either a survivor or a piece of machinery
(Miniquest) Seeker: Find out who destroyed the tank (Reward: +1 to tracking)
Inventory:
Magnus Hazardsuit: Gives +1 to DEFENSE rolls. Also provides the user with air, chemical protection, and limited thermal regulation. Roughly 48 hrs left on battery.
Soil Analysis Tool
x15 Bandages: Stops bleeding. Requires bandages equal to the amount of damage the bleeding will do in the next 3 turns, rounding up.
x2 Medical Gel: Facilitates rapid healing and pain relief in organic tissues. Paralyzes the bodypart if used.
x3 Parachute Tube
x5 Microcharge: Wired explosive charge. Vs people it deals 5 damage if it explodes directly on a bodypart, otherwise roll a die for each bodypart (reroll 5's and 6's)
Oxygen Mask + Tank (empty)
A timer set on 1602, May 21st.
Redfish Blades (Power: 4) (Accuracy: 3 in close proximity, 2 at range)
Gardening Book (Gives +2 to planting an Earth-style garden)
Nigel J. William (AbstractTraitorHero):[5] You lead Cueball to the pod, sticking your head up out of the hatch to get a better view of the surroundings. Being inside the vehicle is rather disorienting, since it's like an isolated little world all by itself, with only narrow viewslits to see through.
Weather: Cloudy (No bonuses or penalties to stealth)
Status: (All bodyparts can take 5 damage)
Head took 1 damage
Traits:
Medical Problems: +1 chance of infection for wounds
MacGyver-in-training: +1 to resourcefulness
Proficient Strangler: +1 to using ropes and cords as weapons
Navigator: +1 to locating important objects and scouting terrain
Inventory:
Oxygen Mask + Tank (empty)
Gas mask
Cueball (Paphi):You reach a riverside, where you find signs of a bloody fight having long occured. In the water you see a body covered in red scars and lacerations, and quite a ways away you find two cryopods, one opened (the tip of the cover is sticking slightly outside the water), while the other looks shattered.
Both are empty, and the oxygel has spilled out and settled nearby in the water. Already there seems to be some sort of green mold growing in the gel and consequently on the pods.
What Ciri found:
1x thermal lance (use for cutting through metal and drilling holes)
1x genetic sampler (use on wildlife to sequence their genes and compare them)
1x broken handheld microscope (casing is cracked, lenses are fine)
3x climbing gear (contains rapelling kit and insertable spikes)
1x handheld power saw (battery-powered cutting tool)
1x double battery charger
2x all purpose spade
What was taken from the Assault Gun:
>about thirty sandwiches
>6x binoculars
>6x knives
>soap
>water/drinks
>umbrellas
>wood planks
>lighters
>oil lamp
>adult magazines
>6x Revolvers
What was stockpiled beforehand:
>A fire extinguisher still inside its glass box, with a small window hammer buried in the sand nearby
>An advanced atmospheric analyzer capable of testing for particulates and biochemicals as well as gaseous composition
>A micro chainsaw meant for cutting fibers and soft materials like wood, bone, and cloth
>Three small spades with extensible handles, labelled 00, 01, and 07 respectively
>Parts from a Magnus hazardsuit dissected for parts (minus breathing kit, held by S.D.)
Renouille A41 Cruise GunCurrent Armor: +3 (Armored with Hull Plating)
Has a powerful drivetrain (evasion penalties due to armor are halved)
Current weapon: Turretless 76mm G3 Weapon (Accuracy: 4far/3mid/1close)
Ammunition:
10x High Explosive (Power: 3) (Can hit multiple infantry)
22x High Velocity (Power: 4)
Assault Gun Projects:
Advanced radio: Replace the ancient radio design with a modern transmitter (requires electronic parts)
Layered Armor: A piece of extra metal plating gives +1 defense to one side of the vehicle (front, back, either side). Hull plating adds +2. Both subtract -1 Evasion from the vehicle.
Alloy Armor: You can give +1 armor on one side of either vehicle by replacing a Metal Plating from the vehicle with a Hull Plating from the destroyed shuttle.
Improved Steering: Adds +1 Evasion to the vehicle, can fire while moving
Turret: Allows the vehicle to rotate its gun more than a few degrees. (requires a full redesign)
Status: (All bodyparts can take 5 damage)
No damage to any limbs
Suit absorbed 1 damage (9 left)
Traits:
Scavenger: +1 extra item when conducting a mass search
Inside Job: +1 to modifying electronics and computers
(Miniquest) Emergency Response: Heal two more wounds within a few hours of them occuring (Reward: +2 to healing a wound that happened within an hour ago)
Mechanic: +1 to finding new projects/upgrading/repairing machines.
(Miniquest) Mechanic II: Modify/build a vehicle with an electric drivetrain (Reward: extra +1 to finding new projects/upgrading/repairing machines.)
Inventory:
x2 Bandages: Stops bleeding. Requires bandages equal to the amount of damage the bleeding will do in the next 3 turns, rounding up.
x0 Medical Gel: Facilitates rapid healing and pain relief in organic tissues. Paralyzes the bodypart if used.
Magnus Hazardsuit: Gives +1 to DEFENSE rolls. Also provides the user with air, chemical protection, and limited thermal regulation. Roughly 48 hrs left on battery.
Printer Blueprints (Shuttle Parts)
Handsaw (Power: 4) (Accuracy: 4 in close proximity, 2 at range)
Paperwork: You are considered refugees in the ongoing war
Spade (Power: 5) (Accuracy: 3)
Metal Detector
S. D. "Smooth" McGroove (SaberToothTiger):Look for a long rope and something to tie it to near the reactor hole. Then tie it around my waist and slowly enter the hole, hand at my gun.
[3] Graves' shuttle has it all. With fifty meters of high-tensile polymer rope, you should be fine. Typing it to the front landing leg of the shuttle (anything closer is more likely to fail), you hop in.
...
Some clumsy rapelling later, you find the tunnel branching off into a cave system roughly 15 meters below the shuttles (your UI shows this). The radio is a bit full of static, but works nonetheless.
Your own ears hear a deep, sort of breathing-like sound coming from far off in the tunnels. It feels like something big is here.
[1] You also encounter the mouth thing from before! The whole animal looks like some sort of infernal lobster, with curled pincers and a mouth that folds in over itself many times to save space. It looks at you with a circular halo of eyes and makes threatening advances.
The creature itself is about twice your height and several meters long, having about 6-10 legs (they're moving too fast and you don't have time to count).
Status: (All bodyparts can take 5 damage)
Left arm: 1 damage
Left arm: 1 damage
Torso: 2 damage
Traits:
Scavenger: +1 to finding unusual hidden goodies
(Miniquest) Scavenger II: Find a hidden trinket worth lots of money and/or password to some account or safe (Reward: additional +1 to finding goodies)
Field Doctor: Reward: +1 to medical procedures
Just do it: +2 to using a weapon you've never used before. It also gains +1/+1 power/accuracy for that turn.
(Miniquest) Punching Bag: Block two more physical blows from dealing damage (through defense) (Reward: +1 defense against melee attacks)
How does he do it?: +1/-1 to actions that are impossible without rolling a 5.
(Miniquest) The Assistant: Collaborate on a construction project (Reward: People you help get +1/-1)
Inventory:
x15 Bandages: Stops bleeding. Requires bandages equal to the amount of damage the bleeding will do in the next 3 turns, rounding up.
3.8x Penicillin
Military Pistol (Power: 5) (Accuracy: 5 in close proximity, 3 at range) (haven't used)
Creepy note
Nyar Donovon (WunderKatze):[1] Try as you might, you can't hit them from here. The air density must be screwing with your aim.
Armored CarCurrent Armor: +3 (Armored with Hull Plating)
Current weapon: 60mm Mark III Gun (Accuracy: 4close/3mid/2far)
Ammunition:
4x High Explosive (Power: 3) (Can hit multiple infantry)
6x High Velocity (Power: 4)
2x HEAT (Power: 5)
Status: (All bodyparts can take 5 damage)
2 damage to left arm - disinfected and bandaged (no infection possible)
Suit absorbed 2 punctures (8 left)
Traits:
Applied Phlebotinum: +1 to resourcefulness
Destructive Testing: +1 to all damage rolls that are part of a scientific experiment
(Miniquest) Turn the Tables: Disarm 2 more weapons from armed characters (Reward: +2 to unarmed combat against armed opponents)
The Best Defense: +1 accuracy with rifled weapons
Grand Theft: Automatically hack cars and vehicles when you enter them.
(Miniquest) Tactical Positioning: Dodge two more rounds capable of damaging your vehicle (Reward: -1 Received Accuracy Modifier in vehicles)
Target Cracker II: +2 Accuracy on critical strikes (To upgrade: get 2 more critical strike(s))
(Miniquest) Keen Eye: Hit five moving targets at greater or equal to long range (Reward: +1 to long distance accuracy with all weapons)
(Miniquest) Explorer: Find one more landmark (Reward: +1 to finding landmarks while exploring.)
Trick Shot: You can ignore up to 1 penalty to accuracy
(Miniquest) Trick Shot II: Kill something a meter underwater by shooting it. The bullet has to be the killing shot. (Reward: You can ignore up to 1 more penalty to accuracy)
Inventory:
Magnus Hazardsuit: Gives +1 to DEFENSE rolls. Also provides the user with air, chemical protection, and limited thermal regulation. Roughly 48 hrs left on battery.
x14 Bandages: Stops bleeding. Requires bandages equal to the amount of damage the bleeding will do in the next 3 turns, rounding up.
x2 Medical Gel: Facilitates rapid healing and pain relief in organic tissues. Paralyzes the bodypart if used.
Oxygen Mask + Tank (empty)
Trooper's Rifle (Power: 6) (Accuracy: 2/4/5 at close/mid/far)
Greasy Gun (Power: 7) (Accuracy: 4/3/2 at close/mid/far)
Irroyal Arms M9 (Power: 4) (Accuracy: 5/4/3 at close/mid/far)
Grenade pin
Hoe (Power: 5.5) (Accuracy: 2)
Blurple Fish (Power: Infinite) (Accuracy: 1)
What Ciri found:
1x thermal lance (use for cutting through metal and drilling holes)
1x genetic sampler (use on wildlife to sequence their genes and compare them)
1x broken handheld microscope (casing is cracked, lenses are fine)
3x climbing gear (contains rapelling kit and insertable spikes)
1x handheld power saw (battery-powered cutting tool)
1x double battery charger
2x all purpose spade
What was taken from the Assault Gun:
>about thirty sandwiches
>6x binoculars
>6x knives
>soap
>water/drinks
>umbrellas
>wood planks
>lighters
>oil lamp
>adult magazines
>6x Revolvers
What was stockpiled beforehand:
>A fire extinguisher still inside its glass box, with a small window hammer buried in the sand nearby
>An advanced atmospheric analyzer capable of testing for particulates and biochemicals as well as gaseous composition
>A micro chainsaw meant for cutting fibers and soft materials like wood, bone, and cloth
>Three small spades with extensible handles, labelled 00, 01, and 07 respectively
>Parts from a Magnus hazardsuit dissected for parts (minus breathing kit, held by S.D.)