Alright, here it is. It'll be some time before I can post the statuses, so if you're not sure what exactly happens, wait or make guesses.
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Turn 145 ------------
Players: [RTTAI:{3}] I wake up and overcome the pain.
I try to make myself incapable of feeling pain in any form. If I succeed I go to the weapons pile and take as many weapons as I can comfortably carry, but I make sure to avoid anything that looks like explosives.
My current theory is that the feeling of emptiness is some sort of soul-damage. So perhaps I can use those summon tiles to fix it! That is, unless they're not working either.
next turn, i'll rest trying to heal from flu.
I heal anybody else who needs it.
[RTTAI:{3}] I practice controlling my regeneration.
[RTTAI:{6}] I call upon any remaining powers this body may have had, and focus them all to regain control of my original body.
I continue with the pain reduction to the fullest extent.
[RTTAI:{6}] I call upon all my mental skills and forces, and focus them all to regain control of my original body. (same roll, same quest, same action - reasonable, no?)
I try to learn a thing or two about first aid from the medics/soldiers.
I try to salvage the battlefield for some better weapons.
<Travel Mode: Large Valey Area 3>
Allied NPCs: The dwarf just keeps sitting there.
They approach Boksi and do nothing.
Neutral NPCs: Some of the soldiers are looking at the distant hill through binoculars. The others are packing up their stuff - the convoy is ready to leave.
Hostile NPCs: None
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ChaoticagJay KayellBoksiAndreaKashyykRoosterNeoZakoFrelockLASDGantolandonKororaNPCs:
DwarfBatsFusiliers ----------------
Waiting for the team to assemble, LASD persuades some of the medics to show him a little master-class in the more common ways of health care. He proves a terrible student though, and while he vainly tries to grasp the basics of modern medical care, Gantolandon manages to break through to the waking world. He's surprised to have been cared for, and is yet more surprised to see six eager-looking individuals staring down on him. A quick miscommunication later, he is running like hell along the battlefield.
Trying to improve his skills, Kashyyk decides to indulge in a little malpractice. Using the only unclaimed unconscious body avaiable (chaoticag's), he begins his little training session. By breaking Chaoticag's left leg. Being a giant red-hot piece of metal, he has no problem cauterizing bleeding and causing burns, and the innate iron man strength is a great aid in breaking bones - and Kashyyk uses all of his skills on his unsuspecting patient. After Chaoticag is sufficiently mangled, he focuses his telekinetic powers and thoroughly restores all the damage he had done. And then does it all another time. Luckily, nobody is sufficiently interested in the doings of a stray iron man. Even more luckily, Chaoticag didn't wake up during the procedures. And even more luckily, the massive overflow of TK energy that went through Kashyyk during the second "session" did nothing but cause his leather bag to fly off. Which was lucky, too - a little longer and the explosives in the bag would've cooked off, leaving Kashyyk and Chaoticag with much more than a little pain to handle. Incidentally, pain is what Zako has been trying to handle for the last twenty minutes, but despite his best efforts, he can't improve his condition. It still requires enormous concentration to endure the pain that comes with the transformations, hitting his mind like a tidal wave.
In the crater, the pain is driving Jay Kayell mad. While not overly strong or sharp, it does not fade and is downright impossible to ignore! Desperate to rid himself of this pain, he attempts a daring and dangerous operation. Focusing every ounce of willpower, Jay turns his own telekinesis against himself, striking at his nervous network with pinpointed subdermal slashes! Completely encompassed by this task, his mind refuses to stop until there is nothing left to sever. Standing in the slowly brightening darkness of the crater, Jay Kayell feels no pain. Not a single tingle of disturbing sensation touches his mind. It feels too good to abandon, and Jay just stands there, enjoying it while it lasts.
Though not quite displeased with his new form, Rooster attempts to reform his body into something useful "just one last time". And it almost works, too - though the regenerations broke out of control again, there is very little change happening to his body structure. At least in the first few minutes. Then, Rooster's backside literally explodes into reforming tissues! He falls back to the ground.
Neo, still not giving up the hope of returning to his old self, thoroughly concentrates his mind on contacting Frelock. Who is, seemingly, completely out. If it weren't for the still-beating heart and breathing lungs (for which Neo checks every ten minutes), he could as well be considered dead. There is not a single hint of his mind still occupying Neo's body, which greatly distresses its previous owner - after all, it was Frelock who made the transfer. Without him, the reverse may not be possible...
Finally getting a grip on himself, Gantolandon stops running and looks around. He probably mistook the troopers' intentions, so it would be a good idea to return now. As he slowly walks back to the convoy, he sees a glint of metallic grey under the dirt. Five minutes later, he holds up a brand new axe, seemingly used for emergencies and such. The axe is made of steel, with a rubber grip and bright red-painted head. His own bone axe, while a considerably better piece of weaponcraft, pales in comparison to this thing's battle effectiveness. Tucking the roll of foil under his armpit, he takes the shiny tool into his hand and continues the walk.
At the hill, Boksi is quite fed up with the feeling of emptiness gnawing at him, and decides to put his ring's powers to the test. He puts his hands on his chest and mentally communicates his wish to the ring, causing a familiar tingle as one of the summon tiles vanishes from the ring's surface. After a few seconds of uncertainty, Boksi suddenly feels it! There is.... something... in his
stomach.. Something small. Something
live. It's hard to get a proper feel for something in your stomach, but some of the sensations lead Boksi to believe that it has tiny claws and a tail. After a moment of panic Boksi realises that whatever it is, it sure doesn't mind being digested, which is quite fortunate for him. After a while, there is nothing left but the same feeling of emptiness. At least it's not going to be accompanied by hunger in any foreseeable future.
Whether it was the mental image transmitted by Boksi's unplanned breakfast or something else, but Chaoticag suddenly wakes up with a start, and jumps to his feet. The pain from his recent sensory overload still lingers, but is quite manageable. He is quite surprised to see tiny splatterings of blood around him. He is a little alarmed when he smells the odor of burnt flesh in the air. And he is downright freaked out when Kashyyk approaches him from behind, raising a sizeable rock. His startled yell scares Kashyyk the second time, causing him to drop the rock and disappear into a nearby trench.
Meanwhile, Jay Kayell finally notices that something is wrong. The blissful feeling of a pain-free body has not passed yet, but it is not supposed to be that way. Ever so slowly, distress takes the place of bliss. A sudden realisation strikes Jay - he
doesn't feel anything! His arms, his hands, his legs and feet, his entire body has lost all of its sensory perception! He attempts to walk - and falls down, face first into the hard compacted soil. And there is nothing. No feeling at all! Jay cannot feel his legs, he cannot feel his arms, cannot feel his face. He notices blood on his hand, and looks at it - a small metal splinter is stuck in the palm. "This", he thinks, "cannot end well."
At the edge of the crater just above Jay, Andrea is trying to enjoy a good hour's rest. It turns out that resting is one tough job. Between trying to find a comfortable spot on hard rocky soil and shooing away the Flying Floodlight-o-Death
tm that somehow manages to position itself in front of his face nine times out of ten, Andrea has quite a hard time. And then the flu comes back. Not having so much as a handkerchief, Andrea is very irritated by the running nose and periodic sneezing. His temperature keeps rising as well, the inside of his iron-splinted outfit is beginning to feel like a small steambath. Faint hints of headache begin to appear. At the end of the hour, Andrea barely rested at all.
And Rooster would like to rest a little, too. Quite worn out by all the rapid transformations lately, he feebly forces his upper body up from the ground, and looks at his rear, half expecting to see mandibles. But it wasn't mandibles. It wasn't anything at all, actually. Where a massive scaly tail was just ten minutes ago, now is a big, roundish, green
shell. And two very short legs. As if the fish tail wasn't embarrasing enough.
Way north, Korora has finally found the path leading back to the large valley, and is running along a familiar narrow "ravine" inbetween tall mountain slopes. Good thing his legs are all metal - they'd be probably be falling off by now, otherwise.
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Background: [1+2] Nobody sees anything of note.
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Environment: Dawn. The air is cold. (statistic penalties to constitution). Floodlights on the convoy's mechs illuminate the hill.
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Free items: Fusiliers' camp: Broken crowbar: One-handed "weapon". Somewhere in the camp.
Large Valley area 2: Light infantry armor vest: Somewhere in the area. Can protect upper body. +1 against pierce damage.
+Steel Battleaxe+: Stuck in the ground. One-handed weapon.
Metal Suitcase: Lying on some rocks. Broken, open, empty.
Microscope: On the ground. Allows examining tiny things. Damaged (-1 to use).
Serum Injector: Lying on some rocks. Metallic pistol-like device used to inject medical substances into the bloodstream. Empty, broken.
Crude Magnifying Glass: Lying on some rocks. Broken.
Various assorted rocks and small leftover debris from the truck in LV area 2.
Large Valley area 3: RPG-7 grenade x3: In brown leather hold-all bag.
Brown leather hold-all bag: On the ground at the hill. Contains RPG-7 grenades (3 rounds).
Chemical Extinguisher: Somewhere in the area. Large red tank containing pressurized water mixed with a chemical compound. 1/3rd full.
Gunmetal crate: Near some rocks near the convoy. Open, empty.
Assorted pile of weapons: Near some rocks near the convoy. Contains some melee, and various ranged weapons and ammo.
XXVibroBlade Long DaggerXX: On the ground near the hill. Blade snapped off: -2 to attack. One-handed weapon. Negates up to +1 of opponent's slash or pierce armor.
The Ashcraver: Sticking out of the ground near the truck's wreckage. Two-handed weapon. Consists of two parts. Small Blade: sword-formed. +1 slash damage. Large blade: sword-formed. +2 slash damage, +1 attack, -1 agility.
Various assorted rocks, several pieces of underwear, and JK's former purple shorts.
The burning wreckage of the Phoenix truck, and associated debris.
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Artifacts: "A massive, massive, MASSIVE sword. It is three meters long, 1'3'' (~40cm) wide, and dazzingly bright. Its fine steel has been polished to reflect light like a mirror. Its one edge is curved, jagged at the hilt, the other is straight and so sharp it could probably slice adamantine blocks like salami. Down the center of the sword, which is at least 2'' thick, runs a hollow slit 3'' wide, in which yeat another, smaller and straighter sword is concealed. The entire surface of both swords, except of course the sharp cutting edges, is finely engraved with uncountable images, among which the launching of the Challenger, world war II, a nuclear explosion, a trainwreck, and a rotary excavator. The hilt itself (being at the same time the hilt of the smaller sword) is decorated with gold and emeralds you can only assume you've taken from someone, arranged in beautiful patterns, and the handle is woven with three lines - one is a scaly snake with two small rubies in the eyes, and two seem awfully like DNA strands. You get a feeling you could decipher the human genome if you looked closely enough. The guard of the hilt is exquisitely detailed as well, but right down the senter of it, spanning the breadth of the sword, is a solid rectangular golden plate, with the single word: ""ASHCRAVER"" deeply embossed onto it. The entire thing is so immeasurably brilliant, you almost don't want to touch it fearing it'll stick to your hand and corrupt you like some magic ring. Overcoming this fear, you pick it up. Despite its size, it is relatively lightweight, relatively, of course, to anything else so large and made of steel. (+2 to damage, +1 to attack, -1 agility)
The second form is a smaller (comparatively) blade, that together with the folding hilt guard looks like an overgrown sai. It's also exquisitely detailed, but lighter. (+1 to damage).
The Ashcraver seems to accumulate the energy released by the deaths it causes. The process is admittedly rather slow, but has good uses."
"The ring consists of a toroidal adamantine core surrounded by a shell of tempered steel with thin bands of gold along the rims of the ring. Set into an adamantine frame on its top is a Star Sapphire imbued with the dark soul of a Greater Demon, under absolute control of the wearer. The steel surface of the ring is covered by three hundred tiny tiles of granite, engraved with images of various creatures, all being dead.
The wearer of the ring may call onto the soul of the demon, which can manipulate darkness and fire - anything from direct projection to creating sentient forms to giving protection against.
The wearer can also give an order to summon a creature mad with rage (any creature from the DF world you have seen), which will use up one or several of the stone tiles, depending on the power of the creature. The tiles may be restored, but only through personally killing sentient creatures with bare hands and absorbing their essence with the ring, which also adds that creature to the ""summonable creatures"" list.
The price to pay for all this power is a constant aura of darkness that any living being will feel (and will react accordingly), and the wearer may, under critical stress, give in and become controlled by the trapped demon soul.
(No passive bonuses. In a single turn, you can either perform an act of darkness/fire manipulation (including creating a prolonged effect), or summon a creature/creatures, but not both. The magnitude and potential of both depend on your skill - the ring grants ""basic level"" only. You can only absorb the essence of a creature you killed with your own bare hands, and only if it died last turn, at most.)
Currently applied effects: (-1 to relevant ability for every active effect)
Darkfire halberd - haft of materialized darkness.
Shadow Warp - Boksi's shadow invisibility."
An odd-looking gnarly stick made of iron and steel. The many wrinkles and crevices on its surface are ever so slightly glowing. The staff feels special, capable of doing wonrous things. Some of those things include: summoning a small lightning that seems to charge the staff, when being hit against the ground; launching a spark of electricity that explodes in a sparkling firework-like burst, on giving a generic mental command.
(Universal Radiowave Manipulator) A hexagonal reflective box, rougly a foot across and 10cm thick. It can receive, process, transmit, focus, and disperse energy waves over a rather wide electromagnetic spectrum. Can work as a radio or a mini-microwave. Contains a battery that can be recharged by applying any electricity to the surface.
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Locations: Planet Wayside V: The planet seems to be barren as a whole. The sky is green here, and the air is cold. Or maybe it's just autumn here.
Large Valley: A rather dull and barren, though very large, rocky valley covered by reddish clay soil with patches of some unknown weeds or moss. Filled with broken rock and debris. Sloping mountains or plateaus many kilometers tall seem to surround it.
Sub-area 1: The place you initially appeared at.
Sub-area 2: Where your truck was destroyed by an aerospace fighter (and later rebuilt, driven off elsewhere and crashed again). The disabled Wolf Trap is here. LASD is here.
Sub-area 3: Somewhere far north of Area 2 - the fighter crashlanded there. And subsequently exploded, leaving a large crater and killing the crew of the two scout buggies sent by Fusiliers. Most players are here, as well as a convoy of trucks, light mechs, and infantry.
Vast plain: An enormous plain connected to the large valley by a relatively narrow passage. Its ground is different from that of the valley, but you don't know what it is yet. Korora is travelling along it.
Fusiliers' main camp: A small military camp set up amidst the hills in the large valley. Mechs patrol its perimeter. All of you are at a spot some distace away from it.
"Overlord"-class Dropship "Bullrun": A big egglike spaceship designed to go to and from a planet's surface. Armed with several turrets and protected by thick armor. It's been attacked on its descent and is undergoing repairs.
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Vehicles: Battlemech. Lying on its back in the LV area 2.
Type: Medium-class, 45 tons. Capabilities: Jump Jets (piloting skill check required for every use) Armament: Imperator Code Red LB 10-X AC(30/30), two Victory 23R Medium Lasers(inoperable), one Shigunga LRM-10 rack(1x10/0x10). Protection: Ablative ferro-fibrous plating. State: Heavy damage on left torso, moderate armor damage to center torso, left arm destroyed, medium lasers destroyed, LRM ammo detonated, significant damage on left leg, armor destroyed on right leg. Heavy off-road truck. At Large Valley Area 3, near the convoy.
Type: Four axel, eight wheel drive. 12cyl diesel ICE. 6 tons, lift capacity 15 tons. Flatbed with tent.
Capabilities: Off-road suspension (+1 driving check on rough terrain), large capacity fuel tank (plot-dependant). Top speed 140kph on road, 90 kph off-road.(not that it really matters)
Armament: None.
Protection: 20mm steel plating (-1 against to-scale pierce attacks).
State: Undamaged.
Resurrected only to die again, this truck is now a pile of smoldering wreckage, with hardly anything salvageable from it.
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