RPG: Fallout - Austin City Limits

[Archer Vonn]

War.War never changes.Since the dawn of man, man has been at war. Conflict has always been a part of our nature, but despite it we were able to advance a society throughout the world and even into space. But in the fall of 2077, humanity could sustain itself no longer, and our need to destroy caught up with us. The nuclear war that ravaged the world left next to nothing in its path.Those who survived did so in enormous, underground vaults. There were over a hundred vaults scattered throughout North America. Eventually, the vaults were opened, and humanity emerged.By 2186, with the help of a few special individuals, a man by the name of Aradesh was able to found what would eventually become the most successful post-apocalypse government in the United States: the New California Republic. Like Julius Caesar’s Roman army, the New California Republic, colonized fast, and by 2282, they had a peaceful rule over the entire state of California and the Mojave Desert, having beaten down threats like the technologically driven Brotherhood of Steel or theEnclave, or even the legion of slavers known as Caesar’s Legion.In 2312, the tendrils of the NCR’s own Crimson Caravan Company had finally rolled into the area surrounding Austin, Texas, which was already mostly colonized by a group called the Texas Union, who aimed to keep the dreams and morals of the pre-war Texas alive. They were heavily influenced by the post apocalyptic Resurgence Church, who, like the Mormon Church in the north, was rich enough to remain a heavy influence.The NCR, like the NCR does, made peaceful contact with the Union. NCR ambassadors have hoped that the size of the NCR would be enough to convince the Union to be absorbed, with the city of Austin sucked into the monster that is NCR, but it hasn’t. Negotiations began.At first the NCR and Union were on peaceful terms, but things have fired up. NCR camps have been popping up on the outskirts of the Texan Wastelands. Rangers have been spotted inside city limits, and Union citizens are getting antsy. Sides are being picked, with no clear favourite in the state.The Union has its men readying to defend its home, and NCR is readying a backup plan. The negotiations may go well, but they will likely go poorly. And like war, the New California Republic never changes.Fallout: Austin City LimitsWelcome wastelanders!

Table of Contents:000: Introduction001: Rules002: Character Sheets003: Factions004: Geography005: Technology006: Bestiary007: Approved Characters

001: Rules

Game Master: Ra's al Ghul

Co-GM: Kaitho1. Respect your fellow players.2. Respect staff members.3. Respect BZP rules.4. No godmoding. I’m sure you all know what I mean.5. Use IC and OOC. I’m not particularly strict about OOC, so long as you don’t start getting confusing.6. Be realistic!7. Have fun.If you break any of these rules, you will be punished but I don't think that'll be a problem.002: Character SheetsPlease PM them to me. After they are approved, you can post them in the topic, and we’ll be link to your post in the following character segment.I see the rest of it as mostly self explanatory. Remove the parenthesis and have at thee.Username:Name:Appearance:Affiliation: If you are associated with the New California Republic or Texas Union, you are to note your rank/position here. If just a civilian, say so. This is also the place to note if you are a super mutant or ghoul.Age:Specialization: What is your profession? And what else you’re good at.Equipment: For limits, just try and make it reasonable as to what you could carry but I don't really mind how many. Also! This needs to be realistic. Most civilians don’t have access to energy weapons, none have access to Power Armour, and few have access to the high-end automatic weapons used by the New California Republic or the Texas Union, and if for whatever reason you do, make sure you have a reason for it.Bio:Faction SheetsI’m gonna try and be at least a little stern here with the create-a-faction feature. I want something original and well-thought out, here. Keyword original, keep the Covenant in Halo!Username:Name:Leaders:Important Locations: If applicable. You can make them up.Structure: What sort of ranking system do they have? How about their government? This is also a good place to talk about their technology. (If it’s current military grade, or if they have access to pre-war tech.)History:003: FactionsThe New California Republic”A safe people is a strong people.”Founded in 2186 by a man named Aradesh and his daughter, Tandi, the New California Republic is often considered humanity’s best bet. With nearly a million civilians in the Core Region (the south west coast and the surrounding area, roughly centered around Los Angelos) and the Mojave Wasteland, they are the most successful government known to post apocalyptic society. Despite all their success, they are not perfect. After Tandi died, the following presidents have been known to neglect the needs of many a citizen, and have often been seen as greedy, and selfish.The population of a town called Shady Sands consisted mostly of survivors from Vault 15. It was built in 2142, just north of the remains of Los Angelos, at the time called the Hub. It was created using a machine called the G.E.C.K.: the ‘Garden of Eden Creation Kit’, the epitome of pre-war technology that was installed in certain vaults. It allowed them to create a thriving ecosystem, erect buildings, and establish a settlement.Shady Sands was however, plagued by problems. It was attacked constantly by radscorpions and raiders, the latter of which even went as far as kidnapping Tandi in 2161, a fault that was corrected by an inhabitant of Vault 13. In 2162, the town’s citizens became the owners of the Crimson Caravan Company, a titanic merchant group that dominated trade in the Core region. In 2189, with the help of the Crimson Caravan and a few others, the citizens, namely Aradesh and Tandi, were able to turn Shady Sands into the headquarters of the newest military superpower: the New California Republic, and by 2281, they owned not only the entire Core, but also the Mojave, after a long and brutal campaign against groups such as the Enclave, and Caesar’s Legion.As of 2342, NCR is lead by a man named George Theodore Knox. He was raised in New California Republic, the town, and the son of one of the New California Rangers. He is a very aggressive man, and was the one who ordered the takeover of Austin, under the guise of wanting to control the major trading system the city is the hub of, but there have been whispers among current Union citizens that his actions in the south have been driven by pure spite against the Church that has such significant influence.Unlike most other groups encountered in post-apocalyptic society, the New California Republic employs a strict ranking system, one that follows very closely to 21^st century militaries of the United States, or other such countries. The general technology possessed by the NCR is obviously military grade and higher than civilian, but they do not have the tech skills required to utilize or operate the latest pre-war technology, such as Power Armour, and have energy weapons in short supply, so their firearms are all typically stocked with bullets.The Rangers ”The Ranger vets are coming in from Baja. I’ve never seen one, but I hear they chew nails and spit napalm.”The Rangers of the Core area were always the super soldiers of the world, rivaled in prowess by only the Brotherhood of Steel’s Paladins, and even so, no Paladin could ever do what a Ranger could. Founded by a man named Seth when NCR was created, the New California Rangers took very little time in becoming the most reputable and prestigious soldiers NCR could offer.The New California Rangers are not to be confused with the Desert Rangers. The Desert Rangers were the spiritual successors to the Texas Rangers, surviving ever since the Great War of 2077 in the state of Nevada, but had certain members inhabit areas in the Core as well. By the time NCR Rangers had entered the Mojave, in 2271, the Desert Rangers were being plagued by Caesar’s Legion, and contacted the NCR, and were later absorbed into the ranks of NCR.Rangers were hand picked out of training, for those who excelled at reconnaissance or marksmanship. Ranger training was extensive and it was brutal, with a 80% drop out rate. The soldiers who emerged were ‘quieter than a shadow and deadlier than a deathclaw’, very respected and feared among enemies, and idolized among comrades. The Rangers who survived to spin tales of heroism were awarded veteran status: and with that, the prestigious black armour and trench coat, the signature attire of the Desert Rangers who preceded them.For all their skill and training, there remain very few Rangers in NCR’s military. During the Mojave Campaign, there were only about fifty or sixty Rangers present, and a few hundred in the Core, but after the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, there remain only a few dozen.The Texas Union”Texas is neither southern nor western. Texas is Texas.”The only known organized government in the post apocalyptic United States to successfully colonize an entire state that isn’t the New California Republic is the Texas Union. Based out of the remains of the former capital of the state, Austin, the Texas Union is a government that prioritizes on keeping old world Republican values alive.They started out as a small group of raiders who emerged from Vault 63, just south of the city of Austin. As they were the most organized out of any of the raiders, they established supremacy rather easily. The original inhabitants of Vault 63 were unfortunately far from the cream of the Texan crop- instead, the Vault was filled with the rural civilians Texan stereotypes were born from, the ultra-religious and ultra-conservative.Given their simple upbringings and utter devotion to the concepts that held so much power during twelfth century Italy, the ‘63ers’ were almost putty in the hands of the missionaries of the newly created Resurgence Church of the Savior, the Church that was created in the aftermath of the separation in the Mormon Church in the north that had traveled south to colonize there.As the Resurgence Church had a spine that was crafted by the same general beliefs that the inhabitants of the Vault were raised to believe, it wasn’t hard for the high priests to convince the raiders to unify. With the wealth provided by the Church, the raiders were able to arm themselves and turn their comfortable dominance into complete and utter control of Austin and the surrounding area, and found themselves spreading outwards, with the goal of unifying Texas once again.In 2342, the man who heads the Texas Union is the same man who organized the original Vault escape, a man named Warren Rodriguez. Unlike most of his soldiers, he feels little commitment to the values of the Church. His alliance with them is purely financial. He is a very intelligent and very respectful, his biggest hero being none other than Edward Sallow- Caesar himself.The Union uses a simple ranking system, categorizing their military similarly to the Brotherhood of Steel. Their soldiers start out as Recruits, eventually advance to Initiates. After becoming Initiates, the soldiers of the Union have two possible paths they can choose, each with its own set of ranks.The much more commonly chosen path is the Holy path, also known as the Walkers- starting as a Defender, and then ranking up to a Guardian, Veteran Guardian, and finally a Chieftain. The Walkers are backed by the Church almost exponentially more than its alternatives, and for good reason. The foot soldiers of the Union, as well as the peacekeepers and law makers, are the Holy path, and their influence on the Texan wastes are drastically larger than the Unholy.The Unholy is, predictably, the opposite path. Unlike the Walkers, the Unholy are the hunters of the Wasteland, inspired in part by the New California Rangers. Also unlike the Walkers, the Unholy or ‘Mavericks’ don’t follow any sort of chain of command, and once they complete training, they are Dusters until they retire, with the only chance of advancing in rank is becoming one of the four Ghosts who deal with the sketchier happenings in the Wasteland.The Dusters are the anti-Rangers. Training is just as extensive, and their missions are typically similar, as they perform reconnaissance and assassinations of key targets, and even to protecting the all-stars of the Church. The Ghosts are the only thing the NCR has no match for. There is no known limit to what these Ghosts are capable of doing, but it is rather clear that there is something about them that just isn’t human.The Mavericks weren’t installed by the Church, however, actually by Rodriguez himself, in an act deemed necessary by himself and only himself. The Mavericks answer mostly to him. Despite their prestige, they are typically shunned by Texas civilians and operate covertly, or not at all. The Ghosts, on the other hand, are outright feared, and they know it. When a Ghost makes an appearance, he has a reason, and the people listen to it gladly.The Resurgence ChurchWhile it’s name suggests otherwise, the Resurgence Church is not a religious group, at least by 21^st century definitions of religious. The Resurgence Church worships a different deity- us.When the Vaults were opened, they found plenty of pre-war magazines, newspapers, and recordings. This built up many myths about what life was like before the war, since, nobody in the wastes knew for sure, with the exception of the Ghouls. Pre-war life was a thing of mystery for the people of post-war America, and it was a mystery very many people were interested in.One such man was Blake Driscoll, a scholar who worked for the Followers of the Apocalypse, the same ones scattered throughout NCR territory. He was fascinated by these pre-war ideas and used the people’s fascination to rally up against his superiors, demanding these concepts were recognized. The Church refused, and Driscoll and his followers struck out, to eventually form the Resurgence Church.Like pre-war Churches, the Resurgence Church gained much wealth from post-apocalypse entrepreneurs who loved pre-war ideas that wanted to support them, and wanted to be attached to something that wasn’t clingy or demanding. By the time Driscoll and his caravan reached Texas, they had a wealth that rivaled NCR, and the rest is history.They are adored by the Union citizens who also love their ideas. The primary goal of the Resurgence Church is to spread Capitalism lifestyle, to promote education, and to keep standards of living high. That last one, particularly, is handled in a very controversial manner. This can lead to bigotry towards irradiated or mutated people, such as Ghouls, which includes a lot of Union citizens. They are taken and disposed of, all in the name of good living.This hatred of Mutants leads to the Church’s alliance with the Travis County Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel. The Church employs them to eradicate large mutant threats, and in return, the Brotherhood is granted exclusive access to the Texas National Guard’s headquarters, just a few miles outside of Austin, and isolation to do their bidding in there.Minor Factions”Don’t matter if you smell bad, all that matters is staying alive.”The Brotherhood of SteelThe iconic flagship faction of Fallout as a series since the first game, the Brotherhood of Steel has, of course, made their way into 24^th century Texas. Originally from the Core region, the Brotherhood is a group of super soldiers and scholars who inherited the equipment used by the United States military, and reverse engineered it to be mass-produced among their soldiers. They focus on one thing- the preservation of pre-war technology. They are an elitist group, whose members consist primarily of descendants from original members, but they have been known to rarely make exceptions to this, and allow unique or talented individuals to join their ranks.The Brotherhood’s soldiers follow a medieval sort of ranking system, going from Initiate, to Knight, and finally to Paladin. A Brotherhood Paladin is their primary foot soldiers, and are quite a magnificent specimen, rivaled only by the Union’s Unholy and the New California Rangers. They go through state-of-the-art training- virtual reality, primarily. Despite rarely fighting human foes, Paladins have been known to slaughter thirty men apiece in large battles, such as the Battle of HELIOS One.There is, however, a second ranking system used by the Brotherhood- this being the Scribes. Scribes are what their name suggests, record keepers, intelligence officers, and the like. The choice to be either a Scribe, or a Knight, is one to be made when entering the Brotherhood.The Brotherhood operates in smaller groups called Chapters. A Chapter is a group of Brotherhood members around a hundred personnel strong, and they are lead by the Elder. Each branch of the Brotherhood also has a leader- the Elder Scribe, for the Scribe branch, and the Head Paladin, for the Paladin branch.Travis County Chapter of the Brotherhood of SteelThe Chapter of the Brotherhood that this RPG features is much more powerful than the Mojave Chapter. Due to the Church’s distaste for mutants and the Brotherhood’s experience fighting them, the two groups have reached a state of harmony. The Brotherhood defends Travis County from Super Mutants, and other such things. However, as few Super Mutants have wandered as far south as Texas, the Brotherhood enjoys the benefits of the treaty signed with the Church for little work. To their name, the Travis County Chapter boasts complete control of Texas’ military base, three miles down river from Austin. They are granted solitude from Union soldiers and few outsiders are ever allowed inside the base. The Elder of the Travis County Chapter is Elder James Smogon.The EnclaveThe single handed most advanced group in post-war society, the Enclave is actually a very dark, very significant other to the pre-war United States. Founded sometime before the war, they were in charge of following the US government, correcting errors, and creating back up plans. The Vault project was one such back up plan.Being as their scientists have never stopped working, the Enclave considers themselves the best of the best of the post-war society and with good reason. They are the only radiation-free life forms left on the planet, they have the most advanced armour and weapons, and they have access to the only remaining pool of fossil fuel left on the planet. The only reason they could never take over and become supreme kings of the world is their dwindling numbers. Like the Brotherhood, the only surviving members are descendants of original members. Nobody else fits their standards.Little is known about their structure, other than they are lead by a President, one who typically considers himself President of the United States, despite the President of the New California Republic arguably deserving that title more. Their soldiers are better equipped than any Paladin, but skirmishes have proven time and time over that they are no match for the Brotherhood’s soldiers.004: Geography”I emerged from the scene, and looked back on the rubble.”The Texas Wasteland is massive. This RPG focuses on a select part of it though- Travis County, or the area surrounding the city of Austin. There are certain areas in this RPG that are more important than others, areas that everybody should know about. These areas will be covered in this section.Note: PM a staff member with a description of an area if you want it added into the game, and this post. Preferably me, since I have to see it anyways to edit it in.AustinAustin, Texas, was and is the capital city of Texas, and was one of its most thriving communities. During the Great War, it was not hit very hard, like Las Vegas, leaving many buildings intact, and letting a community build itself. In this RPG, many locations fall within its limits. They are as follows:The Capitol BuildingThe headquarters of the Texas Union and located dead center of city, as if the warheads shaped the city perfectly even around it. It is a heavily fortified building for good reason- all major Union personnel live and operate here. Military training is executed in the back, military planning is executed inside. This is where the negotiations between the Texas Union and the New California Republic are being held.The HubUnrelated to the remnants of Las Angelos despite sharing its name, the Hub is the largest trading center known to post-apocalyptic man. It occupies the street directly south of the Capitol Building, which has been cleared and built to support merchants, caravans, and shoppers, alike. Musicians can be found every so often, busking. It is the happiest place in the wasteland by far. It is patrolled by the Walkers day and night, even if all trading is to be ceased at midnight sharp, with few exceptions, like the annual Union Day festival.The RockLocated just west of the Capitol building, the Rock is the go-to places for adults after midnight. It offers gambling, and entertainment. It is famous for its bi-monthly fighting tournaments, which often have the entire city abuzz.The ChurchFormerly Austin City Hall, the Church is home to the Resurgence Church and all its higher ups. Here is where the Church’s doctors reside, where a sprawling library is kept, and where classes are taught. The teachers educate their students, children and adults alife, on pre-war culture. There are sixteen lectures in total, and most who come to hear one hear them all later on.The TempleThree miles down the Colorado River from Austin is the home of Texas’ pre-war military force. Currently, the Temple is inhabited by the Travis County Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel, and they seldom allow people to enter. Little is known about what the Brotherhood needs the Temple for, but those who are familiar with them could likely guess.The PlainsMore or less, all the area in between. Surrounding Austin are the sprawling Texan plains, home to Deathclaws, Mutants, Geckos and other beasts. This is where the Ghouls and Super Mutants have been driven too, where they have seemed to have ceased to exist. Considering the dangers, their deaths are very likely. Outside of carnivores, the most dangerous things in the Plains are the ultra-powerful radioactive tornadoes that terrorize the countryside. They are rare, but they are deadly, and can ghoul-ify anybody trapped in their vortex in mere minutes.The BadlandsUnlike Austin, the city of San Antonio to the southwest was devastated in the Great War. A total of six warheads hit the city, turning a thriving metropolis into a ghost town. The ruins are heavily irradiated but nobody has ever explored them. Rumor has it that all Ghouls and Mutants the Church leaves to die in the Plains make their way to San Antonio, which gave it the name. Ultimately, it is a place of mystery and of wonder, but also grave danger.The CoreWhile not looked at in this RPG, the Core region deserves a mention. This is the region dealt with in the first two Fallout games- that being, the area around Las Angelos, where the New California Republic got settled. It will be mentioned many times throughout the RPG, so it deserves an explanation to newcomers of the series.005: TechnologyThe wasteland of Texas is very similar to the Mojave Desert with a few key exceptions. Unlike the Mojave, there is no Hoover Dam. This means that nobody, not even the richest of the rich, has access to electricity, and if they do, they keep it to themselves. Instead, lighting is provided by a type of pre-war glow stick. Union citizens have taken to calling them Starbeams. Created by a Texan scientist before the war, they were cheap and easy to manufacture and were designed to be sold as camping equipment. After the Great War, however, citizens discovered that radioactivity, even in slight amounts, could reignite them indefinitely to provide a blaring glow of white light, bright enough to lighten an entire room. They can be turned off by unscrewing the ends. Starbeams are in great supply, and are common household items, even if they cost upwards of two hundred caps a piece.The second biggest difference between the Mojave and Texan Wastes are firearms. Travis County boasts zero access to the Gun Runners, the weapons trading empire that dominates in the Core and Mojave regions. As well, the van Graffs who deal with energy weapons, are also absent, meaning that the only reliable source of weaponry are the Union’s tech staff, and the New California Republic soldiers. Naturally, neither is a viable source of high-end weaponry for civilians.Food preservation is a constant issue in post-war America. As Austin has no source of electricity, they don’t have access to working refrigerators, so there is no reliable way to keep meat fresh without going the traditional route and smoking them.The New California Republic, however, brings its own technology to the table. Once they seized control of Hoover Dam and restored it to a condition where nearly no scientists were required to run it, the Republic’s scientists were given nearly thirty years of bliss to pursue technologies to improve the standard of living, and to reinforce their armies. Outside of continuing to supply the army with Vertibirds [a design taken from the Enclave], the Republic saw the unveiling of, for the first time since the war, a motorized vehicle- or motorhicle, for short.Powered with electricity siphoned into massive, four pound batteries, these vehicles use a pre-war design of a one or two person motorbike with very precise steering capabilities, used almost exclusively for military use. These bikes, or Blades (Named after how they can cut straight through a sand dune, and how they look from the top) are very expensive to manufacture, and very expensive to put together. There are a little under one hundred in the entire military, and less than a dozen exist for civilian use. Prototype models for ground vehicles that can transfer equipment and troops are in the making but have not been mass produced.Weaponry has yet to change much, however. The Union is equipped with traditional firearms, like the Republic- weapons which use 5.56mm rounds, 5mm rounds, .308 rounds, etc. Energy weapons are a different animal. Energy weapons use rounds like Energy and Microfusion cells, and are hard to find, as they are mostly pre-war technology. Energy weapons are very uncommon in Travis County, and most of them belong to the Brotherhood of Steel, who makes them inaccessible to civilians and soldiers alike.Aside from energy weapons, the most extensive and highly prized technology available in the Texan Wasteland is the coveted Power Armor. Introduced by the United States military shortly before the great war, the T-45d Power Armor was the first Power Armor deployed into battle, replaced later by the sleeker T-51b. Power Armor is a machine that needs to be learned how to be used- to the ignorant, it is little more than heavy junk. Currently, the only people in the Texan Wastes equipped with Power Armor are the Brotherhood of Steel, and they keep all available suits to themselves.Finally, the most dangerous weapon in the Wasteland is the Forced Evolution Virus- the same one that created the Master, and all his Super Mutants. Created just prior to the Great War by a company known as West-Tek (The same company that supplied the U.S. with Power Armor) as a counter weapon to the Chinese’ invisibility weapons (Stealth Boys). The Forced Evolution Virus, or FEV, does exactly what its name implies- forces evolution and it doesn’t do it particularly well. It can bestow great gifts, like strength or even telepathy in the case of Richard Grey, later known as the Master. However, in doing this it mutates the human form, creating Super Mutants. If direct exposure to the virus happens, its results are exaggerated, and can be very terrifying.006: Beastiary”You can blame God for giving him teeth, but you can only blame yourself for not giving him peace.

Enemy soldiers are not the only danger to face in the Texan Wastes.Note: PM a staff member with a description of a beast if you want it added into the game, and this post. Preferably me, since I have to see it anyways to edit it in.Deathclaws are the fastest and strongest of all the beasts in the Wasteland. Unlike most other creatures that roam the wastes, Deathclaws were not a child of radiation but in fact by the U.S. Army before the war. They were mutated Jackson’s Chameleons, used for dangerous missions in place of human soldiers. After the Great War, they survived heartily, originally considered beasts of legend. Once they became more common and more widespread across America, hunters began to respect them as very dangerous creatures. They stand at about seven feet tall, are very fast, very strong, and very difficult to kill. They are very territorial, and will attack everything that intrudes in their habitat.Super Mutants were very common in the Texan Wasteland before the Resurgence Church began to have their way. It is unknown how they came to exist in the Texan Wastes, and have no connections to The Master, from the Core region. They are intelligent, like most first generation Super Mutants, and not savages. They are stronger than humans and very tough, but due to their scarcity, pose little threat if an attack were to be mounted. A trait of Super Mutants is that they live unnaturally long lives, and can live for hundreds of years.Ghouls are in a similar boat as the Super Mutants. Unlike Super Mutants, which were humans exposed to the Forced Evolutionary Virus [FEV], Ghouls are simply humans exposed to an ungodly amount of radiation, which forces their skin to mostly fall off, and makes their voices very raspy. Like Super Mutants, they live very long lives. Some Ghouls were alive even before the war. Another trait of Ghouls is that they are fully immune to radiation poisoning, and can heal wounds if exposed to it.Ghouls come in three phases, depending on the type and intensity of radiation they are exposed to- ‘normal’ Ghouls, Feral Ghouls, and Glowing Ones. Feral Ghouls are brainless zombies, which will kill anything that won’t kill them first. Glowing Ones are the most rare kind of Ghoul. They can be either normal or Feral, but are usually Feral. Their organs glow a sickening green and they still reek of radiation. They are the strongest type of Ghoul.A newcomer to the Texan wasteland is a creature known to locals as Wheelers. Wheelers are mutated armadillos. Like Geckos, the armadillo population of Texas grew after the Great War, in both meanings. Once being tiny little creatures, Wheelers evolved into four foot long, aggressive beasts. Like the name implies, Wheelers curl into balls and roll about at very quick speeds, downhill reaching almost twenty miles an hour. Physically, Wheelers sport a bumpy, almost serrated shell. It is tough to penetrate with traditional firearms, but energy weapons are very effective in penetrating the shell and reaching the fleshy underbelly underneath. The have sharp fangs, sharp claws, and a short snout. The most interesting (and dangerous) part about Wheelers are the four, flexible spines that sprouted from their shoulders. These spines are toxic but not fatally so. In great doses, this poison can paralyze, which is how Wheelers catch their prey. Wheelers are typically easy to track, and their flesh is commonly sought out in marketplaces, and the toxin is used in medicines.Geckos are also common in Travis County, and are natural enemies with the Wheeler. There are many variations, some stronger and faster than others, but look very similar. They stand at about three feet tall and have evolved into bipedal creatures. Rumor has it that certain species can actually breathe fire.

[Archer Vonn]

Discussion thread

 

Talk about how awesome this is

 

IC

 

A laser burst cleaned a hole through a cazador’s wing and a flash of gray metal sprinted past, silver on the blackness of night. The Paladin inside the armour was sprinting, at least, but he was moving slowly, thanks to his outdated armour. His boots carried him up and then over a hill, ducking under an overhang of rocks and following the cliff edge, until he found the cave.

It wasn’t actually a cave, more of a result of a large explosion. In it stood the rest of the Paladins in his squad. Three of them were outfitted with the more modern armour, the T-51. He and a Knight were still in T-45. It bothered him when he wasn’t on missions.

The leader, Head Paladin Nathaniel Rhombus, wasn’t wearing a helmet, and his face was torn. Not physically, though he was scarred from years of campaigns against mutants and raiders, but he looked perplexed. Indecisive. The Brothers around him looked nervous as well.

“Sir?” The newcomer asked.

Only now did the Head Paladin turn to face the final member of the squad. He flipped his rifle around and stuck the butt of the energy sniper in his hands, and gestured, for the Paladin to look through the scope.

He did, and he understood now the Head Paladin’s concern. For miles off, just barely visible over the hills, was the white two headed bear of the New California Republic.

“I don’t know what anybody would be doing out here.” Rhombus spoke in the angry rumble he had learned from his namesake. “I especially don’t know why they would be out here.”

The Paladin nodded, and lowered the rifle. “Maybe Rodriguez will negotiate a treaty. This doesn’t immediately concern us.”

The Head Paladin turned to the newcomer. “What are you talking about?”

“The NCR.”

Rhombus paused. “The NCR?”

“Yes. There is an NCR flag flying...what are you talking about?”

The Gauss rifle changed hands once again, and the Head Paladin looked through the scope at the banner, and swore. He moved it a few degrees west, then handed the rifle back. “That is what I am talking about.”

He looked one more time, and then understood the Head Paladin’s confusion. Barely visible against the night Texan skies wandered a lone man. He didn’t wander with purpose, or sentience, more like a drunk. The alarming thing about the wanderer was he was dressed in an all-too familiar looking robe. It was the one Enclave scientists dressed their guinea pigs in.

[Makuta of Time]

IC:

Rick stood atop of the Capital Building that is now the ruined city of Austin. So many years of living here, but he always wondered about one thing. What was his great great grandfather like. In the year 2076, he moved here to Austin, since he knew about how the blast would affect his beloved city. Four generations later, he's living in a ###### hole that can be overrun by Mutants, or some organization.

 

He got into position and scoped around the outside area for anything suspicious. He saw one strange looking man coming into Austin, but he didn't look alright. He looked almost sickly. He got a radio and said, "Anyone who is in this frequency, I spotted a strange man outside of the city. I going to take him out."

 

With that he picked up his rifle and aimed at the man.

Edited May 5, 2013 by Flaredrick: Forgotten One

[Archer Vonn]

IC

 

"Now is that any way to make friends?" If Rick were a good soldier, his blood would've turned cold. The voice that replied to him on the radio was the most famous in all of Austin, more than Driscoll's or Rodriguez'. The man who replied was a demon, the Prince of ######. The Leader of the Ghosts. The man who replied was named Julius. "Don't open fire on every drunkard in the wasteland. We don't have enough bullets."

 

---

 

The much closer group, the NCR, spotted the traveller a little after the sniper from the Union or the Brotherhood, but unlike the Paladins were not threatened by anything and retrieved him instead. Since the camp was, as far as they knew, far enough outside Union territory to avoid detection, they were worried to find him so close to it, and needed to investigate.

 

The CO, Colonel William Jericho, gave him a brief prepping. Asking him basic questions, if he knew what the Union and NCR were, what he was doing out in the wastes, and if he could identify himself. The problem with interrogations were the man was very, very deranged, and couldn’t answer anything without being hysterical. He was sentenced to medical testing and then laid to rest.

The one man in the entire camp that seemed the most taken by the stranger was Jason Hanlon, one of two Rangers stationed in Texas. He knew this man, but couldn’t place his face.

Hanlon was sort of a stranger himself, a prodigy. He was an amazing marksman and scout, and definitely deserved his Ranger star, that wasn’t in question. What was in question and a topic of conversation among many Rangers was his youth and its correlation with his black armour. Jason Hanlon was twenty seven years old and ranked a Veteran Ranger, one of one dozen in the New California Republic. His grandfather was the same Chief Hanlon who served two campaigns in the Mojave, until his career was cut short by his suicide, and the old Chief was honored by his grandson receiving the black armour earlier than anyone could’ve hoped for.

 

Hanlon stood outside the hospital room the stranger had been put in a few hours ago, arms crossed. He was in his full armour, nowadays he rarely ever had time to take it off, and even still had his carbine slung over his shoulder. He couldn't stop thinking about this guy.

 

"Hanlon."

 

The Colonel's voice rattled the Ranger. But, a shaken Ranger and an unstirred Ranger had no differences. "Sir!" He turned and saluted.

 

"I have something for you to do."

Edited May 5, 2013 by Ra's al Ghul

[Makuta of Time]

IC:

"Yes sir." With that he lowered his rifle and continued to look on into the Wasteland. He didn't like the fact that he has to be taking orders from some one who's a Ghost. Just being called that made him shiver. He never liked ghosts, even if they were once a fantasy. He looked tired and dis-trot from his post.

 

He laid down on the floor and looked up into the starry night sky. Then his eyes closed and he went to sleep.

[Chronicler of Ko-Koro]

(IC - Danny Burton) ♫ ...I'm making believe that you're in my arms / Though I know you're so far away / Making believe, I'm talking to you / Wish you could hear what I say ♫The dulcet sounds of Bill Kenny and Ella Fitzgerald roused Danny Burton from his sleep. With a tired groan, he rolled off the dirt-stained, parasite ridden excuse for a mattress he'd been sleeping on onto the floor, his good hand groping about the nightstand searching for the dial on that blasted radio.♫ And here in the gloom of my lonely room / We're dancing like we used to do / Making believe is just another way of dreaming / So 'til my dreams come truuuu- ♫The music faded out with a mechanical hum as the tubes in the radio cooled down. Danny pulled himself to his feet, slipping into the pair of pants lying at the foot of his bed. Slowly, Danny forced his body to drag itself across the room. At some point, long before the war, this building had been one of the oldest, fanciest hotels in Austin; a few hundred years of neglect and exposure to the elements had changed that. The ceiling was cracked and sagging, the wallpaper faded and peeled away, a thin layer of grime covered the window that hadn't been boarded up. Looters had long since come through and removed most of the valuables, leaving only the nightstand and dresser; Danny had had to drag the mattress up from one of the other rooms. The room had a bathroom connecting to it, but Danny didn't think taking a shower was worth the potential radiation dose.He fumbled with the latch on the dresser, then pulled on his shirt and laced up his boots. He turned his attention to the dresser's bottom drawer, latched in place with a heavy padlock. Opening the drawer, Danny slowly removed its contents, laying them out one by one on the floor. The first was an old set of brass knuckles; it always felt a little awkward slipping onto a four-fingered hand, but in his condition his punches needed the extra world of hurt they brought to the table. Next was his shotgun, a weapon with the sort of spread to it which made accuracy optional. And finally there was his revolver, a weapon a Regulator could be proud of - if he could shoot straight with it anymore, that was.Grumbling, Danny strapped the revolver into his holster, then reached for his coat. The knuckles he slipped into the pockets for ease of access, the shotgun he stowed concealed beneath the folds of the long duster. It was quite the arsenal to take out for a morning stroll, especially considering he was probably just strolling down to the nearest bar to get wasted while looking for potential jobs. But in a city like this, it never hurt to be prepared for the worst. Finally, Danny pulled on his hat, adjusting the brim down low to shield his face from the harsh Texan sun. He locked the door to his makeshift home behind him, heading down the long hallway towards the stairs out of this place.[For Science!]

[Archer Vonn]

IC

 

Jason exited the quartermaster's supply tent and found himself in the firing range. It was around noon, now, which meant a lot of soldiers, recruits and vets alike, were practicing. Rangers, especially veteran Rangers, had a sort of stigma around them, and his presence coaxed a lot of recruits and a few other true believers to start showing off.

 

The Colonel briefed the Ranger, and spared no detail. The job itself was simple. A senator, Aaron Hull, had just flown in from California, and was going to meet up with a Union ambassador tomorrow. The Senator, however, needed some boozing and wasn't satisfied with the stores the NCR had brought with him. He demanded to go into town."Ol' Hull thinks he can handle himself but really, he don't know these Union folk." The Colonel had said. "He sort of demanded to come down and god knows NCR won't send anyone else to speed negotiations along, so we gotta make do."

 

What Hanlon needed right now was another set of eyes. Someone grizzled, and experienced, knew what would be out of place, even in a place they didn't know.

[Chronicler of Ko-Koro]

(IC - Nil) ♫ In my solitude you haunt me / With reveries of days gone by / In my solitude you taunt me / With memories that never die... ♫With a bitter growl, Nil raised his head from his bunk and glared at the private listening to the radio across from him."You mind listening to that garbage somewhere else?" he asked in a low, raspy voice. "I've only got a hour's break, and I'd like to get a little shut-eye during that.""Do you zombies even need to sleep?" the private asked incredulously."Yes, as a matter of fact, we do," Nil replied through gritted teeth. "We 'zombies' need to get our eight hours of sleep, or else we go crazy and start biting the necks of people who ask stupid questions.""That's the biggest load of bull I've heard this week," said the private. "I bet you're just making that up.""Then leave that radio on, and you'll find out.""What you got against my music, anyhow?" asked the private. "I'd think you of all people would have a little more respect for the classics...""Yeah, well it was already a classic way back when I was a smoothskin like you," said Nil. "Can I be blamed for wishing that, in nearly three hundred years, somebody would be bothered to make some new music?"Snarling to himself, Nil got out of bed and laced up his boots."Forget it. If anyone needs me, I'll be down at the firing ranges," he muttered, stepping out of their tent and marching off. "Maybe constant weapon fire will be enough to drown out your blasted racket..."[For Science!]

[Archer Vonn]

IC

[Julius - Austin rooftops]

 

Night came and went but the Ghost wouldn't have slept, anyway. Noon had rolled around, and with it, the Grim Reaper of sleep came to reap some sleep. The sniper he had talked to last night was the last on his list, but of course, he was also the only one he really had to talk to.

 

Julius slinked up the stairs, silent as a ghost, and caught the sniper still napping. He sighed, and paced over. A chair had been dragged up beside the bed, and he couldn't help but wonder if the snipers were maybe a little too well groomed. He sat in the chair, let off a slight groan, and reached for his boot. Had the sniper been one of his Dusters, he wouldn't have slipped the knife out of the toe. But this was one of Driscoll's knights, and he had gotten in trouble for maiming walkers in the past. He slipped the knife out, stood up, wound up, and kicked Ricardo square in the ribs.

 

---

 

[Jason Hanlon - NCR base]

 

The Ranger paced around, watching all.

 

"Hey Hanlon, watch this!"

 

A rookie soldier ten feet off him tossed his Service Rifle in the air, and took two steps back. In one fluid motion, the recruit charged, caught the rifle, and ballistically leaped at the dummy stationed at the end of the ring, flying feet first. He squeezed off three rounds, and all three hit the same place. The melon pinned to the front of the dummy's head exploded.

 

Cheers blew up the range, and Jason grinned behind his helmet. He raised his hands to his helmet and took it off. A cocky smirk was on his lips. He called out encouragement at the recruit, but was sort of set off by the juveniles here. Were they all rookies? He might be better off alone.

[Makuta of Time]

IC:

"Oof, urgh." Rick woke up to a rough start, and eyes adjusting. He saw a face that gave him chills, a ghost. "Never though I actually see you in person." Ricardo said with a slight hint of sarcasm. He got up the wall and stood and saluted the Texas Ghost, only known as Julius. "What brings up here sir? Is there something that I need to assist in?"

[Archer Vonn]

IC

[Julius - Austin rooftops]

 

"Yes."

 

"You're a sniper, right? The one that spotted that drifter last night. I looked into it. That drifter was near the NCR basecamp, a good five miles outside the city. How powerful is the scope on that thing? Either way. I need to make use of your talents. Someone will be coming up to relieve you from your post shortly. When this happens, report to Veteran Guardian Myles. He is aware of my," The Ghost paused, and looked up, as if something caught his attention in the marketplace. He hissed when he talked, as if his voice box only released gas and the air just seeped from his throat. It was hard to hear, really. "Concerns with some recent developments, involving a few targets. You're going to make an assassination, and I'll leave it at that."

 

He paced to the edge of the nest, and glanced down. A wooden platform, covered by a colourful red and green and yellow fabric existed about twenty feet down. "Think a fall from this height would break anything?" He didn't wait for the sniper to respond, he just shrugged and took a step off the nest, and fell.

 

A Duster, wearing bulky Union armour painted red and toting a sniper rifle came up the ramp a few seconds after, and dismissed Ricardo.

 

EDIT: And we are officially the same size as our own discussion topic, congratulations everyone. This is more than I ever expected.

Edited May 6, 2013 by Ra's al Ghul

[Makuta of Time]

IC:

"Duster." He said with a salute, and headed off to the Vet Guard Myles. He should be able to find him since usually most soldiers here are in the same place they always are in. He headed to the local bar and entered. There he saw a crowd of men in uniform. At the center was Myles.

[Archer Vonn]

OOC He's in the courtyard, not a bar.

 

IC

[NPC]

 

Veteran Guardian, the rough equivalent to lieutenant, is a big step for a lot of Walkers, and for almost all that make it, their last. Myles was hopeful, however. He had ambitions, and a plan. He knew whose boots to lick, which targets to focus on, and which soldiers were expendable. Even if he weren't the only one wearing the slim fitting auburn armour that was signature of the Veteran Guardians in the courtyards, he'd be easily identifyable as the soldier in the courtyard having an anxiety attack.

 

"Defender Menendez." Myles boomed. He noticed just how loud he said that and looked embarrassed, a few nearby Walkers turned to look at him, and quieted his voice. "I hear you've got some experience. Sniping, particularly. I have an assignment for you."

[Chronicler of Ko-Koro]

(IC - Dixie Hawkins) ♫ Maybe it's just for a day / Love is as changeable as the weather / And after all, how little we know / Who knows why an April breeze never remains /Why stars in the trees hide when it rains... ♫"Look, sir! I got the radio to work!"Dixie poked her head through the window of the disused automobile her fellow Knight was fiddling with, flashing him a friendly smile."That's nice; the whole Brotherhood commends you for your ingenuity. Now, would you please turn it off before you let the entire Wasteland know our position? Sound travels pretty far in a desert, y'know."The Knight's hands nervously fumbled at the dashboard until the found the dial to switch off the radio. "Sorry 'bout that, sir.""Fine, fine, just don't let it happen again, we clear?"Dixie stepped back from the car, the entire chassis lifting a few inches off the ground as the weight of her power armor was lifted off it. They'd found this automobile lying in at the bottom of a ridge out in the Texan wastes; their patrol might have walked right by it Dixie hadn't noticed a brief glint of metal. Further up the ridge, the Paladin that rounded out their patrol was approaching her."I really don't like us sticking around here, Hawk. A place like this is just begging for an ambush," he said. "You know... there are plenty of cars within the city limits.""Yeah, and they're a waste of time. Scavengers have already picked most of the good stuff clean, the vultures," said Dixie. "I'll bet this baby's engine is mostly intact, and it looks like the ridge saved it from the worst of the desert weather."The Paladin gave a critical glance towards the dented and rusty frame of the vehicle."Only think that hunk of junk is gonna be good for is scrap metal. Let's go.""That 'pile of scrap metal' was powered by a nuclear reactor. If we could figure out how to build our own, we'd finally have electricity," Dixie explained patiently. "Not to mention, if we examine it we could build vehicles to compete with those NCR bikes. Also, cupholders. Those are important too.""Fine, fine," the Paladin sighed. "Just do what we need to do, then we get out of here.""Yes, yes, fine. I need to take a look under the hood, see how much of it is still in working condition," she said, moving over closer to the car. "It's too big for us to move on our own, so we'll have to rustle up some brahmin to tow it back to base-"A loud BANG echoed through the ravine, and inches away from Dixie the car's mirror exploded in a shower of broken glass. Dixie broke into a run, diving as nimbly as her power armor would let her behind a rock for cover."Snipers! Get down!"The Knight followed suit, immediately diving behind the car for cover. A few more bullets pinged off the Paladin's armor, he whirled around and fired a few shots from his laser rifle in the direction they came from. A lucky shot shattered the eyepiece of his helmet, and he crumpled to the ground in a heap of metal. Hulking shapes were sprouting up along the top of the ridge, and Dixie recognized them immediately."We've got Super Mutants incoming!"

 

---

 

(IC - Nil) Nil marched down towards the furthest open space at the firing range, ignoring a rookie punk making some sort of trick shot on a target. Sure, it must have taken him weeks to perfect, but if he tried a stunt like that in the field he'd wind up dead before he got his first shot off. In war, it payed to be simple but efficient.Taking his place, Nil loaded his pistol and took aim at the nearest target. He fired off three shots in quick succession; the first two struck the dummy square in the chest, with the last one in the head for good measure. Not pausing to admire his handiwork, Nil moved on and started blasting at the next closest target.[For Science!]

[Archer Vonn]

IC

[Jason Hanlon - NCR Base Camp: Firing Range]

 

The rooks kept celebrating, but Jason stopped quickly, and went back to scanning the range. He was sort of irritated, actually. The entire firing range seemed to be in this fraternity of-

 

Wait! The end of range. A ghoul. Perfect.

 

Sliding his helmet back on, the Ranger worked his way through the mess and towards the end of the range. One dozen lanes in total, each five feet wide. Seemed overkill, really, but the only separations the lanes had seemed just to be sheets of surplus metal, and the area was still mostly outdoors. He didn't call out to the ghoul, just let him keep shooting. He was a sniper, great, and Hanlon also spotted the striped acorn on his uniform. He was a lieutenant.

 

He didn't even speak as soon as he got beside the ghoul, just kept watching. Eventually, he would speak. "You command any troops, Lieutenant?"

[Chronicler of Ko-Koro]

(IC - Nil) Nil didn't respond immediately, taking a moment to unload the last few rounds from his pistol into a target. He discarded the empty clip as he turned to face Hanlon. Nil had heard all sorts of rumors spread among the troops about this Ranger, but it was a subject in which he had absolutely no interest. Even if he did, he was hardly in any position to judge a man for having secrets."Yeah, more than a few. It's whether the little twerps knew how to follow orders that was generally the problem," he said, sliding another clip into his pistol as he talked. "Why do you want to know?"[For Science!]

[Archer Vonn]

IC

[Jason Hanlon - NCR Base Camp: Firing Range]

 

"Which company?" The ghoul responded. "Ah, yeah. They just shipped in, what, week or so ago? Probably not up to a lot." He shifted his stance and began leaning on the metal sheet that lined the range. "I think I can use you, Lieutenant. I need eyes tonight. An NCR senator is heading into the city tonight, to get a feel. Civilians of the Union feel really negative towards NCR, especially politicians, and the Colonel wants two people on him because of that."

[Chronicler of Ko-Koro]

(IC - Nil) "It's my impression that certain people down in that town... don't take kindly to my sort of people, sir," Nil said, holstering his weapon. "Mind you, they're probably none too keen on NCR ambassadors either, but it's still something you should take under consideration. Now, me personally? I'm keen to go, if just to ruffle the feathers of those Resurgence Church whackjobs."

 

[For Science!]

[Archer Vonn]

IC

[Jason Hanlon - NCR Base Camp: Firing Range]

 

"I-" He paused, and thought. All that footwork he had done in Austin and, the Lieutenant was right. He hadn't seen one Ghoul in the entire place. No talk of any, either, probably because there were none. He looked up at the Ghoul, then back around at his alternatives. Maybe he- no, no this would be irrelevant. They'd be out at night and chances are, in a dark room.

 

"I don't think that'll matter, any, soldier." The Ranger said. He smiled under his helmet, and stuck out a gloved hand to shake. "Ranger Hanlon, first company."

Edited May 6, 2013 by Ra's al Ghul

[Chronicler of Ko-Koro]

(IC - Nil) Nil extended his own hand and shook Hanlon's firmly.

 

"Most folks just call me Nil. S'pose you can too."

 

[For Science!]

Edited May 6, 2013 by Chronicler of Ko-Koro

[Archer Vonn]

IC

[Jason Hanlon - NCR Base Camp: Firing Range]

 

"Should get a longer name, there, Nil." Hanlon joked, then retracted his hand and stood up straight. "The Senator leaves at 1800 hours, I want you at the front entrance then. Talk to the quartermaster about some smaller, CQC weapons. A carbine won't help much in a nightclub, so bring something with a little punch at close range." With that, the Ranger walked off, leaving the Ghoul to his devices.

 

OOC: That's how I cleverly hint that this is my last IC for the night.

[Makuta of Time]

IC:

"Yes sir. You got a target, I can take it out from a far." Rick said saluting the Veteran Guard.

[Archer Vonn]

IC

[NPC]

"Good, our squad is missing one." Myles reported. "Walk with me." The two began pacing the courtyard, as the Guardian began filling him in. There was a caravaneer, out of Austin, that had been attracting Union eyes lately. One that had an untimely large profit gain, much larger than other caravans, and would often disappear to the southwest for days at a time. Myles had gathered information and fed it up the chain of command all the way up to Julius, and the theory was that the caravan was selling to Super Mutants and Ghouls in the Badlands. A Union strike team was going to intercept it tonight and a sniper would be valuable insurance.

 

"You ride along with the squad. They hold up the caravan, you take out the merchant. Clear? Good, because if you screw this up Julius will skin both of us."

[Makuta of Time]

IC:

"Yes sir. I will not fail." He cocked his rifle and put it back on his back.

 

"They won't know what 'em." Rick knew now what was going on. In recent events, someone has attacked the Union and has been making a lot of money lately. A caravaneer to be exact. His gain is so high, that he may be weapons to Mutants and Ghouls out in the Badlands. None of that sounds right, but that's times now.

 

He then looked at Myles and asked, "Do we have any intel on what the merchant looks like? I want to hit the right target and not get some random person killed, letting him get away."

[Archer Vonn]

IC

[NPC]

 

"The caravan will be met outside city limits. The only two people not in Union outfits are the two you need to kill. That being the merchant and his guard. Any further questions?"

[Makuta of Time]

IC:

"No sir. That's all I need to hear. Now let's get on this ambush shall we Guardian?"

[Archer Vonn]

Sorry if this post is a little confusing. In order, it goes Flare, CoKK, Flare. The timeskip applies to both of you.

 

IC[NPC] "Yes, you shall." The Veteran Guardian stopped pacing. In front of him were a half dozen soldiers, casually lounging about the recreational area of the courtyard. All were armed and in uniform, and almost all of them had a beer in their hands. "Defenders, meet your new addition." [Timeskip - 1800, same day.] [Jason Hanlon - Texan Wastes] The thing that Jason loved the most about Texas were the skies. He had been born and raised in California, but spent four years in the Mojave, but in neither of the two places could the starry or evening skies compare to the ones in Texas. Now, it was a colourful palette of orange and purple, like the flaky, fleshy under-skin of a Ghoul. Orange clouds tendrils around purple streaks of space that made up the flesh of the night.

 

The NCR had issued a Blade to Hanlon and the Lieutenant. The Senator was to meet them in town, currently keeping his head down in a friendly part of town. He mentioned something about The Rock, the local bar/fighting ring in town that Hanlon had researched during early scouting of the area. For some reason, all the Ranger could think about though as he piloted the vehicle through sand dunes, Ghoul firmly seated behind him, was the waster they had picked up.

 

The Blade glided into town like an angel's breath. Jason expertly swiped in between totaled cars and civilians, but at this time of day, most were still in the marketplace. By the time he reached the friendly sector, they were far enough away from the center to see nearly noone.

 

Jason dismounted, and tapped the side of his helmet. His lenses lit up. "Alright Lieutenant. Follow me or guard the bike, either way is fine."

 

[union NPC]

 

Most of the soldiers had been issued automatic weapons but the leader, a Guardian named Rockowl, insisted on a carrying a combat shotgun, one specified for riot control. The checkpoint Myles had illustrated was a large lamppost on the outskirts of town, where the pavement gave way to dirt roads and dust trails grinded into the road by years of walking over the area. The caravan would come up from the south. Rockowl placed Ricardo in some hills forty feet to the north, not even far enough away to avoid being hidden but hopefully the merchant wouldn't look over there. The idea behind this particular arrangement was so, in event of failure, the merchants would not be able to blame the Union for potentially being assassinated.

 

The lamppost was adorned with starbeams, four of them, on each side of the rectangular post. They gave off a distinct, yellow-y green light. Similar to the one coming up on the horizon. Rockowl opened up his radio. -{Defender, on my mark. We will stop the caravan. Take the shot when you feel comfortable, but wait until he comes to a complete stop.}-

Edited May 7, 2013 by Ra's al Ghul

[Makuta of Time]

IC:

Rick peered over the hill. He saw the light coming and his squad in position. He put a magazine in the gun and cocked it. He got into position, but not looking into the scope. He knew the drill, wait fr them to stop and take the shot. He looked into the scope to see who it was.

 

He saw two people, one of them was the merchant, and the other his guard. One thing that almost no one knows about, is that he always changes scopes to meet his needs on the field. Luckily he still kept the one used up top on the capitol building. And boy did he love this scope.

 

He kept adjusting it when the caravan came closer, making sure not to miss his shot.

[Chronicler of Ko-Koro]

(IC - Nil) "I'll stick close by, if it's all the same to you," said Nil, following Hanlon down the street. "I was sent here to guard an ambassador, not some high-tech tricycle."

 

Plus, if what he'd heard about the Resurgence Church's treatment of Ghouls was true, Nil didn't want to spend much time alone in this city alone. Not that he'd ever verbalize those fears, but he understood the importance of safety in numbers either way.

 

[For Science!]

[Archer Vonn]

IC

[Jason Hanlon - Austin suburbs]

 

"I understand." He didn't push further. Probably was nervous out of his tree here.

 

The two made their way up to the house they had stopped in front of. These Union folk had actually done a spot on job of refurbishing homes in the area. It looked borderline livable. The owner of this particular home was a wealthy Union citizen, an entrepreneur who traced his business back to the early Boneyard. He naturally had a lot of ties to NCR and was a fan, and trusted ally. Harboring a senator seemed natural.

 

The Ranger opened the door without knocking, and opened up the room. "Housekeeping." He announced, then his eyes widened.

 

He took a step back, and turned to Nil. "Come here." He called.

 

The Ghoul joined him. The room was mostly a creamy beige, tan leather furniture and peeling wallpaper, a brown and tan vertical stripe pattern. Sitting in an easy chair on the far right from the door was the senator. From the right past him was seven streaks of blood on top of each other, horizontal streams completing the plaid. His throat was slashed, and his eyes were gouged out. On the couch beside him was the contact, the entrepreneur. In many ways, he was much worse off. He was alive, eyes open wide, pleading. His arms were bound at the wrists, and his thumbs were removed. His legs were bound at the ankle. Most disturbing was his mouth. His lips were stitched together with a thick, tan thread.

 

Hanlon looked up. He would not show a reaction, not to Nil and not to himself. Sprawled across the far wall, soiled by the blood of the senator, was the message.

 

GIVE HIM BACK.

[union NPCs]

 

The caravan slowed to a stop in front of the Walkers. Their thick metal armour added enough intimidation value to essentially make them a wall. "Can I help you boys?"

 

Guardian Rockowl nodded. "Sir. Are you Emmanuel Resarch?"

 

The merchant nodded. His guard stepped forward, and flashed his assault rifle. The Walkers were not phased. "Are you the same Emmanuel Resarch of Long Haul Caravan Company? This is a routine check." Two Defenders moved up to cover his pack Brahmin. "Have you been doing business in any of the southern settlements, sir?" The merchant denied. "Understood." One of the Defenders turned to him, and nodded. "One moment sir."

 

He put his hand up to his radio and turned away. -{Take the sho-}-

 

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH

 

An explosion went off beside Rick, which tossed him back a few dozen feet, and left him disoriented. Another creature roared and the sound of metal being twisted, a crying shriek tore apart the metal of Guardian Rockowl. The Brahmin mooed in terror and backed off. Gunfire peppered the evening sky, but they were too far outside the city to possibly be heard. The whole thing was over just as quickly as it started. By the time Ricardo came to and looked back at the scene, the only thing he could see were the bodies of his friends, and footprints leading to the south that had not existed a moment before.

[Makuta of Time]

IC:

"Arrrgghh! ####!" Rick got up and surveyed the area. Nothing in sight except for the bodies of the team. Whoever did this obviously didn't want to be caught, and that someone is the merchant. But how did he know that they were there, in the same position.

 

He walked down to the scene, and looked at everyone of them, just checking to make sure they have pulse. None. He then got his radio and said, "Mission Failed. I repeat Mission Failed. The merchant got away with killing everyone but me. What should I do with out men?"

[Archer Vonn]

IC[NPC]The radio was dead. He was either too far out, or there was a jammer nearby. The sniper was on his own, until Myles' last words rang through his head. If you fail, Julius will skin us both.This left the sniper two options. Either head back to town to face the Ghost, or follow the footprints and try to figure out what happened.

[thelonewander]

(Blake Raynkin)

 

Walking up to sun light and a slight breeze, Blake was up and out of the small motel he stayed in before most anyone else could get up. Heading out into the wastes, Blake went looking. Looking for what, he didn't know. Fate seemed to just throw him into some things. Checking his weapons as he crossed the praises and seeing they were fine, Blake looked up, only to see the NCR army's flag sticking out over the horizion. Well then, let's see if I can strike up a deal. Might want to be a bit stealthy about this. Moving to his left, Blake found a good out croping of rocks, and moved form cover to cover. Once he neared the perimeter of the NCR camp, Blake walked out form be hind cover his hands on his head, hoping he looked like he wasn't wanting to shot the place up.

[Makuta of Time]

IC:

One thing that finally struck to him, was the words that Myles said just before he left to do this mission. "If you fail, Julius will skin us both." With that Rick made his way deeper into the Wastelands, following the trail that lay before him. His father said that once back when his great great grandfather was alive, lived an old man capable of tracking someone down, and capturing them in a simple game that ended up either him losing and letting the contestants win, or them captured and sent home.

 

If that man was able to identify how fresh the tracks were, then he should be able to too. He is trained to hunt since he is a sniper after all. He walked upon an old interstate road known as I-35; a road that connected the desolated city of San Antonio to Austin. He reached the city of what was Kyle. He rested behind an old abandon building which held a good strong barrier if anyone came to shoot him from a far.

[Archer Vonn]

IC

[NCR NPCs]

 

Standing guard at the gate of the NCR base were two Heavy Troopers. Since the Mojave campaign they had becoming more and more popular- General Lee Oliver insisted that they were the reason the Second Battle was won and they began coming more and more common. It was just a clear attempt at drumming out the Rangers, bit of a Napoleon complex on the part of the General, but the Heavy Troopers were useful in certain scenarios. Guard duty, mostly.

 

"Stand down, civilian." The guard on the right crackled through his modified T-45d helmet. The two were carrying Light Machine Guns. "You a merc? Colonel Jericho could use you. I'm just going to need a quick identification. Your name?"

 

[Kyle NPC]

 

Three feet to Ricardo's left a pile of rubble shifted, and a trapdoor opened. A ladder was visible, and a dull glow at the bottom. "Come down here!" A female voice hissed.

 

 

[Makuta of Time]

IC:

"Why should I? Is there something of importance that you need me for, or something that will practically waste my time." Rick said turning to the female voice.

 

His grand father said that his great great grandfather would listen to a song by a now dead metal band called Metallica. One song that he felt deeply touched, was their song The Unforgiven, in which the beginning sounded like a small town desert city showdown about to happen. He would listen to it when he was depressed, or just wanted to relax. His grand father would recite some of the lyrics to him.

 

'What I felt/ What I've known/ Never shine through in what I've shown. Never be/ Never see/ Won't see what might have been. What I've felt/ What I've known/ Never shine through in what I've shown. Never free/ Never me/ So I dub the unforgiven.

 

He made sure to not show that he was going to shoot her, by not grabbing for his gun, but slowly, yet cautiously so she wouldn't notice.

[Archer Vonn]

IC

[Kyle NPC]

 

"Do you want to get killed? Then get down here!"

[Makuta of Time]

IC:

Rick went over to the female and climbed down the ladder. "What's exactly wrong here anyways? Snipers? Giant Ants? Mutants?

[Archer Vonn]

IC

[Kyle NPC]

 

When Ricardo got down the ladder, he was greeted with a surprise. There was a brightly lit storeroom, with two long, parallel tables, both piled with weapons. The room was filled with people. Some of them soldiers, some of them wounded, lying on mattresses on the ground and bleeding, some being tended to, some just dying.

 

"Alright now don't try anything." A girl, blonde and in tough looking leather armor, approached him. Dirt caked her face, so it was hard to determine if she were pretty or not. "What are you doing here?"

[Makuta of Time]

IC:

"I'm here to find a merchant who has been attacking Union troops and leaving off without a trace. Luckily, I survived, and found a trail of prints leading into Kyle. You wouldn't happen to know who he is would ya?" Rick looked around at the people inside, only making slow movements to one side of the complex.

 

"So what is this anyways? A Vault? Refugee base?"