[System]
"Lets see what you got!"
Goes by "Rampage" now

Appearance
No one who calls the Wastelands home considers Ghouls to be lookers, well almost no one, and Rampage is no exception. Like all those who have been so harshly effected by the radiation of the new war scarred world and turned into Ghouls Rampage has had all of his skin, nose, and hair fall off of his body. His eyes are pitch black orbs, this includes both his irises and sclera. He is rather large, standing at 6'6" in height, and has a bulky, muscular body build. He is covered head to toe in a nearly countless number of scars from everything from a gun shot to what looks like a Deathclaw scratch. What is really notable about Rampage is the faint glow, which is a full on eerie green aura in the dark, he gives off at all times do to him having absorbed such a incredible amount of radiation turning him into what many in the Wasteland call a "Glowing One". His clothes consist of a black jacket, gloves, pants, and boots.

Race
Ghoul, Glowing One

Age
"I've been around since before your dad was itch in your granddad's pants."

Skills
When one spends centuries living in the hellish conditions of the Wasteland they either learn how to adapt or they get eaten alive, Rampage luckily is in the former group. He has developed some serious survival skills do to his extremely long life, such as giving the right lead Rampage can track nearly anyone or thing for miles on end or being able to set up camp and thrive in the most hostile environments. He has also become quite accustom to the monstrous creatures that roams the Wastelands, from being able to recognize their habits and track them to even being able to walk among a few of them with out them becoming hostile. His life before the Great War gave him quite the bit of combat experience, more particularly close combat training. Rampage excels at hand to hand combat as well as using shorten melee weapons, such as combat knives. He is also skilled with using limited range weapons like shotguns and pistols. What Rampage lacks in has to be his interactions with others, he is far too blunt to be able to convince others to see his way with out using physical threats of violence. Also it is a bit difficult to be able to do anything stealthily when you literally glow with radiation.

Gear
5.56mm pistol
Combat Shotgun
Ripper
Ballistic Fist

Bio
"It is hard for most people nowadays to imagine what it was like before the bombs fell and everything turned to complete shit. Most of the smoothskins running around think that it was all sunshine, rainbows, and nuka-cola as far as the eye could see, but there are a few of us Ghouls that have been around long enough to know better. Even before the war the world was ending, people dying because of some damn plague, families being thrown into the streets because no one could hold a job cause the damn economy had gone ass up, and countries at each others throats over what little resources were left in the world. I should know I was a solider after all, a protector of my country and liberty itself. Even fought up in Anchorage, shed a lot blood up there... not all of it mine. Hell of a lot of good it did me, right after we took back Anchorage they dishonorably discharged my ass, said my methods were too extreme and risky. If that wasn't the cherry on the shit cake the bombs dropping a few months later defiantly was.

When the bombs hit and those of us who weren't lucky enough to get locked away in the vaults had one of two routes given to us. Either one, die in the most incredibly painful way possible, or two, become walking corpses. As you can see I am in the second group. First few years were tough, trying to adjust to being a zombie takes some time, but eventually I got the hang of things. Sooner or later the vaults opened back up, smoothskins started making their ways back up to the surface and society started back up, and I use the word loosely. I found myself running with one of the raider gangs that popped up, they found it useful to have a guy around who didn't kill over when he was exposed to some radiation. But I got tired of carrying that group of shit for brains around so I went solo, became a gun for hire and I have to say I'm pretty damn good at it. And with a few centuries of doing this job I made a name for myself, Rampage seems pretty fitting. Now I'm in the Commonwealth and shit seems to be hitting the fan with the Enclave showing up, the decedents of the same shit heads who caused the world to go to hell in the first place. I would consider doing the job of kicking their collective asses for free... I'm not but I would consider it."

Misc
Like other Glowing Ones Rampage is able to emit a strong wave of radiation from his body that is capable of knocking those around him back.
Rampage has a small base of operations hidden in the glowing sea that also houses a small pack of feral ghouls. He usually heads there after missions or whenever he needs to heal up.

[User]
Colonel Carter slowly stood up, he spotted something he had only seen rarely, Atom Cats stood out like a sore thumb next to the average waster. He was just about to walk over to her when a ghoul appeared walked up to him, a glowing one if he wasn't mistaken, rare to find one who wasn't insane. "Yes, I'm Colonel Carter, I just need a name and..." He trailed off when he heard a noise, one that he was familiar with, a Vertibird. He reached for his laser musket as it paused in the air, he could just barely make it out against the sun but it bore no colors. "It's Enclave! Everyone inside their homes, now!" He dropped to a knee as the other two soldiers with him began to fire and crank.

They jumped from it, two people, wearing suits of power armor that looked much more like the T-51 or T-60 yet different, new alloys and sleeker design. They both carried Plasma rifle's aiming them at the Minutemen. "We are messengers from the Enclave, Diamond city has four days to surrender and subject all citizens to screening and testing. If it does not, we will march in force to seize and take the city." With that, they used jet packs to fly back up to the Vertibird. Most of the town, mumbling staring at the Minutemen, the mayor stared out from his spot in the bleachers. More than likely having pissed himself and planning to turn the town over then run back hoping for protection.

The Colonel walked over looking at the two old suits of power armor. "Sarah were gonna these bad boys up and running with some upgrades and reinforcement. As well as better armor for our people." He told the Lieutenant who began to take notes and began to figure out requisitions. "Ask that girl over their dressed like Atom Cat if she is one pay her double and get her to work on the armor." He patted the blonde shoulder, she nodded never speaking.

Moving to his Sergeant next his eyes flicked over to the armory. "George, we need explosives and heavy munitions, lasers and guns aren't going to cut it, that armor is going to be a bitch to get through. So we rattle them around and cause trauma in the suits. Start training the guards to use explosives, get them able to throw and ready missiles, then get on the horn let Elder Lyons and the General know what were doing. You and your sister are staying here while the Merc's and I scout Salem.

Turning back to the Ghoul the Minutemen extended his hand. "I don't need anything from you now, just a promise you'll fight and accompany and you'll get five hundred cap's on the spot. Two thousand if you survive the battle's and we drive them out." He said to the ghoul before him.

Carter smirked and looked around the town. "That's right, a Ghoul is the first person to leap to your defense Diamond city. The same people you once banned from here, maybe the Garrison should be protecting Goodneighbor instead they seemed much more grateful. Perhaps some donations to the cause to get our people better weapons and armor?" He smiled sure enough they were soon collecting up caps and passing them around, Sarah collecting the pot. "Thank you very kindly." He waved to them, quite a few began to mumble about the young Colonel and some women eyed the uniformed man.

His eyes went back to the Ghoul and he tossed him three hundred more caps. "That's for being the bravest son of bitch I've met all day and also scoring us some extra funds. You wanna buy anything or catch a meal over at the noodle stand your more then welcome to, anyone gives you trouble let know and I'll shoot them... Politely." Finished the Colonel before returning to his post by the stand. Tuning his Pipboy to radio Freedom he hummed softly along with the violin that played.

[Assistant] Alec was propped up high on one of the frames of Diamond City's walls, his back pressed against one metal beam and his feet on another to keep him from falling, and Maud in his lap. He'd been looking out over the wasteland for a bit but now he had drifted off, that was until the distinct sound of the minuteman's laser muskets picked up as a vertibird approached. The sound started Maud who pounced up onto a higher beam and woke Alec from his slumber. He watched the figures from on high as they jumped from the craft, though he couldn't hear what they were saying from up on his perch. When the two power armored soldiers returned to the vertibird he watched as it flew away for a moment before picking up his rifle from where it lay on a beam next to him and let himself slide down, Maud following by hopping down from beam to beam. He slipped the rifle onto his back when he finally made it to the ground and walked over to the Colonel, giving a nod at the ghoul that was next to him. "so the Enclave have sent someone already? Should I follow after that Vertibird, Colonel?" Maud found his way up onto Alec's shoulder as he awaited a response.

[User]
Carter hummed the tune 'Atom Bomb Baby' to himself fairly loudly as he walked towards the entrance to the great Diamond city. It had taken Carter quite a lot of caps and time to make it here but he was more than happy to give every cap he had just to get a chance at going toe to toe with the Enclave. The Ghoul now had a strong dislike for the Enclave for he believed that these men and women were simply husks of what the organization once was and he had now come to know that the original wasn't very good to begin with.

With a quick jerking motion, Carter drew his crossbow and loaded a shot just in time to see the Enclave vertibird fly off to which he shot a poorly aimed shot at. "Missed all the fun!" Carter exclaimed to himself through his helmet's speaker. He quickly rushed into town hoping that his suit and helmet wouldn't give up his Ghoulish nature to the local residents. As he ran into town he spotted the only person who looked relatively like what he thought a Minuteman would look like and quickly approached him. "Excuse me! Are you by chance the Colonel lad whom's rounding up fighters for hire?" the ghoul asked as he got within speaking distance of the man.

[Assistant] Adamine had rolled to cover when the vertibird had flown into sight, standing up and brushing herself off she went to talk to the colonel until she was approached by a blonde lady asking if she'd for extra pay of course would help repair and upgrade the power suits, with a deep sigh Adamine resigned back to the work she'd escaped from. "What ever I can do to help, do you have the necessary parts or do I need to go scavanging, unless you wanna pay the Atom Cats directly for hire in which I could use our supplies, but it could be rather expensive" crossing her arms behind her head she glanced around noting the various outsiders coming to help Diamond City and the Minutemen get rid of their Enclave suppresors.

[User]
Colonel Carter looked at Alec first. "No, but get yourself ready were going to go soon. My officers are going to stay here, wait for Brotherhood and Minutemen Reinforcements." He said sighing as he moved the strap on his gun. Looking to new arrival dressed in a radiation suit of some sort. He could understand why some folks did that it could get pretty toasted out their.

"Yes Colonel Jack Carter of the Minutemen from Vault 81 on loan to Diamond city." Jack said nodding to Carter. "You can all call me Jack or Colonel, we are going to be leaving pretty soon." With that he nodded his hat and walked over towards the Atom Cats girl he'd seen before.

She'd started work on the power armor it seemed. He crouched down beside her rolling up his sleeve's. "I'm rather good with machines and we've got plenty of salvage you can use in the armory. Caps if you need more specialty components, your an Atom Cat right?" He got out some of the steel they had scrapped. "I repaired a suit of T-60 before... 45 is a smaller version correct, T-51 is more survivable." He smiled. "If you can pilot, I've got a suit going spare on the trip, these bad boys are coming with us to Salem. Even let you use the Minigun in the armory." He told Adamine as he set to work upgrade the plates to higher class.

[Assistant] Adamine began by replacing demolished plates on the suits right leg when the colonel walked up and began to help, concentrating on her hands she takes a moment to respond "Yeah I'm an Atom Cat, my names Adamine and that's Ghost" she nodded to the white pit bull panting in the shade behind her, hearing his name he perks up his ears and gives a small huff that looks more like a laugh with his mouth wide open. "Also I can pilot but it's not much my style, I just repair these bad boys, I guess I'm kinda claustrophobic, I'd rather be on my feet with my rifle"  she glanced at the gun that lay at her side before looking at the colonel then back to the power suit, she grabbed a few parts and after a moment had upgraded the fusion core to last a lot longer.

[User] Well that was the easiest money Rampage had ever made and all he had to do was be at the right place at the right time. The scene that unfolded in front of him after he walked up to Colonel may have appeared like chaos to others, but to Rampage it was as expected as radiation in the Glowing Sea. Despite the big show the Enclave puts on they are creatures of habit, so a singular vertibird showing up out of no where with no backup had to be messengers. And his thought was right, two Enclave soldiers demanding the surrender of the city where in and out before any real trouble could start. Then the Colonel went on some sort of rallying call, even using Rampage as some sort of poster boy of tolerance. The Ghoul didn't like the idea of him being used to milk more money out of people, but he had to admit it was a good idea. Just like that he was handed a pretty hefty amount of caps and told that there were more where that came from as long as he survived the mission. "Hmm not the worst start of a job I ever had.." Rampage thought out loud as he looked over his newly obtained caps.


[System]
"I'm sorry that I didn't do better."
Age: 18

Gender: Female

Race: Human

Ranking: Rook

Appearance: Nora weighs around 150 Lbs. and stands at around 5'11, something that always bothered her as she'd like to break that 6' mark. She prefers to keep her long blond hair in a pony tail with wispy bangs in the front. Due to her old, anti-social behavior and lack of past friendships, her skin color is much more on the paler side from not having much of a reason to go outside.

She prefers wearing just a simple t-shirt and jeans, maybe with a hoodie on over it if it's cold out. Due to her desire to make friends though, she wears a lot of skirts and more stylish tops in the hopes that they'll make her look better.

Skills: Nora is so terrible at cooking that she can find a way to injure herself even if the dish doesn't involve anything hot or sharp. She's fluent in both English and Japanese. Has hundreds of hours logged for several games, though has only adequate skill in most of them.

Sacred Gear: Nora has the Sacred Gear known as Crystal Corruption. It allows her to make crystals grow around the environment and her enemies. For example, she could crystalize the floor and make it brittle, or form crystals around her or someone else to protect them from an incoming attack. They would be similar to huge, sharp purple stalactites that come out of the ground (think Crystal Sage's White Dragon Breath spell from Dark Souls 3). With training though, she'd eventually be able to make them different shapes and sizes as well as be able to be more precise as to where they will grow so she could toss crystals like throwing knives or use them directly as armor, though this would certainly take months if not years to accomplish.

Magic: No knowledge of magic.

Strengths: Friendly, loyal to a fault, and a very promising Sacred Gear that has the capability of improving over time.

Weaknesses: Inferiority complex, feels the need to carry the world upon her shoulders, and an unfamiliarity with her Sacred Gear.

Personality: Nora was often bullied in previous schools she had attended, and whenever she had attempted to fight back, no matter how hard she may have tried, she always seemed to lose. Because of this, she suffers from an inferiority complex and never sees herself as being anywhere near as good as her friends and allies when it comes to a fight, constantly doubting her abilities. She also has a tendency to blame herself for any failure, even if she had little or nothing to do with it. On the positive side though, she's extremely loyal and friendly, willing to do anything she can to protect those she sees as her friends.

Nora also has a very geeky side she tries to avoid letting most others know about. In her spare time, she enjoys playing video games, her favorite being the Dark Souls series or reading comics. She enjoys both Western comics as well as manga.

History: Nora always seemed to be on the move. Her dad's job had her and the rest of the family moving all across the U.S., causing Nora to never actually try to make friends, since she figured she would just lose touch with them when she inevitably moved again. One day though, Nora's dad was assigned a new position that would require him to move to his company's offices in Japan. Saying that Nora had difficulty fitting in would be an understatement, considering not only her usual anti-social tendencies but the language barrier as well. After being enrolled to Shitenhoji Academy for several months though, the young girl began to believe that this might become her permanent home and began the frightening task that was making friends. Her early attempts would usually end in failure, though you couldn't fault her for trying.

After yet another day of coming home alone though, Nora found a terrible sight... her family was moving yet again. All that hope that she had of finally being able to stay in one place and fit in was crushed. All of the slow progress that she had made would be for naught. Or would it? Nora got down on her knees and pleaded with her parents to let her stay, making up the lie that she had joined a club and had lots of friends now that she didn't want leave. In a surprising turn of events, Nora's parents decided to allow their only daughter to live on her own while they moved back to the States.

Several weeks passed and, while she still had no real friends to speak of, everything seemed to be going okay. She was on top of all of her assignments, she had successfully learned the language and was speaking Japanese as if it were her first language, and she was living comfortably in a small apartment for herself. A perfect time for a Sacred Gear that Nora didn't realize she had to flare up suddenly.

While walking home from school, Nora noticed that after every step she took, small crystal-like objects seemed to grow from the ground. This strange development caused the young girl to panic, running like Hell to escape from her new abilities, though it would be as pointless as someone attempting to avoid their own shadow. Nora soon found herself surrounded by the crystals while standing on the roof of a large, abandoned warehouse where she would learn even more about her newfound powers. In that moment, she discovered that one of the abilities of her sacred gear is to cause non-living objects to become brittle if enough of her crystals form upon it, causing the roof of the building to collapse beneath her feet and send her plummeting to certain death.

Luckily for Nora, as she laid on the ground, buried by concrete, steel, and her own crystals, her savior came. Her Sacred Gear, though its potential still mostly untapped, seemed too powerful for it to just disappear with the girl's death, and she was given the option to become a reincarnated Devil. With her life quickly nearing its end, she accepted without a second thought. She has only been a devil for a few days now and is still learning the ropes.

Other: Character Theme

"I chooseth this fate of my own free will"

[User]
Shitenhoji Academy one of the largest escalator schools located in Japan. Often it was also considered one of the most premier but to most however unlike schools such as Kuoh who focused majorly on academics Shitenhoji was different and boasted high marks in both athletics and Arts. As the school bell rang to end the day students of all sorts left and began their after class clubs. Shitenhoji Academy made it a requirement that students join clubs or a committee as to better themselves and gain knowledge and skills that will aid them even out of the academy. This was often enforced strictly with the student council checking to make sure each student was at least part of one club.

Ixveria looked around leisurely spinning in what appeared to be a overly large office char with a large back. It made it somewhat comical to a outside viewer and she was sure that some of her peerage watching the scene was chuckling to themselves being the right bastards that they were at times. Either way she was bored and it was showing as she quickly placed yet another sweet into her mouth. Yes to the school Ixveria was the local sweet nut and also president of what was on paper a help group aimed to help students and others with their needs. This front helped with gaining clients for her peerage who was mostly gathered in the room. Dimitri being the flirt he was shown rubbing his cheek a red imprint of a hand clearly seen on his face. While Amelia being one of her youngest members was off in corner of the couch with her recent member Nora facing adjacent of her. Auriola was in the kitchen she had added so she could get easier access to sweets baking a cake of sorts to welcome the new member. Haku however was being his normal self as she saw him entering that left the supposed "supervisor" of the club Izumi though considering his role as a new teacher she was sure he would arrive soon.

[Assistant]
Auriola

"Happy...what could this day be called? Devil-Day? Demonbirthday? No, all too ominous..." Auriola pondered quietly, spreading a layer of powdered sugar onto the double layered chocolate icing-stuffed sponge cake she'd been making since classes ended. A blank expression rested on the artificial humanoid's face as she thought on what to write on the top in vanilla frosting...perhaps simply "Welcome Nora" would suffice, but it still bothered her that she didn't have the creativity for a new holiday for inducting new peerage members. From what Ixveria had described, it seemed the new girl had a rough time with her death...dying by one's own manifesting power winds up being a confusing mess the day you're resurrected.

Simply writing out "Welcome!" in the creamy white frosting, Auriola felt that cake would be satisfactory...though she'd have to make sure everyone got a piece before Ixveria. Usually her piece wound up being about half the cake for just the sugar...it honestly surprised her how eager she'd be to suck down something even with powdered sugar on top. That aside, the robotic maiden's hair suddenly pulled up into two twin tails, her right arm's mass congealing into a giant metallic blade, sharpened to perfection. "Hehe...Just leave this to me~" she chimed happily, personality suddenly shifted to that of a bubbly schoolgirl who just happened to be a death bot.

 Now that the Chastity Driver was active, her gargantuan sword arm slowly descended upon the cake, her tongue pushed out of her lips and up as she concentrated. If she could sweat, she would be right about now. With the platter only SLIGHTLY cracked in half, Chastity Auriola beamed, sword arm transforming back to normal as she put her hands on her hips. "Mm! Mhm! Absolutely perfect! Nora's gonna live it~" she said, before her hair suddenly fell back into its straight style. "Operation complete. she said, starting to place the pieces of perfectly sliced cake onto plates.

[User] "You could call it a Rebirth Day, Auriola." Amelia said from the couch, looking up from her sketch pad just as her robotic friend, used rather loosely here as Amelia was unsure how she felt about Auriola, used a knife that was way too big to cut the cake with as much precision as possible. The sight was rather comical and managed a provoke the beginnings of a smile from the young Dhampir before she returned to her drawing, popping a caramel cream candy into her mouth from the pile nearby. After Ixy, Amelia had the biggest sweet tooth in the group, though she wasn't nearly as bad as their king. For now, she was patiently waiting to see what they would get up to while making a sketch of their newest member, Nora, who was sitting nearby. She paid no mind to the other members in the room, save to throw a caramel cream to Ixy when their King asked for one in exchange for one of Izy's candies, and Dimitri, who she had to resist rolling her eyes at when the stupid vampire came in with a slap-mark on his face. The idiot never seemed to learn, did he?

[Assistant]
When Amelia had first begun her sketch of Nora, the newborn devil reacted by staying perfectly still so as to avoid messing up the young artist. Though she had no idea she was the subject of the piece, the modest girl believed that it must be something next to her or behind her. After all, she wasn't that interesting right?

Her attempts to remain still though would be ruined when the peerage's resident android would turn her arm into a large sword, most likely capable of cutting through a person like a hot knife through butter. Letting out a quiet yelp of surprise, Nora's body reacted on its own as she made a small jump in her seat. She wasn't afraid of Auriola or what she was planning do with such a big blade, it was simply a surprise to see someone's arm suddenly become a weapon.

Once Auriola had finished cutting her cake and placing it on plates for the peerage to eat from, the blond teen awkwardly asked the robot girl, "I-is this really for me?" She hadn't expected the group to be so welcoming to her introduction. She hadn't expected hostility either, but... Honestly, she didn't know what she should have expected walking into this. Being a reincarnated devil was a completely foreign idea to her.


[System]
Gender: Female
Age: 25
Birthdate: June 30th, 2263
Birthplace: Ruins of Seattle, Washington

Personal Information

Current Occupation: Hunter and scavenger. She has spent most of her life sifting through the ruins of the Old World as well as hunting for game and generally manages to find just enough to make it from day-to-day.

Work Ethic: If you can manage to get Lorelei to be passionate about something, she will pour her entire being into it. If the task at hand is not something that interests her, then she will solely rely on her talent (even if there is none to speak of) to get her through.

Combat Strategy: Lorelei never allows herself to be compromised in close-range. She is at her most comfortable at high ground with a scope, where she can carefully dissect a situation and articulate her plans in a stepwise motion.

Experience: Rumored to have been liable to kill from a half-mile away. Her time spent in the wastes turned her into an excellent survivalist; she understands terrain and traverses it exceptionally well, and has developed a very tough exterior.

Organizations/Affiliations: Independent

Style: Lorelei wears different iterations of the same outfit almost every day. She wears a long hunting coat with many accessories attached – such as extra shells, bear traps, tourniquets, a knife, and a vial of antivenom. Underneath the coat, she usually wears a tee of some sort and a pair of well-worn jeans.

Preferred Weapons: Her father's scoped bolt-action rifle, which has seen years of use, and a desert eagle pistol with some sort of inscribed sigil on the grip that has been taped over.

Habits and Mannerisms: Lorelei will often hum underneath her breath while idle and is very fidgety; she will always be moving in some way shape or form, whether it be running her fingers through her hair or tapping her hands on a solid object. She will generally smile and chuckle if she runs out of possible options to respond to a situation, even if it is a particularly bad one.

Medical Information

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Blood Type: O-

Preferred Hand: Left-Handed

Eye Color: Hazel

Hair Color: Dark Brown

Hairstyle: Whatever suits her on the current day. Her hair is medium/shoulder-length, but occasionally puts it up into a ponytail or bun to keep from waving into her face.

Skin Tone: Pale.

Complexion: Freckled.

Makeup: Occasionally scrounges some together and puts it on, playing make-believe as one of the leading ladies of the old world, but it never lasts.

Sexual Orientation: Bisexual

Body Type: Ectomorph

Build: Decent muscle mass considering her small frame, but recent malnourishment has rendered her quite thin.

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 120 lbs.

Cup Size: B

Shoe Size: 7

Birthmarks/scars: One lone distinct scar runs vertically down the right side of her face.

Energy: When in good health, she has exceptional endurance, gained from her cross-country treks with the 80s.

Senses: They are very potent and very accurate, rendering her paranoid of her surroundings on many occasions.

Addictions: None to speak of.

Mental Disorders: Anxiety.

Expressiveness: If one manages to get close to Lorelei, then her faux tough exterior will dissolve and her rather silly, creative nucleus will be apparent. She generally articulates her thoughts and emotions in an enigmatic, riddle-like way, and only those close to her can aptly solve said riddles.

Biography

Lorelei says very little of her old life. She's from a place far west; this much is known. However, the details and the motives are vague, and she intends to keep them that way. There is a layer of shame that clouds her memories, and only the recent days have any sort of articulation...

She spent several years in the Capital Wasteland, living on her own amid the chaos of the wastes and scavenging like a desperate vulture. Lorelei was a nostalgic one; over the years, she'd collected many old world relics and became well read in the texts of the pre-war landscape. It wasn't long before she grew bored of her lifestyle and scenery and moved on, trudging toward the Commonwealth and setting up inside Goodneighbor. There she remained until the word of a peculiar settlement emerged. Lorelei had to see Salem for herself.

[User]
Inquisitor Carver

As he made his way up the hill from the docks, Ian came across a young woman with a Brahmin inside of a ramchackle pen. A settler, from the look of it, probably come here to make a life for herself.

"Calm down, Bessie, Mary's here to make you feel better," the woman reassured the Brahmin as she begun to milk it.

I suppose she's as good a person as anyone to begin asking about the Children of Atom, he concluded.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but I trouble you for a second?" he asked, walking up to the makeshift fencing. "I've only just arrived here from up north and I fear I am lost. Could you please help me out?"

He didn't want to lie- such was unbecoming for one of Atom's faithful, especially one tasked with seeking out the truth- but it would be necessary to mislead somewhat, to omit some detail to avoid turning the town against him. They would eventually be privy to the truth of his affiliation and intentions, but for now, he would have to keep it under wraps, lest a misunderstanding arise that could cost him his life.

"My friend Giraud is looking to do some trading, but we've heard that this place has had some...trouble. Specifically, trouble involving the Children of Atom making the area outside the town less than safe. Might you know anything about them? And more importantly, can you offer us any information on how we might avoid running afoul of them while we're in and around Salem?"

All of that was technically true, and he didn't necessarily need to know where to find the Children of Atom; it would be enough to know how one would avoid them.

[Assistant]
Mary Hawthorne - Her House

"Excuse me, ma'am, but I trouble you for a second?" a voice called out to her. Mary looked up from her milking to see that the stranger had walked up to the edge of the enclosure. He was a tall, red haired man with familiar tattoos on his face. "I've only just arrived here from up north and I fear I am lost. Could you please help me out?"

"Certainly, Mister", she replied, not showing a even flicker of recognition. "Where are you fixin' to go?"

"My friend Giraud is looking to do some trading", the man continued, "but we've heard that this place has had some...trouble. Specifically, trouble involving the Children of Atom making the area outside the town less than safe. Might you know anything about them?

"The Children of Atom?", Mary said. "I've heard tell of them. The tenets of thier Faith are certainly novel, to say the least. They don't seem to be very friendly, haven't heard a kind word about them since I got to the Commonwealth. They seem to keep to themselves, though....if you steer clear of the places they like they don't go out of their way to vex you none."

"And more importantly", the man added, "can you offer us any information on how we might avoid running afoul of them while we're in and around Salem?"

"Certainly", Mary said as she stood up. She pointed down the road south, past the Diner, where in the distance a large brick structure loomed, shimmering in the afternoon sun. "they don't come in to town that I've seen, as far as gettin' past them jes' follow the road there. The road forks just outside of town, stay right or you'll walk right into them. Follow the road 'til you get to the old Witchcraft Museum there....it's the big brick building down there. Speaking of that, it's safe enough to walk by, but it's not the safest place for prospectin', even in daylight, if you get my drift. The road branches just beyond that, keep going South and you'll get to the Cannery. East of the road is pretty much the Children's...west of it isn't any better, though....Raiders and Gunners, I hear."

"Anything else you need, Mister?" Mary asked.

[User]
Lorelei Jones - Outside of Salem

In the landscape of her imagination, Lorelei was home again. As per usual, she dreamt about the most horrifying catastrophe her life would ever know – the harrowing pillar of smoke over the horizon, on that unforgettable afternoon near Silverton. After seeing the same dreadful afternoon more than a hundred times, she was no longer shocked to bear witness to the unsubtle signature of the fire that consumed her family. She did not sprint to the source, as she had in the original memory; instead, she slowed her steps.

All the previous iterations of the recurring nightmare had ended in the exact same way; no matter how she proceeded, she would find her way to the burned husk of her home and the charred silhouette of her daughter. But, if she could at least try to slow her steps; try to delay the inevitable flagellation her mind had in store for itself, then perhaps she could alleviate the dream in some way.

No. There would be none of that. Lorelei was not allowed to play bystander to her own memory. It was against the rules. Whether she wanted to or not, she found her way to the house – her once beautiful, refurbished Levittown quarter-acre, now reduced to rubble. The second floor of the house had collapsed, leaving a pile of debris caged inside the skeleton of the house's frame. It had become something far too grotesque to be a home – it was a giant tombstone dedicated to her attempt at a new life.

Lorelei stepped onto the rubble. Her subconscious brain flawlessly recreated the atmosphere – the same ash-infested air pricked at her lungs. Her mild attempt at rose-garden had been demolished by the collapse. The patio she built had withered into nothing underneath the flames. Everything about this place had dissolved.

Inevitably, Lorelei stepped into the skeleton of the house and the crown jewel of the dream lay before her. The burned form of a small human lay before her. No. No. No, no, no. She could not see this again. She fell to her knees, the rocky terrain scraping against her knee. No. Not again. She tried to cover her eyes, but the image had been burned into her brain. It had always been there. It had come to define everything about her. Not again. Please.

Right on cue, Lorelei's real eyes fluttered open and her conscious mind jolted awake – a portal from one nightmare to another. These episodes had become slightly easier to shrug off over the years, but put in perspective, this meant nothing. She still viciously fought the urge to sleep, and as per tradition, once she had been deprived for long enough, she lost. She kicked off the blanket and rolled onto the hardwood floor. Dream-torment aside, she had set up camp in a tall building a half-mile from the hollow shell of a town that was once known as "Salem", many years before her time.

Lorelei recalled her father's musings about the 'witch trials' somewhere among his final days. He was fascinated with the brutality and mystery of it. He was superstitious. She was not. But the fact that dozens of nobodies were picking this strange slice of ruin to call home captivated her interest. She had been watching them, through her scope. She grabbed her rifle resumed her watch. There was little of interest; a few other newcomers had happened by, but there seemed to be no chance of dark magic on the horizon. Boring.

God rest his soul, but father was wrong about this place. Lorelei collapsed the blanket and shoved it into her pack. There were no cruel energies at work here. But maybe—just maybe—the enigmatic mythology of this town would make for a good place to hide. She'd given up on rebuilding her life. She had to wipe the slate clean. She had to begin again. For a third time. She grabbed her things and abandoned her makeshift watchtower, starting toward the town. It didn't take long for her to run into 'civilization.'

"You there!" hollered a hoarse male voice. A figure emerged from one of the ruined buildings on the outskirts of the town.

Lorelei simply stared him down. An older bloke, armed with a rifle not terribly unlike her own and wearing a smug look on his face, carefully shuffled toward her.

"Are you here to help us build the future?"

Is that what they're calling this? Lorelei narrowed her eyes at him and gave a very slight shrug of her shoulders.

"Do you even know what you've stumbled upon, lass?"

Lorelei nodded.

"Then I'd suppose I should welcome you to Salem, then."

She nodded again.

"The name's Barney. Pleased to meetcha'." The oddly friendly and cordial man offered his hand.

Lorelei stared at the extended arm and did nothing. She looked him dead in the face and nodded a third time.

"You mute or something?"

"No."

"Then can you tell me your name?"

"Lorelei."

"A rather pretty name, if you don't mind me saying," Barney muttered.

"Hmph." Lorelei folded her arms.

"You're probably wondering if you can come in."

Lorelei nodded again.

"Yes. I implore you to explore the possibilities this slice of Boston has to offer. A great home could be waiting for you," said Barney.

"Uh huh." Lorelei. Her gaze darted past the older bloke and toward the mass of buildings behind him.

"You are free to choose one of the empty houses and give it a test run. You like it, you can stay. You don't, and you can leave! It's failproof."

"Nothing is failproof," said Lorelei. Her rather morbid assertion did not seem to dampen Barney's spirits at all. The man smiled at her and pointed toward what she presumed to be the "Salem" in question.

Lorelei bowed her head in quiet thanks and brushed past Barney. Past the forgotten ruins and toward the cursed town. This was it. Her third life. Try not to squander it.


[System]
Callsign: Steel Rain

Character Archetype: Consummate Professional

Character's Guiding Motto: " Have a plan to kill everyone you meet."

Character's Fatal Flaw: Egoistical

Character's Expertise: Engineering, Stealth, Strategy

Nationality/Allegiance: Free World Leagues / Disillusioned Expatriate

Background: Born in a middle class merchant family, Aroxty's dreams of pursuing academic study in LosTech archaeology were dashed by the civil war bringing strife to the Free Worlds League. Initially conscripted as an infantry, Aroxty eventually rose up to the ranks to becoming a tank commander in charge of his very own crew of oddballs, misfits (and cannibals). Upon conclusion of the civil war in 3015 and with nowhere else left to go, Aroxty and his crew left the Free World Leagues and pursued mercenary work until they came into contact with Gawain's Green Knights.

Vehicle: " Merry-Go-Round" - Von Luckner MBT

[User]
Jonathan McCord

When they were permitted to lower their hands, Jon tucked his back in the front pocket of his sweatshirt. The pack of cigarettes was still missing and he glanced around for the little bastard that had taken them while Cassandra talked. She was in her element: Center of attention and a completely captive audience. Looking at the conditions, they truly had no choice but to accept whatever she was going to offer and from what he had witnessed of her regular business dealings, she would be squeezing the turnip for every ounce of juice possible. It didn't matter that there was a war on, business was business. Standing next to her he returned the steady look of the Colonel, watching the way he walked and particularly the stiff nature of his left arm. Beyond that, the cave was a fanfare of makeshift mechbays, scattered equipment and a cacophony of smells that pulled and drifted towards the numerous ventilation shafts once used for the heavy equipment of the mine. He thought about the offer from the Crimson Fists then the rumors of the raid that bled through the grapevine of fighting men to Nui Awa. A Phoenix and Shadow Hawk, an Ostroc- something he'd never seen before, an Archer and a Raven, just like he had heard. His eyes shifted further, catching a glimpse of the turret of a Von Luckner tank around a bend in the cave, confirming his suspicions on the trail. All faced the Fists' Longbow, Wolfhound, Raven and Jenner while protecting a convoy of unarmored transports. On paper it was a fairly even match given the conditions of battle, but he'd heard how they'd managed to still rout the Fists and escape. For a brief moment, he played out how he would've done it and his eyes zeroed in where he would have placed precision salvos across joints, hardware and cockpits. Where he would have set the ambush to kill them in one pass.

A crowd was forming and he looked over the assembly in the same way as he'd looked over the equipment. Not many had the same look as the Colonel or Sergeant Dalton. Uncertainty dominated. Then there was ample amounts of fear and fatigue. With the portable reactor and the medical tent they liberated, there was at least some measure of creature comfort restored, however it was an operation on borrowed time. There were even children roaming about. He let out a small breath of unease at the sight of them. The Fists would eventually find this place. Even though the mines were a maze of tunnels and connections, the process of elimination would eventually tilt the math in favor of the hunters. He was glad he stayed with Cassandra. Marching women and children off to Fort Tie Shan was not something he could have kept on his conscience. That place had its own set of rumors. He thought about a clear shot at the cockpit of a Battlemaster or a Longbow, the glint of sunlight off the tinted canopy, the muzzle flash over his shoulder and the hot-white hatred that shrieked out of armored gauntlets.

A cigarette would be nice.

[Assistant]
Ziska

"High alert this, high alter that, and not even so much as a brawl," Ziska fumed from a corner of the cavern. Crouched over battered set of heatsinks, she presided over a fresh bottle of vodka and several small glasses filled to the brim. Gathered around her sat an obviously bored Astech Sunther and an uncomfortable looking Astech Minhas.

"Perhaps, you would let us return to our work," Sunther began.

"No, drink."

"B- but Ziska, we've already had-" Minhas began, her cheeks flush with fresh color.

"Drink," Ziska said, her eyes staying coldly on the two intruders. Intruders was the right word. Business proposals were well and good, but Ziska had begun to despair at the influx of uninvited guests, however well intentions they might have been. It was becoming a pattern. A new pattern Ziska did not like. And a pattern she considered might have to be resolved with the correct application of deadly violence.

Picking one of the shot glass up with her left hand, Ziska offered quick nod to her Astechs before swallowing the burning liquid in a fell swoop. Sunther managed only a slight cough, burying his mouth in the crook of his arm, and Minhas to her credit, made only a very pained expression as she drank the fiery spirit. As if reading her thoughts, Minhas looked warily at the pistol laying within easy reach of Ziska's right hand. The safety was off and Ziska flashed the smallest of smiles at the young Astech. Periphery knew Periphery. Pirate knew pirate. Minhas, kind, blissfully sheltered Minhas, knew better than most how Ziska perceived problems, and how she preferred to solve them.

The suit dressed out of a magazine didn't interest Ziska. Money was money. She didn't care much as long as the c-bills arrived in a timely and discreet fashion. The man she had brought with her did. He looked capable. He walked like a soldier. He smelled like a mercenary. MechWarrior, maybe, Ziska thought, summoning a brief flame of interest. She was bored, but there were ways to deal with that.

Running a hand over the fresh layer of bandages that covered Doctor Yuri's clever work, Ziska almost forgot that she had recently smashed her head against unwavering metal. Nakajima was good, better than good even. She owed her a drink. Something tasteful. Something from her festive stock.

Standing, Ziska walked leisurely towards the two strangers and crowd of Green Knights pretending not to be eavesdropping on the conversation unfolding in the makeshift hangar. She spotted one of Dalton's finest fiddling with a pack of cigarettes and snatched them from his hands before the man had a chance to react. Dancing just out of range, she shot the annoyed looking soldier a sly smile, as she faded to the edge of the crowed. Stealing a lighter from a nearby Astech, Ziska pulled a cigarette out of the pack.

Lighting the cigarette, Ziska took a closer look at Cassandra. She talked the talk and Ziska wasn't inclined to doubt that she walked the walk. She'd pay them, probably, and she was only lying as much as could be expected from a corporate executive. Better a new employer than no employer at any rate. And Ziska had never liked the late Governor Xiu very much. Ziska had no patience for incompetence. Morality was no concern to Ziska. She knew how to forget and shift her perspective easily enough. Being alive was more important than being right. Dead was dead. Incompetence killed. Losing control was fatal. Flinching, flinching for even a moment was deadly.

Water, Ziska thought, puffing out a lazy cloud of smoke. Water was everything.

Water was the first thing needed to fight a war. Water on a planet like Espia was power. The Aqua Vitae Corporation, this Jeong standing in front of them, interviewing them, controlled the water, on paper if not in reality. They would have information. They would have resources. A way to keep fighting. A way off the planet, maybe. And a way to leave the Crimson Fists dying slowly if it came to that. Planet and civilian population be damned.

Smiling at the fighting man standing casually next to Cassandra, Ziska pocketed the pack of cigarettes. Nothing was free. Nothing was free when you came uninvited.

[User]
" Oi, Takka," Aroxy flicked his gunner's head. The man was currently asleep, lying on top of a crate of SRMs they had liberated during their raid on the Espian Guard's storage facility. Held in his hand was a bottle of something Aroxy smelled like gasoline. If they were still back in the Free Worlds League, he would have sent Takka to the brig to walk off his booze-induced headaches. Fortunately for the tank driver, there was no such thing as a military tribunal in the Green Knights. If there was, Aroxy would have been able to knock some sense into the little dumbass's head.

Takka shook his head as he groggily woke up from his alcoholic stupor. " What's up, boss?"

Just before Takka could take another swig, Aroxy took it away from him, unscrewed the lid and poured it out on the floor.

" I need a status report on the Merry Go Report's status. How long before it's fully operational again, Takka?"

From Aroxy's point of view, the Merry Go Round looked like a gutted animal. The turret had been fully detached from its chassis and the upper portion of its heavy chassis was lifted off by a winch crane. Hydraulic pumps were strewn out of its belly like guts and its treads had been fully winded off the wheels and drive train. It was odd seeing the venerable tank like this and made Aroxy somewhat embarrassed the more he stared at it. He couldn't remember the last time he had requisitioned the Merry Go Round for refurbishment.

" Well, Cap, we should be mission ready in about three days, give or take," Takka fiddled around for his personal datapad, tapping a few buttons to reveal a screen that showed a wiremap frame of the Merry Go Round. Several regions were blanketed in a thick coat of red and orange. " The main priority is the treads. We don't get this right and we'll be mission killed faster than you can say 'Fuck The Crimson Guard'".

" Hey, Cap!," A brash voice shouted out as the lean figure of Ansel walked around the bulk of the Von Luckner. In his hand was a ragged piece of the Espian Herald. " Well, lookey here, Xiu's dead. Ain't this planet more of a shitshow than it already is, Captain?," Ansel murmured. The brunette gunner sliced the tip of his cigar with the edge of his knife before lighting it with a strip match.

" Eh, who cares?" Helma's head popped out of the tank and she clambered down, her face splotched with motor oil and grease. " There all the fucking same. It's like caring about each weed when you mow a lawn. More trouble than it's worth. We keep killing until they stop trying to kill us. Simple as that, Ansel."

Aroxy grabbed the paper and looked at it. As always, the Espian Herald was frustratingly lacking in details that failed to thoroughly communicate the gravity of the situation. The planetwide coup had taken a step in its natural direction and already, they were witnessing the beginnings of a civil war on multiple fronts. He scratched his chin and scrunched up the paper, throwing it over his back.

" The Heavenly Sword are a rogue variable. With some lack, they could hamper the Crimson Fists operations. I'll have to - ," Aroxy paused as he heard the commotion in the cave. It was coming over from the entrance. He whistled for the crew to stand at attention and motioned for them to follow him. He and the crew of the Merry Go Round parted through the crowd of onlookers to get a peek at what was happening. There was a standoff between Colonel Wayne and a lady who looked more appropriate on the front cover of a magazine than a war zone. His eyes narrowed as his minds remembered the briefings they had before they made planetfall. This was Cassandra Jeong, the heiress of the Aqua Vitae Corporation. In the absence of groundwater aquifers, Espia had placed a huge number of financial investments into a network of desalination plants that kept the planet running so to speak. The corporate conglomerate was in control of a good chunk of Espia's natural resources. An alliance with them was too good to be true. They were lacking in manpower and resources right now, but desperation often blinded people to the truth.

" I can't imagine recent events have been profitable for the Aqua Vitae Corporation, Miss Jeong,' Aroxy said in a slow, contemplative voice. " If we were to assist you, what remunerations would you offer us?"

" Help? Pah, we don't need help from some corporate gold-plated smarmy CEO!," Takka spat out. " We can take - YOWCH!"

Takka yelped mid-sentence as Helma pinched the lobe of his ear painfully, dragging him into the crowd and out of sight.


[System]
Other:"Why does being bad feel so good?"

Username: FancyKiddo
Age: 18

Gender: Female

Main: Evelynn

Appearance: Iris is one of those people who easily fades into the background. It helps that she's short (just about 4'10") and appears even younger than her age. She's not a particular beauty, either; one could not truthfully describe her as thin, and she doesn't dress in any way to draw especial attention to her good aspects.

Her Filipino heritage shines through not only in her height, but also in her very Asian facial features, long black hair, and skin color. Thankfully, she's put on her weight in a rather non-Asian manner, gaining some appreciable curves with the pounds.

Iris dresses in the most casual of clothes, often combining tiny shorts with long Tees and tanks, throwing a sweater on top, and calling it a day.

True Appearance: When channeling her main's powers at full tilt, Iris' appearance changes from head to foot. Most noticeably, she grows a few inches and her skin becomes a sickly, cold, blue-tinged color. Heels grow from her ankles, adding a couple more inches, and vicious guantlet-like nails grow over her hands. She even slims down a bit, as her mass doesn't change even though she grows.

Whatever clothes she is wearing become girded in belts and underwires, becoming more supportive and close-fitting.

Shadow Walk (Passive)- Iris fades into the background even more than previously, becoming supernaturally-difficult to notice or keep one's attention on unless she is drawing attention to herself.

In True form, Iris literally becomes invisible.

Hate Spike- When her negative emotions boil over, those around Iris feel intense internal pain, as if they've had spikes jammed through their torsos.

In True form, Iris has control over when and who her hate attacks.

Dark Frenzy- With a sudden burst of agility, Iris escapes, followed by an increase in movement speed.

Ravage- Iris tears into someone with her claws, becoming empowered to continue at an increased pace for a few seconds. Only available in True form, or if Iris is using a short bladed weapon.

Agony's Embrace- Spikes thrust from the ground around Iris, dealing health and prana damage to anyone nearby. This damage is siphoned into a shield surrounding Iris for 6 seconds.

Personality: Iris shares many of the faults of others with her sort of wealth, but can also lay claim to a few largely unique to herself. She doesn't quite understand the importance of money, and so can often be callous when faced with someone struggling in that field. Her parents have taught her well that if one really wants money, one will work for it, and that hasn't left much room for her to pity those who deserve it.

She's also guilty of having rather expensive tastes, and of being a snob when it comes to things that are lesser.

And, even given her great wealth, Iris can't help herself when she sees something that someone else has; she's a kleptomaniac of the worst sort, one who truly has no need at all for the things that she steals. Often, she dumps them as soon as she has gotten away with the crime, and the thrill is gone.

That's not to say that Iris doesn't have some good qualities! She is generous to those whom she does not believe will take advantage of her generosity, she's generally a fun person to be around, and she makes acquaintances easily, with an uncanny ability to remember names even if she's only ever talked to someone once, on the phone, years ago.

She's also learned, the hard way, what it is like to have good-weather friends. She doesn't trust others enough to rely on them any longer, but she is a very loyal friend as long as someone will have her.

Short Biography: Most people have very few chances to deem themselves "lucky" in their lifetimes; it seems as if luck gravitates toward certain people instead of dissipating evenly. Say they are born under lucky stars, or that the gods smile on them, or whatever you will, but it remains the same: some people just have all the luck.

Iris is one of those people. Well, rather, the son or daughter of her parents, one a CEO of a large technology company, the other the owner of a large diner chain, whoever that may have been, was one of those people. Just turns out that Iris was the daughter of her parents.

Hers was never a life of want. She had the nicest clothes before she could even appreciate them, tutors came to her house, and would be replaced if she did not like them. She ate the finest foods of the land, attended the nicest parties, and had the most pleasant nannies.

One almost wonders where things went wrong. Did her acts of rebellion start as a plea to get her busy parents' attention? Did she like going to the principal's office of her nice private school? Was there a special someone whom she wished to see on the police force? I suppose that, since not even Iris knows, it will always be a mystery. But what started as petty thievery quickly became an obsession, a compulsion, and quickly landed her in trouble. But hey, she likes trouble!

Her thievery introduced her to League, actually. She punked some small kid as he escaped from a 7/11 with gift cards in hand, and her first free RP cards were interesting enough to get her hooked on the game. She wandered without aim for a while, without a main, until the Safecracker Evelynn skin came out. It was too good a match to pass up, and Evelynn became Iris' main.

[User]
"Alright, alright, I'm staying."

As all the other people spoke up their concerns, Alexis sighed and crossed her arms. Maybe this was just a ploy for him to weaponize her newfound abilities. Wasn't too much of a way to figure out what the truth was, except for just letting things play out. That seemed to be the best way to do things around here, and maybe if needed, she could beat her way out of here. It didn't seem like it was going that way, but there still was an off chance that this was a facade. What were the odds that the government is running experiments unchecked and whatnot? Well. Better than Nova thought. But what were the odds it was for all of them?

The red-head shifted her gaze to Noelle, speaking up real quick. "Probably what Greg said. Seems like that's the only proper solution here. Quickly though, another girl spoke up, trying to bail out on this entire situation. "Respectable. Honest though, if she's gonna bail, that's more reason for me to stay." She turned to look to Ravello, with some sort of a questioning look on her face. "Gives me more of a reason to trust him honestly."

---

Lucy Castillion

While the entire situation seemed all too weird, the results were pretty entertaining. Some small little magical abilities kicked in and whoop-de-do, free light show at the night. It seemed pretty fun, figuring out all of the things she could do, although it seemed like there wasn't all too much going on. At the moment? Lucy was pacing downtown, going to get a coffee before class, with her laptop in her bag. It was just a slightly new multi-purpose laptop her parents got her, to an extent to shut her up. Mostly, for her studies. And school.

Something seemed a bit different today. Other than the magic, that was. There was the slight bit of snow a bit ago, which was somewhat odd, though this was the northwest. Things happened. Lucy kept her backpack close to her shoulder, stepping into the coffee shop and standing in line. She ended up dropping her wallet as she pulled out her card, accidentally bumping into someone's leg as she reached for it. "Oop, my bad. Sorrryy." She spoke up, putting her wallet back in her bag.

[Assistant]
Iris did not realize that she had been holding her breath until it all came out in a sigh when Sully said that they could go. Sure, he followed it with some silliness about her getting hunted down again, but that had little to do with her. Hers was a family with money, and if need be, defense would not be hard to purchase. In fact, she would be unsurprised to find that her mother had already hired detectives.

And, more importantly, she didn't care because it didn't apply to her. One last check assured her that she had not turned blue, or suddenly adopted an outfit that would have shamed any BDSM fetishist, and nodded at Sully's offer, making eye contact.

"I'll take my chances with that. Get me home."

[User]
Gregory turned at the sound of another's voice. It was the girl who he had sat next to at the party. They hadn't gotten to talk much before being drugged and all, but she seemed nice enough. And she was like him, he guessed. "Yes, I have meeps. Well, meep, just have the one. Named him Lil' Greg. And he doesn't talk, I think, just sorta beeps and boops. And he's adorable... and missing." he added. He sounded ridiculous, but this was apparently the reality he was in.

Turning back to the Ravello guy, he decided to take start making some demands from his kidnapper. "Listen, I'm a trusting guy, and I prefer not getting killed, so I'm choosing to trust the guys who haven't killed us yet. But I'd like a couple things if I'm being willfully kidnapped. First, I'd like you guys to teach me how to do my Bard stuff, cause so far I've just had surreal hallucinations that turn out to be real." He couldn't wait to get to pass through walls and stuff. "Second, I want you guys to be working full circle on this madman trying to mess us up, cause I assume we all want to get back to our normal lives, even though they'll probably never be normal again since we have freakish superpowers." Gregory had to get back to his job sooner or later. His boss wouldn't tolerate another week long absence, not after that one time he went to a concert that got a little too out of hand and ended up in Alabama. "And third, why not some sort of welcoming party for us! Might make this whole situation less gloomy, and make up for the party you drugged us at."

[Assistant]
Sully Ravello

Sully looked at Garett momentarily, obviously considering what to say. He sighed briefly, "I assure you if you are then you have powers, regardless of whether you know that or choose to accept it." His gaze fell on Aliron. "Yes yes, we'll get you your suitcase." The tone of slight annoyance made it clear he had no idea why Aliron was so fixated on the suitcase but saw no reason not to grant the request. "As for your second question we did have some plans to facilitate you all adjusting to your powers but your participation would be entirely voluntary and for your own benefit as well as ours." Next Noelle. "We brought you here to keep both you and us safe, if you want to help us stop Mr. Viktor then we would not turn you down." Next Claire spoke up and was given a respnse. "Very well then, as I've expressed I will not stop you, though I don't envy you if he finds you. An assitant would help you find your things and lead you out, while properly blindfolded of course." He responeded to Alexis with a sort of tired thankfullness, "Well I'm glad that someone trusts what we are doing." Iris was quick to point out that she wanted to leave as well and Sully nodded, this had been expected after all. "Very well, you may leeave with Miss Claire." Finally Greg. "Thank you for your trust. We would be pleased to help you adjust to your new state and fully intend to get rid of this Mr. Viktor probably, despite how difficult it is." He paused at Gregory's suggestion of a party. "Ah, well, that is to say. We don't- Well I can arange a little something for our guests after all." He whispered something into the ear of a nearby assitant and she went scuttling off. "Miss Claire and Miss Iris, I simply implore you one more time to accept our aid. If you insist on leaving I will make arrangments for you exit. Anything else?"

[User]
Noelle was not really sure what to do right now. She was grasping to straws at the moment. She didn't want to stay at this place, but also didn't want to hurt anyone on the outside. She was dangerous, her voice caused normal people to be hurt too easily! She was afraid of her own powers right now. What was she to do?

 "I... I.... I...will ...stay.." She managed to say, her voice softly resonating throughout the room, but barely as she was trying to not hurt anyone... or cause lamps to shatter again.

 "Can't you remove...these... powers?" She asked.

[Assistant]
"Oh come on, why not stay?"

Nova looked to some of the others, who seemed intent on leaving, though she shook her head and turned away. "Whatever, can't stop you. I'm staying, might as well. I at least trust that Ravello is doing something right, or at least trying to make up for it." Nova looked to Ravello for some sort of support, nodding to him before shifting her attention. She turned to Noelle with a bit of a sympathetic expression showing. "Really don't want it, huh...? Seems like it's just been causing you issues."

[User]
Iris turned away once she'd received the go-ahead, hunting down an aide who looked like she might be able to help rather than waiting for one of them to assist her. "Let's go," she said, not unkindly, but without any room for argument: the sort of voice that one developed talking to employees and servants as long as she had. The aide nodded, and led Iris away.

Unlike a certain someone who would not shut up about his suitcase, Iris had little to collect to prepare herself. Her necklace was returned to her, with all of its stones still set (she counted), and her phone, as well. She instinctively checked it, but saw that there was no service wherever they were, be that underground or in some sort of nullifying zone. But she found that she didn't really care where it was, now that she was free to go. If the others wished to stay, that was fine with her, but she did not intend to ever come back, unless she was backed up by a good number of police. Well... perhaps she should pay attention. She fiddled with her phone a bit before returning it to the discreet pocket in her small coat.

"Are we good to go?" she asked, but the aide shook her head.

"I'm waiting for the other one, too. We'll take you out at the same time." It was reasonable enough, and Iris leaned against a pillar to wait. Hopefully Claire was as impatient to leave as she.


[System]
Age: 25

Gender: Male

Appearance:

Abilities:[Blood Of Fafnir]
Fafnir was once an Elder Beast of fire and might that ruled over a Clan of Giants with brute force alone. Upon slaying the beast; Sir Sigurd von Reinhardt took Fafnir's strength as his own, the ancient Dragon's stolen might becoming inherent to House Reinhardt for generations to come. This power; bound to the Reinhardt bloodline, often manifests as a birthmark in the shape of Fafnir's final wound and located over the heart.

[Peak Human]
Though his sheer strength alone makes Reinhardt capable of crushing stone with his bare hands, his other physical capabilities are top-tier when compared to his fellow man.

[Magic Sense]
Despite having no magical ability of his own, Reinhardt is decently capable at detecting the flow and presence of magic.

[Expert Swordsman]
Though not among the best swordsmen in the land of Albion, the countless hours of practice Reinhardt has put into his swordsmanship can hardly be disregarded.

[The Unbreakable]
Due to Reinhardt's tendency to return from battles unscathed, rumors would suggest the man's skin to be impenetrable by normal means... However true such a thing might be-- no one quite knows for certain.

Recent events have revealed that there may be more to Reinhardt's seeming invulnerability than it would at first seem....

History:Reinhardt. The name of a knightly house that has served the people of Albion since the rule of it's first king. A house renowned for producing heirs of unmatched physical might and tenacity-- as well as some of the most legendary beast slayers Albion has ever known. Charged with eliminating threats in the Northeastern territories of the kingdom, House Reinhardt upheld its oath to protect the people of Albion even centuries after the King had met his end.

But every vigil is destined to end eventually.

Through the countless years of fighting beasts and brigands and Fomorians alike, the overwhelming strength of the once great house was whittled away bit by bit. Constant fighting against tireless enemies slowly drained the House's numbers, ancient heirlooms were lost, stolen, or destroyed, what little crop the territories could muster was consumed just as fast as it could be produced. By the time Elias Reinhardt had come into the world, his mother, father, and uncle were the last of the Reinhardt line; the walls of their once venerable Castle Reinhardt crumbling and the many chambers within it's halls left dirty, and unkempt.

Even as the end loomed over what remained of house Reinhardt, the Lord of the house; ever dutiful to the people of Albion, still raised Elias as a knight. At age eight, Elias was was taught to wield a sword. At ten, he was taught to hunt. At fourteen he learned how to harvest useful materials from the bodies of beasts. At sixteen the young man was Knighted, and at eighteen the young warrior even managed to successfully drive off a great vulture; an Elder beast of misfortune, from the Northeastern territories.

At twenty-two years old, the young Elias Reinhardt was dispatched to face the most dangerous foe he'd ever faced. A Tuathan scholar that had been studying the nature a Fey artifact that had been discovered in the region had been driven mad by the twisted magics of the Unseelie, and threatened to make the lands of the Northeastern territories even more of a wasteland than they already were. For ten moons the Knight fought the mage; their battle raging without repose through night and day alike...

It is said that the young Reinhardt; though his armor and weapon had been broken beyond repair, returned to Castle Reinhardt without so much as a scratch... But forever changed.

Now the young knight travels South to the town of Airedale, carrying a letter addressed to the one rumored capable of saving the land; the very king his family had once so faithfully served.
Anything else: * Elias is the first of house Reinhardt to leave the Northeastern territories since the end of the first King's reign.
* Despite his family's reputation as beast hunters, Elias himself seems to avoid people associated with the elder beasts.
* Elias has a tendency to accidentally break his weapons.
* The Reinhardt family birthmark often gives off a dull orange glow that intensifies proportional to physical effort.

[User]
Luna grabbed Elnith's hand and offered a smile back at her. "No, no. Please, I insist." The knightess said as she started to apply her healing magics to the woman. "Are we not comrades serving the queen together? I feel a kinship with all those with a similar cause, so feel no need to shy from assistance." Luna slowly moved her hand over the worst regions, barely touching them where she could to not cause much pain to Elnith. "Of course, healing isn't my strong suit so I can do what I can."

As she was working on Elnith's burns, Vyrell came over and asked her about the bandits. "Hear more about the bandits? Hmm, I don't know how much more there is to say. They were stronger than the usual rabble you find holed up in abandoned places. Oh, yes, they did seem to be eating something like it was a fey or perhaps a fomorian. I had considered that as a connection of course, but... A soldier found a symbol while we were there." Luna reached into her pocket and pulled it out for Vyrell while still giving Elnith a bit of treatment. "Perhaps you recognize this for more than an abominable parody of my house's sigil."

[Assistant]
She was sinking.

Her first instinct, above all logic, was to panic. The fact that the water never seemed to end, like she was descending further and further, deeper and deeper down, clutched at her heart. She didn't want to drown. She didn't want to die. She didn't-

Fio clenched her fists. This wasn't simply sinking into a deep pool. This was sinking back. Into her target's memories. Panicking like that was something only an idiot would do. This was exactly what she wanted, the outcome she was looking for in the first place!

Her fears for now defeated, the petite witch felt her entire body relax as she drifted deeper.

Now her bare feet were on a hard, white, smooth service. It felt almost like extremely polished stone. Above her wheeled celestial bodies she couldn't name.

And then the world around her moved, when she stayed still. Suddenly she found herself in the campsite again. The indistinguishable chatting of the bandits filled the air, as they hoisted a figure over the fire. With no small amount of disgust, she noted it was a fae of the Laughing Wood. No matter how twisted such creatures were, eating them was barbaric.

It was with more interest that she noticed the Fomorian, seemingly arguing with Annagan.

To begin with, Fio was curious about that. She wanted to know just what their conversation entailed before she moved on. Thus, she focused, attempting to make out their words...

Next, she'd proceed into the basement, regardless of if her efforts to hear the argument were successful or not.

[User]
"I am sorry to hear about the deaths of your men, Luna," Ethelred spoke to the knightess. "It appears that we both were up against foes who proved to be much stronger than we anticipated. If I may ask, did they have anything to do with the bandit band that attacked Airedale, or were they an unrelated gang?" If the brigands from before were trying to obtain strength after the glaring defeat the knights had inflicted upon them, that could be a worrisome development.

This new knight, Niall, sounded like he would be a welcome addition to the group, if Sorcha could trust him. He noticed that the knight did not remove his helmet, and was curious as to why. Ethelred also never removed his helmet, but that was not by his choice- just like the rest of his armor, his helmet would not come off. There were many reasons why one might choose not to show their face, some more innocent than others. If he joined Sorcha's order, it would likely be inevitable that the others see him without his armor and helmet, unless it was stuck on him like in Ethelred's case.

Whatever the case was, another knight would be a welcome addition, especially with the loss of Od. From what Vyrell was saying, two new matters had already come up.

"I'd be willing to address the Unseelie sightings," he stated to Sorcha. "I know all too well the trouble they can cause, and they may have some answers that I seek."

Of course, it'd be unwise to go alone. The Unseelie were a tricky race, and Od's abduction was a grim reminder of how important it was for the knights to be watching each other's back.

Assuming Vyrell doesn't stay at the castle, he'll probably be more interested in the elves. Luna might be interested in the Unseelie if there's any chance that they were connected to the bandits' strength. I suspect Reinhardt will need to get his armor replaced or refitted, although he doesn't really need it. Fio is probably too busy working on her prisoner. Niall is a complete mystery to me, and I'd rather not put Lugh in harm's way, he thought as he looked over all the other knights.

Elnith, however, she might have an interest, he thought has he turned to the cursed knight, currently receiving some healing from Luna. The Unseelie wronged her far more grievously than myself.

Ethelred could feel his temperature becoming a smidge less frigid. Perhaps it was just the aura of Elnith's curse affecting his own curse. Clearly it was a strong effect, if it warmed him enough that she was able to sleep with her head on his shoulder without suffering frostbite. Perhaps the chill of his armor alleviated the pain of her burns. Whatever the rationale was, he was glad to be there for her.

He hesitated to ask anything anything, however- after all, Elnith was still recovering from her burns and deserved some time off after her very unpleasant imprisonment. While his face could not be seen, the others might notice the direction he was facing, and the ice thawing on the outer edges of his armor, with beads of water running down his helmet.

@Rune_Alchemist@Guy0fV4lor

[Assistant]
Reinhardt didn't waste time in departing from the War Room as he and the other Knights, only stopping long enough to give his comrades a brief address as he'd step out into the Village, "I'll be on patrol if anyone needs me."

Though the Queen's reaction had been far more calm than he'd expected, unease played upon Reinhardt's nerves; though much like the injuries he still carried from the previous mission-- he would betray nothing of it to others as he would make his way throughout Airedale. Stopping by the Blacksmith to drop off his armor for resizing, the Knight would leave the workshop with a large canvas; wrapped tightly around whatever wad contained within. Continuing past the gate, Elias would march off into the woods; out of sight.

He needed to clear his head.


[System]
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Appearance:
 Height: 5'5"
 Build: Slender
 Hair: Ash blond (light brown)
 Eyes: Green
 Clothing: His attire consists of a white, long-sleeved shirt underneath a black, over-sized hoodie with a pair of black gloves. Additionally, he wears a pair of dark green pants with black combat boots.
Skillset: He is experienced with the functionality of machines, due to his upbringing, and has an adept knowledge of science. He is also talented at picking locks and has a decent amount of knowledge in medicine. Though he is not the strongest, he is fairly nimble.
Weapon(s): .45 Auto Pistol & Combat Knife
Personality: Though quiet when with strangers, he is quite the talkative person when given the time to become adjusted to another's presence. Armed with a sarcastic personality, as well as an offhanded tendency to snap at people, he does have an odd sense of obligation for other people's safety and well-being, even if they have done him wrong before. He also has the habit of hiding things from people, fearing the consequences he may have to face if he were to tell them. As for himself, he could be considered rather unconcerned and reckless.
Biography: He grew up in the same town as Jace, sequestered in the marshlands of southern Georgia. His father worked as a mechanic there, which included supplying the town with purified water. When the machine began to break down gradually, though, rations had to be issued, which caused the family to become unpopular when there was not enough for everyone to share. His mother died when he was young when there was a "freak accident," and afterwards, that only gave the other townspeople more reason to ostracize the family--if the man could not be trusted to keep his own family alive, then how could he be trusted to keep an entire town alive? When he was sixteen, he fell ill from radiation poisoning, but recovered; after this close call with death, he decided to begin his research on a long-term solution for the water issue, studying Project Purity and more cases of a G.E.C.K. working miracles. About two years after, he and his closest friend, Jace, set out on their journey to search through Vaults until they discovered one.

[User] Leith sighed, as he'd been hoping that Kaye would be the one to do most of the talking, but he supposed that he was the one who had spent several years in a Vault. Leaning forward until his elbows were propped on the table, he said, "Well, in case neither of you have been able to figure it out yet, I've had...bad experiences with Vaults. That's because I registered myself and my family into one a couple of years before the Great War, and, well, I was the only one who survived through it." He clasped his hands together, staring at the tabletop as he continued, "In short, since I doubt either of you cares to hear the details of it, this Vault had G.E.C.K.s in it. Not just one, but five. And we used two of them."

[Assistant]
Jace's eyes widened upon hearing that news and stared at him intently for the longest. He didn't know whether to be excited or angry considering that they had waited so long to tell them. After a few minutes to gather his thoughts, he decided to go with the latter.

 "If what you say is true, then why the hell didn't you tell us about this sooner?"

 "Like we actually trusted you when we first met." Kaye rolled her eyes at him. "We still don't know if we can trust you, so I guess the feeling is mutual."

 "And I still don't trust you, so why do you think we should believe a word that you say? For all I know, you coul be trying to lure us into a trap." He glared at her.

[User]
Leith rubbed his eyes with one hand, and interrupted their arguing, "Look, there's a catch--there always is. In that Vault, everything was designed to break and malfunction within a few years; each Vault was nothing more than a social experiment, designed to test which batch of humans was or wasn't fit to survive after the bombs fell. The two that we used didn't even serve their intended purpose. One was useless from the very get-go, and the other that the scientists in the vault attempted to reverse-engineer taught them nothing. Honestly, I doubt that any amount of tampering and examining them will lead to anything fruitful. Not with the limited resources and equipment that we have, at least." He looked between each person at the table. "We need someone who does, though."

 "Are you suggesting that we find that Brotherhood of Steel scribe?" Basil inquired dubiously after a moment's consideration.

 "Kaye, you take over from here," Leith said, leaning back in his seat.

[Assistant]
Kaye looked between the two of them, smiling sheepishly. "Now before you go into complete shut-down mode, just hear me out." She took an exaggerated deep breath and released it before continuing, "I know that none of us are very fond of the Brotherhood, but at this point I don't see any other way. They have the resources to make this happen and-"

 "And they will take everything from us," Jace said, narrowing his eyes.

 "So now you admit that there actually is an 'us?'" Kaye smiled slyly at him, but he simply ignored her.

 "Just like with the one in vault, she will take these just as well and leave us with nothing but scrap metal and dust."

 "That is why we only tell her of the one."

 He fell into a short bout of silence. "Even if we tell her about this G.E.C.K., what do you plan on doing from there? Do you honestly believe they are simply going to fix it for us and say 'here you go and have a good life?'"

 It was Kaye's turn to remain silent. "I know it sounds crazy, but it's worth a shot. If we can somehow entice her to help us out, it just might work."

 "How would we entice her, Kaye? We barely have any caps to get us through to the next day, and we don't have anything more to offer."

 "Well do you have any other ideas?!" Kaye was seriously growing tired of Jace's constant pessimism.

 He simply stared at her blankly for a long while before shaking his head in disbelief. "I need another drink..." He raised his hand to call over the waiter.

[User]
Basil, without even thinking of the potential repercussions, leaned over and brought Jace's hand back down to rest on the table. Realizing what he had done, he instantaneously retracted his hand, almost as if the contact had burned him. After a moment, he cleared his throat and said, "You shouldn't drink, especially not when we're about to be back on the road."

 After an awkward silence ensued, Leith absently questioned, "Wasn't it odd that, even though she was a scribe, she was alone? She said that she had other men stationed with her, but we didn't see any of them; not on patrol as we headed here, not in the vault. Someone surely had to have accompanied her into the Vault. She'd need at least one knight, if not more."

[Assistant]
Raider quietly cleared his throat after hearing this and lowered his head to stare at the table. It was obvious that he wanted to say something, but looked as if he didn't know if he actually should.

 "What is it, Raider? We can tell that you want to say something," Kaye said, smiling slightly.

 "I...I just wanted to tell you that..." he sighed heavily, "She was there for three days and while I was hiding out in there for her to leave, never did I see anyone else with her...didn't even hear other voices. There is little doubt in my mind that she was alone in there, because surely I would have heard them if there were others."

 Jace stared at Raider for a moment before speaking, "So you think she is operating alone? Brotherhood of Steel do not work alone, as Leith just mentioned. They had to be hiding out and we just were looking in the wrong places."

 Raider glared at Jace. "I know what I didn't see. No one else was there. I know that for a fact."

[User]
"Brotherhood of Steel doesn't even have any permanent, much less stable postings here," Leith continued, "So, she must have either come here on her own accord, perhaps as an exile, or she was sent here on a recon mission, which, in that case, there would have still been more with her."

 "Perhaps the others were killed?" Basil suggested.

 "It would certainly explain why she was alone. Recon missions are seldom sent reinforcements, after all. Those teams are assigned to uncharted territory to ascertain whether it's worth exploring; if the others died, then the higher-ups must have decided that it isn't worth sending more people out to the same area just to get wiped out, too."

[Assistant]
Jace thought that, that made sense but wasn't so willing to admit as much. He pondered on their options for a moment, not seeing much of an option. If there were three G.E.C.K.'s that could be salvaged and if there was even the slimmest of hope that the BOS woman would help them, even after he'd nearly killed her, then it was worth the shot. It wasn't as if they had many other options to go off of at this point...

 Slowly, he turned to look at Basil to gauge his reaction. "You want to do this...don't you?"

[User]
Basil immediately nodded, "Yes, but who is to say that she is even there? She may have left by now."

 "The kid here just said that she'd been there for three days before us, so evidently, there's something that's keeping her there; I doubt that she could have wrapped up her research or whatever she was doing within just one more day," Leith pointed out.

[Assistant]
"You do have a point," Jace grumbled, falling silent once more for awhile.

 "Whatever she was doing, something is keeping her there. And I doubt that it was just to find a G.E.C.K. She...she obtained the G.E.C.K. on the first day of being there, so there has to be something more important there."

 "So it's settled, then? We're heading back to the vault?" She spared a glace at Leith and smiled apologetically. She knew he hated this, but if this is what it took to get what they needed, then so be it.

 Jace looked over at Basil, waiting for an answer. Even after everything that happened, he still looked towards him for guidance considering this was his mission to begin with. For the moment, he actually felt as if everything was normal between them...

[User]
"It's a plan, at least," Basil said, "And it has a firmer foundation than our original one." For the past couple of months, they'd only been finding information about more Vaults from the locals in other communities and heading into them with the hope for the best, after all. This was a firmer lead.

 "Well, is everyone prepared to leave then?" inquired Leith. He glanced at each person seated at the table. "No one needs to buy ammunition, water, medicine?"

 Jeez, he sounds like my dad whenever we headed out to find scrap metal and spare electronics, Basil couldn't help but think. He smiled softly, albeit sadly; sometimes, he was excited about hitting the road and discovering more about the world, but at other times, he wanted nothing more than to return home and be with his father. Then again, that wasn't his father, was he?

[Assistant]
"I bought all of my supplies yesterday before I came to the bar," Jace muttered, already standing.

 Raider looked rather uncomfortable at the question and raised his hand as a kid would do in the middle of class. "Umm, I don't have any weapons... I have that rusty combat knife, but that's not really going to do anything in a gunfight."

 "Here." Jace didn't waste any time as he unstrapped the holster of his 10mm pistol from his thigh and handed it over to him. "She has a catch in the safety switch, so you have to slide it twice before it unlatches itself. Been meaning to get it fixed for awhile, but why fix something if it still works?"

 Raider's eyes lit up when he was handed the weapon and stared at it as if he'd been handed a bar of gold. He'd never owned a gun before because even the people from his community didn't even trust him with a weapon of that caliber. If he were to attack them, then they would have easily been able to stop him with the cheap knife they supplied him with because he hadn't been trained to protect himself with it. He knew they had only given it to him as more of a joke than anything else, but if it hadn't been for the gag gift then he'd probably be dead right now like all the other bastards rotting in that vault.

 Kaye was a little surprised that he willingly gave Raider a weapon considering that he'd went on incessantly yesterday about how much he didn't trust him. Perhaps they had bonded a little more last night than she once imagined.

 "Umm...thanks," he muttered softly, actually smiling softly. It was such a foreign thing to him that it came out awkwardly.

 "Don't mention it. You're going to need it and I don't want my ass hanging in the breeze when we get into a firefight. And I'm willing to bet that we are most guaranteed walking into a trap."

 "What about my armor?" Raider asked.

 "You will be painting a target on our backs if you wear that armor," Jace said, looking over at him. "Forget about it...we'll find you some more...sophisticated armor."

[User]
The soft, neon green glow of the ancient terminal highlighted the sharply angled features of Kate's face; eyes squinted, lips pursed, her fingers glided over the clunky keys as she sorted through the assorted options for the Vault's maintenance and security on the first floor. Most of it was useless at this point, as electricity was only directed towards certain areas; for example, only the residential section for the single women received any power now, while the rest were left in the dark and, if they were even more unfortunate, were flooded.

 She sighed softly, tilting her neck away from the screen.

 She was so close to hacking into these programs; then, the Vault would be safe and likely even habitable, at least temporarily. Then, she could bring him back. She could excavate.

 Soon, Desmond, everything will be okay.