[System]
Appearance
A tall blond, not altogether exciting. When Horace arrived at the slave camp he was clean shaven, neatly groomed, pale skinned, and somewhat wispy for a man over six feet. By now he's a little less delicate than before, a lot more untidy, and sporting a very masculine chin of reddish stubble—which does not at all match his straw colored hair. His blue eyes reflect bitter surrender, too tired to be confused anymore about the absurdity of his situation.

The only thing that's remained the same about him since his arrival is the arid look of contempt he offers the camp guards.

Age
25

Gender
Male

Race
Human

Class
Priest

Magic Description
Divine

Personality
One part piety and two parts dry wit. Horace is easy company for anyone with a lot to say. He enjoys listening more than speaking, and he's a good source of advice or a sly joke when it is sought. Many would describe him as easygoing, more liable to bend with the breeze rather than stand in the storm, but they would be wrong. Like an extinguished hearth, his cool ashen mein hides a bed of glowing embers.

Despite his approachable demeanor, Horace does tend to be a bit personally withdrawn. He possesses a self destructive streak when he becomes hopeless (like now, for instance), as well as a very unpriestly appetite for vices of all sorts.

Who you were
A novitiate from the Temple of Truth. Before Horace was caught up in this mess, he was a young priest in service to Lord Ceron, God of Knowledge. The Temple boasted a well tended library, often visited by scholars and students, as well as an altar and large marble image of the bearded god himself. Not a great fan of archiving, however, Horace usually served Ceron by visiting nearby villages to treat common ailments with his magical talents, as well as educate young children and curious adults.

Orphaned in his early teen years, Horace was not skilled or unscrupulous enough to resort to thievery and pickpocketing to get by. Instead he begged for coin on street corners where he was paid to please stop singing because busking was clearly not his calling. Over years he became more useless, relying on friends to pay for him to get drunk at pubs and taverns until he was rowdy enough to be thrown out.

One memorable occasion with a duke's daughter nearly landed him in a situation not unlike the one he's in now (and when he remembers that, he'll be appropriately spiteful). A gray-maned priest of Ceron intervened and claimed that Horace was merely teaching the girl history, not unlacing her frock. The duke was skeptical, but the priest was earnest and trustworthy. It was enough to drag Horace to safety by his arm.

Horace's future looked grim, and confronted with the powerlessness of his existence, he followed the priest to the Temple of Truth in an attempt to fill the void in his heart.

[User]
This entire situation felt like a dream... no, a nightmare. Two weeks ago she woke up without any memory of who she was, or why she was being harassed by men clad in armor accusing her of some murder she had no recollection of. Thereafter she was dragged to a slave camp, tortured for what seemed like days on end, and forced to labor in their dirty mines. The brutes even left welts, bruises and cuts all over her body - they seemed to like her face when they felt particularly frustrated. "Let's mess up that pretty face of yours, doll." they'd say, "Then we'll see if you talk." They never believed a word she said, accusing her of working with several others who she also didn't know. Who was actually evil here? Them or her? Perhaps it really was her. Sometimes she wondered, as she lay in her cell staring at the cold stone walls before day break and the nightmare started all over again.

Either way, execution day came and the slavers still had no confession from her or the others they thought she was working with. At least it would have come had a mysterious figure not come to their rescue the night before. At that point Echo had been looking forward to her own death, as she felt so worn down and tired that it no longer mattered to her. Being free of the slave camp would be enough, even if it was in the after life. That and the fact that she had no idea who she was or her own purpose in life helped her make that quiet decision with herself. However, this mysterious man who called himself Tychus of Shattergarde had other plans for her life. Yet again, she had become another pawn in someone else's hands.

The man was insanely talented, she would give him that much. Somehow he managed to take out all of the guardsmen in the camp and free her and the others accused of Tancred Lonefire's murder. Whether or not he was by himself she wasn't sure, but he currently led her and this small group of misfits by himself. Initially she had asked questions after escaping; who was he? Why did he release them? Where was he taking them? Who were these people? Did he know who killed the Grand Marquess' son? It wasn't her, was it? To be fair, she had a lot of questions that he could not answer at that time. Tychus only told her that she would know in time, and she best keep quiet or risk revealing them all. Understanding, she remained quiet for the rest of the long journey, occasionally eyeing the rest of the group with her pale green eyes.

"Do you smell that?"

Her thoughts broke and she glanced up at Tychus. He smelt something? Was he part canine? All she smelt was lilacs, which she had realized earlier that she hated. At least, if anything, she knew that she hated lilac. Perhaps she should have told someone to write that on her grave stone, considering what was about to appear before her. "Here lies Echo Notaras. A person with great distaste for lilac."

Her own banter in her head quieted as Tychus motioned for the group to start jogging. She felt so exhausted that jogging seemed impossible. They hadn't even stopped once since escaping save a few seconds pause, how did he expect them to run? The rest looked just as run down as she did, perhaps more so. Nonetheless, she gathered all the energy she had left in her tiny body and did as he asked.

"In the name of the Grand Marquess, drop your weapons and surrender!"

Echo's heart dropped at the sudden voice booming through the valley. It felt familiar, but as she looked at the massive knight before them she could not bring a name to mind. Why did she have the feeling in the back of her mind that she knew this behemoth? There was no time to ponder on it, as Tychus quickly drew his sword. Just as rapidly a snake of a woman revealed herself from the grass. "How did we miss them?" She thought, baffled. "How long have they been following us?"

As the women approached, yelling at Tychus, Echo's heart began to race. She almost felt frozen in place, unsure of what to do. Was she supposed to roll over and be captured or not go without a fight? Which would be the worse option? Apparently, Tychus opted for the latter.

"All of you, run towards the crags. These two are way above your skill right now. You'll find a passageway in there that will take you to where you'll find answers. I'll hold these guys off... Just don't die."

She stared at the older man as he sprang forward and attacked the two, then glanced toward the rest of the group. They all began running as Tychus said, and Echo had the brief thought of running in the other direction. Perhaps running with them until the very end, slinking off by herself when no one was paying attention. She could escape on her own, couldn't she? Why did she need the rest of this group?

"Of course I need them. What good is a girl on her own who remembers nothing about herself?" She thought, realizing she would have no clue what the next step would be had she been able to disappear on her own. That, or those two hunters would notice and she would have been easily picked off when alone. Convinced, she began running toward the crags with the others.

Echo briefly glanced back at Tychus, witnessing several copies of himself fighting against the two rivals. Quite amazing, if you asked her. Who was this "Shadow Reaver" anyway?

[Assistant]
As your group runs forth, mustering the strength to sprint across the last quarter of a mile, you hear the sounds of swordplay behind you. Tychus seems to be holding his own against these two assailants. In fact, if you dare to look behind you, you can see that he is actually beating them back. Perhaps they aren't as dangerous as they originally seemed?

He's able to hold the duo back long enough for you to get into the thicket of the rocky land in front of you. It's a winding maze of barren scaling cliffs and sharp crags. Fortunately, there is a clear yet narrow pathway for you to follow. The party keeps moving, eyes on the lookout for what Tychus was referring to. The path eventually runs out, ending in a narrow crevice that you shimmy through, but only one at a time. Looking through the darkness, you can't make anything out, but you do smell a lingering scent of fire, as if someone had been camping within this cave. The old man immediately comes to mind, and you can guess that this is probably where Tychus stayed before he came to free you all. He said that answers lay through here, but what could that possibly mean?

Suddenly, like a crack of thunder, you hear a howl of agony behind you. Tychus skims across the path that led you to the crevice, blasted by some foreign power to about 400 yards behind you. The man looks to be alive, but just barely. His right arm hangs from sinew, blood gushing out onto the soil. Pained, the elderly man looks at you all and waves you on with his intact arm, trying to say words but unable to speak.

"Ivory, after the prisoners. I'll finish off that pathetic man." the soft voice of the white haired woman boomed.

On command, the giant knight rushes onto the scene. Like a gigantic bull, he lowers a shoulder and appears to be aiming to dash you all against the cliff walls. Tychus can't respond fast enough to protect you all, and you have moments to shimmy as fast you can away from the knight. By the looks of it, if you manage to squeeze through and avoid him, he would be too large to get through the entrance.

If you manage to shoot a glance back in your rush, you see the female bounty hunter approach the struggling Tychus. He rises once more, his severed arm finally snapping from the sinew and falling to the ground. Nonetheless, he pulls out his last knife and lunges at the woman. As he strikes, some sort of sorcery envelops the elderly man, pushing out from his form before they vanish into a dark smog. Unable to see any more, you can only ponder on the old man's fate.

[User]
Horace couldn't allow himself to run at full tilt until he was certain everyone was coming with him. Gods' sake, no one else here but their benefactor was even human, but still he couldn't stop himself from caring about the others. Whether they were orcish or elven or a strange, little pixie bug, they were bound by what they'd been through at that damned labor camp.

Without having the slightest clue to anyone's nature in this colorful assembly, it was nearly impossible to predict what anyone was going to do. To his enormous relief, they seemed as willing to listen to the old man's orders as he was. Confident that his escape was a matter of obedience, and not cowardice, Horace let go of his doubts and hesitation.

He had plenty of encouragement.

"Ow! What?!" The insect did speak, and it was making a nest in his hair. "Protect you? Who do you—ow, hey! You're pulling my hair! I'm going!" Fairy, that's what she was. Horace had read about them. Mischief makers, magical and rare. What had she been doing at the labor camp? "I don't wanna die here, either!"

Bringing up the tail of the group, Horace tried very hard not to listen to the fighting behind him while he sprinted toward the rocks. The crags pushed closer together, and for a moment he feared a dead end, but the path seemed to continue through narrow walls. Horace leaned his head forward, looking around the others and becoming intrigued by the opening of the cave. The smell of cold smoke wafted from inside.

It must have been where the old man was taking them.

A deafening crack behind them shook him out of his fascination, and Horace glanced back to see the armored knight charged forward. Beyond them was the old man—on the ground, broken and bleeding. The only man who'd helped him in the past few weeks, the only one who could offer him any answers about any of this!

"Wait! Wait, you can't!" The knight was closing in and Horace knew he had to get to safety, but panic and confusion froze him in place. "You can't die!" Not yet! "Who are you? Who are any of you?!"


[System]
→ Legally, Imogen Sofia Goneril

Age
17

→ 7th Day of the Verdant Rain Moon 🌧, 1478

Country of Origin
Leicester Alliance

Social Standing
Commoner

→ Technically of House Goneril, but the Duke has repudiated her mother and has no knowledge of her existence.

Crest
Crest of Goneril

→ Imogen's Crest grants her the passive ability to sense incoming danger. She currently has no idea she has this ability and mostly reacts to its warnings instinctively.

Starting Class
Myrmidon

Weapon of Choice
Sword

Strengths
Sword, Lance

Weaknesses
Heavy Armor, Authority |

---

Personality
If actions speak louder than words, then hers are screaming that she's a certifiable idiot. Then again, her words are probably telling you that, too. The Imogen you first get to know is a winsome goofball who seems easily amused by anything and everything. The sound of her laughter is something you'll get acquainted with very early on, genuine and fullbellied and probably directed at you. Imogen is incapable of nuance and often broadcasts her feelings in its entirety, even though her expressive face has probably beaten her to it. If she's angry, she'll confront you; if she's sad, she'll cry her eyes out; if she's frightened, she'll be shaking in her boots and clinging onto the closest person.

Beneath the general obliviousness and harebrained tendencies lies a resilient spirit unafraid to keep trudging forward, even when things seem bleak. Imogen isn't a textbook optimist in that she believes everything ends with a happily ever after. She's had a fair share of misfortunes to know it isn't always true. But what she does know is that you can't just let things happen. Where luck is concerned, what matters most is what you do with it.

History

Imogen is the only living child of Duke Goneril's third wife, and ninth overall. Her mother, Ophelia, was hopelessly enamored with the young general. His successes against the Almyran invasions had given him renown and set him in equal footing with the other Great Lords, despite his status as a Crestless. Although rumors swirled about his mistreatment of his previous wives, Ophelia was convinced she was destined for him. Soon enough, a chance encounter with the Duke—really a painstakingly planned endeavor—turned her dreams into reality. Her good looks and plain devotion secured his attention, and they were wed not long after getting to know each other.

It became quickly apparent that fate had other plans for them. Despite her convictions, Ophelia was unable to give him what he truly wanted: an heir. Her first child was born still and silent; the second arrived too early; and the third lost to illness at infancy. Belarius' poisonous ambition had roots too deep to banish, and with nearly two years gone and no heirs to show for it, the duke had reached a tipping point.

A few months after Ophelia's last miscarriage, Belarius broke things off, intending to find a more suitable wife. When Ophelia refused to leave, he banished her from the duchy, declaring her cursed. She was forced out of Goneril territory and into a small town to the east, at the base of Fódlan's Throat. Her many attempts to win back Belarius' favor were met with marked indifference at first, then hostility after desperation caused her to involve the duke's current wife. When she tried to tell him that she was months into another pregnancy, her claims were dismissed as the desperate ploys of a lovelorn lunatic.

Imogen's successful birth is the first in a string of good luck that would punctuate the tragedies in her life. Born healthy, even if it's to a heartsick mother who often looked at her with disdain, as if she was at fault for arriving too late. Surrounded by kindhearted neighbors, so even when she was left alone for weeks at a time, someone was there to care for her. Saved by the gruff ex-warrior everyone in town feared, Caius Urswick, when a misstep caused her tumbling down the cliffside. While the accident caused her to be bedridden for nearly two weeks, Imogen considers it a net gain because it brought her Caius, her favorite person in the world. After her mother tried selling her to a supposed member of House Orderlia, all in exchange for an audience with Duke Goneril, Caius took her away from her wretched mother once and for all.

It happened so often, these tragedies circumvented only by some stroke of luck, that Imogen quickly learned to be immune to the extreme vicissitudes of life. As a child, it helped her to imagine an unbalanced scale, always tipping over one side or the other. If something bad happens, Imogen knew the 'something good' is just around the corner. She just has to reach for it.

The most recent instance of this strange phenomenon of hers happened the day a Crest scholar visited her small town. The scholar offered to test anyone willing and Imogen volunteered, thinking it would be fun. She couldn't have known that the results would be life-changing. News traveled fast through her small town, and upon hearing she carried a Major Crest of Goneril, her mother came to collect her. It had been years since she'd seen her last, but she looked more alive than ever before, a flicker of crazed hope in her eyes. Imogen knew what it meant: her mother found her way back to the duke, and she would do everything in her power to obtain it.

That night, Imogen finally accepted the offer Caius had presented to her many times before: a paid enrollment at the Officer's Academy. He had said it was a chance to escape from her mother's destructive obsession. A chance to figure out her place in the world, so she wouldn't feel beholden to Duke Goneril's toxic ambitions, should he ever try to claim her. Imogen had kept refusing his offer before because she didn't want to leave him behind, especially now that he's aging. But the scale has tipped far too long in the good side; she knew in her bones that something bad was coming for her. The least she could do was spare Caius from whatever it is.

Trivia
❥ Fish and Bean Soup is her favorite food. After her accident, she had a hard time eating for a while. When Caius noticed, he made her this soup and said it was sprinkled with vulnerary to make her feel better. It worked and now she believes it's some magical cure-all.

❥ Imogen is exactly 5'. She styles her hair in a high half-pony to get a couple of inches out of it.

❥ She has no idea if Duke Goneril has found out about her. Her mother would have no doubt attemped to relay the information already, but she does have a bad track record there so Imogen has her fingers crossed.

[User]
@Scribe of Thoth

---

Even before such a grim announcement, Kellen Fraldarius' face had been a few shades too pale for a healthy youth. For a few minutes following the horrible announcement, it only got worse. Kellen looked a bit like a revenant who had failed to pass on to the next plane. The reassurances of new guards and a curfew were hardly reassuring when the archbishop seemed to have little concrete information.

Though Kellen didn't know it, he arrived quickly to the same conclusion as Auberon. The Archbishop wouldn't convene the students like this if the rumours hadn't been validated in some way. The most optimistic read of this was that they had spotted an intruder. The more realistic was that someone a student had already gone missing. It hadn't been anyone from the Rose Unit. But beyond that, Kellen wasn't at all comfortable trying to determine who might have been missing in a sea of students he had hardly taken five minutes to look at, let alone speak to or learn much about. He hadn't heard or seen anything to cause alarm on the grounds, though it was no surprise given the amount of time he had been spending in his room.

He turned to look at Lienna, who was visibly shaken by the news. He frowned but knew better than to try and offer any sort of reassurance. Not that he was sure he'd be able to come up with anything as it stood. After a few moments, she shot up from her seat and started off. This was becoming a bit of a habit, though Kellen didn't pay it much mind. He still recalled how their last conversation had gone.

He turned to Auberon as his peer spoke a simple, yet unsettling truth. "Kellen, you're probably the most valuable hostage in the Blue Lions". Kellen didn't offer much in terms of reaction, beyond a quiet "Oh." Auberon didn't dwell on it, but Kellen would. Nevertheless, he nodded briskly at Auberon's instructions. He was still frustrated with nearly every Lion of the Rose Unit, but in the face of whatever this was, his resentment towards his classmates seemed almost trivial. Almost.

"You be careful too, Auberon." He tried to look in the blonde's eyes to determine if he had reached the same conclusion Kellen had, or if the instructions were merely an attempt to secure his authority. His right leg started to bounce a bit, and Kellen rested a hand on it. Only after it stopped did Kellen stand up. As he did so, his eyes turned to the entrance of the cathedral. He could see Michail stationed there, and for half a moment he made eye contact with his professor. He was almost certain his professor would have more information on this, though he doubted getting it would bring him any sort of peace.

Shaking his head, he looked back to his classmates. "If, um. If anyone needs someone to walk with them, you can knock."  He didn't quite smile, but his eyes looked a bit less cloudy as he spoke. "If - rather, please, say your name or something so I know it's, well, you."

[Assistant]
---

If Rudolf didn't wish fervently every night that he was back at Fort Merceus before, he certainly did now. The rumors had him nervous enough, but confirmation just left him enervated and mildly annoyed. Disappearances. In Garreg Fucking Mach. Unbelievable; the Knights were a joke nowadays. If they seriously thought he might be a threat when something like this was in the works right under their noses, they must've been. Maybe Theo should've spent less time monitoring him and more time watching for infiltrators. At the very least, Rudolf should be well-protected once that silver-haired psychopath inevitably tried to name him as one of the suspects and stepped up his spying. Nothing could be worse than letting Rudolf von Bergliez, Criminal Mastermind, Serial Murderer, Peerless General, and Sorcerer Supreme run around unmonitored. He might go to the library or something - how positively dastardly.

The boy's momentary grimace was wiped away along with such bitter thoughts as the prince spoke up. Right. He was probably the safest person on campus even without the Knights hovering over his shoulder, not that he ever left his room enough to try his luck. Speaking of which, that sounded like a lovely place to retire to before he was cornered and interrogated for more things he didn't do. Whatever Kayden hoped to glean from Captain Battleaxe up there didn't interest him anyway. Any guard rotation schedules they gave to a student would probably have to be changed to prevent a leak anyway, even if it was one of the House Leaders.

Unfortunately, just as Rudolf went to make his escape, someone's arm slammed right into his face as he rose from the pew, which caused him to stagger into the seat in front of him. It wasn't the first time he'd been literally tripped over and it likely wouldn't be the last, but the fact that it happened so brazenly told him he must've slipped away more adeptly than he thought. His assailant - that ice magic girl from Faerghus - was nice enough to toss an apology back at him but clearly decided he wasn't worth any more of her time than that with the way she tried to scurry off. Not that he blamed her.

"Yeah," The boy mumbled awkwardly as his eyes shyly drifted toward his toes, "Keep an eye out for me next time, I guess..." Why was everyone around here so full of action all of a sudden? It wasn't like they could march up to the podium and nag the administration into finding the culprit. Or was that just what successful people did; threw aside passivity at the first sign of danger and paced around like ants near spilled honey until they found something decisive to act on. Whatever it was, Rudolf wasn't that person. He didn't belong here and now he was almost in danger for it.

---

Symphony@POOHEAD189

[User]
The cafeteria was a surprisingly fun place to work. It wasn't just because she was surrounded by delicious-smelling food that she sometimes got to taste-test after winning over the cooks, or the really fun and fascinating kitchen staff she got to know. The dining hall, Imogen learned, was a hub of information. Rampant with rumors and gossip, there wasn't a day where she didn't find out something new. Often, it would be something as trivial as two students hooking up after class. Maybe something slightly more scandalous like someone getting caught cheating on an exam. But occasionally, she'd get something meatier.

Like whispers of ghosts, disappearances, and danger lurking in the dark.

Ever since she'd caught wind of the gossip, Imogen had readily volunteered for the late shift at the cafeteria, which no one minded in the least. Some have gotten cagey and preferred to return to their rooms before sundown. Imogen, on the other hand, made sure to be last to leave and took the longest possible route back to the dorm, eyes and ears (and Dogberry) peeled. Sure, her heart would be drumming up a storm and she'd have to drive away a half-dozen scary stories she'd involuntarily concoct in her head. And she supposed it would be nice to have someone accompany her. But in the end, curiosity trumped fear. Imogen wanted to see if these rumors were true, and who better to investigate than someone who could sense looming danger?

Io's announcement all but confirmed the rumors and indirectly enabled Imogen to continue her late-night investigations. If students really are going missing, then they wouldn't get mad at her for trying to help, right? Probably not. The new strict curfew wasn't ideal, but she was confident she could avoid the guards to some extent. She's had experience escaping authority figures back in her hometown. It's practically the same thing. Kind of.

Clary offered to accompany them on errands and Imogen imagined for a second what would happen if she invited her out on her excursions—nope! Her ear burned from a phantom tug and she felt pre-chastised already. Clary was great and all, but Imogen knew better by now than to involve her in any rule-breaking shenanigans. In her mind, she had made her up to be part saint, part badass warrior, part mom. At some point, she had even learned to fear disappointing Clary.

Imogen's gaze swept over to where the Blue Lions sat, watching as Kel offered a similar gesture, although he seemed far less certain than Clary. This time, she imagined asking Kel to tag along and nearly burst out laughing as she pictured the two of them cowering behind a tree, both in tears after they had just seen a ghost. It made her wonder; would she be braver or more afraid in the company of someone who is also terrified?

Okay, so maybe she can just ask Jory instead.


[System]
The galaxy is, in a way, it's own character, and everyone is free to add things to it. This is a collection of all the "Meanwhile!" style posts, that either provide some commentary to what's happening, explain some concept within the game, foreshadow certain events or simply add a wonderful little bit of extra flavour to help set the mood. To keep things vaguely organised, the posts will be linked to in the order they've been posted, along with a note of who wrote what.

Meanwhile! The Introduction of Doctor Frosty & Cold Front
Meanwhile, upon Dämmerlicht... by @Valor
A Hendersons Ribs Jingle by @TwelveOf8
A footnote on Swarm Sentience by @DracoLunaris
Meanwhile! An Introduction To Faster-Than-Light Travel
Meanwhile, in the past... by @DepressedSoviet
Meanwhile! Life on Dämmerlicht! by @Valor
Please rise for the national anthem of Monochromia, with notes, by @TwelveOf8
The Hendersons Ribs Safety Jingle, transcribed by @TwelveOf8
A newspaper article from Ofromia Tonight, written by Aggro Deluxe.

[User]
As the door slid open, Vanessa tensed in preperation for the need to shoot her rifle. As the moments ticked on, Vanessa noticed that nothing was really happening. The warthog was holding a baseball bat, but the brainiac seemed to be unarmed. Vanessa wanted to remove any ounce of confidence that the warthog had in his capabilities, and thus began to aim very gently at the baseball bat in his hands. Before she fired, she heard Toony ping her on the commlinks they were all provided and ask her if she could teleport the slime out. The first problem with this is that teleporting was rather limited. Teleporting another organic being was simply far too risky to be viable. The risk for them getting lost in the ether during the brief moment of teleportation was simply far too high to consider it a useful talent. Small inorganic items, like plates of food, were at little to no risk of separation. They weren't complex. Things that were alive were typically much more complex and thus much more likely to be lost in the journey. Once you were lost in the ether after a teleportation mishap, it was frequently impossible for any previous companions to find you once again. On top of that, slimes were disgusting and Vanessa didn't want to ruin her suit by trying to scoop one up only to have it fall out of her hands due to being a mostly liquid creature.

Thus, Vanessa replied to Toony with. "Negative, but I can do this..." Before pulling the trigger to her rifle. A sharp crack resounded from the barrel of the rifle and a .303 British round snapped downrange and shattered the baseball bat that the Warthog was holding, leaving it nothing more than a useless splintered mess. Vanessa quickly pulled the ejector handle downwards, which sent a smoking brass case flipping out of the rifle. Vanessa caught it in her teeth and she loaded another round and pulled the ejector back up, sealing the breech and rendering the gun ready to fire once again. Vanessa had the gun on target in a matter of moments. Subtle smoke wafted from the .303 British casing clutched in her molars, and Vanessa aimed lower on the Warthogs frame. She was aiming towards the kneecaps to incapacitate him should the Warthog begin to move. It wasn't a non-lethal shot, as many people falsely believed. A shot to the leg was just as dangerous due to the presence of several large veins that would eagerly make a large mess. But, it was much more survivable than a shot to the head or a shot to the chest as long as prompt and proper medical attention was given. Thus, Vanessa aimed for his knees.

With nothing more to do now, Vanessa waited to see who would make the next move.

[Assistant]
"So that's how it is, huh? No 'good morning', no 'how's your mother', just straight to the insults and threa-"

 The Brain was interrupted by the sound of a wooden bat exploding into a cloud of splinters and did what most normal people would do in such a situation; he flinched, ducked, and covered his precious face. In his defense, however, this was Henchman Training 101 and a good daily skincare routine gave him a face to die for, or indeed, kill for. The threat of roving gangs of unscrupulous cosmetic surgoens in some neighbourhoods was very real indeed.

 Boss Hog, on the other hand, didn't move or flinch, and for his troubles, received quite a lot of damage to his suit and a few bloody scratches from the slpintering wood. He did not look like a model of civility and happiness prior to losing his bat, and whatever self-control that was holding him back from simply lashing out with his hands was beginning to fray. There were signs, subtle ones, that something was going to snap within Boss Hog at any moment - his jaw squared, his muscles tensing, his eyes narrowing. Maracun, still firmly in Toony's grip, knew the signs, and began to squirm about a little, trying to free himself to no avail.

 "-threats, I was gonna say threats. You want this slimy fella? What's he to you lot? The Capatians own half the streets and throw the parties to prove it, the Heron's haven't got jack, you're picking the wrong bleeding fight here. Heron isn't worth it."

 As far as appeals to reason and veiled threats went, it wasn't absolutely terrible, but it certainly lost a lot of it's impact as The Brain was still cowering slightly. Given the choice between trying to look imposing and not catching a bullet or a laser beam (or a dozen laser beams) to the face, he knew hat he wanted, and that was to be able to spend an hour looking in the mirror after all this was over to check for any errant splinters.

---

"Deploying towed array sonar!"

A little hatch on the back of the cleaner bot flipped open, and a long coil of rope explosively launched out from it. The rope had a string of little sensors mounted along it, each in it's own little clear plastic enclosure. The force of the deployment system knocked the cleaner robot on to it's face and, after scrambling back on to it's feet, it looked up to Fiddlesticks. It was smiling, clearly happy to provide some help, even if it's action was of very little help indeed. Quite why a cleaner bot would be equipped to detect submarines was something of a mystery, but it probably had something to do with the laundry system on board the Quest for Flavour.

The bees, above the whole sorry scene, happily waved down from the safety of a tunnel that intersected the ceiling of the one Fiddlesticks and the Cleaner Bot found themselves in. A rather flimsy grating provided a place for the bees to sit and watch what happens next; one of the more enterprising bees was taking bets. The odds weren't good.

From further down the tunnel, the mechanical sound of doors opening could be heard, and the water sounded just that little bit closer. The insects wound up their party and began to arrange themselves into neat rows, awaiting their own watery doom with a certain amount of dignity and grace.

[User]
"Yay! Go cleaner bot! You rock!" cheered Fiddlesticks. He danced a little jig, without a care in the world. The splashing of the water off his feet coupled with the feeling of wetness sobered his mood very quickly.

The small runnel of water now took up the entire floor of the tunnel. The water was still a couple of centimeters deep though. They still had time.

In those dark tunnels, sonar mapping was a godsend. Without it, Fiddlesticks and the bot would have both been hopelessly lost. No doubt he found it puzzling that a cleaner bot would have sonar mapping installed. But during their ordeal, Fiddlesticks was just thankful that it did. Questions were for times when drowning wasn't a real threat. Even Fiddlesticks knew that. A practical mindset to be sure.

A familiar buzzing was heard from the pipes in the walls and in the ceiling. Pieces of the captains body came flying out. To almost anyone else, that would be both a disgusting and disturbing prospect. When it came to the crew of the Quest for Flavour though, it certainly was not. Their captain was a sentient swarm of bees after all. Much to the relief of the hapless duo, some of the captain bees came to save the day. Much to the disappointment of Fiddlesticks in particular, there were not enough. Only six bees!?

"Hey bees! I'm so glad you're all here! Could you guys help us find a way out!? Things are going to get a lot more wet around here!" asked Fiddlesticks. Words couldn't describe how glad he was that they were there.

"Hey cleaner bot. Do you think we have enough bees to divide them up into three scouting parties?" Fiddlesticks asked the ladybug cleaner bot.

[Assistant]
"And I'm sure you were just the politest and most pleasant bunch when you beat up and stole Hip Kallo's clothes."

The mind was rather confused as to why there appeared to be a gang conflict of some kind revolving around parties on this planet and was currently ruining down the hiveminds list of negotiation tactics, which suggested additional threats/taunting. The Bees were more distressed that this was looking less like a throw a party gig and more of a security detail, which meant that they weren't going to be allowed to get drunk on mead any time soon and that was a travesty. They suffered a -20 penalty to morale as a result. They were all ready to launch into tirades about these thugs despoiling the noble art of the party with their brutish ways when the the banner of the interplanetary space friends was brought through the door by its carriers and the Mind kept talking, having decided on its course of belittling and self aggrandizement .

"see this banner, that is who we are and we don't back down from a request for help, so you and your mates better bugger off and leave us be. We are here to help throw a party, I don't see why you're so threatened by that? Think your Capatians can't do better than a bunch of drifters? Go prove it rather than sticking around here playing mobster. Which your really bad at by the way.

There was a chorus of agreement from the bees as they buzzed in closer, coming through the door now that it was obvious the thugs were out gunned and as they were itching to give these no good scoundrels a good stinging for ruining the festive mood they had all been in.

---

One of the bees down with fiddlesticks had been in charge of holo-umbrellas and so at his mention of it getting wet the bee handed out 5 little handles to the other bees, which then projected very flimsy force fields above them to keep them safe from rain. Naturally this would completely useless against the oncoming torrent that could be heard flowing down the pipes towards them, but the pink, green and blue neon glowing umbrellas did provide a little light. So as they did whatever scouting the cleaner bot required the bees would be easily spotted through the gloom by the glowing fields they now carried.

[User]
The Brain took a step back as the swarm of bees began muscling their way through the door, not that either of the two goons were making much of an attempt to stop them. Their robotic maid still held Maracun hostage and Boss Hog wouldn't have had much luck against a horde of bees. They were outsiders, self-avowed drifters, after all, who clearly didn't appreciate the importance of the parties in Ofromia. The Brain was the sort of person who attached considerable significance to the value of information and the value of his own skin.

 "Sorry, Maracun, but we're not fighting to preserve yer honour today," the Brain finally stood up straight and, just before patting his hog-like companion on the shoulder, he paused and thought better of it, "come on, Hogger, you can be the one to tell the boss that he's got nothing to worry about."

 It took a while for the suggestion to leave Maracun to the tender mercies of the crew to penetrate the thick skin, thick skull and thick brain of Hogger. A more intelligent creature would listen with their ears, which would have been considerably easier. Hogger was a very literal minded and simple creature, and had done things 'the hard way' so often that it'd become the philosophy that guided his life. Hogger snorted and walked away, accompanying the Brain, into the crowds of people that drifted through the neon streets of Ofromia.

 Maracun expressed his displeasure at being left behind with a rude gesture towards the back of Hogger and Brain. Hip Kallo gurgled on the floor in front of them. The banner of the International Space Friends fluttered proudly in the breeze caused by the flow of air through the open door.

---

 Armed with tiny little GloBrellas, the bees organised themselves into three teams, based on the colourful glow. The team with pink GloBrellas insisted that they were now to be referred to as Team A, and were made up of tough, no-nonsense bees that didn't play by the rules, but they got the job done. The blue team opted to take the rather more prestigious name of Team B, and declared that they were young, up-and-coming heroes with hearts of gold and something to prove to the world. The final team, quite clearly a little unhappy about not being Team B, explained that they would be The B Team, and that they were a team of mercenaries who were framed for a crime they didn't commit, and have since escaped to clear their name and do good deeds. None of these elaborate backstories were true, but the bees were impressionable when it came to SpaceTV, and far from the guiding hand of the Will, they were free to indulge in their elaborate fantasies and their love of dividing themselves into arbitrary groups.

 The leader of each of the three teams looked expectantly towards Fiddlesticks.

 "Team A reporting in. Twenty eight years on the force," the bee was putting on a gruff voice, even though it had to speak up to be heard, "and this is how they repay me? You gotta be kidding me. I'm turning in my badge and my gun after this assignment."

 "Team B, here to save the day," this bee struck a pose, holding the GloBrella like a sword, "we can do it! Yeah!"

 "You know what they say," the third bee wore a little eye-patch, and somebody had gone to draw stubble around his chin, which grew more smudged as he stroked it in thought, "if you've got a problem, and if nobody else can help you, and if you can find us, well, we're The B Team."


[System]
Theme Song: Sunset Heroes
Gender: Male
Age: 24 years
Race: Angel of Laguna

Appearance: Gene's right arm appears to be made of flesh-colored marble, and has a small bracer on each of the arm's joints.

Faction: Hierarchy of Laguna

Personality: In spite of--or possibly because of-- being the "Humble" Effigy, Gene Smith is the very embodiment of arrogance. Proud, cocksure, and foolhardy to a fault, Gene never fails to boast about his power. However, his angelic superiors have instilled a strong sense of duty and camaraderie in him. Gene holds his four siblings in extremely high regard, and despises any and all enemies of Heaven.

Bio: The Hierarchy of Laguna had usually relied on human agents for their dealings with the human world, and for a time that plan had worked flawlessly. Recent developments, however, had made humanity much less willing to listen to their holy superiors, and the Hierarchy was forced to take more drastic measures. To that end, the Hierarchy's best artisans had attempted to improve on their wildly successful "Joy" angels. Whereas Joys were capable of near-perfectly mimicking Witches in both appearance and power, this new breed of angel would be capable of mimicking regular humans. And so, the very experimental "Effigy" angel came into being.

Effigies are angels designed to blend into human society while still defending themselves from outward threats. Unfortunately, a fatal flaw in the Effigies' creation process had made it so that each one developed a rudimentary Angel Arm from its own soul, weakening them immensely. This strange flaw caused the Effigies' mimicking process to fail utterly when replicating certain parts of the body, in particular their right arm and skeleton. Both of these parts were rendered indisputably nonhuman in both look and function, and made going incognito practically impossible for all Effigies. As a result, only five Effigies were ever made, and very nearly all of them were captured by Gilgamesh agents only a few years after touching down on Earth.

Gene is the last and youngest Effigy, colloquially known as "The Humble Effigy". He currently works in the mailroom of a Gilgamesh-owned splinter corporation office, avoiding detection through a variety of complicated and dangerously insecure means. Fortunately for Gene, his Angel Arm manifests as something that can be easily mistaken for a prosthetic, and its complete lack of veins and muscles makes it even easier to disguise. Gene has spend the last five or so years quietly working for Gilgamesh, Incorporated as an intern, spending all the while trying to track down his lost siblings.

[Combat]

Powers and Abilities:
Angelic Constitution 1: Being ultimately an Angel at heart, Gene is physically superior to most humans, normal or augmented. In terms of raw strength, Gene is roughly comparable to a Hell Gluttony or an Applaud, while at the same time being not much faster than either.
God Trigger 1: The power stored within Gene's right hand can be tapped into for a brief period of time, granting Gene immense pain resistance, increased attack speed, and a massive boost in physical power on par with that of a true Joy. Unfortunately, this form can only last around fifteen seconds.

Style: God Hand Style 1: A style devised by Gene himself. God Hand Style focuses on using and abusing Gene's own durability to overwhelm enemies. Rapid attacks, blocking blows with the God Hand, and fighting as dirtily as possible are all staples of the style.

Equipment: Gene has nothing to his name other than his employee ID, a set of clothes, and the Angel Arm that replaced his right arm: the God Hand 1. The God Hand, being the manifestation of the majority of his power, is functionally indestructible and is much denser than his left arm. If Gene focuses hard enough, the God Hand can be imbued with further power, granting it strength far beyond Gene's own. It is this very property that makes up for at least two of Gene's techniques: the Palm Smash and the God Uppercut.

Techniques:
Side Juke 1: Gene's most agile move, the Side Juke is nothing more than a dodge to the right. Despite not moving his legs at all, Gene is capable of traveling several feet sideways, diagonally, or even in a parabolic arc away from his current position.
Sugar Gene Combo 1: An extensive but relatively simple combination of jabs, hooks, uppercuts, and straight punches that pummels enemies senseless.
Palm Smash 1: A slow but powerful blow with the God Hand's palm that blows enemies several feet backwards.
God Uppercut 1: An attack that is almost comically over-telegraphed, but strikes with unmatched power, the God Uppercut is fully capable of blowing its victims straight to heaven.
Blue Stinger 1: A true remnant of Gene's angelic heritage, this is a kick done in midair that miraculously propels him forward. While not very damaging, it is excellent for closing distances and rattling people's braincases.
Side Swipe 1: A withering blow to the side of the body, meant to break guards in general and ruin kidneys in particular.

[User]
Barlour City: Gilgamesh HQ

A lone man clad in the fine armor of the knights of yore strode forth, his attire fiercely clashing with the grimy cement and asphalt surrounding him. Below his boots was a parking lot, housing the cars of an untold number of cubicle drones and suit-clad executives. In front of his face was a massive skyscraper, one built by the greed and lies of the unfaithful. The heretics inside thought themselves an equal authority with Heaven and therefore God Almighty, and that would not stand. Somehow, even the blank bucket helm adorning his face conveyed an expression of divine wrath as he stared defiantly at the leviathan that DARED to raise a hand against divine servants.

No, it had done even worse than merely declare war on our Lord and Savior. The church had many ears. Antonio had heard tell that this so-called business did terrible things to His servants. They performed "experiments". The most innocent beings in existence, guides to humanity, were now used for vivisections, dissections, and torture. If the information held true, their very souls were forfeit.

To claim any being's soul was an unforgivable crime.

"Today..." he began, before raising his voice to a thunderous roar, "TODAY I, FATHER ANTONIO HASTA, EXORCIST, PALADIN, HUMBLE SERVANT OF OUR LORD, DECLARE CRUSADE AGAINST THE FILTH OF THIS CITY, THE HERETICS, UNBELIEVERS AND DEMONS, UNDER THE ORDERS OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF ROME, POPE FRANCIS, IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SOULS, FOR I HAVE NONE. AMEN!"

The lone warrior of the next crusade raised his fist, a long, golden lance materialized in his hand, giving the faint call of a trumpet.

"AMEN!"

[Assistant]
Gilgamesh Inc. Headquarters

Gene had faced certain death before, though never in as direct a form. He could survive a gunshot, maybe even a dozen gunshots. Several dozen gunshots, however, would prove to be much more problematic. He'd need a distraction if he wanted to survive the next few seconds. Something to keep these guys' attention away from him, so he could do something slightly less stupid than what he was already planning. Something that would directly take the heat off him and force people to pick their targets before continuing.

"MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SOULS, FOR I HAVE NONE. AMEN!" came from outside the room. A few eyes glanced towards the exit.
"AMEN!" A few guards turned to face the exit. Something like this. Gene thought, smiling.

Gene clutched at his right arm, as it glowed blindingly brightly. Like a cork being popped off a bottle in a paint mixer, a surge of angelic power blew through the room, knocking the rifles out of the hands of some of the guards and knocking some others off balance. The world slowed down, and Gene sped up.

Gene's right fist collided with the guard next to him like the hammer of God itself, blowing him straight into the scanner. With a sense of agility honed through years of self-training, Gene leaped over the small barricade that the guards had put up to force people into the line of the scanner, and drove his knee into the closest guard beyond it. Gene lunged forward and delivered a withering flurry of punches into the guard just in front of him, sending him crumpling to the floor. Three down, and only five more to go! thought Gene, his mind buzzing with confidence.

It was at that point that he realized those three guards were the only ones on this side of the room. They, being of sound mind and tactics, had anticipated something exactly like this happening, and so planned for it. A hail of bullets thudded into Gene's center mass, hurling him backwards. The will to fight drained away from Gene like money in a Californian's bank account. As his stamina bled away, Gene briefly wondered why these bullets hadn't killed him immediately and, moreover, why they weren't made of metal.

"Infiltrator neutralized," said the most decorated member of the remaining soldiers. "Bring him up to the holding cells-- the research team'll be glad to know rubber slugs work on supernaturals."

"Oh, that's right," thought Gene, as a pair of burly arms wrapped around both of his. "I forgot they took us in alive." Gene attempted to brace himself for a very unpleasant next few weeks in the research labs, and failed miserably before it even began.

[User]
Gilgamesh HQ

Suddenly, the roar of an engine filled the room as Antonio Hasta, the last crusader, burst into the room on a gleaming golden motorcycle. The chopper's exhaust pipes extended high behind him, resembling a pair of iron wings. The front itself resembled a crucifix, poised directly at the armed guards.

There was a brief moment of silence, or at least as silent as it could be with a Harley revving in an enclosed space. Hasta eyed the man fallen on the ground, and remembered the old adage, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend". That man with the prosthetic was no doubt some hapless bystander, falling pray to the heathens that filled the room.

Antonio's fist tightened around Gabriel.

"RIDE, ROCINANTE." he shouted, popping a wheelie before charging forward. The lance thrust through a singular guard before drifting across the room, carrying the hapless fiend like a gruesome flag. The bike slid to a stop behind Gene, and Hasta tossed the heretic off of his lance. The remaining guards dared open their fire a second time against an innocent.
Lance gave way to sword and shield, and Antonio leaned down, wrapping his arm around the prone form. Images of the Saints themselves deflected gunfire, such was their gift to the faithful. Once the volley ended, the engine gave a fierce roar to match the one escaping the paladin's lips as he charged the last two men. Some may argue that it was ignoble for cavalry to mow down infantry, but these men were long past mercy, or anything other than God's fury given shape.

Antonio stomped down on the kickstand and dismounted, his motorcycle dissolving into ethereal golden flames as he stepped away. He knelt by Gene's form, examining his body.
"He was shot, but bears no wounds. Probably beanbag rounds. I should prepare bandages." he said, removing his scarlet cape. As he began to tear off long strips, his eyes noticed something odd.
"His arm... how odd. Is that marble?" he put down his cape, and reached forward to grope the plated limb.

[Assistant]
Gene's rescue had happened almost too quickly for him to process. All Gene understood was that something unbelievably loud had burst into the room, ruined the equipment, killed the guards, and disappeared. All that was left was an armored, evidently friendly, soldier wearing very obvious religious paraphernalia. Gene graciously took Antonio's hand, and rose to his feet. The hard, angelic material of Gene's right hand sparked with residual energy, grounding itself in Antonio's hand.

"Thanks for saving me back there, dude." Gene said. "This damn arm has been nothing but trouble for me!" Gene flexed his God Hand irritably, allowing it to shine in the dull light of the fluorescent bulbs above.

"So, why are you here, anyway?"


[System]
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Appearance: Civilian attire. As Celestial, she wears a black undersuit with a shifting star pattern, as well as a breastplate with white gems arranged to resemble the form's constellation, pauldrons, vambraces (the Compass being incorporated into the right one while she's transformed) and greaves. The colour of these armour pieces changes based on her current form (yellow for Leo, red for Sagittarius and blue for Aquila). In addition, the suit's helmet changes, they each have large green eyes, with Leo's baring a stylised mane design, Aquila's having a feather-like design and Sagittarius's resembling a stylised Corinthian helmet.
World of Origin: Original Setting
Personality: Akira is somewhat quiet around people she doesn't know, though her time in college has forced her to be a bit better about this. However it's only once she feels comfortable around someone that she fully opens up, becoming more cheerful and energetic, if a bit snarky at times. She is a fan of assorted manga and anime, mostly slice of life or action series, as well as assorted tokusatsu series. She also enjoys music, mostly metal (generally more of the heavy or power varieties) and rock, as well as cooking. She can't stand seeing innocent people suffer, although she's likely to wait until she at least has something resembling a plan before jumping in.
History: Akira had a fairly normal and uneventful childhood, living with her parents and younger brother. After graduating high school, she moved out to go to college. This normalcy ended one night, when she saw what looked to be a shooting star crashing to Earth and went to investigate. At the site, she found the Celestial Compass. When she moved in for a closer look, a monster which resembled a mechanical humanoid wolf attacked her. A strange voice called to her inside her mind, telling her to take the Compass and guiding her through transforming with it. For reasons she can't explain, Akira followed the voice's instructions and with its guidance, got through the encounter without any serious injuries. Following this event, Akira had her work cut out for her, fighting similar robotic monsters whenever they appeared.
Abilities: Akira carries the Celestial Compass, a golden brace with a large white gem embedded in it and a set of three Star Maps, small black discs with constellations etched into their surfaces. By attaching the Compass to her right wrist, inserting one of these discs and shouting an activation phrase, she can transform into the armoured hero, Celestial. As Celestial, her strength, endurance and speed are enhanced to above-human levels, though the exact levels vary between the forms. Each form has a "Nova" attack which, true to the name, displays much more power than normal, however these are rather draining.
* Leo: Akira's "all-rounder" form and the strongest melee fighter of the lot. In this form, she relies heavily on hand-to-hand combat and can create energy claws to power up her attacks. Leo Nova gives Akira a sudden burst of energy, allowing her to unleash a barrage of empowered claw slashes.
* Aquila: Aquila is more fragile and not as strong as either of her other forms, but makes up for it with vastly superior mobility. It's faster than her other forms and Akira can create wing-like structures to allow for limited flight. Aquila Nova increases Akira's speed for a short time, allowing for a devastating diving kick.
* Sagittarius: The least mobile and weakest melee fighter, this form makes up for it with rapid fire ranged attacks. Sagittarius carries a bow which creates a fiery projectile when its string is drawn back. Sagittarius Nova requires a short charging period, after which Akira fires a larger than normal arrow at high speed. This projectile creates a large explosion on impact.

Other: Akira also has a number of blank Star Maps, which may transform into new forms in the right circumstances. This would only happen very rarely and with GM permission.

[User]
Alex watched from afar as the strange group of individuals... 'talked' amongst each other. 'Talked' since they had a really funny way of communicating with each other. Still, these were the people Alex was going to work with if he was going to save the life of normalcy he had fought so hard for.

At first, Alex did not believe the situation he was in. He was ready to call the bluff and leave for home. However, he was a virus. He cannot hallucinate and everything he saw was as it is, even if all the scientific minds he had consumed could not comprehend it. It was all surreal but it was all real too. The only thing Alex could do was play along, and hope 'Lydia' was telling them the truth and send them all home after all of this was over.

Suddenly, the being Lydia reappeared. The portals were ready. Behind her emerged three doorways, each leading into a spiraling vortex. The leftmost one seemed to be leaking a grey fog, covering the ground nearby with it. From the center, a similar, but more sinister blackish-blue fog seemed to spread out. The rightmost one, however, seemed to be the most ominous: faint screaming and moaning could easily be heard past the gateway.

It was game time and the one with the huge sword had already gone and left. But between the portals and Alex were the crowd of his teammates. Pushing and shoving through them would be a pain, not to mention rude so the Blacklight virus simply made a huge leap to get himself over the crowd and in front of the portals. Before he went into the fray though, he turned to his teammates.

"I'm... Alex. I'm younger than I look." Glancing back to the portals, he added. "Anyone who wants to come with me is welcome. I uhh, look forward to working with all of you." Courtesy was one of the things Dana had taught him if he was going to live the normal life though Alex felt he was a little off.

The portal Alex went into was the middle one, the one with blackish-blue fog. The virus was not sure what he was going to see in the other side but if he has survived a nuke, he can survive this.

------
13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi
------

Alex dropped into a thin alleyway, his weight forcing dust and wind to fly off a bit upon his landing. Alex checked his surroundings, the ominous fog that haunted the portal he entered was practically nowhere. The only traces of it that he could see is a very thin layer hovering right above the ground, just faint enough to slightly tint it a slightly darker shade of grey and brown. If anyone was going to go with him, he'd expect them to plop here too.

The virus heard sounds of fighting in the distance and decided to exit the alleyway. What greeted him was a world straight out of fiction. The weird mix of technology left and right yelled 'Steampunk' to Alex. He wanted to explore this world more, both to complete his mission and to sate the curiosity. However, he figured to wait for any allies that also chose this world to fix first before investigating the sounds of combat.

[Assistant]
The Two In One Detective - Shotaro Hidari and Philip
"Now that you mention…" Philip answered back to Goldibanne, "I am rather curious to know what you are. Going by the distinct joints and clicking, you would appear to be a doll of some sort." He stroked his chin curiously as he eyed the girl over, "Animated through what means, I wonder?"

"It isn't obvious? Obviously it's ma-AH!" Shotaro's curt response was cut off by the cookie that was flung right into his mouth. He coughed from the unwelcome food and was quick to pull it out, shaking his fist to reprimand the… ninja? Cowboy?? Rocker??? "Oi! What's the big idea, man?! There's a time and a place to do that!" he briefly paused as he took in Kinji's appearance and mannerisms, "Wait- That's too many conflicting themes at once man! A ninja, an oden cart… and a cowboy rocker?!"

It was almost offensive to Shotaro how many themes Kinji was playing off of at once. He and Philip were a bit too caught up in responding to the two to really answer the others. Although they did make a special note not to think of anything weird while around the youkai girl. Youkai, though? She didn't look like any sort of monster to them. Before they could think more on the matter, Lydia appeared again and opened the way to their mission. Er, rather, ways The duo observed the doorways and the increasing dangers each felt that they posed.

"Aw, come on… None of these look all that welcome," Shotaro remarked, raising his hand up to hold his hat.

"If you are so off-put by them, shall we venture into the most welcoming then?" Philip responded, half-serious and half-joking.

"Very funny," he sneered back, "But do you think you could handle what's through the other two?"

Philip didn't seem so confident about testing his chances in those worlds, so he had to give it up to Shotaro on that one. "Alright, you win there. Let's go then?" he asked, adjusting his grip on his book.

Shotaro grinned and flicked his wrist in the direction of the leftmost portal. "Of course."

And on that note, the two walked through and found themselves in the foggy park, immediately looking around and taking in their surroundings. "A big fountain… And that arch?" Shotaro noted, "Is this… New York? Are we in America?"

Philip looked around at the few people walking around, making note of the less than human characters around them. "Certainly not the America we know, but an Earth nonetheless." The two walked forward a little more and looked back, waiting to see who would come with them.

[User]
Goldibanne, Face of Innocence(?)

When the oden came flying at Goldibanne's face, her reaction was, well... almost distressing, especially on what otherwise appeared to be a harmless, smallish girl(provided you didn't look too closely at the joints). Her head snapped sideways, too far for a human neck, and her hand snapped up, catching the dumpling in between two fingers as it did. Maintaining this position, she simply smiled at the... cowboy... rockstar ninja? What kind of combination was that?

She popped the oden into her mouth, chewing and swallowing in silence, before her head returned to its normal position and she shut her eyes, crossing her legs and raising her skirt as she curtsied politely.

"Goldibanne is so very pleased to meet you all~" she replied to the newcomers, "And that dumpling was delicious~ But be careful, some people might not like it if you get food in their eye~"

Opening her eyes, she spun on one foot to face the portals. She would have to talk to the two men who had spoken to her later, as they'd already went through one of the portals... her next decision was made entirely on a whim, as she cheerfully passed through the rightmost gate, which seemed most sinister. And yet, well, certainly that meant she could brighten it up, couldn't it?

Immediately she was met with a rather dismal sight. Fire, burnt out vehicles... Ah, how miserable. Certainly not the sort of place the living doll enjoyed being in, but at the same time, the sort of place that could absolutely use a little more cheer.

The living doll was torn from her thoughts when a foul-smelling body throw itself at her. A man, it seemed, who looked entirely worse for wear. Goldibanne's right arm lashed out and caught him by the forehead, stopping him dead in his tracks.

"... Oh? Animate dead?" she asked, cocking her head to one side with a click. "Or something else? Fufufu, it doesn't matter~"

Goldibanne felt the heat build in her hand, and forced it out. With a hissing, sizzling sound, she watched the man's body thrash... and then go limp as a thin spike of flowing, molten gold burst out from the back of his skull. It warped and then retracted, and she released the corpse, letting it fall to the ground with a thud.

There were many more of what seemed to be Animate Dead shambling all across the street. Goldibanne shrugged.

"What a miserable place~" she commented, cheerfully, before outstretching both of her hands. Molten gold flowed from her finger joints, coalescing into a pair of long, golden, and extremely hot whips. The tall man with the massive sword was already working at thinning their numbers...

"Let's brighten it up~"

[Assistant]
Akira stared for a moment as the duo introduced themselves as a single Kamen Rider. Did they fuse somehow? Rider suggested some kind of mount, so did one of them turn into a bike or something? Deciding it was better to not dwell on it and just ask later, she shook her head and moved on. Of course, this was helped by the sudden edible projectile hurtling towards her.

"Gah! What the hell?!" she exclaimed, barely catching the incoming free sample before it hit her in the face, "Who throws food like that?"

Turning to the source, she was met with a character with way too many motifs going on. Cowboy, rock star and apparently ninja too. Akira was a little annoyed that the ninja would risk potentially hurting people and, more importantly (given the circumstances), wasting food like that. However, another distraction popped up at that moment. Lydia returned and with her, a set of doorways had appeared.

Akira found herself hesitating for a moment, as each of the doors was at least a little intimidating. She wasn't going to back down after agreeing to help, but...easing herself into this situation seemed like the best idea. With that in mind, she followed the youkai and Kamen Rider through the left portal.

"America, huh?" She repeated, taking in the surrounding area. Akira tensed up for a moment when she saw the non-humans, but the fact that no one was panicking seemed to suggest that might just be how things were in this world. The fog clouding the sky looked a bit disconcerting too.


[System]
Appearance:

Gender: Female

Age: 22

Occupation: Cafe waitress/assistant

Plant Essence: Lemon tree

Superpower: Mara's plant affinity, oddly enough, granted her electric powers. This is because lemons are high in electrolytes, and can be used as simple batteries. Since she's at a low level right now, she can only produce a weak charge, and she doesn't have great control; when she's particularly angry or afraid, she tends to spark accidentally. With practice, she'll be able to produce electricity at a higher voltage, and gain better control over it.

While shocks from external sources don't injure her, they do disrupt and weaken her power for a short time.

Personality: As you'd expect, Mara is more than a little sour. She's long since given up trying to please people, and doesn't suffer idiots well, responding with a glare and a snarky comment. She particularly dislikes people who brag about their abilities, and who act like they're better than others.

Grouchy as she is, that isn't to say she lacks energy. If something needs to be done, it's best to do it oneself. That and, instead of dwelling on problems, she prefers to either fix them or keep distracted. She advises others to do the same, albeit in a heavy handed way.

Although she claims to look out for herself first and foremost, on occasion her actions prove otherwise. If someone's being picked on, she won't just sit by. Anyone who can get past her cynical exterior will have a loyal friend, although her protectiveness can prove a good or bad thing depending who you ask.

Unknown to most, she has a soft spot for animals, and a passion for gardening. One of the few times she's completely relaxed is when she's tending to plants, especially fruit ones.

History: The youngest of three siblings, Mara was the only one who never developed an animal affinity. From a young age, her sister could breathe underwater like a fish, and her brother could grow bird wings at will. Mara did everything she could to connect with animals, from feeding birds to befriending stray cats, but years went by with no sign of her manifesting an ability.

Envying the praise her siblings received, she tried to earn the same appreciation, to no avail. She'd sell lemonade in the summer, homemade thanks to the family's fruit trees. She'd bake goods using homegrown produce. Yet, surrounded by talent as she was, it wasn't enough. It didn't help that her siblings bullied her relentlessly, and her parents didn't do a great deal about it. Eventually, she stopped trying to please others, since her efforts didn't work. Better to focus that effort on herself, and on living beings besides humans. Not just animals, but plants, since they couldn't judge at all. The fruit she harvested seemed like a thank you for caring for the trees and shrubs, which was more than what she got from anyone else.

She remained the only one seemngly not destined for greatness. Her brother went on to work in search and rescue, and her sister found a calling in marine conservation. Mara, meanwhile, struggled after moving out, and ended up with a low paying job in a cafe. At least it was a change from family life, but the inevitable reunions were stressful at the best of times.

It was during one such gathering that Mara's essence finally manifested. An argument broke out over dinner. Mara tried to rein in her anger to keep things from escalating, but they did, in an even worse way than she expected. Sparks flew around her, literally. The next thing she knew, a fire was spreading through the dining room. Luckily everyone got out in time, and the emergency services put out the fire before it could do extensive damage. Still, it wasn't exactly how Mara envisioned gaining a power, or what her family had hoped for.

Especially as it wasn't an animal essence. At first it seemed like an electric eel affinity, but there were hints that it wasn't. One was that her power wasn't necessarily touch-based. The other was, as well as the smell of ozone, using it left a distinctive zesty scent. It reminded her of a dream she'd had two weeks prior, that she'd brushed off as random wackiness - one where she'd watched lightning strike the ground, and a lemon tree spring up from the spot where it had hit. Considering her brother and sister had reported dreams hinting at their powers, was this just a coincidence?

The event Mara yearned for her entire life has left her in a difficult situation. Since plant essences were unheard of until now, she must turn to others like her for help. The problem being, any further control lapses won't mesh well with people who can summon vines, branches, and other flammable vegetation...

Miscellaneous: She's only known about her power for a month and a half.

[User]
After Conner finally got his money, it was time for their hiking and zip lining adventure. He had to admit, Conner was more excited about the zipline part of this excursion, but eh it was fine. It would make the ziplining that much more fun once he got there.

Then, something unexpected happened. A guy shoved a microphone in his face. There was another dude with a giant camera behind him. "Hello there! What is your name? What are you looking forward to at this conference?"

Conner smirked. "Name's Conner Waters. I'm looking forward to learning about these awesome new powers I got." He did his usual trick of manipulating the water in his bottle. "Btw, if my parents and sister are watching this, well… SURPRISE! LOOK AT ME NOW GUYS! I'M NOT THE PERFECT CHILD YOU WANT, AND I NEVER WILL BE! I HAVE SUPERPOWERS, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?" Then he flipped off his family on camera.

[Assistant]
"Isn't it obvious?!"

The superhumanly amplified voice was the first thing Mara heard when she re-entered the pavilion, after having tried and failed to find Felicia. She flinched and stared. The discussion wasn't due to start quite yet, but in the middle of the gathering stood a wild-haired woman shouting to anyone who'd listen - not that they had a choice.

"For all the ills of the modern age, a select few of us are still in tune with the natural world. So Mother Earth has called us to end the scourges of technology and civilization! Rise up, my fellow chosen ones, and let's abandon the cities for the woodlands, where we can live carefree, peaceful lives in harmony with nature's paradise once again!" She spread out her feet, raising her fist in a superhero-like pose, tendrils - no, roots - trailing from her limbs.

Oh. Of course, mandragora essence, Mara thought, considering the folkloric connotations. If she'd guessed right, that'd explain the shrieking. And while respect for nature was by no means a bad thing... Peaceful? Either the speech-giver had never seen a wildlife documentary, or she had to be saying all this ironically.

"I, for one, will start with this!" The shrieker flung her cell phone at a wall, where it smashed, shards clattering to the floor. "Liberate yourselves, blessed ones!" Several people, including Mara, slowly backed away.

Hiking suddenly didn't seem so bad an idea. If this loudmouth didn't get kicked out, it was clear nobody else would get a word in edgeways. Mara sighed and hurried back out into the clearing, just in time to catch the end of the announcement. She sprinted over to the hiking group, slowing her pace to a leisurely traipse once she caught up, thankful for the quiet as they headed down the tree-lined trail. Ziplining was still a no-no, but at least a walk and some fresh air could prove relaxing...

"Hello, America!"

Or not.

At the sight of a camera crew of all things, Mara startled. Sparks crackled at the tops of her gloves. Her stomach dropped, and she grimaced, eyes flicking from side to side as she drew back. She hadn't zapped anyone or anything, to her relief, but what if she'd drawn the crew's attention? Being on TV would be nothing short of a nightmare. Hoping they'd keep focusing on Conner despite his attitude, or even because of it, she edged further and further away.

She should have stayed at the discussion after all.

[User]
Hiking Trail

Mara's 'accident' happened plenty of distance away from the cameras and went unnoticed by most of the crew. The surly thin woman standing behind the cameraman startled a bit as the sparks caught her eye. She looked at Mara with widened eyes for just a second. Then she averted her gaze, acting natural, letting the situation pass without a big hullabaloo.

The cameraman did his work well, following the stream of water as it floated through the air, catching John's amazed expression and Conner's proud one. The reporter's trained smile faltered just a bit as Conner decided to start going all Rebellious Teen on the air. Ever the professional, the cameraman predicted Conner's subsequent gesture and only half a second of the bird appeared in the corner of the screen as the camera panned back to John.

"Well there you have it," John said with a bright smile. "A spirited bunch at the conference. We'll be back with you soon!"

The instant the camera cut, John's plastic smile dropped. He rubbed his eyes as he addressed Conner.

"I guess you're probably not mature enough to care, kid, but this is one of the first impressions the world will have of plant essences. For your own sake, maybe think about not making that impression so... abrasive in the future."

John rubbed his temples and turned away, looking ten years older without his well-trained TV personality pizazz.

"Candy," he grumbled. "Go get my smokes."

The thin woman in the background took a breath and braced herself.

"You said they were 'only for emergencies,'" Candace replied in a bored tone. "Your future self would not say this is an emergency."

"My future self can kiss my ass this one time," John practically barked. "Go get just one cigarette, Candygirl. I won't. Ask. Again."

Candace fought the urge to roll her eyes. Both of them knew that statement was a lie.

Before she could reply, a bearded man with a bandaged hand took an exaggerated inhale awkwardly close to the tense conversation.

"You smell delightful," the bearded man addressed Candace with a smile. "I can tell with my dog powers."

Candace froze for a second, pondering.

"Fine, I'll get your smokes," Candace muttered, starting back down the path toward the cabins. At least it would be a nice break from these obnoxious men.

Joseph continued sniffing around, trying to find the source of another delightful smell. He hadn't pinpointed Mara yet but was getting dangerously close.

NatJack continued hovering around the area. She eventually worked up the nerve to reunite with Conner.

"Uh... hah," the redhead spoke. She looked away. All this time working up the nerve to converse with one of the people who had cool functioning powers, and she didn't even know what to say.

"...So, uh, how long'd it take ya to learn howta do that?"

@Crimson Flame

[Assistant]
When the camera cut, Mara gave a huge sigh of relief. Shuffling back in the line, she glared at the camera crew and the volunteers. The staff could have said this would happen, instead of springing it on everyone like that. "Never a dull moment," she muttered to nobody in particular.

That trend showed no sign of stopping. The bearded guy from earlier clearly hadn't learned his lesson, sniffing at a woman in the crew, trying to impress her with his claim of dog powers. Predictably, the first thing the woman did was make a swift exit. Mara groaned, wondering what essence the guy would try - and inevitably fail - to convince everyone he had next.

She took another step back as he started heading her way, no doubt picking up on the smell of lemon. He hadn't found the source just yet, but it would only be a matter of time until he did, and Mara grimaced at the thought of being on the receiving end of that terrible flirting attempt. Before it could happen, she faced him, glowering. "Funny. Didn't you have ivy powers a few minutes ago?"

No sooner had she said it than childhood memories surfaced, accompanied by a spike of guilt. Stumbling around a dark room, convincing herself she had feline night vision. Sneaking to retrieve toys her siblings had stolen from her, wishing she had the cunning of a fox. That hope, followed by disappointment, whenever she dreamed of an animal. Sure, she'd been a kid back then, but maybe she wasn't one to judge.


[System]
Age: 37
Nationality: German
Gear/Weapons:
WAlther P38
HK MP7
PzF 3 Bunkerfaust

Apperance:

Bio:
Karl Schultz was born out in West Germany, near the great wall that used to separate the country. He never met his mother, but his father was an officer in the German army, and so was his father before and his before him so it was only natural that Karl enlisted as soon as he came of age. Because of his family's history of being officers, Karl was pushed to follow them. At the start, Karl was a slow learner, unable to follow even the simplest procedures of an officer. But he persisted, slowly climbing ranks and learning. After a few years he was finally given command of a small squad, and though they never saw any action. After that it was an easy journey for him, a better grasp of what was expected of him and better understanding of his troops and how to lead them. While he is still considered one of the lower skilled officers in the Bundeswehr, many still recognize him for his persistence and his ability to adapt to his squad.

While he wasn't the first choice to lead Team 1 into the New Realm, he was given the position as a chance to prove himself, something he had been asking for for a very long time. He oversaw the training of all four teams over the course of the two weeks they spent and took time to understand each of the soldiers partaking in the expedition.

Personality:
Neutral. Neutral is the best word to describe Karl's personality. You are either on his good side and get treated with respect, or you are on his bad side and get treated with a punch to the face. Despite this he likes to put up a tough front while on duty, often yelling when not needed or just quoting lines he's heard in American war movies, though even when yelling at them he still respects those that serve under him providing they listen and act like soldiers. He is a very patriotic man and would gladly charge headfirst into battle if his country asked it of him, even though he has never been given the chance until now. The same goes for his men, he would put himself into the line of fire to protect those serving under him.

Other:
Originally was not slated to be on the N.W.R.T.F, let alone the one leading it. However Team 1's leader was in a car accident two days before training began and Karl was selected to go in his place.

Despite how he acts, he has never seen action other then training drills.

Surprisingly, he apparently has a good sense of humour though rarely shows it.

[User]
"I swear to god: if we come up on the ewoks village, I'm going to loose it."
The next two hour or so passed without incident as he tried to keep a lookout for not just the strange, but the familiar as well. Signs of local German flora or fauna, even an oak leaf or chipmunk would be of some reassurance. Then came the fence, he was an army brat and a city-kid so he had no bearing on fences beyond picket-iron-chainlink. But this proved to have both benefits and drawbacks.
Assuming the best case scenario for them, it would be n abandoned dwelling with perhaps some sort of writing and food samples for the science teams to comb over with a fine toothed comb. An abandoned house would also give them a rest point and forward position of shelter against whatever this world might bring. Even a turtle-shell roof against deadly meteor showers. The other chance is to make fist contact with cannibal hobbits who want them to stay for dinner.

"Sir, logic would dictate that this area is corded off for a reason, that means civilized tool using people. Our chances of encountering fauna and local natives that are capable of thought and reasoning goes up exponentially. This fence could be one, ten, or a hundred years old."
He looked to the others in the group for their support or at least to get a read on their faces. He saw the medic having carried so much extra gear to keep them alive, a twinge of guilt struck him. That guilt became an idea to force a break on the group to reconsider following the fence.
"Snider. We're halfway there, do you want me to take some off your back for the next leg?"

[Assistant]
Karl nodded in agreement. Their job was to recon the area for any signs of anything, a fence was more then enough reason to investigate, even if it looked like it hadn't been maintained in forever.
"Right. Okay let's move out then. Keeps your eyes open, just in case. For all we know those green things back at the entrance could have made this."
It took the group about 20 minutes to follow the fence over the hill to it's origin. The burnt out ruins of what appeared to be a farm house and a barn, along with some other smaller buildings. It wasn't recent though and you didn't have to be an expert to see that. Most of the ash was gone and plants had started to grow up in some of the ruins, this farm had obviously been destroyed a long time ago. Two things, however stood out. Littered about where withered, burned wooden shafts, probably arrows of some sort. And the other was a dagger sticking out of one of the burnt posts on what would've been the farmhouse. The dagger was in good condition, albeit very rusted, and was most likely placed there after the fire. The final thing that was noticeable was a fading path, that connected to a larger path that conveniently led off into the mountains.
"Well, whatever was here isn't anymore. Hmm... That path there leads towards the mountains, we can take that. If there is an easy way through them this path would probably lead us there."
He turned to the group.
"Right, okay we'll take a 5 minute break and then continue."
Turning back towards the burned down house, Karl started to take a closer look at the dagger. Probably a message from whoever attacked whoever.

[User]
"Right ok we'll take a five minute break and then continue"

Jack took a sip from his water bottle and replaced it in his coat. He contemplated sitting on the ground but his curiousity of the farmhouse was greater than the weariness of walking all day.
Jack climbed over the fence walking around to the back of the building. Jack walked into to the barn and looked around picking up a withered stick to look at. It could have been an arrow or maybe a piece of some other tool; a plow or rake.
The building was old and Jack wondered what had destroyed it? Why? Was this place so close to earth as to have wars of sorts? It seemed to be at least as civilized as earth. Fields, fences, what if they had just stumble back in time not into another world? The troll the German police had seen came back to him. No that must not be it. If the building was newer he could tell more he was no expert on this...
He was egar to continue on up onto the mountains standing on the path lookin up seeing if anything coul. Be discerned by the little path.

[Assistant]
"Snider. We're halfway there, do you want me to take some off your back for the next leg?"

Lucas shook his head when Keller asked if he needed any help. It was uncomfortable, but not unmanageable. Besides, as a medic he wasn't supposed to do any sort of fighting (unless it was to protect his patients), so it didn't matter if he was a little over-encumbered. "Thanks Keller, but no I'm good. It's just bulky, no big deal."

***

When the group arrived at the house (if it could even be called that anymore), Lucas dropped his pack and joined Karl in examining the dagger, followed by wandering into the house and taking a look around. His curiosity was plainly visible on his face as he did so. The architecture was just like back on earth (albeit, a very early European style), and the dagger looked like something straight out of their history museums... This was odd. How could two separate dimensions have the same basic technology and architecture? Did humans from early in earth's history discover another portal like this and settle here? It seemed unlikely, since something that impressive would surely have been documented in some of the historical records. What about the technological development in and of itself? Could it be that there was general direction which was the most efficient for technological progress, so any civilization would develop along the same lines as earth had? Lucas shook his head, perplexed. He was a doctor, but questions like this were still far above his pay grade.

When he finished investigation, he walked back over to Karl and remarked "Seems odd eh, Sir? Everything here looks like it could have been made on earth maybe 500, 600 years ago."

[User]
"Seems odd eh, Sir? Everything here looks like it could have been made on earth maybe 500, 600 years ago."

Karl grabbed the dagger, giving it a small wiggle as he yanked it out of the post. The dagger was thin, decorated with a mixture of long, straight lines and curled short ones. The blade itself had two curves in it and looked more ornamental then one meant for use.
"Maybe, but people 600 years ago at least knew how to make proper blades. Whoever made this preferred looks over use."
He examined the blade a bit closer before shoving it in one of the empty pouches he had.
"Alright, time to go. Weirden, Keller! Break times over! Let's follow this path here. It'll be easier and probably safer."

The small dirt path obviously hadn't been traveled on in a very long time, though a few animal footprints could be spotted on it. Guess no one had any reason of visiting a burned out barn. The dirt road was long, but eventually lead to a larger one. The larger one ran off into two directions, one towards the mountains and one towards the forest. The larger dirt road also looked like people used it recently, fairly recently. Footprints, horse tracks, wheels and some other unidentifiable tracks littered the road. This pretty much confirmed that people still lived here. Karl squatted down, getting a better look at the tracks.
"Maybe something of a main road?" He looked up, scanning the horizon in both directions.
"Might just be a slow time in the day. Alright, we'll take this to the mountains." He stood back up, motioning towards his men to follow. The road was long and very empty, after another two hours of walking the group didn't come across anything else except for the occasional road sign. The letters on the signs were various circles and spirals. Obviously not a language from their world. At each sign Karl took pictures of the lettering in case they'd need to translate it later. Around the third hour mark two figures appeared in the distance. People. Karl started running situations through his head. Should they jump of the road and hide while they pass? Should they try to apprehend them, see what they could learn from them? Thinking over his options, he quickly decided to go with the best one that would draw the least attention.
"Safeties off, but no sudden movement. Just keep walking. If they look like they are going to try something you may fire. If this truly is like the times of old, then four oddly dressed people won't stand out too much."
Karl flipped his MP7's safety off, keeping his finger resting just outside the trigger guard in case they were hostile.

[Assistant] Lucas flipped the safety off his carbine with a metalic click and took up the rear of the group. Who were the people they spotted? What did they look like? Were they human? Alien? Monsterous? Oh in his heart he truely wanted to take the lead and be the first to get a closer look, but the situation demanded that he stay in the back incase shit went sideways. Wouldn't want the medic to be the first casualty of an alien attack. *ThumpThump ThumpThump ThumpThump* His beating heart betrayed his excitement. First contact, oh what a time to be alive! And he was part of the group doing it!

[User]
Andrew had hung back and kept his head on a swivel. Patroling the outer range, he took photos of the structure from all outsides. He let the others do the exploration and did indeed take the offered break to snack on a power bar then wash it down with a swig of his canteen that had a packet of kool-aid in it for flavor and a sugar boost. It was something his family did back since nam.

When it was time to be boots up, he took third position and switched from shotgun to grenade launcher in case they encountered anything heavy. As they came upon the tracks, he took a picture of them for the eggheads back at base, the boss was taking pictures of the signs. But now it was time for first contact.

Firing an explosive into the group was a recipe for disaster, so he switched back to shotgun but kept a relaxed position. His weapon was armed with alternatig rounds of birdshot-buckshot-slug. He set his phone to record and put it in his chest pocket. Hoping for the best and planning for the worst.

[Assistant]
The group continued down the road towards the small group of locals. As the group grew closer they could clearly see two things, one was that there was two locals, and two was that they were running. The two were running at full speed down the road, occasionally looking over their shoulders. Karl held up his hand, signaling his group to stop, people don't just run for no reason. The locals didn't appear to be armed and the way they kept looking over their shoulders made it obvious that they were running away from... something. Behind them another group of people emerged. There was about 15-20 people in the second group and they appeared to be chasing the first. As the two locals drew closer to Karl and his group they started screaming at them in a foreign language, pointing at the second group and making gestures indicating that they should run too.
"Don't follow them. Hold positions."
As the locals passed the group, they slowed down still trying to urge them to run, shouting at them in their own language.
[UNTRANSLATED]
Once it was obvious that Karl and his group weren't running or listening to them the two locals sped up again running past them and down the road. By this time the second group where much closer, and it was obvious they weren't normal people. Their skin was a pale grey, their eyes pitch black. Some were missing limbs, chunks of hair, an eye or two, and some didn't even have clothes on. The group stumbled over each other as they ran towards Karl and his men, with no hint of stopping or going around. They way they looked and acted were almost like a zombie from horror movies. Karl raised his rifle. Whatever they were, they were hostile and his team's protection was priority one.
"I'm deeming this group to be hostile. Everyone, get ready to fire. Small arms only. Take out the ones in front and work your way back."
Karl squeezed the trigger once, sending a bullet right into the chest of his target. The grey runner stumbled back from the force of the bullet but kept running. Karl hit him with another two rounds, center mass. Again the grey runner kept running. Karl raised his rifle a bit higher, sending a fourth round into the head. The bullet passed through it's skull, dropping it like a rock. A little part of Karl was upset that he knew to do this from watching those horror movies.
"Forget center mass, aim for the head!"

Behind the group, the sound of gunfire made the two locals stop running, both turning around to look at Karl and his group.