"Comic books dug up in ruins. Zinc Man is my favorite. Anthony Krats is a super genius whose nemesis is a robot named Ultimateron he fights with his friends The Huge Guy and Lieutenant United States, and the Greek God Zeus." Is all he replies.
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"Um...Brand, I think this is an AI. Kinda like a robot with a spirit. Okay, let's see, what did that Zinc Man comic say when he was talking to the Scent android? Hey, Phoenix, diagnostic protocol requires affirming your primary directive before system restoration to...hmm...reaffirm your status and...make sure your memory systems are in tact? So what is your mission?" Vulture starts looking around to see where the computer base may be.
Vulture is stealthy as all get out when he sneaks down the halls with Gloria, but he's totally oblivious to cameras. He facepalms when she calls out and gives her a "are you kidding me?!" Look. "Ghoulie G, why, pray tell, are we going to be scouting ahead if you want yo announce our presence?"
"You sure you guys don't want me to scout out? I'm used to that kind of thing. I love digging through old prewar ruins, and I'm pretty dang silent when I want to be. I ain't the chief tribe warrior, but I can scout with the best of em." Vulture smirks. "This could be an ambush, after all. Again."
"Hey, we wanted scrap metal, looks like it's come delivered to us!" Vulture single-taps the drone in the air with both pistols.
Vulture raises an eyebrow. "Riiiiight. Look, it's like Mayor Jack says, you can work to freedom, but we can't just let you go. If you wanna take the hard way, we'll make it clean and quick. We're still hammering out the details for how much work it'll take, but we're not slavers; part of your labor will pay for food and shelter and you'll have a definitive time limit until you walk free." He shrugs. "Or stick around if, you know, you're useful. Whatever. We'll throw that axe when it's sharpened. But for now it's dig or die, chum."
"Fair enough, Rolly Polly. The Roller is right, G, we can't just leave him here. One more pair of scrapping hands. Anyone who needs a rest holds a gun while he digs."
"That ain't right, Roll. We ain't monsters. Let him work off some debt. He did surrender. Don't make that mean nothin'. Can always use more hands pulling plows when the Brahmin need a rest."
Vulture walks up and reloads his guns, and stares at the man. "I ain't one for killin' surrendered men, but I ain't for letting thieves and men who admire raiders walk. We shouldn't have slaves, but this brings up a good question, and as newly appointed sheriff, I have to ask...how will we handle crimes not worth execution? Prisons and guards are a waste of resources that could be homes and city guards, and exiles become, as we see here, raiders. I say we have a time limited indentured servitude for petty crimes. So, George...can you farm, mine, scrap, or anything useful that doesn't involve you holding a weapon?" Vulture smiles, but it isn't friendly, and his guns are in his hands still.
Vulture mops up the leftovers with single shots rather than doubletaps, as these fools seem B level minions.
Vulture attempts to soak the single wound.
...quite successfully. "That all you got, you raider pieces of shit?!"
Vulture shouts to the last one (presumably) standing.
Vulture, on the other hand, has none of the same qualms as Gloria. These men, from what he can put together, are monsters, and he aims to put monsters down. From the shadows he unloads doubletaps from both guns on two separate targets, putting to use his new assassin training.
Vulture grins, satisfied he put two pieces of garbage in the ground.
Vulture stops short, holds up one hand, and whispers to the others, "Men, in the distance. They don't look like they're with Roland's people or ours, but they don't look like the pricks in green. I'm going for a closer look and listen. Anyone who can sneak, come with. If not, cover us, but keep safe." Seeing as the situation warrants a lack of wounds bothering his ability to sneak, he injects the stimpaks his player alluded to earlier to get rid of the last of his wounds, and begins to sneak ahead through woods off the road.
"Hey, if they can sew that pattern into this football (legion) gear I got from those raiders, I'll throw in a pair of 9mms and the bullets I got for them, since I stocked up for my twins in town."
V ambles up behind his brother, yawns, and rubs the back of his head like he was walking asleep and is now waking up. Despite his brash attitude about his people, with his tribal tats he obviously looks the part, though carrying guns instead of axes probably throws the people off. "Oh man, I'm tired. Hey, cool...other axers. Foxtail, huh? Yeah, we Sants kinda formed...a merged tribe as it were. Call it Gateway. Looking for trade partners and allies. Not too far from here. Will have salvaged tech but give square deals to axers."
I too will update all that this evening. Give me until about 7pm EST
"You'll look like a pre-war soldier, at least. Check out that sweet star and stripe pattern. I have no idea what that means, but it's amazing, and for some reason I can't place, makes me feel like eating a lot of Brahmin burgers and insulting our neighbors while bragging about how much money I make."
I agree with Jack - yes community, I hexploration, but no need to go nitty gritty to where Sun gets annoyed. Just a general "this is what we want" and you give us the jist of what is going on would be fine with me.
"I think it's a good backup for Roland when corners get close. Cant use a rifle up close. I'm more into semi autos. In fact, Roland How much would Wright Town charge for a silencer or two for my babies, here? I was already gonna ask you to pick up some bullets next time you swing by there, on account of your 'I'm not a tribal' discount." He twirls his .45 autos on his fingers. "I know you guys probably think I'm too protective of Brand, but I think he should wear that thick combat armor, since he likes to charge into stuff with an axe. I'm fine light and quiet."
"I like where you're going Jack, but a few tweaks. First - people don't like me. Officially, we call Brand city chief. People like him, especially the tribe, and he's better at talking people into things than me. I'm better behind the scenes. Advisor, nothing official, unless it's something to scare people, like sheriff. Yeah, actually I like that - Sheriff. Roland is easy - Chief Minister of Finance and Grand Ambassador to Wright Town. We throw two extravagant titles on him, not only because the man was a caravan master and has been doing all the talking to Jed Wright for us, but also it shows Wright that we are opening the door with respect. Roland is our liaison with them and we'll be able to set up deals at first that are not screwing us as hard. Because, frankly, while the Vault itself has technology and knowledge, infrastructure will be difficult to get without Wright, because you don't vaulties produce anything new, physically speaking. Gloria, meanwhile, seems to be very well-liked even though she is a Ghoul, no offense to you, G. Many of our citizens who are not from the tribe might not listen as readily to Brand. Therefore, I propose we reference her as a council member, and we fill out the city council with Ian as our representative from the vault and Elder the obvious choice for head of the council, so that you can remain mayor without supposed favoritism as the Vault, the tribals, and the non-tribals from outside the vault will be representated by one individual each in the council." He smiles, proud of his tweaks.
"Considering I don't want to tell them until AFTER we've scoured the town before they do, no, I don't think it would've been. I want to be friends, but until your step-pappy is 100% down with that, I'm pretty sure he sees us as rivals, at best."
"We should clear out Rapid Town ASAP of any people, scrap, supplies, or whatever we can find. The Wrights know it's empty, and the raiders will soon, so the faster we move the better! Everything else has less of a rush factor." He grins. "We should also set up explosives everywhere when we're through so the raiders coming to see what happened get a surprise. Obviously we warn the Wrights so they know we want to be friends, even if they aren't ready for that just yet - we don't want some friend of Roland blowing his arm up on an IED meant for a raider just because the Wrights are being cautious and waiting to see how we turn out nefore trusting us completely yet."
"Jack, we don't need the Vault for power. Doesn't water bring power? I told you, Axe Tribe can cut trees and dam the river! We only need your knowledge of how to turn the water into the electricity. The Rapid Towners and Wright Towners can provide the infrastructure to build the...whatever we need. The wind turbine would just be icing on the cake."
Agreed, but since we haven't had Jack come back up, I figured I'd mention it here. :-D
I...um...can intimidate and hide and notice and...uh... Executioner!
One thing I liked about KM these rules don't have is you could get positions of power with a bonus to your community, like general or whatnot.
Ooh, got a great idea for the town name! Gateway! Since it's the gateway to the vault, and the vault's gateway to the outside world!
He growls and sits back down, returning to read to his brother at the elder's words. "See, when Grognak rescues the women, how they say things like thank you
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know I should walk on eggshells when talking about the people who threatened to shoot me on sight after rescuing their friends, you ungrateful mole person!" V stands up and glares at his accuser.
Vulture shrugs. "Sure thing, B. Nothing better to do, except read this and wonder how much leverage we're gonna need to fill this entrance with boulders if these guys reject us..." He looks at all the stares directed at him. "What? If they wanna be left alone forever, we'd only be ensuring their wishes come true."
Vulture rolls his eyes. "Friendly group of friends you have there, Jack. I'm climbing back upstairs. I don't trust these xenophobic f***s not to blow up the elevator with us on it."
"As the most tech savvy Axe Triber, I should go. Brand wouldn't know a flintlock from a laser pistol...Elder should come, too."
Now that V has the Assassin edge I'm thinking of going for Thief for the flat stealth bonus, and then raising my skills to get Woodsman too. Flat bknuses are best. OTOH raising agility will allow me to raise stealth and guns the level after. Decisions, decisions. At least I have another 5xp to decide. As I said, this level was Assassin.
"Oh, that? Yeah, seems a nuke or something is going to bring about the end of the world again, or some such. It was pretty intense. Basically an eagle carried a nuke, and screams a bunch, and then crashes, explodes, leaves an egg, and the frost is trying to destroy it. A green monster tries to attack us axe tribers, the egg hatches, I wake up...and I'm not wearing pants, which, seriously sucked in the cold..."
"Oh, one person with brains in your lot. Fine. Sit around and get kidnapped again. We ain't rescuing you twice."
"Let's meet halfway. Return the stolen property - but do like you traders do - send him an invoice for services rendered rescuing people and goods!"
"Well, Roland is his family, right? I mean, adopted, but still...he probably trusts him. Maybe you can convince him that, in the long run, we would be good trading partners, and a potential outlet for an expanded market...not to mention ally when the raiders eventually show up again." |