Until he lands on Mars I'll be using this to dump mission briefing data for Ix, as well as classified information Ix will have that he needs to know.

When I get around to it... lol =p

Primary mission objective:
*Retrieval and quarantine of the Talos core sample.
*Investigation on the Vivo.

Secondary objectives are as follows:
*Destruction of the Vivo if at all possible.
*Proper handling of Solan as an asset. He is a criminal, but you are not authorized to
execute him unless in defense of self or others requires it. He is on work release to Senex, treat him like a mercenary contractor with a violent criminal background. Recapture should he attempt to escape.
*Report back when there is new information, and able to safely.
*investigate underling causes of activates reported by groups monk.




IC wise information is given over, as far as what they group relayed to Kingsington and station anchorites, what is in the news, and a post i will make on some classified info Senex provides.

blah blah blah hidden stuffs

Click. Clack. Click. Clack. Click. Clack.

Despite the cramped conditions of the miniscule ship, the unloaded handgun flew through the air over and over again. It swiftly spun with intention as it was repetitively caught and launched by long, thin fingers. It would arch in the air to sail directly over a short-cut black mohawk before making its landing in the other hand. All the while, the juggler kept his gaze on the monitor in front of him as studious eyes perused the words that lit the screen.

This was Ekchua Ix's strangest briefing to date.

Since when did I become a delivery boy?

The thought did not form from annoyance, but rather intrigue. Ix had always been a dealer in Good Death, and his skills were honed for the cause. This errand, however, made no sense to the well-trained killer. The briefing seemed to ask for talent more often related to the fields of larceny. A thief, a spy, a smuggler. These were the skills that Ix would think to be more appropriate for this particular mission. Yet here he was, speeding on a ship toward his intended destination.

Why me? Who is it that needs to die?

Ix came to the conclusion that there was much more to the story then the briefing enveloped, and the notion more than intrigued him. It beguiled him.

The Talos core sample, for one, seemed a beacon for trouble. Lives have already been lost at the sample's initial retrieval. Ix was sure more heads were rolling now as others quietly fought a war for its possession. A possession Senex desired greatly. Ix considered that Senex had enough financial backing to be one of the toughest contenders at the auction. But with no auction, and the item stolen, it did Senex no good to have all his money with no way to use it. Ix was grateful that all those credits could be used on him.

I, as well, have never tried to kill a ship.

The fact that he was given the assignment to destroy a ship of all things reeked of secrecy. This aspect of the briefing alone could have been handled by any other spy with a fair amount of mechanical knowledge. What secret did he not need to know? Or perhaps Senex didn't know as much as they thought they did?

The gun's acrobatics were terminated after a final spin, and Ix sank deeper into his chair. Tucking away the gun in a holster under his armpit, he nonchalantly continued to scroll down the monitor's contents. It was the eighth time he read over the briefing, but no details provided the information that the man desired. So instead of making his eyes bleed from boredom, he mechanically placed his hands behind his head and thought of other things.

First I am a delivery man. Then a saboteur. Now a babysitter?

Ix knew nothing of Solan. It wasn't Senex's usual style to hire crazed criminals and hand them guns. What irked him was the idea that he was to recapture the man should he make an escape. When people ran from Ix, they rarely got away. It was even more rare that Ix let them live. If this Solan seemed like a problem, he would have no problem conveniently confusing the terms "recapture" and "eliminate".

Of the monk, Ix didn't know what do think. He always found their "Do" an interesting utilization of one's physical capabilities, but monks themselves often annoyed the hell out of him. They just seemed so...aloof. Often they appeared as disconnected individuals of heavenly minds and no earthly good. In Ix's personal opinion, their peaceable mannerisms achieved little in a world full of people that needed to partake in the Good Death.

Ix looked casually over to his left, examining the pilot at his side with a piercing gaze and unsmiling face...
This message was last edited by the player at 06:11, Sun 04 Aug 2013.

"I know this is an odd mission, but your a resourceful guy and they need that. If your thinking why me, just play some of those clips they have of the fight with those 'sins' they ran into... which reminds me your mentor left something for you back there encase you run into that big one."

The ship decelerated as it brought through the other side of the ancherhead they had used to traverse the nebula and they entered 'normal' space.  The pilot sighed some as he landed the ship on an asteroid in the storm at the edge of the nebula.

He put some headphones one and started listening to some of Maynards latest music. "Hope you don't mind, but I don't got any clips or files to read while we wait for a response."

He was right of course, watching the fight with Glutony and the sure insane amount of abuse the beast took before being hurt enough to drive it off was staggering. It was clear why they needed an assassin.  (fight starts here link to a message in this game )

The small case contained the monofilement vibroedge garotte with it's dram power supply, and a vial of concentrated bliss in a hypospray. The note was simple, "We both know normally such drugs are a crutch, however this beast put a marine in a mental institution with that 'gunk' it spit up. You may need this."  The fact it only had one dose though spoke confidence that you would only encounter it once.

The full vedio was rather shocking for Ix... the very early part was bad enugh... the scream and horable sounds from the hall way... then what was said.

Something bending hardened premium... with it's bare hands?!?

The fight was short and brutal but he's never seen anything take a blast from an over charged plasma rifle to repeatedly... and not die.  Not to mention all the other people (and the npcs) that were firing on it consistently.

The mission objectives might not have matched sending him, but what they had been facing sure did.

The pilot must be a skilled Mage. He certainly read my mind...

Ix shrugged, and turned his attention back to the monitor to load up the video. After doing so he waited for the pilot to land before he got out of his seat and moved to examine his "gift" in the back.

The note was both encouraging and foreboding. It was nice to not only receive mission resources, but it was given by his mentor whom he'd yet to meet. The fact that any use of drugs were a necessary insurance, though, made Ix think this rabbit hole was even deeper than he initially thought. The powered garrote wire was also a nice touch as well, but the professional didn't like the idea of having his fingers chopped off. He would certainly have to be cautious with such a weapon.

It took no time at all for the assassin to secret away the items onto his person before returning to his seat. He kicked back as far as the small ship would allow, and scratched tenderly at his nether regions while his eyes scanned the video. The...thing was quite horrid, and Ix squinted hard in order to analyze the monster's nature. He grabbed absentmindedly at his necklace while he remained fixated on the last part of the video.

So this is where a killer's hand is called for.

Ix leaned forward and played the video again, looking for as many details as he could muster. All the while he fiddled with his necklace and started the screen down like a criminal. He analyzed those involved, the monster itself, the weaponry used against it, the environment it was in. His mind went over possible magic instances, the creature's anatomy, and the injuries suffered. It seemed they would be awhile before their drop point was established, so Ix was more than content to sit and study.

After watching it a few times there was some conclusions he could make.

The monk could see life patterns.

Solan could manipulate energy patterns.

The monk put the life of others over the mission. He was exstreamly capable physically but seams heseitent to use it agenst even something as 'evil' as that creature. If some one could get him to go on the offense he could be as dangerous as you.

Solan put the mission over everything else, however recklessly to the point of being a possible danger. He could maybe prove useful if someone could reel him in and teach him.

The beast 'Gluttony's bile seamed to be what cause the intense fear the marines suffered skin contact and breathing it seamed to make it worse, so an airtight suit of some kind might be in order.

And finally, when they fought it the assault rifles they were using on it seamed to do little to no damage to it at all. The only things that hurt it was the knights 'magic' sword and the energy weapons. It's clear this creature and any others that might be like it will only be noticeably harmed by the most grievous of damage (aggravated).




The ship powers up and lifts off. "we got a message, it's from some where on Mars, we are going to be hyper accelerating again so buckle up." He dose the same as he takes off the head phones an pulls up to the controls, the ship dirfting out of the nebula. "They sent you a com link for the Monk."

Quite...the crew...I would say...

Ix swung the bullet-charm back and forth on the chain between his fingers. His eyes remained glued to the video long after he gathered what information that he could. Perhaps one I arrive, I'll give my contacts a call. Granted, there was little more information he would be able to gather w/o out talking to the monk and criminal himself.

As the ship powered up, Ix took that as his cue to turn the video off and buckle up. Ix nodded in affirmation of the pilot's message, and as if on cue a set of numbers appeared hovering over his hand.

Well...what do we have here?

The numbers that glowed were punctuated with small, black feathers. An all too familiar number that was a sign of a good omen. With a casual flick of his wrist, the hitman extended his computer's flexible screen into his hand. His trained fingers were quick as they danced across the monitor, typing out the message with a fluidity born out of daily necessity.

Once he was done, he hit the send button and closed his computer. His written message would translate into a analog signal within a digital carrier signal, allowing his message to be literally heard as though it were a phone. The message was:

Senex sends aid. Give me your coordinates, current mission, and your AOR...Bird Brain.

If it was who he thought it was, they would not only recognize the cold, metallic tone of Ix's voice generator, but also his rude use of the moniker as well. The best part was, should Ix be wrong, he would find it highly entertaining.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:31, Mon 05 Aug 2013.

(edit the com is aprenty for raven... you would recognize it)

"Current location docks of Hades, underground city in the planet Mars aboard the ship Lucid Nonsense and no I'm not making that part up and the AI here gets testy if you laugh about it."

There was no expression to give away the professional's recognition of the familiar voice as it began to play through the personal speaker of the computer on his wrist. Yet an eyebrow quirked in curiosity at mention of the ship. Ix knew the comment wasn't made in jest our from falsehood, and his ever growing interest in the mission's mysteries were piqued.

"Current mission requires only part of the assembled team to travel to the pole for an important meeting. The others will stay behind to do currently undisclosed tasks. Squad make up is one cyborg, one modified human who claims to be a doctor, one human normal in appearence but dressed like a story book knight, one human monk who due to past events resembles a tree and who is currently in charge from what I can tell, one splicer who's yours truely, and we have one MIA who I have not yet met."

As each squad member was described, Ix's sharply-cut eyes gradually squinted in perplexity. This crew sounds like responses to an open advertisement. Ix had worked with some strange crews before (albeit it was a rare occasion), but this group seemed...particularly motley.  I guess as long as they can get the job done...I guess...

"And being a bird isn't so bad, your girlfriend likes the way my feathers tickle..."

Finally, there it was; the faintest pull at the corner of Ix's taut lips signified the inconspicuous beginnings of a good-natured grin.

It felt both strange and refreshing to the young assassin that he would be working with a contract and the closest person he considered to being a friend. He knew that at least someone would have a working brain on their shoulders. Even if those shoulders belonged to a four- armed, feathered, flying freak. Ix had by now learned to trust that freak more than most, and was looking forward to seeing what all his smuggler was capable of.

His fingers flew across the keypad once again, and a final tap on the screen sent the message flying through space in an instant.

"Copy. Will rendezvous at your given coordinates. Over and out."

Ix didn't know if his accomplice was staying behind at Hades, but he was sure the man would find a good place for him to meet up with the group. Worse come to worst, he was sure he could find him...

The ship comes in low on the long wide and massive volcano of Olympus Mons... it was a sight to see... and so was the shimmer of the city in it's fifty mile wide caldera. A mountain the size of France, and full of cities. But the three large visible shields of the caldera and the largest craters disappear as the ship drops bellow the cloud level along the south side of the mountain and the nearly mile high messa. They dip down into a small Crevice and into a docking bay.

"Well, welcome to hell... This is the dock, any mission that starts with top class assassin in Hades isn't one I want to be on so I hope you don't mind if I don't stick around. Signal for evac when your done."

The comm signaled the incoming message, and Ix quickly affirmed the relocation of the meeting. After indicating his TOA, he sent his response and reclined to settle in for a short nap.

His awakening was peaceful, his brown eyes opening to the amazing view of Mars' caldera and the city nested within. Ix sat up and looked down out the ship's window. The sight of the dock gave him a sense of surety in regards to his mission. His arrival triggered the automatic expression of his "game face", but he consciously swept the reaction away. Pleasure was going to come before business, and he was looking forward to his rendezvous with his old friend.

The pilot's word were received with a nod, and in another moment he was off the ship strolling down the docks. A thin and long case was strapped diagonally along his back, and a rather plain rucksack was held over his shoulder. Around his head was a simple circlet of gray circuitry.

He headed slowly and methodically toward the assigned bar.

The high speed shuttle took off leaving you behind.

When Ix arrives, he will find Raven sitting a a table enjoying a bottle, with one waiting for his friend.

As Ix finally made his approach to the building, he inconspicuously reached his free hand up to wrap his fingers around the tip of the bullet that served as the charm for his necklace. Briefly he pressed it to his lips before letting it fall back to his chest.

Ix slipped silently between the bar's doors, taking only a short moment to drink in the environment. On seeing Raven he smoothly walked over to the seat beside him, while slipping the rucksack and case down to the floor in front of him. While he used one hand to reach for the awaiting bottle, the other hand made two quick and subtle gestures; the latter was simply an index pointing up toward his face.

Raven held up his bottle and gave a toast.

"Here's to us.
Whose like us?
Damn few.
And they're all dead."

The old splicer took a drink after each part of this, then he pointed at the device on the other's head, and shook his own as he made a gesture with his free hand that encompassed the room.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:05, Tue 27 Aug 2013.

Ix received the toast with the faintest of smiles, which was a rare sight to see to most that knew him. He followed in kind, taking a pull from his drink with each line uttered. At Raven's gesture Ix reached up to his head and easily removed it from his head. He did not even watch the device fold down into a 1-inch bar before he slipped it into his jacket pocket.

Ix coolly looked around the room once again before returning his eyes to his friend. With his free right hand, he pointed his finger towards Raven as the rest of his fingers and thumb formed a "c". Following this, he brought his fingertips together and tapped once on the counter.

Raven grinned, reached for an ammo pouch, and brought out a pack of cigarettes. he withdrew two, rolled one toward Ix and lit the other with a beat up old metal lighter with the emblem of Earth Army stamped on it. When finished, he offered the light to his friend as well. He gestured with his free hand, making signs that asked simply,

"What are you ding in my neck of the woods?"

Silently Ix took the cigarette and lit it from Raven's lighter. He closed his eyes as he took a drag, letting the smoke taste and nicotine flood  his senses. Smoking was a rather rare treat for him, so the moment was savored in full. Now that the hitman would be working with his favorite smuggler, he couldn't help but wonder what sort of new "experiences" he would discover.

Raven's signing kept Ix from letting his mind wander, and the assassin blew out smoke as he used a single hand to reply.

"Work. Your team I guess?"

He took a momentary pause to work at his drink, then continued,

"How'd YOU get here? I didn't expect this situation to occur." He stared into his bottle contemplatively.

"I've been briefed...but what exactly am I looking at from your side of the scope?"

Raven thumped his combat boots up on the table, using them to lean his chair back so that only two legs remained on the floor. He took a few puffs as he watched his friend 'talk', then responded by the use of his three free hands.

"I was in between jobs, and found myself on a station with a pouch full of creds, looking to see what trouble I could get into. It was that big one, you know the one out there by Earth? Well, before I could spend a single chip, all hell broke loose. Marauders hit the place hard, and by that I mean they rammed their ship right into the place. If that wasn't enough, some giant thing showed up, I guess it was a ship of some kind but I didn't stick around to find out for sure as it started attacking the station too. Stuff was blowing up, crashing down, catching on fire. I made a run for my ship, but it was on the lower docks and I figured with the way the whole place was going down, I would never make it. So, like the rest of the lemmings, I ran for the first ship I could see. Weird think is, I never boarded one. I know it sounds crazy, but I was on the station, then I was in a hold with a bunch of others without ever entering one. Anyway, someone made a call for a pilot, and I offered my services. I was put in front of some trippy controls, and I flew us away from the station, or what was left of it. I'm not sure about the next part exactly, but somehow we made it from there to Mars in about five hours.

"I was all for going my merry way, but one of this group I'm with now contacted me, and talked me into joining them. This was just today, so if you're here to smoke one of them, it won't break my heart as I hardly know any of them.

"From my side of the scope, huh? I'll give you a breakdown.

"To start with, one of the group is MIA. We went to his quarters to meet him, and he was just gone. All his stuff was there, armor, weapon, all that, but not him. There were some weird symbols on the walls though, my guess is he stepped into the Spirit Realm and didn't find his way back yet. Can't tell you much more about him, other than the ship's computer said your message was meant for him, so you might have more dirt on him than I do.

"Speaking of armor and such, we have a girl who just joined us today, I think she said her name was Devalanna or something like that. Plate mail, and a big sword strapped to her back. Talks like she's from some old time story about knights and stuff. Said she was from an island on a moon, I think. Pretty backwoods if you ask me, she didn't even know what a standard comm unit was or how to use it. She thought I was some summoned beast when she first saw me. The others mostly took her in sight unseen, not sure I would have been so eager to let a stranger in, but I'm not calling  this rodeo so in she is I guess.

"Next, we have Doctor Tentacle, or at least that's what I call him. I think I heard his name is Peter, from his claims and those of another he really is a doctor. Fine by me, every team needs a medic. But he's not normal, he's got tentacles that come out of his body. I know it sounds crazy, but he showed me. He can even have them dissolve something, and make it appear again elsewhere. He's a shy type, mousey, looks harmless, but I'd watch out for those things he's got if I were you. Also, he's been talking to another team member about training, and there might be a side to him I haven't seen yet.

"Then we have Solan, a cyborg. I'll tell you right now I don't like the way he handles business. Way too quick to reach for his gun, gives up the element of surprise, I saw his reaction when the new girl showed up, and he did several things wrong in my book, out of which if any of my guys did just one of them he'd be on KP for a month for being an idiot. When I pointed them out to him, he simply told me I was in charge of nothing instead of listening to an older generation that could have helped him be better at what he was doing. I called him out to a little one on one with fists, and he wanted to make it a death match. Never got anywhere though, someone snuffed it out before it got started. Still, he's a merc, and you know how much I hate mercs. I saved his life twice, and he said after he pays me back he'll deal with a matter of honor. Can you believe him? Please, all a merc. knows is a matter of creds...

"Next, there's the monk. Typical monk other than he likes bending his elbow, if you know what I mean. Big drinker, that one. He's the one who talked me into joining this ragtag band. Seems there's a man out there looking for something, and the more of it he gets, the stronger he becomes. Only he or I can get these things, and I won't say out and out he's evil, but the good brother thinks a drunk, disgraced druggie jar head is a better choice than the alternative. I can't say the monk's name to save my hind end, maybe all this splicing affected my tongue. Anyway, he said his name is Flowing Water in some language, so I just call him FW and he seems cool with that. He claims he promotes peace, but he sure seemed commanding when he stopped me and Solan from going at it. He's also the one in charge right now, though he says he doesn't make anyone follow him. He's got a mission lined up right now and he paid me credits, so I just call him boss. When I explained my reasons, he was cool with that and even Solan agreed with me.

"Finally, there's Luci. She's the AI of the ship we ended up on, and the Monk treats her like a living person.

"So, that's them. Who are you after?"

This took so long to say that the old man finished his cigarette. He dropped it into the neck of his now empty bottle, got a fresh cancer stick out and lit it, while motioning to the barman for a fresh drink.

Ix was intensely focused on Raven's "speech". He wasn't nearly as fluent in the man's ancient military sign as Raven himself was, but being that it was Raven who taught him in the first place it wasn't hard for him to decipher the context of what he had to say.

The story of how the crusty smuggler came across the current group was nothing less than fascinating. He knew Raven always shot straight with him, so Ix took into consideration that the man's recollection was as spot on as well as he perceived it. Ix was glad as well that the veteran was relatively new to the group, since his work may very well come to making any one of them embrace the Good Death.

The splicer's summary had the thoroughness that Ix had come to appreciate. The missing contact was somewhat of a concern, yet not enough to stir any significant worry. Ix wanted little to do with the Yellow realm, and the man's disappearance beyond its veil reconfirmed his sentiments.

Of the criminal, Ix's taut lips puckered in a moment of clarity. He and Raven both shared the same view of mercenaries, so the man's obviously strong feelings would resound loudly in the spirit of the hitman. Ix's initial impression of this Solan character was only strengthened by Raven's personal experience. I. HATE. babysitting.

The other actors in play were as mismatched as he guessed. An old world woman, a sentient ship, a medic monstrosity, and a meek monk were not his first idea of a Senex sponsored group. If Raven was convinced to join them, then they must certainly be a special, "special" group.

Unlike the old vet, Ix still took his time with the precious nicotine, signaling subtly to the tender that their drinks needed renewing. Once their fresh bottles were brought out to them, he took a final loving drag before disposing of the cigarette butt. Only then did he pick up to fill in his friend on his mission.

"It seems the Good Death is to be delivered to a ship. One known as Vivo. Yet from footage I've seen of these "Sins", my skills will apparently be put to test against them." He consciously paused to squint his sharp eyes at his friend. Now that he communicated his mission, it seemed crazier than before.

"There are other facets that I will not divulge further into...for your sake..." Ix trusted Raven with more information than he should, but certain aspects of his work crossed directly with his friend's, and for the sake of keeping his friend uncompromised, he knew not to tell him particular information directly. Now indirectly was another story.

"Since it seems we'll be working together, I could use your skills. But we will speak of such things later. What is our next move?" He sipped on his drink and gently leaned forward. He was rather relaxed, and unlike many in his field, her knew how to unwind. Just a little...

Then the thought jumped to mind, and the killer instantly tightened his back, setting his drink down neatly before slightly emphasizing with his hands. "Did you say fucking marauders? A ship full?? What the fuck were they doing?"

Raven took a slug of his drink and a fresh puff, meanwhile responding with his other two free hands.

"I'll answer the last questions first. Yes, I said marauders, and a ship full of them at that. They just poured out and started attacking, though one of them turned into a dragon and that's not shit you see everyday. If I had to guess, I would say they were there to steal something. I had heard there was going to be an auction of something on the station, a rare sample or some shit like that. I played with the idea of picking it up myself and selling it to the highest bidder, but security was extra tight plus a lot of big rollers were interested and they brought their own guys too. If I'd tried for it, I would have been ventilated before I took five steps. Plus, the rarer something is the hotter it is as stolen goods and the longer you have to wait to move it. I didn't want to be stuck with the thing for months or a year or more before I could get a payoff. Just off the top of my head, the marauders were there for it too, and charged the station.

"As for what we do now, there's a few possibilities. For one, the monk has a meet and greet set up for Ares, the God of War. No, I'm not shitting you. Supposed to be some kind of trails before we can see Him though. Also, Solan has a bee in his bonnet to go to some location known only to him for who knows what. You might get a chance to tag along with him, if you like but since you feel the same about mercs as I do and you hate babysitting, maybe that one isn't for you. Then Luci wants to go back to the old station for some reason or another, you might get passage on her and see what happened when the bad guys and massive mystery ship got done with it.

"But I think the first thing we ought to do is introduce you to FW. He seems somewhat in the know of what's going on, and like I said he's in charge for now. He's an easy guy to get along with, but be careful not to upset him. He showed me what he can do if need be, and it was impressive."

Ix frowned as Raven recounted his encounter. Dragon-shifting space pirate marauders did not seem appealing by any standard. The situation sounded as though a great deal of Talent was worked, and he couldn't imagine the effects of the backlash. And they were all raiding the station for the...

The Talos core sample was no secret, but its knowledge was not common. Simply knowing Raven was aware of its existence and worth made it harder for the young hitman to determine whether or not to involve his long time partner in his objective. I should first contact Senex in enlisting his aid. Ix knew the old soldier was more than capable of handling a bit of pressure, but the Talos core sample more than guaranteed a fair share of calamity to all who sought its potential.

A meeting...with the God of War.

The things Raven spoke of increased in oddity, and Ix felt a slight chill of unwarranted excitement flash through his body. The things he heard sounded absolutely amazing, a once in a lifetime chance opportunity to experience things unheard or unseen. Of course, while his feelings were flared to the idea of adventure, his features remained tight as leather and hard as iron. He had long practiced to keep a tight reign on his emotions, and even with Raven he maintained something of his cool bearing.

The flames of adventure were quickly extinguished at the mention of the criminal. Granted, the sad part was that he may have to go with the man. The splicer knew him well enough to know he hated escort roles. Unfortunately his mission was to contain Solan, and if Solan attempted to escape he didn't want to chase him everywhere just to kill him.

Perhaps riding back with "Luci" would lead to some useful information, but he couldn't yet accept the idea of riding about on a ship that was classified as "alive".

Raven's final suggestion was met with a mental sigh of relief. He didn't care to make anymore friends, but it was always easy to work with someone who had manners.  And if Raven - the four-armed feathered freak himself - claimed that the monk impressed him, then he must be an interesting individual. Is it a requirement for those fancy monk types to obtain the goofy-est name possible?

"We'll meet him," Ix stated rather plainly with his hands. He took a swig between "words" before continuing. "But what convinced you to join them? Simply the money? You could probably be doing safer work now. And where's that damn metal bird?" Something in the bird's very presence would being out thoughts of violence in Ix that even he didn't think he was capable of. There was more than one time where he wanted nothing better than to blow the pain-in-the-ass top pieces.

"We'll meet him,"

To this the old Splicer gave a simple nod to this.

"But what convinced you to join them? Simply the money? You could probably be doing safer work now."

The jarhead had to laugh at this.

"The money? Hell no. I could make just as much in a couple months in my trade. No, I'm not in this for creds, though they are nice to have. Let me see if I can explain this. Well, first off, I had a really trippy dream. I've done pretty much every drug out there, and I never had it hit me like this. I'll spare you the gory details, but after I woke up from it, the monk I mentioned contacted me. Seems he'd seen my dream, somehow. Called it a seeking I think, some sort of fucked up vision quest is the best I got to call it. So I met with the guy like he wanted, he let me call the time and place, and he came unarmed though I learned later that doesn't stop this guy if he's got to fight. Anyway, there's a dude out there who's got something I need, and I've got something he needs. Only thing is, you can't take it and leave the other alive. So Kung Fu offered to help me, so I could get it and other pieces too. He showed me he can jump on nothing but air, shoot a rock into a wall, then punch the wall to dust to get the stone back. I figured having a guy like that on my side would be a good start. Then there's Solan, as much as I hate to admit it. I saved him on the station when a building fell on him, I dug him out. Then, I flew him to safety on the ship I ended up on, and though I don't trust a merc. as far as I could throw this planet, having an armed tank owe you a couple isn't a bad way to be in. And for what it's worth he said he'd repay the debts. The doc will probably pee himself in a fire fight, but he showed he his store room and he's got a lot of medical looking crap so I guess he's the real deal. Guess I'll find out if these trails don't go so hot, huh? The girl I just met, don't know about her yet. Between you and me, I think the others were a bit fast to let her join, after we had all this weird shit happen to us, then a strange chick shows up, and all the others are for it. Oh well, not my show.

"So, the brief answer is someone's gunning for me, and he and I are in a race. I don't know anything more about him other than he's bad news and wants me dead, so I figure hooking up with a kung fu master, a tank, and a honest to goodness doctor would help me even the odds a little, whatever they happen to be. Plus, these guys might let me fly that really cool ship again."

"And where's that damn metal bird?"

"Oh, Tink? Last I saw him he was on the ship. He kept looking at Solan and saying 'shiny' over and over again.

"I can arrange for you to meet FW, he wanted me to brief him on this meeting anyway. Anything special I should tell him?"

With four hands, Raven could cover a lot in a little amount of time.

(you free to control tink when I'm not)

Ix's thin, strong forearms nestled neatly atop the bar's edge as he cradled his beer bottle between his hands. He "listened" intently to Raven's recollection with a focus just short of interrogation. He'd always known his friend was Talented, and he was sure by now his friend knew of his own gifts in kind though they never discussed such items. While sober.

Yet this idea of connected dreams seemed almost too far fetched to believe. If I were to deny this as possible, then would I deny everything I know? The weaves of Fate were fickle figures and formulas: the outcome was quantifiable, but never exact. For Ix, to completely deny any one experience would be damnation for all he believed in. His own Talent often proved that impossiblility was too impossible of a factor to exist.

So with great care he dissected what his friend had to say, and chewed over its consistency with a sharp-toothed mind. For something like this to drive Raven to tag along with no promise of wealth or women was a perplexity. That is, until his thoughts caught the taste of an overwhelming flavor.

Did he not say it was a race? Ix pondered the veteran's choice in wording, but refrained from asking what the prize would be for being first. He wasn't sure if he cared to know, or even if Raven knew what it was himself. What he did know was second place meant death, and that was the last thing Ix could allow unless the Good Death bade it so.

"Whoever this guy is, I won't let him beat you to the punch." The assassin grinned ever so lightly as he emphasized the last word by slamming his first into an open hand. It was an unusual emotional reaction for the rogue, and Raven would understand it as a promise. He added as an afterthought, "It's hard to find men of your profession...and caliber...on these worlds..."

Once again he smoothly signaled to the tender for fresh drinks as he finished his own."Drinks are on me as long as we care, and you can tell your monk what you want of me. I know you will be discreet. As far as he knows, I'm just an agent of Senex, and not an agent of Fate." A soft huff escaped his sunburnt lips as the commoner's question faded into mind: was there more to an assassin than taking the lives of others?

]

Raven opened his fresh drink, and smiled at his friend. With his free hands he again signed.

"Glad to have you on board, I could use a trusted friend at my back. As for what I tell the monk, I have no problems being discreet, but you really haven't given me much to go on. You're doing work for something called senex, I get that. But I've known you for a while, and there's one kind of job you specialize in. I asked this before, but I'll do it again; who are you after? Who's the target this time? Is it someone in the group, or do you need the skills of one of them to get to the target?"

Ix frowned at Raven's inquiry, then shook his head gently as he gracefully grabbed at his fresh drink. After a rather long pull, he answered his friend in slow and emphasized gestures.

"I know it may seem strange, but as I said before, I'm to...dispose of...a ship. One known as the Vivo." He stared hard into his friend's face before he shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine as to why they sent me for the job. I didn't expect this scenario myself. I guess it is flattering that they trust me with such sabotage." An empty snicker escaped his mouth as he shook his head once again in memory of his briefing.

"Those things, the 'sins' as they're called? I'm guessing I'm to eventually face one of those as we-" His hands hesitated as a thought struck him, then he peered interrogatively into his companion's eyes. "Have you seen these 'sins' yet? The fucker I saw on video was bending HARDENED PRIMIUM ALLOY! Never seen any shit like that before." As the drinking and company wore on Ix's imperturbability, Raven would easily recognise Ix's inner friendly demeanor that he kept so sacred.

"And...that sample? Let me just say someone wants it wrapped up nice and neat in some gift-wrapping paper, and presented to them on whatever day is of earliest convenience." Inwardly Ix grimaced, afraid that he'd revealed too much already. He considered Raven a friend, and the only real one he truly bothered to make, but trust was always hard. He was sure there were deeper things that connected them besides their professions and their drug-fueled adventures.

Raven blinked, then laughed at himself as he replied.

"You did say that before, didn't you. Guess decades of drinking whoring and drugs plays hell with your short term memory. Well, you have a choice to make. I can take you to the ship we were using, it was going to go back to the wreck of the station for some reason or another. That's the first and last place I saw that weird ship, maybe you could pick up some sort of trail there. Otherwise, I can call FW and sweet talk you into coming to visit ares with us."

Ix finished his drink a little faster than he should have while he silently chuckled at Raven's response. As he listened to his options he used one hand to twirl his empty bottle around his wrist. His other hand was used to signal for a glass of water.

With the bottle still spinning around through the air, he drummed on the bar top with his free fingers as he pondered his choices. Once his water arrived he took a sip and slid the bottle to the tender to dispose of it.

"I'm guessing the next option, in terms of priorities, would be to speak to this FW of yours..." Another sip, another short drumming of fingers. "If the ship hasn't left by then, I will board it and search for clues. Otherwise, why would any of you desire to meet a god? Of war, at that. Why not a god of hedonism?"

Ix had a sneaking suspicion that he would soon become intimately entangled with these divine dealings. He wasn't altogether pleased with the idea.

The big man shrugged.

"I can't speak for most of the others. The Monk is doing it as part of some deal or promise he made to something or someone, me I'm doing it because it's the God of War, and I'm a warrior no matter whatever else I might have become over the years. It's like being in the minor leagues and getting a chance to meet Babe Ruthe, if you get that dated reference. If not, imagine being a pilot and being able to fly the hottest new ship out there fresh off the line.

"I'll contact FW on your behalf, but before I do I need to do some shopping. Want to come with?"

Ix did not understand the reference, but he understood the context of what the vet meant. "In that case, I hope it goes well. For all of our sakes."

The hitman drained his water just as Raven mentioned shopping. He nodded his head in agreement and whipped out a chip to pay for the drinks. Once the payment was settled with a generous tip, it took only a matter of seconds for him to gather his things. I have got a few things I may need to grab myself. Sadly, an additional thought popped into his head. Including that Solan figure.

"Would you mind giving the criminal my comm? I'll need to meet him sooner or later..."

Ix gets a message on his com. "Oh good, I got a hold of you, hey one of your 'assets' has been calling in trying to requester ah ship to go to his... get this.. 'secret bunker'... I understand a jughead can be useful some times, but please get this idiot off our case." Ix gets a transcript of a few messages from Solan, who seams quite desperate to make a quick short trip.  From the looks of things his 'secret bunker' must be on one of Mar's moons or in/near this side of the nebula. Considering the changing time table, probably on a nebula asteroid.... rather common place to hide things.

Raven blinked, confusion on his face.

"Criminal? You mean FW? I think he said he was wanted or some such. You want to call him yourself?"

The old splicer did not yet know that his friend was talking about the cyborg.

Ix tilted his head, wondering why he would reference the monk. "No I mean the cri-"

Eyebrows lifted in epiphany, followed by s mischievous smile. "Your Solan acquaintance has interesting...incriminating...roots with my employers," he gestures as he holds a finger up to indicate he needed a moment. He checked his comm to listen in on the incoming message. This time only one eyebrow raised as the amusing transcripts played out.

"Wouldn't you know, the same convict is asking to check out some - and I quote - secret bunker of his. Perhaps where he's from criminals can freely travel where they will." He types back a message with rapid firing fingers. "And no, I would prefer you contact the monk."

Raven held up a hand, a smile playing upon his face.

"Wait wait wait. You have dirt on this Solan guy, and you didn't share? You're holding back on me old friend. And after the way he acted in front of our latest recruit, it doesn't surprise me in the least that he's broadcasting that he has a secret place somewhere. Just be glad he didn't install a neon sign, or takes tours through there."

A childish grin threatened the corners of the killer's mouth, but his face remained composed. "Well, you certainly ARE the new guy."

"As far as I know, this Solan was charged with several counts of assault, attempted murder, evasion and obstruction of the law, and some other good quality stuff involving stone contracted job gone to shit. Instead of incarcerating him, they have him under contract to work off his debt. Yours truly is now the handler for this dog of war, though I'll have no qualms about putting this dog down if it runs off..."

Ix shook his head when he considered his "demoted" position. "I'm thinking of requisitioning a fucking shock collar from all I'm hearing about this guy..."

Raven blinked, then scoffed.

"Dog of war? You pay him way too high a compliment. From the slip shod way I saw him handle himself, he's not even a puppy of discontent. With his attitude and eagerness to use his gun, the fact he's got a record doesn't in the least surprise me. If you want my suggestion, get an emp gernade. Nothing I've seen of the others would be affected, but it would shut robo-jerk down in a second, and kill that gun he loves so much I'd bet."

Soundlessly, the agent of Fate laughed, slapping lightly at his knee to punctuate his amusement. "Well, even puppies have their place in the Great Wheel. And I'll actually look into that grenade..."

"Let's be on our way though. I may have to meet the criminal in person. Plus, if I meet your monk soon enough after shopping, I'll be able to see about finding some clues with your sentient ship."

I've just landed, and I'm already a busy body. Ix was glad he had the drinks in him early, since he was feeling very much relaxed in the face of several tasks. Later he was sure he wouldn't have nearly as much luxury. Even Senex's own needed a respite now and then.

Ix's comm signals the incoming message. He nonchalantly typed his message out, once again shaking his head.


Calloused fingers rubbed at the hitman's temple. He felt the tinge of "killer's rage" warm his blood. "This criminal is not starting off on the right foot with me."
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 00:59, Wed 25 Sept 2013.

Raven couldn't help himself; he laughed.

"I don't think he has a right foot installed. what's up?"

Ix shrugged and indicated his comm unit. "Our convict is very much interested in getting to his base of operations indiscreetly. He's starting to sound very much like a terrorist." The idea didn't seem to bother Ix in the least. Our perhaps it didn't surprise him. "He's very persistent...not that I've given him any leeway. Of course."

Raven slapped his old friend on the shoulder and smirked.

"Well, all I got to say about it is better you than me. Come on if you need to buy some things I found a good military surplus shop we can use."

Raven's find was in a heavy industrial area, lots of production going on, manly automated farming equipment... lots destined to climb cliff walls. The place was called 'Joe's Cog Shack' and seamed mainly a place to buy old parts that weren't in production anymore, or get repairs for stuff that wasn't serviced by anyone else. But there was a fair amount of rather old looking military hardware on sell too, all seaming disseminated or disarmed. 'Joe' as it was was a rather large man with cybernetic eye and arm that was as ugly and bulky as he was and had the air about him of some one that had seen some combat though he looked like the kinda guy you would see working in a hanger.

If this place sold any military grade weapons that could be fired they weren't on display and from the looks of things they would be from the Hyperion wars over forty years ago.

Joe eyes Raven humming some. "You didn't grab spoiled MRE's did you?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:45, Wed 25 Sept 2013.

Raven laughed and waved at the owner.

"Do those things even go bad? Couldn't tell it from the taste. No, no worries. I'm not here for a return. Not only have I come for some more gear, I brought you a possible new customer. For myself, I need a duty belt, another K-Bar, and what price do you have on your rail guns?"

"Well that depends and the type of gun, how old it is, the amount of refurbishing it needed, and how mass produced it was. Guns that were ever issued as standard gear in war time are cheaper than a limited run commercially produced one."

Oh. It's Joe.

Ix stood a little out of the way as Raven began to engage the bionically built brute. Had he realized they were coming to see one of his contacts...absolutely nothing would have changed. But it was always nice to know. Quiet as ever, Ix smoothly whipped out the screen on his power glove and typed away.

Once he had written what he wanted to share, he smoothly held out his arm for Joe to see what he had written.



At the end of his message was a small picture of a jaguar in a tribal style design. If the man didn't recall Ix by sight or silence! The signature would certainly jog his memory.

(("Ix" means jaguar in Mayan. His first name means black war chief god.))

The old iron head smiled a few lenses and plates pulling back from his face to get a better look with his natural eye and he laughs some. "It is good to see you again youngin'. I see your new employers got you some nice new armor and a shiny new mask." he shook his head going into a back room though you can still hear him on a speaker while he's moving about "Lot a people asking about that one. Sadly not much known about it that isn't wide spread news, hard to keep tabs on something like that. However thing is the CPRB apparently threw a lot of lives away getting that thing out, they say it was an accident on core removal but it was quite a few accedents from what I hear. That don't right make sense to me for an isolated cut off research base to keep risking lives for one sample they where just going to sell. Espeshaly considering they didn't get enough data to sell to keep the CPRB running it's next two year jaunt into the nebula, they got to sit out here selling what little they got and seeking out further funding. Seams a little off to me. Lastly they tried to keep quite about it, but it's leaking into circulation likely to be on the news soon... but apparently some one took out the head scientist of CPRB shortly after they got to the station." He comes back out with a crate of 25 EMPs and Raven's knife, after sitting it down he tosses raven the k-bar. "Like I said not much you won't find on the news about the sample but some fishy stuff with the egg heads. Now for you, you can have the whole crate for 150k... individually though I'll have to charge you 10k each." And that was Jeo for you, being 'nice' and giving you big deals while trying to lock you into taking a bulk amount off his hands. Ix likely had a crate of untouched throwing knives laying around or the like because of this guy. This is what you get when an bargaining dealer gets wind of how much you make.

While Raven didn't have the strongest connection with his 'familiar' he knew what it felt like when some one offed the thing, after all he done it himself enough times.

From Solan:

To Raven: I have destoyed your bird that was following me. It attacked me.  I have no anger in this matter, but understand if you do.  If you wish to settle this I shall meet you for a duel to the death.  If not I will consider this matter done and contiune to work wit you.  I do ask that you do not attempt to have your robotic creations follow me in the future.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:58, Wed 25 Sept 2013.

Raven shivered as a feeling passed through him, then he heard a beep from his ear bud, and tapped it to turn it on. He listened to the message, and laughed.

"Solan, old buddy, I'm afraid you're mistaken on a few points. One, he's not my bird, I have no say or ownership over him. He's his own self, he just decided he liked me and won't go away, despite me trying over the years. So if he attacked you, that had nothing to do with me. Let's be clear on that point, no need for a duel of death.

"Second, hate to burst your bubble, but you didn't kill him. Let me guess, he turned into a cloud of rust and faded away? Yeah, he's not dead. You have any idea how many times I've shot him, stabbed him, smashed him, blown him out of airlocks, even strapped grenades to him? He always comes back, always. All you did was buy me a moment's peace,so thank you for that. Hope he didn't get anything too important. On the station he attacked another cyborg and the poor guy had to be taken for medical help.

"By the way, I'm getting some new equipment. You want me to put any ordersin for you, or pick anything up?"

While he talked hands free, the bird checked out the knife he'd been tossed, and tested the sharpness and strength of the blade. He smiled,and resheathed it before hooking it in place. It seemed the owner had made at least one sale so far.

Ix gets an shoping list from solan:



Hard suit is exoskeleton armored suit, prity much power armor, very very pricy and out of Ix's pay grade unless he got a shitty old abused lightly armored suit with poor power regulation. (a light suit will burn through around 4 quintessence a 24 hour period.... a heavy one 1 an hour.... you get a shifty power system though and those numbers can more than dubble)

Basicly light your talking something like the iron man in a briefcase suit.... while heavy your talking space marines all warhamer 40K

Raven reaches up tp his ear, and turns his comm unit off for a moment. he begins to sign an old song, 'I Fought The Law', seemingly to himself. Then, a wave of dizziness hit the man, and he had to grab a counter for support. he recovered, but seemed to be in something of a daze as he cracked the crystals off of one side of his face, and laid them on a bare part of the surface. In a far away voice, he called, Tink? Hungry boy?"

Ix nodded to Joe as the man recognized him, then crossed his arms as he listened. The story was definitely helpful in some ways, and confusing in most others. Beneath the red scarf that now covered the lower half of his face, Ix's sun-fried lips twitched as he got the shopping list. No way am I giving that guy a jetpack, he thought as he turned his attention back to his contact.

After Joe pitched his "steal of a deal", Ix simply looked down at the crate before he sighed and made a sweeping motion with one arm to indicate he'd take all of them. He wasn't in a bargaining mood, and he thought it would be a good idea to pass them out to some on his team. Immediately he opened back up his power glove and began typing up a requisition request.

As his hand glided over the keypad, the assassin's ears picked up Raven's conversation. It would seem that my supposed asset is at it again. Ix also squinted his eyes as he watched Raven inconspicuously sing his song, wondering what the old man was up to.

Once he finished and sent out the request, he typed yet another message for Joe to read.

Jeo laughed. "Anyone and everyone? I don't think there isn't a person that don't want it .... though you can possibly count out the people who just wanted to contain it or destroy it unless they were full of shit.  I know you guys didn't have shit to do with it... they would rather it was just left where it was, and if they wanted a sample they would have got it themselves.  As for who has it... there not trying to sell it, they likely got it for themselves." He shook his head and leaned into the counter. "But who of the many many many people that wanted it actually got it?  That's the billion credit question everyone is asking my friend..... Granted, there is a chance the people orchestrated getting it were the people that stole it, but that's going out on a limb considering how many unsavory folks wanted there hands on it."

"If you don't mind mucking with the fang heads the caps might know more, they have the best informants."

((It would be easier to just get it from Joe while your there))
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:37, Thu 26 Sept 2013.

Some rust did flow into the store and pull together looking like it might form into something but then it just collapsed into a pile onto the crystals and broke apart fading away again. Seams Tink was having trouble becoming soild.

raven looked at the bits of rust fading away, and focused on Tink. The old man channeled Spirit magick as he sang.

"A B C. It's as easy as one two three."

The rust manages pull together into the shambled form of Tink, who has quite the sizable hole through him.... in fact a hole about the size of his inter body really.... quite nasty. He's slowly pulling himself back together but he's in no good shape to stand, about all he could do is flap about and hurt himself more to get around with this body.

Raven reached out, and picked up Tink, stroking his back and trying to calm him.

"Shh, little buddy, it'll be alright."

He carried the injured bird to the counter, and held him out the to cyborg behind it.

"I need you to fix him up for me, whatever it costs."

After he said this, he turned to Ix.

"Solan did this to him, he admitted as much to me over my comm, though he thought he'd destroyed Tink. Whatever this costs, I want it to come out of whatever operating budget he's got. He did it, he should pay to have it fixed."

Joe smiles some looking it over "For a friend of Ix here I can do you one better... can help you fix him up yourself." He smirks some "I saw what you did twigging about with denominational stuffs .... well that's mostly what this fella is made out of. You can help put him back together, espeshaly if you have some understanding of how the little guy is put together." He says while sorting the parts out on the table.

"OK, big man. Just tell me what I need to do. the little guy means a lot to me."

A tear formed in the corner of raven's eye as he looked at the remains of his annoying, but loyal friend.

He hums. "Never done this kinda thing before? eh.... Well not really my bag. But I suppose it would be something like what you when you strengthen then dementional barriers, only... focusing on the little guys parts and pulling them where they should be."

Raven listened to what the man said, then started to channel spirit energy into Tink. Once more the old soldier started to sign.

"If a tinker were my trade, would you still find me? Carrying the pots I made, behind me?"

Raven really gets the feel for it....the bond must help a lot! The parts swirl up flying into place energizing as they shimmer. It only takes a few minutes of concentration, and a few mishaps with parts going in the wrong place, before Tink's as good as new haply flapping his wings sqwacking again.

Raven smiled, and petted his little friend on the head before he returned to the table he had been at before. the old splicer picked up the crystals Tink had tried for before, and carried them over to him on the counter so he could enjoy a meal. The ex-Marine also noticed what seemed to be a circuit chip on the scarred surface, and figured thiswas what the little gremlin had stolen from Solan. The big bird dropped it into a pouch for safe keeping.

Ix absentmindedly touched the bullet at his chest as the informant gave him the information. That doesn't make my job any easier, he thought taking the crate of grenades and placing them in the rucksack. As he typed some more, he regarded Raven's telling of his familiar. "No problem," he signed back, not expecting his contact to be so helpful. It was good that Tink was repaired as Ix recognized its important to his friends. Yet all the same, he felt a twinge of remorse that he would have to deal with its obnoxiousness.

He continued to type, and presented his finished list to Joe.

quote:

I also would like 5 grenades each of smoke, flash, and frag explosives. As well, and arm or wrist mounted grappling hook. Something small enough to fit within my jacket.

He purposely left out Solan's last two items. The man was still under probationary watch after all.

He nodded some "Sure hows 200k for all sound?  Oh, and I should let you know I made some contacts down in the geothermal plants. There refining dram down there and I can get some to you near the refinement/purification costs.... say 12k each, keep those blades of yours humming." He smirks some heading into the back to get the grenades. "Or you perhaps finally see the warent is caring an plasma pistol too?"

Twink chomped down on them swallowing a few crystals whole, leaving an unpleasant sound of them grinding up inside him... a little overzealous purhaps.

raven, for the first time in some minutes, turned his attention away from Tink and back to the man behind the counter.

"I still need a duty belt, (ooc: Unless he already has one) and some shooters. I'll take one like mine, EMP shielded if you got them because I don't want to be caught with my pants down if Ix decides to use one of those grenades. Something along the lines of what I'm packing will do fine, oh and if you have a shield kit for this one, I'll take it too."

The old splicer held up his to give the cyborg some idea of what he was talking about.

He eyes the old gun and chuckles "Another friend with a love for the classics.... you know I got some old combustion weapons, not much use in a vacuum or the wrong or thin atmosphere but if you really like the oldies.." After looking over the gun he shook his head "I would be cheaper if i just took this one off you and gave you two shielded ones, but if this one has some sentimental value I can see what I can do"

It was odd to note the fact while they had been there a while no one had been there, and no one had come in.

Advice has been gained on the trials of Nerigal. Weapons which rend the pattern or can harm spirits is required. If you do not have one I advise you seek to obtain such a weapon.

Items also that will be needed are, water, head and eye cover, rope or cable to connect us together through the winds and cold weather gear. We shall discuss more when we meet up.

I have also obtained the name of someone who should be able to help us. Will keep everyone posted.

Ix nodded affirmatively to the given prices, but his head tilted ever so slightly at mention of the plasma pistol. The thought was momentarily mentally mulled over many times, and the decision was made to look into it in the future. Especially when I'm not dropping so much money at one. He reminded himself to credit solan's purchases to his debt.

As Joe was gathering their purchases, Ix turned to his partner in crime and signed, "Anything you would recommend?" Ix had no problems of pride in asking for the ancient Marine's advice.

((no, and pattern damage.. ie aggravated, and yes all his stuff would be safe from things far far worce than an emp... there desined to last in SR Entropy if need be ... not for long mind you... but longer than most gear would and still function))

Raven got a beep on his comm unit, turned it on with a press of his finger, and listened to the message. When it was over, he turned to his friend first.

"Just heard from the monk. He said where the team's going, we're going to need eye protection, something to tie ourselves together with, and bring our own water. If you decide you want to go with, I suggest you pick the stuff up while we're here."

He once more turned to the owner.

"Yeah I'd like to keep this piece if I can. Be careful with it, it's my baby."

He handed it over.

"Also, I'll need goggles, a life line, and a grapple like the one my friend here ordered. Also, if you have a water storage unit, I'll take that as well. Oh, and forget the vintage stuff. I'll take a modern handgun, the meanest, nastiest piece of handgun hardware you got. Traded, custom, black market, I don't care how you got it; I want it. When I hit someone with it, I want it to kill their great great grand daddy. Get the idea?"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:03, Mon 30 Sept 2013.

Jeo smirks some and leaves when he comes back he returns with what looks like a modified plasma pistol with lots of metal spikes around the barrel tip, and what looked like an old Victorian dialing pistol with some runes on it. "Well I have an off shot half ass attempt at a lighting gun, works fine from what I've seen but the lumarian runes are bogus and don't protect you from a lick of paradox. And this one is my favorite my newest work on improving the pretty gun, the ever loved Pandora Random Electrical Transference Inducer."

Oooo...

While it didn't show on his face, Ix had a decision to make. He hadn't quite planned on going to meet this war god, but should the ship leave him before he met with the monk, he would probably end up tagging along. The question was: to get supplies or not to get supplies. Ix tossed the thought around in his brain as Joe brought out the firearms. The entropic ambassador was very impressed by their look and design, and couldn't help but wonder what they cost...

To Raven he signed: "Let me grab one of those niceties for you. You can just pay it forward as you always have. And tell Joe for me to get me the goggles and gear as well, along with a standard plasma pistol."

If he was going to drop a shit ton of credits anyway, he'd might as well be safe rather than sorry.

Raven gave Ix a nod. he strode forward, and picked up both weapons.

"I'll take them both, put one on his bill and I'll pay for the other directly. Also, scratch the googles and water container. Give us both space suits, puncture proof with helmets. If you have some that prevent the face plates from freezing up, all the better. air and water supply, and on board food storage along with a head's up compass readout. Still going to need that life line though."

To Ix he signs,

"Sorry, forgot to mention FW also talked about severe cold weather. I think a couple of surplus military space suits should serve us well. Also, you'll need someway to harm spirits."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:27, Mon 30 Sept 2013.

Ix shrugged in indifference.

"Add those to the list. And don't worry about that...I've got my methods..."

His thoughts slipped to his knives and his training in the skill of Basics. There were few ways he couldn't harm his targets. Even if his methods were more a hassle then he liked.

Jeo hums some shaking his head a little. "This is going to cost a pretty penny.... er credit... I think it's a little over your spending limit. Why don't you call up those friends of yours you made and see if they can get me some Repuesto, and maybe talk them into a little Banium while your at it... or least some good resonance shielding."

l
It's not likely they would be very willing to deal in Banium, but he's trying to see anyway. lol
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:46, Mon 30 Sept 2013.

Ix lightly frowned at the man's assessment and suggestion. It was a pain at times to work with someone who knew so much about the money you were provided, but there were worse things his contact could obtain knowledge of. Ix tried his best to keep that information from him.

In seconds Ix sent a message to Senex with Joe's bartering request, touching his bullet charm as he sent the message off. "We'll see what they say. Otherwise I'll just not go. I've got some training and errands I can accomplish if it comes to it." The hitman signed all this to his feathered friend as he waited for a response.

Ix gets a hold of some one that puts you on a secure channel rather quickly. It seams he's in a little trouble with some Banium he failed to dispose of properly and would like it quietly taken care of so he's more than happy to work with you. He can't properly contain it but he can put it a Khronicum case and a vacume there might be.... 10 pounds of the stuff when it gets there? They don't have much in the way of Repuesto at the moment as there was an accident and a few limbs needed replacing, but they will send some resonance shielding.

When Ix finished his transaction, he couldn't help but softly smirk beneath his scarf. He took pride in his discreet use of his skills. An assassin's inconspicuous assets were essential to their line of work.

quote:

Would this suit your needs as to a proper bargain?

Beneath the message, Ix had the Senex transaction typed up for Joe's scrutiny.

He obliviously took more value over the metal the senex did, nodding some. "Oh yes that will do fine, that will cover the cost of this relic and then some... eh your a good costumer I'll just give you both guns for this." He set them on the case of grenades "The runes may not work but she's a relic and quite the gun."

Raven signed 'thanks' to Ix. To the owner he said,

"OK, these will do nicely. Now, what kind of ammo if any do they take?"

"That baby is a wonder, probably shouldn't let to many people see you have it, the lumarian tech it uses shouldn't run out of power as long as it isn't damaged. As far as the pretty gun there are some rechargeable battery packs... be careful the shot don't draw power from them."

"OK, I'll take the power packs too, and some more strap on ammo pouches to store it in. Oh, and I need more rounds for my old stand by as well. Also, I could use a couple of holsters for my new toys."
This message was last edited by the player at 08:17, Sat 05 Oct 2013.

Ix watched on as he removed a credit chip stored in a pocket in his power glove. He also wrote up a message and flashed its contents to Joe.



He knew eventually he would have to practice his shooting along with other techniques, and unlike the facility back at Senex he doubted there was any shooting range close by. Who would want to waste real ammo anyway?

"Ok you will have to come back tomorrow for me to mod the gun. I would suggest tranquilizers over rubber bullets if your only using rail guns, not that I can't magnetize some rubber for you just think it would be better."

Ix was not sure about having his guns modified for such a trivial training preference, so he felt His contact's suggestion was best.

You get a message from Solan:

Text Reads:
I am able to get a weapon for this mission. Armor may be a different situation.  Will you be able to acquire? Please Respond: Message Out.

Ix received the message as a warm feeling flushed down the back of his neck. Pondering the idea of how the criminal even acquired a firearm, Ix displayed yet another message for Joe to see.

"500,000 credits on top of the shipment for a good friend. I'll have everything else done for you in the morning, stuffs been slow sense the people down in Valles Marineris have started upgrading to new spider mechs, repairs dropped off a lot. Not that I mind, gives me more time to tinker in the back."

It was a large order to fill, but Ix doesn't flinch as he prepares a credit chip. Once he has, he rolls the chip quickly between his fingers as his other hand whisked away at the keyboard.

Message sent back:

:Under the impression working for the company, certian gear would be provided.  I have no credits at this time for availbilty to spend: The company has suggest it will provide gear in order to complete mission objectives: Solan out.

"Nothing fancy like what you got, just the normal stuff bulky and heavy .... anything fancy isn't going to be too cheep."

The cheep armor he shows comes in a few catagories, it's acutaly slightly better quallity gear he's got being military hardware (slighly less dex reduction)


Reinforced clothing   armor ratting 1  3kc
Armor T-Shirt/Light Body Armor   armor ratting 2   dex reduction -1  6kc
Ballistic/Kevlar Vest   armor ratting 3   dex reduction -1  12kc
Dragon Skin/Flak Jacket  armor ratting 4  dex reduction -2   20kc
Full Riot Gear/bomb squad armor ratting 5  dex reduction -3   30kc

The Dragon Skin will do.

The thought guided Ix's hand to lift and point at the armor. He didn't want the convict to die too easily, nor did he want his charge to be an unstoppable tank.

So recount of all the purchases Ix has made:
Crate of emp grenades
5 frag
5 smoke
5 flash
Forearm(?) Mounted grappling hook
Unspecified amount of dram
Puncture proof space suit w/air, water, food storage
Life line
Plasma pistol
Tranquilizer darts (15 clips)
Dragon skin armor (+20kc)
2 sweet ass guns (for Raven via requisition)
This message was last edited by the player at 11:07, Fri 11 Oct 2013.

thought it was wrist mounted hook..... I'll add it once you meet up with solan and turn in for the night and I give out exp.

I would prefer wrist, but didn't know if such a thing were possible. Hence, why I always typed as wrist/forearm. Word.

Message sent back:

:Under the impression working for the company, certian gear would be provided.  I have no credits at this time for availbilty to spend: The company has suggest it will provide gear in order to complete mission objectives: Solan out.

With the message sent to the convict, Ix contacted Senex as well to inform them of his outfitting of his charge.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:32, Wed 16 Oct 2013.

They respond letting you know he paied off his debts all at once, apparently in a short time in Hades he acquired 2.5 million credits... there looking into it needless to say. That is a lot for a merc to make in a few hours of slipping away from handlers.

(equivalent of 25,000$ in like 3~5 hours.... means big job or big guy putting the price up)
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:49, Wed 16 Oct 2013.

Ix's eye twitched at the freshly acquired information. Yet he says he has no credits. He chewed over what to do as he paid Joe with the credit chip he'd prepared. Being that Solan was still newly assigned to his supervision, he decided that the best course of action was to keep the info to himself. It was good leverage to have for the future. Perhaps it is just a misunderstanding...

Probably not...

I have found us passage to the trial, it will cost but he will provide some equipment. If everyone could meet me at <Temple coordinates> then we can make our way as a group to book the travel and finally decide who is coming and who isn't.

dram isn't covered in the cost, but you got a fair amount of money and it's only 12k a pice he's charging for them and that's a fair price so you can grab some.... you don't need much for spare ammo

weapons being added

Frag Grenade
*<Range Strx10+5, Damage 12(K5/C15)>

Smoke Grenade
*No damage creates cover.

Flash Grenade
*<Range Strx10+5, Damage Special>
*Wits + alertness diff 8 cover eyes, 3 success needed. If 'hit' with grenade they are blinded/deafened for 7 (12 if heightened senses active) - perception/stamina rounds. Senses slowly return.

EMP Grenade
*<Range Strx10+5, Damage Special>
*Dose 10 dice of damage as stun damage to electronic devices. If they take more damage than stamina/durability then the device shuts down and will need repaired. Some machines are shielded from such damage.

Tranquilizer Rounds
*Damage is done as stun damage, if they take more damage than stamina they pass out for 1 hour per point over. Dose not work on all creatures.

Plasma pistol
*<Per + Firearms, Diff 6, Range 150, 5 damage agg, rate 3, clip 8/8>

Lighting Gun
*<Arete 5, Quintessence ??/??>
*Deals Force damage with guns Arete.
*Damage can be adjusted with full agg, 1/2 lethal, 1/4 lethal.
*Can not be recharged short of replacing the extraordinarily rare polarium power source.

PRETI (Pandora Random Electrical Transference Inducer) Gun
*<Arete 4, Quintessence 5, Ammo 6/6>
*Deals 4 base damage lethal.
*Once shot a tendril of energy will connect to any electrical power source in a 15 yard range draining it and making the damage agg, dealing more damage bassed off the amount of electricity available.
*Uses a particular power pack for power, and can be the source it draws power from, which could be very dangerous to the person firing the gun too.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:38, Thu 24 Oct 2013.

had him throw in some estra ammo for you guys...

and more tranquilizer ammo than you asked for

Raven was awaiting his friend outside a diner that offered all you could eat steak and eggs. Just what the steak and eggs were from wasn't mentioned but the old bird was hungry and he figured he'd eaten worse especially when he was well shit faced.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:44, Wed 06 Nov 2013.

All you can eat?  Likely bugs... and defiantly not eggs over easy.... lol

"Are you trying to kill me?"

Ix had no refined tastes in the culinary arts. Food was food, fueled the body for another day's delay on the Wheel. But this place possessed an aura that almost guaranteed your food was sliced from something that had at least six legs. "I wonder what your monk thinks of your dietary and pharmaceutical consumption."

Ix's bias against monks rubbed at him especially keenly. Today was the day they saw the group to handle their missions'objectives. While his previous night's journey weighed heavily on his thoughts, he was already prepping his mind for the day's briefing.

He wore his usual attire, flipping the tomahawk around in one hand as he approached.

"Sleep well?"

Assuming by now that "words like this" are understood to be sign.

Raven was grinning, a lit cig hanging out one side of his beak when Ix walked up. The old man seemed to be in a good mood.

"Nope just trying to get some hair on your chest my friend. I'm not sure the good brother has been around me long enough to form an opinion of such things, but as long as he doesn't have me sleeping on the floor and eating rice with chop sticks, I'm sure we'll get along just fine. As for my sleep i got stoned and had a very pleasant dream. I saw your boy standing in the middle of some bale fire and laughing crazy as sores erupted on his body. Yeah, I know what bale fire is, but as I'm standing here the guy who had it missed. So shall we eat?'

"My boy. That's a good one."

Ix frowned as Raven signed his reply. The mention of the vet's strange, stoned dream wasn't too surprising except for the fact that it involved his charge. Bale fire was extremely volatile, but Ix was no interpreter of dreams. Not even his own.

With a final flourish he twirled the weapon behind his back, sending it sailing over his opposite shoulder, then catching it to sheath it in its leather loop.

"Let's eat."

Ix dipped through the diner doors and took up a seat in a booth, expecting Raven to follow behind. "By the way...would you know of any side jobs the convict is running? He seemed to have all mysterious boost in funds."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:22, Wed 06 Nov 2013.

Raven did indeed follow his friend into the eatery, and slipped in on the opposite side of the booth. He flagged down a waitress and ordered two all you could eat specials and the strongest stuff they had for him to drink; he would let his friend make his own drink order. After the assassin had in his preference for a refreshment, and the server had left them in peace the old bird responded to his friend in kind.

"Side jobs? No nothing he's told me about but we haven't spent much time together and I only know he's a merc. who jumps the gun easily from what i've seen. Given he's twice now tried to get me in a duel to the death with him, I don't see us curling each other's hair and sharing secrets way into the night."

Ix had already typed out a credit chip by the time Raven had finished placing his order. He subtly slipped the chip into their server's hands, and he had Raven translate, "I would like your bottled water." He was sure with the amount he gave them, they at least would send someone out to get it if they didn't keep any around. But perhaps they had some in the storeroom...

"Oh you couldn't see that? Not even after all your bad trips?"

He leaned to the side against the wall crossing his arms. "Where do we meet the others of your.. jigsaw posse?"

Raven translated as he was bid to do then turned his attention back to his friend.

"Bad trips? There are no bad trips, just ones the weak willed can't face. For me it's all just a thrill ride, brother. Besides, me and Solan in a sleep over giggling about dumb shit fits more in a nightmare for me. If that were the only other option, i would have taken him up on his plentiful offers to fight to the death. as for the meet and greet, FW sent me some numbers to his location. Once we eat our fill, we can pick up our goodies at the shop that were to be ready today like my rail gun, and i'll take you to meet the team. Such as it is..."

Ix nodded as Raven finished wrapping up the pre-brief plans. It didn't take long for the server to return with drinks and another following with hot buggy plates. "Looked like a proper soldier's weapon. But is it firepower that's needed against this thing? This...god?"

Raven accepted his first plate of food, and though he was provided with a knife and fork, the old school fighter favored slicing the meat and spearing it with his talons to feed himself. While he was busy with that he signed with his other two free hands.

"Us up against a God? We'd be paste in ten minutes, and that's if it took nine and a half to get there, ten seconds to load weapons, and fifteen to say our goodbyes. From the way I understand it, we're not fighting a God just meeting one. But to do that we got to survive to get to the meet and greet, it's not like we can just walk up, ring the bell, and shale hands. FW said to get a weapon that he's supposed to meet this being, nothing about killing. He also said to bring along a weapon that can harm spirits, so I'm guessing that's some challenge or trial, or whatever we have to face. Besides, if we kill the God or Spirit of the planet, wouldn't that waste the whole planet too? And wouldn't we be standing on it at the time?"

Ix shrugged as he took the time to slice his food into bite-sized pieces. "All things must come to an end, sometime. Or else nothing can be made new..."

"And hopefully, we can work this out to where I won't have to attend this divine dinner party. I prefer my dealings to remain in the mortal realm." He bit into a forkful of food thinking it tasted better than it looked.

"To each his own. Me, an old soldier, I can't pass up a chance to meet the main Man Himself. Besides should be a helluva trip, and you know me. When I'm done looking for the next thrill in life I'll find some corner somewhere, curl up and die. Too bad you don't want to come, i could use someone I trust at my back. Also if tin britches goes, it might be a good chance to see him in action and know what you have to work with. Up to you though. Let's stuff ourselves then we'll swing by the shop to pick up our gear and i'll take you to meet the others. Good for you?" 

The old bird wiped his talons clean on a napkin, and signaled for his next serving.

Ix nodded, offering no other reply as he worked both cleanly and quickly at his food. The night's previous journey into the Yellow realm had affected his appetite more than he had thought. He signaled for his second plate as the server passed by. His thoughts mulled over what Raven had to say, considering the helpful advice in watching the convict's work methods.

Curling up and dying? You, of all people, could never do that. Even if your time is done. He kept the thought private as he downed a forkful of eggs. I wonder what path my Mentor would suggest? Besides his initial contact through the gifts and message he left Ix on the ship, the mysterious Mentor has made no other attempts to contact his newest protege. It didn't bother Ix, simply piqued his interest.

By the time Ix worked through his third plate, he felt right as rain. The 4 empty bottles of water lined the left side of his plate perfectly, and he leaned back (ever so slightly) to recline in his feeling of fullness.

It turned out the strongest stuff the diner had was coffee, or at least the pitch black steaming tar colored the same as motor oil came in a cup. Raven drank one with each plate, which numbered four before he leaned back in his chair and let out a belch that rattled said cups.

"'Eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we shall die', as the old saying goes. Good eats. let me know when you're settled enough to go grab our gear."

The assassin's fingers were neatly laced over his lap while his eyes rolled over the room. "Truer words never spoken. And yes, I'll be prepared to depart when you are." His lip quivered everytime Raven sipped at the unidentifiable substance in his cup. He never understood how his avian acquaintance could stomach the foulest things from the Abyss on a regular basis.

Raven took his pack out and lit a smoke. He offered one to Ix to be friendly then puffed on his own. five smokes later the old fighter was ready to run by the shop for his modified rail gun and any other things the owner needed time yesterday to get ready for them.

for time sake can we skip that? everyone else is waiting lol

Lol all good all's assumed to be them gettin their shit delivered/taken and heading to main thread.

I'm good with that

As the figure emerged, the tomahawk slowed to a stop as Ix drew back to his full height. There would be no escaping the attention of a god of the Hunt.

"Assassin no more you take up the hunt, though with a bit of a side trek to please the party hum?"

Ix kept the tomahawk loose in his grip as he regarded the deity with a look that spoke of respect. To have earned the eye of the Northern Sky Master...the killer could only pray that he was not prey.



(Ooc: I thought FW caught in to a good idea to prevent cluttering.)

He smiled some as the snake continued to circle. "Mmmm for you to keep our ways alive, even in the slightest, in these times is an honorable trait. You have proven yourself worthy of my attention. I offer you my assistance, I will give you my blessing as your totem... with a restriction." He rose a finger. "You hunt down the truth and your new prays, I will give you my blessing when you don my armor and wear my mask. However a hunter killing his pray is nature, it is the way of things... to kill or be killed. A hunter may find pride in his skill, or shame in the lack of it, but a hunter should not take pleasure or find sorrow in his prays death. This is nature and to do so perverts it. I will not have my hunters dirtying the sanctity of the hunt."

Ix remained quiet for a long moment after Mixcoatl spoke, two thoughtful sips attempted to hide his surprise. The Sibling Slayer's favor seemed devious, but Ix wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. But the god's attention was a divine sign; that his path did not divide him from his role as an agent of Fate. As an assassin, he could easily relate to how intellect and instinct led to the Hunt. A hitman was little different to a hunter of men.

The god's ending words felt somber in the killer's ears. He wasn't one to consider sympathy for his targets, but the reminder was nothing to be ignored.

He politely put away his weapon and brought his hand to his hip. His other hand brought the glass to his lips for the final drink of water...
This message was last edited by the player at 00:24, Sun 16 Feb 2014.

He smiles extending his hand and when they shake, he feels compelled to, a serpent slides out from under the gods armor and coils around Ix's hand slithering into his armor and bitting him... there is a little sting as the snake dissapears into him. (should he check he now has a 'tattoo' of a white and red serpent coiled around his right arm, it's not always in the same position though)

"Do well in your battle... I will be watching with the others..." He smiles and slides back into the snakes mouth. It then turns and slithers under the door, a rather odd thing to see considering its as big as the door.

---

Ix gains:

War Totem: Mixcoatl, The Hunter.
Traits: Gives +1 Strength, +2 Survival, +2 stealth.
Ban: Must wear or paint his body with white and red stripes with a black mask to recessive the bonuses. Must never take pleasure or sadness in a kill.

Ix watched on quietly as Mixcoatl's snake slithered away, rubbing gingerly at his arm. If there had been pain he didn't recall the feeling, his mind set to repeat of the scene of the last minute. So an ancient god of the Hunt will be watching my performance? He grimaced as he began to remove his equipment and spread it out in a circle around him.
This entire fiasco was outside of his comfort zone. He was one who worked in the quiet, in the shadow. Now he was joining the realm of War as both a hunter and performer. Having encountered the Mayan deity before the challenge had even begun spoke to the unpredictability of their encounter. And the eyes of many more mighty gods and warriors were to be on them soon enough. Including the gaze of the god of this planet.

That's fine...no pressure...

no but he ask for some war paint for his armor and worry about some perminate solution later.

Word.

The dealer of Good Death spent a little longer meditating, drawing in as much positive karma as he could muster. Once his short ritual was complete, he reattached his gear. He stored away the power suit, compensating for the warmth of their new environment and to lessen the restriction of his movements. Clad back in his flowing red scarf, worn leather jacket, and nanoweave skin suit, he left his mask unzipped as he stepped back out the door. He made his way back down the halls in search of appropriately colored war paints for the utilization of his new totem.

(I'll give him -1 diff for actions for the next scene and +2 for actions agents him)

He'll yeah bountiful perks lol I'll take all I can get before we run into this unpredictable shit you got lined up :)

Unless you got something in mind as Ix grabs some paint, should we move this back to the main thread?

sure

The maiden leads Ix to the private rooms. "There are blacksmiths that can work Rorgs bones into blades of any style you like here, I suggest you do so before you leave you will be harder pressed to find people that can work the metal otherwise. Even if you plan to seek out Vulcan he can reforge it." She leaves Ix at a door and goes on.

Inside is man? in a similar though more advanced and geared naofiber suit and mask waiting there.

He used the same halo tech Ix used, though his in fine working condition.



He removes a mechanism from his belt and fiddles with it.

oh yah.... as for the map the level of cosmology and correspondance going into keeping track of things.... and how a fluid and subjective thing like the univurse is being projected from paper.... it's all..... way way way way over Ixs head... way out of his lauge Much like he probably guessed this map would take a vast intellect to fully understand it.  Normal people could look at it, understand pices...some of the labes, but how it all works.. how some of those borders and lines interact with each other correlate to whats happening in the universe ..... well this is in the war room of a god like being....

Ix considered the maiden's words, noting that he should decide on the metals' form and function as soon as he could. Next thing he knew, he was standing at a nondescript door. His nerves were tight, and anxious fingers pressed against the portal. The fingers of his other hand zipped his mask back over his feathery head, not quite sure he wanted to reveal his close call just yet. As the door swung open, Ix cocked his head to the side at the sight of the man.

The Death Dealer did as he was bade to do, cooly closing the door as he took two more steps forward. He hadn't expected a doppelganger - a rather advanced doppelganger. Even the man's Halo tech was similar, albeit much more...functional.



Ixneatly clasped his hands behind his back, standing shoulder-width apart.

quote:

HÒw _may ^I be of srvis?

While Ix had been informed that his mentor had come bearing gifts, he'd felt it more appropriate to see how he could cater to his teacher's needs first.

Once he had set the device up, he activated it and Ix could feel a powerful correspondence affect projected by it, such a device was able to though because it was a very simple affect all it did was stabilize the space around them and prevent sound from leaving. This keep people from using magic to spy on them and ears pressed agensts walls/doors too. It was a simple enough affect Ix could do himself, but the device must have some dram in it fueling quintessence into the affect to make it stronger.

It wasn't to much a suprize he had the same gear, he had supplied Ix with most of his. What was a suprize was that he took his mask off and tried to speak. At first it was a rather poor attempt really... he had apparently not spoken in years... but he used life magics to help with that.

"It is good to see you."

The assassin was indeed a man... a very old one, likely pushing a hundred years old. It seams he has been using diet, exercise, and a combination of life, entropy, and prime to keep his body in top condition allowing him to move and fight like he was a third his true age. But true to the wheel, it was quite clear he was doing nothing to extend his natural life.

"Your circlet has been damaged?"

He was always more professional than even Ix, even in doing something like this he would rather talk about serious maters. But it was quite likely Ix was the first person to see his face and hear his voice sense the old mans childhood.

Ix mirrored the old man's movements by unzipping his own mask. He hadn't expected a man so old, nor a voice ancient from lack of use.



He didn't reveal his confusion at the question. I thought mine was just an older model. I'll have to check into that.

He shacks his head. "What ever you are comfortable with is fine." He hums some reaching up and rubbing his surprisingly strong hand along the down on your face letting it run through his fingers. "An interesting battle scar, nexus crawlers are tricky pray even with a 'hunting party'." he smirks some. "You should decide soon if you will wear this scar or not before it sinks into your pattern, after that even if you should cut it... it will just grow back."

"I always took some pride in the fact you would find ways to honor your people, with out compromising your missions, when everyone else has all but forgotten them. Now you handicap yourself, ever so lightly, with this armor to placate a god. Normally I might have been some what disappointed, but you thought this through carefully did you not? His favor cancels out the visual disadvantages of the armor, and enhances your stealth in all other ways."

He smiles some. "Well.... I suppose I should get to why I was brought here." He reaches to the small of his back removing an odd katar, it's three blades sheathed separately... each sheath connected by a black chain. He pulls one sheath off and pulls it around in a half circle removing the other sheaths by the chain.



The blades had an odd gleam to them that made it almost shimmer, they were almost a little transparent and had a purple tent to the metal. "This is an old hunters tool I have had for a very very long time, sense I first started my career. Though the god has enhanced it for you... some how hardening it while keeping it's original properties. It is otherwise much the same as when I used it. You should keep it on you but never unsheathe it unless it is needed. This is a hunters tool and has only one use, to kill supernatural beings. It is specially destined with fera in mind. The very touch of the blade will burn and boil there skin, all save for the breed of the 'yote and the spider. If a fera should see this blade unsheathed they will know what it is used for and likely take offense, and you should avoid that if at all possible." He replaces the sheaths onto the blades and the holds the weapon up for Ix, the handle facing him. "I have seen the beast you will face, I dought this will hurt him much but it will cut through his exoskeleton like a hot knife through butter and the innate anti-magic in the blade will negate some of the spirit magic he uses to protect himself as well. So while it may not hurt him much, he will have little deffence against it."


Master's Hardened Electrum Haladie Dagger <Dex+Melee, Str + 2, range CC>
*Dose aggravated damage to all supernatural beings.
*Damage can not be soaked with stamina by fera.
*3 dice of anti-magic.

Ix hadn't expected an assassin so ancient. To stand in the presence of someone who's served the Wheel for so long...he wasn't sure what to do. He resisted jerking away as the wrinkled hand touched the down of his beard. He managed to return the senior's smirk with a subtle grin of his own.



Ix received his compliment with a humble bow of his head. He had wondered himself how his mentor would have reacted had he noted his newly colored ensemble. He had tried his best to choose the most rational, efficient solution. He felt very much accomplished, a feeling he rarely allowed himself to experience.

As his mentor withdrew the dagger, Ix continued to listen while his gaze remained affixed to the beautiful blades. He took the weapon in his hand, giving it a few spins to test its weight and balance. A tickling sensation crawled up his spine, an unexplained heat filled his head. It was the movement of his emotion, of his appreciation. He bowed low to the man as he grasped the weapon in a tight, inspired grip.



Ix brought the blade back into view, and in a moment of clear curiosity he asked,

The blades took care of all the ways to orentate a short blade at once, a katar blade, and a dagger in both positions of holding it... and the balance was perfect.


"They look good on you, but they are far to brazened for our job." With out him moving a hand or even seaming to considerate much the feathers and down fall out and come apart braking down into prime. "I requested information on your current assignment. At my security level it includes a video of the fight they had with that monster, much like your beefing should have had. Though there are files I have more access to. This is a rare beast, anything you can send back of it would be appreciated by central. There are few of them, and as far as we know it this is the only one to ever be corrupted. There is some helpful information though the counsel has on them, it seams they are a very old race... older than mankind. There was a war before man when the spirit called the weaver created countless insect races and spread them over the world. Some she made with the help of other spirits, but the first she made with the help of the weaver and the wyld... the triat worked together to help her make the queen of spiders. I believe your people called her Teotihuacan. She was seamed the daughter of stasis and made as like... like a back up crystal, if something went wrong her 'program' could be run to fix things. As you well know things have gone wrong with the balance. And Teotihuacan's nephews and nieces (sp?) all followed suit.... however Teotihuacan and these scarab creatures did not. And when stasis took it's focus on sterilizing the moon, Teotihuacan and her children set out to slay her relatives and the great insect wars raged till only Teotihuacan's children and a rare few of the scarabs children were left... between there mothers stasis and the earth they chose the earth... and the sun adopted them and they pledged them self to Amon-Ra. They were supposedly wiped out in the war of rage though, but clearly they were not." He gives a smirk. "At least this is what the records say of all the many many stories collected of pre-historic times..... lord knows if any of it is true. But that is really the only information we have on them.... that and scarabs were said to sort of be recyclers of sorts, eating waste and nurturing life.... this thing seams to be doing the opposite.  But this is all a lot of stories, but they give hints at weaknesses. Mainly if his people are pleaged to Amon-Ra and him to Apophis it seams to make sense that the sun will weaken his magics and possibly him." He points to the orb of sunfire Yogan lent them. "I would hang onto that till you fight it again."

"Always research your pray, one of the rules." He smiles some. "That, and you will carry on my skills, it seams only fitting you carry on my first weapon."

The words flashed brightly as Ix sighed away stress he didn't know he saved. He had been so focused on the mission at hand he hadn't realized the implications of his paradoxical evidence. As the feathers dispersed, he felt like himself again.

Teotihuacan.

The name rang familiar in his ears. She whose webs weave the worlds. Ix noted the information given, creating a mental list of possible supplies needed to take into account. I am a Hunter of both Monster and Man.





OOC I'm doin this from my phone so nothing fancy now with the circlet lol. And is his mentor going to give a name or should Ix ask?

(he's your mentor you can come up with a name and code name lol =p)

He nods. "It is a very very very very old saying, but a true one. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. It is why I have had you trained in many schools of fighting, in both firearms and the blade, in stealth and in fighting, and supplied you with many weapons. Your magic is strongest when it is backed by knowledge of many patterns, while one can not hope to know all the wheels secrets in one life time you should try and learn at least the basics of every art you can."

Ix took the words of The White Baron to heart. Ix had been a First-Chair Player in his Performance Co., and it was more due to strength of will than Skill. Skills would certainly make things easier. Huoshui's healing hands, Raven's war tunes, any of these Skills would make Ix's occupation easier.

---

Spoiler text: (Highlight or hover over the text to view)

"The Twelve Points" Terminology

Chair = Ranking within a Performance Company; First being highest ranking (ranking beneath Conductor, Composer, etc)
Performance Company = "unit"; a composition of approximately eight assassins form a Performance co.
Player = an assassin, a member of the Philharmonic (assassins)
Skills = Spheres
Talent = Magic

---

"It is unlikely, things are not going well in the hells of the shard realm entropy. Death will stalk me soon, there i little reason not to help as I can in taking out key targets instigating the instabilities."

He sighs. "Beings and those touched but what is not part of the wheel and never have nor will be, seek to brake the wheel. There is something or someone there they covet and it will likely be my final mission to find and eliminate that threat."

Ix nodded understandingly. Having seen the failings first-hand, he could only guess that all hitman hands were needed on deck. And while The White Baron looked to have outran Death, it was the inevitable outcome of all.



Ix wasn't sure what the dark creatures could possibly want out of breaking the @heel. He knew some from the Deep desired utter annihilation, and their catch 22 logic did nothing to give him an answer to what these foul creations could possibly want.

"The others? They were here before the one, before the wheel was. When the one was awoken and became the many they were driven away and forced to be aware of there loneliness and of there pain, the darkness tearing at there souls. The could try and find a way to enter the light, or be one with us, or find peace and a way to end the pain with each other..... they did not. When the sundering happened they found a way into the light.. and it became there will to bring pain to the light and all that dwell in it. They feed on our suffering and grow strong, wishing to return all to darkness, return all to oblivion so that they may sleep and there suffering end. Till then they have done all they can to see that we suffer as they do." He sighs shaking his head. "Senex has known this for some time now, but few are willing to be leave something can exist yet not exist. That the stuff of oblivion can be self aware. To make things worse the dead pure ones who pulled themselves from oblivion and feel into slumber have been waking sense t he red star appeared, and now the mother that re-birthed them into this world stirs..."

"The counsel calls us doomsayers and thinks this it is just an attempt to get help in putting funds into exploring a dangerous realm for little reason than the fears of an old man."

"There is something they want in realms of the fallen, but the counsel is more concerned with Vivo to consider the consequences of what would happen if we lost control over SR-Entropy to the Nephandi."

The Mother.

Ix had recalled his meeting with the Mother, and how dismal the scene at the time had been. He knew the Others could never find peace, birthed from Her womb. That was why they had to be stopped. Their existence outside the divine cycle only brought turmoil to the Turn. Their peace was only found in Oblivion.

So THAT'S why I was tasked with that objective. Ix had wondered what this "Vivo" entailed. Now it seemed nothing more than the fancy of bored counselors.

"No, the counsel is right, the ship is a danger before it can be stopped several million more will die.... more if we can not find a way to destroy it and accurately predict where it's going to be next. These 'sins' are a concern too and seam to have some ties to the Nephandi.... guess some of the Nephandi don't care if the wheel starts back up again or not, so long as it stops long enough for them to be dragged down to oblivion." He shrugs some. "Why these fallen wish to reset the wheel rather than brake it, I do not understand. Perhaps there master seeks redemption rather than oblivion or revenge ageist mankind, but I've never hurd of such a thing... from all I've hurd the true demons only wish for mankind to suffer for the fate that has fallen appon them."

Ix inwardly laughed at the preposterous idea of redemption. Even as an agent of Fate, there were some things too profound for the talented life-taker to take in.

"They have tried many weapons, even if it hurts it they are not able to control it for every long according to the files they just can't risk firing it very long. My experiences though says everything alive has something they are toxic to.... problem would be finding something it couldn't adapt to. But if it is a construct ship you would need some one highly skilled in light magics and samples of it for them to study." He sighs "And there is still the problem of tracking something with instantaneous transport."

"As for the sins, from your reports it is fairly center that two are on Venus, and with some investigation it seams the 'sloth' creature is ether on Ganymede or a nearby location using Ganymede shipping ports."

"There are... other sightings of what may be one of these creatures... Kingsington was redirected from another mission to oversee the auction after Tiencken was delayed when Cerberus' main port was trashed by a monstrous shape shifting unknown lifeforms. It some how had taken on biometrics of one of our operatives to a level that it fooled the best of our scanners."  The idea that something could get through get into Cerberus' fort poising as some one else was insane enough to think that it could be related to these monsters.

This ship is too much trouble. Ix only had an idea as to how much a nuisance the mysterious ship had been. Finding its weakness would be a true test of his training. The downfall of the powerful Vivo would be a beautiful cadence in the song of Death.

The sins themselves were equally substantial in their contributions to chaos. Unpredictable. Unstoppable. Deadly. Traits that are the essentials of assassinations. These enemies' objectives still remained foggy, but it is clearly was not in the proper rotation of the world's current Turn.



Ix had a faint idea of the capabilities of his team, but with anonymity on their side they could properly prepare for their moves. It would take a deal of observation, and still moves needed to be made.

"The strings of fate are drawn tight this is a time when there are many paths, and they are .... well the best analogy would be a knot or kink in the weave. It is hard to tell what paths lead to what outcomes and even to see many of the outcomes. It is always difficult to see into the future, but there are times like these when the future is veiled. Some think this is because it is a crucial point in time, we have been going through the transition of one age to another this past hundred years. Others think it is because there is a possibility there will be no future, and we are drawn to that void or that it veils the futures that survive it."

"But I think the ship poses the most imitate threat while the others pose the worse one in the long run. There is something you should know though. We are tied you and I, we have been training each other from a distance for some time. You will understand more with time but one day many years from now you will find me again, and it will be your turn to train me again." He gives a weak smirk.

Ix tilted his head, curious to the White Baron cryptic knowledge. Instead of pondering, he returned his Mentor's weak smirk with a small one of his own. He knew his teacher wouldn't lead him astray. He was sure the man's meaning was a reference to the Cycle.

He bowed his head deferentially.



It had certainly been an honor to meet the White Baron in person. The man was a living example of a Wheel worker. Ix aspired to follow in the man's footsteps. It was not for the powers of good or evil, but for the Balance that held Creation together.

"I know you may question our superiors, and there are times they have used us in the past.... it happens mostly when one of us is dead and the other is still learning. But while you may not trust all of Senex the organization, you can trust the man. His time on the wheel has been long and he has much knowledge, for there is something few know... something you told me your last turn of the wheel. His familiar is the phoenix." He places his own circlet back on "I have tought you as much as I can in the time I have. The rest your herself will reveal over time. I would have met with you in person sooner but I did not think my time was so near, and we must learn to work in the field alone and with out intimidate help."

He had seen the old mans familar, he could sense it was some sort of primordial spirit but to be THE phoenix.... it's insane, the stories around the phoenix are a little muddled but they all seam to point to her/his/it being a pure one, a fragment of a pure one, or some sort of arch angel or something.... stories aren't very clear simply that she/him/it has been around sense nearly the dawn of time and predicted the red star's appearance billions of years ago, before or at least during the first age.  The idea that something like that would act as anyone's familiar was just ludicrous.

His mentor's words were taken in with a touch of confusion,but tempered with trust.He never understood all that was going on, but his foundation was strong, and he was loyal to the cause: to keep the world in proper rotation. He wouldn't question how Senex could acquire such a powerful familiar, but he knew the man was more than resourceful enough to accomplish what was necessary. He had been taught well himself, and had taught himself well.

quote:

"B@ron, thank you for your...advice..."

The assassin bowed low, zipping his mask back up as he returned to full height.

He nods some, as he turns the device off ending the shield hiding them.



He gives you a good pat on the shoulder.

Ix silently snickers, somehow comfortable with the man's physical touch despite his natural evasion to contact.



With that, he walked out, heading back toward his crew.

Raven walked down the hall, opening doors and checking rooms as the two went along their way. When he found one that had no one around and did not seem to be currently in use, he motioned his friend inside and pulled the heavy, wooden, metal studded slab closed behind them. He took a moment to take out a pack of smokes, and light one with his old trusty metal Earth Army lighter. The soldier then offered the assassin the pack and light; the old man enjoyed a puff before speaking.

"We have been friends for quite a while now, but what I have to tell you might very well change that. In fact it is completely possible that after you hear what I have to say, you might well decide to end more then just our friendship. But the only one I can ask to come with me so I can do what needs to be done aside from those at my hip,  is you and I cannot ask you to come with me without giving you the background of what you're going to be walking into you if you decide to come.

"60 years ago, I was 20 and drafted into the Earth Army. My first mission, which turned out was my last for EA, was to get some privileged people into a bunker in Canada. We arrived at the bunker with the VIPs, and started to load them in. I don't remember who saw it first, it seems anymore that we just all looked up together and saw that flaming rock in the sky. We knew then that our intel was wrong, that death stone was coming funkier faster than either they thought, or they just didn'the give enough  of a shit to tell us the truth. What I didn't know for sure when I saw it, is I didn't wants to die. I ran into the bunker, and slammed my fist on the controls to close the blast doors. There were about 200 people inside the bunker with me, and when they saw what I was doing they screamed at me do you open the doors and let the others in. But I wouldn't do it, all I saw coming from out there was my own death. when they realized I was going to leave the otherstate out there to die, they tried to rush me to get to the controls and keep the doors open. But they were a bunch of elites and eggheads, while I was a terrified kid armed to the teeth. So when they came, I leveled my assault rifle at them, and opened fire. When I exhausted that clip, I slapped in a fresh one and kept firing. When I was completely out for it, I pulled out my handgun and kept going. When finally it too clicked empty, there were only two of them left standing, a man and woman. The guy had gotten a knife from somewhere, I would guess the kitchen, and I drew my own. The woman came just ahead of the man, I got her in the gut with my blade. She twisted away from me, and yanked the blade from my hand. I realized after the fact that of course this was their plan all along, she would be the distraction and attempt to disarm me while he would come in for the kill. That last nerd almost got me too, stabbed me in the eye with his little knife. But he didn'T thrust hard and deep enough to get to my brain, and he didn'T realize that a desperate man is never without weapons. I reached up, grabbed his head, and snapped his neck.

"When he was dead, when they were all dead by the very tools I was given to protect them, that'sounds when I heard it. The pounding, the unending boom boom boom coming from the other side of that giant, thick, reinforced door. I know I must have imagined it, but what I know for sure is the ground beneath my boots shook, lights flickered, and I no longer heard that phantom hammering. There were one thousand people left out there, denied safety and sentenced to die by my hand. I of course realized what I had done but try as I might to get myself to do it, I just wasn'T the kind of man who could take his own life. I've heard both that a man like that is a coward, but also suicide is a coward'so way out. So there I stayed, among the dead, eating their food and using their supplies until their equipment said it safe to leave.

"I tried to open the blast doors, but the heat from the explosion had welded them shut. Took me a long time with a cutting torch to get them open again. When I could leave, I decided I had been meant to die there that day back when, so I got ammo from the stores, cleaned my guns, sharpened my knife, and headed out so the Universe, or I guess what you call the wheel could even things out. I came to the crater where the rock had come to rest, and I climbed down inside. I used my knife to hack off a piece, and I took it with me as a reminder. I kept walking, and after a time I found a group of what I would assume we're Block Ops, all dead in front of a rift that went I don'the know where. One of them still had her gun in hand. A railgun, top secret and back then the most powerful handgun on the planet. It still worked, so I took it and rolled the bodies for ammo. Then I walked on, waiting for something to kill me. Some animal, the land, radiation, starvatipn, something. But none of that happened by the time I came to a town that was empty, save for a few looters and such. They didn'the pose a problem. At a guess I would say the place was evacuated as a precaution against radiation from the meteor strike, and that the all clear hadn'the been given yet.

"It was at this point that I started to think that I wasn'the meant to die after all. There was a bank rhere, the looters had gotten the vault open, and we're helping themselves to the paper stuff. But I had seen enough apocalypse movies to know that stuff would be worthless to trade. So instead I went to a hardware store, get a generator and a power drill with plenty of bits, and went back to the bank 5th help myself to the safety deposit boxes. God a good score out of that idea. So, since it was a growing possibility that I wasn'the marked to die out there, I checked a map, gassed a car, read up on how to get it running and hot wired at the lubrary, and headed off for the closest military base to turn myself in.

"When I got there, it too was empty. I managed to get the generators going and accessed one of the computers. It wasn'the hooked up to the Internet anymore, but it did have stuff stored on the base database. My clearance worked to get in, although I found a report there that my entire unit was listed as Kia and the mission marked a failure. There was also a general order that the base I was at was to be abandoned. Seems there was a lot of unrest between and in various governments, and even though there was supposed to be a universal Earth Army, different countries were instructing 5th soldiers who came from there to do things in that country's best interests. So Earth Army was dissolved, and the base abandoned. So there I was, officially dead and there was no one for me to report to because what I had been drafted into no longer existed. So, I just stayed there in a sort of limbo. I watched videos, a lot of which were instructional and along with plenty of time to practice, that's how I learned the Earth Army sign I taught you. I also got my knowledge of machines there too. The troops who were there attempted to loot the place when they left, but there were plenty of old emergency MREs to eat and the base had a water filtering system, so I was good.

"I'mean not really sure how long I was there, but I did realize I was content and that was bad. What right did I have to feel that way, after what I had done. I decided the only thing to do was to redeem myself. I searched lockers 7th I found some street clothes that would fight me, gassed up the car I had 'borrowed', loaded supplies and my bank loot 8th idea along with my armor and weapons, looked at a map, and headed for a large city with a space port. When I got there, I sold the car since I didn't need it anymore, and bought a whole new history for myself along with ID and all that. Kept the name the same though, because someday I wanted to be able to say ''my Thomas Miller' with pride. I had the metal I'don't taken from the rock made into a false eye, so every time I looked in the mirror I would remember what I was repeating for. When I put it into my head, I felt, well, saying electrified is like calling a forest fire a match stick, but that'should the best I can do for you at the moment. It was then the Nightmares started, I know we it was the souls I had dawned tormenting me. I actually found a bit of peace in that, that I would be made to pay for my actions. I got passage on a ship, took my EA gear with me, and left Earth forever behind me.

"After that I used my false papers to join the Space Marines, worked my way up the ranks, became Commander of my own squad, and lost them due to bad intel. Had my ship shot from under me, got knocked out. A beeping woke me up, my oxygen was out. I didn'the want to strangle 9th nothing slowly dying, so I took my helmet off so space itsef, the Universe if you will, could finally kill m3. But, I started breathing, damn it. I got picked up, get back to my base, and they tried to hang the whole thing on me. They coyldn'the officially of course, they could find no proof of wrong doing so they had to drop the charges. They coyldn'the even demote me, but they did keep assigning me to the worst cap jobs they could find until I just got tired of trying and quit. Of course they worked it up that I left 8th shame for what I did.

"The next stage of my life involved me embracing my drug habit big time. I was in some shit hole trying to fight a hangover by trying to figure out where I could find money to get high again. Some guy I didn'the know came up to me, said he would pay me to take a package from point a to point b. I did it, he paid, I got high again. Then he wanted another package, and another. There came a time some poor cop tried to stop me, to open the box, but all I could think of was if I didn'the deliver it I wouldn't get paid and goodbye drugs. I attacked him, didn'the kill him but I think that was more by chance then design. I did later send him some money for payment of his injuries, told him he had been left it by someone or some crap like
that. But I made the delivery, and people started to say I'don't get the job done no matter what. I got morebwork, more risk, more money. I found out I liked the risk, it was as damned addictive as drugs I found out. Besides * was self destructive, since my attempt to redeem myself crashed and burned. So, instead, I remade myself. Splicing technology to make me look like my old SM call sign, which I took as my name. Raven. I did every drug I could find to do, including rejuvenate twice because I didn'the get high from the first dose and I thought maybe I had a lame make or something. Anyway, I bought a scrap fighter since I had been trained how to fly one in the SM, and started taking jobs abroad. That brings us up to current times, I believe.

"So, to recap, you respect the Wheel thingie and I screwed the hell out of that bitch. The Universe or Wheel tried to kill me off twice, the first time I sent 1200 souls 8th my place ahead of their time so that was another duck you to the Wheel or Universe, and then good men died because I didn't when I was supposed to decades before. I'm not going to die soon of old age like I'm supposed to because of that stuff I took, so that's another face slato the Wheel or Universe.

"I have just recently learned that there is a place in the Universe, kind of like a hard drive where every bad thing ever done is copied and stored for all time. So, you guessed it, what I did in the bunker is still happening there, over and over, day in and day out. I can shut it down, but I'm told that I don't stand a chance going in by myself. I have two friends in this crazy life, 9th of them has hang at my side for 60 years. The other one I'made talking to right now. But we can'talk go in guns blazing, seems that won't work. First, we have to find some kind of special blood, and some kind of seed. We use these to cause the memory to change and fade away, but if we alter it, we'lol be trapped I  that bunker with 1200 people and I was just told that place else was only designed to hold 200.  So, we would die of dehydration if we'really lucky, starvation if we're not. Seems it will take time for the memory to fade after it changes, so we get to live 8th out. Fun, huh? But, wait, it gets better. There'should one way in, and no way out except to die. But I'm sure it's not as simple as that, nothing about this is turning out to be. Probably have to die in some special way or sometching in 9th to get out of there and back into our reality, such as it is. Otherwise I guess you get trapped there for all time. Cheery thought, huh? Oh, almost forgot. To stand any chance at all, we have to find a way to be linked together. And if you'received going to tell me I gave all those people a good death because they would have died slowly in the over crowded bunker, don't bother. My new Goddess Clashing Boom Boom said it doesn't count because I didn't do it for that reason.

"Let's see, what other fun facts do you need to know before deciding? Well, turns out I don'the have a soul, just a part of one. This not nice guy also has one, and he wants to kill me for mine. Of course I need to off him for his shard too, so I guess I can'tell be too passed he'said out to get me. If that didn'the make you paranoid enough, remember when I told you my squad was killed? Well, aside from me, our sniper Jimmy survived somehow and he's sold his soul to some devil somewhere and he believes I abandoned the squad like a hundred years ago even though it was only roughly forty. He was on the station when it was attacked, he was one of the attackers actually. It'still too much to hope for that he was on it when it went bye bye, so we'll need to avoid a bullet in the brain. Oh, and if we do manage to die in the right way and get our of this memory limbo place, I still need to pay back the Wheel or Universe for every soul I took early, and they have to be in the same dire straights as the ones I killed, so just buying 1200 lunches for the homeless din'the cut it. I saved 200 from the station, so that leaves me a cool 1000 to go. Well, decision time. Do you come on a suicide mission with a drug crazed mass murderer, or do you just blow his brains out now and balance the Wheel? If you decide the latter, please grant me one last request and use my own gun."

The damned man withdrew Tried And True, holding it out for Ix to take while the old fighter awaited the assassin'a decision.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:32, Sat 24 May 2014.

(WOW thats a lot to read.... lol.... but from a quick scan I can say Ix would know about the weastland/atrosity...

As it's gauro name sake it's a place of atrosities.... it's one of the death realms, bordering on the shadow lands.  He wouldn't know too much about it, but he knows it use to be the way the universe as a whole resolved these terrible acts.. how it got over them you could say... a nasty scab on the deadlands where healing took place slowly...  But now corruption has sunk in and the scab is a festering one... It still serves it's purpose... it still heals.... but it's infested with corrupted beings that feed on the negitivity and use it to raise there 'young'

Details are a bit shady but he could get a hold of some one that knew more about it if he called it in... but two things he knew for sure.... it was damn hard to get into and as far as he knew there was no way out on your own... it had to let you out.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:13, Sat 24 May 2014.

Ix followed behind the splicer with a casual curiosity, and slipped into the room with piqued interest. He peeled off his mask and pulled down his scarf, revealing his taut and plain features. The scar that crossed the center of his face pulled with each inhale as the assassin smoked in silence. Once he extinguished his cigarette, he moved to lean against the wall and cross his arms loosely across his chest.

...didn't see that coming...

Ix had listened in silence as Raven explained his history and circumstances. Behind his stern face, he didn't disclose his disbelief. As long as the hitman had known the old bird, he hadn't expected their history had allowed Raven to reveal so much about his life. He was bound by a strict code to hide much of his own history, and had even bent the rules in his correspondence with the veteran. Now that he was accountable for this new knowledge, he wasn't quite sure what to do.

While Ravenheld his gun out toward him, Ix's hand moved to rub thoughtfully at his chin. His acute gaze was fixated on the weapon toward him for the longest moment. After what seemed like an eternity, a miniscule smirk floated onto his full lips. "The balance of the Wheel is what I seek." He came from off the wall and slowly began to walk toward him. "As far as I see, you seek the same. Fate has brought us together for all the fucked up reasons that hold our world together."

He approached the smuggler as he signed his words. Once the weapon was within reach he took the gun from Raven's hand and gave it a few tosses as he continued. "It's easy enough to pull the trigger on a target. Harder on a fellow Agent of Fate. To a friend..." The weapon was caught, and Ix quickly brought the barrel to his friend's crystalline eye. A short moment passed in silence. Then the executioner pulled the trigger.

It clicked harmlessly.

The professional handed back the weapon, along with the ammo he had subtly removed. "...is where I falter." He stepped back, and crossed his arms once again. "Let's do this shit already. Besides, if you die, I call dibs on your gear."

"Or I guess, as you have said, 'Dance with the one that brought you...'"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:55, Sun 25 May 2014.

Tink squawked some and flew over landing on Ravens shoulder. It canted its head some and made some pleased sounds, then started to take in deep breaths... something rather odd considering it didn't need to breath, then snapped its beak down hard on the air. It started to tug and pull at something.... not anything really ether of them could see, even with there most enlightened senses. But it stung, like getting a barbed needle pulled out. The little mechanical bird quickly repeated the prossess over and over, drawing the air in like a vacuum cleaner before snapping away at seemingly nothing and pulling it away from raven... moving around him leaping over his body... and not stopping despite how much a fit he might put up.

This little act was some what amusing to watch for Ix, and only lasted about 10 seconds.. but he did notice something. The old birds quintessence flow started to clear up and move more freely, but they time the bird was done the birds quintessence was moving with out any blockage or constraint through his body..... the poor bird though seamed to have taken this onto himself and as it fluttered to land on a table staggered some and seamed rather... low on power, making whimpery like sounds similar to a machine running to a stop.

Raven had had operations before but his splcings were different and he never quite felt right after them... he never quite completely got use to them. Now though... what ever the bird had done seamed to shake this off, his body felt natural and as much his as it ever did before.
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:35, Mon 26 May 2014.

Raven calmly finished his smoke as Ix pointed the railgun at his false eye and pulled the trigger. Maybe the old man didn't fear death, or he trusted in his friendship with the assassin enough to believe despite appearances the other would not harm him. Perhaps the Splicer felt himself invicible after two attempts by Fate to kill him had both failed; most likely however it was the fact that Tried and True told him it had been emptied of it's ammunition the moment Ix did it.

Raven took his gun back and made sure it was correctly reloaded; right as he finished but before he could respond to his friend, Tina landed on his shoulder and began acting like he was pulling something free from something. The pilot would have wondered about this, but before his mind could for any such thought he felt a sting from nowhere. Then another, and another, then more still. Then, whatever had  begun was finished, and not only were the tiny bit if pain gone, the fighter felt better than he had in decades. In fact, if he were honest with himself, he felt like himself for the first time since all his splicing. Tina seemed to have suffered for this however, as he landed and seemed weak. The blood and bone bird broke several crystals from his face, and placed them before the clockwork bird.

"I don't know what you did, buddy, but thanks for that."

He turned back to the other man in the room.

"First, We need to get something called the blood of the Wyld. Ares said we should go to the Radiance for it, said it was the very heart of the Wyld, and that we would need a good supply of it. We also need a seed of Tambiyah, which we will need to go to Her realm to get. He also told me we would need to be connected together, and He suggested using FW's old master for that part, but from the way the monk reacted he and this guy had a falling out. If Mr. Squeaky Clean passed off Quick Chang Kain, a can you imagine what he'd upon meeting me? We might want to look elsewhere for that part me thinks. Oh, and we need to find a way in and out, although I hear there is no way out so that should be fun. The big guy also gave me this thing that was all complex, then it turned into an orb that glowed, and then into a disk which He gave me. He said it will take us where ever we want to go."

That was the last bit of crystals worth picking off for now... his face is near clear of them. Though he knows by tomorrow there will be signs of new ones starting to form, and by the day after the little mechanical bird will likely be pecking at them again.

For now though he just rests, he seams very tired... or low on power... or..... how ever a mechanical spirit gets? O.o He don't even nibble at the crystals yet.

(you guys can keep talking here but going to move on)

Ix's hand twitched as the avian antagonist began its Feast of Needles, at first not sure what the bird was up to. When he realized what the creature was up to, he nodded approvingly. About time that thing was good for something.

"Sounds like a tall order." And it certainly was. Ix had no idea where they would begin, but he knew they would do what was needed when the time came for it. "For now I'll keep it all in mind. Let's head back to the rest of the freakshow." He turned and made his way to the door.