Crunch crunch crunch crunch...

He runs down the street, his boots crunching on the rocky gravel of the broken road. He looks behind himself furtively as he runs. He just needs to make it to the underground bunker and his gang members will have his back. He grins wildly even as he runs. The hunters behind him at the city entrance won't know what they're in for.

You don't fuck with crazies and try and take their stuff, stolen or not. He laughs through a clenched jaw, the bolts on his head bobbing as he runs faster.

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the city a blonde man with a fedora, smoking a cigar, looks at a bent and dirty city sign. The city of Plano, yet another graveyard in The Freelands from the time before the Rifts. But these days the graveyards have more than corpses in them. They also have bounties and treasure.



The man, Hoss Jenkins, draws on his cigar, and exhales a puff of smoke. His team stand behind him, awaiting instructions.

"Looks like Ricky went this way, fellas," he says, spitting. The rogue scholar turns to his team. "Dead cities always make me a little sad. It's fine if we kill Ricky."

As though in approval, a gust of wind blows sagebrush past our heroes.

GM: JIC rolls please.

What do you do?

Mikhail addresses the group from his place slightly behind them as backup support/vanguard. His white coat flutters behind him in the wind as his expressionless mask turns to look at the others.

"If at all possible can we try to at least keep him intact?" He asks the team. His voice has a faint trace of one from Europe. He wrings his hands together in exited anticipation. "I would like to preform a autopsy on his corpse since I've been running out of research material recently, and a crazy is certainly a interesting project indeed." He starts muttering to himself in jargon that only those well versed in science would understand. As usual Bishop is displaying his characteristic obsession with his slightly unnerving work.

OCC

JIC rolls

Perception: 3

Saving Roll: 7

Skill check: 60
This message was last edited by the player at 08:48, Tue 05 May 2020.

Cole didn't say anything in response to Mikhail's question or follow-on comments. He hadn't known the foreign scientist for long, something that was true for the entire crew he rode with, but it had been long enough that such commentary didn't even draw a raised eyebrow from him. Sure, the man sometimes talked like a god damned necromancer but he had yet to see even an ounce of magic out of him. No, like the Ogre, Joran, he talked plenty but didn't mean much by it.

From atop Cobalt, his American Quarter horse, Cole looked around the area, searching first everything within 25 yards, then looking farther afield, 100 and more yards. "What's the plan Hoss?" he asks, his western accent matching nicely with his baritone. He rest his left hand on his saddle, lightly holding the reins. His right hand was on his rifle as it sat in the saddle holster.

OOC
Cole rolled 92 using 1d100.  JIC Skill Check.
Cole rolled 5 using 1d20.  JIC Saving Throw.
Cole rolled 9 using 1d20.  JIC Perception.

Well hell, turns out Cole is blind, clumsy and susceptible to just about everything according to those rolls. Hopefully that wasn't important. ^_^

Zeke, the tall thin elf, stood, his hat low, keeping the sun from his handsome elvin face nodded, taking a long pull off his cigarette. "Reckon he needs killin' I can put a bullet in 'im." the well spoken elf had quite the southern drawl, despite being an elf. His body was quite literally adorned with weapons, two energy pistols, two six guns hung loosely around his waist as well. Perhaps more striking was the long, slightly curved sword he carried, it spoke of him being something more than a run of the mill gunslinger. "And if we ain't gotta kill 'im, we sure ain't."

1:10, Today: Ezekiel 'Zeke' Holliday rolled 5 using 1d20.  save.

21:10, Today: Ezekiel 'Zeke' Holliday rolled 6 using 1d20.  perepction.

21:10, Today: Ezekiel 'Zeke' Holliday rolled 50 using 1d100.  jic skill.

Nate was back in The APC acting as pilot, while Niel acted as gunner. The thing still only had it's factory made forward laser turret as it's only weapon. Well that and it's speed and sheer size. Fortunately The APC was not suppose to get into combat, just be a mobile repair and living quarters for the Team! Since Nate had no where to go, he made sure he monitored the long and short range sensor systems. The relay to Nathaniel's armor seemed to be working just fine, for the moment.

With the rest of the hunters Nathaniel was trying out the prototype battery operated power armor. He wanted to call it Dory, after the Spartan hoplite spear, but it didn't seem to roll off the tongue very well. Sauroter seemed a little better in terms of style and it was the name of the back end of the Dory. Maybe he should consult somebody with some kind of marketing skills or call it simply the Spartan. He hoped to one day set up a factory and have them built as powered armor on a budget.

At his right hip was a TX-26 Particle Beam Pistol and on the other a neural mace. In his hands was the TX-50 Rail Gun. It was somewhat sad that the pistol actually did more damage than the Rail gun. However, the pistol had 1/10th the range the rail gun did and wasn't nearly as scary looking. The Rail Gun also had the laser targeting and distancing sight with nightvision scope. That meant that he might actually be able to hit the broad side of a barn with the thing!

He takes a look through that telescopic nightvision sight and scans the area for Ricky. Glancing at the armors HUD he notes the information that The APC is sending his direction.

"He was obviously heading here for a reason. What about any associates that Ricky might have waiting for us?"

"Then we should have just killed him to begin with."  Cade offered from high atop the APC where she was sprawled out looking bored.  She was armored up, though the helmet was sitting discarded nearby, and fairly lightly armed with just a pistol strapped tightly to her waist in such a way that she was more worried about it falling off than needing to get it out of the holster in a hurry.

"Or we should be killing him now, instead of sitting here like a bunch of assholes while he gets away."

Cade rolled 5,6,94 using 1d20,1d20,1d100.  JIC Save, Perception, Skill

Cantu stretched as he left the APC, taking in the sun, a thick leather coat in one hand and an ice cold can of TexFizz in the other. "Lots of holes for the poor bastard to hide in."  He finished off the soda, crinkled the can and tossed it to the side next to the dried out corpse of a toad.

"We have any clues which hole he might have headed to, or we gonna have to sniff his poor-smelling, bolt-brained adled ass down the hard way?" he asked as he shrugged the coat on.  Bones rattled around the shoulders and hood, but quickly settled to quiet as he laced it up.


62, JIC Skill
5, JIC Perception
15, JIC Save

"No need to kill him, shoot off a leg he won't be going far, and we have enough healing to patch it up. Well to take back alive. But with Moses many folks won't be eager to try much.

Let me try to talk him out unarmed if he has any respect for the common code if he insists on running I tried. She got her Megaphone on her right side strap over her neck the mic in her hand.

I'll walk up ahead you cover me, if he breaks the code he's scum not worth any respect, that's with our leaders permission to try but you know me give a man a chance. But you can always shoot parts off later.," the Preacher said with the force of her vocation when asking to talk the man out its not a monster a man has a soul.

OOC:
13:19, Today: Reverend Deborah Walker rolled 72 using 1d100.  JIC Skill.
13:19, Today: Reverend Deborah Walker rolled 11 using 1d20.  JIC Save.
13:19, Today: Reverend Deborah Walker rolled 12 using 1d20.  JIC Perception.

Cole had sat on his horse listening to the Preacher talk while he maintained his visual search of the area. When she boldly stated she would go in alone and try to talk Ricky, the Gunfighter slide off his horse. Still not saying a word, he withdrew his rifle from the saddle holster, checking that the e-clips were fully charged and seated properly before putting the single point sling over his head. His pistols were already of course holstered in his gun belt. He checks both of them too and after verifying that they too are good to go, slides them back in. He leads his horse back to where the cargo hauler is and drops the reigns. “Stay here buddy,” he tells the American Quarter Horse. He horse stomps one of its front hooves in response and he pats Cobalt’s shoulder before returning to the group. His rifle carried in the low ready, the optic covers off and the optic itself powered on.

Cole lived by The Code but he knew some people, usually greenhorns or yellowbellied scum, didn’t. Maybe Ricky would abide by The Code and listen to the Preacher and not just blast her. Maybe he wouldn’t. “If he does shoot her first, he is a dead man,” Cole thought and meant it. Shooting a Preacher, whatever faith that Preacher might be of, was pretty high on the list of things not to do according to The Code. Unless of course the Preacher shoot at you first, then it was OK because everyone had the right to defend themselves. Cole’s Ma and Pa had taught him that from the time he was old enough to walk, in simple, easy to understand words. “If you hit somebody,” they had told them, “expect them to hit you back. Don’t go crying about it.”

Cole tips his hat at the Preacher woman and says “I got your back.”

She put aside Moses and walks out a fairly sensible distance and she speaks through the Megaphone ,"I'm a Preacher and am speaking to Ricky, I'm unarmed and am asking you in the name of God to turn yourself in peacefully. You shoot me they will kill you, you run they'll shoot off a leg or two and your going to go in anyway and escape isn't an option we have experts here. Its only how you go in and how you meet your fate. Think of your life if you come in I'll ask to judge you and will weigh your danger to others and turning yourself in now and speak if another judges you for leniency. Come out unarmed, hands up and our leader will secure you and its over.

I know your scared, your life was likely hard its hard for me men raped me as a girl, cut me, burn'rt me and I can't have babies but I endured and am here now to offer you some hope. You'll have a couple minutes right now I'll say this living is hard but perhaps you'll have better after this mistake now decide I'll return to my group.,"

OCC: Combat roll to Dodge taking cover as secure as possible, JIC.

Mikhail's shoulders slump a little, disappointed when he hears that their was a plan that involved him not getting a crazy corpse. But even as reserved about the plan as he is, he joins Cole in supporting Deborah. He steps forward until he is level with the gunfighter with the rifle. In one of his gloved hands is a pistol that would look extremely unfamiliar to one from America, a WR-10 ion pistol. Often the pursuit of knowledge required combat of one variety or another so while he could never be considered a expert with the weapon he could hold his own well enough.

"If you do end up shooting him, could you try to avoid shooting his head? The brain is very valuable when from a crazy." He says to Cole as he prepares to run in to assist lest the situation turn into a shootout. He watched the Reverend tried to talk down the crazy. He was always confused whenever he heard one of her speeches. Despite his intellect the finer aspects of faith and belief in God escaped him. However he had first hand experience of Deborah's wraith whenever he had expressed these doubts. A mistake he had decided not to repeat.

Zeke grinned, he liked the preacher, she was a straight shooter, even if she weren't a preacher likely. He let her say her peace, then, his hands hung loosely by his hips, coat covering the weapons he used with practiced ease. He shrugged at Mikhail's request, "Mikhail, buddy, the brain is the best way to put a fella down. 'Specially one o' them crazies. But since you asked nice, he needs killin' then I'll aim low."

Hoss winces as the Reverend uses her megaphone. "Dammit, Rev, what I have I told you about using that thing? That damn crazy has made it to his little hideout, wherever it is. He had a bit of distance. Now..."

An insect like clicking sound fills the air. Our heroes look around themselves. Scampering down buildings are large, insect like creatures, nine of them. They have both an insect and animal-like appearance, with large, grasshopper-like hind legs, a whipping tail, four arms, an exoskeleton with barbs and spines, and an inhuman head crowned with a thick, protective plate of bone.

Cade quickly recognizes them. Grigleapers. The things dart down the buildings and attack the group.



Nathaniel quickly scans the area and sees a number of buildings they could dart into.

GM: Horror factor of 15. Compare to your JIC saving throw. If you failed, post as usual, but know that the baddies will go first.

What do you do?

Nathaniel takes several steps back as the nightmarish creatures swarm. If the others weren't here, he would be running that is for sure. However, he knows that if they all stick together, they will probably survive. Meanwhile, the weight of railgun reminds him he can lay the smack down.

"We could duck into that building at our 3 o'Clock and bottleneck them...."

TWA-AA--AA--AA-T, TWA-AA-AA_AAAT

The rail gun fires off burst after burst after burst. Good thing that there is a drum on this thing and a spare on his back. If the others head toward the building he identified, he will go as well.

"Shit."  Cade complained as she scrambled to her feet, grabbed her helmet and stuck it on, then pulled out her pistol.

"Do not let them jump on you, or they will fuck you up!"  She hollered out in warning.

OOC: Missed the save by 1, so no shooty shooty yet.

The ogre sidles up behind their human leader, looming over him in his own Branaghan armor, duster, and hat.  He stands with an appropriately sized staff in his massive right hand, a customized Bandito Big Bore Long Barrel in a long holster on his right thigh, and an oversized neuralbaton holstered behind it.  Slung diagonally across his back is his Wellington grenade rifle.
He had stood silently while everybody has spoken amongst themselves about their quarry.  Until the grigleapers had begun to appear.  Shit!  I was hoping the feeling I need the grenade rifle was wrong, his voice rumbles.
His grayish skin seems to have gone a bit pale, and he turns and runs for the nearest building.


02:10, Today: Joran rolled 15 using 1d100.  Just in Case Skill.

02:10, Today: Joran rolled 4 using 1d20.  Just in Case Save.

02:09, Today: Joran rolled 11 using 1d20+3.  Just in Case Perception.

02:09, Today: Joran rolled 15 using 1d20+9.  Initiative + Sixth Sense.

02:08, Today: Joran rolled 13 using 1d20+5.  Vs Horror Factor.

Zeke grimaced when he saw the creatures, and nodded at Nate's suggestion of getting inside a building. He fumbled with his guns a bit, which never happened. He cussed himself quiet like, didn't want the preacher getting upset anymore than she was. "Move people!" he said as he removed his gun from their leather looking holsters and prepared to fire.

OOC loading up equipment now, can add rolls later or just get into the building for now. Failed the save, badly.

Mikhail hears the idea of bottlenecking the creatures at the building and it takes him all of half a minisecond to decide that he liked the idea. As he runs towards the building keeping his eyes trained on the approaching creature he identifies which would reach them first and therefore which he needs to shoot first. Unfortunately like the mathematician that he is he identifies a solution but does nothing to act upon it.

OOC: failed the horror save so Mikhail will merely think about shooting them before he rembers that he is holding a pistol and can actually do so in the real world. (Goddamned useless scientist.)

The good Preacher unarmed with a proper weapon and with giant things crawling in her direction makes her blood a bit cold but keep up a strong personae in the face of likely dying.

You notice her sawed off gun Moses is with the rest of you.

For just a moment, Cole stood there, several paces behind and to the right of Walker, staring at the unexpected and completely undetected monsters sneaking up on him and his team. He didn’t know for sure what the things were but they looked like what someone had described to him as being ‘Grig Leapers’. If that’s what they were, well the name was enough for him to know out running the things on foot would be only slightly easier than trying to catch lightning with your hands. To make matters worse, Walker was unarmed so she couldn’t even shoot at the damn things while she ran for cover.

Running for it was still their best option though and the building Nathaniel had picked out was as good as any. Hearing his railgun put rounds down range snapped Cole out of his surprise. His Wilk’s 577 snapped up from the low ready. As he brought it up to his shoulder, his head already moving to align his right eye with the optic, he said, “Get a move on preacher!”

The instant he has a clear sight picture, Cole squeezes the trigger on his rifle and a high energy particle beam lances out at the nearest Grigleaper. He fire three more shots, each at a different Grigleaper, before turning to run himself.

OOC
I know they will get to go first because I failed the HF save (by 2 damn it!) but I figure initiative will matter shortly. You know if Cole survives. He turned to fire four shots, starting with the closest Grigleaper, then transitioning to the next closest and the next and the next. After that, he turns and runs for it. His hope is that between him and Nathaniel firing at the Grigs, the rest of the team can make it to cover. Once the team is behind cover, they can lay down covering firing for Cole and Nathaniel.

To be clear, that's 4 shots (4 actions) and 3 actions used to run for it

Today: Cole rolled 23 using 1d20+5.  Initiative with rifle.

Strikes
Today: Cole rolled 17 using 1d20+3.  Wilks 577 Strike.
Today: Cole rolled 9 using 1d20+3.  Wilks 577 Strike.
Today: Cole rolled 23 using 1d20+3.  Wilks 577 Strike – Natural 20! Critical hit!
Today: Cole rolled 18 using 1d20+3.  Wilks 577 Strike.

Damage
Today: Cole rolled 28MD using 5d6+8.  Wilks 577 Particle Beam Damage.
Today: Cole rolled 27MD using 5d6+8.  Wilks 577 Particle Beam Damage.
Today: Cole rolled 29MD (Critical Strike – 58MD) using 5d6+8.  Wilks 577 Particle Beam Damage.
Today: Cole rolled 32MD using 5d6+8.  Wilks 577 Particle Beam Damage.

This message was last edited by the player at 22:46, Wed 06 May 2020.

The Preacher runs toward her weapon Moses hoping the cover fire saves her and can arm up herself her gun as one advantage a big knock back. Damage isn't great but when Moses speaks and enemies of God listen.

Josue sees where the rest of the team is heading and starts jogging along, but doesn't seem too worried. A wall of fire appears between the group and the largest pack of leapers. "That's me!" he yells with a small bit of glee, "maybe we'll eat some barbeque bug before the day is out."

He doesn't enter the building but waits for the others.  As he waits he pats his waist, "SHIT!" He yelps, "I forgot my axe."  He sighs and shrugs.


The wall of flame is 6 feet tall and 8 feet, wide.  6d6MD to anything that tries to pass through the wall.

Cost: 20 ISP