Quetz ran. He was good at running, but he couldn't run forever. How could the pigs keep their rolling machines in such good repair? Where did they get replacement parts, let alone fuel? The desert could be a harsh environment for machines...

There was no time to ponder such things. He had to make it to sanctuary before he went down fighting.

Then he came around a sand dune and--

--more mammals. The dangerous-looking one seemed even more tired than himself. The other seemed less weary, but a mere child by comparison. At least they weren't pigs.

"Pigss," said Quetz, out of breath. "On rolling machiness. Chassing. You have a plan to reach Ssand Drifterss?" he asked.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:01, Tue 28 July 2020.

Astrid looked up at the moon and the stars, at least briefly. They were a welcome reminder that the sun was on the other side of the earth and wasn't threatening to come out any time soon. Desert life had it's pros and cons, though without water the cons quickly outweighed the pros.

The blonde had been engaging in what she liked to call a tactical retreat. Bleeding the pigs when she could, then evading them for a bit before repeating. The sand dunes made for many excellent ambush spots, and she used those to her advantage when she could. Perhaps around this next bend would be a good spot to make another stand.

Astrid was surprised at the non-piglike shapes she saw by the light of the moon. Her axe was suddenly in hand as the blonde looked around at the others. "You're not Pigs, which is great. Let's all be friends for now? I'm Astrid."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:06, Mon 27 July 2020.

"Elric, nice to meet you.  This is a horrid place to make a stand..."  He readied himself to die with the others, or maybe live.

Astrid nodded once. "Nice to meet you, Elric." Her eyes darted toward the darkness between dunes at his statement. "If you have some tactical thoughts, I'm all ears." The tall blonde was in a well-worn leather bikini and held her axe in her right hand. A bow was slung across her chest and a makeshift quiver held a spear and some arrows on her back.

From her leather belt, several other items were accessible as needed, though her waterskin looked to be a bit more empty than most desert-dwellers would think prudent.

Looking the new woman up and down, Katarina's eyes traveled slowly to take her all in. When she introduced herself to Elric, and vice versa, Katarina piped up,

"And I'm Katarina." she said, fitting in best she could. The woman was fancily dressed, and Katarina was a bit worried that she wouldn't survive the badlands, but she'd seen wilder things on Earth,

"We don't have to fight here." she offered, "We can keep moving, you can split my remaining water... I'll be fine without it. Keep up your strength, and we'll find a way in through the portals! I'm sure we can get there before the pig men catch us. Ready?" she asked, ready to help them carry their gear if they needed it. She was small, but she wasn't small on heart, and didn't mind helping pull their weight for them if need be.

The Pig Men continued to chase it VX900 dodged around the point of a dune, suddenly aware that his original Reconnaissance programming would have been spectacularly helpful here. When the Sorcerers had repurposed it to cure their troops - many of whom were the aforementioned Pig Men - the data sets to treat wounds had replaced the old stealth protocols. When eons later the robot had become self aware there were echos of the original programs that it could hear.

The MedBot set aside its reverie when it saw the gathered organics. None of whom appeared to be either Pig Men or Sorcerers' servants.

"Greeting organic lifeforms. I find myself pursued by my former master's servants. Please direct me to the nearest route that leads to the Sand Drifters settlement." The red robot with white caducei painted on all four limbs and the back and front of its torso said flatly.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:08, Wed 29 July 2020.

Sure enough, all of those not mounted on the ancient metal bikes find themselves back to back. Even as the Pig Riders circle them, hooting and hollering. Their machines seems adapted to the desert sands, the wheels seeming having no issues with moving.

"Give up! You will never make it to the Sand Drifters! The Pig Riders of ruin control all you see! Surrender without a fight and we will make you slaves! Don't surrender and you will be placed in our cook pots!" Said one of the riders, oinking between every other sentence.

"Ummm...not the robot, right boss? We don't have eat him, right?" Said a the rider sharing the 1st speakers motorcyle.

"No stupid, of course not! The robot will be used for parts!" The other riders cheer-as if they partly expected to have to eat the robot...and now where thrilled they don't.

Even as the whole gang circles you, brandishing a variety of weapons, you can see past the smoke of their bikes a yellow glowing wall just in sight...

(OOC-Ok, 1st round of combat! The way iniative works is you roll a d20 and compare it to your dex. Roll equal or less and you go 1st. Fail and you act after the pig riders. In general, 1 is a crit and d20 is a fumble.)

Elric had been saving his miracles for his final fight ... he hoped this was it.  He knew he could possibly save himself but passing through these riders wouldn't mean he could pass through the yellow barrier ... someone else would have to direct him to one of the tunnels.

The pale man flicked his wrist and a hand-and-a-half jet black sword appeared in it.  The sword was wicked and covered in red runes.  Clearly there was one purpose for it and that was to make a statement.

He moved to strike any Pig Rider stupid enough to be close to him...
This message was last edited by the player at 01:15, Wed 29 July 2020.

Quicker than most, Katarina grinned as she heard the pig-riders threatening them,

"Aww, ya'll riders don't have the balls to fight us on the ground. Gotta ride around in your safe little machines all day?" she tried to taunt them, hissing quietly to the others,

"Run for the wall. They want us to fight. No chance. Beat em with speed, like we have been." she said, and then she dipped to one side, and took off towards the wall, quicker than the pig-men could react.

Katarina's suggestion gave Astrid pause, and the blonde stood patting the haft of her axe for a few moments. She seemed to be waiting for the piggies to make the first move.

"I think breaking through the weakest part of their line makes sense. But I don't think we're going to outrun them unless we can break some of their machines. Or their bodies."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:30, Thu 30 July 2020.

When it heard the fleshies discussing their plans to flee or fight, VX900 realized they, too, were being hunted by the Pig Men. When the smaller female turned to run, the robot's head spun toward the lead Pig Man and raised its Laser Pistol.

"I will make a weak spot, barbarian!" it told the taller woman as it fired at the leader. The shot was well aimed and the red beam lanced out from the projector coil and seared the leader, sending bacon scented smoke billowing into the air.

"Smoked pork will be served in the chow hall at noon!"

Elric swings his massive black sword from nowhere, and strikes one of the pig creatures across the chest as he riders towards the Albino. Normally that should have made more of a cut, but these creatures wore no armor for a reason. Their hide and rolls of fat acted as armor, and prevented the worst of the damage. That being said, it was clear from the riders attempt to rise and shake his head damage was still done.

VX900's laser hit another rider as it closed in, swinging a metal ball on a chain around its head. Much like with Elric, the bike spins out and crashes. However, the Rider slowly and painfully rises to his feet-still not down.

Two of the mounted riders give chase behind Katarina, waving their blades and oinking as she goes.

Of the remaining four, two are recovering from Elric's and VX900's attacks. The remaining two on Astrid and Quetz move in to attack.

OOC-Ok, combat for those who are unfamiliar. As Astrid and Quetz failed their initiative, they go after the pig men, and will have to avoid attacks on them. They can roll strength(for parrying and such) or Dex (For dodging) to avoid the attack. They should roll on their private threads, and then post the result of their defenses-and attacks when they go. The pig riders on Elric and VX900 do not get an attack, but are also not damaged because of their special hide ability. Their skin acts like a small shield (It absorbs one hit).

Katarina-who is running-is luring two attackers to give chase, and must make a special ability roll on her own thread this turn.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:32, Thu 30 July 2020.

Giggling as she ran off, Katarina didn't look the slightest worse for wear in the badlands... she belonged here. Running to draw the pig-men away from the others, she blew a kiss to one as she ran past,

"Aww, cmon! You only sending a few after me? Why don't all of ya come along? Can't catch me anyways." she laughed, sprinting the opposite direction that her companions wanted to go.

A pig-man which no one had attacked yet roared toward Quetz. The porcine attacker's machete bounced off Quetz thanks in part to Quetz's leather armor and Quetz's naturally-scaly hide, and so the Vek remained unhurt...

But it infuriated him. He screamed and leapt 15 feet after the pig-man. It was time to BITE!

The pig-man's blubbery hide also protected him from the Vek's jaws... but only once. Quetz new the pig would not be so lucky a second time... whether its doom came from him, or from another...

Before she could follow Katarina, Astrid found herself being assaulted by one of the pigmen. The attacked would have skewered her, but the barbarian beat the pigman's spear aside with the flat of her axe.

With her opponent off-balance, Astrid hacked at the tough hide of the creature twice. Both swings connected, but the second seemed like it might have sliced a bit deeper than the first. When she removed the blade and readied it to swing again, the blonde growled a challenge.

The blonde was a little surprised when her second hack left the pigman dead, or near enough to it. As the enemy fell, Astrid deftly grabbed the handlebar of the motorcycle they had been riding and slipped into the seat. She still held her axe but was now able to move about much more easily.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:31, Sun 02 Aug 2020.

Two of the Riders are catching up to Katarina, but have not quite gotten to her...yet.

Elric's and VX900's foe rise from ground unsteadily but are clearly ready to hand back some of the pain they endured.

Quetz is on top of one of the riders, it struggles getting the Vek and its sharp teeth off of him and his back.

And of course, Astrid's foe lays on the ground, so much dead sliced pork that certainly should not be eaten.

(OOC-New round! Elric, VX900, and Katarina are up! Actions can be in any order.)

Elric saw the response and switched his tactic now understanding why he'd been so unsuccessful attacking the Pig Riders earlier before he decided to run.  Now, it was clear, he needed to concentrate his attack with others.  So he did just that and reached out with his rune encrusted black blade.  Taking a wide arch he focused on attacking one of the creatures recently hit by one of the others...his strike was true this time.

The wondrous smell of cooked bacon accompanied the felling of the Pig Rider.  There was a satisfying grin that played across Elric's face and if his sword could talk it would have remarked on the flavor of the enemy for sure.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:05, Sun 02 Aug 2020.

Sliding her bone dagger into her hands, Katarina didn't really want to have to handle these pig men, but they were being quite annoying.

"Are you piggies tired yet? C'mon keep up!" she continued taunting them, giggling aloud as she continued to move, "Ain't you guys used to this heat?" she asked, sticking a tongue out to further infuriate them.

In the back of her mind, she sure hoped the others managed to either beat up the now smaller group of orcs, to come help her, or had some way to come pull her out of the thick of things. She hadn't thought that far ahead. She figured she'd help them, but had no idea how it would end for her.

Whoops...

Still, she kept moving, tearing off across the badlands, leaving the pig-men in her wake.

VX900 didn't really hate things, its emotions were too muted for that. But Pig Men annoyed it quite a lot. They were rude, dangerous and persistent.

The Medical Robot aimed at the recovering rider and fired again. The shot sizzled into the ground where the Pig Man's bike had been laying only an instant before. Instead of felling the enemy the high energy light melted the coarse, gritty sand into a tiny shard of brown-black glass.

It was impossible for the robot to sigh or show the annoyance its rudimentary emotion circuits felt.

The two riders behind Katarina growl in rage and throw spears at her as they get closer on their bikes. She nimbly leaps over one, and ducks under the other. However, she knows her legs will not carry her away faster than the machine mounted mutants.

Elric finishes off his foe, it barley releasing a grunt as the black glowing sword makes chopped ham of the creature.

VX900 misses the fast moving Rider on its bike. As it rushes by at high speeds, the armored robot knocks aside its large ax with the back of the robot's metal hand.

Quetz wrestles with his foe, snapping with his massive sharp teeth. The pigman seems to panic and begins to oink, as it tries to keep the Vek from ripping out its throat. The Oinks grow louder and louder, causing all near the melee feel a oinking shriek reverberate in their very brains!

(OOC-Quetz, VX900, and Elric Must make Wisdom d20 saves on their rules section. If you fail, you have disadvantage on all rolls until you recover. Quetz should also post his actions after he makes or fails his save. Astrid is out of range of the sonic oink on her motorcycle, but has a good view of the two riders closing in on Katrina.)

Narrowly ducking under a spear, and leaping over another, Katarina blew the hair out of her face with a grin, though the grin was becoming less certain by the second,

"Nice try oinkers! Is that really the best you can do?!" she teased, sticking her tongue out at them, and continuing to run.

The whole time, she was trying to see how maneuverable they were, so she could maybe duck back towards them, to throw off their pursuit, as she didn't see how she would outrun them...

The pig rider under Quetz tried flailing about above his head with his machete, but Quetz easily dodged this.

Unfortunately, Quetz's blood was still burning hot (well, it felt very hot to him, anyway), and he once again attacked on pure instinct-- he screamed and leapt.

The only direction he could leap, though, was vertically, and the pig rider sped up and zipped out from under where Quetz landed.

Quetz wasn't hurt, landing on nice soft desert sand, but he didn't get to draw the pig man's blood, either, so he was quite frustrated. He'd kind of wanted to kill the rider and take over the bike for himself.

Once on the motorcycle, Astrid looked about to see how the others were faring. Most of those that had gathered to fight off the pigs had done well enough, though it seemed the woman identifying herself as Katarina looked like she could use a hand.

Astrid revved the engine, kicking dirt and dust up in her wake. She sped off toward those that were chasing Katarina, looking to slice off a bit more pork with her axe. As she approached one of the creatures, she swung her axe with the force of the motorcycle behind it, connecting solidly. Unfortunately her follow up swing didn't connect.

She glanced at Katrina. "Hop on?" It was more a question than command. The other woman seemed to know how to survive quite well.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:34, Fri 07 Aug 2020.

Looking up thankfully, Kat held up a hand and leapt aboard,

"Thanks!" she said breathlessly, doing fine with the exercise, but trying to outrun machines was tiring her out,

"You some kinda superhero or somethin?" she asked quizzically, truly curious.

Astrid quickly helped Katarina aboard and found the time to laugh at the brunette's question as the blonde accelerated again. "I don't think so. I just hit bad guys with my axe." One might think there are some things about Astrid that are somewhat larger-than-life, but she didn't seem to have that sort of opinion of herself.