Iron Stars - john

John stands at the southern gatehouse of Mytikas, the city that was once a ruin, and now looks to be a city again. Three militiamen holding long, bolt action rifles, stand outside, screening traffic coming into the city, mostly farmers working for the protectorate living outside the walls, or the handful of scrap traders coming into the city. There wilds can be dangerous, especially at night, but the long grasslands close to the city are rife with animals, eggs, and plants that the locals know little about

John exits the city, and heads to the grasslands, mostly looking for herbs to incorporate into his cooking, and maybe some eggs if he’s lucky

The grasslands are long, and though patrolled often, sometimes contain dangers. A pack of roosting birds scatters skywards as you plunge into the grassland, abandoning their nests

John heads to the source of their flight, cautious about father birds.

Looking around a bit scared, as he has a fear of wild creatures

Nesting material is scattered through the grasses, built into flattened sections of the grassland by the pacing feet of dozens of birds. Feathers and dung also frequent the area, birds have been nesting here long term

While using one hand to hold his nose, he rummages through the nests, hoping to find one or two eggs. If he did, the whole excursion would be a success. He just wanted an omelette

you're able to get your hands on a few of the brightly colored sky blue eggs. They are heavy, and still warm. They must have been laid recently

John laughs a little in excitement, the gets the hell out of there

1:07 PM

That was too much time in nature for him

1:07 PM

On the way back to the gates, he keeps an eye out for any herbs that would boost his cooking

Your focus seems to be on getting your find back to the city, and more importantly, to your kitchen, without breaking or losing anything, and you are not able to find anything but the endless plains grass

John sighs a little, but is mostly overjoyed at finding such fresh eggs. He goes straight home to cook the egg

1:34 PM

And make dat omelette

You return to your home, and the eggs crack easily. The yolks are rich, tasting better than terran chickens, and the whites are thicker, easier to flip and more of them to season in the pan

As john switches between two plates he has going, he deeply inhales the scent of the omelette. Cooking is his dream, and he’d love to pursue it. But as a jobless person living my scrounging ingredients, something is bound to go wrong

2:08 PM

The way to go is start a restaurant, and the way to do that is a food truck (edited)

2:09 PM

Now, for that, I need a sous chef, and ingredients, and maybe a friend (edited)

2:09 PM

He thinks this all up as his lonely self cooks himself an omelette in his small little apartment

After eating those delicious omelettes, he checks his compad for any cooking gigs, or maybe a competition with some prize money

2:24 PM

(So maybe connect/notice)

(which of these problems do we want to solve first, there's a lot going on here)

(Well, i was searching for gigs or a competition to get money for my plans)

There are no cooking competitions on town. Mytikas hovers on the brink of maintaining anything like a civilized society, and there is not the time or resources for a waste of food like this. There are a few public cookhouses in town who need support in feeding the hundreds of workers who rely on them every day, and they promise to pay well for skilled help.

John reluctantly signs up for one of the cookhouse’s jobs, promising himself it’s to get money to fulfill his dreams.

2:53 PM

And maybe get free food on the side

The job you’ve accepted is a cool house near city center, where the regents temporary camp and the main city barracks is located. Soldiers and government administrators come through all the time and it is a chance to rub elbows with the people@who truly make the protectorate run

John walks to the kitchen, get his assignment, and gets to work. He attempts to make the very best food possible, and try to meet anybody who orders with flamboyance

8:12 PM

(So maybe a connect?)

(Connect for what purpose. What is the information you are trying to obtain or connection you are hoping to make?) (edited)

(Maybe meeting a person interested in baking with weed, or a future partner) (edited)

(Or not, I just cook lit food)

(So do we want to roll the check or not then. I’m confused as to your actual intentions here)

(Let’s roll, Ig. It can’t hurt)

(7)

You get some grateful comments for the hot meal from a lot of the workers here. One of the Admin workers especially seems to feel picked up after the good meal. Admin has seen some true tragedy this year, and most of them still have sleepless nights about the starship ramming into their building, and streets filled with captive underhill

As the man eats, John says to him, “Hey man! What’s up, you look a bit down” (edited)

8:40 AM

“I heard about what happened to you guys, and I’m really sorry about it. Well, enjoy your food”

He smiles, "Thanks, this is the first hot meal ive had time to eat in weeks now. I know its factory food, but you've made it taste good. I didn't know how much I missed it"

“No problem! Making great food is my dream. I’m glad you loved it” (edited)

He goes back to eating, eyes down and looking deeply into his plate. Service continues for a few more hours, before the cookhouse finally closes for the night, and cleanup begins

(Do I clean up, or do I go home?)

(what do you do?)

John goes home, tired from the endless amounts of cooking. But it was nice, and he got to meet a few people. He learned some recipes, and jots them down in his recipe book that he’s working on

10:47 AM

He hopes to sell it one day, maybe after he fulfills his dreams. One thing he knows for sure is that he needs a helper. Tommorow’s saturday, and he plans to go out and find anyone willing to help

John wakes up bright and early, before most of the populace is awake. He drinks some coffefe, and goes out, this time more near the gates, trying to find some minty herb. He’s trying to make his own drink, a soda of sorts, and he needs a flavoring agent

11:18 AM

(I’ma do a notice/int)

11:21 AM

(10)

(We generally recommend to just describe what it is you want to do/are doing and then letting Neko tell you if a check is required. Not all things require rolls depending on the situation, your skill level, and other factors)

11:22 AM

(It is very much a departure from DND where you roll for everything)

(Well, my notice is -1, so I assumed I’d need a skill check)

11:23 AM

(But I see what you’re saying)

(Sometimes Neko wants to use a narrative approach instead of relying on RNG.)

(

)

The scavengers are at the gate again this morning, dealing with the gate guards. Some of the scavengers are lounging near one of their trucks while the permits fly back and forth, and the credit toll to enter is paid. The vehicles are in the middle of being searched heavily, as the Regent is taking no further risks to security. The endless grassland stretches out before you again, though it seems the birds have not come back to their roost

Seeing that the creatures haven’t returned, John ventures back there, and checks the nests (edited)

12:52 PM

(Who are the scavengers, and what do they scavenge?)

(they're human scrap scavengers)

1:01 PM

(They work for Bavid now, out in his island town, which is a bit far from here)

(Ah, alrighty)

1:05 PM

(Is it possible to hatch an animal and have a pet without gaia?)

(It would not have any of the benefits of the gaia animal companions, just a simple stat block and without points in survive, probably not likely to listen to you)

(Well, I mostly wanted it to farm, y’no eggs and stuff, but we can get along with gathering)

(you need to be the one to make those decisions. I cant read your mind_

2:45 PM

The nests have a few more eggs in them that you were not able to get the previous day. These are cold, and have been out all night. There is evidence in some of the nests that some sort of snake or other egg eating predator has been through the area as well

John carefully picks up and carefully places the eggs is his sack. He gets away from the grassland and tries to find the peopermint for his beverage. As a cook, he likes to know the sources of his ingredients, and he wants to try his hand at brewing beverages

Peppermint is a terran plant, and you are very very far from a planet that hosts imported Terran flora. This planet may have a substitute. There are rumors of a mysterious forest dwelling tribe native to this world called the Layzal. They know every leaf, branch, brook, and rock of this planet, and are connected to it, and if their woods are respected, have been known to assist with their knowledge in kind.

As John remembers this piece of information, he shivers a little bit at the thought of going into the forest

3:06 PM

He then thinks up a plan consisting of 1 drone

Leaving the grasslands, he picks up a few handfuls of the grass, to make a sort of incubator or nest for the eggs

3:42 PM

He goes back and pools all his savings until this point which is:

(How much did I get payed the other day?)

(10 credits. You’re not really adventuring or doing anything of challenge. I can’t really justify a giant reward )

(Makes sense)

4:41 PM

John searches on his compad for a safe way through the woods. Looks at maps for trails and such

4:42 PM

And while these things load with the slow wifi, he puts together a nest for the eggs, and puts them under a heat lamp to simulate a mother sitting on them

He also sets up the living room to be more accommodating to a farm of sorts

(So you’re going to keep animals inside?)

(Well yeah,I don’t think I have a house with space outside. I imagine like a sad apartment with bad wifi)

5:48 PM

(And no yard, front or back)

(Theyre apartment rows wedged into tight city streets. There aren’t yards)

(So that’s why I’m keeping animals inside)

5:56 PM

(Call me unsanitary, but the fresh ingredients)

There is a road that leads close to the forest, as a logging camp has been established on its border. The Layzal seem to allow logging in a certain section of the woods, as compensation for a past service done for their own people. The road there is moderately patrolled, and considered one of the safer ones on this dangerous planet.

John packs up some food, his revolver, a journal ,and his favorite stuffed animal(no judgement) and heads out to this trail

10:52 PM

Even with the presence of a nicely made trail, he still has some lingering fear of fauna, but temporarily overcomes it with his greater love of food

10:54 PM

(You want me to rp the logging station, or walking, or should I go straight to the village?)

(No one has been able to find the layzal village on their own. They control the forest. You won’t find it unless you’re invited so the logging camp is the only fixed point of reference you have)

(Ok)

10:09 AM

John arrives as the logging camp, after walking for a few hours.

10:11 AM

He tries to find the direction from this camp which has more usage, more foot traffic

(How much would fishing apparatus cost?)

(50 credits)

(Thanks)

There are a few thin logging roads built into the forest but there is a clear line where logging efforts have stopped and the forest has been left to grow wild. Several loggers and a few trucks are heading the opposite way down this road back toward the camp

John goes up to one of the loggers and says “Can I ask you a question? Have you ever seen the layzal? And if so, In which direction do they normally head into the forest?”

“They came to watch us work when we first came to the forest , and then a few more times after that, just to observe. We haven’t seen them in about a month though. When they appear they usually emerge on the north side of the camp

“Thanks!”

10:09 AM

John begins to walk towards the north side, hand on revolver, ready for any beasts that may come

Beasts and birds caw and call from the treetops as you close in to the thick wood line. There are no other figures nearby

John walks in, shaking a little bit as he enters the forest. His hearing alert, he tries not to make a sound

10:26 AM

He continues to walk northward until he finds something on the ground

(Like what?)

(Up to you, maybe some sign of life?)

The wind picks up as you wander the forest and leaves whip through the trees, they begin to gather in front of you in something like a miniature whirlwind, when a silent figure appears in the center of it (edited)

1:05 PM

John bows, showing respect. “Hello! I have heard that your people inhabit these woods, and I came to visit. I have no ill-intentions towards your people, but would like to benefit frim your expansive knowledge of the planet and It’s ingredients. I am but a humble chef searching for great ingredients”

1

“A man of food and culture. It is refreshing to see a human here who is not a warrior. The gift of the woods is something the Layzal do not part with lightly. You would need to do something for us in return”

“Are you in need of a chef? I am pretty good at cooking, if I do say so myself! I can cook for you and your people, and if you like it, I can come back to cook for you again”

“The Layzal do not eat the way that humans would consider it eating. We require something else. Outside on the plains near your city there is a white flower that grows on the hillsides there, typically near the graves of the recently dead. The Layzal cannot leave the woods , but you can. Bring it to us and we will ensure you get what you need

“Perfect! In addition to that, is that flower any good in food? Just so I can get extra if it is”

“It is safe to eat. We understand little of human taste or nutrition. If it appeals to your tastes is something you would have to find out for yourself”

“Perfect! Well thank you, and I will come back soon”

5:15 PM

John walks back to the logging camp overjoyed, and then checks his compad for a map of where he is and where the gravestones are

5:16 PM

(Can you mark a map of heras with where the graves are so I can see which biomes I’m going through? The animals on heras all look scary) (edited)

(Each hex is 200km , so I’d have to draw a smaller area map. It’s close enough to Mytikas for them to easily get there and bury their dead)

(So about half a hex, through the same biome?)

5:47 PM

(Should be easy, unless I run into grass snakes)

(Close enough yeah)

8:00 PM

(And the road to Mytikas is the one you just used. It’s somewhat patrolled )

Mytikas has begun burying their dead a few kilometers from the city , ensuring that each of them have had a knife thrust through their brain stem before interring them in the ground. The graves are laid out in neat rows and monuments from local white stone sparkle in the late afternoon sun. The grass on some of the fresher mounds has not yet grown back. Two fresher plots nearby with the names Eli And Carmen on them only have a few scattered patches of grass. Someone has left wreathes of other local wildflowers on top. Two undertakers work nearby to lower another coffin into the ground

1

John bows to show respect for the people who died and rest here, in this beautiful cemetery. After showing his respect, john begins to look for the white flowers the layzal was talking about. He was thinking about making tea with them.

Nearby , one of the undertakers jumps out of the hole he is lowering the casket into in alarm, clutching a large gash on his leg

John rushes to him. “Are you ok? How can I help?”

Inside the pit, just a meter or do down it appears this body didn’t have its brain destroyed properly. It tries pulling itself out of the pit on weak arms

John pulls out his revolver and shoots this zombie-looking thing (edited)

11:42 AM

(Zombies?!?)

11:44 AM

(Attack 8 dmg 3, tho i think one shot will destroy the brain)

The shot misses, carving a neat hole into the side of the grave. It tries to lunge for the injured undertaker

11:45 AM

But it’s weak arms are not up to the task and it slides back into the hole

(Same roll, exactly)

(Let John shoot next time. He's got a better chance than Proceus, cause John is EP ;) )

11:59 AM

(

) (edited)

The creature fastens an arm around the wounded undertakers leg, and begins trying to drag him into the grave

JOHN fires another shot, shivering a little, wondering why this couldn’t be just a simple walk in the grave.

12:18 PM

(Attack 16 dmg 7)

The creatures grip relaxes and it falls back into the hole, second life leaving its body for good this time.

1:13 PM

The undertakers are tending their wounds

“Are you ok?”

“That looked like a pretty nasty wound”

“I’m alright. I think. Nothing some medicine and a stay at the field hospital won’t fix “

2:53 PM

“Thanks for stepping in. We don’t get a lot of civilians here. Mostly cause of that” he points at the dead zombie. “What are you doing out here anyway”

“Well, I’m trying to pick a flower that is known to grow around here”

2:54 PM

“It’s white, if that helps”

“I see, something like that grows on the regents tomb. You might get there. It’s just over the next hill”

“Thanks!”

3:04 PM

John walks over to the tomb and gasps when he sees the flowers

The regent's tomb is a large marble spire, carved with scenes from her life as former Governor of Aslief, and later as commander of the Myrmidons. It does not include scenes from her time as acting regent, after the death of her husband Cyrus. The vines are growing around the base of the monument, with dozens of small white flowers growing off of them.

John admires the sight, as the tomb is so much nicer than than the others. He then picks enough flowers so he can use some, but enough for the layzal

10:22 AM

Then he travels back to the logging camp, through the forest back to where he saw the layzal with the flowers in hand

(You'd be traveling overnight at this point, did you want to do that? you're walking like 20km each way)

(No, I’ll regroup at my apartment , and check up on my chickens)

The eggs have been here less than a day, and even under the light bulb you have rigged up there is no change right now. Night passes, quietly. There are a few minor noises out int he street, but it is overall a gentle night in pre-winter Mytikas.

In the morning, john makes a little tea from the white flowers and puts it in a thermos, Wanting to take it to the layzal. He then gently packs the flowers and walks to where he saw the layzal the first time

Its late in the afternoon by time you walk all the way out there, and you're quite tired when you arrive. Arriving back to the same spot, the wind once again picks up, and the Layzal chief appears before you, the armored suit he inhabits stepping out of the thick trees

“Hello there! I have packed the white flowers you requested in my bag.”

It gestures for you to present them, but his voice remains silent within the pockmarked helmet

John pulls out the prepared flowers, hopefully still fresh

11:12 AM

“I also made tea, and I wanted to drink it with you guys”

The leader looks down at the thermos, and the flowers. "This offering is acceptable. I will impart to you the knowledge of one plant you wish to find."

12:24 PM

(something minty, right?)

(Yeah)

12:26 PM

“I wish for something minty, if that’s not too hard” (edited)

“And if you could, maybe a nice tasting grain?”

The layzal vanishes, and in his place, a small bush full of minty smelling leaves is in his place

12:56 PM

(3xp, 5000 credits)

12:57 PM

(the deal was 1 for 1)

(Alright, Can I study and cultivate them?)

(you'd have to actually do something with them, but we can play that out)

(Perfect)

1:00 PM

John walks back home excited with the leaves he holds. He wants to get right to work studying and cultivating them, and maybe keeping a journal of all the ingredients of the planet

(we have 6 uses of the plant, however you choose to do that)

1:01 PM

(and then just post your level up when you get a chance)

(How many uses would it take to study and grow the plant?)

(you need to actually do something, it depends what you do)

(Finished lvl up Heal 0 Hechkeeper lvl 2 Hp + 1)

1:09 PM

John takes one leaf, and then carefully examines it. He looks to see if there are any seeds on the leaves, like on some other plants

(How much would apparatus to make beer cost?) (edited)

(theres no cows here, so billions)

1:39 PM

The leaves do not have seeds or pods on them, but are healthy despite your travels, and the stems are long

John then tries to stick the stem into a pot, then water it, propagating it from the stem

1:40 PM

(And I wanted to make beer)

You use one of your six uses of the mint plant to try to make some seedlings. Time would need to go by before anything of its success can be seen. Mytikas has little in the way of out-city farms at the moment, and the grain coming into the city is made into dense loaves of bread almost as soon as it comes in. Winter is fast approaching, and anything that is not directly related to food is not prioritized at this moment

(Alright, I’ll just downtime until the eggs hatch and the leaves grow)

1:44 PM

(I mean,I could downtime,’unless you have something in mind)

(thats like two months at least of doing nothing)

(Any adventures, food research, or anything you want to try? I’m down for anything)

Simple brewers tools are easy enough to come by, 500 credits buying you enough in your home to get a modest cask or two filled at a time. There were rumors of a place in town called The House of Nails, where a recent and very violent gangland shootout occurred. It was the home of a mysterious green drink some of the people in Mytikas drink, though it seems most of the recipe and equipment was either destroyed or not accounted for when the militia cleared the scene.

(Sounds dangerous, how long does it take to make some frontier medicine?)

(depends what youre doing and how youre preparing it. The proper tools or a prepared facility makes it less likely to fail and faster)

(Some basic healing powder, and unless I can prepare my house, then no facility or tools)

(the brewing stuff could be used here too)

(3 doses of healing powder, to be exact)

2:12 PM

(Ooh, alright, I’ll purchase the equipment)

2:14 PM

(Money is deducted)

That night, your brewing supplies are delivered to your home. The modest dwelling is becoming quite full, and the deliveryman makes a comment about getting a bigger property maybe in the farmlands outside the city where you can do this right. His daughter just got a property for 2500 credits.

John thanks the delivery man, and looks into the real estate on his compad. Something in that range would be nice, maybe something with a small barn and a house. The house could turn into a restaurant and he could live in the barn

2:43 PM

The eggs would hatch soon, so they needed more space, and he needed room to grow the peppermint and grain for the beer

(the property would have a house, barn, and 5 square km of land, but the expectation is you have to farm it to help feed the protectorate)

(A restaurant helps!)

(and if there is a levy, you're expected to join the militia if its called

2:45 PM

(since youre a landowner at that point)

(Alright)

2:46 PM

(I can see why the draft sucked.)

(thats the choice. i can't really go forward from here without some kind of affirmative or negative on this from you)

(Yes)

A deed arrives in the mail by morning, along with aerial shots of your new property (map coming)

Nekosmash pinned a message to this channel. 5/26/2020 2:55 PM

John moves into the back of the house, excited at all the possibilities

2:59 PM

First he transplants the pepperhint(cuz it has a hint of peppermint) into the first row of the field, then puts the lamp and the eggs in the backyard (edited)

(theyre still eggs)

(Sorry, got caught up in the moment)

3:04 PM

He then sets up the front of the house to be a restaurant of sorts, with some taps and a cash register he found laying in the field he cleaned up

(you really think everything you happened to need to open is just randomly laying in the convenient field outside your house?)

(I just said the cash register, but i can go to the store and buy it with the taps and fishing stuff, just tell me how much)

(Do you think I could also open a lab in the barn for food research and full usage of all ingredients?)

(We would habe to actually play some of this out. I don’t know why we are doing a slice of life character to skip over huge slices of his life )

(Ok, wanna go back and rp getting moved in, or setting up shop?)

(What do you want to do John?)

The farmhouse is unfurnished, but there is water and power in both the home and barn. The barn has a large enclosure in the back where your eggs can be kept warm and the walls seems solid enough to keep anytihng out that might eat them. The fields are fallow, aside from the first row of mint that you plant on arrival. Your brewing equipment also fits nicely in the barn.

(Thanks)

10:01 AM

After working all day moving in, john goes to sleep. He wakes to go and go to the store, and pick out some fishing apparatus

10:01 AM

(I’ma go rp going to the store)

John walks to the store, a supermarket of sorts. He walks on down to the fishing section, and buys that 50 cred fishing pole he’s been wanting for awhile. He also went by to go check if there were any grain seeds for his beer

He just browses through the aisles though, seeing if he wants any of the seeds there

The grain and its seedlings have been kept under official Protectorate Government control. This is the first ever harvest, and winter is coming rapidly. They want to be able to germinate more food quickly when the grow season comes again

(Is there any other seeds? There is never too much ingredients)

(

11:14 AM

(they've been on the planet for less than a year and were on the verge of starving to death for half of that time. You could always try to explore and find something else)

(Is there any equipment that would boost my “food research”?)

11:16 AM

(And is there a place where I can post all the ingredients I find and their uses?)

(No, and not yet, but once we finish the wiki)

(

)

11:21 AM

John heads back home with the fishing rod, eager to go explore around his new home

11:22 AM

He packs his revolver, some bags for sealing ingredients, his fishing rod, and his compad to take pictures of the wildlife

11:24 AM

He then walks to the left of his field(on the map) because it is the only place not covered in forest

11:25 AM

He has a fear of places where he can’t anticipate where something is, such as local flora

(so going off the map?)

(Yeah, only where there’s no forest)

11:40 AM

(Grasslands are fine, but no forests)

Heading into the grasslands outside the fenced enclosure of your farm, the wind makes a pleasing sound through the tall thrushes. This area is free of the bird nests like closer to Mytikas is, but the emptiness is almost reassuring. Wildflowers, that are not known to have use, but look quite pleasing, are in every color of the rainbow and are intermixed with the plains grasses. The local variant of field mouse, and bee, all work hard in groups to get pollen from the plants

Though john did not see a place with ingredients to cook with, he still smiles at the sight

2:45 PM

He sits for a little while, meditating and taking in all the breeze and the sounds of the animals

2:45 PM

He then grabs his rod and heads to the lake basically in his back yard, and begins to fish

(survive/wis)

(4)

Youre able to catch a small green-gill, one of the most common species of fish on this planet

John shouts with excitement, as it is his first catch. He immediately shoves it in a nag and runs back to his house

2:53 PM

He preps his kitchen, and then thinly slices the fish horizontally, and rolls them up in some seaweed and vegetables.

2:55 PM

He then munches them up, a bit sad he has no one to share them with

2:55 PM

Now that’s lunch is out of the way, he begins to knock on his neighbors doors

(there is a farm to the west, and another to the east, everyones pretty spread out, out here, but you're all at least facing the same way along a service road)

(I’ll go to the ones on the east, maybe I can make them my henchman)

To the east a family of a father, mother, three sons, and a daughter , family name the Kletchman's. Sam Keltchman, the family patriarch, has just finished his harvest for the season and you're arriving just in time to see the heavily guarded truck pull away from his farm. He and his wife are getting their winter supplies from the city stowed away inside the house and barn. both of them have long rifles on slings, worn across their backs.

“Hello there! I’m John, the guy that just moved in to the west of you”

“Uh hi John. Can we help you with something ?”

“No, just wanted to say hi. Maybe in the future we could help each other, that kind of neighborly stuff”

4:13 PM

“I also wanted to let you know that if you pop by my restaurant” whispers “which is really my house” “Then you can get a great meal for only (acceptable price)”

“Running a business out of your house? That’s brave of you. Never know who could be coming in to visit. “

“Now that you say that.... Oh well, I need to get money somehow!” (edited)

8:18 PM

“Thanks for your time”

They say nothing as you leave the property and are content to get back to the long job they have ahead of them

John walks back home, content with meeting someone for the day, and gets to work making dinner

10:15 AM

First he goes fishing again, this time not for sushi.(7)

You are able to lure in another pair of greengill before you start to lose the daylight

John slips the greengill in a bag, then walks to the house

10:48 AM

He preheats the stovetop, and prepares the fish

10:51 AM

He cuts it into in 2-3 centimeter strips, then coats them in bread crumbs

10:51 AM

He then fries them, making crispy fish strips

As john munches on his dinner, he sits down to his notes on his so called pepperhint.

11:02 AM

He tests it’s reaction to different substances found in the kitchen

(so we have 5 uses left, since you planted 1 of the 6, what are you testing it with?)

(What would you think I have laying around the house?)

(you havent tried to ferment it, though you wouldnt get results right away)

(Let’s do that)

12:07 PM

John tries to make a tea out of the leaf (edited)

(I found a different thing I wanted to do, called kombucha. It’s a real thing, and you just get tea, put some yeast/bacteria in there and ferment it, you get a fizzy tea sorta thing)

12:21 PM

(You can buy it at mist health stores, healthy and delicious)

Boiling the mint leaves in water does make a rather bland, but dully minty tea drink

12:56 PM

(4 uses remain, this one was used for tea)

(But I want to add yeast to the tea and then ferment that, making a fizzy drink)

(okay, its still a use of the plant though)

1:04 PM

(youre using it for something)

(I thought I had 6 leaves)

A small growth of fungus around the back of the barn seems to be the best source of a bacterial agent needed to simulate yeast, and you manage to get everything together inside a barrel, provided with the brewing equipment. It bubbles gently. (you planted one, which brought us to 5 left, and you're using one for this project, which brings us down to 4)

(

)

1:07 PM

(How long do you decree it will take?)

(about a month)

(Alright, any adventures you think might be cool?)

(Well, you said youre trying to get taps and stuff, we could go into town and try to meet a metal worker)

(Perfect)

2:35 PM

John finishes the day by getting to work on some frontier medicine, and when it gates late enough to go to sleep, he sleeps

2:40 PM

(Can you dm me the progress on that?)

2:41 PM

He then walks all the way to the closest town.(Can you tell me the shops that are openly visible?)

(progress on what? i need to know what medicine youre trying and you need to roll to attempt to make it too, so you have about as much info as I do at the moment)

(Anti-toxin, and roll a heal/int check?)

(yes)

(13)

Before bed, you are able to brew enough ingredients from around the farm into a single dose of anti-toxin

John wakes up the next day to go to the nearest town, where he hopes to meet a metalworker. He’s always been fascinated by them.

(Can I get a map or a list?)

(Mytikas is the only city you’re close to. There is a map of the planet available in several places alreasy) (edited)

(Alright)

5:39 PM

(Do I roll connect to find one?)

In town, there is only one metal workshop and it is responsible for all the manufactured goods in the city right now. A small line is forming outside, as people barter for smaller household components they might need, though it seems like the bulk of the manufacturing efforts here are centered around the construction of a massive wheeled vehicle, at least 10m tall and several times as long. Finally, youre able to get to the front of the line where a grease stained mechanic and a datapad waits to take the specifications for your order

“Hi! I was wondering if you could make some taps for a bar?”

"Beer taps for a bar? Alright, so we're going to want something stainless and easy to clean. How many did you think you'll need?"

“About 3, is that too hard?”

(Maybe a trade roll?)

(Neko will let you know if you need to roll. Not everything requires it.)

(Yes, but I wondering id I could get a discount, something not covered by rp)

(The general way of things in SWN is that you attempt to do something and then neko will let you know if it needs a roll. First try convincing the guy to give you a discount instead of just asking to use an RNG to see if you are successful)

(What eish said)

(

)

(You might be able to make a good enough argument that no roll is necessary. Or you may offer a favor and that might entice him. Just two things off the top of my head where something you did while Roleplaying negated the need for a roll.)

(Perfect, thanks)

(You got it buddy

)

“I can do three. 200 credits for that lot, they’ll last forever as long as you clean them”

"Can we lower the price to 100 if you got a free meal at my new restaurant? If not satisfied, I,ll pay you the 100 left"

"I dont know if i want to walk all the way out to the farmlands just to eat, thats nice of you to offer though. How about we meet in the middle at 150?"

"That sounds perfect" John dishes out the credits, and waits in the town until he's done

the fabrication work only takes an hour, before you're presented with three shining stainless steel taps, and the pipes running under the bar to kegs

“Thank you! If you’re ever by the hillside and need some food, just call me.”

12:04 PM

John switches compad numbers with the metal worker

He provides the shop number for you, and wraps your packages carefull,y before sending you on your way

John lingers a little bit, heading to some restaurants to see if they have auditions for any spots there. John knows that to have a restaurant, you need capitol

There are no restaurants in Mytikas right now. Most of the city is rebuilt ruin, and the construction work that is being done with housing now completed, is finishing the large curtain wall that is mean to surround the existing city

John dejectedly walks back to the farm and falls asleep for the night, thinking about the (insert what psychic academy looks like) building

(we never really said what it looks like here, guess we will ifnd out together haha)

John wakes up in the morning to pick up what he needs. He takes his fishing rod, the revolver, a basic cooking set, and his journal, into which he has a solid backup of all his food research.

1:36 PM

He then walks to mystika, up to the branch that says: Psi-Academy.

1:37 PM

After taking a breath, he walks into the lobby and up to the receptionist

The Psychic Academy branch on Mytikas is located in the outer city, where the ruins were more easily cleared for a larger campus. It is rumored the Regent had once offered the site of the ruined Temple of Ares, but it was turned down, as it looked like a slight against those who died there. The building is a large columned building in front, though once you enter in through the 3m wooden entry doors, which at the moment are plain of decoration, you enter into a very new looking reception area. There are a set of reinforced doors off to the left of the L shaped reception desk, that likely do not open from this side unless the receptionist does so. Two Mytikas militia also stand guard, one on each side of the door.

John walks up to the receptionist and greets her

2:14 PM

“Hello there. I was wondering where I could apply to get a job here?”

"I see, well, what are your skills? We can probably find some work for you"

“Well, I cook pretty well, and I can mix up some mean medicine.”

2:36 PM

“And I’m up for learning anything that would make me helpful”

2:36 PM

(I banked 2 sp last time, so this time I get 5)

“I am also very good at business transactions”

“If you’re given a set of directions do you think you can follow them?”

“I believe I can.”

“Great. We have a small group of explorers heading out to look at some ruins to the south. They’re above ground and even if there are no artifacts there for us to examine it will still help us understand the local culture “

“Alright! When do they depart?”

“Tonight. You can rest during the drive overland, and you should be there by morning”

“Thank you!”

7:25 PM

During the wait, John goes to buy a dataslab (they aren’t illegal). He’s been frustrated by the hoarding of seeds of the Protectorate, and has wanted to try his hand at hacking to see where he could get some

(No those are fine. Black slabs are the illegal ones)

7:45 PM

You’re able to get a data slab for market prices. (Program/int if you’re trying that then)

(No)

7:51 PM

John walks back to the branch around nighttime, waiting for the truck to come

The expedition group meets at the South Gate with a driver, two security , an analyst and now you. The truck is a bit battered but looks to be in decent condition

“Hello there. Thank you for having me. Are we planning on being there for more than a day?”

“If there’s something of value , we could be there for a few days. I expect at that point we will get resupply by air”

“Perfect. I can cook and make medicine as needed, so don’t hesitate to ask”

(We skipped an encounter there. Please wait for me before we just skip whole scenes

(Ok)

(You’re ready for it now but let’s not skip huge blocks of time like that)

(Mkay)

8:47 PM

John sleeps until they get there, catching up on sleep

The vehicle comes to a halt suddenly and throws almost everyone from their bunk.

8:23 AM

The temple ruins ahead are dark , backlit by the morning light. The suns rays make chips of mica worked into the stone glitter

John squints as he wakes up, a bit pissed inside that he got waken up so abruptly

10:57 AM

He quickly excites, though, once he sees the awesome sight outside.

10:58 AM

John walks outside, checking if anyone has left the car already

The others are likewise beginning to stir. Two of the technical minded of the crew are getting a survey scanner set up on its bulky tripod

1:44 PM

The rest seem to be keeping near the truck, looking at the temple and out over the plains

“Hey. Any way I can help?”

"Good morning, we're going to be going inside in a few minutes once we get the area scanned. Everyone else is going to walk the perimeter while we finish this part of the job, an extra set of hands with them might be a good idea"

“Sounds good!” John begins to walk around the temple looking at the structure as much as trying to find plants that are growing around it

The structure is covered in vine especially along the back where it seems to get more sun. They extend from the base of the structure all the way up to its ceiling. A handful of skinny trees grow on the rubble on the roof. Birds scatter from the arches as you close in on the building and there is evidence larger animals may have been sheltering here once, as their are blanched piles of droppings and collections of nesting material

“Hey!”

11:48 AM

John calls the attention of the others. “I think we might have to be careful. This looks like a nest for a large animal”

The surveyors agree now that you all get back together. “We still have to go in. Or at least we have to try.” (I see you actually have something to do now. We can jump into that if you want )

(Well, he said he’d get back at the end of the week, and I wanted to level up) (edited)

“Alright. Where are we going in?”

7:44 PM

John holds his revolver. “Better be safe than sorry”

“Right through the front door. Not that there is much of one anymore. We take this step by step and go slow. We document everything we see on the outside too. Statues, carvings, anything”

“Lets go!” John takes the first step into the temple

The group lags behind, stopping to follow instructions and get some of the statues and carvings analyzed. There are two, both separate from the temple, one on each side of the wide stairs leading in. Vines cover both of them, and are being gently cut away to reveal the two humanoid warrior women underneath the vines. Each of them carries a kite shield, resting against her right leg and the 'ground' . In their left hand, each carries a spear, point up, with a phalanx style helmet under her arm.

11:23 AM

The shields have different symbols carved into them. One is an open eye, fashioned to look like the suns rays behind it. The other is a pair of perfectly balanced scales

(I feel like this is a hint)

11:44 AM

“So, what do you think?”

11:45 AM

Being a bit slow minded when it comes to archeological things, ha asks the experts

"These were clearly important figures somewhere in the history of Heras if the temple or whatever this building is has been built to honor them, or some aspect of their mythology. The balanced scales are a common thread when it comes to justice or the afterlife"

“Interesting”

1:49 PM

(Is there a second floor, or maybe more to this one?)

(you wouldnt be able to tell from outside at the statues)

John ventures deeper into the temple, revolver at the ready

4:19 PM

The statues were pointing at the sky, a weird thing to do inside a closed room

4:19 PM

He looks around for a staircase

There is a broken staircase at the east side of the temple. There is a 3m gap between the upper part of the gap and lower. The temple floor had artwork made form colored stones placed into the ground once. Drippings , wind blown dirt and weeds between the flagstones have made it impossible to tell what it was once. There is a cleared place in the center of the room where a ring of six broken statues stand. Only their ankles and bits of leg are visible now. The most intact has been broken off just below the waist. Their missing pieces have either been carried away or ground into the flagstones as they’re missing now

“Hey! I found something!”

5:06 PM

John calls the team over, while trying to get some equipment to help clear the floor

There are a few grappling hooks and ropes available. It won’t make the attempt harmless but it might help

(I meant clean up the floor, but your idea is better)

(They’re just exploring they’re not equipped to do wholesale reconstruction work like this)

John grabs the grappling hook and attaches it to a rope. He then swings the hook, like you would see with a lasso, towards the second floor, hoping it wraps around something

(Exert/dex)

(9)

The ropes stick fast and you're able to get to the other side of the stairwell, leading up to the second floor of the temple. The ceiling is low, there is barely enough room for you to stand, though it seems that there are three rooms up here with their stone doors rolled into place

(you could move the stone doors aside, but you cant see whats in them for now)

John crawls over to the doors and slowly pushes them open

11:30 AM

(Can I be the first to see what's here?)

(no one else is up there with you, everyone else is downstairs. but you need to pick room A, B, or C first so I know what to describe to you)

(B)

The room looks to be used as some kind of ceremonial preparation room. A large cabinet of fly eaten books stands against the wall. Most of what is on the shelves has been devoured by moths, their larva, and ravaged by moisture. A stone table in this room has a pair of tarnished golden scales, a spear that has rotted down to the metal point (no haft) and a helmet that has been broken in half, split almost directly down the middle. Only half of the helmet is here.

John grabs a part of the helmet, the tip of the spear, one gold scale, and a book.

10:58 AM

he then tries to crawl back downstairs to share his discovery

(dont need a check for the way back, since you set sometihng up)

(good)

11:00 AM

"Hey guys! I think I found something"

The group assembles to see what you have brought with you, noticing your hands are full. Before long you have the entire expedition crowded around you

"So I found some rooms upstairs, and one had these things. We could explore, but I would ask if I could get first dibs on one thing we find?"

"These might be important cultural treasures to the people in the surrounding villages, or we might need them to restore the building. We're not here for grave robbing or looting"

"Alrighty. That is a perfectly perfect answer, one that I expected as well. I can let you do this, is there any supplies out there I can cook into a breakfast for you guys?"

(if youre not going to explore then we can move on to the Radji mission, because I'm not going to just do a dungeon clear screen while the NPC's do everything, I'll save the mission for someone who wants to do it)

(I want to explore it. What I wanted to do is that they put tape around it and safe it, and I make breakfast, make friends, then come back and help)

(I am still confused)

(I would leave, and cook breakfast while they secure the site. Then after conversation over tea and crumpets, I would go back and help them)

Taking the items you found, the explorers head in, leaving the ration portions of their packs behind for you to work with. One by one, they vanish into the building and you can hear the sounds of their labors and plans for trying to figure out what might be happening here

John begins to unpack the day's rations, and sees what he has to work with

(we can jus get a work of perform/dex or int)

(a work/int?)

(work/int is fine)

(5)

You do not have trouble cooking the meal, but the finding things that go together to make it from is more of a problem. Technically, the meal is cooked correctly, but your peanut butter powdered scrambled egg jalapeño stew is not well received by the group. They thank you to be polite.

2

"Don't sugarcoat it guys" he says after eating his own stew.

2:56 PM

"It doesn't taste that good"

2:57 PM

"So, ready to get back to exploring with my incredible(sarcasm) stew in your stomach?"

“I’m going to explore for a place to get sick first but the items you found might be a clue to something bigger. You said you wanted to be first so head on up there and see what else you find”

"Alright! have fun"

10:26 AM

John waddles back to the area, not feeling so good himself

10:27 AM

He climbs back up to the cramped space

(A and C were not explored so far, you took the items from B)

(Ok, just making sure I didn't skip over something)

10:30 AM

He crawls into room A, expecting nothing and alot at the same time

The stone is rolled aside, revealing what looks to be a coffin in the center of the room. A torch sits unit, and unfueled at each corner of the large stone box. The surface is flat, but etched with a carving showing a relief of one of the statues outside. This one shows the statue that has the golden scales held in balance

John, having a fear of zombies, vampires, and combat in general, backs off

You end up back in the hallway, with only C left to open

John heads to open C, revolver ready in case there is another creepy crawly

C looks much the same as A when you roll the stone away, though the carving here shows the warrior woman holding her spear aloft, a symbol of a 'hail' or welcome to a comrade

John thinks a little about those mystery games you play on the compad where you have to interact with statues in a certain order to open a secret passageway

10:46 AM

first would be balancing the scales with the gold scales

10:46 AM

then you would??? Prepare food?

10:47 AM

Then you would raise the spear?

10:47 AM

it made no sense

10:47 AM

He asks for someone else's opinion

10:48 AM

"Hey guys! These rooms have some weird symbols"

Taking the items you recovered from room B, they go by what has been inscribed in the top of each coffin. The scales are placed in A, where shown, and the spear remains is placed in C. For now it seem the helmet half does not have a place. The torches in each room come to life as the objects are set into the lids , and in the center of the floor down below the tiles begin to shift. Ages of dirt and vine are whisked away as the movement of the stones breaks plant fiber. A statue rises from the ground in the center of the temple floor where the spiral pattern reached its middle. It is a combination of elements from both statues, scales in one hand, spear in the other, and half a golden helmet on its head

John reverently places the last peice of the helmet on it's head, half-expecting it to split in half, or spit something out

Scaling the statue, he places the other half of the helmet on the warrior woman's head, and there is the weighted click of machinery. Gears begin to turn deep below the temple, and although most of the bricks on the exterior are missing, cracking, or broken, something is happening. A large judicial stand, and bench rise from the eastern side of the temple, with the justice scales wielding woman statuary rising, one on each side of this new stand.

(Are they unbalanced?)

(they're balanced)

(Then what do I do with balanced scales?)

(they used them upstairs)

(Sit on them?

(you dont have any of the things you picked up left)

12:47 PM

Aside from restoration work, it appears the hidden machinery here has been exposed. This was clearly a temple devoted to some aspect of the concept of Justice. The books upstairs once likely held more clues, but they were improperly stored by people at least hundreds of years dead, and nothing can be done for them now.

John gathers up the books, and puts them in the car, and prepares for the ride back to heras

1

12:50 PM

First, though, he wants to cook a meal. A good one this time

(youve used everything people here are willing to let you use)

(aww, alright)

2:14 PM

John readies for the ride back to heras

The exploration team is staying, and the books stay with them. A lighter from the station above sets down, ramp lowered, ready to bring you back to Mytikas

2:16 PM

(3xp, 5000 credits)

(Yay!)

2:18 PM

(Nothing much happened to the farm in one or two day's, right?)

(no, everything is running normally, you were hardly gone)

(Alright, where should I go for the Radj mission?)

The following day you meet two of Kayden’s scout soldiers aboard the shipyard platform. The shuttle Low Technology has been assigned for your use and Worldgov there is aware you’re coming. You’re asked to radio in on getting to the planet so they can tell you where to meet (edited)

John walks onto the ship and says hello to the people there

4:54 PM

"Hello! I'm John, the person selected to go trade with Radj, but a cook at heart"

“Ah you’re the one to get their terms of entry. I see. We’ll climb aboard. We will be leaving shortly. Probably just you and the pilot up front for most of the trip but we will be around”

"Alright" John the settles into the front (How much Downtime?)

(1 day of downtime)

(1/90 survive(

The ship enters the gravity well of the Radji system, and the world below is moonless, bathed in the heat of a single sun. The planet is almost earth like with a mix of climates , though there seems to be some kind of confrontation occurring in the northern polar zone. It’s largest city is a smoking ruin and you can see the fires burning there even from orbit. “Alright. World gov said to radio them when we got here and they’d tell us where to land” the pilot says, pointing to a communications terminal

John grabs the radio and tunes it in to the World Gov frequency. "Hello, this is the Low Tech, here to trade. We were told you might have a place for us to land?

There is a crackle on the radio and finally the link opens. “Low Tech. This is Radji intelligence services. I will highlight a point in the desert for you to land and we can discuss trade, and terms. Do not deviate from the course we lay out. You will be fired upon if you do”

"Roger that"

John tells the pilot to set them down wherever they show them"

The pilot sets down in the middle of the desert zone where most of the outside space traffic coming to land on the planet is directed. A fat bodied helicopter blacked out against the desert sun makes its way over distant mountains as your own craft sets down, and the pilot believes they'll be here in about fifteen minutes. Kayden's two security detail officers likewise climb out, eager to stretch their legs and ensure the site is safe for everyone

John also steps out, and takes out his dataslab

7:27 PM

(I wanted to try out hacking, or just "sensing")

(I'd need some specifics before I can really say anything)

(as far as what youre trying to hack or sense)

(Program/int then)

(No, I just misunderstood hacking)

10:05 AM

John walks and also stretches his legs, happy to be on ground

(There was a post I can’t see anymore. I was replying to that)

(So, you still want the program/int?)

The helicopter sets down 200m from your group kicking up a swirl of sand and dust. Four Radji marines and a grey suited agent emerge from the helicopter , he waves briefly and jogs over

"Hello there, my name is John. We were here for trade opportunities"

"John. I'm Agent Taurus, working with the Radji intelligence services. Pleased to meet you. We trade with Heras already from this location. Your merchant has been here this month already. We were under the impression someone would be arriving to discuss terms for our inclusion in the Protectorate"

"On that front, I am not sure. I was sent here to discuss a trade deal for food, and maybe if we have time we can discuss that"

"I also was wondering personally, if you could tell me what was happening in the north polar zone?" (forgive me if I got it wrong, but the area with burning wreckage)

"A dangerous political movement created a security concern and the military was forced to intervene. The issue has been handled and Radji is once again back to a state of stability"

"Great, where can we talk trade, now that we've stretched?"

"Here. The people of this planet do not know that spaceflight has been achieved again by the outside world, and for now we intend t keep it that way, so there is no mass panic"

"Ok then. What are your terms of trade for(Insert needed food)"

w

12:41 PM

"We are looking for fuel and astronautic tools for the spacefaring industry we are trying to create. While you are here I have been instructed to negotiate a peace treaty between Radji and the protectorate and petition for membership into the protectorate as well. Radji will offer

A large food shipment to help Mytikas get through winter
Opening the planet to Protectorate merchants and civilians
the rights to set up additional protectorate holdings Radji Wants
- A voice in Protectorate government
Infrastructure support
Major Space defenses completed within six months (they have too many cities for minor to cover the whole planet)

"These terms look acceptable, but I'll have to report them to my superiors. Thank you for your time."

12:45 PM

John switches Compad numbers in order to update him on the status of the demand

(Am I skipping anything If I go ahead?)

(I guess not. I copied the terms to everyone who needed to see them)

John heads into the ship, and powers it on. "Hey, pilot? Can we head to balquis? I wanted to check to see some areas of interest" (edited)

“This ship isn’t equipped for hauling anything. We could explore but we won’t be able to take anything we find”

"That's alright. I just want to find useful things, and claim what I can"

9:40 AM

"Let's go"

(4 days of downtime on the flight there, passing through the Techmessa system)

(Alright, I'll take 6/90 survive)

Abandoned Colony The world once hosted a colony, whether human or otherwise, until some crisis or natural disaster drove the inhabitants away or killed them off. The colony might have been mercantile in nature, an expedition to extract valuable local resources, or it might have been a reclusive cabal of zealots. The remains of the colony are usually in ruins, and might still be dangerous from the aftermath of whatever destroyed it in the first place. Former Trade Hub This world was a major crossroads for local interstellar trade. It is well-positioned at the nexus of several short-drill trade routes, and has facilities for easy transfer of valuable cargoes and the fueling and repairing of starships. The natives are gone now, leaving behind decaying infrastructure and rotting starships.

John tells the pilot to hover near the trade hub, and gets his pack ready for life on the ground, at leat for a little bit. He goes to the armory and takes one rifle with a magazine loaded, and gets ready to teleport down

9:52 AM

"Make sure that you guys stay safe, and if you pick up anything on your scanners, be sure to tell me"

(The pad can do you and the two soldiers right now before needing to recharge)

9:53 AM

The Low Technology makes orbit, not needing to risk itself by getting closer to teleport you. The only place it is safe to do so is the edge of the junk field, outside the walls of the hub, though the walls are crumbled and should be easy to get over

"Does anyone want to come with? I'm perfectly fine if you don't I'd probably do the same"

(If I wait at the point I got dropped off in for 6 minutes, how fast can I get teleported back up?)

10:17 AM

(If I'm in danger, not at the starting point)

(six minutes has to go by before its recharged, but its only a few seconds to teleport

(Alright, do I have to stand still?)

(yes(

10:25 AM

The two guards are coming down with you

John then tells the pilot to teleport them down

10:26 AM

Time to get some salvage

There is a thunderclap of sound and a wall of blown dirt as the three of you materialize at the edge of the trade hub. The wrecks of small system craft, large cargo planes, and the large warehouse row itself are in various states of disrepair. The runways and rocket launch pads are likewise rusted over, exposed to years of the elements without being maintained

"Let's split up. (Insert solder name 1), you go check out that cargo plane. (Insert soldier name 2), you go check out the warehouse row. I'll check out the small craft."

11:47 AM

"If you see danger, or anything at all, do not engage for 6 minutes. After that point, we can teleport you out of here"

The two soldiers are not planning to explore on their own, and instead will cover you while you explore

11:50 AM

(you also dont have the authority focus, so they're not going to listen to you when youre asking them to do life threatening things)

(Makes sense)

11:51 AM

John walks up to the small craft, hoping to get inside

The small craft remaining here look to be the remains of grav flyers, used to pick up cargo from other parts of the planet and bring it here. The fliers are wide bodied, little more than a functioning cockpit, some navigation equipment and the engines themselves. Everything else is cargo space. What once once carried aboard is hard to get at with the way the wreckage has spread out

(Are they functional?)

(is the wrecked airplane functional? no)

(Sorry:))

( : P)

John walks into the wreckage and towards the cargo space

(lets get a fix/int, you'll have to cut your way through)

(6)

Your metatool is able to cut a few of the offending panels away, and youre able to get into the hold. Ingots of metal have been stamped into uniform pieces and secured to pallets. Most of the straps have broken in the crash, and the trade bars are scattered everywhere on the ground. Those that can rust, have light coatings of it on them

(Can the low tech carry anything? Like maybe some pounds worth of sample ingots?)

3:40 PM

John laughs a bit, happy with the find. He then tries to set up a meeting with Valentina, the only one he knows that is roaming around, exploring planets

(It’s full between all its fittings and crew space

John takes photos using his compad of all the scrap and metal bars, marvelling at the chances

4:26 PM

He then walks away, marking the area on the map, and tries to see a large building, (The spaceship repair facility)

4:26 PM

(Potential for a business, spaceship repair)

(There is no repair facility marked )

4:38 PM

You see large warehouses and several launch pads nearby but nothing that fits what you are searching for

(Go with the flow I guess)

4:39 PM

John then walks toward the warehouses, hoping to find materials or equipment to get an outpost going here

(theyre using system ships and cargo rockets. They dont have the kind of repair facilities you want here , theyd be of no value to the kinds of things EP is using)

4:49 PM

The warehouse rows have doors that released and are open now, as power failed here long ago and failsafes tripped. .

(In the warehouse, I was looking more for anything. Weapons, anything we can sell or maybe far trade)

4:50 PM

(Also, with hacking can you find the locations of computers near by?)

4:51 PM

John walks into the first row, cautiously approaching with his rifle at the ready

(You could find unsecured computer systems. Anything secure or otherwise hardened against intrusion would need a check, and possibly even physically interacting with its data lines and planting line shunts)

(Thanks)

4:58 PM

He kicks open the door, trying to look cool, and not wanting to loose the grip on his rifle

THe doors are open and your boot meets nothing but open space. The warehouses are full of rotting parts, boxes that have seen better days, and drums of lubricant that have been exposed to the elements and are now fundamentally worthless for the jobs they intended. The barrels themselves might be worth something as scrap, and with costly work the chemicals could be re-synthesized, but anyone looking to make money from this would be encouraged to look elsewhere.

John marks it down for scrap, then leaves to the next row

10:09 AM

If lucky, with all this scrap, Ep(and maybe john) could make some pocket change)

The next warehouse row is in a similar condition, though in the last row house, it seems the insides were being used as a parking garage for the workers here. Most of the cars will not be worth anything or capable of driving again without a complete rebuild, but there is a motorbike that seems to be in good condition, its over-protective owner storing it under a tarp

John take a look at the motorbike, in awe of the ability to stay like this for years

10:18 AM

he then puts the tarp on it, and marks it all for salvage

10:19 AM

(Do you want me to stay here and make this a mission, or to go back and come with a ship with cargo space)

(Its up to you, you can't carry off anything you find right now. The Patroclus is completed, which has 80 tons of cargo space free)

"Take us up. We'll come back with something bigger"

10:22 AM

(80 tons of scrap and moola! yes plz)

(3xp, 5000 credits for looking into it, and getting the terms to Radji)

(Yay! thanks. How long to Heras?)

(5 days all thee way back to Heras)

(11/90 survive)

10:27 AM

(My farm should not of had much different, right?)

(no development is happening there since you're not working on it, but it hasn't been long enough for the mint plant to do anything meaningful or for the eggs you found to hatch)

(That's all I meant)

10:30 AM

(Do I have to ask EP to let me take a shiny new big ship?)

(Yes)

(And where would I do that?)

(meeting channel)

John lands, and after a process heads to the spaceport for the Patroclus.

11:06 AM

(Are the crew already there, or should I say something on an intercom) (edited)

(the crew are generally assigned to the ship through Naval service, so aside from you who is I guess a non-ranking expedition leader, they're normally always around or at least close by)

Over the pa system, john says "Hello, this is John Torino. I have been given control of this ship for a while to check out a planet. We will be gone for about 2 weeks, and It is strictly not combat. I will do my best to make it a great mission."

11:24 AM

(So the 6 people get on, and we head back to balquis I'm guessing. Instead of downtime, I'll try to get to know the crew members and play like games with them)

The five day trip back is uneventful, as the crew takes turns manning their stations, physical training, keeping up their other duties as navy members, and otherwise keeping largely to themselves. you're able to lure a few into some card games and the nights pass , but on a ship this small its hard to get everyone together at once

John walks up to the pilot. "Okay, we should land right by the hab. "

12:21 PM

He then assembles the crew, and says "We will aim for the warehouse rows. Try and load up anything of value, and anything that looks usable. Scrap is most abundant, but if you are carrying scrap, and find anything usable, then pick that up instead"

(what is john going to be doing during this time?)

(Checking and loading alongside with me people)

12:33 PM

John heads onto the ground after the landing, heading straight for the motorcycle he saw

12:33 PM

He checks to see if it is in running condition, or at least can turn it's wheels

The bike looks fine, its wheels are a bit flat but overall intact, and the engine is in working condition

John yelps a bit, excited at the concept of a vehicle of his own. He then rolls the motorcycle into the hull and continues looking

2:27 PM

He first walks over to the cargo ship he found before, and starts to haul some of the trade bars

(Their probably pure steel right? Might be worth something)

(They would be considered rare ingots, which have a cost per ton in suns of gold, when it comes time to sell them somewhere, I'll help you)

2:38 PM

The goods are still inside the crashed hull, and as you begin collecting (notice/wis)

(Probably a snake in there, but 6)

You spend several moments collecting trade bars, and when you go to collect the crate from one of the workers with you- previously standing outside the wreck, they are not there anymore.

John immediately puts up his Combat Rifle he got from the armory and slowly backs up to the wall, and silently tries to radio his crew members (edited)

The radio channel is open, but without saying anything, you cannot check on the crew or report the disappearance

John tries to slink, with his back to the wall to a place he can hide

3:18 PM

The only thing he is thinking of is not dieing

3:19 PM

(How far is the ship?)

(500m from your current position, it had to land outside the junk fields here)

(Alright, I just hide in a place that hopefully blocks sound, rifle at the ready at all times)

You elect to remain in the hold, and the radio remains silent. You’re not sure what might be happening out there. There is a crack of a combat rifle firing followed by the scream of a man in pain. It sounded like it came from behind the next wreck over from your position

John slowly peeks out, pointing the rifle in that location

(You’d have to actually leave to see what’s happening over there)

John doesn't peek, but uses the sacrifice of his crew member to call for help, in a whisper. "Help. This is John of EP, on barquis, with a creature that is killing me crew" (edited)

He then radios the pilot. "Take her up, and if you see a creature, do not hesitate to shoot"

There is a black shape tumbling through the sky toward you, thrown from behind the wreck pile in front of you. The severed head lands in the mud a few inches from your boot, the face frozen in a shout or scream. The cut isn’t clean, ivory bone of the spinal cord jagged and still bleeding

John gulps, and continues to hide and wait

6:39 PM

He readies his weapon, ready to burst fire the shit outa that thing as soon as it hits his eye line

Whatever is assaulting your crew does not come closer to you, and seems to be moving toward the Free Merchant. There is a significantly louder and longer burst of fire, before its cut short, this time the screams are too far away to be heard (edited)

(Did the pilot get my message?)

(you cant be sure, all you know is what's been typed out so far)

Can you tell me what is around me?)

There is a second wrecked cargo plane to your north. This is where one of the security crew was assaulted, and behind it is where the severed head was thrown from. You are currently cowering in the hold of the first crashed cargo plane. To your west, there is a small engineering shed with no door on it, and a dirty window. To the east, there is open ground, leading to a runway where a fallen rocket has effectively cut the straight pavement in half

John tries to position some metal bars over him, and tries to erase his scent. All this done without a sound, he tries to go to sleep

10:55 AM

(I'll cower and wait for the SCAF people to come)

(how would you know they're coming?)

(IC I wouldn't, but I can't do anything)

(you can't? )

10:58 AM

(You havent tried anything)

(Well, I could, but I am immensly afraid of dying.)

10:59 AM

(Nvm, I'll do it) John gets up and sneaks over the the rocket to the east

As you move east, and get a new perspective on the junk field, you see that what's hunting you is not a creature at all, but something like punkish looking raiders. A sawblade tied to a long piece of wood is embedded in the neck of a headless security officer, and you see that two raiders are face down in the mud near the tangle of junk where you came in, along with a dying EP security officer- run through by a spear. Two raiders are climbing the junk, scrap weapons on their back, creeping toward the Free Merchant and it's guards, who may be unaware of the danger

11:01 AM

They are 200m from your location, and do not seem to have noticed, their hearing not as effective due to the creaking and shifting junk

John gets immensly angry, knowing that he cowered and waited while two HUMANS killed the guards

11:02 AM

Animals live, they must kill

11:02 AM

Humans kill to kill

11:03 AM

WIth a determined look in his eye, john crouches, and gets ready to snipe the raiders

11:04 AM

(Execution attack, 300 feet away)

(shoot/dex, against a DC of 8. Normally you need a full minute of setup time, in which during that time they'd slip away, but ill let you ignore that for this scene)

(7)

The shot hits the rearmost raider, wounding him critically but not killing him. The raider on top of the wall, who is unhurt, blows some kind of hunting horn, and the call is echoed from the woods 500m behind you, as reinforcements waiting closeby answer

11:12 AM

You cannot yet see this new force

John slinks away, trying to get to someplace he can see what is going on, but not be seen

(we're still in combat, you can move 10m, or 20m if you forgo your action to move again)

(10)

(10 as in youre moving 10m?)

(Yes)

(and as an action you're allowed to make a skill check, so we can use a sneak/dex here to try to find a spot in the wreckage to observe from)

(2)

(Vs 9) The raiders on the junk wall see you, though one is fumbling through some kind of burlap bag to try to find medicine or something else they can use to stop the bleeding. The one on the wall jumps down, still 200m away, and brandishing a large knife. The Raiders in the trees have not emerged yet, but do blow the horn again

11:25 AM

(his move was to essentially double move off the pile, so its back to you)

John sets up his rifle, and tries to (prepare for Execution attack) until the enemy is 150m away

(it's a full minute of setup time, he would be in melee with you by time you got positioned and ready)

John waits until the man is 150 feet away to burst fire

(2 turns would pass with you doing nothing and him double moving) From the woods, the first few raiders begin to appear, along with a hoverskiff they have converted into some kind of war technical.

11:31 AM

(They're still about 500m away from you)

11:32 AM

(and then we just need a regular attack roll from you then since you're shooting)

(hit 9 dmg 7)

The shots go wide as the charging raider closes to 130m of you, brandishing the bloody edge of his large blade, and howling.

John repeats fire

11:34 AM

(Hit 5 dmg 9)

It is as though he is in tune with everything around him, weaving aside as another few rounds whistle over his shoulder. now within 110m of you. He reaches for a balanced dagger in a shoulder brace

(hit 6 dmg 13)

closing to 90m, you can see his wode war paint, and the raiders behind you slowly creep forward, those on foot keeping to behind the technical

"Can I surrender? I really don't wanna die"

The raiders close in, and you are overwhelmed in a rain of fists, kicks, and blows with the butts of weapons. You see the Free Merchant blasting off, unwilling to stick around or mount a rescue.

"Please, let me go. I'll do anything."

(youre knocked out now, they beat the crap out of you I'm PM'ing you some stuff)

(When do I wake up? and do I level up for getting beat up, because I need to get some skills)

(3xp, and when I'm ready to post ill get something up for you. I have to tihnk about how this is going to go now)

12:14 PM

(No)

12:15 PM

John isnt sure how many days have passed when he wakes up, or if its even the same one. His hear has been taken from him aside from the clothing he was wearing at the time of his capture- though most of it is torn at least in some small way. His boots are entirely gone. Hands bound, he awakens in a sitting position, tied to a wooden pole, inside some kind of tent like building.

12:16 PM

The worst of the injuries look to have been splinted and bandaged as needed

"Hello?"

12:17 PM

John croaks a simple message

John dreads the situation. Oh well. Maybe he could raise Balquis, he could make it flourish once again. It would take work, and...... not being a prisoner

The tent flap opens, as two guards and some sort of medic or field doctor enter the tent. Their gear is likewise in rough condition, but the have the walk of people with liberty of the camp, and do not strike you as other prisoners

"Hello there" Says John, trying to be polite to his captors

"You took a beating" the doctor says, checking over your wounds. At least one of them needs new bandages. "Red Eyes wants to know why you gave up so quickly. You had time to shoot him. "

"Weell, I really don't like killing people that much, as I'm not a soldier, but I just really did not want to die. I have much more I want to do"

There is a slight poke as the doctor applies a healing draught to your leg, via a needle. "Well, what you want to do and what you're told to do are going to have to be the same thing now. Red Eyes owns you now, as battlefield spoils. You're his new squire"

12:44 PM

"Trust me, it's better this way. You're getting medical care. You're going to be fed. It's a better fate than some of the people we take captive"

12:44 PM

As the doctor stands back up, you catch a faded patch on his coat, showing the tattered insignia of the Remnant Office of Naval Intelligence

(No idea ooc or ic, so)

(yeah not like we have a giant wikipedia or anything)

(No, never heard of anything like that, a wiki would be cool)

https://www.worldanvil.com/w/iron-stars-nekosmash

Iron Stars

A play by post adventure (This game has no real time or voice sessions). Almost four years have passed since The Scream, a psionic disaster responsible for killing billions across the galaxy in one swift stroke. Humanity has clung to life now forced to continue without virtual...

"So, what are my duties? I have a wide range of expertise"

12:46 PM

(Dude, I knew it existed)

"Red Eyes will be in shortly to talk to you. He will put you to work and you can figure out how best to carry out his orders. I just gave you a shot of lift. You're lucky, its one of our last"

(Now I know who they are)

"You should recover within the next few hours"

"Thank you. In return, I can make some basic medecine, if needed"

'If Red Eyes gives you some free time, and you want to help out, I'll be sure to put in a good word for you. I can't promise anything" he says. "Well, good luck. I'll tell him youre awake and I'll have some food sent for you." He reaches behind the pole to cut the bonds behind your wrists, and immediately you feel the warm rush of blood returning to your limbs

John stretches. Where is this Red Eyes? I'd like to meet him before we are fromally on duty

"He will be with you when hes ready." The doctor and the two guards leave the tent, both guards watching you with lowered spears, to ensure you do not try to make for the door

John sleeps, not really having much left to do. (When can I allocate points? I have 10 points ready for allocation

(allocate points? you havent been spending your level ups?)

(Well, It wouldn't look good If I got better at fix while knocked out, and I've been banking some points each time)

(Please post your level ups, lets go ahead and do that now)

John Torino, Level 4, HP 15, Fix -1 - 1, Sneak -1 - 0, Ironhide focus taken

1:19 PM

Know -1 - 0, Pilot -1 - 0, Notice -1 - 0

1:20 PM

4 pts left

(youve got 5 points. You should have 12, you spent 7)

(not sure if that changes anything before we continue, since you could get a couple other skills moved up)

(No, I'm happy)

The tent flap opens about ten minutes later, and Red Eyes enters, carrying a tray of food. The long dagger in the chest sheathe, and machete on his waist are still present. Everyone seems to be armed, even in camp. "Slave, I am Red Eyes. You are my property now, and you work for me. If you do your jobs well, I will have no reason to hurt you. Please eat"

3:09 PM

He sets the tray down on a side table, that you're able to get to now that your hands are free and you are not bound

"Thank you." John eats, and when done, says "If it doesn't anger you, could you call me by my name?"

"I do not know it, but if you tell me your name, and what you know how to do, we can come to an understanding"

Looking proud, even in his situation, he says "I am John, andI am good at a number of things. I can make medecine, cook, program, fix things, and I am very good at trading"

"Alright John, so you're useful property, very good. I hope this is not all just you saying things so you think you'll be treated better. You're going to find that is a bad way to do business. When you've finished your meal, we'll be going back to my residence, and you will see where you will be working"

"Sounds good"

3:18 PM

(Is the village green, or rusty wit metal?)

(you dont know, you werent outside yet)

John finishes the meal, ans steps outside the tent with Red Eyes

Nekosmash pinned a message to this channel. 6/11/2020 3:20 PM

Red Eyes lives in a home with a Red Roof next to the only tree within the village. Two near skeletons hang from one of the branches, dangling a few feet off the ground. Three cargo skiffs sit powered down in the main town circle. though a few guards watch over them,and each of the gates. There are about 50 people in this village, about half of whom are under arms of some kind, the rest made up of women and children, who also have the hallmarks of surviving a tough post-scream life.

3:22 PM

one villager you pass has made rudimentary armor out of the combat field uniform they stripped from one of the dead Protectorate troopers

John sheds a small internal tear for his comrade, who had done nothing wrong but to exist

3:23 PM

"So, what am I working on?"

"Some men are born to be killed" Red Eyes says, noting your interest "It is the way of things. You said you can cook, trade, and repair things, you are going to be responsible for my household, arms, and armor, with my supervision of course. If you do well, you may rise, if you betray me the village will tear you limb from limb"

"I like my limbs, so just tell me what to do, and I'll do it"

"What do you mean by rise, though?"

“Useful and loyal slaves are treated well and given some rights. Your life will be easier if you are obedient”

"I have no problems being obedient. What do you mean exactly by taking care of your house? Do you mean just various tasks?"

"Various tasks, and when we go to war, you will accompany me in the field "

John gulps

9:39 AM

"All right, let us get started"

The home is large on the inside and there are two other slaves inside, one is an elderly man, and the other is a woman of about your age, though is missing a hand. They both have marks showing they were likely taken as war spoil. the man is sweeping, and the woman is doing her best to store some captured food into cabinets from heavy sacks

"Hello"

10:30 AM

"My name is John, and I believe I will be working with you from now on"

“Hello John. Yes you will.” Red eyes grunts and he brings you to a workshop. His sword and knife are on the bench, quickly removed from sheathes , along with a bow and arrow. The blades are notched and the bow is cracking by the grip

5:26 PM

“My weapons need care. You said you are an expert in repair. Please. Show me”

"I'll get right on that" (Fix/int im guessing)

7:43 PM

(11!!!)

(yes) Red Eyes watches as you begin working, and helpfully sets out components you might need for the repairs. As the day drags on, and you complete the machete, he looks on as you begin working on the bow. After several minutes he yawns, and begins to turn around to head out the back door for a moment.

"I could always take a break and make you dinner. I'm a chef, though I may not look it"

12:11 PM

"You look like you need some good food"

“Alright. You said you know how. If you cook half as good as you fix a weapon then I’ll give you a chance”

(And a work/wiz or int for that. Your choice)

(7, dang it)

(If you are a full expert you do have your Expert Reroll that you can use for this scene) (edited)

(Oh yes, I do. Thanks!)

(Just as long as you aren't a partial expert)

(11!)

4:51 PM

(And no, full expert)

1

The meal likewise goes well. You’re able to figure out enough of the local plants and meats to make a nice spread. Red Eyes seems to treat his slaves somewhat decently and you all eat at the same table. After a few bites he leans back and closes his eyes. He seems satisfied for now

“Did you like the meal?”

“You did well. I can rest soundly now. “John you have proven your worth. You have liberty of the village but do not leave and ensure you’re back for morning and evening chores every day”

“Thank you. Do you think it would benefit the village to set up a farm?”

3:42 PM

“I used to have one, and was researching a very interesting drink”

“There’s a farm just outside the village. You’d need a chaperone to leave the village but you’re welcome to help them during your daylight hours if you wish”

"Thank you. I most certainly will"

4:28 PM

(So, next day?)