FFD6: a Fountain of life or death?

[BlackestOfMages]

OOC thread

“So, ladies and gentlemen, here we are; the remains of our once proud establishment” said the driver of the small personnel buggy that was used to bring you to the ruins. Your driver ran a hand through his spiked raid hair, shaking out a clump of dust, before wiping off his suit “sector one, probably the one hit worst since the city was abandoned.”
“Now, I'm sure you're all wondering exactly why you have been contracted; you should have heard rumours of a lifestream fountain sprouting up around here, but we haven't said much more than that. I'm here to tell you it's true. There have indeed been numerous sightings of fonts of green light rising into the sky, just like during meteorfall, from both scavengers in the sector, and people in the towns that have sprung up around. There has also been a steadily increasing reports of monster activity in this area, and our pacification forces have reported some of these monsters show signs of Mako contamination.” Your guide pauses for a second, letting the news sink in. Above you, you can now clearly make out the damaged remains of the upper disk, and the gates of sector one. In the distance, you can make out the silhouette of buildings, some lit, others in the darkness, as well as what appears to be a colossal silhouette moving around “I'm sure you understand that means you might be encountering SOLDIER monsters... or monster SOLDIERS or something like that.”
“What you're hired for is a two-fold task. We want you to determine the source and nature of the reported lifestream well, and we want an analysis on the source, number and strength of the monsters. We have suspicions that their temperance together is somehow connected. On the lifestream fountain, best case scenario is that it's just an underground supply of Mako Energy from the reactor bubbling to the surface, which should be easy to halt. Worst case is that the lifestream is out of whack enough to burst out of the ground again, or there's one of those weapon things waking up under our fair city. If it's any of the latter, or if you encounter a monster big enough to flatten you, get out of there. Pointless heroics never saved anyone, and we're not paying you enough to throw your life away over.”
The buggy comes to an abrupt halt, a short walks distance away from the city gate. “This is as far as I go. Each of you should have been issued a map of the area and a phone to keep in touch, and you'll be entering into the market district. Make sure to report anything you find out of the ordinary to us, we're on there as speed dial 8. Oh, one last thing, besides the monsters, you won't be alone in there. There's a society of scavengers and the dispossessed holed up around the train station and the museum; they shouldn't give you any grief, but relations between them and us has been tense since they blamed us for the Geostigma, so it might be in your best interest not to mention why you're there. Good luck.”

you're guide gone, the six of you enter the gate into the marketplace. Around you you can see clear signs that the place has been without maintenance for a while; rubble and dirt in the streets, piles of collapsed metal and mortar from broken houses. You can make out a few of the stalls and shops still have produce in them, and a handful of the shops look like they where used fairly recently; most probably by the squatters. From above you, you can see sunlight streaming through holes in the upper plate, created when Diamond WEAPON attacked the city. The sign post system seems to have survived in tack, as do many of the lights.
Besides the number of back alleyways, and one road unfortunatly obstructed by a collasped building – sign posted as the ShinRa museum – there are two main roads leading further into the market. One marked for the train station, which looks the most well travelled, and one marked for the residential area, the walls around it heavily covered in graffiti. You can see what look to be clawed footprints in the ground.

there's no sign of the silhouette you saw before, it seems to have been just a trick of the light.

[sournote103]

"Oh good, they're abandoning us here. Fantastic." Ash was clearly not particularly enthusiastic about completing the task that ShinRa had assigned, but money was money, and a job was a job. "Let's just get this done so I can get paid."
As he walked on ahead, Ash was perfectly aware that the others might be unnerved by his... unusual appearance, though he was hoping that by simply not acknowledging the fact, the others might follow suit. As if.
Getting ready for whatever monsters might appear, Ash pulled on his metal knuckles, and readjusted his clothing to allow for maximum mobility and flexibility.

[Mono Vertigo]

Not too far on the physical weirdness scale stood Ibsaia, which was short for a much-too-long code name. The android did not seem to mind Ash's - or anyone's - appearance, already focusing instead on her mission objective.
She examined the two obvious paths. "I am confident we will do just fine without extra help" she said, with some robotic inflection.
Her laser gun in her mechanic hand, a light but favorite weapon of hers, she was ready to follow orders.

[Coiled Asp]

Looking like any other teenage human does, Erika looks around. Taking in as much as she can. "Hey Foxy, how about we don't just charge in headfirst and get killed?" She calls to Ash playfully. "I'd like my paycheck too, but we gotta survive to pick it up right?"

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Awareness-[roll]2d6+5

[Coiled Asp]

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Sorry for double post, messed up roll.
Awareness-(2d6+5)[14]

[Kobold-Bard]

Tarrian

The man in a SOLDIER uniform is riding on the back of Cenereo, a huge centaur/spider/WEAPON ....thing, and as such doesn't have the luxury of simply pretending that there's no weirdness about them. Especially given that it is eyeing Lyle intently.

"Ok, I'll be the one to say it. Yes, I'm riding a WEAPON, yes Materia is like catnip to it, and yes it's presence most likely means that at some point the townies will try to kill you. There is very little can do about any of these things, if you have any grievances you wish to bring up I suggest that you keep them to yourselves.

With that out of the way he points to the holes made by Diamond Weapon, Cenereo falling still and examining the area for a moment, almost solemn. Tarrian too falls calm for a moment, his father had died during Meteorfall, there as a good chance somewhere on that plate was his grave.

But the moment passes and the monstrosity-riding fellow perks up again, leading the way, Cenereo kicking debris out of the group's path.

[Dramesh]

Lyle, Hume Black Mage

As Tarrian spoke about his WEAPON, Lyle look at it and was overwhelmed by the feeling, a human tamed a wondrous WEAPON created by the planet itself. This guy must have an enormous power, he must keep it at eye.

Looking at the 5 others with him: "We better move forward, with all the people here, we attract a lot more attention that we should. We shall head directly to the fountain to investigate it, the sooner the better. If the fontain is really some Lifestream pouring out of the earth, we'll be into real trouble."
He then adjust his gloves and walk forward.

[Fearan]

- Agreed - nodded tall man in blue garments with a no-dachi on his shoulder. Perhaps, your WEAPON companion could lead us to the fountain, mr Tarrian?. Ray really didn't understand, why he should have any grievances about the beast - after all, it was tame and probably, useful. Instead, he tried to figure out an immidiate use for the thing...and it's controller

[sournote103]

"Yeah, OK, OK, less talking, more finding killer bits of lifestream. I don't want to be here any longer than I have to." Ash was clearly not in the mood to be delayed, and certainly not for conversation. He was impatient to get started, but not stupid; he went ahead of the group somewhat, but made sure he was never so far away as to get killed in an ambush. Assuming, of course that anything COULD actually kill him, ambush or not. Still, it was better to be careful, even if your teammates were spending too much time talking.

[Mono Vertigo]

Ibsaia followed Tarrian and his mount.
"So, that's what a WEAPON looks like. Interesting."
The concept of small talk however evaded her. So she shut up, followed the lead, and cautiously looked around as well. Monsters could pop up at any moment.

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Awareness roll: (2d6+2)[9]

[BlackestOfMages]

From your position, you can see the animal tracks end abruptly, most of them at almost the same spot. Hidden in the rubble either side, you can just make out small glimpses of metal, and a slight shower of sparks – some sort of electic fence, perhaps? At the end of the rood you can make out one notable piece of graffiti; a lagrescale copy of the warning sign used in Mako Reactors.

Far down the path To your left, you can just about make out a number of humanoid figures moving around, dragging something behind them. You can also make out what looks to be a thin plume of smoke over the remains of the ShinRa museum far to the east.

You can almost swear someone is watching you from above, but you can't see anyone.

[sournote103]

"I'm going to go check out that group of people over there," said Ash. "Be quiet, and I'll be back as soon as I see something."

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Stealth - (2d6+10)[14]

[Coiled Asp]

Erika rolls her eyes. Great, the fox kid is going to get us all killed. She thinks as she moves toward him. "Hold on, I'll go with you." She whispers before attempting to evade notice herself.

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Stealth-(2d6+6)[14]

And just in case we can see more once we get a little closer, Awareness-(2d6+5)[11]

[Mono Vertigo]

The sniper pressed her back against a half-crumbled wall, hiding in its shadow. She kept an eye on the figures. Aim for their head, and shoot if necessary. Nothing she wasn't used to do.

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Stealth roll: (2d6+5)[11]

[Kobold-Bard]

Tarrian

Not wanting to leave Cenereo alone, lest he try to investigate the unusual aura that Lyle supposedly gave off, Tarrian keeps back while the scouts go scouting.

[Fearan]

Ray keeps himself on standby, without any attempts to hide or cover. He poses as an obvious target, and he doesn't seem bothered about it

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awareness roll (2d6+5)[13]. Also trying to usesences from bionic vision graft

[BlackestOfMages]

As you approach the other group, Ash knocks loose a stone from a pile of scrap, causing the whole thing to collapse. The group of people's eyes snap towards him instantly, and you can hear the faint but unmistakable sound of a rifle chambering a round.
"Who's there? Come out, I'm warning you." one of the men shouts, as they begin advancing towards you slowly. From where you are, you can now make out the group is a bunch of humans, ranging from some barely out of their teens to a coule with a collection of grey hairs and wrinkes. all of them are dressed in an odd collection of body armour and regular clothes, armed with a veriety of guns. Most of them look injured, and - since you got closer - you can see a couple of thrown together stretchers. "If you're not a monster, then come out. This place is bad enough without civilized folk sneaking up on one another. and if you are a monster, well, I'd advise you get before we add another pelt to our collection!"
The thing they where dragging behind them was some sort of monster corpse. it looks like a Fang, but bigger and bulkier. In the area around the gunshot wounds, you can see what looks to be a thin layer of partially rotten flesh that looks to be trying to close the wound. From it's position, one mad, dead eye stares at you.
they don't seem to have noticed anyone but Ash, and as such seem sure in their numbers.

Ray, from his maintained position, can't make out anything more than he did last time.

[sournote103]

As murmured to his nearby allies, "Stay hidden. They don't seem to know that you're here." He then turned to the other humans and said, "Yeah, I'm going to tell you that I'm not a monster, but chances are that you won't believe me. In any case..." And with that, he stepped out into the open, cursing his luck in knocking over the pile of scrap. He held his hands up in a gesture of peace, though in reality, his hands themselves were weapons (a fact he did not feel these unknown people needed to be told).

[Dramesh]

Lyle, Black Mage

With his companions hidden, Lyle begin to prepare a Blizzard spell, only positionning his hands and beginning to sense the chill out of his hands, ready to strike if someone tries anything funny. He look at his allies and murmur "Anything funny against us and they will be frozen to the bones."

OCC

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Preparing a Blizzard spell against anyone who tries to attack his companion

[Mono Vertigo]

Civilized humans were not her immediate target, not as long as they weren't directly attacking.
They seemed aggressive, maybe even threatening, but after spending a week with civilians whose attitudes and intents were hard to read, she didn't want to shoot them just yet. If she just started shooting down anyone who might, not just will, but might, at some point in the future, menace her safety, her finger would never leave the trigger. And she did not desire this.
Fortunately, she was direct given orders, reducing her dilemma. Ibsaia stood still, and watched more closely the group and their prey. She whispered to her allies, "They know something we don't. Let's avoid killing them unless it is absolutely necessary."

[BlackestOfMages]

The hunters regard ash for a moment, before their leader lowers his rifle. The others follow suit wairily. "You can talk, and that's good enough for me. So, what brings you to our neck of the woods? Not a normal place to be wandering around in?"

[sournote103]

"Eh, you know... Making a living." Ash was not yet willing to disclose the full extent of his activities here, for several reasons. First, he did not know how these people felt about ShinRa; some might take exception to the company's past actions, and might not be inclined to tolerate those working for them. Second, he did not know these people's intentions; they might be here in order to work to the opposite effect as him. Finally, anyone with common sense could figure out that no one would complete such a task alone, and he did not wish to let on that he had allies; if things took a turn for the worse, he wanted the element of surprise on his side. "My question is, what are you doing here? Doesn't seem like much of a place to live."

[BlackestOfMages]

"It's not, your right. A few of us are here because it's where we lived before, and some parts of the city are still inhabitable - we've got a small holding set up around the gate between this place and Sector 8, well defended and sec 8's pretty much still in one piece. The rest of us though, are here for this" the man says, gesturing to the dead monster "Skins from these things can fetch a tidy sum, not to mention all the stuff people left in their homes when they fled. A good prospector can eaisly make their fortune so long as their not affraid of the so called curses round this place. Heck, sometimes you'll find a wallet or something in one of these beasts gut; they'll eat anything."
Behind the leader, you can see a number of his men start to move on. turning round and begining to walk away, the hunter adds a last comment over his shoulder "Good luck to ya, and try and stay alive. Hopefully the monsters' will get confused by your looks and leave you alone, with whatever your buisness is. Be careful if you plan to head into the slums though, ever since that freaky green light shew up things have been hectic there; so bad we had to trap the place to hell. see ya""

[Kobold-Bard]

Tarrian

Tarrian responds to Ibsaia.

"I'd say not killing people unless necessary is a good idea in general, not just when someone knows something we don't. But maybe that's just me."

He makes his comment with a smile & a wink, despite it's disapproving undertone. He then proceeds to lean back on Cenereo, arms behind his head & legs stretched out, waiting for a sign that he was actually needed.

[Fearan]

Slums, eh? - Ray nodded, while moving closer to talking peolple. Weird-looking violet sparks flashed in his eyes, as his bionic vision worked to maintain scanning of the nearby space for non-friendly lifeforms.Well, how bad is it? Are those monsters spawning in there, or what?

[sournote103]

Ash nodded to the inhabitants of the city, and walked back over to where his allies were waiting. After relaying the details of the conversation to any who might not have heard, he proposed moving on in another direction.

[Kobold-Bard]

Tarrian

"That's one option. Or we could keep going on ahead. They seemed cool with you because you could speak, so hopefully the same will hold true for the big guy here."

He looks up at Cenereo, but the it makes no sound.

"Ok he's being shy right now, but he can totally talk. And as long as we don't start interfering in their weird as hell, monster-corpse economy we should be fine. Besides, our brief includes assessing how strong the monster presence is, and I'd say heading towards them would accomplish that.

But you know, I'm riding an indestructible tank-beast that can shoot Mako energy from it's horn, so my opinion may differ to yours."

[Mono Vertigo]

Tarrian's comment made the android blush, after a few seconds of pondering what was wrong with her statement. She stopped talking after leaving her hiding place, but nodded at the suggestion of heading towards the monster hunters.

[Dramesh]

Lyle, Black Mage

Lyle approach the rest of the group. "Then if everything is settle maybe we should head to our destination on the double, I'm eager to see that Fountain in the slums."

[Coiled Asp]

Erika comes out from the rubble she was crouched behind, brushing a few bits of dust off her clothes. "Following them may not be a bad idea. They probably know more about the area than we do, and if they do start shooting they'll probably point their guns at monster-boy over there." She says nodding her head toward Tarrian. "Seems like we don't have a whole lot to lose."