A Gargoyle watches from a distance as a large floating craft drifts over the mining town and docks with the tall tower. A pile of smoldering rubble trails a pale column of smoke into the sky, the remains of the Shadows distraction that had taken many hours to combat and prevent from spreading. Several gunships escorting the barge begin to circle the territory around the village in a lazy patrol. The reconstructed tenses as it hides in the trees, the stuttering thrusters of the gunship passing overhead rustling the branches but it did not seem to detect it.
A small crowd had gathered near the base of the tower where carts loaded with the shipment of ore awaited in a line. The prisoners cage lay empty, the ground still stained with the blood of butchered prisoners and guards, all at the hands of your Reconstructed saboteurs. What looked like the leaders of the village stood by the towers exit and they greet the group of armored soldiers and jump-suited workers that emerge. A soldier in armor that looked very much like the armor made for the Necrolyte Legion strides to the leaders as the cargo was transported up to the waiting barge.
From this distance the Gargoyle could not hear what was being said but one of the locals gestured to the cages and seemed to plead with the armored human, their face hidden behind a snarling mask of bone. The soldier stood and looked at the cage for a while then turned to the local leaders and pointed at them then at the gathered locals. The crowd scattered immediately like a kicked anthill as the other soldiers charged forth and began to subdue the locals at random until they had gathered a number similar to those that had been in the cage the day before.
Both cargoes of ore and flesh were carted away and before long the barge and gunships departed, leaving the village behind to elect new leadership from those that remained behind.
You are the Voidknight Disciple, a nameless hero of the New Necrotic Armada, far flung from home.
Previously your Gargoyles had spread out across the continent to search and scout for areas of interest. Hidden far away from the polluted cities was an underground forest where you discovered a village of humans, vorh, and natives living in peace seemingly free of the control of the Council that held the planet in it's grip.
Another village was discovered, a mining town tucked away in a mineral rich valley, hardly of interest until by chance the Gargoyles discovered a a Native naturally blessed with the power of the Void. A plot was formed to break them out and a force of Looms and Shadows infiltrated to rescue them and a group of other captives destined for transport to one of the massive necrotic factories that dotted the planet.
Now they are being held in a recently built room deep within sweltering hot tunnels you had hidden the frigate. Sealed away behind an airlock to protect them from the toxic gases that made your base inhospitable to all but the Reconstructed.
In its off-time the Think Tank continues to attempt contact with Jadyk and the Armada but it's attention is split managing the mining efforts and controlling the Reconstructed forces. Your frigate was free of the living now, the original three captives moved to the secure prison in the tunnels. A cluster of eyes hidden behind a bubble of glass watches the group of rescued and captured prisoners, in particular the native that held the touch of the Void within it. They sat at the door, picking at the tough seams of dense muscle despite the others telling them to stop.
Far away in the hidden village your gargoyle watches as the hunters return carrying several of the nimble tripodal herd creatures that lived in the underground forest with them. Despite their isolation your gargoyle notes they were careful with their village. Mats of woven vines and ferns covered the tops of their buildings that were above ground or hidden in disguised cave faces. The central firepit where the hunters began to carve up their game was hidden inside a low pit with a roof to hide the flames and smoke.
Near the edge of the volcanic region you hid within a warbarge neared, escorted by a flight of gunships. They continue on their way after only a passing patrol of a pair of gunships over a field of geysers and steaming pools of toxic water.
There was much to do and tend to. What shall you do first?
Cool, I'll make sure this gets added to the pastebins if they're absent
Christian King
Make sure we are well hidden
Colton Ramirez
Hello Satan.
Did we ever find a place for a REAL base of operations?
Charles Thompson
Well what are you folks looking for in a REAL base of operations?
Julian Miller
I just thought last time we had found other places to move our base too. Easy to hide, easy to defend, and something that won't be ripped apart quickly?
I'm sorry Grave, its been awhile sense i actually took part. No idea what the fuck we are doing here.
Bentley Howard
Pretty sure we found it already, Good luck finding us under so mu Rock, And actually Looking at those things user Posted They look like a rather Ideal Vehicle for expanding our Base, As they can carry reconstructed.
Eli Reed
Our current position does the job well enough.
Logan Miller
Throughout the day your Gargoyles began to report in with their discoveries.
In a jagged mountain chain overgrown with dark forests one of them discovers a village much like the original you found in the swamp. Overgrown and derelict buildings surrounded the mouth of a cave system the locals had been mining but in the center of the small village was another of the grotesque monuments. A black spire of metal with captives encased and burned alive within, the other members of the village long gone. A quick look into the mine shows they did not get far in their work, ore veins still visible in the half-hewn stone.
>Abandoned mining town discovered
Along the coastal cliffs of the dark tumultuous oceans a Gargoyle spots a large cavern below the high tide mark. A look inside revealed a large cavern system that managed to stay mostly dry even at high tide. Tidal pools were full of strange native lifeforms, the cavern extending for quite some length into a natural cave system formed from underground rivers dumping into the ocean.
>Coastal Cave system discovered
Jayden Cox
Possible base locations: >Hidden village: Uncontrolled by the Council, large biomass resources >Abandoned Mining Town: Large metal ore resources, low biomass resources >Coastal Cave System: Very hidden and hard to find, decent to large biomass resources
Current base: >Volcanic steam tunnels: Decent biomass potential, decent metal ore resources, risk of volcanic activity
Would you like to transport to a new base or begin construction of a side base? >Move to a new location >Create side base (Where?)
Blake Miller
I would rather stay where we are, and have the gargoyles and shadows continue surveying the territory for possible adaptations and tools. No reason for us to move.
Zachary Bell
>Create a side base at the Coastal Cave.
Can we find out more information about the prisoners/captives about where the prisoner barge goes?
Ryder Scott
>>Coastal Cave System: Very hidden and hard to find, decent to large biomass resources
Cameron Gonzalez
I think the new options are honestly all better than our current position. Maybe move our main base of operations to the coastal caves, and set up a disposable side base in the hidden village to more cement our position to control it.
>Move to a new location (Coastal Cave) >Create side base (Hidden Village)
If we can't do both at the same time, we can hold off on moving our main base until after we're done setting up a side base.
John Wood
Now the thing about the Hidden Village you would have to decide whether to introduce yourself and convince them to let you say or just landing your ship and claiming it for Jadyk and the Armada
Evan Ross
Anyone else think we Build all the bases but each with a purpose, The Coastal caves can be undead storage/Resource harvesting Our current base can be a shipyard, And the other two as resource gathering spots?
Jordan Anderson
I love the latter, but do it in a fancy, liberation kind of way. Lots of declaration of titles and pomp and the like. We're the KGB bringing in weapons for the anti-capitalist rebels in the banana republic. We can play up the "we're here to help you" theme while also gaining a source of intel and potentially agents who can potentially help infiltrate places for us.
Maybe bring them some food and fancy gear to smooth over the introductions?
Tyler Williams
Nah, not yet, wait for a better opportunity. Sounds like they wouldn't like undead too much.
Chase Long
Disciple goes with the coffin to the Village to introduce himself and claim it under the banner of the Armada. Explain we do not like the Council anymore than they do.
Besides, I doubt a little hillbilly village would be able to stop us from moving in.
Jason Sanchez
Choices seem to be >Move main base to the Coastal Caverns >Create side base at Hidden Village
Sound like a plan? >Y/N?
Brayden Gutierrez
>Create side base at Hidden Village >Do not move main base.
Jose White
>y We should analyse all the creatures in the coastal caverns
Austin Ortiz
>Y
Caleb Harris
>>Y
Brody White
As a clarification, your Diggers will continue to dig and mine ore since you have not built another area for mining, along with the worm farms since they require volcanic spring water. You will require Coffins to move the resources to other locations.
Roll me 2d100 best of first 3 for sneaking the Frigate to the Coastal Caverns
Oliver Morgan
Rolled 67, 21 = 88 (2d100)
G fucking G.
Jose White
Rolled 67, 1 = 68 (2d100)
Cooper Hughes
Rolled 63, 39 = 102 (2d100)
This will be fun
Gabriel Stewart
...
Brody Allen
...
Josiah Campbell
Deciding now was as good of time as any to shift your main base to somewhere less likely to flood with molten stone you have the Frigate prepared to leave. Leaving behind a group of Stingers and Talons to keep watch over the prisoners, farm and mines the Frigate preps itself to take off. The void-touched Native is sedated by a Stinger and brought to the hold of the ship for future interrogation, not wanting to let them far from your sight.
The ship powers its engines and in spite of some rumbling that shakes the caverns lightly, the frigate emerges from the cavern carved by the boiling river and rises into the air. Hiding in the steam of the valley for a few moments to check systems then accelerating. The ship stays moderately low to the ground as it passes over lava-flows and geyser fields, its shields glowing from the heat.
On your way to the coasts another large stormfront rolls over the land, bringing with it black rains that fizzle against the shields and blocking out the dim sun. Everything seemed to go fine, no reports or sightings of the Councils warbarges or patrolling gunships but even as you began to let down your guard there was a sudden blaring of the ships proximity alarms.
Moments later the ship rocks as something smashes off the shields, then another and another. Sensor clusters on the auxiliary guns turn to spy something quite large plummeting from above before smashing against the shields then flying off with a snap of large wings before second of the attackers appeared attempting to tackle their way through the shields.
Repeater cannons spin to life and cut into the sides of the strange creatures when they attacked again, making them swerve off but unlike the last time they do not flee. Instead you finally receive a proper look at the creatures as one began to surge with necrotic power.
>cont
Dominic Rodriguez
Bolts of sickly green energy arc from a large, cruel beak as the three-limbed beast, flaps of taut skin stretched between wings and single leg holding it aloft as it reared back then unleashed a blast of necrotic energy that rivaled a blast of a sub-capitols necrotic flayer. The beam strikes the shields of the frigate but some of the energy of the attack seeps through it, scouring a hit against the side and knocking out a turret.
As you fled the sensors of the ship reported the other, slightly smaller beast preparing its own attack of necrotic energy.
Under attack!
Roll me 3d100 best of first 3 please
Thomas Nelson
Rolled 53, 83, 28 = 164 (3d100)
Nathan Hughes
Rolled 89, 35, 94 = 218 (3d100)
Didn't want us to fucking move.
Michael Edwards
Rolled 12, 36, 32 = 80 (3d100)
Ryder Perez
Haha wow no idea why you guys thought moving the ship was a good idea when we had a nice mini real rich location that had 0 chance of being stumbled upon by living creatures about the bacterial stage of life
But if we can kill this thing I am sure it will make for some interesting dissection
Chase Roberts
Suggestions for next steps build more gargoyles get them to try and monitor the city ship see if there is a pattern with patrols/ deliveries of cargo
Every sully we are going to want to steal a Cato barge to help sneak in but we are going to need resources so setting up little farms and side basses might be a good way to not put all out eggs in the one basket
Elijah Rogers
You had wondered when you would encounter another of the strange creatures that seemed to hide within the storms. At your order the turrets and auxiliary guns spin up and open fire on the attacking creatures. Necrotic Flayers and streams of metal slugs glow in the darkness as they rake across the attacking beasts, each one easily half the length of the ship.
There was a flash of proper lightning that illuminates the smaller of the pair swooping it, its beak split open and crackling with necrotic power before it unleashes a beam against the frigate but a sudden swerve from the ship manages to reduce it to a grazing attack. A volley of burning metal slugs peppers its side, making it screech out loud enough to be heard over the storm and it swerves away only to be replaced by the larger of the pair.
Claws rake against the shields making it flicker but it is driven off once more by the flayer turrets burning against it's armored hide. It makes to fall back and regroup but a swarm of Needle missiles follows and strikes with it with blossoming explosions. It's wings were torn in places and it struggles to stay airborn before another salvo is fired to finish it off, the Needle missiles ripping into it and leaving its smoking form to fall off in the distance as it crashes.
Seeing its larger companion downed the creature lets out another screech, this time unmistakably full of rage as it divebombs the ship, its claws tearing through the shields so it could cling to the side of the ship. Its weight makes the frigate drop and nearly crash into a rapidly passing ridge of trees but the auxiliary repeater cannons unleash their fury against the beast. Its dark blood stains the side of the ship as it claws at the armored hull, its hooked beak open and crackling as it charged another blast.
>cont
Adrian Sullivan
It did not get the chance to unleash its attack however as the frigate does a sudden barrel roll that sends Reconstructed and loose items flying about the interior of the ship and shaking loose the attacking creature. It tumbles through the air before it snaps its wings wide and lets out a screech of disappointment but it is quickly answered by several metal slugs fired by the fixed cannons that rip through its body when the Frigate comes around for the finishing blow.
The powerful weapons rend limb from body and shred its wings sending it falling to the ground to crash into a copse of trees with a mighty crash. The frigate comes to a rest, hovering over the creature with weapons trained on it but it does not move. Just for good measure the repeater cannons riddle the body with several streams of burning metal at your command.
Taking a moment to regroup you hear reports of mild annoyance through the ship, the catoblepas bleating in a panic after the turbulent battle and the kelp-tank splashed half empty. Several auxiliary repeater cannons were no longer functional and a pair of flayer turrets were warped into place by the attacks from the beasts, a breach in the hull from its last clawing attacks preventing it from leaving the atmosphere.
Success!
Do you: >Attempt to retrieve the corpse >Leave it behind
Alexander Reyes
>Attempt to retrieve the corpse
Got to research them funky bits.
Christian Morris
>Attempt to retrieve the corpse
Caleb Jones
>>Leave it behind GTFO immediately before any council ships come to investigate.
Henry Rodriguez
>Attempt to retrieve the corpse
Super fucking dead night, jesus.
Aaron Cruz
>>Attempt to retrieve the corpse
Carter Wood
Graves or the other players?
Dylan Phillips
other players usually Graves has a metric shit ton of people.
Brody Gutierrez
Never with the Disciple threads. Jadyk's the popular one. His ghoul quest was pretty lacking in players to despite being the better of his quests
Carter Wood
Descending to hover over the corpse of the large creature the cargo bay opens and several of your Shadows leap out trailing ropes of sinew. Your sensors continue to scan the area, searching for anymore attackers or to see if the other beast made another attempt to attack. Driving barbed pitons into the flesh of the downed beast and the ship reels it in, the Shadows moving to secure it firmly against the side of the frigate.
Sensing no other attackers the frigate resumes its trip to the coast-line, hiding low along the ground to avoid any other beasts that may be hiding in the storm clouds.
Your gargoyle perches on an outcropping of stone at the top of the tall cliffs the cavern bored into, its body the same color and texture as the stones around it. It's large eye watches as the ship nears then descends slowly to the entrance half-submerged by the incoming tide, large waves crashing against it with sprays of seafoam.
Thankful the entrance wasn't completely submerged with the hull compromised as it was the Frigate carefully drifts inside with sea water lapping against its sides and drenching the corpse. Several torpedo shaped creatures that had been lounging on the rocks dive into the water with indignant clicking as the starship entered their home.
The main cavern was quite large with several mostly level platforms and after a few bursts of the repeater cannons that clears away a few stalagmites for its landing zone it lands.
Looms depart from the ship and set off to explore the caverns more thoroughly as Stingers and Talons drag the corpse of the creature to a side cavern that was mostly dry. The Shadows start crawling over the ship tending to the repairs.
Frigate relocated to Coastal Caverns >-50M for Repairs and rearming missiles
Roll me 2d100 best of first 3 for scouting the caverns
Yeah what Disciple threads always seem slower I'm touched that user thinks so highly of Ghoul Quest
Liam Jackson
Rolled 7, 47 = 54 (2d100)
Isaac Hughes
Rolled 38, 94 = 132 (2d100)
Where the fuck else would I be Grave?
Chase Martin
Rolled 59, 82 = 141 (2d100)
Kevin Phillips
I am just lurking for now much like i did until Jadyk had an established personality, I want to see where grave takes the disciple Before i toss anything in the ring.
Chase Gutierrez
The Looms dive into the rising water of the cavern or begin searching the tunnels leading deeper into the earth, the quick and stealthy reconstructed already starting to observe and collect wildlife.
As they searched through the caverns and waters you sit in the bridge of the frigate while inspecting the damage to the ship. It wouldn't take long for the Shadows to repair the damage but it would prevent you from diving below the water or attempting to leave the planets atmosphere until it was fixed.
A door slides open on the bridge and a pair of Stingers escort the Native forward. It looks around with amazement as it uses the knuckles on its two arms and its sturdy foot to walk. It's eyes lock onto you though, going wide in what must be surprise as Voidflames leak intermittently from your armor. Apart from fresh bruises from the bumpy ride, the freshly healed wound from a Domination Spike in its stout neck allowing it to understand the commands of the Stingers that escorted it.
Brushing aside a holoscreen displaying the status of the ship you look down at the creature in silence for several long moments before you gravelly voice makes it jump in surprise at being able to understand the alien language, "Rejoice, you are free from the subjugation of the Council and under protection of the Voidknight Order and Jadyk's Armada," you say even though you could feel its confusion at the words.
What shall you say to this Native, touched and blessed by the Void?
Daniel Cooper
These threads just kind of bore me, we're not doing anything we haven't already done in the main and we don't have a very clear idea of what we're trying to achieve and how to achieve it. Reclaiming the wormstar fragment could be handled in half as many threads if we were playing as Jadyk, and it makes this feel like an extended quest within a quest when we could be playing the main character.
Juan Young
"Tell us about this world"
Kinda wanna keep it simple first.
Isaiah Lee
I guess explain to them what the difference between the two are, And how we treat our subjects compared too... the Council? along with this guy I'd honestly be more into it if i knew what the fuck was going on,. The last time real I was in these was before we ran into the tree fucks.
Noah Perry
Tell me if yourself and your people What do you know of the council
And can you hear the voice of ghul
Brayden Garcia
"Tell me about Calera and your people. I must know about this world if I am to bring down the Council," you say as your drum your claws on the armrest of the command chair.
The Native was looking around the bridge at the Pilots fused to their stations only to look at you in shock at your words. Their beak opens and closes as they attempt to form the right words before speaking, the inner secondary beak allowing for a clicking, growling language of sorts, "Calera is the home of the Council. They always have been, always are, and always will be the masters of this world. We live and die at their cruel whims. This is the fate of us Itru and the Vorh. All serve the Council and all who oppose are fodder for the City," they say the last word with a sense of deep dread that seeps through the Domination Spike, "I had only ever lived in my home village but I was caught stealing extra food for my family and they would have sent me and the others to the City if we hadn't been freed," they narrow their eyes at you suspiciously, "You freed us?"
"Yes, I did," you quickly change the subject before they could inquire further, "Tell me of the Itru. Do you know how you came to be slaves of the Council and their human servants?"
The native Itru shrugs its shoulders, a very human gesture, "It has always been this way. Worship-tales say that Humans were made first to serve the Council and be their army. Then the Vorh were made and then Itru from the left over parts, both to be slaves and workers. All live to die for the Council," they intone as if it were a prayer.
>cont
Anthony Butler
"Rejoice then. You are free from the Council's control. You shall serve me instead and praise the name of Jadyk of the Wormstar," the native recoils at the names and looks at you in disbelief, "Tell me, do you hear the voice of Ghul? Do you hear the song of the Void?" you ask as you lean forward and remove your horned helm, bare skull wreathed in voidflames.
It looks at you and you can feel the terror and awe rising inside it, "Y-yes, I can hear it...the chorus of the Stars, the old elder spoke of...the Council takes all who can hear it but I hid it, ignored it..." it says meekly.
"The Song of the Void, the Chorus of the Stars, will not be ignored. You are touched by it's power and I shall help you stoke that flame within you until you are a threat to the Council itself," you promise and lean back in the command chair, amused by the mix of confusion, fear, and awe within the native.
Now I'm worried I'm losing players with this "boring" side stuff. Maybe I should focus on ending it or give up on it to focus on only Jadyk...I dunno.
Owen Russell
I could keep going but I'm going to call it here for the night. Thread is archived.
I hope folks had some fun, I know I still do running it.
Sorry I make you all suffer through this. Jadyk will be back next thread.
Caleb Anderson
The main quest is a bigger deal, but this one is still worth developing as long as it doesn't drag. The main problem I see is that there's no end in sight yet, and no significant personalities to feel any attachment to. Maybe those are both changing now though.
We want to get this chunk of the Wormstar and escape with as many people if we can, assuming that we can't actually overthrow the Council. But we have no idea where it is or how to get it. I can only presume it's in the City.
Maybe the natives know something about it?
Aiden Walker
>I can only presume it's in the City. It's the power-core
Thomas Perez
I had fun mate. Its always a good read and quest. Sleel well. Also remember college is starting back up as well.
Jaxson Butler
>Crashing this City... with no survivors!
Oooh, now that's an interesting development.
Blake Murphy
It's enjoyable but I think it's a lack if clear direction that causes some people to get lost
Personally I think once we get set up build a source of Income as a starting point then we can leap off from there into more direct conflict
Caleb Kelly
If we get the shard we can get back to Jaydk I'm not sure what kind of end your hopping for other then the one clear mission he has :p
All we need to do is figure out how to get into the city and swipe the dang thing and get away
Mind you freeing this world would of course busy the necromancers allowing us a nice head start when we so decide to run
Easton Phillips
Or we highjack the city and blink it home. Then the Armada would have TWO special cities
Daniel Davis
>Now I'm worried I'm losing players with this "boring" side stuff. Maybe I should focus on ending it or give up on it to focus on only Jadyk...I dunno. I am mostly i dialogue and roleplay guy,So as i said i am just observing the Characters for now to get a sense of how they talk and react to different situations
Evan Gonzalez
>Not making it the duchess
Hey grave I was looking through the archive last night and notice you have been running for about a year now and it made me wonder what month is your bday is in because you made no mention of it
Jack Perry
6/19
Nathan Price
This I can get behind and it does follow our over the top nature we just need to make sure it's an empty city when we take it
So, blue goop still seems like a good option at this time so we need to figure out how to secretly produce enough to cover a capital ship
Noah Richardson
Bastard, well still gonna have to make a thing even if it's horribly late :p
Robert Lee
lol nah, don't have to do anything about it, the hiatus ate it. Just a birthday and I don't like to think about how old I am already.
Lincoln Hill
I will try to make it something horrible then, I remember someone ages ago mentioning Angona in a bikini and pigtails
Nicholas Brown
...
Xavier Evans
It's alright there will be cake involved and possibly a happy birthday mr president reference
Christopher Reed
I enjoy it, it's nice controlling a smaller force. Maybe one day we'll end this mini-series with the knight, but i'm happy.
Lincoln Morales
Sorry grave, I always try to get to your games in time. Life is just busy. I like this side quest though. I always enjoy reading the archives of it.
Wyatt Clark
Ok I dialed it back a bit
still trying to think of how to incorporate the pigtails properly
thanks again for running Grave
Hudson Smith
....ok I lied, it had to be done.
no pigtails but heres a Agona bikini selfie..thing Im shutting down Photoshop before this gets out of hand.
Jackson White
I didn't think he could be made lewd...but you pulled it off
Jordan Collins
You did good work. On both of them. I mean wow.
Jaxson Reyes
Ahahaha these are great Smiles, thanks
Blake Flores
Are you going to run today since HQQ died?
Chase Turner
It's merely resting
but no, no thread continuation today, sorry
Jonathan Ward
All good Grave.
Nicholas Cox
Angona's got reinforced plating in all the right places
Its always entertaining drawing these for you guys
And it's like I said grave your been at this a year so consider them a belated bday card
