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The psychokinetic manipulator attacks, hurling a storage trailer into the building lambda-null-null was occupying moments earlier. Both structures are thoroughly destroyed, the force of the impact throwing wreckage dozens of meters in every direction. While none of the operatives are hit, it is still a terrifying show of force. Especially from a single person.

You force yourself to shift your attention back to the guards. As intimidating as the psychokinetic was, you trust the operatives to neutralize him. It was their specialty, after all, and you had a nagging suspicion that his ability to confound your optical sensors might also render some of your laser weapons less than effective.

The pulse laser flares again. Four of the guards crumple to the ground, carbonized by a fleeting contact with the laser. The fifth is wise enough to take cover behind some boxes, ducking away from the path of the scintillating beam.

As you wait for the laser to recharge, you glance back at the ground team. They are advancing now - putting tight bursts of fire into the floating trailer that the psychokinetic was using as a shield. Null-1 bounds forward, lobbing a grenade that explodes into a flurry of black petals.

The flickering on the HUD stops, and the suspended trailer shielding the psychokinetic drops unceremoniously to the ground. Null grenade.

The psychokinetic is still glancing around in confusion when a burst catches the bottom of his jaw and stitches upward to remove most of his face. After he collapses, the operatives fire another dozen or so rounds into his corpse before moving on.

"Psychokinetic neutralized...moving into position to breach the main compound," informs Null-1.

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>>5317833
The operatives take up positions by the side entrance of the warehouse.

And then all hell breaks loose.

A massive sigil begins to form around the facility, shining with lambent red light. Your visual feed distorts with snowy static.

"We've been lured here - they're completing some kind of ritual in the warehouse!" says Null-1 with uncharacteristic panic. "Leave now, brother!"

You ping the transport pilot, who is holding position several klicks away.

"Requesting immediate evac for...."

Null-1 cuts in, his voice almost shrill. "No time. LEAVE US!" The glow at the center of the sigil begins to strengthen.

You consider your options:

> Leave.

> Stay. Maybe you can try to stop the ritual in the warehouse?

> [Write-In]

>>5317838
>> Stay. Maybe you can try to stop the ritual in the warehouse?

Fire all our Hydra rockets at the warehouse then blast those casting the ritual with our laser. If we find something too tough for our 20 MW laser then use the 40 MW laser pod.

If killing the other cultists doesn't stop the ritual then fire on the target but only as a last resort.

>>5317917

Backing this, fire everything!

>>5317917
Support this.

>>5317917
Support. Blast m

>>5317917
>>5317940
>>5317975
>>5318081

>Roll 1d20, best of 3.

DC 15

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>5318466

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>5318466

Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>5318466

Ruh Roh.

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For a moment, panic threatens to overwhelms you.

You clamp down on it. As horrific as the situation was, you had your principles. You wouldn't leave another ground team behind to die.

You angle the nose of your gunship downward and line up for another attack run. While you can't see the cultists casting the ritual, you are confident that they are located somewhere near the center of the building. The last three hydra rockets leap from their pod-mount, entering the warehouse through the gap created by your last barrage. Secondary explosions and guttering fires run rampant in the building's internal structure.

It was good shooting. But good enough?

Apparently not. The glowing sigils surrounding the facility begin to disintegrate, but not before flaring a final, defiant purple. You watch with mute horror as a cluster of towering tentacles rise from the center of the warehouse, demolishing what was left of the roof.

"They've summoned something from the Red Plane" says Null-1, now disturbingly composed. "You interrupted the binding incantation, but it will still take time for the entity to destabilize"

"How long?"

"A minute if we're blessed. Two if we're not. Damaging it will banish it faster."

[Destabilizing Red Plane Entity]

HP: 120/145 [Loses 25 HP per round]

>Roll me three 2d20s for your combat performance, since I'm assuming from the last set of votes that we're firing both weapons.

Also:

>Request Lambda-null-null to assist in destroying the entity (higher DC, will damage entity on success)

>Request Lambda-null-null to stay in cover (lower DC, will not damage entity on success)

Rolled 17, 12 = 29 (2d20)

>>5318967
Well shit.

>Request Lambda-null-null to stay in cover (lower DC, will not damage entity on success)
Can't tell if I want Null to assist us in attacking it or not, since there's a good chance that it might retaliate.

Rolled 1, 16 = 17 (2d20)

>>5318967

>Request Lambda-null-null to stay in cover (lower DC, will not damage entity on success)
That's a big 'un. I don't think our ground team's got anything rated for that category of hostile and we're in a better position to outmanoeuvre its attention, barring any metaphysical stuff.

>>5319040
>rolled a 1
We're doomed.

>>5319043

I'M SORRY

Rolled 9, 5 = 14 (2d20)

>>5318967

Uh oh

>>5319040
>>5318979

>Roll me three 1d20 for the squad, DC 12.

Rolled 4 (1d20)

>>5319248

Rolled 2 (1d20)

>>5319248

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>5319248

>>5319304
ZAMN

WHACHA!

>>5319304
THEY LIVE

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[Destabilizing Red Plane Entity]
HP: 120 - 25 - 17 - 2(16) = 46/120
>Critfail on first roll.

You order the ground team to take cover as you power the laser back up. The converging beam-pair cuts across one of the smaller tentacles, forcing it to retract back into the warehouse. You hold the laser steady until...

...the beam stutters and fades. You curse. Red text flashes over your HUD, warning you that a primary lasing element has just suffered a critical overheat event. Not entirely unexpected given the amount of current you were pushing through it, but unfortunate nonetheless.

[LAS-G 20MW Disabled for 1 Turn]

Luckily, the chemical laser pod mounted on your gunship's left wing is entirely self contained. You input a fire command, and the lasing chamber responds by consuming over a dozen liters of pressurized halogen reactant in less than a second. A brilliant blue beam lances through the midsection of the largest tentacle cluster emerging from the warehouse. Gore - thick and clumpy - arcs into the air as the severed appendage falls back through the ruined roof.

The creature is heavily wounded now, but undoubtedly still a threat. You watch as one of the smaller tentacles snake towards lambda-null-null, reaching within a few meters of their team leader before being driven off by focused carbine fire.

The laser pod has one more shot left. Better make it count.

>Roll me 2d20, best of 3. First roll is for the laser pod, second is for the squad.

You also hear soft, almost child-like whispering at the very edge of your audible range. It isn't from comm bleed - your radio is off. By all logic, the sound should be drowned out by keening whine of the turbines or muffled by the crush of the acceleration gel. Yet there it is.

>Try to listen in.
>Block it out for now. Kill the entity first.

Rolled 13, 16 = 29 (2d20)

>>5322838
>Block it out for now. Kill the entity first.

Rolled 20, 16 = 36 (2d20)

>>5322838

>Block it out for now. Kill the entity first.

Rolled 15, 2 = 17 (2d20)

>>5322838
If we're going to listen to the crazy voices, at least finish making calamari first
>Block it out for now. Kill the entity first.

>>5322838
note that crit on a 1 and usually 3d20 means 14.3% crit fail chance.
http://rumkin.com/reference/dnd/diestats.php
3d20P2

gotta consider if that's how you want it to work.
crit fails here seem to add a complication rather than cause the action to automatically fail, and I think 14% can work for that. can get weird if you're planning to vary the number of dice, though. like for 5d20 it's 22.5%.

easy way to adjust crit probabilities is to say crit fails only count on the first X rolls, and crit successes only count on the first Y rolls.

>>5322838
>>Block it out for now. Kill the entity first.
We should ask lambda-null-null about it when they're safe.
>>5323012
>note that crit on a 1 and usually 3d20 means 14.3% crit fail chance.
Doesn't that mean that the chance for a crit success is also 14.3%? It seems fair to me.

>>5322838
>Block it out for now. Kill the entity first.
Just caught up, looks like a pretty cool quest.

>>5322838
>Block it out for now. Kill the entity first.
This isn't so bad.

>>5323047
it can be, but it depends how bad crit fails are and how good crit successes are.
14% chance of an extra benefit and 14% chance of an extra complication feels about right, but QM hasn't outright said how crits work, and I can't know that it'll always only be a complication.

I've played in a quest (Butcher Block) that had overriding crit fails on 3d20 until I brought up the probability. 14% chance of making no progress and making the situation worse. overriding crits worked great for that quest's comedic+scrappy tone, but the probability was too high.

also you have to think about normal failure chance vs crit failure chance. it feels weird if the easiest rolled actions are more likely to crit fail than to fail normally.

>>5323092
Yeah sorry gents I should have clarified earlier. Crits override, but only as a complication roll.

So passing + critfail complicates your next action only. Current action still succeeds.

Similarly, crit success gives you some kind of bonus on the next action.

But if you do not pass AND critfail, you really get screwed.

Idk if this is a good system, but I would be happy to change things up if crits are showing up too often.

>>5323198
Your system seems alright to me.

>>5323198
seems like a good way to have both complications and proper catastrophes. complications and bonuses specifically affecting the future is a nice touch for interactivity, and seems like it will work well to make the MC feel skilled.

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>Critical Success on first roll!

The next shot from your laser pod scythes through the remaining tentacle cluster with contemptuous ease.

That does it. The entity seizes for a moment before going limp, collapsing flat against the ceiling of the warehouse. Not only dead, but decaying before your very eyes.

Only a few seconds later, the surviving cult members drop their weapons and broadcast their surrender. The summoning was clearly their final gambit, and seeing it fail had broken whatever was left of their resistance. Even fanaticism had its limits.

Their target markers flash neutral-yellow, but you keep your reticle trained on them until each and every one is tied and bagged by the null operators.

"Secondary prisoners secured. Proceeding to extract POI-1." crackles Null-1.

The remainder of the operation proceeds without complication. Lambda null-null finds the extraction target - along with most of his senior leadership - near the epicenter of the ritual, unconscious and thoroughly battered. The team clips them with psycho-suppressive drug shunts before dragging them into the main parking lot to join the rest of the prisoners.

You are twenty minutes from from being relieved by the clean-up/prisoner extraction team when you hear it again. This time, the whispering skirts the very edge of comprehensibility.

"...container 5...please help"

>Ignore and return to base.
>Forward what you know to central command/clean up team.
>Tell Lambda-null-null; perhaps they can explore.

>>5324251
>Tell Lambda-null-null; perhaps they can explore.

>>5324251
>Tell Lambda-null-null; perhaps they can explore.
We might be putting the team at risk here, but my curiosity requires satisfaction.

>>5324251
>Tell Lambda-null-null; perhaps they can explore.
Alright let's see what this voice wants.

>>5324251
>>Tell Lambda-null-null; perhaps they can explore.

>>5324251
>Tell Lambda-null-null; perhaps they can explore.

>>5324251
it's talking to us psychically and presumably L00 can't hear it, maybe because of whatever blessings they have. if we were closer, it might be able to do worse than speak. how high up are we anyways?

I'm fine with telling L00, but if we do:
"this could obviously be something evil, but if so why didn't they release it on us?" (defer to them, but mentioning this might make them go forth with a bit less prejudice than I expect them to)
tell command, don't want the cleanup crew to get within range of the thing before this is figured out. they might also give different orders or know something we don't.
fly further away from the site, in case them opening the container will let it be more powerfully psychic at us. don't want to be mind-controlled into shooting at L00 or something.

>>5324251
>Tell Lambda-null-null; perhaps they can explore.

>>5324665
+1

Apologies for the delay gents. Will be updating tonight.

Some things are best left to the professionals.

You begin by radioing central command, which places a 15 minute hold on the clean-up team to give Lambda-00 enough time to scout out the source.

Next, you open up a channel to Null-1 and describe the situation as best you can.

"Container 5? The information you have been provided is suspiciously specific," mulls Null-1.

"True, but wouldn't it make sense to release it earlier if it were a weapon?" you respond.

"You are making too many assumptions. Still, your point is taken. We will approach the target with a degree of discretion. I would recommend increasing your altitude in case you become compromised."

"What about you?"

"We are typically immune to such threats. Besides, you were the one who heard it first."

It was a fair point, and you cycle up the engines for a few moments before settling into a holding pattern at 2000 meters.

Securing the container doesn't take long. Everything in the warehouse is old but well-labeled. After a few minutes of searching, Lambda-00 locates Container 5 near the center of the ritual site, jutting up from a section of sunken-in-flooring. Thermal readings are uninformative. Warm enough to be living, but too diffuse to match the profile of a standard human.

There was only one way to find out. You uncurl tense fingers as you watch Null-3 pry open the door. The rest of the team is standing far behind her, waiting with carbines ready. A trio of null grenades have already been set around the container - presumably configured for remote-detonation.

Metal swings outward. The team moves in from their cover positions.

'What do you see?" You convey a bit more urgency than you would have liked.

"Hold....noncombatant"

"What?"

"Apparent noncombatant, critically wounded. Shunt is in place. Requesting immediate medical extraction"

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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The acceleration gel cushioning your body makes a gurgling noise as it is withdrawn through the purge-lines. A few minutes later, the entire canopy cracks open like an oversized clam. Dawn-light peeks through, and you feel hard concrete beneath your feet as you slide down onto the landing pad.

The maintenance bay is always chaotic, but the situation is especially strained today. On the other side of the pad, the medical transport begins to unload its human cargo. A few of the more battered prisoners exit on wheelchairs, heads still bagged. But behind them is something different.

She is human in a very loose sense. Some of her facial features look vaguely feminine, but her limbs shed reddish dendrites that surround her in an arboreal haze. She reminds you of a misaligned anatomical model - a hypertrophied circulatory system melded back onto a normal human template. A silvery drug shunt sits on her neck like a parasite.

She is still unconscious, but you have little doubt that she was the voice in the container. You watch hazmat-suited medical staff stretcher her down into the bowels of the facility.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

RP Gain:

Mission Completion, Base (+4)

RADIANCE (+1)

Ammo Retention (+0)

POI-1 Captured (+4)

Additional Prisoners Captured x6 (+3)

No Casualties (+1)

Hostile Entity Termination (+1)

Total RP: 14

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You are in the same dark room you remember. RD looks at you, her thin face wreathed in smoke. When she speaks, her lips hardly seem to move.

"The cult has been liquidated in its entirety. Their founder has proven remarkably susceptible to standard interrogation techniques. Some of our initial concerns seem to be unfounded. Their members were not sitting on a trove of restricted information or in possession of any particular talent"

She snubs her cigarette onto the surface of the table.

"they were just....lucky. Do you remember the noncombatant you communicated with"

You nod.

"She was their dumping ground. All rituals have a cost. And if you find the right person, you can have them foot the bill for the rest, so to speak."

She carries on before you have a chance to ask for clarification.

"Your performance was satisfactory. Viewed in conjunction with the findings of the psychiatric evaluation, I see no reason to keep you on medical recovery status."

RD sets down her cigarette and looks directly into your eyes.

"You are now granted the responsibilities and privileges of a full operative. I will still be acting as your handler, but your new position will come with considerably greater autonomy. Based on your records, I see that you have already exercised some your access privileges over the past few days."

"I see," you say - somewhat perturbed that your movements were being actively monitored.

"In the coming days, I would advise communicating with any branches that you have not yet contacted, but especially Acquisitions. You will need munitions, knowledge - but perhaps most of all - people."

'You are dismissed. Message me if you have any pressing concerns"

You view your messages as you walk back to your room.

+++++++

Pilot 17,

Heard some crazy things about the last op. Hope you like sharing - two empty aux mounts and a half-fried turret laser has to mean a good story right?

But onto real business. I might - and I say this word very intentionally - have found an upgrade kit for your bird. Disgruntled company man combined with some poor record-keeping and all that. Keep it on the low-down for now, but seriously - please do come by my office.

Cheers.
-MB

+++++++

Pilot 17,

Consider this prospective meeting offer a gesture of goodwill on our part.

-ACQUISITIONS

++++++

Good Pilot,

I have heard much about you from my faithful children. Would you consider attending a service with our humble congregation?

Faithfully,
Gregori F.P.S

++++++

Where do you go first:

>Maintenance/R&D
>Acquisitions
>Sanctioning

>>5328738
Acquisitions
Time to make a proper introduction to the rest of the organization. Besides, it is what our boss suggested.

>>5328738
>Acquisitions
Let's see what they got for us.

>>5328738
>Acquisitions
Let's follow RD's advice for now.

>>5328738
>>Acquisitions

>>5328738
>Acquisitions

>>5328738
>Acquisitions
Not surprised to see our favourite esoteric mecha quest QM plays this quest

>>5328738
>Acquisitions
A upgrade for our bird sounds really nice but it can wait for now, so acquisitions we go.

it's repeatedly mentioned that Acquisitions gets specifically people. maybe form some thoughts about what subordinates even means for a gunship quest. they'll probably be under amnesiatics.

someone else in the sky with us, like another vehicle. or get a larger vehicle with a turret.
dedicated enchanter? add enchantments to loadout decision, with their own slots separate from weapon slots.

After arriving at acquisitions, you realize that the the message was a lie. There is no meeting.

The tall, pale man standing in front of you does not even bother to greet you. He simply hands you a folder before leaving the room. The door clicks shut.

As you drop the folder on the table, typed dossiers and glossy photographs spill outwards.

[Pick one permanent personnel acquisition. All candidates are on amnesiacs by default, though this can be remanded with the expenditure of one additional RP.]

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> "Marie" [RP: 3]
The flesh-marks that accompany ritual-work are not pleasant to gaze upon, even for my own exalted kind. But I have gazed upon them enough to recognize them - and to know how they might be bent and utilized for our own ends.

In her previous life, "Marie" was an orphan - a member of the invisible refuse-class that occupies the bottom rung of human society. Her adoption by the 'Order of his Crimson" name was not the greatest act of misfortune that has befallen her, but it was undoubtedly the most impactful. Five cycles of ritual feedback-dumping have remolded her flesh into something that is both greater than human and astoundingly less. In her new state, she is resistant to blades, bullets, and flames of the conventional type. Her limbs pull like cables, and she is terrifyingly fast. But her mind is mostly gone - little more than a collection of half-heard pleas that she projects to anyone who will listen.

Regardless, I have treated with whatever is left of her and come to an agreement. She will burn brightly and likely briefly - enough of her remains to understand vengeance and atonement, at the very least.

We have fitted her with a pacification collar for the duration of her projected contract. I would recommend keeping it there if you have any regard for your own well-being.

[Marie starts as a combatant. She is effective against almost all ground threats, but she cannot assist with any other tasks at the moment]

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> Ross Bratton [RP: 3]
National records suggest an honest career in foreign intelligence. National records are rarely reliable.

Bratton experienced the touch of the invisible arts firsthand during a brief deployment to one of the African-rump states. Blessed with a sharp instincts, keen eyes, and a good shooting hand, he alone survived the entity that had consigned the rest of his intelligence team to gentle oblivion. At least according to the official transcripts.

I have conversed with him recently, and I can say with certainty that Bratton no longer walks our world, at least not in his original state. The thing that stands in his place is old, elusive, and far more amenable to the type of contractual agreements that we are willing to offer. Providing a small sum of material goods and a few borrowed decades to his ailing family will be sufficient to secure his loyalty. The fact that he retains familial attachments at all is baffling to me, but I know better than to pry further into his motives.

[Bratton starts as an infiltrator. Limited effectiveness in combat, can be sent in before the start of an engagement to gather information or cause disruption]

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> S.A. Leng [RP: 3]
An accomplished toxicologist and infectious-disease researcher distantly implicated in the Berlin tularemia attacks. Leng's termination from her corporate position caused significant turmoil, albeit in a manner that actively expedited her transfer to the R&D branch of our organization. While my opinion of R&D's work ethos is largely defined by distaste, this negativity does not extend to Leng's work. Her inopportune optimism and single-minded dedication towards synthesizing ever-more-potent biochemical agents inspires a degree of respect even among my kind.

Leng is willing to offer her service for a modest supplement to her research funds and access to esoteric subject. I suspect that the promise of field-work itself is just as enticing as the payment itself. Regardless, I have seen - and at times admired - her work firsthand.

[Leng starts as a researcher. Cannot be deployed in combat, but can be used to analyze targets and/or provide unique munition options prior to missions]

After making your choice, you empty out the folder and also find...

>Nothing.

>An additional attachment with your own file. [This will add a bit more depth to your own character, completely optional]

>>5329884
>Marie
>An additional attachment with your own file.
Hey I don't mind if we have a nigh invincible point man

>>5329884
>"Marie"
>An additional attachment with your own file.
Something something, when fighting monsters.

>>5329892
> S.A. Leng [RP: 3]
>>An additional attachment with your own file. [This will add a bit more depth to your own character, completely optional]
Information wins wars. And considering our foes, having weapons tailor made for their weaknesses is just smart.

>>5329888

> Ross Bratton [RP: 3]
>An additional attachment with your own file. [This will add a bit more depth to your own character, completely optional]

Since our job is fire support, pinpointing targets and potentially flushing them out complements us best. Leng is also tempting, but our limited loadout space makes me feel we wouldn't get as much immediate benefit. As potent as Marie is, I'd feel bad about bringing her back into the fray after we just rescued her.

2/3 vote for
> Ross Bratton [RP: 3]

1/3 vote for
> S.A. Leng [RP: 3]

just influencing tiebreaking.

I don't dislike Marie, but I'm uncertain how to use her. she won't slow us down as much as conventional infantry or ground vehicles. however, her function is just ground-to-ground firepower, and most ground enemies can't reach us anyways. she's more useful when we already have to have other allies on the ground, but then her psychic pleading will distract them.

>>5329888
>Ross Bratton [RP: 3]
>An additional attachment with your own file.
Having intel on targets before we go in would be really nice so we don't get SURPRISEMOTHERFUCKERFed like that again and can adjust accordingly. We can consider retracting the amnestics later if we so choose.

>>5329892
>> S.A. Leng [RP: 3]
Remand the amnesiacs.

>>5329884
>"Marie" [RP: 3]
>An additional attachment with your own file.
I feel bad for her. I don't suppose there's a way to heal her?

>>5329888
>Ross Bratton
Simply a better choice at this point unless we're dealing with entities of significantly greater scale than what we've currently observed, at which point Marie would be far more useful to us. Until then, Ross seems like the option that gets us a lot more out of him.

>>5329892
>S.A. Leng [RP: 3]
More options for guns is always a good choice!
Also the upgrade for our gunship that MB found for us might be an extra aux point.

>>5329884
> "Marie" [RP: 3]
>>5329892
>An additional attachment with your own file. [This will add a bit more depth to your own character, completely optional]

>>5329892
>S.A. Leng [RP: 3]
We will be able to make a lot of interesting stuff with her expertise.
>An additional attachment with your own file. [This will add a bit more depth to your own character, completely optional]
More text to read!

[I'll leave the first vote open in case there are any stragglers]
> An additional attachment with your own file.

You see your own face staring back at you, gaunt and hollow-eyed. "MANDATORY RELEASE OPS-03" is printed diagonally across the dossier in bold red letters. Based on this, you suspect that acquisitions did not release these documents voluntarily.

You glance at the first paragraph of description and see....

> [OPTION 1] C. F. Rawley / Gender: F [Every combat encounter, you can choose ONE ground-action roll to be BO4 rather than BO3]
"A good soldier, if official records are to be believed. Calm under fire and efficient, with numerous successful hot-extractions credited to her name. A few marks on Rawley's disciplinary record suggest a lingering dissatisfaction with her command structure, albeit for reasons that more naive segments of our organization would consider excusable - perhaps even admirable."


> [OPTION 2] Markus King / Gender: M [Every combat encounter, you can choose ONE weapon-hit roll to be BO4 rather than BO3]
"Hollow. I have seen enough human soldiers suffering from terminal fatigue to recognize the signs. King exhibits almost all of them. A short but storied career working as a dedicated strike-pilot has exposed him to the sterile cruelty of modern warfare, marking both his career and his mind.
Nurtures quiet aspirations of settling down and starting a family. A laughable wish among our kind, and - given his circumstances - somewhat pitiful even among his own."


> [OPTION 3] S. Kawasaki / Gender: M [Access to rarer gunship parts]
"Although nominally registered as an army pilot, Kawasaki has terminated more targets on domestic soil than international. In less obtuse terms, he can be classified to as a hitman - a contractor who is called upon when the army's main arms-supplier wishes to nip corporate competition in the bud.
Left his position and joined the army officially after a particularly indiscriminate restructuring mission tugged on what remained of his conscience. Retains a measure of goodwill with his corporate sponsors, though it is unclear to me if he will ever have an opportunity to access it. "

Your eyes skip to the bottom of the page.

"...most recent deployment ended with the termination of their ground team and permanent redaction from official army records. The trauma of the experience has made them remarkably pliable for our purposes, and I have managed to secure a long-term service contract using little more than a wealth of platitudes and a modest expenditure of conventional wealth..."

>Also feel free to supply/vote on a portrait picture. If there's no consensus, I can provide more definitive options.

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>>5331175
>[OPTION 3] S. Kawasaki / Gender: M [Access to rarer gunship parts]
I'm all for more people removal utensils

>>5331175
> [OPTION 3] S. Kawasaki / Gender: M [Access to rarer gunship parts]

>>5331175
Hey Observer, forgive me if I'm wrong but didn't we already vote for our gender in the first thread?
Unless that wasn't taken into account
>[OPTION 3] S. Kawasaki / Gender: M [Access to rarer gunship parts]

A FemMC would have been neat but I can't resist the allure of loot.

>>5331175
>> [OPTION 3] S. Kawasaki / Gender: M [Access to rarer gunship parts]

>>5331175

> [OPTION 3] S. Kawasaki / Gender: M [Access to rarer gunship parts]

>>5331175
>> S.A. Leng [RP: 3]

>>5331175
> [OPTION 1] C. F. Rawley / Gender: F [Every combat encounter, you can choose ONE ground-action roll to be BO4 rather than BO3]
> [OPTION 2] Markus King / Gender: M [Every combat encounter, you can choose ONE weapon-hit roll to be BO4 rather than BO3]

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>>5331175
>[OPTION 2] Markus King / Gender: M [Every combat encounter, you can choose ONE weapon-hit roll to be BO4 rather than BO3]

Getting Brigador vibes from these dossier entries.

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>>5331175
> [OPTION 3] S. Kawasaki / Gender: M [Access to rarer gunship parts]

>>5329944
> S.A. Leng [RP: 3]
I'll switch my previous Vote from Marie to Leng since it fits better with the rarer weapons we could get.

>>5331175
>[OPTION 3] S. Kawasaki / Gender: M [Access to rarer gunship parts]
Even more guns!

>>5331175

> [OPTION 2] Markus King / Gender: M [Every combat encounter, you can choose ONE weapon-hit roll to be BO4 rather than BO3]

Want hit good.

>>5331175
>> [OPTION 2] Markus King / Gender: M [Every combat encounter, you can choose ONE weapon-hit roll to be BO4 rather than BO3]

>>5331175
>[OPTION 2] Markus King / Gender: M [Every combat encounter, you can choose ONE weapon-hit roll to be BO4 rather than BO3]
I'd have voted for 3 if he wasn't a nip.

>>5331175

> [OPTION 2] Markus King / Gender: M [Every combat encounter, you can choose ONE weapon-hit roll to be BO4 rather than BO3]

>>5329888

> Ross Bratton [RP: 3]

Voting for this, better ground intel trumps armaments 9 out of 10 times.

I'd also spend the extra RP to allow him to keep his memories?

>>5331175
> [OPTION 2] Markus King / Gender: M

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>Leng
>Tie
I currently have the vote tied 7:7, so this roll will act as a tiebreaker. 1 goes to Markus, 2 to Kawasaki.

There is a degree of inhumanity in seeing your own life summarized in front of you, reduced down into a few short paragraphs that capture your estimated worth to the Bureau.

Hollowness. Terminal Fatigue. Remarkably succinct ways of describing how you've felt these past five years. The part about starting a family was true too. You had once harbored aspirations about "settling down" - of finding a place insulated from the keening of turbines and the chattering of cannon fire.

But your pragmatic side tells you that this possibility had departed quite some time ago. The bureau will be your home for the foreseeable future, and any family you might find will have to exist within its sterile grey confines.

After looking through the candidates one more time, you come to a difficult decision. Given the types of targets you expect to encounter, you suspect that insight and preparation might be more important than guile or brute force. You mark S.A. Leng's file, return it to the folder, and knock thrice on the door.

The acquisitions headhunter returns a few minutes later. He whisks the folder away and reviews your choice in front of you, his thin lips curling downwards with distaste.

"Something wrong?" you ask, mildly irritated.

His frown disappears. "No. Leng is a commendable choice. However, I would have expected someone of your pedigree to request the orphan, given your personal role in bringing her to us."

"That's precisely why I didn't. It wouldn't be fair to put her in danger again."

"Do you know what is going to happen to her now?"

"Medical treatment," you hazard.

"No. Too unpredictable. She will be euthanized and rendered. Altered tissue has many applications, and most of them do not require the integrity of the original corpus. I suppose you are correct in a sense. It will practically be a mercy given her current state."

Your mouth suddenly feels very dry, and you pause for just a moment too long. The headhunter notices. He gives a slight smile, and you see a gnawing hunger in his eyes. You remember Ren's warnings.

>It is what it is. Leave and go to maintenance.

>Negotiate to acquire Marie. [More expensive, she will join your active roster]

>Negotiate to put Marie in medical. [Less expensive, she will be unavailable for now]

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>>5333001
Also, feel free to vote on your picture.
>>5331302
>>5331277
Are options.

>>5331179
Is kind of an option.

And here's a few more.

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>>5333002

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>>5333002
As always, also feel free to post your own.

>>5333001
>Negotiate to put Marie in medical. [Less expensive, she will be unavailable for now]
Leaving her to be harvested for parts would make us a monster, no better than them. Let's see what medical has to say. We can always ask for her to join our squad later.

>>5333002
This one

>>5333001
>Negotiate to put Marie in medical. [Less expensive, she will be unavailable for now]
>>5333005
This picture.

>>5333001
>Negotiate to put Marie in medical. [Less expensive, she will be unavailable for now]
I refuse to let her die.
>>5333004
This one's cool.

>>5333017
>>5333029
>>5333055

"You're underestimating her ability to recover mentally. She's more than a broken husk. Put her in Medical and give her a real chance to recuperate - worst case, you delay your harvest by several weeks. Best case - she becomes a valuable asset."

>>5333001
>Negotiate to put Marie in medical. [Less expensive, she will be unavailable for now]

>>5333001
>Negotiate to put Marie in medical. [Less expensive, she will be unavailable for now]

>>5333004
This on here

>>5333001

>Negotiate to put Marie in medical. [Less expensive, she will be unavailable for now]

>>5333005

This one's got my vote.

>Roll for negotiations, best of three 1d20.

I will give a +1 Roll bonus for each distinct and compelling argument/leverage point you write-in. You can present one regardless of whether or not you make a roll.

Current Modifiers.
>>5333071 +1

Roll ranges:

1-8: Negotiations go poorly. The price that acquisitions imposes will be high.
9-15: Negotiations go decently. You manage to exert some leverage.
16-18: Negotiations go well. They are willing to make considerable concessions.
19-20: Your corner the headhunter. The negotiations conclude, and he does not find himself in a favorable position.

Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>5333658
>"Our organization already makes significant use of the esoteric to aid in our endeavours. It would be out-of-character for us to not utilize this new resource due to a vague notion of "unpredictability". Such potential is too great to waste."
What do you think? Too similar to >>5333071?

>>5333692
+1 Bonus granted. Total bonus is +2

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>5333658
>"I would have expected a more indepth appraisal of the asset considering the resources available. It could still be of service somewhere..."
Something along those lines.

One last chance. :D

Rolled 18 (1d20)

>>5333658
can't go worse!

>>5333723
S A V I O UR

And just for the heck of it, one final argument
>"You've read my file. You know me better than I know myself. What would it do to my motivation if I knew that the organization I work for murdered a girl I saved for parts? My service record speaks for itself. How much is this continued service worth?"

>>5333723
ah, my argument is not necessary then. still.
>>5333658

if she's been broadcasting psychically, that can't have been nice for the cultists to live around. and I only started hearing her immediately after the entity appeared, first dimly and then clearly. I think the psychic communication ability is recent, maybe even gained during that last ritual. even if it's older, it's something they'd have punished her for using, so she can't have much practice. she probably has potential to do more than just speak that way.

>Critfail, complication added.

The headhunter was right about one thing. The orphan was your responsibility now.

You press forward, hoping to turn the conversation around. For a moment, you consider appealing to the headhunter's sense of decency. Then you remember precisely who it is you are speaking to.

"I would have expected a more thorough assessment given your branch's reputation. Many of us are unpredictable in some ways. Why waste her?"

Your counterpart doesn't miss a beat. "Because there are different kinds of unpredictability, Mr. King. The fact that we have found it intolerable in her case should speak volumes about her utility."

"And it can't be managed?"

That smile again. "Not without a considerable investment of resources, no." He reaches into the folder and hands you a photograph.

"Look at the fibrous matter surrounding her arms. Once she heals, keeping her contained will require a dedicated reinforced containment cell at minimum. That said, if this is something that you are willing to requisition for us, I do have some authority to..."

Your temper frays slightly. "No. I'm not bribing you so that you can rediscover basic decency. You've seen my file - you know what I fight for. Doesn't my service record merit consideration here?"

"To an extent. We may be willing to make some concessions on our part, but be careful about making threats you cannot follow through with. We are not responsible if you lose your ability to serve the Bureau."

Progress, but not good enough. You wrack your brain for something - something that could turn the tables. Maybe even wipe the smile off his damn face. You think of the orphan, her face, and the file...the file...

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"Let me see her file again," you request. With some reluctance, the headhunter hands it back to you.

"It says here that you treated with her. Came to an agreement."

The smile is gone now. 'That is correct. You are referencing my superior's entry."

"Doesn't matter to me. Did his agreement entail cutting her down for parts?" you ask.

"Implicit. Atonement is a broad term, and she has agreed to assist us," he responds.

There it is. An opening, perhaps. You exploit it as best you can. "I'm assuming that this interpretation something that your superior agrees with, assuming I were to ask him about this directly."

"You will not be able to. As I said, the agreement was implicit."

You mull the situation over before speaking.

"Funny that you talk about making threats that you can't follow through with. I think that you are lying to me. There is no order to euthanize her, is there?"

The muscles on the headhunter's face are tense as he responds. "The official order has not been given as of yet."

"And it never would have been. I found it strange that you brought her up after I gave you my forms. You were trying to extort me this entire time."

Rage flashes over his bland-but-sculpted features for a second. Then calm, as he speaks again.

"I sincerely hope you will be able to overlook this...miscommunication on our part. Per your original request, I will be releasing the orphan into your custody shortly. I am willing to...ask medical to subsidize the cost of containment and treatment, provided that you maintain a degree of discretion regarding our discussion here"

He doesn't wait for you to respond, and you have nothing left to say. You are escorted out of the room by a pair black-armored guards.

>[S.A. Leng and "Marie" have joined your roster.]

>[Despite conducting a successful negotiation, you have created significant ill-will with a member of acquisitions. This could become problematic later on]

It will take a day or two for the two of them physically transfer. In the meantime, you decide to visit:

>Maintenance. Gunship upgrades.
>Sanctioning. ???

>>5334379
Sanctioning. Patron of luminescence here we go.

I also have to ask: where are you getting those kick ass battle graphics from? Surely you're not making them yourself, right?

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>>5334395
(・・;)

I get all the 2-D pics from google images. But the 3-D is homemade.

>>5334379
>Sanctioning. ???

>>5334403
That is so fucking cool man. Great work. Need a vidya like this in my life.

>>5334379
>Maintenance. Gunship upgrades.

>>5334379
>>Maintenance. Gunship upgrades.
>>5334403
I have never before seen a quest with visuals like this, impressive work.

>>5334379
>Maintenance. Gunship upgrades.

>>5334403
Looks super cool, very impressive stuff.

>>5334379
>Maintenance. Gunship upgrades.
More gun!

>>5334454
>>5334464
>>5334409
Glad you gents are enjoying things!


After being stuck in a dark room for over an hour, walking through the bustling maintenance bay almost feels like a relief. You take the elevator up and cross the gantryway to knock on MB's office.

The door cracks open for a moment before opening fully. MB frames the entrance, as bald and heavyset as ever.

"Welcome in, kid."

You take a seat as he plops down onto his office chair.

"As I was saying, I heard some interesting things about the last op. Hard to imagine that a bunch of squatters had something like that on standby. That's OPS for you - all the talk in the world until they get something wrong. Then not a peep."

"We did manage in the end," you reply.

"That you did. Anyways, I wanted to talk to you about the upgrade kits we managed to nick a few days ago."

He angles his main monitor so you can see his screen. "Now let's take a look at what we have here..."

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Current vehicle:
>VH-12A "Interdictor"

[Choose one of the following three options. Current RP: 10]

>VH-12A/A "Interdictor-II" [5 RP]
Classic mid-life upgrade package. Replaces the tiny stub-mounts with aerodynamic winglets rated for roughly twice the ordinance capacity. Modifications like these tend to stress the engines, but the impact isn't too steep with this airframe. You'll lose a small amount of range and performance in exchange for a larger, more flexible weapons package.
[Adds 2x AUX Mount]

>VH-12A/G "Reaver" [5 RP]
Specialized variant of the popular VH-12A/A package. Same winglet attachments, except the ordinance hardpoints have been consolidated into a single, larger mount-type. More power with less flexibility.
[Upgrades 2x AUX Mount to 2x SEC Mount]

>VH-12A/N "Champion" [5RP]
The VH-12A/N is a comprehensive refit of the original Interdictor airframe; official specs call for replacement of the gimballed turret assembly for a limited-rotation HEAVY hardpoint. Lacks flexibility, multi-target capabilities, and any regard for aerodynamic performance. I love it. The few flyboys who favor these things will typically use an autopulse laser or a plasma emitter as their big gun. Kinetics still exist, of course, but so does metal fatigue.
[Upgrades 1x MAIN to 1x HEAVY]

There is also an addendum:

>AH-45 "BEHOLDER" [??? RP]
Look, kid. I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but one of my contacts in army acquisitions might be able to get his hands on a corporate-surplus AH-45. Yes, it's the real deal - he sent me hanger pictures alongside the transfer forms.

Different manufacturer, sure, but its a solid decade or two more modern than the bird you're flying now. Getting our hands on it will be challenging. I can't say exactly how expensive this will be, but we might be able to get the requisition process going now....

[1x MAIN]
[2x HEAVY]
[2x SEC]
[1X SMALL]
[See attached pic for a rough rendering]

>You can choose to invest a certain amount of RP into this persistent project. After each mission, you will roll 1d20 to determine whether the requisition process is successful, with the DC determined by your RP investment. For instance, by the time you invest total 18RP into the project, your DC will be: 20-18=2.

Once you win the roll, the air frame will become available the following mission.

>>5335328

Could we get a list of currently available options for each slot? Also, is there a difference between the SMALL slot on the AH-45 and our current AUX slots?

>>5335367
Seconding this question.

>>5335367
Whoops sorry.
I’ll post a full list tomorrow, but for now:

MAIN and AUX options are listed previously. SEC mount options include upscale versions of AUX weapons - so all current AUX unlocks, just 3x more ammo, though there are some unique SEC weapons that you can requisition later.

SMALL mounts are comparable to crew served weapons. You have a 12.7mm HMG by default for the slot; all others need to be purchased.

Same for HEAVY you have a 75MW laser emitter by default; all others need to be purchased.

>>5335375
If we get the Beholder, do we also keep our Interdictor as a spare or is the budget not enough for that?
Does it open different upgrade options or is it simply a straight up better option compared to the Interdictor?

I mean, we could potentially gain a serious upgrade to our capacities really quick if we're lucky.

>>5335377
Yes, you can keep your current ship as a spare.

You can also choose additional upgrades for the ah45 once you get it. The acquisition process is independent of your current upgrade choice; you can choose to upgrade the vh-12 now and put as much or as little rp into getting the new ship.

>>5335328
>>5335375

>VH-12A/A "Interdictor-II" [5 RP]
>Invest 5 remaining RP into AH-45 requisition

Cheers for the clarification. Looking back at our AUX options, I reckon 2 more gives us the most flexibility. So far we haven't been so short on munitions that the triple capacity from upgrading to SEC slots is warranted. This is assuming we can double up on weapon choices, like getting two 40MW pods for 4 shots total.

Once we get the AH-45, it'd be especially cool if we trained up someone to be our wingman on the Interdictor.

>>5335328
>VH-12A/A "Interdictor-II" [5 RP]
>Remaining RP on AH-45

>>5335328
>VH-12A/A "Interdictor-II" [5 RP]
More aux mounts sounds best for now, gives us more flexibility and allowing us to actually try out more of our new weapons at once instead of only two each mission.
>Invest last 5 RP into the AH-45
ME WANT.

>>5335375
2/3 vote for
>VH-12A/G "Reaver" [5 RP] (SEC mounts)
1/3 vote for
>VH-12A/A "Interdictor-II" [5 RP] (AUX mounts)

I say hold off on investing in the AH-45 until we've talked to sanctioning. don't want to completely exhaust our RP before we know all our options.

>>5335328
>>VH-12A/A "Interdictor-II" [5 RP]

I think this is the most practical and versatile option.

>>5335328
>VH-12A/A "Interdictor-II" [5 RP]
>Invest 1 RP into AH-45
One RP just so we can begin rolling and try to get lucky. I don't want to spend everything here, we probably have new weapons to buy.

>>5335328
>VH-12A/A "Interdictor-II" [5 RP]

>Remaining RP on AH-45

Hi gents! I will be quite busy these next two weeks, so the update schedule will probably become irregular again. I will try to put things out whenever I can, but just wanted to let all of you know in advance.

I do plan to continue this quest for a good long while, so don't worry about abandonment.

>>5336131
Ey, wasn't this supposed to be a oneshot? Look at me now mum, I'm a real quest!

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>VH-12A/A "Interdictor-II" [5 RP]
>Remaining RP on AH-45 [Your remaining 5 RP will be formally committed for this project once you begin your next mission cycle. If you find something you would rather buy in the meantime, you will still have the option to spending these points]

"...figured that would be your choice. Just make sure you get a few hours of real flight-time in before your next op - those winglets tend to do some funny things to your lift performance..."

MB stops for a moment to shift his monitor back.

"...and just keep me posted about the AH-45. As I said, long term project - no need to bull through it."

"Sounds good," you reply. "Any weapons on offer?"

"Ha. Not this time, kid. Those incendiaries I sourced last time are still around, but I got nothing new. Scouting out these upgrade kits was enough of a nightmare as-is."

He leans back on his chair and sighs.

"And speaking of nightmares, I caught a glimpse of the...person you recovered from the last op. What the hell were you thinking kid?"

"She was calling me for help. We couldn't leave her behind," you say somewhat defensively.

MB pauses. He reaches into his horrifically overfilled file cabinet and pulls out a jumble of coffee-stained item orders, placing them onto his desk one at a time.

"Four HEC suits with integrated ballistic plates and stand-alone filter packs. Eight ASh rifles, chambered for fifty-cal flatheads. Enough aerosolized nerve agent to depopulate a small midwestern town."

He continues. "Acquisitions muscled this over to me this morning; if half of it is actually necessary for containment, then you might be the person calling for help soon."

"Not if we're careful. I haven't even talked with her yet"

He sighs. "I know I can't change your mind, so please actually do be careful. I don't want to see you get bent into a pretzel by someone who looks like a cross between a tumor and a badly-trimmed hedge."

You can't help but smile a bit. "Thanks MB."

"Good Luck, Kid."

As you exit the maintenance bay, you consider your next destination.

>Sanctioning [Respond to Father Gregori's invitation]
>Medical [Meet "Marie", or at least try to]
>Your Room [Skip to tomorrow and meet S.A. Leng]

[Last post on this thread. Next thread will start in very early august, once my schedule becomes more regular]

>>5350159
>>Sanctioning [Respond to Father Gregori's invitation]

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>>5350159
Is the ASh a reference to the ShAK-12? If so, very cool.

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>>5334403
Also QM just wanted to say I really enjoy the weaponry descriptions and also your self-made effects and art for this setting.

If you want some more 2D military / scifi vehicles I am happy to upload some (only if you want to or need them though, can discuss separately on qtg)

You can find some cool concept images from this link for example (this guy has a lot of tanks and some gunships, scroll down)

https://www.artstation.com/i50mmwarhead

>>5350159
>Medical [Meet "Marie", or at least try to]
Let's go check on our girl.

>>5350159
>Medical [Meet "Marie", or at least try to]

>>5350159

>Sanctioning [Respond to Father Gregori's invitation]

>>5350159
half a vote for
>Medical

>>5350159
>Sanctioning [Respond to Father Gregori's invitation]
Best we respond to the religious kill teams leader.

>>5350159
>Medical [Meet "Marie", or at least try to]

>>5350159
>>Your Room [Skip to tomorrow and meet S.A. Leng]

>>5350159
>Sanctioning [Respond to Father Gregori's invitation]

>>5350159
>Sanctioning [Respond to Father Gregori's invitation]