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Bounty hunters of the apocalypse discussion

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FantasyLiver Since: Oct, 2012
#2526: Feb 11th 2014 at 3:09:06 PM

Thank you. That explained it nicely. Also, more monster ideas (because we haven't been fighting enough as it is.)

  • Giant Dragonfly/Dragon Riders - Like giant spiders and giant rats - these creatures are seemingly nothing special except for their size - which can vary from three feet big to automobile sized. However, the one thing that is unique is that, about a year ago, humans discovered a spell that can bind a giant dragonfly to a human. The spell began spreading through word of mouth and is now fairly common. When a dragonfly is bonded to a human - it will die if it's human master does. However, a human "dragon rider" can survive if the dragonfly is killed. When it is bonded to a human, it will obey his or her orders unquestionably unless a more powerful monster, like a succubus, orders it to do something in contradiction to the human's wishes. When that happens, the human will have to get the monster out of the picture and recast the spell. UNAM maintains a small platoon of "dragon riders" for small air strike teams and a few bounty hunters also use the mounts. However, this spell and the giant dragonflies can be misused as there have been reports of bandit gangs using these creatures to aid in their robberies and as an intimidation technique.
  • Phooka - Neutral, enigmatic shapeshifters. It looks like this but it can shapeshift into a great dog when it feels threatened. It is said that riding on the back of a phooka in dog form is good luck. They seem to prefer high areas - typcially residing in trees or rooftops. They love playing tricks on humans and have been known to steal items or throw things at unaware people. Their thievery is innate and many phookas are said to have a "nest" of stolen items. However, they are also known to give good advice about an area's monster population or other facts about magic to human beings. They are also willing to strike a trade - typically one of their stolen items for a piece of fruit (their favorite food.) They share the same weaknesses as other fair folk. When in dog form, a phooka can no longer speak.

FirockFinion THE SLORG! from The Red Desert Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
THE SLORG!
#2527: Feb 12th 2014 at 9:28:34 PM

Alright, my apologies about the delay; yesterday turned into a brick wall of writer's block and distractions for me, and today I didn't have time to get on before work. Gonna be trying to post in the relatively near future, just need to check on some other things first.

@Gameknight: When I get the new sign up thread posted, I'm going to request that everyone repost their active characters there, so you could wait until then since that will be in the next few days anyway.

@Fantasy: Unfortunately neither of those ideas really work. Giant dragonflies are a maybe, but people getting a ritual to bond the dragonflies to themselves most certainly is no.

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FantasyLiver Since: Oct, 2012
#2528: Feb 12th 2014 at 9:39:51 PM

Figured the dragonfly thing was a long shot but what was wrong with the phooka?

TroyandHawk The Blinder from Back Home. Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
The Blinder
#2529: Feb 12th 2014 at 9:46:34 PM

..Why would someone wanna bind themselves to a giant dragonfly?

Good to be back
FantasyLiver Since: Oct, 2012
TroyandHawk The Blinder from Back Home. Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
The Blinder
#2531: Feb 12th 2014 at 10:24:39 PM

...Wouldn't that be a bit difficult, I mean, I can see your Eragon reference, wouldn't you have to get, say a harness and a saddle?

Good to be back
FirockFinion THE SLORG! from The Red Desert Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
THE SLORG!
#2532: Feb 12th 2014 at 11:36:35 PM

The Phooka's issue is somewhat twofold. The more personal side for me is that I don't personally care for its visual aesthetic; it kind of clashes with the rest of the fair folk, and not in a "slightly on purpose because their attitude is different" way that the Gnomes and Leprechauns do. (Namely that they wear Human clothing, or at least clothing that resembles Human clothing. Elves do this too, but only while in disguise as a Human.) The other is that they have some redundant overlap I don't feel I need in the list, namely with Fairies and Leprechauns. And a third fair folk that isn't in the bestiary because nobody knows about it in-character.

edited 12th Feb '14 11:39:52 PM by FirockFinion

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FirockFinion THE SLORG! from The Red Desert Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
THE SLORG!
#2533: Feb 16th 2014 at 2:22:18 AM

Alright, moved things forward a little bit to see if that would help with all the writer's block I've been feeling recently. Hence the bits with Molly/Anarchy, since she could be in either form at that point.

Also, as promised, the second arc signups are up! As I kind of mentioned before, I would like all of you to repost your current characters. I'm not going to require it, but it would be nice. For Gameknight particularly, I'd like to add I mean only Recon currently; hold off on the others until you're actually ready to enter with them or you reworked them and want to know if the reworked version is acceptable. At some point, perhaps tomorrow or the day after, I will post the real signup sheet for Lisa.

Now, new character signups will be approved/disapproved when I can get to them, however new characters actually entering the RP may have to wait until appropriate times, depending on the character.

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gameknight102xx Since: Aug, 2011
#2534: Feb 16th 2014 at 11:43:05 AM

Has Recon actually seen Molly alive and well yet?

TroyandHawk The Blinder from Back Home. Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
The Blinder
#2535: Feb 16th 2014 at 1:19:52 PM

No, if you want I can have Molly come and help wityh the Dire wolves?

Good to be back
gameknight102xx Since: Aug, 2011
#2536: Feb 16th 2014 at 2:18:44 PM

Don't force it. Even if Recon's not very fun to play when he's moping like this we still need the story to go smoothly.

Speaking of which, are we still doing the Molly x Recon thing?

Oh, and Firock, as soon as the other eight mercs come in I'd like to be able to play all of them at once for a brief period of time. I won't fight with all nine unless you force it. Just a bit of talking, transfer of information, and then I'll go back to playing one or two.

edited 16th Feb '14 2:27:14 PM by gameknight102xx

TroyandHawk The Blinder from Back Home. Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
The Blinder
#2537: Feb 16th 2014 at 3:19:35 PM

Yeah, molly has feelings for recon

Good to be back
FirockFinion THE SLORG! from The Red Desert Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
THE SLORG!
#2538: Feb 16th 2014 at 6:47:09 PM

@Gameknight: We're quickly entering a "we desperately need people to come along with us" stage of the game, so how exactly would the rest of the mercenaries justify just up and leaving?

Them having brief, long distance radio contact would be easily workable, but them all in one place at this stage only to just all leave would be weird.

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FantasyLiver Since: Oct, 2012
#2539: Feb 16th 2014 at 6:56:25 PM

Will there be a sizable UNAM presence in Green Fields? If so, I might put up a character idea I have. Also, will there be a main thread post up soon?

FirockFinion THE SLORG! from The Red Desert Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
THE SLORG!
#2540: Feb 16th 2014 at 7:12:30 PM

I intend to post today, yeah, but I'm a little bit distracted/writer's blocked, so it may be a few hours until I get it up. I'll try to start typing it shortly.

There's going to be somewhat of a U.N.A.M. presence, but as you guys are going to be leaving Green Fields in the (narratively speaking) near future, that's somewhat irrelevant. My plan for U.N.A.M. characters joining soon is that a forward squad that had been sent to initially investigate word of a possible major demon are going to show up.

That said, does that mean you're not going to use that other character idea? The guy with the RC helicopter?

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FantasyLiver Since: Oct, 2012
#2541: Feb 16th 2014 at 7:16:40 PM

I decided to keep him as backup in case Red or this other guy I'm thinking of kicks the bucket. I think I'll withold posting the new guy until we actually leave Green Field's though.

gameknight102xx Since: Aug, 2011
#2542: Feb 16th 2014 at 9:58:55 PM

Radio contact sounds good, since we're leaving Green Fields.

Quick note: Recon didn't memorize a Wikipedia article, that's pure and utter gibberish he's spouting right now. He's making it up as he goes along.

edited 16th Feb '14 10:00:41 PM by gameknight102xx

FirockFinion THE SLORG! from The Red Desert Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
THE SLORG!
#2543: Feb 17th 2014 at 6:55:11 PM

@Fantasy: Righto. Well, if you manage to flesh out this new guy, go ahead and post him over in the new signups.

Anyway, stopping in here to first let you guys know that I am gonna be kinda busy this week. I've only got one shift of work on Wednesday, (Much to my anger since I need more hours. D:<) but every other weekday I've got possible plans with friends with our real life RPG stuff; mainly because for the last few weeks, we've kept having to cancel one of the days at the last minute, so this week we're trying to do some extra make up sessions.

Second, for the benefit of having a new signup for her for new people, and because I said I would: Lisa's, or rather, Goldilock's real signup sheet. This should also give you guys some clue as to what all you missed out on asking her while she was in that ritual circle. tongue (Though you can still ask her anytime.)

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nman Since: Mar, 2010
#2544: Feb 17th 2014 at 7:13:16 PM

"Hey Lisa, for no reason pertaining to my mind being controlled by an omniscient third party, would you mind telling me about your relationship to Mephisto?"

FirockFinion THE SLORG! from The Red Desert Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
THE SLORG!
#2545: Feb 17th 2014 at 7:38:54 PM

Heh. Mephisto being her "dad" was something I planned back since Plumbum was controlling her; since he decided not to specify, I was gonna have that as a surprise for him.

Also, Molly/Anarchy already knows.

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FantasyLiver Since: Oct, 2012
#2546: Feb 18th 2014 at 4:41:31 PM

Remembering gbnfrgl's character and noticing that "former bandit" is an option, I decided to post this - which you've already kind of implied Firock. Guess you could say it's what Shevon was doing for Flyer and Dune. Kind of on a time crunch while writing this so it might not be too clear what I'm saying so apologies in advance.

  • A.S.H. Stands for Alternate Sentencing through Hunting. When it first seemed that humanity had somewhat leveled out since the Apocalypse, most governments around the world realized that, though they had numerous bounty hunters on the job, there were simply too many monsters out there wreaking havoc. So to get some more bodies out there fighting the good fight, U.N.A.M made a resolution, stating that, providing local governments were willing, any convicted criminal could be released with a full U.N.A.M pardon provided he or she served their respective governments to their upmost ability in combating the hordes of Hell. Many governments around the world implemented this practice and had a startling success. They now had more manpower against the monsters and this manpower didn't need paying like bounty hunters and mercenaries. However sometimes, espescially in smaller towns, the freed criminals revolted, or simply escaped, and the upstanding citizens now had a bandit problem in addition to a monster one. Fortunately, this was a rare occurance. While there are several countries that choose not to implement this practice, North Korea takes it a step further by seemingly mocking U.N.A.M's resolution by freeing their prisoners as the resolution says...and then use their prisoners as live bait against monsters.

nman Since: Mar, 2010
#2547: Feb 18th 2014 at 4:44:11 PM

Ah, Penal Units and North Korea, two things that should totally exist, yet we totally forgot aboutevil grin

TroyandHawk The Blinder from Back Home. Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
The Blinder
#2548: Feb 18th 2014 at 5:25:16 PM

Hey Firock, how is North Korea doing after the apocalypse?

Good to be back
FirockFinion THE SLORG! from The Red Desert Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
THE SLORG!
#2549: Feb 18th 2014 at 7:01:10 PM

@ASH: A neat idea, though other than elaborating it into the former bandit/raider option in the signup, I'm not sure I'd do more with it.

@North Korea: Well, given their political standing around 2012 and the controversies around them trying to start their own nuclear arsenal, I can safely say that unless North Korea drastically changed due to the apocalypse, they would have gotten pretty much no love from U.N.A.M.. This would have left them fending for themselves, which, in this setting, would have been a near death sentence on its own.

In the best case scenario for North Korea, they change their policies drastically, and manage to get into U.N.A.M., getting them the protection of the bigger countries whenever things got especially bad in North Korea. The prisoners as live bait thing definitely wouldn't work in this scenario though.

In the middle ground scenario, North Korea doesn't get the help of U.N.A.M. but keeps to themselves, toughing out the worse parts of the apocalypse on their own. In this case North Korea is still there, but drastically weaker than otherwise.

In the worst case scenario for North Korea, they would have tried to take advantage of the initial chaos to attack South Korea. Since South Korea is pretty much definitely in U.N.A.M., this would mean U.N.A.M. actually turning against North Korea. To put it bluntly, North Korea is no longer there in this scenario; they managed to fight off America before only because the Chinese came to bail them out. Facing against the entirety of U.N.A.M., including China and America? It gets conquered, plain and simple, and handed over to South Korea, finally reuniting the two countries. (So, for the citizens, this may actually be the best case scenario.)

... Actually come to think of it, I think the worst case scenario for North Korea would be to turn into a cult-state, trying to side with the monsters. This still would have pissed U.N.A.M. off, but more importantly it would have gained the ire of the NCC, who would have launched a crusade. Like above, North Korea is conquered and eventually South Korea takes over, but not before most of the country is burned and salted; because the NCC is nothing if not extremely zealous and a bit prone to overreactions.

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nman Since: Mar, 2010
#2550: Feb 18th 2014 at 7:45:10 PM

I think that last one you mentioned is the most interesting in terms of how it establishes another SRSBSNS backstory even involving the NCC. Which is probably the most applicable for our characters, since they probably aren't going to NK (though with portals to hell and stuff, who knows?)


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