EVENT ★ GHOST TOWN

[futurologists]

BONEYARD JUNCTION Thanks to efforts from your teammates, the path to Boneyard Junction, the abandoned town at the end of the rail line, has been cleared. The train will not go this far, so recruits will have to walk the rail from the next stop over at the Fracking Fields. Most of the danger has been removed, but there still may be a few straggling giant lizards or bandits along the way, looking for a quick meal or an easy robbery. The ghost town itself is smaller in scope than Perdition's Rest, with several familiar-looking buildings -- the mayor's office, the sheriff's office, a general store -- but the main difference is that the town is halfway sunken into the desert. The ground here is shifting and unstable, with sinkholes and quicksand a constant threat. Venturing inside the crumbling buildings, left to rot in the desert for the past thirty years, is equally dangerous; there's a good chance that upper stories will simply collapse underfoot or overhead, and many venomous, aggressive reptiles and arachnids have moved in since the Qorral moved out. The Qorral have not been back here since abandoning it, so there is a lot to scavenge, from tech to money or tools to toys, both businesses and residential buildings are ripe for the plundering. The bandits have been through here in the past three decades many times, stripping the town of many of its valuables, but determined recruits ought to be able to find secret caches or overlooked boxes. Those who venture into the lowermost parts of buildings, however, will find objects of the greatest value, though not necessarily monetarily -- familiar-looking tech, corroded with sand and rusted with age, is littered about basements filled with sand and debris, as if the further the buildings sank into the desert, something beneath the town rose up to meet it. Upon further inspection, the tech will react when placed next to jewelcomms, lights blinking and static-filled screens turning on: this tech once belonged to ALASTAIR, its age clearly dating it much further back than the Qorral's arrival on this planet. But before Audentes can investigate further, there's an interruption . . . AMBUSH There's a sudden cacophony of shouting and gunfire from all sides of Boneyard Junction as heavily armed figures storm in, on the attack. They aren't from Perdition's Rest. They could be bandits, but bandits usually ask for money first -- plus, these people seem much too well-equipped to be bandits. Their clothing isn't haphazard, their weapons are well cared for. If recruits survive the initial onslaught (better be good at dodging bullets!) and pay attention to the shouting that can be heard above the gunfire, the identity of the attackers may slowly become clear: they speak of salvation and digging deeply. These are the Deemers. Previously unseen and ostensibly peaceful, the Deemers are now showing themselves to be anything but. They fight recruits with a savage intensity, injuries seemingly not slowing them down. Their only weakness appears to be injury to the head, after which they will immediately disengage and attempt to flee. Though they shout about salvation as they attack with a religious fervor, they also occasionally say something about recruits getting too close to something -- perhaps something in Boneyard Junction itself. Jonathan Black, leader of the Deemers, makes an appearance, spouting fire and brimstone in an unnaturally loud voice that can be heard above the gunfire and screaming. Any attempts to confront him will be met with vicious attacks from his bodyguards, a pair of shrouded Deemer women who fight with curved swords. Eventually, though, one recruit manages to break through. Once Black is dead, the Deemers will fight with more desperation than before, now trying to flee rather than attempting to kill recruits. Any Deemers that are captured will not share information, even under torture; they will only babble about deliverance and redemption found through drilling deeper into the planet. After they are driven off into the desert (or disposed of in other ways), the rest of Boneyard Junction is free to be explored without interruption. Perhaps collecting more ancient ALASTAIR technology will bring answers. OOC NOTES IMPORTANT: After the Deemers have been driven away, upon return to Perdition's Rest, Miz Poppy and a vast majority of the saloon workers have mysteriously vanished. The remaining workers have no idea where they've gone. All entertainment at the saloon has been postponed. Please direct all questions pertaining to the mission to the dossier page to keep questions and responses in one place for easy player reference. General game questions should be directed to the FAQ. If you haven't already, make sure you check out the Bounty Board for side missions! Remember you can also request bounty missions or submit player plots at any time.

Comments

[respired]

[ It's a bit of a mess back there. The bullets did not go in clean; he has one jagged, ugly hole to the left of his upper spine, and another one just below his shoulderblades. Blood trickles steadily from both wounds, staining his blue tattoos with sticky, black smears. Koltira rolls his neck, wincing slightly. ]

I suppose. It hasn't much mattered to anyone before.

[ Even his friends here have never worried over him--not about this, anyway. Not about his recklessness, or the damage he sustained every time. And why would they, he thinks. He exists to be their shield. He exists to take the pain that others cannot. ]

[fateality]

[He's seen some messed up wounds before. Most anything like this would have to be healed by magic, but Koltira doesn't precisely suffer from that problem. He can endure plenty. It doesn't always mean that he ought to.

Or at least, Twisted Fate would rather he be more careful.

Lightly, he rests his hand over Koltira's arm.]

'Course it's gonna matter to me.

You need a hand with this?

[respired]

[ It's not right to say that Fate's the first--he knows Olivia and Papyrus, at least, would care if something truly irreparable happened. But as far as the average injuries go, he's never had anyone advise restraint. Not since Thassarian or his commanding officer, anyway, and he hasn't properly seen either man in six years.

A slight huff of false breath. ]

I do not.

But.

[ He covers Fate's hand with his own. Meaningfully: ]

Thank you.

[fateality]

[His hand turns over to take Koltira's, and he circles back around so he can lean in, pressing a light kiss to the elf's lips, meeting with the cool, dry sensation he's very familiar with. Gently, he squeezes his hand.]

Hell, I ought'a be thankin' you, coming for me as you did.

Downright heroic of you.

[respired]

[ Ah. He hadn't expected that. He makes a small 'mmn' noise of surprise in his throat, but he doesn't let the kiss go unanswered. He offers a rejoinder, more ardent and insistent, as he threads his fingers in Fate's long hair.

The tips of his ears curl slightly as he mutters. ]

I will always come for you.

[fateality]

Ah-- oh.

[It's been an incredibly long time since anyone's said something like that to him. Twisted Fate goes still, then closes his eyes and squeezes Koltira's hand.]

Damn, it's a rare gift when someone makes me a little speechless...

[respired]

[ A smile ghosts across Koltira's face, quick but definite. ]

Oh? Yet, you just spoke.

[ He shrugs. ]

And I did not say anything extraordinary, besides. Only the truth.

[ As always. ]

[fateality]

[That makes him snort, and he shrugs.]

Who knew the truth would be so nice, then?

[Fate looks at him, almost hesitantly before he smiles a little more warmly.]

Thanks.