A Million Ways To Die In The Wasteland

[Terrance888]

Great update!

3.

Whatever could go wrong?

 

[oldnooob]

3. Try to find your stuff on the way out.

 

[SouthernKing]

option 4

 

[Omega124]

Option 1

 

[thomas.berubeg]

Option 3

 

[Ailedhoo]

Option 3: we are masters of disguise!

 

[gay_Aleks]

Link to video.

Spoiler :

Status

Spoiler :

• Name: The Wayfarer
• Karma: True Neutral
• HP: 19/27
• H20: Thirsty No More
• Food: Hungry No More
• Sleep: Sleepy No More
• DT:20
• Crippled Limbs: None
• Radiation: 0.
• Addictions:None
• XP: 450/450 (level 6)
• Pipboy Battery: 95/100. (Don’t get this under 0%. Good news is, that you can load up your Pipboy with microfusion cells)

SPECIAL:

Spoiler :

• Strength: 7 (+)
• Perception: 4
• Endurance: 4
• Charisma:7
• Intelligence:7
• Agility: 6
• Luck: 7

Skills:

Spoiler :

• Guns: 30 (Decent)
• Explosives: 9 (Inept)
• Energy Weapons: 10 (Inept)
• Melee Weapons: 29 (Decent)
• Unarmed: 7 (Very Bad)
  
• Barter: 17 (Poor)
• Medicine: 15 (Poor)
• Science: 15 (Poor)
• Repair: 15 (Poor)
• Lockpicking 12 (Poor):
• Sneak: 32 (Good)
• Speech: 40 (V.Good)
• Survival: 13 (Poor)
  
  Perks:
  • Toughness: Bullets deflect off you! Not really, but you'll be bleeding less of your insides with this perk.
  • Jet Survivor: You have lived through the insane hallucinations that unrefined Jet caused! Fortunately, now you'll have more resistance to addiction. Unfortunately, you'll need more Jet in order to gain it's effects. Also your dreams will become...unique.

(These will go up to 75.)

Quests

Spoiler :

A Settlement Divided

• Find Lincoln's Clothes. (Done)
• Find the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address. (Done)
• Convince the Abolitionist to join your cause. (Done)
• Save Lincoln or Save the Unionists? (Done!)

Complete!

To The Skies!

• Complete the Drug Deal (Failed. But the good kind of failed.)
• ...Or, give the drugs into the Good Guys (Failed)
• Destroy the Drugs (optional) (Done!)
• Survive your drug misadventure. (Done!)

Complete!

To Catch A Slaver

• Find Duncan, and finish his miserable life, once and for all. (Not Done)

To Serve Man

• Escape, preferably without turning into dinner for some crazy folks.
  Complete!

Occult Vault

• Investigate the Red Cult (Not Done)
• Investigate the Blue Cult (Done)
• Enter the Purple Door (Not Done)
• Stop the music and help Eric escape (Not Done)

Complete!

Companions

Spoiler :

Elise

Spoiler :

Loyalty: 5
HP:30/30

Equipment:

Spoiler :

1. 9mm Pistol(13/13)
   • -11 9mm ammo
3. Fancy Attire
4. 25 caps.

SPECIAL:

Spoiler :

• Strength: 4
• Perception: 6
• Endurance: 5
• Charisma: 7
• Intelligence: 6
• Agility: 7
• Luck: 5
  
  Perks
  • Not The Nicest Girl In School: She can pick locks with great success. Great, not guaranteed.
  • Elise Unchained: She really, really doesn't like slavers, resulting into a damage bonus for her whether she fights them.

Eric

Spoiler :

Loyalty: 5
HP:30/30

Equipment:

Spoiler :

1. Brass Knuckles - equipped.
2. Brotherhood Combat Armor - equipped
3. 30 caps

SPECIAL

Spoiler :

• Strength: 4
• Perception: 5
• Endurance: 8
• Charisma: 5
• Intelligence: 9
• Agility: 8
• Luck: 6
  
  Perks:
  • Battle Intelligence It's not in the muscles, it's in the brains...You gain a +2 to STR when Eric is in your party.
  • Fist To Your Face Eric loves punching people or taking them down with cool martial tricks. Unfortunately, using guns or even melee weapons is impossible for him.

Maggie

Spoiler :

Loyalty: 4
HP:30/30

Equipment:

Spoiler :

1. .44 Magnum revolver (6/6)
   • 9 .44 Magnum FMJ
2. Combat Knife
3. Leather Armor - equipped
4. Fancy Dress
5. 30 caps

SPECIAL

Spoiler :

• Strength: 4
• Perception: 7
• Endurance: 5
• Charisma: 2
• Intelligence: 7
• Agility: 9
• Luck: 6
  
  Perks:
  • The Eyes of Judgement: Maggie can tell the alignment of a person, and will tell you whether you want it or not.
  • No Luck, Just Skill: She can't make crits, but that doesn't matter, for that she doesn't need them.

Equipment:

Spoiler :

1. 10mm Pistol(5/12)
   • -31 10mm ammo JHP
   • -12 10mm AP
2. Shotgun(2/2)
   • -4 12 Gauge Shotgun Shells
3. 10mm SMG [0/30]
   • -31 10mm ammo JHP
   • -12 10mm AP
4. Fancy Attire
5. Baseball Bat
6. Broadsword
7. Bobby Pins (5)
8. Dirty Water (2)
9. Leather armour - equipped. (75%)
10. "Swell" molerats (1)
11. 700 caps
12. 117 Vault Suit
13. Purified Water (2)
14. Empty Bottle of Water (Those can be refilled, kids!)
15. VRCE [Vault Rations In Case of An Emergency] (1)
16. Stimpaks (5)
17. Doctor's Bag

Reputation:

Spoiler :

• Springfield: Liked.

7th of May. 21:30. Presumably. I don’t know.


[TAB]You wonder what to do next. You look at your would-be torturers. You also take a look at their clothes. Then you breath a defeated sigh.

[TAB]“Strip down, please.”

[TAB]“Oh, I didn’t know you’re into that!” Suzie said

[TAB]“And then they call us freaks!” Charles said

[TAB]“Right, right, get on with it..” you wave. As they undress, you turn to Maggie. She looks at you with a look drenched with suspicion. “Well, um, I don’t quite know how to say it…”

[TAB]“What. Is. It.” she says that through her teeth “Get on with it so that I can punch you sooner!”

[TAB]“Ah, well, I was just thinking of taking their leather apparel and then putting it on and..” as you say that, you notice that Charles and Suzie have probably taken your orders to strip down, well, a bit too literally. They’re stark naked. This would have made you incredibly red, say, a month ago, but now it doesn’t quite have the same impact. Still, you do blush, for that there isn’t much left to the imagination, but your recovery’s quick. “Um...Less stripped down, maybe?”

[TAB]“We wanted to make sure we followed your orders to the bone!” they say, but as they stare into you, they quietly put on their underwear.

[TAB]“Are you suggesting that I must put on this incredibly restrictive and also very, very leathery costume on? Why?” Maggie asks

[TAB]“So that we can infiltrate their group and get the red key.” you answer

[TAB]“Oh, Maggie, the Dominatrix of the Wasteland! I think I’m going to die!” Elise said, while laughing

[TAB]“What for? For that bloody ghoul?!” Maggie said

[TAB]“Yeah. He’s with those, howdidya call them, Brotherhood of Iron?”

[TAB]“Steel.” Elise said

[TAB]“And they probably have Power Armours. I don’t want to fight people clad in a thing that can withstand a direct nuclear blast.” you say “Besides, Elise hasn’t seen Suzie so she can’t quite imitate her.”

[TAB]“Good point...fine, fine..” she took Suzie’s clothes and put them on. You must say, they did have quite the effect. You swear you saw Charles gasping and gargling, while getting an impressed eyebrow raise. She, of course, ignores all that, and asks “What about you, Elise? How will you infiltrate this place?”

[TAB]“Oh, mistress of the wast- hahahaha oh god I can’t” she starts, then starts laughing. However, she quiets down as the expression of Maggie reaches that critical border at which whips start to be crackin’. She breathes a bit and calms down, then continues “Anyway, yes! I did sneak in through the ‘ducts and stole a red robe.”

[TAB]“Why didn’t you pick one for us! I wouldn’t have to put on this ridiculous outfit!” Maggie angrily said

[TAB]“Believe me, I’m no more pleased with the current situation than you are.” you say, as you try to get into the leather pants. “This outfit just rubs me in all the wrong places.”

[TAB]“Don’t even start on wrong places and rubbing. I could fill all your day describing.”

[TAB]“Uh, well, I had time only to pick up one robe. Besides, my idea was to sneak in while in those fine red garments, and then rescue you.” Elise said and putted on the robe.

[TAB]"Much good it did us."

[TAB]“Okay, we all ready? Right. Let’s go.” you say after you’re done dressing.

[TAB]You are quite the sight. And, you can’t quite say whether it’s a pretty look, a terrifying look, or one that, once seen, would prompt the guards to yell at you “Get them!” with that specific tone that all guards, whether professional or amateur, learn from their very first duty. Otherwise they just die. In any case, you’re fit in a leathery suit which isn’t quite your size. Not egregiously so, but enough to make it feel uncomfortable. Whatever robe Elise picked for herself, she really didn’t have time to try it on her, as it turns out to be hilariously oversized, enveloping her like a giant sack over her, covering her face almost entirely. Considering the fact you could a constant quiet grin, maybe for good.

[TAB]Of your merry group, it appears only Maggie has made to make a positive impression. And what an impression, indeed! The guards, once they, well, look at her, they drop their guard. You don’t quite know why, but you assume it’s due to the personality she holds over. Or the leathery suit. Probably the latter. In any case, without making too much ruckus, you manage eventually to reach the...yes, the Inner Sanctum. Of course it’s named like that. Anything else would be deviating from tradition, and thus, very worrying.

[TAB]Your arrival seems to be timely, as a ceremony of some sorts is about to commence. You also manage to pick up some empty places. Good thing it seems everyone seems to be shrouded either in masks or in those fashionable red cowls, part of the outfit of any self-respecting association that has the name “cult” in it. Someone’s brought up into the Sanctum; clearly by not his own will, as it seems. Another person, this time, in a much darker cowl than most (but, fortunately, this time, due to cloth and not blood), their leader, no doubt, comes out of the door.

[TAB]You catch a glance of his eye for a mere moment. For this moment, you also have the irresistible urge to follow him to the end of the World, had it not happened already. You shake your head, which prompts the red cowl sitting right next to you to stare for a moment, perhaps thinking who the hell is that guy in the leather outfit sitting to-OOO, hot lady in leather! Maybe. You can’t read minds. Still, his face suddenly brightens up - he didn’t recognize the face, due to the mask you’re wearing, which predictably shows only your eyes. But he..well, recognises the costume.

[TAB]“SSuuzie! And Charles!” he says the first name with sliminess which you probably won’t forget until the moment you’re laid and buried 6 feet underneath, while the second name is pronounced with envy that would materialise only in the form of a giant, flesh-burning laser. “You’ve changed much since last time!”

[TAB]“Oh, well, you know...whipping there, boots on your back now...makes you younger and prettier, no?” you say

[TAB]“You have no idea!” Maggie answers. You have a feeling you’ll regret this later on.

[TAB]“I see, I see.”

[TAB]“Hey, who’s that guy with the dark red robes?” Elise says

[TAB]“Huh? You don’t know of our great spiritual leader, Aleister Tobias?” his eyes narrow and suspiciously stare at what would be Elise’s face, had it was not covered entirely by the red cowl. You wonder how she even got here without tripping. He continues “And that he’ll be doing the ritual of Divination, which will show us our One True Way?”

[TAB]“Forgive my friend, Melissa, she’s new here, I brought her here just recently..” Maggie says

[TAB]“Ah...well, then you’re in for a ride, Acolyte! Just watch.”

[TAB]And indeed, a spectacle was indeed in the works. Three volunteers, no doubt feeling incredibly lucky to be all part of this, are brought up. They’re given daggers to stab deep into the flesh of the poor unfortunate guy. You notice that on his battered armour, a strange insignia. A sword and gears and wings. You have seen it somewhere...maybe on Eric, the ghoul in the other Vault? Your thoughts are however interrupted as the poor unfortunate bastard starts screaming in pain. Sooner or later he dies, something that is witnessed with religious fervor, as if he’s going to be a messenger of good will to their Gods...or something. You don’t know.

[TAB]What however follows, as typical with all cults, is barbaric. They all need some sort of blood...but not just death. Oh, no. Something esoteric and full of meaning to the ones that are part of it. Another explanation would be that they’re sick bastards, but that seems too obvious to be true. The cultist’s leader takes a...well, some sort of tool which was probably not intended initially for his purposes, but somehow, someway, seemed to fit in perfectly. Using it, he plucked out the eyes of the dead man, and put them on a plate brought up by one of the many figures moving around.

[TAB]Then, he proceeds to swallow the eyes. This, triggers a memory in your mind, about the unfortunate accident cannibal’s house you so recently have escaped from. One you repressed, or perhaps just forgot due to information overload. Just like eggs...yes, he swallowed them whole. You wince almost instinctively. It seems that your fellow companions are neither all too pleased about it, either.

[TAB]“BROTHERS! I HAVE RECEIVED DIVINATION, FROM THE GODS THEMSELVES!” he half-yells, half-slurs as the eyes still seem to be squishing around in his mouth. Disgusting. “I HAVE THE RED KEY TO RECLAIM THE PURPLE DOOR, LEADING US TO FREEDOM! TO OUR FUTURE! THE GODS HAVE BLESSED US, FOR SOME FOOL HAS LEFT THE BLUE KEY IN...LET US GO, LET US!”

[TAB]They chant with him. Let us go, let us. Let us go, let us...With those chants, you head to the Purple Door. What is behind this scary door, smeared in mystery? Perhaps some more mystery. Greased in more mystery. With a pint of mystery, for good measure. You eventually reach it, and are about to insert in the key. Suddenly, you see two figures running towards you. Oh, no. Suzie and Charles! They’ve escaped.

[TAB]“Halt!” someone yells

[TAB]“It’s us, you bloody idiot!” they yell

[TAB]“Aren’t you over there?” the same voice as before says, pointing at you.

[TAB]“No, you idiot!”

[TAB]Aleister Tobias however seems to ignore all of that ruckus. He quietly slides in the key. It opens. Then, you see something you’d rather not see. A Sentry Bot comes out of a discrete slot, hidden until now in the wall. You know it’s one, because you’ve seen it on holotape. The American Soldier’s Best Friend! The Liberator of Anchorage! In this case, however, it’s everything else but your friend, you fear.

[TAB]“INTRUDERS DETECTED. INTRUDERS DETECTED.” it says “FIRING LASER WEAPONS…”

[TAB]Before it even says that, however, you rush to the nearest thing that could withstand rapid laser fire. In this case, sadly, there’s not a whole of choice. This time, you live due to luck…One thing you do notice however, is that Mr. Tobias’s eyes are blasted and blinded by the lasers, turned into two smoking holes. Cruel irony. Cruel world.

[TAB]“WARNING. ENERGY CELL AMMUNITION DEPLETED. SWITCHING TO MISSILE ORDINANCE…” a noise is heard, then a missile launcher appears.

[TAB]It is about to fire. A missile is flying towards you...your life ends here. Or, it would have. If this was 180 years ago. Alas, time did what the Chinese couldn’t; the Sentry Bot is old and rusty, and so is its ammo. So, to no surprise (or, at least, to no surprise later on), the missile explodes. This has an effect of turning everything in its proximity into fine gibs. Luckily, you were a bit in the back, so you get away with the feeling your eyes are on fire and a feeling that the world is slightly off.

[TAB]You pass by the Sentry Bot, and enter within, not another Vault, but the Overseer’s Office. A large computer is in front of you. Some holotapes are strewn across the Overseer’s desk. They say things like “OVERSEER JAMES [2077-2125]” or “OVERSEER MICHAEL [2125-2130]”. And so on. You pick the oldest and the most recent holotapes; these surely would shine some truth on what happened here.

[TAB]You access the computer console, but you can’t get away with the feeling you’re not very knowledgeable on what’s going on here. Eric told you to turn off the music...but there’s nothing about music. Just…”MIND CONTROL PROTOCOLS”. You decide to open it. What could be the worst that could happen? You access that menu. It requires a password. Lines and lines of words and characters appear in front of your eyes. Your brain feels like a fried cocoon, so eventually you run out of attempts. Then, the console just showed…”LOCKDOWN...LOCKING DOWN OVERSEER’S OFFICE. ENGAGING SAFETY SONG…”. Then it started fuzzing and making funny noises. Almost as if about to explode…[Science Check: Failed]

[TAB]However, you don’t dawdle much. You rush through the closing door, and your party barely makes it out alive. You hear something exploding behind the door. Eric comes out of the blue Vault. He seems relived.

[TAB]Ah. Finally. The bloody song’s changed. Well! Let’s get it on, then…”

[TAB]“Did you come alone?”

[TAB]“Oh...no. Don’t tell me. You found my...well, assistant.”

[TAB]“Yes.”

[TAB]“Dead?”

[TAB]“Afraid so.”

[TAB]“Did you take his dogtag?”

[TAB]“His what?”

[TAB]“Each member of the Brotherhood carries a dogtag...in case they don’t return.”

[TAB]“Something...like this?” Elise says and shows a metal necklace with a piece of paper engraved into some sort of plastic. “Saw it in the pocket of that nutjob. Then picked it up after he turned into a red mist.”

[TAB]“Trophies, huh. Let’s take this home..”

[TAB]“Now that this is all cleared up and...what’s the matter?” Maggie wonders as you look at her. “Ah ha, is it the suit? Is it...oh, God. It’s melted, isn’t it.”

[TAB]“Yes. Rather.”

[TAB]“You’re not any better off.”

[TAB]“True. Now, where to?”

After escaping the Vault [Quest Occult Vault: Completed! +50 exp.], you decide to head to…

1. Maggie wants to visit her hometown, called Farmer City.
2. On the other side, Eric suggests you should go to Champaign, to the local BoS chapter there, guarding the university
3. Elise says that she would want to visit Normal. Is it really normal?

You leveled up!

1. We fight all day. We must increase our martial skills (+5 to Melee, Guns.)
2. This would have never happened if we were a bit more...diplomatic or mercantile. (+5 to Speech, Barter)
3. We're unenlightened. We could encounter old pre-War tech and we would never know what to do with it! (+5 to Medicine and Science)
4. If you're just a shadow passing through, there'll be no need for any conflict...Can't fight what you can't see. (+5 to Sneak, Melee)
5. Fists and herbs. A surprisingly good combo! (+5 to Survival, Unarmed
6. Idle hands. (+5 to Lockpicking, Repair)

And, amongst other things, can take the following perks...

1. Educated:Refined one, ain't ya? All that Vault Education. This perk increases the amount of skill points you gain on level up with +2 skill points per choice (I.e, instead of giving +5 to a skill, you'll gain +7)
2. Gunslinger:Pow! Pow! Pow! You shoot farther, harder and better with pistols.
3. Adrenaline Rush:Feel the blood quaking in you! When your health falls beyond 30%, you'll gain bonuses to your SPECIAL. Also might occur in certain, GM-decided situations..

 

[Ailedhoo]

First: 1: it might be a good place to rest and we do need time to rest!

Second: 3: we need to improve our medical skills, just in case.

Third: 1: knowledge is power.

 

[jackelgull]

First: option 1
Second: option 2
Third: option 1

And ailedhoo, option 2 increases speech and barter skills, option 3 increases medical skills

 

[Ailedhoo]

I did not have enough caffeine when I made my first post.

Post edited for great justice!

 

[Terrance888]

First: 2: we should figure more stuff about our newest companion before doing back-wards side quests!
Second: 2: We could have learned from that vaults computer much if we could figure out how to type on Dvorak!
Third: 1: We don't need no education? It's our best advantage!

 

[Omega124]

1 5 and 2

 

[thomas.berubeg]

1, 5, 3

 

[Defacto]

1, 5 and 1.

 

[oldnooob]

1,3 AND 3 Please.

 

[gay_Aleks]

Link to video.
And now, from our star, Mr. Sawyer, a special song...

Spoiler :

Status

Spoiler :

• Name: The Wayfarer
• Karma: True Neutral
• HP: 19/27
• H20: Thirsty No More
• Food: Hungry No More
• Sleep: Sleepy No More
• DT:20
• Crippled Limbs: None
• Radiation: 0.
• Addictions:None
• XP: 450/550(level 6)
• Pipboy Battery: 95/100. (Don’t get this under 0%. Good news is, that you can load up your Pipboy with microfusion cells)

SPECIAL:

Spoiler :

• Strength: 5
• Perception: 4
• Endurance: 4
• Charisma:7
• Intelligence:7
• Agility: 6
• Luck: 7

Skills:

Spoiler :

• Guns: 30 (Decent)
• Explosives: 9 (Inept)
• Energy Weapons: 10 (Inept)
• Melee Weapons: 29 (Decent)
• Unarmed: 12 (Poor)
  
• Barter: 17 (Poor)
• Medicine: 15 (Poor)
• Science: 15 (Poor)
• Repair: 15 (Poor)
• Lockpicking 12 (Poor):
• Sneak: 32 (Good)
• Speech: 40 (V.Good)
• Survival: 18 (Poor)
  
  Perks:
  • Toughness: Bullets deflect off you! Not really, but you'll be bleeding less of your insides with this perk.
  • Jet Survivor: You have lived through the insane hallucinations that unrefined Jet caused! Fortunately, now you'll have more resistance to addiction. Unfortunately, you'll need more Jet in order to gain it's effects. Also your dreams will become...unique.
  • Educated:Refined one, ain't ya? All that Vault Education. This perk increases the amount of skill points you gain on level up with +2 skill points per choice (I.e, instead of giving +5 to a skill, you'll gain +7)

(These will go up to 75.)

Quests

Spoiler :

A Settlement Divided

• Find Lincoln's Clothes. (Done)
• Find the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address. (Done)
• Convince the Abolitionist to join your cause. (Done)
• Save Lincoln or Save the Unionists? (Done!)

Complete!

To The Skies!

• Complete the Drug Deal (Failed. But the good kind of failed.)
• ...Or, give the drugs into the Good Guys (Failed)
• Destroy the Drugs (optional) (Done!)
• Survive your drug misadventure. (Done!)

Complete!

To Catch A Slaver

• Find Duncan, and finish his miserable life, once and for all. (Not Done)

To Serve Man

• Escape, preferably without turning into dinner for some crazy folks.
  Complete!

Occult Vault

• Investigate the Red Cult (Not Done)
• Investigate the Blue Cult (Done)
• Enter the Purple Door (Not Done)
• Stop the music and help Eric escape (Not Done)

Complete!

Companions

Spoiler :

Elise

Spoiler :

Loyalty: 5
HP:30/30

Equipment:

Spoiler :

1. 9mm Pistol(13/13)
   • -11 9mm ammo
3. Fancy Attire
4. 25 caps.

SPECIAL:

Spoiler :

• Strength: 4
• Perception: 6
• Endurance: 5
• Charisma: 7
• Intelligence: 6
• Agility: 7
• Luck: 5
  
  Perks
  • Not The Nicest Girl In School: She can pick locks with great success. Great, not guaranteed.
  • Elise Unchained: She really, really doesn't like slavers, resulting into a damage bonus for her whether she fights them.

Maggie

Spoiler :

Loyalty: 4
HP:30/30

Equipment:

Spoiler :

1. .44 Magnum revolver (6/6)
   • 9 .44 Magnum FMJ
2. Combat Knife
3. Leather Armor - equipped
4. Fancy Dress
5. 30 caps

SPECIAL

Spoiler :

• Strength: 4
• Perception: 7
• Endurance: 5
• Charisma: 2
• Intelligence: 7
• Agility: 9
• Luck: 6
  
  Perks:
  • The Eyes of Judgement: Maggie can tell the alignment of a person, and will tell you whether you want it or not.
  • No Luck, Just Skill: She can't make crits, but that doesn't matter, for that she doesn't need them.

Equipment:

Spoiler :

1. 10mm Pistol(5/12)
   • -31 10mm ammo JHP
   • -12 10mm AP
2. Shotgun(2/2)
   • -4 12 Gauge Shotgun Shells
3. 10mm SMG [0/30]
   • -31 10mm ammo JHP
   • -12 10mm AP
4. Fancy Attire
5. Baseball Bat
6. Broadsword
7. Bobby Pins (5)
8. Dirty Water (2)
9. Leather armour - equipped. (75%)
10. "Swell" molerats (1)
11. pre-War currency (5)
12. 1200 caps
13. 117 Vault Suit
14. Purified Water (2)
15. Empty Bottle of Water (Those can be refilled, kids!)
16. VRCE [Vault Rations In Case of An Emergency] (1)
17. Stimpaks (5)
18. Doctor's Bag

Reputation:

Spoiler :

• Springfield: Liked.

7th of May. Also the 8th of May. Quite possibly the 9th of May, too. Do you see this? If you do, clap with your hands. Clap!

[TAB]Before you actually head out to Farmer City, you decide a brief break in front of the Vault would be in order. The Red Cult has been for the most part, dispersed, and even the few remnants that have a chance of seeing the next sunrise, will most likely not bother you, being in a hysterical panic due to their favourite cult leader and overall disgusting human being is now turned to nice mincemeat. You also remember that he also got lasered in the eyes. Karma!

[TAB]Your camp is located right outside the Vault door, inside the cave dug out about 180 years ago. It’s warm and safe. Apart from the occasional molerat that passes by and is turned into dinner, you’re alone. Perhaps the only problem was that it was pretty dark. You resolve that easily, as you light up your Pipboy’s light and then go out to pick up some firewood. You return with firewood, but also some...well, organic byproducts to speed up the fire. Rotten, for sure.

[TAB]After some time, you set up the fire. A molerat’s cooking on the stove. So as to speak. It’s actually on a stick. You sit by the fire. It’s...awkward. The silence. Of course it is. This is one of the few moments when things are calm, and no raiders are chasing you, or crazy cultists, or bloodthirsty slavers or whatever. It feels...awful. When you exited, you thought you were a calm, reasonable person. One not tending to get into conflict. However, you quickly learnt that people like that don’t live long. And, well, maybe you’ve attuned yourself to those adrenaline rushes. Keeps the blood flowing. Y’know.

[TAB]After a while, you decide to finally open up some kind of conversation. Of course, there were many things you wanted to ask your companions, but all too few that won’t, at some point, result into an angry punch aimed straight to your face. So you decide to open up a conversation with Eric.

[TAB]”So...what’s your tale, Eric?” you say

[TAB]”Well, one October day, somewhere 180 years ago, I was working as a clerk. Then, the world became torn into tiny, little radioactive pieces. You know.”

[TAB]”And how do you feel about being a ghoul?”

[TAB]”Oh, well, at first, when I woke up and saw the world in ruins. I was in some sort of a basement; seems like I fell down there, right after the nukes hit. Or maybe I rushed there, to seek refuge? I don’t remember. It’s been so long ago...Initially, I was angry. I had become a monster, deprived of humanity.” the ghoul sighed “I was in anguish for some time. But, then, I realised. They’re all dead. The bastards. You’d think I would shed a tear for them - if I was able to! - but I didn’t. They brought it all up on themselves.”

[TAB]”It looks like you are bitter about this whole affair.”

[TAB]”No. I survived. They died. I live, ya bastards!” he yelled, then he went about to, well, do what Vault engineer McAlister called “giving the bird”, at the skies. Then he realised he’s in a cave, so he sat down.

[TAB]”Refreshing. Finally, a ghoul that ain’t complaining about his past. Or tryin’ to take a bite of us.” Maggie said, and exhaled smoke out of a cigarette, right into your face.

[TAB]”Pfft. Where didya find this cigarette, missy?” Eric asked

[TAB]”I’ll pretend you didn’t say the last word.”

[TAB]”Or what?”

[TAB]”For a ghoul that’s happy to outlive all those pre-War peoples, ya sure do want to die.” Elise said

[TAB]”Please. I would never hurt someone unarmed. Merely debiliate them.”

[TAB]”Unarmed? Unarmed?! Look at those two hands. Nobody expects a ghoul to punch you brutally in the face, which is why I’ve managed to live 180 years longer than the losers before the war.”

[TAB]”Well, there can be only one way to resolve this.” Elise says

[TAB]”A brutal fight to the death?” Maggie says

[TAB]”Outtalking each other until they get tired of it?” you say

[TAB]”Well, those, too are viable alternative, I believe there’s a far more humane and merciful solution: arm wrestling.” Elise says

[TAB]”Ha, a ghoul arm-wrestling? This will be easy.” Maggie says, and pulled up her left sleeve. “C’mon. I’ll give you my weaker hand.”

[TAB]”Pft. You’ll regret it.” Eric says, as he pulls his right sleeve. You noticed that he’s wearing some old, even ancient pre-War clothes underneath his combat armour.

[TAB]It’s...intense. It seems that Eric wasn’t making an empty brag - he has a strong hand. And you’re quite sure that merely a “strong hand” wouldn’t keep Maggie at bay - a small bruise reminds you of that. The fact that he was a ghoul was just a bonus. You can see that the equilibrium is slowly being broken - in Eric’s way. She struggles, but it’s all for naught. She loses.

[TAB]”You’re lucky I used my left hand. Oh, you’re in for it, mate! Just wait, we’ll even things out, no doubt!” you’re surprised, but in Maggie’s tone, you hear not just hostility, but impression - even, perhaps, impossibly, admiration...

[TAB]”Be my guest! The best arm-wrestler I’ve met in the last 150 years, and a woman? You can arm-wrestle me any time you wish, baby.”

[TAB]”Don’t even think of it.” ...which then disappears and cools down to normal and proper tone from which you could expect from her.

[TAB]After all this excitement, you realise that, maybe it’s time to sleep. Your dreams, are, well, unique. Due to the nature of this work, all one could say is that they involved ghouls, arm-wrestling and some wildly inappropriate acts that, are, by design, unnecessary to the narrative, and thus won’t be mentioned in this fine tale. You wake up early, the sun’s barely out. It’s time for...adventure.

[TAB]You’re now wandering through the ruins of Peoria. There’s not much to look for; they’re empty and it feels as if you’re going through a graveyard of the dead. It appears the crazy cultists weren’t up to nothing before you arrived here. Intruders, unfortunate enough to come here without also leaving unnoticed, have one fate - crucifixion. The streets were lined up with the corpses both fresh and ancient; you could swear that some of them moved. All in all, this created an ominous atmosphere that chokes any attempts for conversation.

[TAB]Finally, you leave Peoria behind you. An unspoken wave of relief passes through the party as that happens. Your target for this day is Normal; you would make camp near it for the night. Hopefully, whatever happened there was just some sort of a drunkard mumbling stupid nonsense. Still, you might never know.

[TAB]The journey to Normal is calm. You’re going through the...well, actually nothing too much happened. Until you notice in the distance a purple-robed figure. A woman, as you see when you she comes closer. Clearly, she has noticed your group, as she approaches you.

[TAB]”Weary travellers! I am Cassandra!”

[TAB]”And you do fortune telling?” Eric said

[TAB]”Ah...yes! Of course I do! My fame is spreading through the Wastes, I see! My legendary skills have made a name for me, indeed!” she seemed a bit perplexed, as if that wasn’t how the scenario should have went, but recovers almost immediately

[TAB]”How did you guess?” you whisper into Eric’s ear. Or...where it should be.

[TAB]”Don’t they teach you anything in the Vault? You know, history and all?” he replies

[TAB]”Anyway, for the cheap thir-” she notices Maggie’s gun, then alters her tone to be a bit more...appraising.“For the cheap price of ten caps per person, I will reveal each of your futures!”

[TAB]”Count me out. You can’t see the future. If you did, would you be asking people for ten caps to show them their “future”, huh?” Maggie said

[TAB]”Same here.” Eric says

[TAB]”Oh, come on. Even if she’s lying, can’t we help this poor old lady with some caps?” Elise says, but the fortune seer glances at her - at “lying” and especially at “poor old lady”

[TAB]”Agreed. And, hey, who knows…”

[TAB]”You have been connected by...fate. I need all four of you, otherwise the image of the future won’t be complete!”

[TAB]”Oh well. But I ain’t giving my caps to that phony...lady.” Maggie says, while Eric just nods. You sigh and give 40 caps out of your pocket.

[TAB]”Gather around. Put your equipment in the middle near you - objects you hold dear to will aid me well. And especially weapons... “

[TAB]”You ain’t getting my gun.” Maggie said “Theirs, maybe, but not mine.”

[TAB]”Oh, my poor dear. Lost loved ones. Lost your home. You have nothing...nothing…”

[TAB]”You...you know nothing...Fine.” she says and hands it over.

[TAB]The ritual begins. She draws a circle around you with some sort of ashes - whether human or not, that is unknown to you. Then, she places in your equipment in the centre. Your weapons are lined around them.

[TAB]”Now...close your eyes and take your hands. Eliminate the outer interferences from the world outside, and focus on your inner consciousness.” Unbeknownst to you, instead of...well, performing rituals in order to expand your mind and see into the future, she takes out some dirt from a pocket. In it, some glass is also featuring. So, as she is about to continue, she throws it at your faces. “Foresee that, you stupid idiots! I’m taking this!”

[TAB]And that would have worked, was it not for Eric. It turns out, throwing glass and sand at zombie doesn’t work. You open your eyes, shocked - there’s dirt on your face, and the glass shards barely avoid turning your eyeballs from two bloody geysers. There’s cuts all over your face, but that didn’t care about too much about that.

[TAB]For that a rather interesting scene was happening in front of you. Eric lurches out at Cassandra, the phony fortune robber, with grace and style that you haven’t quite seen in general, and especially from a ghoul. She didn’t even realise what happened; being too preoccupied with running away with your gear, which turns out to be heavier than she expected. Which slows her down, giving Eric ample time to land a blow in her neck. You hear something cracking. She stumbles down to the ground.

[TAB]”I didn’t know ghouls could do that.” Elise said after she recovered her eyesight fully.

[TAB]”Oh, well, most ghouls just don’t keep up. Exercise and good meal, and you’ll be like me. Well, also large amounts of radiation, but aside that…”

[TAB]”A good meal...like humans?” Maggie asks

[TAB]”God, no! Do I look like a feral to you? No, typical things like bighorners. Or roaming brahmins. Even molerats, if desperate enough..”

[TAB]”I thought you eat only human meat.” you say “I mean, I assumed it would make sense..”

[TAB]”Well, my professional opinion is that due to the scarcity of the chicken species. It seems my fellow feral...well, brothers, are hungering for chicken. So, they’re looking for meat like chicken. Like humans, which have a strange tendency of roaming around where they shouldn’t be.” he said, in a completely serious tone. “Which resulted into a human diet.”

[TAB]”Huh. That’s...quite curious. Mhm.” you say, while trying not to imagine a wandering feral ghoul with the sole purpose of finding chicken.

[TAB]”Is she alive?” Elise mercifully ends the conversation.

[TAB]”Yeah, I can feel her pulse.” he says. “Let’s take her earthly possessions and get it on with.

[TAB]”Oh, yes. Definitely.” you say, and look through her pockets. Inside, you find 500 caps. [+500 caps] and some pre-War currency [+5 pre-War currency.]. Why she took that, you don’t know, but it seems she had a rather successful business so far. “You know what...let’s leave her a note. Maybe to dissuade her from doing this.”
[TAB]”Right, something like “Go shovel Brahmin refuse”? Or…?” Elise says

[TAB]”I think that will do.” you say, then you scribble down a note in her pocket.

[TAB]”How gallant of you. She’ll wake up with a terrible headache and a note.” Maggie says

[TAB]”That should be a lesson. If not, well, there’s probably people out there who would have shot her, anyway.” you say "It's more than she would have done."

[TAB]The sun is going down, and it appears you might not make it to Normal before it goes down. And going out on your own in the dark wastes usually results into answering the millennial question “Is there life after death?” for you and whoever follows you. Fortunately, just before it got too dark, you discover some sort of a house out there - some sort of parkland, or maybe the “countryside” house for someone who can afford one, but can’t quite yet have one of those glamorous villas. It’s in good shape, or at least, there’s a roof and the doors can be closed.

[TAB]”We weren’t the only ones here.” Maggie says

[TAB]”How so?”

[TAB]”Well, the 9mm cases on the floor don’t usually come on their own accord.”

[TAB]”Fair enough.” you say

[TAB]”They go upstairs. Does that thingy on your hand give any signs?”

[TAB]”No?” you say, and glance over your Pipboy. Indeed, no other signs of life.

[TAB]You climb upstairs through the rickety and rotten stairs. Unlike in Springfield, these last out. You see on the floor .308 cases, but no sign of the weapon used. There was a skeleton lying out there right next to them. And, in bloody red (you wonder if he used his blood to write this), someone wrote “BURN.”. Mysterious.

[TAB]”Looks like someone got charred. I wonder what happened here.”

[TAB]”I don’t know, and I don’t care.” you say, in between two yawns.

[TAB]”Ha. Hopefully, whoever it is, is long gone or far aw-” Maggie is about to say, but notices you’ve fallen asleep on the bed in the room. “Oh, good night to you too..”

[TAB]”g’dnight..” you say, or something like that.

Make your choice.

1. Suggest to your other companions to check out Normal. You know...to see if it’s normal or not.
2. Just keep on with your current journey.

​

 

[gay_Aleks]

Apologies for the belated update. I had some issues writing (and some issues in life, in general) which made me super sad and depressed and what not, which obviously meant that the update was getting delayed. That or I ran out of ideas to shamelessly steal. I don't know, either.

 

[SouthernKing]

option 1! what's fallout without getting superbly distracted

 

[oldnooob]

one please.

 

[Omega124]

1 because it's not fallout without ignoring the main plot.