Origin: Not Just Another Day in the Trenches

Magic is Real.

We fly over oceans, hold the sum of all recorded knowledge in our hands, and speak with relatives halfway across the world without leaving our chairs. Magic isn't just flying on broomsticks or calling down fire from the Heavens. Magic is limited only by your Imagination, and your Will to make it manifest. There's a battle going on over the nature of Reality and Mankind itself. Pretend it isn't there, or get involved and forge the Future you envision.

Welcome to the Ascension War.

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MiltonBerle
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Origin: Not Just Another Day in the Trenches

Post by MiltonBerle » Thu Oct 06, 2016 11:15 pm

Jamison watched as the two quite possibly, well more than likely, scared shitless privates moved back into the Sarge's ordered configuration. In all honesty, in their situation as green as they were, he would feel about he same as the probably did. It wasn't every day you came up to a scene like this, got a half-assed barely a fraction explanation of some weird shit that couldn't be explained and then told you were making your way to what was more than likely the epicenter of said weirdness.... At least they got the rear guard.

The walk to their goal would not be quiet for Jamison and McKay, that was for damn sure. The Sarge may be able to pass of the clearance level need-to-know line to the newbies, but thise were Jamison's lines once upon a time. "Sarge, I appreciate the vote of confidence you're giving me by asking me to cover your back. It does mean a lot to be chosen to run headlong into an unknown enemy packing an unknown weapon with unknown intel. But, the thing of it is, I've got this inkling feeling that some of that hidden knowledge of yours may prove more than handy when the shit hits the fan."

McKay was an honorable man Jamison knew. Good to his people and followed orders as best he could, but something here had give. Going this far into weird blindfolded was the last thing he wanted, aside from sharing the same fate as those in the alley.

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ManWithDoor
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Post by ManWithDoor » Fri Oct 07, 2016 10:11 pm

The duo take point, and make their way slowly towards the objective. They check every corner, every footfall analyzed to avoid a grisly fate. McKay at first doesn't answer, his mind apparently on the task at hand. After a few minutes, he sighs heavily, then looks sideways at you. "You're right. You've earned my trust." He reaches into his pack and pulls out a long wooden rod, a shortened version of the walking stick you've seen his carry around camp. It is a dark, mahogany color, with blackened designs carved into it.
Image
"Remember when you asked if I was a religious man, believing in, I believe I'm quoting right, 'shit you can't see?' Well, I mentioned I believed in beings of power, although I'm not the worshipping type. This is one of those things, but on the darker spectrum. Someone has dabbled in shit no one should touch." He looks dead serious, even though he sounds rather mad. Although given this and every other war, madness is certainly a spectrum, not a binary. "We're probably going to see some crazy shit. Feel free to think of it as poison gas, or illusions, or battlefield terrors. Whatever makes it easier for you. All I'm asking is for you to trust me, and obey my commands in the heat of the moment. If we live through this, I'll answer any questions you have."
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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MiltonBerle
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Origin: Not Just Another Day in the Trenches

Post by MiltonBerle » Sat Oct 08, 2016 12:14 am

The fuck does this guy need a stick for?

It was an explanation, minimalistic as could be, and it didn't answer a damn thing. Not when you really got down to it at least. How could someone witness poisonous gas, illusions and battlefield terrors at the same time? We're they tracking down the Joker? Jamison supposed the Joker could be viewed as a being of power, he was able to match with Batman after all. Then again it sounded more like some kids practicing in devil worship than anything else.

"I'm pretty sure my first question is going to be how you intend to take down a terrorist toting chemical weapons with stick you had in your pack. Seems to me you're grossly under armed for such an endeavor, but what do I know?" The absurdity of the situation was taking its toll, and Jamison had retreated into sarcastic disbelief. Coping mechanisms weren't his strong suit, but mocking harassment was a required course in the army. At the very least it would be interesting to see what McKay intended to do with the thing.

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Post by ManWithDoor » Mon Oct 10, 2016 11:31 pm

McKay grins. "Well, it looks like I'll have to bring out my big boy words when that debriefing goes down. Until then, we'll see how well the mission goes. Maybe you'll see something new and interesting." He twirls the stick in his hand, then gestures forward.

Despite certain well-founded misgivings, the team advances on the objective. Soon they come within eyesight of the compound. The building was probably some sort of warehouse, in better days. It occupies its own path of land, with plenty of space on all sides for vehicles to move through. On the north side are some derelict semi-trucks, rusted out hulks half-filled with sand and trash. The place looks abandoned from the outside, but something inside you feels very queasy being close to it.

Your enhanced eyesight finds inconsistencies with your initial viewing. Unlike the trucks, the building doesn't have sand piles up against the corners or the doorways. The windows are all blacked out, but appear to be in good shape. There are faint tire tracks being scuffed out by the wind, but they must have been made in the last day or so. Someone is using this place, but putting at least some effort in trying to make it look uninteresting. You aren't fooled.

The Sergeant points to a large pile of rubble, and has the pair with the heavy weapons set up beside it. "The entryways are almost guaranteed to be booby-trapped. We should knock down a wall, and make our own door." He draws a rough sketch of the building on the ground, and stares at it intently for a moment. "The north-west corner. The blast should take out the entire section of wall and ceiling, making the largest possible opening. Men, stay here and fire on anything that isn't us." He frowns, his face very serious. "Now I'm being serious here. If I call for it, you fire your rockets where I command. No questioning, no hesitation."

He has his sidearm in one hand, the carved stick in the other. "I'll take the lead, Corporal. You follow tight. Any last questions?" The other pair look nervous, but they set up the heavy weapons platform as ordered, and begin calculating the close firing solution. The last thing they need is to just collapse the roof, or tear up some dirt, rather than actually hitting the target.
Feel free to check out the Map in Roll20. If you have trouble accessing it, I'll take a screen-shot and post it as an image. I couldn't find any desert-esque warehouses, so I just grabbed one with the general shape/size. So ignore the fantasy, forest background.

Also, you haven't uploaded a Portrait for your character. Guess which one of the two you get to be for now? ;)
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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MiltonBerle
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Origin: Not Just Another Day in the Trenches

Post by MiltonBerle » Wed Oct 12, 2016 10:43 pm

Simple enough. Breach, approach in the chaos and take down whatever unknown entity lie within this seemingly abandoned warehouse. The use of a major explosive where chemical weapons were stored was incredibly suspect, but shot calling wasn't his job anymore. The only hope here lay in the Sarge and his god damn stick.

Jamison spit the remainder of his chew into the sand and wiped his mouth with a sleeve. Ammo check, armament check, and a quick check of the privates. That classic acronym, Fubar, popped into his mind briefly as he gathered his courage and dropped his sanity at the door. "I suppose my only question is if you realize how big the bar tab, the one that you'll be footing once we all get out of here of course, will actually be?"

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Post by ManWithDoor » Fri Oct 14, 2016 2:51 am

"As long as it doesn't involve alcohol poisoning, the tab will be mine. We'll order the good stuff." With that, he gives the go-ahead. The duo finish their last-minute calculations, check their back blast, then proceed. With a blast of noise and fire, the missile direct-fires right into the wall. A red explosion rocks their entire neighborhood. The compound is made of sturdy material, but even then the entire front facing the troops collapses into dust and rubble. A nearby house crumbles in the shockwave. You all keep your heads down until the dust begins to clear, then the two of you advance.

Once you enter the rubble, you see two thoroughly dead bodies underfoot. Their weapons are scattered about, and they were clearly instantly killed by the blast. Something immediately strikes you as odd. Why wasn't the explosion bigger? If this was the haunt of an explosion expert, all sorts of volatile agents must be lying around. Even if they were in strong containers, they weren't designed to take a direct blast. What gives? The mystery gets even stranger as the dust settles further.

Dead bodies are stacked high along the eastern wall. They all look badly burned, their skin blackened and flesh cooked off. Little more than ashen husks remain. There must be over a score of victims, stacked in a creepily ordered pile. You unconsciously move closer, your mind trying to figure out a reason for this madness. You pass by closed wooden crates that are still mostly intact. The Sergeant kneels down by one of the enemy gunmen, and seems to be trying to get a better look at the body or its equipment.

Further in the room is unnaturally dark. The sunlight is compromised by the dust and debris, but with your good eyesight you should be able to see farther into the compound. You can't figure it out. Behind some high shelving, you think you see more bodies along the western wall, but they have a different, redder look to them. As you're about to move that way, you see two gunmen burst out of the darkness. They look disheveled and a bit concussed. You clearly have the drop on them.
You get first Initiative, then them, then the Sergeant (who got a crap Initiative). He's distracted? You do get a Cover bonus to Defense for being behind Cover. Neither of the enemies is behind cover.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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MiltonBerle
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Origin: Not Just Another Day in the Trenches

Post by MiltonBerle » Fri Oct 14, 2016 3:52 am

Dust, debris and death. The familiar sights and scents wash over Jamison with the accompanying shockwaves. The neighboring building crumbled in slow motion as the scene shifted back to thy day. In his mind's eye he could see it all, the flames of the explosions washing out the world as the truck waited around his form, only grainy and out of focus. 8mm, like he was back in middle school watching a film, worn from years of use.

The reel ended when it all finally started to settl, and only a moment had passed. A nose full of sand was a harsh reminder of where he really was. As the sarge moved Jamison kept close, watching for signs of life from the new front door the privates had been kind enough to install. The fallout proved too much to catch a clear view of the inside from so far out, but as the scene became clear he wished the whole place had just fallen.

The walls were literally stacked with bodies. Who the hell does that? It reminded him of some horror movie. The big bad monster dragging victims away to its lair, displaying his prizes for anyone who so dared to follow him to see. Except this was real, he had chemicals and guns, and henchman to boot.

As the thought hit him the men stumbled out of the dark, clearly still thrown by the massive explosion to their hideout. Jamison brought his gun to shoulder and hunkered behind a bit of cover. "Cover Sarge!" Is all he could think to say before laying fire into men.
Plan would be to shoot either one or both, whichever is more reasonable. I would obviously prefer both down but I don't have the rules at work so I don't know what penalties that would confer to rolls. I trust you to make a judgement call!

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Post by ManWithDoor » Sat Oct 15, 2016 5:04 am

M16's aren't supposed to be fully automatic weapons. Supposed to be. But any good mechanic worth their salt can change that with access to a machine shop. And you know a couple of guys back at base that owed you a favor. So you toggle the fire switch, point in the right direction, and unload the entire clip. The gunmen yell and duck, trying to avoid the wild fire. The weapon bucks in your hands, the wild fire filling the air. One of the hostiles keels over, almost dropping his weapon.

The pair try to return fire. The unharmed one panics, his shots going wild. The other barely manages to keep his gun leveled, and takes a shot before collapsing. It strikes the Sergeant dead-center. His vest takes most of the hit, but he briefly doubles over before straightening again. His voice is as controlled as ever, as he aims his sidearm at the pair.

"Discipline, Corporal. Don't waste your fire." The unharmed man tries to duck out of the way, but the soldier's aim is unerring. He fires into the center of mass, dropping him. The duo technically are alive, but they look to be more interested in crawling away than trying to shoot at you.
Jamison: Full Auto!!! Going after Gunman 1. Gives you 17 dice .... and damn you rolled a lot of 2's. 3 whole Successes. Base 7 Damage for an Assault Rifle (9 Dice for extra successes). 5 Damage. (Mauled Level)
Gunman 1: Fires at Sarge. 1 Success to Hit. Rolled 4 Damage (ouch!).
- Sarge Soak Roll (Armor): 2 Successes. Total 2 Damage. (Hurt Level)
Gunman 2: Fires at You. 0 Successes. Miss.
Sarge fires at Gunman 2: 4 Successes. Rolled 5 Damage as well. (Mauled Level)
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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MiltonBerle
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Origin: Not Just Another Day in the Trenches

Post by MiltonBerle » Tue Oct 18, 2016 3:02 am

Jamison sucks his teeth, disappointed at his own capabilities. Hopefully the Sarge's vest did well enough to keep him going, the though of another friendly life on his hands was a bit much for him considering their surroundings. With a click the empty magazine slides out and is replaced by one of the extras he is carrying. Battle ready and eager to see this through quickly he turns to the Sarge.

"Yeah yeah, call it nerves. I think the ambience is getting to me. And better yet, you need to worry about not getting any holes in your chest. You alright?" As he speaks Jamison moves to the men they just shot and secures the area, all the while listening for reinforcements coming to check it their gun play.
So just wanting to secure the kill/capture if need be. If not listening for more activity and continuing the sweep of the area.

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Post by ManWithDoor » Wed Oct 19, 2016 8:03 pm

"Yeah, yeah, I'm all right." He mutters to himself, rubbing his chest. "The vest took most of the blow. I'm sure I'll have some impressive bruises come tonight, though." He moves over to the moaning pair and swiftly hits each of them once, hard. His blow is perfectly precise, hitting just below the left ear. They drop unconscious, slumping against the wall. "There, they're pacified. Let's see what other surprises this place holds."

You both move farther into the warehouse. Things get even creepier. The walls look damaged, weathered somehow as though insects or something have been picking at the drywall for months. The reddish pile you vaguely saw earlier comes into focus. They're also dead bodies, but these have clearly been eaten. Some large creature has thoroughly mauled the dozen or so corpses. These weren't cleanly slaughtered either, they just have various chunks missing.

Towards the back of the building, you don't find anyone new. But this was clearly a 'workshop' of some kind. There are no electronics or bricks of explosives lying around. Instead there are beakers holding strangely shiny liquids. Tables filled with human body parts. Stone mortars overflowing with dark powders. And along the floor by the southern wall is a gigantic ... circle? At least 20 feet in diameter, it's the only completely clear section of the ground. It looks meticulously cleaned, even polished. A red 8-pointed star fills the center, with black symbols written around the circumference. The more you stare at it, the more you feel like you're missing something. That there is some important detail you haven't gotten a grip on yet. The hair rises along the back of your neck, as you feel you are still in mortal danger.
Awareness Check, TN 6: 3,3,5,7,10 = 2 Successes.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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