And, come in they did. An entire brigade, most either walking or on foot, and carrying or dragging the wounded. There was a great deal of chaos, as the Dawn scrambled to assist their brethren, and that was her cue to act. She wouldn’t be greedy, she just needed one.

_____________________________

“Commander Julius, Sir. Another report from the Plaguelands… um… Sir? This one is even more odd.”

The silver-haired man rubbed his face. With hints of a new plague circulating, he did not need odd reports coming in. He tugged at his black and silver tabard, and nodded at the young man. “Go on.”

“Well, Sir, there was an attack last night –“

The Commander cut him off. “There are attacks most nights, Corporal.”

“Yes, Sir. That’s not the unusual part. Apparently, when the men returned to base, a man went missing. One of the wounded, Sir.” The young man shifted uneasily, his helm in his hand.

“And a search party was organized, I assume?” Julius looked at him coolly. “Get on with it, man.”

“Yes, Sir, he was found a few hours later, some distance away from the camp. Sir? Why would someone take a man to heal him?”

That caught Julius’ attention. “What? Heal…. How? “ He leapt to his feet, hand out. “Let me see that report.”

The Corporal handed it over. “Yes, Sir. Wounds stitched up – with thread, Sir! And he was bandaged… and … and had some sort of…. goo… under the bandage.”

“A poultice,” Julius corrected. He was familiar with the less-orthodox, less-preferred ways of healing. “Doesn’t say here… could the man identify who was responsible?”

“No, Sir. He says he thought it was a woman, but couldn’t be sure. Said she smelled nice, though. Must have been delusional.”

Death. They’d let her die, with their ineptitude, their corruption, their faith in that mumbo jumbo they called Light. They’d refused to save her, refused to bring her back. With Death we lose fear of our foes, and with Death we instill fear on the minds of those who deserve it. Living close to Death we will know Strength.

Strength. There was strength in numbers. She needed to reduce their numbers, make them weak. Then she could show them the right way to do things, to heal. This Strength is honed with hours and days, months and even years of hard training. She’d been training, working, researching salves, poultices, elixirs for decades. It was that knowledge that led her.

Wisdom. Any Warrior will come to sense and experience that physical prowess alone is not enough to win the battle. No, it took planning, strategy, and nerves of steel. Cold, calculating action. Knowing your enemy, their weaknesses, their flaws.

Honor. When our Honor is challenged, we meet with equal challenge. A true dishonor is met with Death. This corruption cannot continue. This … vile… controlling…. pervasion of that mumbo jumbo… making people think that was the way. The false way, the path to death. Mindless fools, relying on an unseen power.

Love. The most important principle. Once Love is understood, the rest becomes easy. With love, our fear of Death be overcome, our inner Strength grows, our mind opens with Wisdom. Not only the feeling uttered by a lover or a mother's protective hold, but a clear and transparent substance that keeps all spirits, objects, people, and things united through adversity. Bjorke loved her daughter; she had been her world. She loved her people, now, wanted the best for them, to lead them. She loved her husband, for showing her the way.

Her mask in place, she moved quietly down the hill, sticking to the shadows. The first patrol, a single guard, was easy enough. Bound and gagged, and left under a scraggly, twisted bush. The next, a pair, required a bit less finesse. They would wake with headaches from the concussive blows, but they’d live. Methodically, she removed the patrols from the field of operation, leaving only the pair of medics, tending the wounded in the tent.

Bjorke moved behind the tent, and moaned, calling out, softly. “H-help me…” It was enough. The ersatz healers, champions of the Light, came to her “rescue.” She lay, ready, her stiletto coated with poison. And then she heard it. That eerie cackle. No! Not now… her plans! The Forsaken were on her, on the pair of Dawn scum. She stayed still, hoping they would think her no threat, an injured casualty. The Dwarf and Human, their black and silver tabards billowing out, ran at the Forsaken, charging with all their sanctimonious furor, but were outnumbered. Sure enough, the Boners thought her nearly dead, and focused their attack on the two men.

She crawled off, slowly, hiding herself in the shadows, listening to the screams of the men as they were ripped apart. Serves ‘em right. Let them heal themselves. The thunder of hooves echoed in the hills as more arrived. The stench of fel permeated the air, and the dry grass crackled as the felsteed’s hooves burned hoofprints in the ground. She only caught a few of the words – her knowledge of Gutterspeak was severely limited – but it sounded like the mounted group was in a hurry, and wanted their friends to join them. She held her breath, and sure enough, they sped off, racing their bony mounts across the dirt.

Bjorke rolled to her back, letting her breath escape slowly. Now what? They’d ruined her plan. A low moan caught her ear, and she grinned. Perhaps there was time to play, after all. But no, the medics were in no condition to moan, or anything else. She went into the tent. No doubt the next target for the Forsaken, had their friends not shown up. Three men lay on cots, and she knew what she had to do. A quick triage assessment, and she was ready to work. It wasn’t as thorough a job as she would have liked, but her time was limited. She packed up her kit, and headed out, looking up at the blank, dark sky. Not even starlight to give comfort in this eerie land.

She ran quietly into the hills, back deep along the pass, to where her horse, Beans, was waiting for her. “Good boy,” she murmured to him, stroking his nose. She stripped down, washing first her armor, then herself in the stream, before dressing again in the simple leathers and broad hat she wore to gather herbs.

Just outside Southshore, she doused herself in the whiskey from her flask. Beans knew what to do, and walked slowly to the stables. Bjorke slurred at the stableboy, winking at him, groping him drunkenly. “You take care my horse, and I’ll take care of you, later, hmm?”

She staggered into the Inn, demanding bourbon from the man behind the counter. “Whaddya mean, ye don’t have any?”

“You’ve had enough, anyway, Miss. Perhaps a room? To sleep it off?”

She winked at this one, too. “You come with it?” She belched loudly in his face. No sense taking the chance he might say ‘yes’. Taking the offered key, she bumped into the tables and chairs, cursing them, as she headed upstairs, certain her presence would be remembered by all.

Truitt brought her the concoction she preferred on these mornings-after – spider ichor, giant eggs, ground bruiseweed and several dashes hot sauce. That’s the ingredient she left out when passing along this “cure.” Made it nearly palatable. She gulped it down – the only way to drink it, really – and waved Truitt off. He was the last person she wanted to see right now.

She sat in her office, shuffling papers, ignoring the occasional knock on the door. By afternoon, she’d had enough, and headed up to Southshore, her flask filled once more.

-----------------------------------------------

“Commander, we’ve had a report from Blackwood Lake.” The young Corporal saluted hastily, then offered the paper to the silver-haired man behind the desk. Commander Julius took the report, frowning as he read it over. “How did this happen? What of the patrols?” He looked at the Corporal in near-disbelief.

“Found tied, but unharmed.” The young man hesitated. “It’s the rest that’s so … odd.”

The silver-haired man read over the report. “Just the Medics? This … sounds familiar. Corporal, send a runner to the Archives. See if this matches any other reports.”

“Sir?”

“Do it!”

A quick salute, and off the Corporal ran. Julius’ frown deepened as he read the details of the attack. Very troubling. Why would anyone kill Medics, let alone like this? A thought occurred to him and he yelled for the Corporal.

“What of the wounded? What happened to them?”

“Well, Sir, they… they’d been healed. That is, they’d been treated, but not by our men, not with … our methods.”

“Make sure the Archivist gets that detail, will you? Could be important.” Commander Julius saluted once more, dismissing the young man.

実は7月頭のmeetingの時からこうなる予感は若干ありました。しかし悲しい結末です。

//////IC//////
ベースに向かっている途中で大窓の真上、屋上に近い位置にBenが立っているのが目に入りました。遠くを静かに見つめています。ContinuumがShadowsに対し以前よりも友好的な態度をとる、と方針を変えましたが、彼は((ICで))一貫してこれに沿わないことを主張していました。
正直、これは尤もだと思います。BenはShadowsとの長い長い闘いの歴史を持っています。路上での闘い、ベースでの攻防、the Pitに捕えられた際の拷問...グループの方針が変わったとはいえ、今までの怨恨を水に流して今日からShadowsと肩を組んで歩くなんて承服しかねる、という彼の立場はよく判ります。

そっとしておいてあげた方がよいかな、と思い彼には声をかけず、私はそのまま2Fのコンピュータールームに向かい、ラップトップを立ち上げてメールチェックを始めました。

[6:54] Terrox Eracktor: "i've been looking for you Ben"
[6:54] Benvane Asp looks up
[6:54] Benvane Asp: "looks like you found me"
[6:55] Terrox Eracktor: "you going to follow orders or are you going to continue disobeying"
[6:55] Benvane Asp: "i have decided to take the fifth on that"
[6:55] Terrox Eracktor: "no, it's going to be a yes or no answer"

Terrox:『ずっと探していたんだぞ、Ben』
Ben:『どうやら、見つかったようだな』
Terrox:『命令に従うか、それとも背き続けるのか』
Ben:『ノーコメントだ』
Terrox:『駄目だ。イエスかノー、どちらかで答えろ』

Overseer(ボス)の一人、Terroxのジェット音が聞こえたなと思ったら彼は屋上に飛び上がって行きました。やはりBenと話を始めています。心配になりましたが一応喧嘩までには至ってはいなかったので、私はメールチェックを続けました。そうこうしていると、二人が大窓のところに垂直落下で落ちてきました。

(Terrox, Ben, me)

[7:15] Terrox Eracktor: "Ben you either follow orders or get out"
[7:15] Benvane Asp: "i have not refused a direct order sinse i joined the cyberpunks"
[7:15] Terrox Eracktor: "and the order to help the shadows?"
[7:16] Benvane Asp: "thats not a direct order that has been given to me ,,, just notices of events"
[7:16] Terrox Eracktor: "it was a direct order from Fareabell"
[7:17] Benvane Asp: "i have already told you i havent spoke to her"
[7:17] Terrox Eracktor: "she sent out the notice to everyone"
[7:18] Benvane Asp: "saying we were to aid the shadows?"
[7:18] Terrox Eracktor: "that we are to back down... and yet you attempted to attack Pieter yesterday"
[7:18] Terrox Eracktor: "if you did I would've taken you down myself then and there"
[7:18] Benvane Asp: "ah, he threatened me and my base and you fuckin stood there"
[7:19] Benvane Asp: "even dolce said she would attack him"
[7:19] Terrox Eracktor: "he didn't threaten the base... just you... no one else"
[7:20] Benvane Asp looks at terrox amazed
[7:20] Benvane Asp: "you know what the word family means??"
[7:20] Terrox Eracktor: "yes I do... and you're no longer part of this family"
[7:20] Meg Ronmark quietly moves her right hand up to the commlink in her right ear
[7:20] Benvane Asp: "i will leave your base"
[7:20] Benvane Asp: "bye meg"
[7:21] Terrox Eracktor: "and never return"
[7:21] You: "Ben!!"

T:『Ben,命令に従うか、ここを出ていくか、どちらか一つだ』
B:『(旧)Cyberpunksに加わって以来、俺は直接指令に背いたことなどない』
T:『Shadowsを助ける、という指令も含めて、か？』
B:『その指令は俺に与えられた直接指令じゃない。俺はevent noticeとして耳にしただけだ』
T:『あの指令はFareabell(もう一人のContinuum Overseer)からの直接の指令だ』
B:『前に言ったように、俺は彼女と話していない』
T:『彼女が通知をContinuum全メンバーに送ったんだ』
B:『Shadowsを助けるように、という内容をか？』
T:『我々は一歩引くべき(back down)という内容で、だ.....それにもかかわらず、お前は昨日Pieterを攻撃しようとした』
T:『もし本当に攻撃していたら、俺はあの時あそこでお前を倒していただろう』
B:『ハッ。奴は俺とこのベースを脅かしていたんだぞ。そしてお前は何もせず突っ立っていただけだったな』
B:『Dolce(元Overseer、現Commander)でさえ、Pieterに攻撃する意思をあの時表していたぞ』
T:『Pieterはベースを脅かしてなどいなかった....脅かしていたのはお前だけだ.....他の誰も含まれていなかった』
B: ((唖然とした表情でTerroxを見つめ))『"family"っていう言葉の意味、判っているのか？？』
T:『勿論だ....そしてお前はもう、我々familyの一員ではない』
((Megは他のメンバーに仲裁の助けを求めようと、耳のcommlinkに手を伸ばします))
B:『俺は"お前の"ベースから去る。おさらばだ。』
B:『さよならだ、Meg』
T:『二度と戻って来るな』
M:『Ben！！』

私がcommlinkで他メンバーに助けを求めるのが一歩遅くTerroxとBenの話は決裂してしまい、Benは大窓のふちから飛び降りて去っていきました。Terroxは一時威嚇の意味を込め起動していた背中の四本のエナジークロウのスイッチをオフにし、ベース内に戻りコンピューターの前に座ると、無言でContinuum内のBenに関する記録を消去する作業を始めました。

[7:26] You: "I'll go roam around for a while ..... I need to take some rest ......"
[7:26] Meg Ronmark glances at Terrox back, then turns around, pauses for a moment pondering, jumps down to the ground
[7:26] Terrox Eracktor nods to Meg and attempts to cool off

『少し出かけてくるわ......少し休みたいの......』黙って作業を続けるTerroxの背中を見つめていた私はそうつぶやきました。Terroxは頷きました。彼自身昂っていた感情を鎮めようといるのが見てとれました。私は大窓の方へ振り返ると、しばらく考え事をしたのち、地上へ降りました。Benが心配です。

(Prowler kittens and me)

私はBenを探しにストリートへ飛び出しました。北東の大通りを真南に向かい、Fish Co.の魚屋廃屋の前のProwlersのfeline達がたむろしているのを見かけた私は、彼らにBenを見なかったか尋ねます。

[7:31] Elroy Brouwer *mews* at Meg "Hyies.."
[7:31] Meg Ronmark controls her breath then speaks to Prowlers people
[7:32] You: "Hi Elroy, guys .... have you seen our Ben passing by around here?"
[7:32] Tamera Keen: "Hello"
[7:32] Wotan Aeon: "No i havent seen him"
[7:33] Elroy Brouwer shakes her head "No Ben.."
[7:33] You: "Ah all right .... thanks, we just had sort of internal discord in our base and he stormed out ......"
[7:35] You: "I'm not sure where he went, so just running around all over the city .... okay, I'll search for another place"
[7:35] Maze Bade: "Good luck"
[7:35] You: "thanks for your help anywayz, Prowlers."

『うちのBenが、ここの辺りと通り過ぎていかなかったかしら？』走ってきた私は呼吸を整え、Prowlersに尋ねました。『いや、俺は見てないね』『あたしも見てないわ』他のfeline達も、首を横に振ります。私は彼らに礼を言うと、突き当たりのVoodoo Shopを右に曲がり、Arenaの角で更に右に曲がり再度北へ向かいました。

(me, Ben)

Toxia Northの映画館のそば、肉屋の前でやっとBenの姿を見つけました。

[7:43] You: "Ben .... is there any way to heal relationship between you and Terrox? I don't want to see such things like this happening in our family"
[7:43] Benvane Asp: "no Meg, he is ruled by Farea and they want a freindship with the shadows"
[7:43] Benvane Asp: "i am being true to myself meg"

『Ben.....何とかあなたとTerroxの関係を修復する手だては残っていないのかしら？family内でこんなことが起こるなんて、見ていられないわ』私はBenに語りかけました。『いいや、Meg、彼はFareaのいいなりだし、Shadowsと親交を結びたがっている。そして俺は、自分に正直でありたいんだ、Meg』

Benの話を聞いて、それではContinuumのShadowsに対する姿勢が以前のように(敵対的に)戻ればあなたも戻って来てくれるか、と更に尋ねると、Benはことの要点はShadows云々ではない、と言いました。問題はボス達が、彼らの意見に同意しない者はもう不要、という考え方をしていることだ、とBenは続けました。

(me, Ben)

[7:49] You: "still .... please remember, I'll always be your friend whichever your're a Continuum member or not"
[7:49] Benvane Asp: "you too Meg"
[7:50] Meg Ronmark shows a pitiful expression in the face, and gives Ben a hug

『分かったわ...でも忘れないで、Continuumメンバーであろうとなかろうと、あなたはずっとわたしの友人よ』
『俺にとってもそうだよ、Meg』

Benの意志は固く、ついに私は彼とTerroxと和解の方向へ導くことができませんでした。この街を出てしまうの？と尋ねると、彼は首を横に振りずっとここにいるさ、心配するなと笑いました。私は悲しみを表情にあらわすことを抑えられないまま、Benとhugを交わし、その場を去りました。

//////ICここまで//////

今回のRP時間は約1時間20分でした。
遂にBenがContinuumを去ってしまいました。ながく、旧Cyberpunks時代からShadowsと闘い続けていたBen。今回の対Shadowsの方針変更について全員が納得しているわけではなく、多かれ少なかれ皆思うところがあるかと思いますが、Benのキャラクターは自分を押し殺さず言うべきこと・言いたいことをはっきりと言う性格なので、今回の衝突は不可避ではありました。

とはいえ、OOC的にもやはり残念です。このことを今RL事情でSLを暫く離れている彼のwife・CommanderのPortiaが知ったら彼女はどう思うでしょうか。彼女のキャラの性格だと、多分激怒するはずです。まだまだ、Continuum内の波風は収まりそうにありません。

First of all, each entry and it's solution/failure result will be an expression of what I think is important. I think I will talk about survival in a sort of hard wilderness. There may be magic elements, but thats just to be a more fun representation of mundane problems. It's still talking about what's important to me and that's the point of reading it, to find out what's important to me. But there's also going to be some room to reflect on what's important to you. More on that shortly.

Each entry is a problem situation and again, the solution is talking about what I think is important (what I think is a good solution). The fail result is also what I find important, in what you would do to salvage the situation upon failing. Even the stat used to roll against will be a reflection of what I think is tested in the situation. I'm not sure what stats I'll have - I think I will have wisdom, because for all it's faults I think it's sad no other games apart from D&D have wisdom - wisdom is a real element, even in our modern world. Well, probably no other games, anyway. And I might have some about love and romance, which then allows me to use the tag 'love' in this post semi legitimately >:) and perhaps increasing page views. God I'm mercenary - but I genuinely would be really pleased to hear someone comment about love and how its many questions might be implemented!

Finally, there player gets to reflect on the situation. I'm not sure how to present it, but basically you get three options to choose from, each of them gives you a certain amount of points towards a certain stat power up (used like a potion). These stat power ups would last X amount of encounters.

The three options might be something like how you would feel if you were there:

1. Confident that your taking the right course of action.
2. Speculative about another way to handle the situation.
3. Hate it being in the situation and would have really tried another path.

Each would have different stat bonuses given for each encounter.

And here's the twist - the confident one would always give more points towards a stat bonus than the rest.

"BUT!!!! That means we'd always choose confident as its optimal, and what if I'm not!?"

What if your not indeed - this is the thing. The others will give various stat bonuses and there's a random element. You might very well be able to get through comfortably when you have no confidence in what I present as important. You can make your own path, in other words, and present your own arguement for what's effective. Sure, the games slanted against you - that's how I make a convincing arguement! I'd hardly make it go against my arguement! :)

I doubt that's attractive to the vast majority of roleplayers, who are incredibly fiction focused - here, the fun thing is about a man to man discussion with me - well, you read my arguement in the game and argue against it. Then we probably discuss it latter in a forum or whatever. The payoff is hardly in the fiction, even though the thing which is the payoff (the discussion) will heavily reference the fiction.

Ah, that was some good meandering!

RLで忙殺されていたMissとDimentoxが若干時間に余裕が出来たようで、先日の高架陸橋をはじめとしてToxiaの建物に少しずつ手が加えられています。今まで無かったベランダを作ったり、2F入口を作ったり、建物によって様々です。

//////IC//////

バーHaven前の大通りを歩いていたところ、通り突き当たり真っ正面のビル3Fに入っているPackの溜まり場/Pack's denに大きな人だかりが見えました。何だろうと興味がわいた私は、Havenの屋根から北向かいの建物に飛び移り、far visionでまた中の様子を探ってみることにしました。

中にいたのは予想外の面々でした。Pack BetaのDevがいるのはまあ当たり前として、数名ののRydersがdenの中にいます。ボス格のDeb(Ryder Lady)、Halleon(Ryder Captain)にAnjia、Pity、Katanshin... 珍しいことです。

ふと視線をdenの屋上に飛ばすと、別の人だかりが見えます。ShadowsのPieterに、Blueray、Kishi、Quiet...オールスター格のShadowsメンバーが集まっていました。

私のいた位置からdenを挟んで斜向い、Continuumベースの近くにいたHEAL VanguardのAnnaBelle(Anna)も異状に気付きました。『三つのfaction - Pack, Shadows, Ryders - で同盟を組もうとしているのかしら？』
まさに私も同じ点が気になっていました。AnnaはPack's denへの接近を試みようとしましたが、見張り役にあっという間に見つかりました。一方で屋上の私は、ShadowsのKishiに感づかれたようで彼女がこちらに近づいてきます。素早く大通りを挟んで斜向いのtatto shopの屋上、図書館の屋上、Grand Central Warehouse屋上へ飛び移り撤退しました。

(Appie, me, Native, AnnaBelle, Dolce)

[9:20] Appie Bing: "did you bring me some nanite soup?"
[9:21] You: "morning guys, and Appie, say it again and I'll kick your ass pretty hard"
[9:21] Dolce Raymaker: "hah"

Grand Central Warehouseから東の海岸沿いに北へ向かいベースへ戻り、屋上へ上るとOverseerのDolceとAppie、Jackieがいました。『俺にnaniteスープを持って来てくれたのか？』茶化すAppieにもう一度言ったら蹴っ飛ばすとすごんでから本題に入りました。

[9:25] You: "well, playtime is over" - *glances at Appie* - "what's the situation? I was watching the pack's den and got noticed by Kishi who was on the roof, so I quickly backed off to the dock."

RavenがPackメンバーを殺すのを見た、と言う話を聞いておかしいな、彼女もPackなのに仲違いかな、と首をかしげているところに、Dolce宛で階下のAnnaからレポートデータが送られてきました。
Dolceが私達にデータを転送してくれ、各々内容を読みました。

内容は少々入り組んでいるため割愛しますが、3つのグループが同盟を組む可能性は若干ながら有るようです。但し、情報の確度がやや低く感じられ、Continuumのグループをあげて大きく行動を起こす時期にはなさそうです。暫くの間は警戒を怠らず、3つのグループの動きに目を配るということで場にいた全員が同意し、お開きとなりました。

//////ICここまで//////

今回のRP時間は約1時間30分でした。
Annaは最近非常にアクティブに活動しているように思います。人の皮膚を着ていない時の彼女に何となく親しみを覚えてしまう私ですが、今後の彼女の動きが楽しみです。