This is the write out of a PvP game played here through PMs.
I greatly underestimated the kind of work it'd take to run this kind of game, but even more underestimated the amount of effort it'd take to go back through all those messages and rolls, trying to sync them so the times would align somewhat and then write them down in a manner that'd be, well, at least somewhat readable.
I have to admit I think I failed at doing that, but I feel I at least owe it to the players to post this regardless of how badly it's written or how much too late it's posted.
I would very much appreciate feedback, even from people who weren't in the game. It's the only way I'll learn from this experience and maybe that way make it a bit less of a failure.
So if anyone wants to share thoughts or ask questions, please do so here.
Apologies for very bad writing.Ladieees aaaaand gentlemeeeeeen!Welcome to an all new episode of The Game of Bones!In last month’s episode, we witnessed how newcomer Kraziac surprised everyone by taking out both Fiery Fox and Legionnaire in the first minute of the game but keeping both his victims alive, using them as bait in a trap for the then-reigning-champion Brutuz!
We’ll never forget the look on Brutuz’s face the moment he realised he’d walked into an ambush when he lost his arm to Kraziac’s surprise attack. But even more memorable was how the big german defended his title: detonating the 3.5 kilograms of plastic explosives in his backpack before Kraziac could finish the job, taking all three opponents with him in the biggest blast
and the first instant hat-trick in The Game of Bones, forever earning his place in the Game of Bones top rankings!
With no surviving contestants from previous month, we begin today’s game with an all new line-up that is sure to give fireworks!
First, we’ve got Joe ‘
Shortcut’ Hey. Pierced, tattooed and bearded, you’d be quick to judge him your average dwarf but nothing could be further from the truth! Despite his build, Shortcut moves with the grace of a great cat and is just as quick tempered too. Don’t be fooled by his chromed limbs either, this little man is just as familiar with combat magic than he is with a machine gun. Simply spoken, Shortcut is carnage in a compact package, a mixed flavor of meat, magic and machine. Let’s see if that package contains what’s needed to come out on top!
Our second combatant is called Eddie
Arcade. Without combat magic or augmentations, this small, unathletic human in plain industrial clothing doesn’t seem to stand a chance in straight-up combat versus his opponents. But what he lacks in physical capabilities, Arcade more than makes up for with his expert skill in mechanics , electronics, hardware and software. Can he use toys and almost inhuman knack for technology to tip the scales in his favor?
The third contestant is Moe ‘
Radical’ Hawk, an athletic and muscular dwarf who looks like he’s built for sport and combat. Rumored to be connected to the Yakuza, this adrenaline junkie doesn’t seem to get enough excitement fighting the mafia on the streets and signed up to the game. Will his skill with stealth and heavy weapons prove to be what it takes to stay alive long enough to kill his opponents?
And last but certainly not least we’ve got Laura
Grey, a changeling from Seattle who was rumored to be an enforcer for the Triads before striking out as a freelancer. Don't be fooled by her striking gothic look, or her petite frame. She is rumored to be extensively augmented, brutal, ruthless, and remorseless. Not someone to mess with if even some of the nasty rumors about her are true. She's sneaky, she's fast, and she's a crack shot. But how will she deal with people toting heavy ordinance, or when the fighting gets up close and personal?
We’ve
already told you about this month’s location but for those who skipped that part, here’s the quick recap.
The battle will take place in the
Puyallup North Shopping & Entertainment Center, a mafia-run mall close to gang territory. This, of course, means that our contestants will not have to worry too much about law-enforcement. If they mess up and draw too much attention, mobsters or gangers will probably have them taken care of long before the knights arrive to clean up the pieces. Of course, gang presence and the lack of real law enforcement means that many of the cameras and other security measures in the mall aren’t really in the best condition.
Alright then, let’s have a look at how this months combatants start the game!
Starting on ground floor in the east of the mall, 2 clothing stores to his right and a shoe store and soy-cream parlor on his left,
Shortcut has arrived through the entrance like any other visitor, albeit a bit better dressed. Vashon Island’s Synergist business outfit is a little out of the price range for the people who frequent this place. Of course, most of the locals will just believe it to be cheap african copies so he shouldn’t draw too much attention. Smart choice in weapon too! Sound suppressed and capable of firing out of a special briefcase housing, the Ares Executive Protector is a marketed as the ideal weapon for people working undercover or bodyguards. That submachine gun is excellent in a situation such as this. It’s hard to see on camera, but our astral watchers report that Shortcut is in the process of spellcasting. The spells seem to boost his alertness, reflexes and reaction speed, giving him a serious edge over mundane opponents and putting him on-par with the rest of the combatants.
The difference with
Radical, starting in the emergency exit on the second floor west in the shopping mall (next to 225), couldn’t be bigger! Not only has the athletic dwarf brought in an Ingram White Knight -that’s a real machine gun, people!-, he’s got a Ford LEBD1 law-enforcement drone hovering next to him, too! How does he hope to keep these things hidden from the public -or his enemies- long enough to use them?
But will you look at that?! If you thought the dwarf’s going to have a hard time keeping his weapons hidden, maybe he can just hide behind
Arcade! This, dear subscribers, in case you couldn’t believe what you are seeing, is what happens when you give a standard Chrysler-Nissan Patrol car to a person with insane technical skills and tell him he’s going to be fighting to the death. This thing could compete in mech-wars and come out without a scratch! Walker-mode, full armor plating and not one but two machine guns, this tank called
Mek will be almost impossible to take out with the kind of weapons
Arcade’s opponents have with them. To make things worse, the man himself seems to be sitting nice and cozy inside a rigger cocoon, making it impossible to simply take out the driver. He’s entered through the Stuffer Shack’s loading bay (3) and the security camera’s there were bursted long ago by unskilled forklift drivers, but there’s simply no way this won’t raise alarms the moment it enters the public areas. What tactic will
Arcade use? Will he set a trap here, waiting for or baiting his opponents into the line of fire of the mech or will he go for an all-out assault, shooting anyone and everyone standing in his way to victory?
And far to the south,
Grey finds herself standing in a small corridor between 240-241 and 242 on the first floor of the mall, surrounded by walls covered in graffiti. Next to her there’s a small cabinet, normally containing containing an emergency medkit, but it’s been smashed open and looted. The two guys and the girl lying on the floor with their backs against the wall seem to be completely zoned out, they don’t seem to notice her presence.
Grey immediately decides this a mall isn’t a good place to be carrying around her rifle and hides it in the cabinet, instead choosing to rely on her easy to conceal pistol and her skills in melee combat.
We've equipped all four players with the trademarked Game of Bones armband and planted sensors and backdoors in all of their belongings. The armbands are stuffed with technology which allows us to watch, guide or otherwise communicate with them. Or simply to administer the players electroshocks, poisons, combat drugs or whatever else we saw fit to put in today. *coughnanitescough*
At the moment, the armband is showing them in which direction their opponents started. This locator function will be updated in three minutes.
Back to the game, it looks like
Radical is trying to conceal his drone and machine gun by activating the chameleon coating he had installed in them both. What is this dwarf hoping to achieve? Chameleon camo can be very efficient, but it won't be enough to stop people or security in close proximity from noticing a dwarf running around with military gear or an armed drone.
Now look at that! He's not trying to cloak his weapons, he's giving them bright colors! White, dayglo orange and yellow... what's that logo? NERF! That's amazing, he's programmed in sound and everything. The robot is blurting out "The new NERF Blitzkrieg lets you blow away the competition!". Passing over his White Knight to the drones mechanical arm, this just might be enough to convince the public. Unfortunately for
Radical, handing over his weapon means he'll be unarmed and will have to rely on the drone to quickly bring him his weapon when he's in need of it.
But it seems the dwarf's got even more tricks up his sleeve. Holowear, the latest fashion trend in high society, seems to have gained popularity in the shadows also. With a simple thought,
Radical has loaded an image to alter his appearance to the outside world. A female, blonde and, well, very big chested dwarf is standing where the dark haired male dwarven athlete was standing just a second ago. We might never know where he bought the template for this projection, but I'm willing to bet it had 'Parental Advisory, 18+' warning banners all over the site.
Meanwhile on the other side of the mall,
Shortcut is just walking past a bar where three guards are enjoying a soycaf break and the dwarf's armored clothing and lethal briefcase doesn't seem to raise any alarms. He’s just swallowed a gerilixir pill -better known as G3- and is chewing betel gum, two stimulants which will make him more alert and energetic.
Further west of him,
Grey's remarkable appearance draws some looks from the public while she’s heading east towards the blue hall. It's not often you see an almost anorexic female with a monochromatic grey look -including greyscale hair and marble-like skin- walk by. She seems to emit such a nasty vibe that just her proximity is enough to send a shiver down some people's spines, making people quickly avert their eyes and go on with their own business in the hopes of escaping her attention. But that's not much unlike the way they'd act around the average ork in gang outfit, so she just might fit right in. About 15 meters ahead of her, three guards slowly walk their patrol round, quietly chatting amongst each other about their private lives.
In the north, fitting in seems to be the very last thing on
Arcade's mind, having opened the rolling shutters of the loading bay and driving, or should I say stomping, his tank Mek onto the corridor. Meanwhile, he’s ordered the agent on his commlink to start scanning and then hack into the mall’s security system.
Mek has got its chameleon coating activated but it doesn’t appear to be doing much good. People have started yelling and pointing since the moment the mech’s first steps landed on the red, black and white tiles of the mall. It looks a bit silly, a robot with stone tiles and the image of a clothing store display windows all over it. It won't take long for security to take notice... We'll soon find out how they respond!
Let's close in on the patrol that's just around the corner.
Meet Macha, 'call me Joey' Jonathan , Vincent and their trusty -or should I say rusty- Nissan Doberman drone. Normally Joey and Macha patrol the hallways in the company of their drone but Vincent's a new guy, hired only yesterday after he was kicked out of Knight Errand for taking bribes from the Mafia. Looks like this will be a first week to remember. Just a couple more steps... They've already noticed from the crowd's reaction that something's going on and are increasing their pace. Hah, look at their faces when they notice the odd-looking mech walking straight in their direction!
Macha and Joey have enough experience to understand this isn't the time for bravery, immediately moving for cover behind the thick support pillars. But Vincent... poor Vincent's apparently still got the whole "I'm a cop and I've got loads of authority and backup" mindset from his days with the knights. Still he seems to realise that this situation isn't really ideal, his raised hand and his voice were obviously trembling when he tried to hold the tank by shouting "Stop. Vehicles are not allowed here! Please step out of your... tank?". He's got his hand on his pistol and the doggy drone right next to him, but will
Arcade be impressed by a mall guard and a drone his own mech can crush by stepping on it? We'll soon find out, after we have a look at how the rest is doing!