[gilga]

Faith tells you "There are the expenses tough, for 20 families we'd need the bare minimum of 40k per month for lifestyle and the rest this is to pay for food and addictions and stuff like that - i hope this is within your resources and this much won't keep them happy but any less they'll go looking for some other way to make a living. These people only follow me as long as they beleive I have their best interests - sustaining for 20 families even with the minimal life condition is not trivial. "
 

[Mercy Merchant]

Athos nods at Faith.  "To the point, eh?  I like that.  So what do I get for the 40K a month?  I would need to know what my money is getting.  After all, this is supposed to make money for me, not toss me into a debtor's prison."

[gilga]

@Athos Faith says "Finding useful stuff to do with us is your concern you said you had jobs.  I am convoying you the cost of keeping 20 families fed and leaving some yelts for people to get their drugs, BTL's and other past time activities - because touch these things and you got yourself a rebellion. Sure you are up for that?"

[Mercy Merchant]

"I am up for that.  Maybe you can get me a list of our people's qualifications so I can know where to begin.  Our first priority with be getting all of you settled and working on a place to live.  Then we all pull our weight or it all falls apart.  I will certainly need people to patrol the area and be ready to defend it.  Other things will come up, but it would help to know what people are good at doing."

[gilga]

@Athos Faith gives you their roster, 60 people, 20 families 17 warriors, 2 traders a medicine man and the rest are tied to the household, either children or raising children one thing you notice is that these people have plenty of children in Barrens terms or actually way above any norm.

@Maxwell the spirit takes you to your body - "Come look" she say and you can see your body it looks exactly like your body but nothing at all like your body from the astral.  "We are going to burn this body - tell me what do you see" . .

@Kynos with your last forces you get up pretty far - a kilometer  perhaps two ? you are not sure and the air in the armor is almost finished when you climb out. Your head begins spinning and you know that you are about to crush. You look for the nearest garbage heap and dig inside, it is not comfortable but may be safe.
[spoiler] You can refresh edge for bold behavior that is loyal to your character concept and roll edge - success you got lucky and nobody found you failure well someone finds you[/spoiler]

[Jack_Spade]

[spoiler]
No love for my street knowledge roll?
Edge: 1d6t5 1
Seems like I could survive that.

So let's see how long I'm out:
4 Stun + 7 from Stim + 6 from Kamikaze = 17 Stun = 11 Stun + 4 Physical (one from my self inflicted wounds)

Healing hour 1: Bod+Wil(-1 through Kamikaze)
Healing Stun: 11d6t5 3
Hour 2
Healing Stun: 11d6t5 3
Hour 3
Healing Stun: 10d6t5 2
Hour 4
Healing Stun: 9d6t5 2
[/spoiler]

Kynos woke with a horrible ringing in his ears. Around him he heard rats scuttling about, but if his memories served, he still was in the same position at the same place with all his gear intact. With shaky fingers he reached for his gun and kept it ready. Everything ached. Even if he wanted he wouldn't be able to move fast. So he lay in the darkness of the garbage and tried to empty his mind of any thoughts beside the immediate pain.

Pain was good - it made him feel alive. But it made him slow and so he waited another hour. And another and another. Finally he was sure that the pain in his bladder was stronger than that of his injuries and he carefully rose from his garbage grave. After leaving a mark of his own behind the dumpster he started on his way. A bed at the Red Hot Nukes seemed like the promise of heaven right now...

[gilga]

@Kynos (Sorry totally missed that) When you wake up it is late afternoon, sun to be dusk the streets are empty, the doors are shut and you are more or less yourself. It is unwise to walk alone at night in the Barrens not for Kynos but for normal people, tonight is extra quiet and there is not even vehicular movement the roads must be blocked.

(You have 20 km or so to cover and blocked roads, you can brave by foot come to some clever solution or not - there may or may not be ghouls braving the streets later.)

[Mulcarn]

He floats upright next to the spirit, his arms still crossed.  He looks at his long sought after body, but something feels off.  It has all of his physical characteristics, hair, shape, size, except without the astral glow of his aura.  Without turning away from the sight, Maxwell talks to the spirit in a calm yet confused manner.  "That's me alright.  It's just... It's also... not me as well.  I'm not sure I understand.  I'm not one for figuring out riddles.  Why go through all the trouble to separate my soul from my body, when you could have killed me instead?  For what purpose would it serve to have something else possess my husk?  And what do you mean you're going to burn this body?  If that's my body then i'm taking it back.  Unless i'm looking at an illusion."

[gilga]

@Maxwell The spirit introduce herself as M
"Look, while I kind of hoped you won't return I cannot kill you, I am Strawberry's ally spirit M and technically I have to obey her. This body is made of clay but manipulated to appear like you. There is some dark force that seem to collect mages in the city and since you burned Strawberry's home we decided to infiltrate it, we will try to fool this force into claiming this fake and see where it takes it, we think it will lead us to the vampire. Perhaps he grew apatite for awakened blood or something.

As to your own body - I honestly do not know, Strawberry is not well she is torn between revenge to pacifism and she is not the most balanced person there is no saying what she might do to you. She wasn't always pacifistic you know? There are many different emotions and you did a lot to destabilize her. Before she decided to stop killing she single handedly exterminated two street gangs and many of Andu's man, Rituals are her specialty. I kind of hope that she will kill you and summon a spirit to inhibit your dead body and use your skills - sorry for that but you kind of deserve that."

[Mulcarn]

He glances over at the spirit partially annoyed.  "Sorry to disappoint you but I wasn't going to stand still and fade into nonexistence like you hoped.  Nor am I going to let her steal my arcane might.  But... i'll be angry about that later I guess."

Stopping himself, he reflects on her words before continuing.  "An ally spirit, I've heard of those.  You're a mana construct, forged from Strawberry's magic and personality.  Although that's as far as I know about that subject.  Speaking of Strawberry..."

Maxwell ponders about the elf, waiting several moments before speaking back up.  "It seems to me that her sanity was holding on by a thread long before the two of us met.  I doubt she can claim to be a pacifist either, not when you both sentenced me to death via banishment.  She is undoubtedly powerful though, if she managed to do what you said.  She even held her own against me, and that's saying something."

"I was unaware of this new dark force.  Thank you for bringing it to my attention and telling me about your plan.  If it goes well then I could be able to do something about it.  First things first, I still need to return to my real body.  Would you take me to Strawberry?  If she is as angry as you say then it might do her some good to vent and feel that anger.  I may have started the fire and deaths, but not the background count and state of the astral in your domain.  I would have needed to kill 50, perhaps 100 men to do that level of damage.  Something is holding down all these negative emotions and it's poisoning the astral.  Maybe I could help work out whatever is afflicting her."

[Jack_Spade]

Kynos walked steadily and tried to avoid showing any signs of pain or weakness. He had donned the forearm guards and the helmet but not the mask - for the moment. The rifle lay inside the bag and he had his gun in the concealed quickdraw holster, while his taser was visible. He really regretted now selling the evac drone. But he needed the money and besides, he really didn't want to be flying while an enemy hacker hunted for him and his associates.
He looked around. Maybe he could steal or buy a bicycle. That would considerable speed up his pace.

[spoiler]
Perception check: 8d6t5 2

[/spoiler]

[Shaman_Yuri]

"I...I thought you were dead," I sputter to Strawberry when we're alone, my voice and eyes full of emotion.  "I feel so foolish, now..."

[gilga]

@Minnie Strawberry replies "Don't be silly you protected a secret of mine and it is important, there are actually ten of me. They give the people the feeling that I watch what they are doing and that I am everywhere. Most of the surveillance is done with ordinary drones tough - but a myth is powerful tool. They believe that I am all seeing and they behave better fearing vengeance. I am actually very seldom at the Joke in the flesh.

I come there when awakened people enter as they can see the true nature of these clones with their own eyes - and with these I try to be extra careful and kind to have them cooperating. These clones of me can do anything quite convincing and even channel magic when possessed by spirits - but they cannot talk like me and their astral aura is different than my own.

You can sense the astral world and you should use this gift to understand things. The most powerful magic is the invisible one. Now come there is something I need to show you. "

She grabs your hand and show you Sovereign guarded by yet another Strawberry "Another young mage, inexperienced and rushed - burned down my joint and killed 8 people. Probably would not have done so if he cared to look into the astral. Perhaps he was trying to 'save me?' who knows. " It is Sovereign and he is tied down to a small stage with strange engraving around it. It appears that the land itself is holding him hostage.
"I want to kill him so much - " She said.

[gilga]

@Kynos
[spoiler]
Some OOC things:
1. For Maxwell sleeping in the car with a suit only gave a roll for each 4 hours - sleeping in a garbage with a full armor (rather than suit armor) would not allow Kynos to recover stun every hour. It should be worse conditions than in the car. That is I'll get him up but he'll be 1 stun away from blacking out again. -
(is that reasonable for you? I try to keep consistent and well you know how this game is with rules and stuff I want to define 'rest' as at home in bed sleeping in regular clothes).
 
About Knowledge check I assumed you can find a safe place to crush where you won't get eaten or easily found by the Yak,but some things could still happen Some homeless dude finding the unconscious warrior and steals some stuff to sell it ? Stuff like that.
[/spoiler]

Stealing bikes requires some serious decking and transfering their ownership is a nasty business - throw backs are different you could just climb on one and drive. People would not keep bikes in the street. If they are not stolen they can easily be chopped and recycled. Some people were scary enough to do this without anyone lifting their ride but with the massive amount of refugees nobody dares doing so anymore. However, you reach small staffer shack branch that has several bikes parked outside of it. Humanis raiders according to colors. The bikes are guarded by a teenage boy that holds a gun in a manner it is clear he has no knowledge how to use it.

[Mercy Merchant]

Athos is bust trying to figure out how to get all of these people in and settled and shakes his head at the daunting task.  "You are only partially right, you know.  It is not just my job to find something for everyone to do, it is not just your job, either.  It is all of us together.  We will find a way to make this work."  **I hope.** 

At the site of the warehouse, Athos looks about to see what has changed and to meet Andu's men and maybe see if Strawberry is about.  His eye skittles among the people he can see, looking for Minnie.