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The Battle for Tarithnesti (Part 10)

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07 Deepkolt 349 AC EN ROUTE TO TARITHNESTI Kysek, a look of thanks upon his face accepts the berries. “I know it’s not much girl but it should help you.” The elf holds the berries in his outstretched palm for her to eat. Dusk wolfs down the berries in a single gulp. Her bleeding slows and some of her strength returns. She is by no means healed but looks like she can rejoin the fight. Raven smiles faintly. "That's more like it." He faces Kysek, "I spoke with Ra'ziir. Tarithnesti is under attack." Raven tells him everything he received through their telepathic bond—the beacon charging atop the Protector's Tower, dragons converging on the city, and their companions fighting desperately to buy the crystal enough time. "Can you teleport the three of us?" Kysek nods and reaches into his pack. He pulls out a scroll and breaks the seal. He reads the words on the page and they begin to glow. Sparks fly from the page and begin swirling around Kysek...

Monster Truckers - Episode One: East of Omaha (Pt 5)

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EPISODE ONE: EAST OF OMAHA (JOLENE) “You know that Angel?” Drags says to Sam over the CB. "I recognize her now. She was at the Waffle House this morning." “So we were picked for this run? And why?  What did we do that her Smilers were not able to. That is the question.” "I don't know. Think for ourselves?" came Sam's reply. Mac clicks in, "Hey, Brother, you still want to see if she'd marry a zipper? XOXO or hahahaha?" Xadens grip tightens the steering wheel groaning under his grip as his eye narrowed at the man. "HumanCorp...." flashbacks of that night pour into his mind, "and an angel...F@#! Now Heaven is with them...makes a man want to lose faith." Then Jolene spoke. She didn't raise her voice. Every radio, every truck speaker, even the handheld CBs carried her words. "Children... be not afraid." She folded her hands before her. "You've spent your lives learning to fear anything you don't ...

Yes, But What if it was Shadowrun (Part 9)?

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Despite the ubiquitousness of hoverbikes , there all have the same problem - limited cargo space. While luggage racks and saddlebags do what they can to alleviate this drawback, it wasn't until recently that manufacturers came up with a practical solution.  Universal Mission Pod Hardpoint There are several makes and models of Universal Mission Pod Hardpoints. The most common is the Tyrell Corporation Universal Mission Rail (UMR-6). Tyrell also produces the UMR-8 which is suitable for use on hovercars and the UMR-10, commonly found on hovertrucks, and UMR-20 for use with construction equipment and salvage vehicles.      Mounted beneath the hoverbike is a reinforced modular hardpoint designed to accept a variety of interchangeable mission pods.      Changing pods requires approximately 30 minutes with basic tools (10 minutes with a properly equipped workshop). While any pod is installed: • Maximum Speed: reduced to ¾ normal • Flight Ceil...

The Battle for Tarithnesti (Part 9)

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07 Deepkolt 349 AC EN ROUTE TO TARITHNESTI “Damn it! Dusk is injured! I must find her!” Kysek replies. “Dusk! Come on girl! The party here is over! We’ve got to get moving and get you help! Dusk! C’mon girl!”, he calls out with hope she can hear him and will come. Raven lands beside his companion. He drops to one knee, fingers tracing along the ground, searching for signs of the griffon's passage - disturbed leaves, scuffed rocks, churned soil, a print in the snow. The two elves spread out. Kysek calls again. "Dusk! I'm here!" A faint sound carries through the early spring air. Kysek and Raven both turn toward it. The trail leads them through the trees to a small clearing. Dusk lies beneath the branches, battered and exhausted. Blood stains her side. Her head lifts when she hears Kysek's voice. The griffon gives a weak call. Kysek immediately drops beside her. "There you are." Raven is by his friends' side a moment later. He opens his left h...

Silvanesti Military Awards

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Those of you who have been reading along, should be aware that the Dark Queen's armies have launched a major offense on the Silvanesti nation centered around the town of Tarithnesti. This offensive included several hundred Goblins, multiple companies of Draconians, a handful of giants, and several dragons. I was working on Chapter 9 of the ongoing battle and a stray thought crossed my mind. "What would a Dragonslayer Medal look like? What kind of Citation would it include? How would it compare to other medals? This led me down an eight-hour rabbit hole with my copy of "Heroes of Battle" on one side of me and Wikipedia and my phone on the other. There was some follow up the next day as I began piecing together which character would have earned what medals so far, points for advancing in rank, and coming up with future scenarios that would make player characters eligible for the honors that ended up being my favorite. All was well and good. I looked upon what I had c...

Yes, But What if it was Shadowrun (Part 8)?

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Again, not technically Shadowrun, just Earth-218 revisited in with cyberpunk elements incorporated... The summons arrived without ceremony. A child no older than twelve found Raven delivering groceries to a tenement in the Redmond Barrens. "Are you Raven?" He nodded. She handed him a black envelope. No stamp. No address, just a seal pressed into dark green wax—a dragon coiled around the Seattle skyline. "I was told to give it only to you." "What did they pay you?" The girl blinked. "They paid my mother's hospital bill." The envelope contained a single sheet of thick paper. Mr. Raven, You have demonstrated an unusual habit. You complete dangerous work. You accept payment. You give nearly all of it away. While irrational... ...it is statistically interesting. Present yourself tomorrow at 1900. Come armed. Come alone. Do not decline. -- X The handwriting was precise, a flowing cursive committed to paper by a long-practiced h...

Monster Truckers - Episode One: East of Omaha (Pt 4)

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EPISODE ONE: EAST OF OMAHA (NEW COUNCIL BLUFFS) Dragula reached up and wrapped his fingers around an ornate silver chain hanging from the roof of the cab and gave it a sharp pull. The monster's chrome maw that served as the truck's grille split open just enough for the horn mounted inside to come alive. A shrieking, metallic howl tore across the prairie. Mac had built it from a stack of battered metal discs salvaged from some forgotten pre-war technology. Nobody knew exactly what the discs had once done. Nobody cared. They made wonderfully terrible noises. Over the years, Dragula had experimented with dozens of combinations, recording different tones and arranging them into a language only he and Mac understood. Three short blasts, one long wail, a descending screech. Mac grinned behind his hockey mask and shifted the Fluffy Bunny into gear. Miles slipped beneath their wheels. The rain gradually gave way to low gray clouds. The broken remains of what had once been part of ...