Welcome to my first play-through in a handful of releases. I'm going to try something a little different in this playthrough and try to give you the reader a chance to determine how the story plays out. I have played through the first episode with how I feel the character should be played. However, I am going to stop at each end of each episode to take suggestions and majority rules her actions. So, on with the show!
Today I have the first basic generated character I received, a 22 year old female pirate with suboptimal stats. So, of course, I named her Ryoko. Please to enjoy, episode 1.
+----------------------------------------------------++-----------------------+
| Ryoko || Ryoko |
| 22 year old female pirate. || G o HP: 14|
| || S+0= +B+ SP: 11|
| Reflexes 12 Good Total Exp: 595 || l l MP: 13|
| Body 9 Typical Free Exp: 595 ||Re 12 Bo 9 Sp 16 Pe 14|
| Speed 16 Amazing Credits: $140128 ||Cr 13 Eg 10 Kn 14 Ch 13|
| Perception 14 Great || + |
| Craft 13 Great Current Mecha: |+-----------------------+
| Ego 10 Good SAN-X12 Assault Buru Buru |
| Knowledge 14 Great |
| Charm 13 Great |
| You were raised by your mother, who was a |
| famous Martial Artist. As a child you were |
| always surrounded by friends. |
+----------------------------------------------------+
Skills:
Close Combat +2
Conversation +1
Dodge +3
Mecha Fighting +3
Mecha Gunnery +3
Mecha Piloting +5
Ranged Combat +3
Stealth +2
Taunt +2
Talent:
Idealist Blood
Initial thoughts:
Low Body is going to make Close Combat a pain, probably focus on ranged.
Good Speed will make dodging easier, help with initiative.
Ego is too low for Taunt to be very effective, will have to make it a priority to boost.
High Knowledge is pretty much useless at this point.
Charm is always good, or at least it used to be, so that's a plus.
Idealist Blood is a waste of a Talent slot.
Assault Buru Buru is a mixed bag, the Repeater is a bit better than the Shaka cannon at this point, but I wouldn't want to go up against anything with too much armor with it.
Episode 1:
Home - Athera Spinner
Starting off at home, a pirate with no allegiance. I'm going to see if it is possible to play the pirate side of things, at least initially and maybe try to hunt down some Red Mask Raiders and join them or something. But first, boosted M. Gunnery to 4, purchased Initiative and boosted to 2. Ryoko's mother(?) Idhta is home, she chides me for wanting to be a cavalier and tells me that there is likely a mission available at the clubhouse I'm always hanging at. I asked her to join me, but she turned me down flat /* She could have used a better refusal, as a family member */.
Cavalier's Club - Athera Spinner
On entering the could, I run into my friend Acrah Urhstar (17 year old female monk) wearing a new uniform. She's joined the Privateer's Guild in order to get a head start on the coming war, it seems. I tell her she's an idiot, only a would sign up for the PG looking forward to a war. What type of monk is that bloodthirsty? Great, she's already told her new boss Veamyk that I want to join too, and she wants me to join her on a mission. *Sigh* Idiot or not, she is my friend, so I'll agree to help her, just this once. She's thrilled, and wants to rush over to the Hospital for a briefing, what the PG is too keep to their own offices here? That doesn't bode well for the paycheck I'll be getting. And now I have a sidekick, joy.
+----------------------------------------------------+
| Acrah Urhstar |
| 17 year old female monk, ally. |
| |
| Reflexes 13 Great Total Exp: 0 |
| Body 11 Good Free Exp: 0 |
| Speed 15 Great Credits: $0 |
| Perception 8 Typical |
| Craft 12 Good Current Mecha: |
| Ego 15 Great WR-106 Wraith |
| Knowledge 16 Amazing Current Faction: |
| Charm 10 Good the Privateer Guild |
+----------------------------------------------------+
Skills:
Awareness +3
Close Combat +3
Dodge +3
Mecha Fighting +3
Mecha Gunnery +4
Mecha Piloting +3
Mysticism +3
Ranged Combat +3
Well, at least she can hold her own in combat. Awareness is pretty useful too, though junk for Perception. The Wraith isn't too bad nothing to sneeze at either. And of course she's dead broke and decent even own a sealed outfit. I bet that's coming out of my wallet too. Well, off gear up. But... as we are walking over to one of the shops, we run into Picxyd Hewcho (22 year old female teacher) who lost a Crystal Skull she was supposed to be guarding. What type of idiot leaves a teacher to watch something important? Of course she wants me to help find it, well, it could be valuable, sure lady I'll help you. She seems to think that a thief Ehy Hulepo has it, well we'll keep our ears open. Also, some sweet swag is left in Udnayy Uswela mine, yeah if you like rust. And Omhhan knows where Ehy Hulepo's hideout is. Small world.
The shop here are pretty picked through, I grab a couple of skinsuits for the two of us and grab a stun pistol for myself. Not that I'm non-violent, but sometimes you can get more out of somebody while they're still breathing.
The Atrium - Athera Spinner
Well, looks like this place is a bust. I mean I could be knee deep in longswords if I wanted but nothing too deadly. I might have to hit up the Cavalier's Club again, think I saw a light laser pistol on one of the shelves. Well, some folks are talking, looks like Sonauta Wicla's mecha is in the shop, sucks to be him/her I guess.
MUGL Media Center - Athera Spinner
Nothing in the company gift shop but Mecha. Though I had one exec start bragging to me about his salary, don't know if was being a prick or hitting on me.
Garage - Athera Spinner
Kind of a long shot, but sometimes they care decent stuff in these places. One shopkeeper asked if I had a home for her "steel beast", sheesh, remind me not to wear this skinsuit in public. Did pick up a Power Armband and upgrade to a mobile phone, every 0.5 kg helps sometimes.
Cavalier's Club - Athera Spinner
I ended up settling on a Quaker .32 Revolver with a fistful of clips with a longsword for backup/liberating doors. Okay, that should do it for gear, now let's see what fool's errand Veamyk has in mind for us.
Athera Hospital - Athera Spinner
Veamyk (18 year old female corporate executive) was waiting for us. She has a mission that in her own words pits us against "certain death". I'm seriously starting to wonder what battle-crazed kamikaze monastic order Acrah belongs to. She wants us to go deal with some mecha hanging around outside. Not hostile mecha, well at least not yet. Probably just some kids taking their parents’ mecha out for a spin without asking, real suicide mission there. While I'd prefer to negotiate pay first, Acrah is really hyped about killing some folks so I accepted the mission, I kinda promised her that I'd help and all, and if it is some kids messing around, someone is going to have to keep Acrah from spreading their entrails all over the station's exterior. Also, Veamyk informs us that Cirafe Eeti's mecha is in the shop, what, where he/she and Sonauta Wicla at the same kegger?
I hit up a cop for information, who would know better about rowdy kids right? He tells me that Nuahno Zebca was recently defeated by the raiders. Raiders? I thought these were unknown, might-be-nonhostile, mecha? Looks like I got suckered into this by Veamyk. Wonder if that weasel Acrah is in on it... probably not, her hide is on the line too. Before leaving, I picked up some Poison Antidote and Antibiotic pills, at least we'll die healthy.
I give Nuahno Zebca (18 year old Mercenary) a call to see how what's up with these raiders. He seems to think I want his help. Buddy, you got your tail shot off by these guys, what use are you going to be? He warns me against fighting them, yeah, I hear that, but the kid here is all excited about seeing viscera and all... He doesn't even know where to find them, thanks for the help buddy, try not to get a bed sore.
Out of leads, I figured we'd head outside and take a look around.
Athera Spinner Exterior
We made a couple of loops around the station to see if the raiders were about. No sign of them. But, we did stumble on the Udnayy Uswela mine. Now, looting an abandoned mine is a whole bunch easier than fighting raiders in my book, but Acrah is whining about her "duty". Well, I'm helping her on her mission, so she can help me with looting this joint. Besides, maybe she'll get to waste a spaceworm or two.
Well, at least we made it back from the mine in one piece. I figured that the mine had been abandoned when it was played out, not because of an infestation of worms, shils and murderous fungi. They weren't even done picking the meat of the bones of the last poor bastard that wandered in there. But in the end, we score a pretty spiffy looking katana and a bucket of bolts Buru Buru that cold be worth some bank. Acrah was also interested in some rock, but we sure as hell couldn't drag it back to the mecha.
Acrah claims she is fine, but she's getting a little green behind the kills. Normally, I'd say that she is sickened at the slaughter we engaged in, but she probably just got bit by one of those shils and is too proud to accept an antibiotic pill, time for a trip to the doctor.
On the way back to the station, sure as hell we stumbled over a couple of unknown mecha. Acrah wanted to attack, but in her shape, I suggested that we leave them alone and come back later. We compromised and I followed them to their meeting with the rest of the raiders while she guarded the spoils from the mine. At least we know where they are, maybe Veamyk will be up for sending a lance of Savin to clean them out.
On our return, rumors are swirling that Coneym lost something precious on the bottom of the mine. Hmm, I was just there and all that I found was a dead body, this cool katana and a rusty old Buru Buru. Maybe he had some attachment to that old hunk of junk. Or that body was his chick or something...
Athera Hospital - Athera Spinner
Well the doctor was able to convince Acrah to get a shot of antibiotics and she is back to he peppy self now, too bad the doctor doesn't have anything to help take the edge off that. Veamyk is useless, "if you've found them, you can take care of them". Yeesh, thanks for the help sis. Maybe she was right and this is a suicide mission... Before heading out, I boosted my M. Gunnery to 5 and Conversation to 2 (maybe that will get me better info next time!), and boosted Acrah M. Piloting to 4. The Steel Tool Buru Buru (must be one of those "metal beasts" the shopkeeper mentioned) from the mine is halfway decent, Slag missiles, a Jackhammer and a mining laser. I'll keep it as a backup.
Spaceport - Athera Spinner
On the way back out of the station, we ran into Coneym (28 year old male samurai) crying about his lost weapon. Damn, this guy wants my katana! Well, finders keepers and all that jazz, next time try offering a reward you loser. Oooow, you won't forget that I have taken it, I'm so scared, I hope there are some worms and mushrooms around to protect me when next we meet. Loser.
Athera Spinner Exterior
As we approached the meeting point we were hailed by Emrno (20 year old male). He informed us that Arxyso wasn't available and that he and his buddy would be fighting us. Okay, I wasn't looking for his boss, I just wanted them to stop loitering so I can get paid. These guys are taking as bad as Acrah. Well, no holding back Acrah now, she charges into battle and fires barrage after barrage into Emrno's partner Ulzli Lek's Haiho. His cockpit collapses before he can eject, her first enemy in her first battle is her first kill. Seriously, I'll have to stop giving money to those monks handy out flowers at the spaceport if they are training killers like her. Emrno's Haiho doesn't last much longer, though he manages to eject in time. Great, at least if she had killed him too we wouldn't have to worry about another loser holding a grudge.
I salvage the remains of the fallen Haihos and recover their weapons and some armor. Should be worth a fair bit, probably more than I'm going to get paid for this mission.
Athera Hospital - Athera Spinner
Veamyk seems oddly disappointed that we survived the mission, jerk. At least the pay was decent, $27080. She asks what my plans are from here, do I want to go help people, head to the action, or even just upgrade my mecha. Hmm, really, I want to convince Acrah to go to a nunnery, Catholics nuns are still not trained killers right? But, as this is probably the end of the chapter, I ask the readers, if there are any, what should I choose? What should be my slacker pirate wannabe's goal? Ryoko has 325 unspent XP and Acrah has around 750 XP. We have about $55,000. I can solve the rest of the missions here or head off to wherever Veamyk is going to send me. What say you?
