Tyler

BlackBlood Industries Incoporated Organizational Information Type Private Corporation Industry Conglomerate Headquarters Last Chance, Terrenus Subsidiaries BlackBlood Arms BlackBlood Chemical BlackBlood Energy BlackBlood Security & Defense Excursion Stationstores Norkotian Motor Company Area Served Terrenus CEO Rufus Wilkinson Notable Members Daran Wenig (formerly) Rufus Wilkinson Joseph Tynes Randolph Krieger Historical Information Founded 18,489 WT (as BlackBlood Energy Corporation) Reorganized 18,598 WT (as BlackBlood Industries Incorporated) (Ask Me Anything) "The beating heart of progress!" ―BlackBlood tagline BlackBlood Industries Incorporated, formerly known as BlackBlood Energy Corporation and more frequently known simply as BlackBlood Corporation, is a Terrenus-based business conglomerate specializing in energy resource exploitation, weapon and motor vehicle production, and private defense contracting. Originally formed in Norkotia as an oil drilling and production company, it has gradually expanded in size and scope over time, and its reach now extends well-beyond its early limits and into greater Terrenus. The Corporation is ostensibly under the leadership of its CEO, Rufus Wilkinson, though former Norkotian ruler Joseph Tynes is believed to actually be in control behind-the-scenes. Though much of its profit still comes from petroleum products, BlackBlood's most visible subsidiaries are now its Security & Defense, and Arms production branches, both of which operate directly under Tynes. BlackBlood attempts to fill the niche markets for non-magic-based technology, particularly in the realms of transportation and weaponry. Due to most of their technology being based on the exploitation of fossil fuels, the company often comes into conflict with the sensibilities of the Gaian majority, but has found footing in the more remote and primitive regions of the fractured continent. Even so, it is not uncommon for the company to use underhanded methods to establish themselves in towns that do not desire their presence. BlackBlood is notorious for using mercenaries and corporate enforcers to get its way. History Founding BlackBlood Energy Corporation was first formed in 18,489 WT, by a merger of two smaller oil companies operating in Norkotia and the Garrison Bay basin. Over the next several decades, it grew into the largest energy company in Norkotia, eventually becoming the largest business of any industry. Having by now expanded their services to coal-based electricity, BlackBlood benefited greatly from the economic growth that persisted across the region, even as the region's so-called "Golden Age" was nearing its twilight. Despite the eventual decline of other economic sectors, BlackBlood remained at the top, owing to the necessity of their services to the economy as a whole. Corruption scandal As Norkotian civilization began to decline, BlackBlood became a substantial corporate sponsor of the Secular Industrialist ideology, promoting a consumer economy and working to devalue the old Directivist morals that many citizens still ascribed to. This reached its peak under the leadership of CEO Daran Wenig, who assumed control of the company in the late 570s. Wenig was particularly active in the Norkotian political scene, using both his personal fortune, as well as company assets where he could get away with it, to support the political movement. Many of his dealings were illegal, or at the very least, kept secret from the public. Most notably, he had dealings with local media outlets in order to ensure favorable coverage for both secularism and for his company. In addition to Wenig, many lower-ranking BlackBlood executives also became involved in various corrupt activities, both for political and personal reasons. In the spring of 18,596, a pair of foreign mercenaries enacted a break-in at the headquarters for the Norkotian News Corporation, on secret orders from an agent affiliated with the recently-elected Joseph Tynes administration. The mercenaries stole a series of documents which were then released to the public, causing a massive scandal. Many current and former politicians, members of the media, and business leaders were subsequently arrested and jailed as a result. However, Daran Wenig managed to avoid arrest and holed-up in an old BlackBlood refinery with a contingent of hired gunmen. Another team of foreigners was hired to capture or kill the rogue businessman, eventually succeeding in the latter after a brief but bloody incursion into the facility. Wenig's fortune was then secretly recovered by Tynes officials and stashed in secret accounts for later use. With Wenig dead, and most of the rest of BlackBlood's leadership arrested or otherwise deposed, the corporation was temporarily nationalized by the Norkotian Government. While the company continued to operate, it remained under state ownership for over a year, and suffered significant loss of revenue due to a significant public relation hit in the scandal's aftermath. Reorganization Plans were in place to return BlackBlood to the private sector, though they were repeatedly delayed. This proved fortuitous to Joseph Tynes, who soon found himself embroiled in a scandal of his own, in the form of the aftermath of his invasion of Forsthaven. After the Norkotian Council concluded that Tynes had violated the constitution, among other crimes, his office was abolished and he was banished permanantly from holding office, though he managed to avoid imprisonment. However, just prior to his removal, Tynes managed to push through BlackBlood's reprivatization. Using the late Daran Wenig's hidden wealth, Tynes and his loyalists bought-up majority ownership of the corporation, and Tynes ensured that the acting CEO was one of his own supporters. Subsequently, as soon as he was removed from office, he took up the position of Executive Director of Security with BlackBlood. Although Rufus Wilkinson, the man instilled as CEO during the privatization process, was officially named leader of the company, it was Tynes who actually took control behind-the-scenes. Due to the Norkotian Council's desire to demilitarize and return Norkotia to its normal state, many soldiers, officers and scientists affiliated with Tynes's government military programs found themselves unemployed. Tynes took advantage of this, hiring many of them into BlackBlood, and establishing several new branches of the company to handle weapon production, security contracting, and research & development. He recovered many of the plans and resources affiliated with those programs, usually buying or salvaging them, though occasionally hiring criminals to steal them if he couldn't acquire them otherwise. As a result of all this, BlackBlood soon possessed a standing military larger than what remained of Norkotia's government security forces. In order to avoid further controversy with the Norkotian authorities, Tynes pushed for the company to relocate outside of Norkotia. After briefly establishing a headquarters in Southport, BlackBlood finally settled on Last Chance, formerly a noted haven for organizations with colorful reputations. BlackBlood now has three primary hubs, with Last Chance serving as the main headquarters, the old headquarters in Norkotia acting as the regional hub for Zuhl, and a newly established branch in Taen's capital of Lunaris. Ideals & identity Joseph Tynes became de-facto leader of BlackBlood after his ouster in Norkotia BlackBlood has long identified itself as a vital contributor to Zuhl's economic and technological progress. Indeed, the corporation is branded around the idea that its products, mostly petroleum or coal-based, are the lifeblood of the economy. For many years, the company's tagline was "The Beating Heart of Industry", though it re-branded after its leadership change, switching to "The Beating Heart of Progress" instead. Joseph Tynes is believed to have had a say in this change, as he viewed the spread of BlackBlood's influence, and subsequently, Norkotian industry and economic theory, as the truest form of progress. The corporate colors of Black and Gold are found frequently throughout the company, and are featured prominently on the company's security and paramilitary forces. Variations of gold and tan are paired with black on most uniforms, and though the equipment code for BlackBlood PMCs is somewhat loose, the company's colors are strictly enforced. Due to its specialization in fossil fuels, BlackBlood's technology is based almost entirely around these resources, which are largely left unexploited in Terrenus outside of Zuhl. While Gaianist influence is strongly slanted against environmentally degrading activities, BlackBlood views Terrenus's current state of upheaval as an opportunity to stake its claim on this untapped market. Organizational hierarchy The company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) acts, officially, as the leader of the business, although the majority owners technically hold the power to remove the CEO if they see fit. Below the CEO the Board of Directors, a council of the highest ranking officials who oversee entire departments or critical projects of the company. Below the board are the Branch Administrators, managers who oversee local iterations of the company, and who hold considerable power within their assigned jurisdiction. Under each administrator are various Managers, Department Heads and Foremen, who oversee operations at singular locations. The Corporate Security wing and Private Military Contractor (PMC) division hold a different set of ranks from the rest of the company. The lowest ranking contractor is known as a "Trooper", while a security guard is known as an "Guardsman". From that point on, both units share the same ranking convention in ascending order: Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Commander. Commanders will either operate directly under Branch Administrators (if part of a regional detachment) or under the Director of Security. Products and services Fossil fuels An oil rig in Zuhl, during the winter season BlackBlood's primary source of income is through oil drilling and production, which includes the sale of various types of refined petroleum to consumers. Excursion Station Stores, a chain of fuel stations, acts as the primary hub for the sale of gasoline and diesel fuel. Motor oil is also made and sold by BlackBlood. In addition, electric energy produced through the mining and burning of coal is a major asset for the company. In addition fuel production, BlackBlood uses petroleum for a variety of other purposes. Perhaps the most predominant is Petrogel, a type of jelly that makes an effective propellant alternative to unreliable gunpowder. Another petroleum product is petrosteel, a hardened plastic alloy which was invented in the early 18,590s. Petrosteel has found a variety of uses, particularly for military-grade equipment, such as lightweight ballistic armor, heavy-duty weapon stocks, and even aircraft frames. Perhaps the most controversial division of the company, BlackBlood Chemical has also begun research and experimentation on a wide variety of chemical products based on petroleum and other resources. While much of the research results in products for civilian use, a significant portion is devoted to weaponized chemical research. BlackBlood is believed to have significant deposits of dangerous explosive and chemical agents, including, though not limited to: napalm, white phosphorus, mustard gas and Agent Orange. Other departments In order to take greater advantage of their energy resources, BlackBlood operates several subsidiaries specialized in products based on their lifeblood resources. One such branch is BlackBlood Arms, which produces a variety of weapon and ammunition types designed specially to use petrogel. It also partners with several firearm producers based in Norkotia, Schmidt Arms Company most prominent among them, as a distributor and retailer of their products outside of Zuhl. BlackBlood also owns an automotive wing, the Norkotian Motor Company (NM), which produces gasoline and diesel vehicles of various makes and models for sale to both civilian and military buyers. The most rapidly growing branch of BlackBlood is the Security & Defense division, which provides private security guards or mercenary soldiers to paying clients. BlackBlood PMCs come from a variety of backgrounds, many being former military servicemembers, though a good portion come from less savory professions. BlackBlood PMCs are directed to be impartial when it comes to moral judgment of their clients, and they are expected to follow whatever their clients orders may be, ethical or not, provided they do not harm BlackBlood as a company. Related Topics Joseph Tynes Plateau of Zuhl Terrenus

As soon as the Xer's turned to face her, Erin realized she had maybe bitten a little more than she could chew. Even so, she fired her first arrow at the closest Xer the second it started moving. Unfortunately, the shaft bounced off a plate of exo-skeletal armor, falling to the ground uselessly. "Dammit!" Erin dove under the swipe by the Xer, then jumped to her feet behind it as it stumbled forward. Quickly drawing another arrow, she fired at the most exposed spot visible to her, which was the back joint of one of the Xer's legs. This time the arrow dug deep into the flesh beneath, but she didn't stop watch how it reacted. The others were already after her, and Mathias was shouting to draw them his way. Fine by her. Scrambling back toward her comrades, Erin pulled out another arrow as she sprinted, whirling around just as she reached them, skidding backward as she pivoted her body and fired another shot back at the Xers, this time aimed for the nearest one's eyes.

RP History: Chasing Legends Bloodwatch Base dread it, run from it, destiny arrives all the same (CANON) And Speaking Of Souls... (CANON) FOR OUR HOLLY LAND! Chasing Legends Too

GALLERY by @Csl BEHIND THE SCENES The Cursor was originally created as a humorous minor antagonist in a Lego game between my siblings and me.

The Cursor is capable of casting a variety of curses, which are temporary, but nearly impossible to reverse while they hold effect. Despite their apparent power and complexity, they appear to be completely random in effect, which may be the Cursor's intent, or may just be a result of him not understanding the spells he is casting. When the Cursor appears in a thread, a roll will be made for each character he attempts to curse. The result of the D100 roll will be the curse effect. Depending on speed of RP, the result of either a D4, D6 or D10 will determine length of curse, with the result being measured in the number of posts (for example, a roll of 3 would mean the curse holds effect for 3 posts). The list below includes the possible effects of a Cursor spell (up arrows denote to defer to the Curse effect above):

The Cursor Antognizer Birth Year Unknown (age ~16) Species Human Ethnicity Unknown Gender Male Height 5' 8" Weight 130 lbs Hair Color Black (dyed) Eye Color Green Skin Color Fair Voice Annoying "Aha! It is I, the Cursor!" ―The Cursor Biography Little is known about where The Cursor came from, or who he was before he adopted his current moniker. What can be gleaned is that at some point, he learned how to cast a variety of powerful, though temporary, curse spells. Whether he gained this knowledge through reading an ancient tome, or was taught by a negligent wizard, is not known. Whatever the case, he is now a delinquent who is devoted to using his powers specifically for the purpose of annoying would-be adventurers, mercenaries and "hero-types", all for his own personal amusement. Personality The Cursor is very cocky and obnoxious in manner, always taking time to announce his presence to his enemies so that he can taunt them. This sometimes gives his victims enough time to fight back, but often he strikes quickly enough that his targets do not have time to react. Even so, he is supremely confident in his own abilities, and relishes the frustration he causes those he manages to curse. Sometimes described looking like a second-rate cosplayer, The Cursor dresses in all-black, most notably in a cheap, hooded robe. He also dyes his hair black to complete the look, though it makes him look more like a try-hard emo. The Cursor casts his spells using a lime-green plastic wand with a star at the top, probably nothing more than a toy from a department store. Despite all this, he thinks he looks cool, even though everyone else knows better. Skills Escapability — Uncanny ability to know all of his possible exit routes, managing to slip away from almost any foe to avoid retaliation Infuriating — Both his attitude and his powers are well-suited for angering his victims, often making them lose their temper and make mistakes Powers Curse Casting — Possesses a significant reservoir of magic curses, which are temporary but otherwise irreversible, though even he does not know what he is casting until he has cast it Magic Circles — If given time to prepare, can cast a magic circle on the ground, which will trap the victims inside and inflict curses upon all within before disappearing

RP History: The Campaign Trail (CANON) Political House Cleaning (CANON) New Faces, New Deals (CANON) [A.N.T.] Main Thread 1: The Arrivals (CANON) [A.N.T.] Main Thread 2: The Treaty of 597 (CANON) United We Stand (CANON) Contemporary Movement (CANON) The Bad Doctor (CANON) The Reverie Ball Unionization (CANON) The Cold Before The Storm Let it all fall down around us Importing The Future (CANON) Le roi est mort, vive la reine (CANON) Soon you'll see Smoke On The Water... (CANON) War IS The Answer! A Crowning Achievement

GALLERY by me by @Csl BEHIND THE SCENES Joseph Tynes's name, appearance and elements of his personality are based on myself. Tynes's surname, as well as aspects of his personality and progression are borrowed from earlier, non-Valucre characters of mine.

Joseph Tynes Executor Birth Year 18,568 WT (age 30) Species Human Ethnicity Norkic Gender Male Height 6' 3" Weight 190 lbs Hair Color Dark Brown Eye Color Hazel Skin Color Fair Voice Normal "Democracy is little different from poor parenting. It is the equivilent of allowing children to choose whether to have dinner or dessert first. Of course they will always make the wrong choice." ―Joseph Tynes Biography Born to middle-class family in Norkotia, Joseph Tynes lived a relatively normal early life, during which time he developed an intense interest in history, politics and warfare. In his teen years he involved himself in several political movements, though these movements failed to cause any major changes to the local social or political situation. Gradually becoming disgruntled, Tynes delegated his interests to mere hobbies, while attempting to start his career in the trade and retail markets. He had little success in his early endeavors, until an unexpected inheritance altered his fortunes. Using some of the money he'd acquired, Tynes spent a couple years studying intellectual pursuits at the Norkotian University, before decided to further his learning by studying abroad. He was accepted into the Gaian Academy under a hardship exception, with his illiteracy to magic being treated as a disability. While feeling insulted by this, Tynes nonetheless took full advantage of the facility's social study courses. By the time he left the Academy, having never graduated in any official capacity, he had gained a reputation for being opinionated and occasionally disruptive with his views and ideas. After spending some time studying independently in Blairville and Hell's Gate, Tynes returned home to Norkotia with renewed ambition. Using what remained of his funds, he delved fully into the local political scene, eventually garnering support among certain fringe groups who desired to present him as a candidate for Chairman of the Norkotian Council. He was subsequently elected in a dramatic upset. However, not all were pleased with upstart administration, resulting in an assassination attempt and social unrest in its wake. These events, combined with concern over the growing threats abroad, prompted Tynes to invoke Article 6 of the Norkotian Constitution, promoting himself to the title of Grand Executor and establishing Norkotia's first military and national police force. He also began to involve Norkotia in foreign affairs for the first time, signing a treaty organized by the leadership of the Veluriyam Empire, while also deploying a military expedition to Yh'mi. He also began to accept refugees greater Terrenus, hoping to bolster Norkotia's population. However, Tynes's popularity began to wane quickly, as both his opponents and allies alike became disillusioned with the break-neck speed at which attempted to militarize the country. Despite briefly uniting the Norkic people under his government, Tynes's costly invasion of Forsthaven proved too great a scandal for the Norkotian Council, and his office was abolished after a contentious court battle. Now exiled from politics, Tynes turned to the corporate world, where he assumed de facto control over BlackBlood Corporation. He wasted little time in hiring on his remaining loyalists, as well as buying or stealing back the assets for his numerous government military projects. Using BlackBlood's profits, Tynes began to build a substantial private army under the company's banner, while also establishing an arms research division. Using this well-armed force of mercenaries, Tynes now seeks to expand BlackBlood's influence not just over his homeland, but over all of Terrenus... Personality Tynes is generally a calm and calculating individual, pleasant to his allies and firm, if not harsh, with his enemies. While he held a certain sense of naive optimism when he first entered politics, the nature of the profession, and the reluctance with which many people greeted his reforms, has gradually pushed him into a far more cynical point of view. While he understands the need to connect with the people, he has come to believe that they must always be subtly, and occasionally overtly, guided and controlled. His public devotion to Directivism is less about a true belief in the faith, but rather a belief that the faith's moral requirements are necessary to maintain order. Despite his privately condescending view of the masses, Tynes is careful about appearing charismatic and in-touch, employing carefully crafted displays of passion designed to rally supporters and show solidarity with the people. Skills Marksmanship — Able to handle and accurately fire normal handguns Strategy — Analytical and able to develop strategies for use in combat Leadership — Take-charge mentality, good manager of personnel and resources Enhancements Cybernetic Arms — Has recieved mechanical modification to both arms, with one being fully replaced and the other reinforced

Excellent, more artistic talent into the fold. 😎

Both Norkotian men listened to Clive as the cowboy rambled, though suspicion was still evident in their gazes, particularly Krieger’s. As Clive began to logic his way toward something almost spot-on with the truth, though none of them knew it, Krieger’s gaze narrowed. The cowboy was either smarter than he looked, or more likely, there was a lot more to him than there appeared to be. The colonel's suspecting observation of Clive meant that he picked up on the second the merc’s face tensed-up, Clive's black eyes seemingly locked on a specific part of the room. There were only seconds to think. Either Clive had legitimately seen something behind Tynes, or he was bluffing in order to get the both of them to turn their backs on him. Krieger had a pretty good sense that Clive had been lying, at least partially, up to this point, which didn’t help the cowboy’s case. And when he saw the merc go for his gun, that seemed to be all the evidence the colonel needed, and it prompted him to draw his own. Luckily for both of them, Clive was faster, and he had already strafed to the side and opened fire on the android spying on them in the back corner. Though he pointed his weapon at Clive, Krieger’s eyes turned left, where he caught a glimpse of the cloaking mechanism still functioning, before it sputtered out of existence and revealed the thing it had been hiding. Tynes turned last, in time to see the robot still standing, but already in the process of shutting down. As the mechanical corpse went dormant, the Executor took a step toward it, his own handgun now drawn as well. “Stay back!” Krieger warned, “We don’t know what other systems it may be equipped with!” Even as he was speaking, the Executive Guardsmen were bursting into the building from outside, drawn to the sound of gunfire. Immediately they aimed at Clive, who had the smoking gun and was the one man without a uniform in the room. Luckily, Tynes quickly waved for them to stand down, before he offered Clive a hand off the floor. “I suppose we are in your debt now, thank you,” he said. Krieger didn’t see the time for pleasantries though, being a more experienced soldier than Tynes, he was on high alert and immediately barked orders at the guardsmen who had entered the room. “Sweep the perimeter! We have enemies equipped with cloaking devices in play, so watch specifically for any sort of visual distortion! Move!” he snapped, before looking back at Clive and Tynes, “Stay down and avoid the windows. If this is a concentrated attack, then there might be sharpshooters outside.” Tynes did as instructed and crouched down to avoid the windows, though the shades were drawn on most of them already. Even so, the technology of the android was advanced enough that Krieger did not want to take any chances. “This building is compromised, I suggest we move to a more secure location,” Krieger continued. Tynes nodded in agreement, then took a last look at the smoldering android. “Is that a Terran model?” he asked. “If it is, then it is either very secret or very new,” Krieger answered, still keeping an eye on Clive, “We can’t know for sure because it is unmarked, but it seems to lend credence to this mercenary’s theory. Either way, the technology in play here is significantly more advanced than our own, and we can’t afford to sit and wait for them to make the next move. Start moving toward the door and keep low.” Just the process of leaving the building took a lot longer than one would expect, thanks to Krieger using several tactics in hopes of drawing enemy attention away from their movements. He may have seemed paranoid, but as a Terran Military veteran, he knew what sort of advanced technologies were out there, and he didn’t want them to be left vulnerable to them unnecessarily. Eventually though, they made it into the back of what was effectively an armored van, which was on the move toward one of the nearby Norkotian staging areas. “Before we proceed any further,” Krieger began, staring at Clive again, “I want to know just who you are, mercenary, and how you know so much about this Tin Man.” Tynes waited a minute, just to hear Clive give his name, before he interjected himself into the conversation. “I think, regardless, the quickest way to get to the truth is to force the Tin Man to play his hand, if he has one to play,” he said, “Our contract is for his forces to assist in the capture of the city, and the city is more or less in our hands now. I will order him to recall and withdraw his men immediately, since they are no longer needed. How he reacts should clue us in to his intentions.” * * * It was a strange thing for Nina Cordoza, having gone from being the most powerful woman this side of the plateau just a year ago, always dressing in finest garb, wining and dining with the best food and drink that the town had to offer, and owning the respect and admiration of the Forsthaven people, both rich and poor, to now being just a common middle-aged woman lost in a warzone. She could only watch as Zack knocked out a pair of guards and took their gear, which was now offered to her as a disguise. She wrinkled her nose as she picked up the shirt and trousers that previously belonged to the soldier, the thought of walking around her city in the uniform of the enemy being almost as repulsive as the fact that she’d be wearing someone else's smelly clothing. But the kid was right, she couldn’t risk being seen, and this was the best way to avoid detection. With a soft “thank you” to the young man for his courtesy, she quickly stepped into an adjacent room and changed into the uniform. It was slightly baggy at a few points, but that helped cover-up her identity even better. “I’m ready,” she said as she stepped back out into the main room, “Let’s go.” Cordoza now took point, maneuvering the streets as best she could, despite how different many of them looked now thanks to the destruction. Luckily, it was not far to their destination, The Ramp. The ramp was actually just a winding footpath that had been carved into the cliff-face in ancient times, and had been meticulously maintained by the citizens of Forsthaven ever since. The only other way down were the lifts, but they were miles away, and would probably be more difficult to use if they were under Norkotian control. The ramp was the only way they were going to get to where they needed to go. As they neared what was apparently the front line, a squad of soldiers rushed by, while one of them turned at the two and yelled at them to get down. A spray of bullet fire struck a nearby wall, sending chunks of brick and wood into the air. This was followed by a swirling beam of low-level magic power, which flew over their heads, though just barely. “DOWN! GET DOWN!” Cordoza ducked behind a pile of rubble, just as a cannon shell, fired from one of the old artillery pieces the militia men had pulled out of mothballs, landed just ahead of where she and Zack would have been heading. A shower of rubble and debris came down on the two of them from behind their cover, including half of a helmet. The ear-splitting boom of the detonation itself was enough to make Cordoza second-guess her decision to come this way. But it was too late to turn back, more troops were now behind them, and attempting to leave would be viewed as desertion. “Damn it! This is worse than I thought it’d be!” she exclaimed, but she couldn’t even hear herself say it, not over the roar of guns, explosives and magic spells. The sound of a heavy vehicle approaching was then heard behind them. Looking back, Cordoza found that the Norkotians were bringing in a tank, which to this point had been one of their keys to success. The vehicle rolled up to the peak of the footpath, allowing it to look down at the defenders below. The militia artillery made a valiant attempt to put it down, but the first shell exploded on the front armor and did no significant damage. The second merely glanced off of the turret and struck a building behind it instead. That was their window to fire, now it was the tank’s turn. Cordoza’s hands pressed to her ears as the tank’s main gun released its deadly payload into the defensive positions below. A second, more distant explosion followed, then the tank’s turret began to pivot. Again it fired, but at that same moment, one last hostile shell came screaming in to strike the dirt on the far side of the armored behemoth from where Zack and Cordoza were.. The mayor looked up to see a smoking body, or part of one anyway, thrown into the air on the far side of the tank, high enough for her to see it before it fell back to the ground and out of sight. Then the tank fired a third time, and a few seconds later, a cry went out from somewhere ahead of them. “EVERYONE UP! GO! GO! GO!” Soldiers all around them leaped out of cover, some much more reluctantly than others, and began charging down the hillside. The roar of battle was renewed, joined by the desperate screams of charging, and dying, men. By the time Cordoza and Zack came out of cover themselves, they were near the rear of the formation. This meant, fortunately for them, the men who charged first were drawing most of the fire from the militiamen below. A few fresh craters could be seen smoking down there, surrounded by the charred remains of the apparent victims of the tank’s main gun. “What are you two waiting for? GO!” another squad came rushing up, the leading officer shoving the two of them ahead. There was no choice but to move forward now. Down the hill they went, following the footpath where they could, but often having to cross the or jump down the gaps between the more level pavement, as it wound like a snake down the cliff. Ahead, they could see men on both sides exchanging bullets for lives, as this little battle was reaching the peak of its intensity. The next several minutes were the worst minutes of Nina Cordoza’s life, as she ran forward, every second fearing that a shot or spell from one of her own people would hit her and send her to an early grave. At her feet, she would see the bodies of dead or dying Norkotians, many of them young men in their late teens or early twenties. Ahead, she could see her own people, some coming out of cover and taking the fight up-close and personal with whatever arms they had left. There was just so much death on both sides, so many wasted lives, so much destruction. She stumbled past a very young soldier crying for his mother, though she had to look away in horror, as some sort of acid-inducing magic spell was slowly dissolving his body into a disgusting puss. She looked up in time to watch a young militia woman ambush a Norkotian soldier with an old cavalry saber and hack his head off, then get struck in the face by the first soldier’s comrade, who then proceeded to furiously bash the girl’s face in with the butt of his gun. Left and right, the Norkotians and her people were killing one-another, each side showing pain and horror at their losses, and bitterness and hatred toward the other side who had taken their comrade away from them. Then it struck her, as they crossed that hellish battlefield that was once a peaceful, scenic walkway, that this was her as much her fault as it was the fault of Joseph Tynes. Perhaps the man had made the first threat to use military force, but it was she who had called her people to arms in opposition to him. It was because of her pride, or her stubbornness, and maybe her hatred of what Tynes represented, that she had organized her people into an army to resist him. And now she had to wonder if that truly made her any better, for she had sent men and women to their deaths just as Tynes had. And for what? She always knew she would never win. She had never been under any delusion that this war could end any other way. So why did she do it? “LOOK OUT!” Cordoza had grown so distracted by her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed that she and Zack had made it down the ramp, and were now at street level in the lower city. Nor did she realize she was still moving straight toward the enemy lines, and right into the sights of a militia marksman posted just ahead of her. However, another soldier had noticed, and he dove at her just in time to knock her out of the way. Cordoza stumbled and fell into an alley, out of the line of fire and unharmed. The same could not be said for the man who saved her. When she finally composed herself enough to look his way, she saw him crawling on his belly, a trail of blood smearing on the road underneath him. As he reached a hand forward to try and drag himself a bit more, he happened to look up at her, and for a moment their eyes met. Then the eyes of the soldier went cold, and his head simply slumped onto the road. He did not move again. “Gods,” Cordoza pressed her back against the wall, her eyes locked with the death gaze of the dead man, “Gods, why… why did I do this?” The sick irony was so obvious to her now. The man had just saved her, thinking that she was one of his comrades in arms, and yet she was his enemy. Not just his enemy, the one who had effectively ordered his death. And the sharpshooter who pulled the trigger, he had nearly shot his own leader, thinking her to be one of the invaders he’d been rallied to kill, not knowing that he nearly killed the woman who had convinced him to take up that rifle in the first place. He didn’t know better, nor did the Norko soldier that lay dead at Cordoza’s feet, none of them really knew better. They were all just fighting and dying on behalf of two people, two people who couldn’t settle their differences peacefully, because they were just too damn stubborn to talk it out. The guilt of that reality threatened to crush the once proud mayor at that moment. “I have to go out there and stop them,” she looked over at Zack, who had probably caught up with her by now, if he had fallen behind before, “If I can just... save even a few people..."

I'll keep that in mind for the future, though at the moment I just wanted to make sure I wasn't wasting a turn or something. I'm content to wait out the round as I am right now though.

So they could react to stimuli in a general sense, that much Erin had determined from that little exchange. That ruled out this being some sort of bubble in time on an infinite loop, or some sort holographic recording being played by means beyond Erin's limited comprehension. It seemed more as though there was something else at work, maybe parasites in the bug's bellies? Either way, she needed to know just how alert they were, and if it was going to take tapping them with a rock to get their attention or not. As such, she switched her knife out for her bow, and then waited the last couple of seconds before her potion ran out. With a soft "pfft", the cloak vanished, and Erin was visible again, though she was ready to act on a second's notice. Her arrow was drawn back already, aimed at the Xer most likely to see her, but she did not release it. She waited, waited to see if they could be bothered to look at her. "Just give me a reason, ugly," she uttered very softly, another test, to see if they might be sensitive to sound, since the others were not likely to simply walk past this point as quietly as Erin could. If all of this still didn't get their attention, she would take the last step, and that was to start to move, slowly, back the way she came.

Erin had never seen a Xer in person before, but even she could sense that there was something very wrong with these creatures. The fact that they were repeating the same actions on a loop, while seemingly not noticing the party of tasty humans nearby, was far to queer for her taste. It was as though they were stuck in a loop. And bug or not, they seemed... dead... "Let me go on ahead," she turned toward Mara, "I can sneak up to them without being seen, then I can see if they react to any sort of stimuli. If not, maybe we can just walk right past them." She pulled out her knife again, and held up a little metal flask of liquid. "And if not, I'll deal with them." With Mara's approval, she proceeded ahead, taking a swig from the flask after a few seconds. Once she had done so, the archer completely disappeared from site, as the invisibility potion took effect. There would be about thirty seconds before it wore off, but Erin had learned to be quick and quiet while cloaked, and she crossed the remaining distance rapidly. "Okay buggies, let's see if I'm right about you," she thought to herself, picking up a rock off the ground and throwing it at one of the bug-creatures. She immediately shifted position, so that if the Xer managed to trace the trajectory of the stone, it would only wind up staring at an empty space that Erin and already vacated. Even so, Erin kept a close eye at the bugs as she moved, needing to gauge their reactions as quickly as possible before her potion ran out.

@Akiris I just want to make sure I understand the OOC explanation you had provided in the IC thread right. The "first part" of the round was just for specific kinds of actions like defend, but it was still part of this round and not separate, right? Meaning when I took my three actions (two of which failed), I used up all my actions until Jan 20th, correct? The explanation confused me a little, so I just wanted to be absolutely sure that I am not supposed to post/act again.