Intro: 2/8 ??? 2018/02/16(Fri)23:04 No. 868100 ID: 6e59e3
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She's not coming back tonight. She is five days past schedule.
It is time to worry, but not time to mount a rescue.
She has been late before, but I know that the Wise One will return.

??? 2018/02/16(Fri)23:04 No. 868101 ID: 6e59e3
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She will. She must.
But it is time to go hunting.

The Gifts ??? 2018/02/16(Fri)23:04 No. 868102 ID: 6e59e3
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It is time to add to the stockpile and to follow the relays. Following our network would give me the best chance of finding her if something went wrong. It is the most I may do while the Wise One is away, other than to gather sustenance by earth or by animal.

Beyond hunting, gathering, and maintenance, she has forbidden that I risk leaving the cavern alone.
The others would hunt and hurt and kill me for being here, for being greater than them.

Before I can be ready for the hunt ahead, I must reflect on the Wise One's blessings and the Wise One's gifts.

??? 2018/02/16(Fri)23:05 No. 868103 ID: 6e59e3
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The Wise One is my world. She speaks the truth and teaches me the lessons.
There are no others here but she and I, but for the beasts and the planet, and the Others themselves.


She wields great power, and she blesses me with such power, and this world and the sky above it is her domain.

??? 2018/02/16(Fri)23:06 No. 868104 ID: 6e59e3
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For it is from the skies above she came carrying me, delivering me from the world above. The chaos times of fire and fury, the churning of steel, from whence she had come. From the high hell above, when many of the Wise One's sisters and brothers perished.

It was she that took me from the furnace fires of hell and brought me to the cold world below where we now live.
This barren world full of ice, radiation, and hostiles. She is the one that gave me my life and she is the one that protected it.

The Gifts ??? 2018/02/16(Fri)23:06 No. 868105 ID: 6e59e3
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And while she shielded me from the hellish fire and numbing cold and breathed life into my body, she also gave me everything else.

She gave me food, and taught me how to take it from the beasts.
She gave me metal, and taught me how to scrounge for it in the caverns below..
She gave me water, and taught me how to melt it from the snow.
And she gave me the secrets of the warriors' greatest friends: her comms, her guns, and her tools.

And so I give my loyalty unto her in all things.
As a child should give to their mother.

The Virtues ??? 2018/02/16(Fri)23:07 No. 868106 ID: 6e59e3
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In return for my loyalty, she further blessed me with the virtues of the warrior: Ingenuity to make or find tools in the hunt against the enemy; Cleverness to stalk and ambush; and Brutality to seize victory by its throat when the trap is sprung.

I have learned all three but mastered two. The Wise One would call us a...


==PICK CLASS==

Reaver: Brutal and ingenious, the reaver is straightforward in combat and in problem-solving. Combining advanced tech use with savage front-line tactics, reavers inflict maximum collateral damage. If they can't steal, open, or sabotage it, then they'll blow a hole in it and slaughter whatever is on the other side.

Predator: Cunning and brutal, the predator is fast and vicious. They prefer sudden and quick engagements to minimize exposure and maximize enemy casualties. Predators prefer skirmishes, ambushes, traps, and misdirection. Predators strike from cover and disappear into the winter's night.

Wraith: Cunning and ingenious, the wraith prefers technology and stealth to direct combat. Though capable of combat and assassination, they prefer subterfuge, stealth, and conflict-avoidance. Wraiths have the training and tools to bypass most obstacles and threats, passing unnoticed where they can and evening the playing field where they can't.

*Note: A class will not limit story options. A class dictates the thinking style of the character- whether to resort to stealth, assault, or engineering first, and what opportunities are first seen. A Reaver can still sneak, a Predator can still scavenge and hack in limited quantity, and a Wraith can still engage in a firefight. They are just better at their respective fields.

>>868106
Reaver.

>>868106
Reaver.

>>868106
Wraith. Sneaky terror is easily the best option

The Wise One must be a Tozols and the protagonist probable isn't one.

Predator.

Reaver

after all, keep it simple stupid.

Wraith

??? 2018/02/17(Sat)00:04 No. 868130 ID: 6e59e3
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>>868119
No need to be insulting.

We may be nothing before the Wise One, but we are of her blood.

>>868106
Wraith. Only an idiot engages a superior force in a head-on assault.

Uh, Wraith I guess?

Wraith.

Wraith

the oblivion

>>868130
So why are you so dependent of the Wise One?

Wraith. We have always been alone, and theory by itself could never prepare us for the complexity of society and politics. Mise One knew that we would often lack allies, and taught us to only confront when we had already all but guaranteed victory. When alone, there is nobody to save you from mistakes, so make none.

Predator

Reaver

Wraith

Wraith.

Wraith.

Reaver

Wraith

Wraith

Wraith.

Reaver

Wraith it up, babe

??? 2018/02/17(Sat)16:06 No. 868265 ID: 6e59e3
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We are the wraith.

The Wise One gifted us with the knowledge of systems and technology, taught us the benefit of scavenging enemy weapons and broken parts, of laying mines and driving our foes into them, of cutting our foes' legs out from under them.

We stay inside for only a moment, gathering our gear to go out. Rations, rope, grapnel, axe, and knife. Humble items, but powerful ones. They fit under the cloak, the axe and knife sliding neatly into the cloak's liner.

With our goods in tow and our meditation done, we return outside. It is time to decide where we hunt.

INVENTORY:
-Axe
-Knife
-Rope + Grappling Hook
-Rations

>>868137
We are loyal to the Wise One - as she is our mother and our officer. Her guidance has seen us through our years on this world.
She fended for us when we were unable to hunt for ourselves, and she has studied the threats on this world longer than we have.
Her word is wisdom.

Which Path ??? 2018/02/17(Sat)16:06 No. 868266 ID: 6e59e3
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The sun is up. The light is beginning to reach the den. I feel my eyes adjust, the natural shielding further protecting them from the intense light.

The white sun is intense and the snow reflects its gleam - light, UV, and all. I can only stand it by squinting. Only the Wise One knows how the Others can bear it.

Now we must choose where to hunt. On one hand, we always need food and minerals. The stockpile will last for days, but we have been unable to hunt before. The beasts here are nutritious enough to mitigate our need for metals for a time, and scavenging the network of caves and tubes yields enough material to keep us healthy.

On the other hand, the communications network is acting up again - this is most likely the work of the Others, as their radio is known to interfere with our system. I know not what they're doing this far from their base, but it will not be to our favor.

Hunting the Beasts will make sure we have enough food to last us some time and the pelts will serve to reinforce our clothing. The cold is dangerous here, even for me, and having a bolstered supply of food means more energy for us. However, this would expose us more to the cold, and it is dangerous to hunt with only an axe.

Investigating the Disturbance might net us some valuable information regarding the Others, and if the opportunity presents itself, we might be able to take some of their gear. This will be my first time hunting the Others rather than the reverse, and they must be approached with great care.

Investigate the disturbance.

Investigate, it's far more urgent than the supply stores which can be refilled at any time.

Investigating the Disturbance

Investigate. if the Others are your enemy then we need more information about them, tools to hinder them and possibly weapons to kill them

Okay so, Tozols always have a mission. Orders from the Precursors. What are your orders?

>>868279
Investigation is more urgent, the perimeter may be compromised.

>>868266
*Hunt the beasts*. Rip and tear!!!

Investigate.

>>868266
Investigating the Disturbance

Investigate

Investigate, though if we happen across beasts, we might as well get our food.

Stick to the plan. Resource acquisition. Go get your dinner.

Another vote for investigating. Better to know what's up now when supplies are "ok".

Investigate and scavenge, but focus on smash-and-grab tactics.

??? 2018/02/18(Sun)18:22 No. 868476 ID: 6e59e3
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We will investigate the disturbance.

The Others, I am told, carry food on them, even if they don't have the energy need that I or the Wise One do.

More importantly, they may have usable arms and armor. Lastly, an incursion this close to the relays cannot be tolerated. If they get too bold, they might find and trace our radio network, and most of our observation posts will be in jeopardy.

The wind whips around me as I slide down the cliff-face. It's the fastest route, and I do not need to navigate any crevasses or snow-filled cliffs...

... and I like the feeling of my cloak flapping around my neck.

??? 2018/02/18(Sun)18:25 No. 868479 ID: 6e59e3
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The snow whips around me as I follow the trails. I must tread carefully - the paths I take are not direct between the relays for two purposes - I cannot be tracked directly back to the post in case of observers, and there are hidden cracks in the snow and ice. The ice and snow is too thin and weak and re-melted to trust my weight in some places - I can feel these dangers many meters off, but the surest and easiest paths are the ones I now follow.

At this rate, I will arrive at the malfunctioning relay within an hour.

>>868137
She is my officer and my senior by several decades. She is also my mother.
According to her, I am also very young. I am also, admittedly, inexperienced. It is only now that there is a danger to our position here that I feel it is better to act rather than wait.

>>868288
The Wise One has spoken greatly of the precursors, but I have no orders from them. According to her, it has been ages since they directed us - if I have any standing orders to follow or any greater purpose to find, then it is through the Wise One's direction that I will fulfill them.

She is an agent of the precursors, however far down the line she is, and that is enough for me.

>>868479
Keep heading to the relay, but remember to slow down as you approach, otherwise your wake of snow will give you away.

What is your name and sex?

What is your mother's name and why don't you use it instead of "Wise One"?

An idea for later: Modify your cloak to be ice/snow camo, so you blend in better.

What do you expect to find at the relay? Do you know anything about the other points of the radio network?

Is the Wise One the only other of you here, and what has happened to her?

Is there anyone else on your radio network?

Is it possible that your radio node could have been sabotaged? Be ready for contact.

The speed of your approach will give you away to the observant. When you get within viewing range, blend your silhouette into your surroundings. Either get low or get cover.

??? 2018/02/22(Thu)00:06 No. 869445 ID: 6e59e3
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>Slow Down
I slow down. Though the light outside is blinding, my mother has remarked that they have tools that can see through the blindness, much like I can.

Mine is better.

>Modify Cloak:
Excellent idea - the color is dyed. Unfortunately I lack the hues to dye it white. It is not perfect camouflage in the bright of day, but the alternative for now is wasting heat and energy keeping myself warm. I would not die in the cold, but it is a waste of food to go out without protection.

I am told the Others could not last an hour without their gear.

>Relay/Node
Contact is a strong possibility. Solar flares happen, but they do not happen often. In my five years-...

... Contact. I near the relay mountain. It is unlikely they have sabotaged the node, but this close, I assume they are compromised now until I can prove otherwise.

But this camp is too far from the mountain. The Others - I do not believe the others would walk to the mountain. Do they know of it? I can feel the relay broadcasting through the radiation, but weakly. I spy a snow-vehicle and a more-armored snow-vehicle. These are likely the sources - but what are they doing here?

Approach - CHOICE ??? 2018/02/22(Thu)00:06 No. 869446 ID: 6e59e3
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>Mother, Alone?
The Wise One is alive. We hope. She must be. Our last contact was a month past, and she is five days past her schedule to check in. We are the only others apart from her using the network. We - I am alone.

We are kilometers off of the mountain. It would be an uncomfortable walk for them - even if they could see the mountain unassisted.

We get closer.

There are tracks in the snow. Crates. I have seen these crates - the Wise One has brought one back before. I can open them, but it is noisy. Atop one is a lantern - likely with a battery. The other is a type of fusion cell that I have seen before, a stable power source that has many applications.

I count six pairs - maybe seven - of walking. The vehicles look powered down, but the bulb on the bigger vehicle is broadcasting radio and... shooting something else. EM radiation. I hear no engines, but I can see the heat signature. It has been running recently, but the snow around it is not fresh.

I can hear movement in the crevasse below, but it is imprecise.
It is certain there are several below, but there may be one or two above here. I am at a choice.

=OPTIONS=
-Investigate Camp (Pick object: Crates, Heavy Vehicle, or Light Vehicle): Investigating the camp would reveal more about their intentions and gear, but risks premature discovery. I also do not see any weapons left out. NOTE: All Investigate votes count for this option, regardless of choice in object. The object with the highest tally of votes will win if Investigate pulls the most votes in general.

-Ambush/Sabotage: They will certainly notice when their gear is destroyed and I attack them, but I have the upper hand for now. That vehicle is dangerous, and I do not know how dangerous their weapons are. If I should ambush them, how should I do it?

-Crevasse: Descent into the Crevasse means possibly being seen, but my cloak is colored better there, and it would get me away from the vehicles. I am still unarmed except for my axe and my knife.

-OTHER: Do you have any other recommendations? Clever recommendations may be integrated even if other options win.

They're using that ladder to climb up and down the cliff. Disable the ladder to buy yourself enough time to scavenge, or outright steal their vehicles!

Just loosen the ladder so it'll stay in place until it's used. Similarly, short any batteries you can find so they'll discharge destructively when used, and sabotage the engines on the vehicles. As you said, they can't last an hour without their equipment, so take it from them, and wait them out. Then it's your equipment.

>>869446
Investigate the vehicle. It appears to have a weapon mounted. Attempt to detach it as a sidearm.

>>869446
Sabotage. They will freeze out here without their vehicles and comms.

>>869446
Investigate the camp!

Make the ladder unable to take significant weight, that's a very nice idea.

If there is no-one inside the vehicles, it will be easy to sabotage them. Vehicles are complicated, tricky engines. And more importantly, most have keys for authorised use. Yank the keys, disconnect the fuel, cut off the air intakes.

If it's electric, you'll have to cut the batteries.

Priority One, however, is that radio and EM transmitter. Kill it dead, as fast as possible. Smash the antenna, after all, easiest bit to repair for a radio, it's a long wire in the simplest case, and more complicated antenna construction can be covered later.

We shouldn't rig batteries to blow if we deem that they might have use to us.

Once the camp is made safe, we can investigate at leisure, but if investigations have to be made, radio vehicle first, then ladder, then other vehicle. Once they're cut off from help, if the worst comes to the worst, we can let the cold take them.

Worth trying to find their own objective too.

Let’s investigate the vehicles, starting with the big one. Also steal the fusion cell. The silly others will just think they lost it.

Get as close in as you can under cover, then remove your cloak and hide it under the snow before entering the camp. Better to maximize stealth at the cost of burning extra calories than be spotted and come under fire. You can possibly recover those calories later by eating stolen Other rations or consuming part of a Other corpse if you get in a fight later.

Remember, it's very important that you allow for time to brush away your footprints in the snow as you move around. Dunno whether the Others are aware there are Tozols on this planet or not, but either way you shouldn't announce they've been Tozol'd to any team that comes to investigate. Also make sure you don't step where you'd have to brush Other footprints away to clear your own since that'll be obvious.

The EM radiation the bulb on the larger vehicle is emitting might be part of a radar system or some other kind of movement detector hooked to a alarm system that'll alert the Others to approaching hostiles. I assume a naked Tozol such as you will be able to stealth that with ease.

Keep low and sabotage the ladder first by loosing each anchor enough that the ladder will give way under weight. That'll keep the Others from climbing up, but not trap them forever. They certainly have radio gear to call for help and probably also ice climbing gear. They'll be able to get out eventually.

Next investigate the camp. Grab the fusion cell and carry it in your hand, since you don't have any inventory space. If you need to carry something else later and the cell is durable enough, you can throw it so it lands on the snow you hid your cloak in for later retrieval. Then remove the battery from the lantern and put the lantern back. Carry the battery in your other hand.

Next investigate the larger vehicle. The gun turret looks to be enclosed, so you can't reach the gun from the exterior without a whole lotta noisy rip 'n tear. You'll have to reach it from the inside. Find a door or hatch and open it slow and quiet just enough to slip a few tails in to get a read of the interior before opening it fully. Draw your knife before entering if you detect a Other inside. Don't start to sabotage or take anything inside before investigating what it is and formulating a plan.

Into the Camp ??? 2018/02/25(Sun)22:00 No. 870211 ID: 6e59e3
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We- I see no signs of the Other in the snow. The howling wind in my ears obscure the sound of crunching feet, and the wind pressure negates some of the blindsense, but I do not think they would remain outside for long.

Dropping the cloak, we stride naked for the camp, keeping low and appraoching by following the snow mounds and keeping low. It requires moving fast through the snow, but the wind keeps the worst of the noise out.

I feel the EM pass over me once - twice - the signal never varying nor the radio sending no alarms, from what I can tell. However, I am inside its range and covered by the crates in a matter of moments. The vehicle does not activate as far as I can tell.

??? 2018/02/25(Sun)22:00 No. 870212 ID: 6e59e3
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The ladder gets my attention first - I loosen the spikes in the snow so that the ladder is held by friction alone. If anyone of any weight tries the ladder, it will come loose.

I hold it in place until I can be sure it will not prematurely come loose while I dig at the edge of the crevasse, giving it an unstable base.

With the ladder taken care of, we move fast. We lob the fusion cell far away from camp, back to where we've stowed the cloak - but I can feel something in the vehicle stirring. The soft thunk of shifting metal. It's windy and loud out here, but the cadence of footfalls is indistinguishable.

The Ladder has been Sabotaged.
The Fusion Cell has been Acquired

??? 2018/02/25(Sun)22:00 No. 870213 ID: 6e59e3
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The creak of metal-on-metal catches my ears, the hatch on the rear of the vehicle opens. A white-clad figure stands in the way, armed with some sort of rifle. I slide my tails around the corner bend, hoping that their vision is poorer than mine.

"Swe kwa, toy corbas?" it cries, the voice unrecognizable in the wind. It does not sound of the Utility Language, and with that, I know it is hostile and savage. "Tenk kenen svit tash, svektanna engyn querak."

Choice- Assault or Ambush ??? 2018/02/25(Sun)22:01 No. 870214 ID: 6e59e3
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Ducking back behind the crate, we prepare our snow-axe and weigh our options.

It might not have seen us. It seems confused - maybe it saw our tails. If it hasn't decided we're a threat, then we could try playing it quiet and go for an ambush. An optimum, low-risk attack would be to our best advantage. Duck into cover and circle around the crates maybe. However, if we've been seen, they might cause some noise on their radio, and our cover will be blown anyways.

On the other hand, we could go loud.They have a gun ready, but the Wise One speaks of how slow and dull-witted they are, and we have an abundance of melee weapons, including an axe, a knife, a fusion cell, and my bare hands. It's a fast leap to the target's throat, but if they scream a warning, the others would surely notice.

But we must decide now.

How should we proceed?
--OPTIONS--
Ambush - Quiet
Assault - Loud

Pick an option and, optionally, suggest the specifics of the action.

Ambush the target, take its weapon, and knock it unconscious. This way, you can interrogate it at your leisure and determine the other's purpose. Also, spilling blood on snow is hard to hide.

>>870214
It can still see your tails. Banshee you are not actually very skilled at this.

Go for an ambush. Pretend to be your near-harmless larval form of yesteryear by curling up in the snow with your tails poking out behind your head, then when they spot you, jump out of the snow and shout "SURPRISE!" then break their shoulder with your axe.

With luck, you should acquire a prisoner who knows the local language and how to operate the vehicle. Then we can loot it and conceal it elsewhere for later use as a secondary away-base and an assault vehicle.

>>870214
Ambush, quietly! Pull your tails back and climb to to top of that crate when you hear his approach. Get the drop on him with the axe. Blunt end if really want to question him.

Ambush quietly(ish) - Make an alien sound to unnerve the target, then quickly dash around the side, and quietly climb up the box. Nonlethal takedown from above to knock him unconscious - you'll need a hostage to help you drive the tank.

You haven't yet learned how to see around corners without exposing your tails? Ambush it.

Ambush. First impact is the gun from their hands. Second impact is either the vocal chords if you want to silence any possible sound, but if you want a prisoner to get questions out of, squeeze the sides of the neck until they pass out.

If things get loud, then it'd be time to try lethal first, or to use the axe, but that leaves evidence.

Abush seems like the best bet. We can "Go Loud" when other options aren't on the table anymore.

>>870214
jump up on their face and use your pelvic muscles to break their face into the ground.

>>870867
LOUD

??? 2018/03/01(Thu)23:03 No. 871107 ID: 6e59e3
File 151997419564.png - (99.04KB , 1600x1600 , CLEARING - Copy.png )

The guard checks the corner - but I am not there.
Of course we are not there.
>You are not actually very skilled at this.
Cease. It's hard to get a read with all the wind. R-really.

??? 2018/03/01(Thu)23:03 No. 871108 ID: 6e59e3
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They are not watching their surroundings. This is bad for them - and good for me.
They start to do a walkaround, noticing my footprints.
"Tekra kelesthe - tyunt vekra," it babbles - the sudden burst of radio sets my tail tingling. They seem worried...
... was that a check in call? We could be in trouble if the vehicle is still manned, but I do not see it start up.

We wait for it to start turning... and then...

??? 2018/03/01(Thu)23:09 No. 871111 ID: 6e59e3
File 151997459329.png - (295.51KB , 1600x1600 , STRIKE.png )

Ambush
crack
We strike, catching it in the throat from above. Its weapon goes flying, and I hear it choking through its beak.
I may have applied too much force.

Whelp. So much for interrogating it. Throw it in the big tank and drive off into the sunset like a madman. (assuming you can figure out how to drive the thing) Maybe it will recover and be able to talk then.

Bind his limbs, then perform first aid as best you can. If he dies, mutilate his corpse and spread his entrails across everything you leave behind.

Get the vehicle prepped, this might be a good haul.

>>871111
It might be dead. Pick it up and head into the vehicle. Get its weapon. You can loot it for supplies and eat it if it expires, or practice emergency medical treatment on it.

I mean, if you can't understand its language, you'll have an awful time trying to interrogate it. At that point keeping it alive is more of a detriment, especially now that it's sent out a radio call. Speaking of, take away its radio; it may have a crushed windpipe, but it can still click the radio like crazy to get attention.

Let's get a look at them - remove its mask.


Don't forget to check the pockets for loot.

>>871111
Nice form. Cut his contact, get that radio away from him. Either bind his hands and legs, and take away any sort of last resort weapons he may have.

Disarm, bind, acquire. The Wise Mum will want to inspect the evidence, and intact evidence is more informative. Attempt to heal the target once it is no longer a threat.

??? 2018/03/03(Sat)23:13 No. 871516 ID: 6e59e3
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(Content: Death)
It writhes on the ground, gasping. It manages to rip its eye covers and mask off, as if that would help.

This is a frail creature. It is not recovering.

I will not waste my time trying to save it. I know not how to fix it.

I will know to use less force in the future.

Pathetic.

??? 2018/03/03(Sat)23:13 No. 871517 ID: 6e59e3
File 152014760258.png - (158.84KB , 1600x1600 , 1Looting.png )

I strip it off its radio. While I am at it, I acquire the rifle as it writhes on the ground.

The radio traffic is beginning to pick up from the crevasse. Different voices in the same language, distorted from the haze of this world's strong radio interference.

They seem to be checking in.

??? 2018/03/03(Sat)23:13 No. 871518 ID: 6e59e3
File 152014760389.png - (409.01KB , 1600x1600 , 1InsideVehicle.png )

We check the vehicle - it appears to be a personnel transport. Empty - I count six seats plus standing room.

A thermal sleeping bag is on the floor, but I see nothing of value except the closet.

We go to investigate the inside of-

??? 2018/03/03(Sat)23:13 No. 871519 ID: 6e59e3
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I feel the heat and UV wash before I see the light. The sensation feels like setting my tails on fire as the rippling mass of superheated air washes over me, and the broad-spectrum signal spike sets my senses to tingling.

The ball of high-powered plasma flares to life just above the crevasse's opening.

It continues for several hundred meters to the air, where it hangs, burning and scattering signals in all wavelengths.

I have no doubt it can be seen for miles, and less doubt the signal spike can be picked up for many more after that.

But we still have not investigated the crevasse, and we have not found the original reason for them being here.

>>871519
Maybe they found mom? Check in the pit.

Get the van running. NOW.

>>871519
That’s a signal flare.

Because the guy you killed didn’t check in, they figured something is wrong, so they’re trying to signal more allies to come assist them.

Whatever you’re going to do, do it fast before you get surrounded!

Dis Thread open here -
https://tgchan.org/kusaba/questdis/res/121149.html

Us the sleeping bag to tie the controls into a forward motion, then leave the vehicle. Wait for the intruders to separate and apprehend or destroy the smaller group.

Try to figure out how the vehicle operates and then try >>871529 or any other means to get it to ride off on it's own as a decoy.

Please, mercy kill that thing. I'd hate to scrub out without anything to show for it, either. Drop that ladder. That way you can really cut them off from their support.

Does the rifle have a suppressor?

Are you familiar with the controls of the apc?

There is likely a weapons locker inside the apc with more ammunition and supplies. You should get your gear that you dropped, then loot up. Next, go eliminate the rest of the outsider team. They know something is up now, so stealth is less important. Also, put that poorpathetic birb out of it's misery.

>>871565
Addendum; Trap the vehicles and antenna then go into the crevasse. Drop the ladder when you get to the bottom. Support team will need to waste time setting up a new ladder to reconnect.

>>871519
We can still go for stealth potentially, if we make it look like the vehicle crashing into the ravine killed the bird, or the bird's death caused the crash.

Hi all,
Delaying update due to busy stuff this week.
I'm using the time to prepare for an event. The earliest I'll update will be sunday evening. Next wednesday at the latest.

??? 2018/03/16(Fri)00:38 No. 873966 ID: 6e59e3
File 152118590709.png - (375.35KB , 1600x1600 , TozolWithMoreClothes.png )

>Mercy the Bird
That would be a waste of ammunition.

>Investigate APC
I have the chance to check out the APC. A quick raid reveals some clothes - these feel warmer than my usual dress, and a little bit more daytime-friendly for camouflage.

I even find a sidearm and a few rounds.
I do not know how resistant the vest is - it seems to be like the vest outside on the Other, of different color but similar material. Soft body armor reinforced with minor trauma plates.

Minor additional protection, but it will help me retain heat. I can layer up with my survival clothes that I came here with.

???? 2018/03/16(Fri)00:38 No. 873967 ID: 6e59e3
File 152118590809.png - (327.83KB , 1600x1600 , CockpitSeat.png )

Checking the front seat, the controls don't seem too complicated. Some switches, some buttons, some pedals. A... steering column, I suppose.

Two sets of detection equipment - I see an overlay that paints elevation. Behind us I can read the depth of the crevasse. This is likely how they can drive anywhere without crashing into snow-hidden cliffs or driving into lakes.

I do not see the IR-painting interface anywhere. Instead, I see a longer-range radar interface.

??? 2018/03/16(Fri)00:38 No. 873968 ID: 6e59e3
File 152118590925.png - (146.64KB , 1600x1600 , Radar.png )

... I cannot read the display text, but I can intuit the results.

I believe this shows elevation, heading, and... interception time? Time to arrival? This appears geared for rescue, and the inbound objects are high and fast.

I watch the symbols flash for twenty seconds - judging by the rapid change in symbols and the repeating patterns, I have at thirty minutes to act.

??? 2018/03/16(Fri)00:41 No. 873970 ID: 6e59e3
File 152118608087.png - (242.51KB , 1600x1600 , TozolFlatWhat.png )

I hear something crash past the howling wind - it seems someone tried the ladder, and it came unattached. Those in the pit are probably worried, but are a non-issue for now.

The transport has a few options.

For now, we have two options:
Sabotage it to lead off rescue. We could make it race off on its own without a pilot, that might draw the heat off for a few minutes.

Leave It - We could simply leave it for now, either to use it to escape or as a fighting position. Other than the two rapidly approaching objects, I don't know what reinforcements will look like.

Regardless, I will investigate the pit - I still don't know the source of the commnet disturbances, and it is concerning that they are so far out in the wilderness near our picket line.

>>873970
Sabotage. There will be other vehicles to take when you're done here.

>>873970
Leave it. It has too many resources and the pit people are a non issue. Also don't give me the 'waste of ammo' excuse. Did you ever stop to think you could EAT the bird after you mercy kill it? Or did you WANT to spend three hours hunting a wooly shoggoth to get the five ounces of edible meat under its armor-chitin? You might be bad at stealth, but you can at least think about dinner!

Oh, also, search for signalling tools, and any exotic materials you might be running low on micronutrients for.

Sabotage. Get rescue team distracted. Cannot be detected.

Steal all food and usable supplies.
Sabotage: Stuff the dying bird into the vehicle and set it driving off the cliff into the crevasse.

Sabotage, then get to the pit.

Sabotage

>>873970
Sabotage. Confusion is our ally.

??? 2018/03/18(Sun)14:29 No. 874393 ID: 6e59e3
File 152140856440.png - (1.10MB , 1600x1600 , Sabotage.png )

>Sabotage
I begin raiding the vehicle for anything useful. There's not much to take with me - just the clothes, the sidearm, and a few spare batteries that fit the rifle and pistol.

The gunnery hatch opens to reveal the inner workings of the turret. A crude design - I can feel a wireless signal from a black box sitting next to what appears to be a slug-thrower gun. A box of ammo sits in place, feeding it high-caliber rounds the size of two of my fingers.

This gives me an idea for sabotage.

Collecting the box of ammo and a spare tank of what smells like fuel, I move quick to the outside of the vehicle. Ripping open the engine compartment shielding, we dump the belts of ammo in, then give it a liberal splash of gas before closing the engine compartment.

The engine is warm but not hot. After cutting what feels like the coolant lines, I am satisfied that it should get hot enough to cook off the ammunition, given enough running time.

??? 2018/03/18(Sun)14:29 No. 874394 ID: 6e59e3
File 152140856571.png - (344.07KB , 1600x1600 , Sabotage2.png )

(Picture Warning - Dead Body)

We take a moment to fasten the fallen guard into the seat - and to enjoy the warmth of the cabin against our tails, so numb with cold that the cabin heating feels like paradise - before doublechecking our work.

Satisfied, I engage the engine. It's easy to intuit - the switch resembles the engine compartment - and I feel the engine start to hum.

Once I am ready, I jam a nearby oxygen tank against the gas pedal. I feel the transport lurch, hurtling through the snow at breakneck speed.

??? 2018/03/18(Sun)14:29 No. 874395 ID: 6e59e3
File 152140856840.png - (1.39MB , 1600x1600 , SuperfastJellyfish.png )

With that, we make a rapid exit with our loot in tow, falling away out of the rear hatch.

We watch it chase off over a small snow hill, disappear out of our sight, only to crest another one.

We don't wait to watch, we have a pit to investigate.

I spent five minutes in total on that sabotage. It should hopefully buy some time or, failing that, split the rescue team.

>>874393
Slither under the snow and head for home.

Can we inspect our weaponry? If they take batteries, they must be energy weapons, but what kind? Can we get any idea about range?

Up next, ruin that communications array. Not much high hopes on deciphering the message they're sending out, so better we silence it as best we can. Into the crevasse. We're cutting into our mission time.

Break anything sending out radio signals. Then head to crevasse.

Causing futher confusion seems like a good idea. Destroying their communications would accomplish this nicely.

Banshee 2018/03/24(Sat)00:31 No. 875221 ID: 6e59e3
File 152187670748.png - (184.84KB , 1600x1600 , WalkBack.png )

I return to the camp, if only to make sure everything is cleaned up. I will retrieve the gear I came with.

>Communications
As the vehicle races off, the source of the radio interference seems to disappear to a point. There is more in the pit, but not strong enough to warrant real disruption, almost like they were using the vehicle as a retransmitter.

If rescue is going to evacuate them and their gear, then this sortie is accomplished.

>Guns
They feel like energy weapons of sorts. I don't see a port for physical ammunition, just new slots for batteries. Fusion cells last a very long time and store a large volume of energy, but high-power applications can deplete their stores. According to the Wise One, 'fusion batteries' make for better energy weapons than breeder cells.

>Item on Ground
... and it seems the Other had dropped something in it throes. I must've missed it when I was securing the body.

Banshee 2018/03/24(Sat)00:31 No. 875222 ID: 6e59e3
File 152187670814.png - (854.01KB , 1600x1600 , WhatIsThis.png )

It seems like some PDA. Messages flash across the screen - I cannot read them easily...

Banshee 2018/03/24(Sat)00:31 No. 875223 ID: 6e59e3
File 152187670942.png - (183.39KB , 1600x1600 , Interface.png )

... but it doesn't seem too difficult to decipher.

The arrow points in the rough direction of incoming rescue team. There is a timer on the screen.

A weather warning?

And... I do not know what the last message is. It has a timestamp or a series of numbers on it.

There seem to be some menu buttons, and a button that deploys a small plug on the side of the device. This feels... important.

Banshee 2018/03/24(Sat)00:31 No. 875224 ID: 6e59e3
File 152187671149.png - (133.80KB , 1600x1600 , BansheeIsBadAtTech.png )

I do not have time to play with this.

If we are going to raid the pit, should we do this fast and loud or careful and quiet?

Avoiding casualties will be hard, but if I remain unseen and avoid further killing, this might keep me off their radar for now. On the other hand, the psychological effect of losing an entire team will likely scare them out of this territory for a while longer. Either way, there's something to be gained from exploring the pit.

We also have a time limit. We should decide now, before the rescue team shows up, unless we pursue another option involving retreating or stalking the reinforcements to their base.

Summary:
-Acquired uniform (light armor, snow camouflage)
-Acquired rifle, sidearm (energy weapon?)
-Acquired unknown enemy communication device. Possible source of information.
-Acquired fusion cell, ammo, misc. gear.
-Destroyed Enemy Vehicle, Neutralized Communications Disruption
-Others present, likely evacuating. Estimated six-to-eight in crevasse, plus incoming rescue team (ETA 20 minutes).

Options:
Raid
-> Quiet - Avoid conflict, gather intelligence, try to acquire gear, keep threat level low.
-> Loud - Assault, destroy team, acquire gear. This will reveal my presence, but may deter them from operating in this area.

Other:
->Suggest Action (Retreat? Observe?)

>>875224
Go quiet. You need to practice your stealth anyway, Private 'I don't know how to get prisoners'.

Try and not wiggle your tails in their face this time. You can be the stealthiest, use your abilities and training!

There is loot to be had and information to be uncovered! Raid!

That said, do it quietly as long as you can. Don't hesitate to go loud if staying stealthy compromises safety or mission objectives though.

Raid Quiet.

We want gear. Kill whoever you can without being detected.

Stealth. A ghost doesn't reveal their presence until it's too late for their prey to escape. Descend into the dark below. If things go sideways, we can banshee scream go loud and blow our way out.

Go quiet, knock out enemies so they can't interfere. You can interrogate them later.

Go Quiet, subdue any stray hostiles, restrain, and kill all but one, and remember to properly dispose of the bodies, it may spook the Others even more if they lost a team and couldnt find the cause or bodies

>>875224
Quiet

Nth vote for going in quiet.

Banshee 2018/04/01(Sun)00:16 No. 876334 ID: 6e59e3
File 152256699191.png - (340.70KB , 1600x1600 , CampMapReupload.png )

>Quiet
I will avoid confrontation until necessary.

I maneuver away from the camp for a bit - it's a short jog, and it lets me gather my thoughts.

The crevasse has a radio signal running all along it, I can hear the noise echoing off the ice from below, though I don't dare to look over the edge.

Remembering what I saw on the screen in the vehicle, I jog a very short distance over, so that I do not drop straight into the camp.

Banshee 2018/04/01(Sun)00:16 No. 876335 ID: 6e59e3
File 152256699291.png - (143.21KB , 1600x1600 , IntoTheGap.png )

I check my gear over one last time, steeling myself for the drop. The rifle seems like some sort of energy weapon - I can feel vents all along the sides, but as far as I know this is either some particle beam or a plasma weapon. Likely the former, as I can't find a proper gas canister load. I'm not familiar with the Others' weapons, though.

It appears to be fifteen meters down, around the bend from the camp. I can go deeper, but there's little point - nothing of interest is further down the gap, and as far as I am from the camp, they shouldn't hear me drop.

Banshee 2018/04/01(Sun)00:16 No. 876336 ID: 6e59e3
File 152256699351.png - (1.42MB , 1600x1600 , FallingIntoCrevasse.png )

Falling in, the wind whips past my ears, the chill soaks my tails. Gun above my head, I descend, the light around me rapidly fading.

The glare is less harsh, but the colors wash out. I can focus in the dimness, but I don't know how much better the Others can see down here as opposed to the harsh light above.

Banshee 2018/04/01(Sun)00:16 No. 876337 ID: 6e59e3
File 152256699567.png - (343.67KB , 1600x1600 , HardLanding.png )

... right.
Snow is soft, and this ravine has had ages to accumulate snow.

Digging myself out the crater I've made, I clamber to my feet, dig myself out, and check all my gear again. The sidearm is still safe in its holster and I didn't lose the device from earlier - I stow it in my suit pouch and crawl out from the snow.

Banshee 2018/04/01(Sun)00:16 No. 876338 ID: 6e59e3
File 152256699696.png - (809.64KB , 1600x1600 , ScopingItOut.png )

Just beyond my graceful landing site is a thermal signature and some chatter. It's around a bend in the ravine, keeping me from getting a full view, but hiding myself as well.

Banshee 2018/04/01(Sun)00:16 No. 876339 ID: 6e59e3
File 152256699868.png - (1.08MB , 1600x1600 , RearCamp.png )

... I still do not see any of them, but I can hear the camp above the moan of the wind.

I do see a small terminal, a larger fusion cell, and what I presume is a heating unit.

There is heat in each of the tents still, and I'm dimly aware of a scrambling and yakking in the camp, despite the cry of the wind scraping the canyon. Down here, my senses aren't assaulted by wind and cold as much.

Outside of the tents, I feel but don't see four hostiles. There's also a large object in the center of this ravine, but I can't make it out from here.

The terminal seems to have a port on it of some sort - it reminds me of the device I picked up.

It looks like that beacon emits a signal to keep monsters away. If you were to sabotage that...

Unplug the laptop from the beacon. Wait for someone to notice. Takedown if there's only one guy.

>>876339
Don't use your eyes, use your wiggle-tails.

Also, they're probably all preoccupied by the ladder. Sneak in, locate and neutralize their weaponry, then neutralize any who are still armed, then CAREFULLY AND NON-FATALLY capture at least one for interrogation.

Steal their shit while they're distracted

Quietly turn off or break heating unit. Cut them from power supply perhaps. Hide as thoroughly possible. Watch mayhem.

>>876366
Yeah this seems fair. Steal their power, ferret it away somewhere you might be able to retrieve later. Try interfacing with that terminal first though.

>>876339
What became of whoever climbed the ladder?

>>876404
Steal the fusion cell AND the laptop. Analysis can wait until you're safely away.

Wreck the conduit going from the heater to one of the tents - but only one, and make sure the fusion cell is unplugged from the heater cleanly enough that it could be easily reattached. Stir up internal conflict that way. An attack on all of them is clearly enemy action, but an attack on just one of them could conceivably be treachery by some of the others.

Steal the terminal only. You don't need a larger power source right now, and disconnecting this one will immediately alert them by turning off their power. Plus they might use it to track you.

Cover your tracks by flipping the table into the snow, as though blown by a freak gust of wind down the canyon. That way, they might assume they simply lost the laptop.

Also, literally cover your tracks as you exfiltrate.

Dont steal the Fusion Cell or heating unit, if you can, damage the cell or set it up to blow in some way similar to the vehicle, they would believe it was a freak accident, and >>877815 as well, it would ruin their heating, ruin their power, anything nearby, and you would have their laptop as well.

Take the intelligence. There's no reason to burden yourself with another power cell. Do it quickly and quietly.

Banshee 2018/04/29(Sun)21:57 No. 881676 ID: 6e59e3
File 152506425232.png - (79.09KB , 1148x1148 , Take Laptop.png )

I have space for the laptop. I'll take it now - and figure out what to do with it later. Hopefully it's not password locked.

Banshee 2018/04/29(Sun)21:57 No. 881677 ID: 6e59e3
File 152506425304.png - (130.03KB , 1600x1600 , Destroy Heater.png )

The heater... simple. Heating coils. Neither unstable nor complicated.

Banshee 2018/04/29(Sun)21:57 No. 881678 ID: 6e59e3
File 152506425511.png - (146.73KB , 1600x1600 , Destroy Heater2.png )

I'll unplug it for now and hide the cable, I suppose.

Banshee 2018/04/29(Sun)21:57 No. 881679 ID: 6e59e3
File 152506425512.png - (60.62KB , 974x974 , DestroyHeater3.png )

The cable looks pretty universal. On second thought, I'll keep it, if only in case I need to-

... why is this male-to-male...

... I'll keep this in case I need to power something else for now, or maybe restrain someone.

Banshee 2018/04/29(Sun)21:57 No. 881680 ID: 6e59e3
File 152506425765.png - (62.78KB , 800x800 , CrevasseUpdate1.png )

It's not-

...

Banshee 2018/04/29(Sun)21:57 No. 881681 ID: 6e59e3
File 152506425925.png - (0.95MB , 1600x1600 , CrashSite.png )

... I think I know why they're in the crevasse now.

This looks familiar. An escape pod or atmospheric glider. It doesn't match their vehicles or color scheme.

This feels... familiar.

>>881681
HOORAY! MORE TOZOL!

HAHA. Get in there!

Risk taking a quick peek inside. But by disabling their heating you've alerted them to your presence, so you'll have to hurry!

Return to Eden can wait until you can assure you're not going to walk into a trap. Eyes, ears and tails on a swivel, young one. Four in tents, anyone else around? Maybe around the object?

>>881683
AH HA!

Investigate, carefully. If the birbs notice you it shouldn't be too much trouble to kill them all, but let's try to avoid that if we can...

Banshee 2018/05/05(Sat)22:39 No. 882789 ID: 6e59e3
File 152558516254.png - (20.39KB , 251x252 , BansheeConfused.png )

>>Return to Valhalla
I don't think this is capable of flight. It's also been long gone...

>>More Tozols
... I think this was ours. Mother never spoke of it. I suspect it's more damaged than it looks, and it must've been buried in the ice until recently.

I don't know how to handle the thought of more of us.

Banshee 2018/05/05(Sat)22:39 No. 882790 ID: 6e59e3
File 152558516625.png - (2.22MB , 1600x1600 , ItCameFromTheTent1.png )

Before I can investigate further, we need to clear the area, or at least sneak past the others.

There are two in these tents over here - I can feel them. The others must be further in the canyon, either nearer the wreck or closer to the ladder.

One calls to the other in their simple language, and steps outside. It seems the heater turning off has spooked it.

Banshee 2018/05/05(Sat)22:42 No. 882793 ID: 6e59e3
File 152558535267.png - (5.37MB , 2400x2400 , Impending.png )

I can't imagine what it'll think when it sees the missing laptop.

Banshee 2018/05/05(Sat)22:44 No. 882794 ID: 6e59e3
File 152558547531.png - (1.76MB , 1600x1600 , Hiding.png )

It seems to be brave enough to investigate the missing items, however.

I'm not afraid of their small arms. We shouldn't be afraid of an individual, but we don't know their warmaking capacity.

Going loud here would be risky. We could avoid them, or make this one 'disappear'. There are too many factors to consider.

They're likely spooked as it is. I can hear their radio chatter. This one hasn't spoken a word yet, but the others' are only growing more concerned.

I believe the rescue team has encountered our distraction.

>>882794
There are two options:
1.) Throw a knife into his neck, cutting off his ability to speak (and blood flow), then move up and destroy the others in melee combat.

2.) Use your Tozol agility and naturally grippy feet and climb fifteen feet up the glacier, holding still and practicing your stealth, then remain hidden against the ice with your fur in low-albedo mode. Wait for the alien to withdraw, then crawl out of the chasm, making handholds with your strength as needed, before heading for home.

Avoid so that you can investigate without being on a time limit.

Throw gun at its face. Knife is more useful for stealth and that fucker is dead, anyway.

>>882794
Wait for it to go to restart the heater then come up behind it and put a knife to its throat then interrogate it, the more information the better. Plus if we learn enough about their language we can intercept info we don't want them knowing.

Have you considered that you may be leaving footprints that lets it figure out from where you came?

>>882794
Remove the threat. Shut it's beak before it makes a peep. Burry the evidence.

You're a wraith, remember? Stay hidden or knock it unconscious in some kind of accident looking way.

>>882794
Perhaps use the knife to silence them for good. Be prepared to scramble away, however.

Snake, try to remember some of the basics of CQC

Banshee 2018/05/19(Sat)23:41 No. 885226 ID: 6e59e3
File 152679848847.png - (156.32KB , 752x752 , tozolrush1.png )

I'll take it down quickly, quietly.
The gun might be too loud. Sneaking seems too difficult.

That leaves... one solution.

I step out of cover.

Banshee 2018/05/19(Sat)23:41 No. 885227 ID: 6e59e3
File 152679849063.png - (311.74KB , 1440x1440 , tozolrush2.png )

It's child's play to grab it before it can raise an alarm.

I remembering all the practice the Wise One, our mother, taught us. She always resisted, always taught me.

Memories flash through my mind about how our melee combat was difficult, with many practice throws failing for the sole reason that they were against someone better.

I feel a moment of fear as I grab the Other, fearful that I haven't practiced enough, that my mother's warnings were true.

That melee is dangerous.

Banshee 2018/05/19(Sat)23:41 No. 885228 ID: 6e59e3
File 152679849191.png - (504.21KB , 1600x1600 , tozolrush4.png )

I slam it into the ground.

I hear something break - but the creature doesn't choke like before. It might have broken a rib...
... I'll worry about that never.

One of maybe six down. Knocked out.
I will restrain this one with the heating cable, unless there are any better ideas.

I don't believe a captive will be of any use - I cannot speak their language.

>>885228
Bury it. Face down. Close to the walls. Keep moving.

>>885228
Do not kill. Interrogation is necessary. Restrain with heating cable. Neutralize next several targets quietly and quickly.

Best to restrain them well for now, worst case scenario use them as a hostage, even if they're utterly useless for information.

If nothing else those guys could be useful by teaching you their language. One of them, maybe two if you fear they will be uncooperative, you don't need more.

This will be a funny experience. A restrained and wounded soldier recover consciousness to discover himself as a prisoner of an enemy superior in every regard, only to be asked in gesture to say the word that describe simple objects like a child game.

>I cannot speak their language.
If you're forbidden from doing so, or physically unable to reproduce the sounds or gestures or whatever, that's one thing, but if you just don't know how yet then a prisoner could be extremely useful. Learning the language opens up a lot more tactical possibilities. Might even be able to hack their minds into giving you what you want without a fight, either by trickery or in exchange for what you have that they need.

Restrain them and save them for later. Even if you cannot speak their language now, a captive could still be useful. Put the bird out of sight and proceed to the shuttle.

>>885228
I'm not so sure capture is a good idea at all. Wouldn't a quick kill make sense?

Banshee 2018/05/28(Mon)17:02 No. 886686 ID: 6e59e3
File 152755216529.png - (316.29KB , 1600x1600 , TieThatFucker.png )

While it's stunned, I tie it up, gagging it with a cable so it can't cry for help.

Banshee 2018/05/28(Mon)17:02 No. 886687 ID: 6e59e3
File 152755217078.png - (905.57KB , 1600x1600 , Foundathing.png )

I recover a small chip off of the Other. It reminds me of the port on the laptop.
Oh. And more rations.

The first warrants investigation later.

Banshee 2018/05/28(Mon)17:23 No. 886694 ID: 6e59e3
File 152755341605.png - (407.58KB , 1600x1600 , Options.png )

The camp isn't clear. This is one of maybe six disabled.
The camp may still hold valuables, but at this point time might be a factor. Judging by the loadout on this one, they do not seem heavily armed.

Maybe a research crew.

I now have the laptop, a chip of sorts, some rations, and a hostage, plus what we looted above. We can still exfiltrate - I can climb the walls with the captive, and maybe I can figure out the snowmobile up above, which would be the only way to get clear of the area quickly with the captive in hand.

But time is a factor. I could raid the camp and see what else I could carry by myself. The captive is too heavy to get out of here quickly, though, and I'm not sure if delaying on the snowmobile above would be a clean getaway. We would want to abandon the captive to get away cleanly.

To add to the raid, we could ambush their rescue team. Neutralizing the camp and setting an ambush for the rescue team would let me pick through the wreckage and the camp at my leisure. I could still keep my captive, too. This would involve a gunfight with whatever vehicle they're transporting their rescue team in. I don't know if my scavenged rifle would work on their rescue transport.

Exfiltrate - Leave with all our spoils and our captive (Some loot, keep the captive)
Raid - neutralize the camp and loot what we can. (No Captive)
OPTIONAL: If we raid, do we want to lay an ambush, or leave immediately afterwards? (Gunfight, keep the captive, more loot)

>>886694
EXFILTRATE. We kinda need that captive to learn the enemy Battle Cant.

>>886688
I don't think the captive will be of any use. I really don't want to start a gun fight either. I really want to explore that ship though. Hard decisions must be made. We ditch the captive and clear our schedule for a bit of bird hunting and looting after that. Raid and ambush.

Exfiltrate, ditch the snowmobile partway with the throttle jammed on, so it leads potential rescuers in the wrong direction.

Exfiltrate. We don't know their targets, numbers, distribution, resources... anything. They have had ample opportunity to broadcast an alert, so we can't rely upon exhausting their forces. Get out, review the intelligence, contact Wise Mum, and formulate an effective deterrent. We have already inflicted enough damage to repel them if doing so is easy.

>>886703
The ship is more important than the birb. Let's raid, but let's do it quietly. We are a wraith, after all.

>>886694
Exfiltrate. Seems wisest without having more intel on them.

Uhm... Why do we want the man again? To learn their language?

Exfiltrate. I think we have everything useful they have that we could safely take.

>>886704
Hmmm this actually sounds good. That pod could contain valuble info. Or cookies!

Armed Response Unit 2020/04/24(Fri)02:11 No. 963376 ID: 124fab
File 158771946176.png - (472.74KB , 1600x1600 , PerkeleResume1.png )

((Let's get this show on the road))
ARU1: 'Base, ARU1 registers distress flare caught on RADAR. Enroute.'

Meanwhile (2/5) Armed Response Unit 2020/04/24(Fri)02:12 No. 963378 ID: 124fab
File 158771951912.png - (650.77KB , 2400x2400 , Resume2.png )

>ARU2: "ARU2 is tracking transport movement on TacMap. Hailing..."
>ARU1: "Base, ARU1 receiving weak radio signal near flare origin. Crew confirmed in crevasse. Transport seems renegade."

>Base: "ARU2, this is Base. Divert and investigate the transport, try establishing radio contact. ARU1 proceed-"

Armed Response Unit 2020/04/24(Fri)02:14 No. 963380 ID: 124fab
File 158771965457.jpg - (664.23KB , 1600x1600 , TozolQuest1b.jpg )

>>ARU2: "Break-Break: ARU2 Reading a heat spike on the tacmap from the transport. ARU1, continue to signal flare. Clear the zone. Base, we have possible casualties and hostiles. Prepare REZ1 for sortie.'
>>BASE: "ARU2 confirmed, Base scrambling further recovery assets."
>>ARU1: "Base Acknowledged. ARU1 approaching outpost site."

>>ARU2: "ARU2 confirming that vehicle is in distress. Landing now."

<ARU2-Kel-4: Hostiles? Out here? This place is a hell-hole!>
<ARU2-Kel-3: I've never seen a rampaging enlek set fire to a transport...>
<ARU2-Kel-2: You haven't seen them in season then... but an engine is much.>
<ARU2-Kel-3: Think it could be our ghost?>
<ARU2-Kel-2: You've been rumor-mongering again, Kwol. Our 'ghost' is snowstorms and animal migrations. Still... be ready for a hot-drop.>
<ARU2-Kel-4: Hot would be an improvement. Only liquid around here is ammonia>
<ARU2-Kel-1 (Actual): Quit your bitchin', rook. Be glad there aren't actually ammonia pools, or we'd be adding chemseal to your gear.>

Meanwhile-Meanwhile (4/5) Banshee 2020/04/24(Fri)02:15 No. 963381 ID: 124fab
File 158771975211.jpg - (296.27KB , 1600x1600 , TozolQuest1bActual.jpg )

>>Extract

"Hff."
After an eternity, I manage to scale the side of the ice with my captive in tow. I don't believe anything saw me from within. I toss the captive up first when we near the ledge, then haul myself up.

Something tingles in the back of my mind. I can feel... something. Radio, maybe. High-powered. Something that stands out amidst all this background noise.

Backup must be near.

(5/5) Banshee 2020/04/24(Fri)02:18 No. 963384 ID: 124fab
File 158771992473.jpg - (334.79KB , 1600x1600 , TozolQuest1a.jpg )

The captive will be cold, but it should live.

I check the snowmobile - a rapid exit will be necessary. I can run fast, but this snow will slow me down. Also, the Others have proven weak so far... I do not want it to freeze.

Also... their vehicles seem warm...

It unlocks without much fuss when I touch the glass - maybe it is something on my clothes. I felt a spark of near-range radio when I came near the vehicle.

I stow my gear and the recovered items, then toss the captive in the back seat. The interface looks simple enough - pedals, steering wheel... a screen. I instinctively recognize this all - I have never seen such a vehicle in my life, but I know enough I get the engine going.

Time to leave.

((Correction: KEL team should be attached to ARU1. They are within the ARU1 transport, approaching the crevasse.))

It’s great to see this quest back up!

Get the Hel out of there, peddle to the metal like you’ve got a lead foot. But try to use terrain for cover, limit your vehicle’s exposure, stay out of the open.

>>963384
If backup is near you're going to want to avoid being spotted.

Try not to get spotted and lead them right back home. You'll have to worry about the trail you're going to leave too.

>>963386
Not sure what else can be done here. Do we have enough rations for yourself and your friend there? Don't have time to dwell, make yourself hard to track. Still kind of wish we got to explore more down there..

(1/3) Banshee 2020/04/27(Mon)22:34 No. 964041 ID: 124fab
File 158805205129.jpg - (121.17KB , 838x838 , perkeleprequel4.jpg )

>>Rations
I acquired some. I have some back at base - the ones I found are certainly compatible

Speaking of gear, I've found a collapsing tube-style launcher of some sort. Something tells me this is another one of their distress flares.

>>Floor it and hide

I get a glimpse of them on the HUD - Radar, likely, before I duck the snowmobile behind a snow bank. I will keep moving for now while I decide what to do.

Map + Inventory (2/3) Banshee 2020/04/27(Mon)22:34 No. 964042 ID: 124fab
File 158805205907.jpg - (293.43KB , 1266x1278 , PerkelePrequel3.jpg )

I flee the camp, knowing that vehicle contact isn't more than a few minutes out, and I don't know how fast they can travel.

I check the onboard mapping software - There are snow banks ahead, but little map data past the mountain. We can hide, but we don't want to linger too long either.

Speaking of mapping, this vehicle has onboard radar. Should we drive blind and try to hide? Or should I keep it on to try to navigate?

>>Wish we could have had more time down there.
I can come back. There is no guarantee they won't take everything with them - or that they won't reinforce this position.

I take a mental checklist of what I have so far.


Weapons
-Axe
-Knife
-Launcher (Distress flare?)
-Rifle
-Sidearm
-Ammunition + charge packs for the guns
-Me

Clothing
-Survival clothes
-Fur-lined Greatcloak
-White winter clothes (found)
-Black soft-armor vest


Important
-Communication PDA
-Storage drive
-Captive(?)

Misc
-Backpack
-Tozol rations (three days)
-Other rations (unknown quantity)
-Rope+Grappling Hook
-Heating cable (in use)

(3/3) Banshee 2020/04/27(Mon)23:38 No. 964047 ID: 124fab
File 158805590848.jpg - (307.03KB , 1600x1600 , PerkelePrequel2.jpg )

I floor it away from the camp.


I have no doubt they'll want to catch us, but I have no idea how persistent they will be nor what they are armed with.
I also don't know this area too well.
Lastly, we have a limited amount of fuel - half a tank by the gauge, but I have no idea how much that means.

What's the plan?

Find a place they won't immediately bother following you, like a crevice. Then find a way to fake your deaths.

Your pursuers are going to be coming in vehicles of their own, with fuel, likely bringing additional [ opfor / potential-captives / new-friends / field-rations ] with them. They can track you using radar, and your own radar will be obvious to them. You probably can't flee with your radar on, and visibility is probably too poor for you to make it to safety with radar off.

Although you are a tozol, you have not yet mastered Brutality, so even if you can lure your pursuers in to an ambush on your terms, it'll be risky - and we should only take risks if we need to.

Continue a policy of avoidance. It suits your skillset. Use the radar until you can get to an area you know better, and then cut the radar and evade by dead reckoning.

>>964041
Kill any sort of active radar, along with any broadcasts the vehicle may be transmitting. No radar, radio, gps, etc.

We can keep passive linked radar on however since it shouldn't give away our position since the info wouldn't be coming from us.

While moving, we should try to stay in the low-ground and prevent any sort of line of sight from them to us so we don't show up on ground radar as an unknown. If the vehicle has any sort of masking gear (unlikely) or radar countermeasures like ecm deception (more likely) we should activate them.

We should try to keep the vehicle if we can, which would probably mean ditching it somewhere we can find it later and covering it with snow or ice to mask the ir signature it will give off.

>>964222
ecm deception is different from jamming in that you broadcast the inverse of what your radar signature would be in an attempt to nullify the return signal so as to effectively be invisible, rather than jamming which gums up all of their radar which will immediately alert them. The caveat with the deception method is that it is tricky and no system is perfect.

I don't see how radar will help with navigation. It'll help you spot enemy vehicles, that's all.
You should just leave it off, and use your formidable eyesight to spot pursuers.

>>964225
Assuming we only use passive, datalinked radar (basically seeing what the other vehicles' active radars are seeing without using our own radar), we could potentially use it to see the terrain, since it will return a 3D map of the nearby area. Ofc, this is only if we can keep receiving the datalink from the other vehicles without actually broadcasting to them.

>>964054
Kome has the right of it. Aim the snowmobile at somewhere difficult and preferably dangerous to follow, like a deep crevasse, and jump out, leaving it to crash.

Just make sure you cover your tracks for quite a ways afterwards. (Also, obviously, unload your "cargo" beforehand.)

>>964396
Oh, but drive it out a couple minutes first. You'll need the head start.

>Run Banshee 2020/05/01(Fri)12:47 No. 964562 ID: 124fab
File 158836245710.jpg - (244.29KB , 1600x1600 , PerkelePrequel6.jpg )

>Evade, Radar-Off
I flick the radar off and floor it, racing for the mountainside. Bailing out of the snowmobile might not be a good idea with a captive - much less a tied one we want alive.

If we bail on the snowmobile so far from camp, this alien is little more than rations to me.

>Passive Radar
I lose several navigation instruments when I turn the radar off. Terrain highlights and weather mapping - and the navigation map itself loses contouring and detail. A small price to pay for avoiding a confrontation.

>Headstart
I push the engine hard, and it takes a long ten minutes for me to catch a glimpse of orange hull - they're gaining on me, as expected, but I have a good head start. With the distraction and the lack of stealth, they have trouble just following my trail.

Unfortunately, as we start rounding the mountain, the weather starts taking a turn for the worse. Mist builds to haze, haze builds to fog...

Banshee 2020/05/01(Fri)13:01 No. 964565 ID: 124fab
File 158836331336.jpg - (272.76KB , 1600x1600 , PerkelePrequel5.jpg )

>Only take necessary risks.
The haze grows. We have a blizzard ahead. I can barely see, even with this cockpit HUD.

We can lose them in the white-out - but the lack of visibility is almost as dangerous for us as it is for them. At least I don't have to deal with the howling wind to drive. This is dangerous though - extremely dangerous. Conditions change fast, and I don't know the layout well, not in this snow.

The blizzard is not the only option though.

This is the other side of the mountain from our second communications relay. If we follow the slope, there will be places to bail, hide, or fight, and we'll avoid the worst of the storm. But we risk drawing further attention to this mountain, no matter the outcome, and that would risk our communication network.

I don't know what would be worse, to risk the vehicle and myself in a snowstorm, or to possibly compromise our communication relay.

>>964565
If we can find some decently safe spot to bail and hide I say we go for that.

Killing your captive and suffering exposure is a more tolerable risk than compromising your communication network. You can get new captives and heal from exposure. You do not have a reliable supply of spare parts for the communication network.

It would be nice to keep the captive - murdering him after taking him captive feels rude, cruel, inappropriate - but the alternative would have been to just murder him immediately when you first encountered him, so aside from the aesthetic grotesquerie the moral difference is small.

What if you deliberately crashed the vehicle and killed the captive in a way such that it looks like the captive was a traitor, stole it and was fleeing the scene?

>>964565
We could try and lose them in the storm and then weather the storm in the vehicle. This would give us a chance to keep the captive, lose the pursuers, and keep the vehicle if we want. Once we lose them, we just power off the snowmobile and let the blizzard pile snow on us which should insulate us until it passes.

While waiting we could try to disconnect the vehicle's systems from their network and patch it into ours. Only do this if you are positive you can do it though. If the vehicle is military (and not research) it may have failsafes in place that may compromise your network if done improperly.

Banshee 2020/05/02(Sat)20:01 No. 964715 ID: 124fab
File 158847489991.jpg - (97.59KB , 1600x1600 , perkeleprequel7.jpg )

>Weather the blizzard
Weighing the options, it seems that weathering the blizzard and maybe losing the vehicle and captive is better than losing the vehicle, the captive, AND drawing attention to our communication array.

We drive the snowmobile into the blizzard. Hard. I floor it, counting aloud three minutes, watching the gauge that seems to measure speed.

Then, I veer hard left, pointing the vehicle in what I believe is the direction of the mountain. It's impossible to know for sure how steep of a turn it is, but we should be aimed in the right direction.

Banshee 2020/05/02(Sat)20:10 No. 964718 ID: 124fab
File 158847540026.jpg - (541.85KB , 1600x1600 , PerkelePrequel8.jpg )

Then I kill the engine, turn the heat low, and idle.

And idle.

We have time. The minutes go by, the only sound being breathing and the quiet clink of hard snow against the glass. No thrusters overhead nor gunfire. The cockpit is the world, and the cold white is our wall. I am used to this.

>Plug in to our network

I don't know how to switch channels yet - or whether that is a smart idea to do so. I will maintain radio silence until Mother and I have a chance to speak.

While the snow builds on the cockpit, this is a good opportunity to pause and think. Maybe I should review anything we've acquired from the camp while I wait out the pursuers?

I know one thing you've acquired from the camp: a captive. They're still just sitting in the back, right?

Now seems like an opportune time to start picking up the opfor codec. See if you can pick up any language from them. Be gentle - these creatures are delicate, and if you're going to kill it, you should kill it humanely.

>>964718
Completely power off the vehicle once it is totally covered. it will conserve fuel.

Try to take stock of what is in the vehicle in terms of food, medical, and survival gear.

Also strip-search the captive (offscreen) to see if they have anything useful and make sure they have nothing dangerous. Dress the captive once you are done.

>>964718
Inventory time. Pick out a few things to get the translation ball rolling.

Alone time (1/3) Banshee 2020/05/06(Wed)21:44 No. 965543 ID: 124fab
File 158882665061.jpg - (193.53KB , 1221x1162 , PerkelePrequel9.jpg )

>>Captive
I check it for anything I missed in the first frisk, but I don’t find anything. Junk, mostly. I take the makeshift muzzle off.

The prisoner immediately begins babbling.

>”Tan ktan zwen tak bah dan ket all Toozool! Toozool neyt kwen-”
>”Toozool, neyt kwen mi, neyt kwen- kwen mi,” it continues to babble.
Well. It clearly knows what I am.

I gesture to myself. “TOH-ZAWL,” I emphasize… then I point to it.
>”...Y-yennik. ”
“Yennik. Tozol.”
It looks confused at this exchange. It bobs its head… rapidly.

>”Geezhel prem uhal hey na?” It asks in a different voice.

A… different language? Still one I don't recognize, but less harsh than its clackish babbling.
“Nope.”

>>Killing the captive.
The… yennik?... lives as long as it is useful. But there’s no promising that it will live - and no sense in making its death any more cruel than necessary.

I spend a few more minutes talking to it - and aside from exchanging some simple words like ‘vehicle’ or ‘gun’, I don’t think I will get much more out of it for now.

Alone time (2/3) Banshee 2020/05/06(Wed)21:44 No. 965544 ID: 124fab
File 158882665330.jpg - (153.85KB , 667x667 , perkeleprequek10.jpg )

Ration
Mmmm.. polymers and carbs. Much better than the beasts Mother and I bring home, and it tastes less like powdered dust than our own, old ration bars. It’s almost disgustingly sweet… but it awakens in me a hunger I’ve never known before.

Like all my life I’ve been a starved beast that just learned to deal with it, suddenly presented with… actual food.

I resist the impulse to eat all of these rations immediately… and also squelch the desire to eat my less-than-helpful captive. The yennik is spared for the moment.

Tablet
I pull out the tablet - and the storage drive from earlier, which fits snugly into a port.

Alone time (3/3) Banshee 2020/05/06(Wed)21:44 No. 965545 ID: 124fab
File 158882665889.jpg - (656.69KB , 1600x1600 , Perkeleprequel11.jpg )

Now that we're out of that hellish daylight, this interface looks more colorful. It might just be my eyes not needing to filter light so harshly, but I can see color better.

A message appears on the screen, alongside what looks like a button… Curiosity gets the better of me, and I press it.

What plays is static… but it tickles my brain. Like I should know this - like someone is yelling to me over an avalanche. The sounds sound… right. Like they’re in the wrong order, but… scrambled? I play it back over and over again, and there’s just… something I’m missing, maybe. Like if I look at the audio analyzer right, I’d understand.

I feel like I should.

>”Bekka quan taka deuel,” my passenger says after the fifth time I play it, clearly annoyed at my obsession with static.

The audio is giving me a headache - or maybe that’s just the interface.

We have plenty of time still - should I keep playing with the tablet? I might see if I can figure the interface out - or this message.

Or is there anything else we should examine?

The captive is likely to be more amenable to analysis than an encrypted audio signal. Or whatever it is. That might just be static and you're looking for patterns where there are none.

See if you can figure out how this creature counts. Does it have words for zero, or one, or so on?

>>965545
>headache
I feel like Tozols shouldn't get headaches so easily. Don't play the audio anymore, but look at the waveform, analyze that. Looks like there might be some regular frequency changes...

There... are points there with more than one signal at once. That's not possible with the sort of audio encoding I'm used to. So you might see if there's a way to separate the signals.

The headache is worrying, though. So be cautious with playing it, especially as it is now.

>>965547
Seems fair. You're laying low and you have company. Learn the readouts of the cockpit.

>>"neyt kwen mi"
I think this is "don't kill me". Happy to oblige, for the moment.

>>hunger
Chocolate maybe? I could understand having a mini-revalation for chocolate.

>>965551
Specifically, about 85% of the way along where an ascending wave crosses a descending wave. Is that a visual glitch? Try to focus on that.

>>What do?
Search the cockpit. See if there's something in there you missed.

>>965585
While they are probably saying something along the lines of "dont kill me" the order could be different depending on the flow of their language. (eg kill me not, dont make dead, death shant become, etc.)

Suggestion 2020/05/08(Fri)01:31 No. 965748 ID: 124fab
File 158892670852.jpg - (679.80KB , 1600x1600 , PerkelePrequel13point5.jpg )

I take a short break from the static to check the console - and the rest of the cockpit.

>>Controls
They’re pretty simple. I can’t ID a few of them - there are some buttons that adjust climate, and do some other things that aren’t readily apparent. The big concern is the keypad that accepts… number input?

>>Search Cockpit

There’s not a lot here. I found a launcher in here - It seems to be the launcher for a distress flare - but I don’t see any survival kits or weapons or anything otherwise useful. It’s likely this vehicle isn’t intended to operate far from a larger transport.

>>Chocolate
I do wish I found another ration. I have more... but I want so many more. The thought of whatever this food bar is... I need more.
I find myself licking the wrapper clean - then eating the wrapper. It brings me joy, but not relief.

Suggestion 2020/05/08(Fri)01:31 No. 965749 ID: 124fab
File 158892670993.jpg - (334.38KB , 1600x1600 , PerkelePrequel13.jpg )

>>Opfor Codec
>>'Don't kill me'.
Distracting myself from the limited nature of my foraged supplies, I think on its words earlier.

I guess I got a little further than I expected.
“Neyt kwen mi.” I say to it.
>It looks confused for a moment, then nods its head. “... Beyt kwen tohzawl,” it says back.
“Beyt kwen yennick.”

It doesn’t trust me, but at least this is mutual progress.
Still, this doesn’t take it off the menu yet.

I hold up a finger near its face. “One,” I say.
>The bird stares back at me for a moment.
I reiterate the gesture - then do two.

>It says nothing, staring at me obliviously.
I wish I spoke its language so I could tell it to speak the Utility Language. This language barrier… is going to work against it.

This is going to be hard to just come up with ideas for exchanging language.

Snowed In (3/3) Banshee 2020/05/08(Fri)01:36 No. 965751 ID: 124fab
File 158892699528.jpg - (394.65KB , 1412x1414 , PerkelePrequel12.jpg )

>>Tozols shouldn’t get headaches.
It’s- It’s not a headache, but it’s… hard to describe. I instinctively strain to hear it. My ears focus on it. There’s a pattern there. Straining to hear it is like overthinking it. It's almost like eye-strain.

>>Encrypted audio signal.

… that’s what this is. I pull up the tablet again, and play it again - I know I shouldn't, but I do.
It’s like one I know, but isn’t one I recognize. There is a pattern here, but I'm missing pieces. This... is this scrambled?

>>Waveform, pattern.
I read the signal over and over again. There’s a pattern here. On a whim, I mouth the noises - and find I can reproduce the clicks and hisses.

Perfectly, in fact. It's a familiar cadence. Clipped, curt, to the point. There's meaning here.

With that in mind I listen closer - this audio is heavily scrubbed, so it makes this hard. It’s almost mechanical in nature - but it’s not. These patterns aren’t radio broadcasts or machine clicks or synthesizers - they seem machine-like, but organic in nature. Slight pauses that are… imprecisely precise.

Something nags me. This is far too familiar for my liking.

Where… where have I heard this before? What's this like?

Is this your birthright-tongue, the battle cant? A limited codec specifically for transmitting critical tactical information as quickly as possible in extremely noisy environments...

>>965751
Does this bird of yours have a clue? If not that, maybe an idea of the red caution alert on the display.

Try this: Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a battle. You have a squad, and are trying to communicate with them as succinctly as possible. One of them is saying something to you. Now listen to the recording, what are they saying?

>>965748
>Keypad with number input
I'm guessing that's their ignition security system. Try not to let the engine shut off, you may not be able to start it up again.

>>965760
More likely to be the radio. The keypad would let one switch to specific frequencies quickly.

--

So you talk about learning the language from this guy, but is that something you are actually capable of doing? Learning languages is a long and hard process (aside from the battle cadence, you literally should have that ingrained from before you were born, unless something happened...?).

--

Is the flare gun metal? If so, you should be able to use like-caliber shells with it if you find any. Depending on the caliber, that would either be shotgun rounds or grenade launcher rounds. Both of which have a large overlapping variety of ammo (bird/buck shot, flechette, slugs, explosive, napalm, triball, etc) although the grenade launcher calibers will probably be rarer and more likely explosive, smoke, or flares, while the shotgun caliber would be shot or slugs.

>>965751
Obfuscated morse code? Battle chant of a different species?

>>965760
Military vehicles generally dont have any sort of ignition security or even keys. The most deterrent they may have would be a padlock on the outside if that and instead depend on base security and such to keep people from stealing hardware. Chipped cards and badges, along with keypad codes are not infallible since it would be digital, and keeping separate ignition keys would make them a target.

>>965779
The idea that another species could have a battle language is a rather disturbing thought. As is the possibility that another species could learn or crack it, let alone utilize it. It could be something akin to morse though, although the captive's annoyed reaction to our listening to it probably means this isn't the case unless there is a third, unknown factor.

Snowed In (???/???) Banshee 2020/05/08(Fri)17:23 No. 965859 ID: 124fab
File 158898378207.jpg - (352.57KB , 1600x1600 , PerkelePrequel14.jpg )

>>Battle cant/battle language

… Yes. This is absolutely tozol battle language. I can… feel… the ordering. It’s not obvious at first - I should be able to instinctively understand this, but I don’t. Even when our Mother switches keys mid-speech, I can pick up on it.
.
“<Status update: Banshee / Hidden in light-armor vehicle / analyzing unknown intelligence asset>”
I play the first five seconds of the message again.
>“-..__*.._..._---..--..**--..__.__--__*” it says - and I repeat it, in time.

It’s the same cadence. Definitely a tozol speaking - there’s noise and static, but I think I hear it. But it’s definitely not Mother. I would never have trouble understanding her, and I have a full grasp of battle cant.

At least, I think I do. This is still a mystery.

Now the captive is very concerned at all the clicking noises I am making.

>>Learning language from [captive]
You’re right. That’s a matter of weeks to months, if Mother and I didn’t have to constantly hunt for ourselves, evade patrols, check on comm buoys, or find new places to hide.

Small phrases are easy, but not that easy. If I kept this up for a week or three, I might be able to snatch bits and pieces if I overheard radio chatter, but I wouldn’t count on it. Even if I could mimic its words, I don’t know what it is saying exactly.

The biggest worry is that they know a tozol by sight.
And this one knows one is on-planet.

Snowed In (???/???) Banshee 2020/05/08(Fri)17:23 No. 965860 ID: 124fab
File 158898379233.jpg - (122.87KB , 1600x1600 , Perkele15.jpg )

>>Flare launcher
The flare launcher is tucked in a small case in the floor. Pulling it out is trivial, but I lack the room to really examine it. It is less of a gun or grenade launcher and more like… a missile launcher? This fits with what I saw from the crevasse earlier. It’s practically a metal tube, with a trigger and some rubbery grips - the launcher does not even have sights. This thing is barely a weapon by any definition.

There is also a pack with two extra ‘rockets’ - they smell of a few compound chemicals and metals that make me hungry just smelling them. I… think I smell strontium and phosphorus, but there’s something much more here complicated.

I cannot believe how good my sense of smell is when my nose is not freezing over.

Or how hungry that ration made me.

>>Caution
That alert has been there since turning off the radar control. I saw similar warnings on the screen for obstacles.

>>Keep engine on/ignition system
The engine was off when I commandeered the vehicle. It unlocked on my approach, and I worked the ignition without problem - which is further underneath one of these handles, and doesn’t seem to need a key. Additionally, though we turned off the engine when we stopped, I have no problem getting it started again.


Speaking of.

I am in no hurry to leave, but the snow is starting to cover the cockpit. It’s been thirty minutes since turning off the engine. I cannot tell if the rescue team is gone now, but they clearly have not tried to seize this vehicle yet.

Clarification: That is Banshee speaking in the first italicized line.

>>965859
Is there any reason a tozol would have to hide battle chant from another tozol? Or is there something wrong with Mother's version of it?

...did the snow stop?

>>965860
If it is fully covered, it should begin to warm up again inside of the vehicle since you are now insulated. Eventually, try to dig a tunnel out from a hatch to the surface so you can know when the storm is gone and when it would be safe to uncover the vehicle and keep moving.

--

For the audio, is it possible that there is also some sort of audio scrambling going on as well? If there are other tozols, they may consider your mother (and by extension you) as hostile or at least not an ally and thus would need to turn towards more crude means of encryption instead of relying on the encrypted nature of the battle cadence. The problem with this theory though is that this would mean that the bird things are working with (a) tozol(s). The bird did seem to recognize you as a tozol. Encryption could be as simple as playing the file in reverse or flipping the waveform, since this does seem to have the right rhythm.

The other possibility I can think of is that this file is incredibly ancient and this is some sort of proto-battle cant. In this scenario, that tozol vessel you found in the excavation may not have been yours. Instead it was an ancient craft the birdies dug up in some sort of archaeological dig searching for tozol tech/vehicles/structures. This would also explain why the pigeon instantly knew you were a tozol. The apparent military presence here would, in this scenario, be for defending or responding to any failsafes or weapons that the archaeologists may trigger.

Third possibility is that we just dont have enough information to truly know what is going on at the moment. I mean, why are the birds even here in the first place? Did they know about us? If so, why didn't they come sooner and why are they not armed to the absolute teeth? If they are working with tozols, why didn't the tozols themselves go after us? They would have a much better chance at not only surviving, but succeeding. If the birds didnt know about us, then why do they know about tozols and why are they digging?

>>965890
The intro to the quest could be interpreted as implying that the mother deserted some battle and fled here, which could mean that all other tozols (assuming there havent been any particularly enterprising individuals that have splintered their faction) may consider us enemies. Since all tozols speak the battle cant from birth, they would need extra layers of encryption to send messages if they think a hostile tozol may intercept.

While you wait, research the vehicle. See if there are any emergency distress signals that could compromise you, or if a power leak could drain the heat shields early.

>>965932
>Beacon
It probably has one, but we would also probably know if it was on.

>Heat shields
I could be wrong, but I think this thing uses more conventional (read: unpowered) means of insulation. I dont think this planet is quite that cold.

Snowed In (???/???) Banshee 2020/05/10(Sun)00:23 No. 966116 ID: 124fab
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>>Still snowing?
Yep, the blizzard is still going, which I count as a blessing. Who knows how long it will go for, though?

>>Wait, then dig a hole
I 'dig a tunnel' to the surface.
By which I mean I open the vehicle. It needs a bit of a push to open with snow on it, but the springs are good, and as long as the snow doesn't get too deep, we're safe. I don't want to wait for it to be fully covered though, because this is a fold-open door, not a hatch, and it's hard to tell when 'deep' becomes 'too deep'.

My captive squawks its protests about the sudden biting cold in the warm cockpit. I agree for once, and close it immediately. This is the first time ever I've been this warm, and it is growing on me.

>>Reasons for battle language
>>Known Unknowns, Unknown Unknowns

I've never known battletalk that I can't understand, and there is no rationale that works in my favor. Every implication is bad.
That just means we should treat every tozol as potentially hostile, then. 'If you don't know who your allies are, you don't have allies'.

It would just be me and The WIse One- ergh. Mother.

I wish I could meet other tozols though...
Maybe Mother would have more input on this.

Should we wait longer? Maybe an hour or so?
Or
Should we go for the mountain? Now that we've lost the trail, maybe we won't be leading them to the comm antenna.
Or
Something else? Like retreat to the cave from earlier, or return to the camp and see if they're gone?

>>966116
If you're sure we lost the trail, go for the mountain.

Just go as soon as you're sure you've lost your tail. The longer you're out here the higher the risk of discovery. Also realise that if you take you captive to the comm antenna, you can never let him go.

>>966116
OpSec. Re-blindfold your captive, driving some dummy loops to get his internal compass messed up some more. Head to the comm relay as the first stop. Need to confirm it's not compromised.

Return to the mountain, they won't follow in this snowstorm.

We can't be sure this vehicle doesn't have a tracker of some kind in it. We shouldn't take it to any location we don't want potentially compromised.

If you really want to check on the beacon, park at a distance and go check it out on foot (and make sure the captive is secure before you leave him in the vehicle). Going back to the cave might be better, especially if you have a place you can lock up the prisoner, but that also ties you down more - you have to be there to feed him and so on. But, if you can learn their language, that could prove to be invaluable later...

>>966116
>shitty tunnel is shit
I kind of assumed the blizzard had buried the vehicle under several feet of snow by now. Of course the style of door the vehicle has would have ruined my plan anyway, so this is moot.

>>966133
Initially, I kind of dismissed the idea of a tracker since this is hardly a military vehicle, but after doing some research I'd say that there is almost definitely some flavor of tracker on this thing (probably anti-theft and/or emergency distress broadcaster). Probably a small box of some sort with no discernible purpose bolted somewhere under the hood, or on the underside. It would not have any wire connections to the rest of the vehicle since it is all self-contained. As it is, it probably is only broadcasting a location without drawing any attention to itself. However if we do try to remove it, it will probably trigger some sort of anti-tampering measure that triggers an alarm on their end. We should go to a sheltered, unimportant location and try to find and remove it. The vehicle is too big of a boon to simply scuttle it in my opinion. The captive probably won't know where it is or even know it exists since that sort of info is not only classified (even for civ corporations) but also irrelevant to anyone that doesn't specifically work with them.

>>966133
Additionally, if we keep the bird, lets keep them somewhere away from our base of operations.

Banshee 2020/05/15(Fri)23:39 No. 966791 ID: 124fab
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>Mountain
After checking the vehicle for signals, I dig out some of the front snow, then get back inside. The engine turns on, and I pull the snowmobile out of the storm.

It… seems that we’re in the clear for now. I can’t confirm without exposing ourselves.

Nevertheless, I gun it for the mountains. The blizzard lightens up a bit - the inner gullies are shielded from the worst of the storm, but the haze should at least dull our colors.

Banshee 2020/05/15(Fri)23:40 No. 966792 ID: 124fab
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>>Find place to remove black box.

I find a snow cave - It's been a long time since I've used this cave. Even with radar off and signals cut, it's best not to bring a vehicle to the comm array.

>>Blindfold captive
I use some of the bindings from the armor, spin him around, and then pull him out of the snowmobile.

>>Black Box, Signals

I don't hear any signals from the vehicle. In the shelter of the snow cave, I take my time to give it a thrice-over. I cannot discern any black box, but that doesn't mean there isn't one.

I can feel and hear in a very broad spectrum of EM, among other, non-EM spectra. If it is signalling something, either it's in something I wouldn't notice, or on a time-delay.

Also, I give my spare cloak to the yennik - it's starting to shiver uncontrollably even before we leave the cave. The wind chill up here is fierce, especially in the wake of the blizzard.

Banshee 2020/05/15(Fri)23:47 No. 966794 ID: 124fab
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After ten minutes of hiking - and several points where I have to haul the captive - we arrive.

This communication array... The weather has not been kind to it, but it is still transmitting. I can feel it as I get closer. It's also putting off some urgent-feeling short-range radio - it must have a message from mother.

The site seems empty, but I keep my gun ready just in case.

Ugh... And after all that warmth in the snowmobile, even I am starting to hate this chill. It cuts to the bone. The cave is insulated, and there are some spots where the rock even breaks zero degrees.

At least the captive stopped stopped shivering. It's just mumbling now. I've had to deal with this for five years - glad to see it can wait. It even has my great coat.

Clear the tunnel? Or check the relay for messages first? Or...?

If your captive is no longer shivering, they are dying of cold. Its metabolism cannot produce enough heat to compensate for the losses from the environment, even with the great cloak.

Most of these organisms thrive, or at least make do, with an ambient temperature about a quarter of the way from ice to steam. If you want them to remain alive, take them with you in to the cave, build a fire for them to warm themselves near, and hurry. Otherwise, they'll freeze to death shortly, which should be a relatively painless and humane way for your living captive to become a frozen specimen.

Clear the tunnel, preserve your captive's life. After dragging them around all this way, killing your captive by accident just feels... rude. If you're going to kill them, it should be on purpose, because they've been uncooperative.

>>966794
Check message first.

As much as I want to check the message first, we should keep our captive alive. Clear the tunnel.