Jan 26 06:17:08 107 PA - Dragon Hunt recuiting and Erin and Vada have a parting of the ways

From Chronicles

Kingsdale - Main Street S

Although this is still the main street of Kingsdale, there is something different about it the farther south one goes. The streets become a little it less maintained; spiderwebs of cracks in the ashphalt, grass verges allowed to grow long and trees brown and dead looking. People still come and go during the day and there are lots of businesses along the sides, but the businesses seem a little bit run down like everything else here. It is almost as though a creeping neglect is coming from dregtown to the east that is just making everyone avoid this place unless they must be here.

The road has narrowed to a two lane stretch here with no wall between the lanes, KDPD patrols rarely coming. To this end, there is a considerable amount of crime at night and this is simply not the place to be after dark unless you are looking for trouble.

The one place that is the exception to all of this is The Gunnery Trading Emporium. Located in the extreme north of this area, before all of the trouble really begins it is a mololithic structure that covers the equivelant of two city blocks. A massive parking lot bears all sorts of vehicles and the KDPD has a permenant presence here as well as private, armed security guards. The signage out front indicates that the building is primarialy owned by Northern Gun and Wellington Industries. But as one watches, one can see the product badges of all sorts of others including Wilks and Triax. Weapons that are purchased here are shipped by a private courier to the city gate.

The Gunnery is open 24/7, rain and shine and various clientele can be seen coming and going at all hours. Just... almost nobody heads further south, or even worst, east into the dregs where urban decay and squalor is amazingly evident. Tucked away in the farthest lot, at the southern end of Main Street is The Cheapo Apartments, a crumbling structure that should have been condemned years ago. Painted a sickly yellow, it blends in perfectly with the decay to the east.

Bartholemew is sitting outside the Cheapo Apts smoking a cigarette just off from the front door idly watching people come and go up and down the street.

Vadania slowly makes her way down the main drag. A small smile still playing over her lips as she glances east towards the dregs. She gets bumped by one of the folk exiting there. "Are people feeling better now?" she inquires of the person as she catches them and keeps them upright.

Bartholemew's attention moves to the woman with the bow and arrow as she is bumped into and almost knocks the other person down. He chuckles momentarily with finishing off his smoke. He flicks the butt into the street listening to the two nearby gossip about things.

Vadania dusts the poor person off and blushes. "forgive me for knocking you over. Well, nearly over. And it is good that folk are feeling better. I need to see about finding my two missing arrows still." She offers the person a small smile. Then glances towards where the smoke is coming from. "Greetings to you as well, Sir. Are you feeling better too?"

Bartholemew cocks his head to the side with a smile, "I wasn't sick doll. I haven't been in town for some time now. Been out at the agricultural village outside the city. Good thing it seems. Did you get sick?"

Erica has arrived.

Vadania chuckles softly and shakes her head, "Afraid I did not. But the source was found and removed. So we hope no-one else will get sick from it. Hard to picture that twisted little man was the source of it all though."

Bartholemew's brow raises in surprise, "Wow, I've been out of touch out there in the boonies. Was it a magic sorta thing?" He pops himself up off the wall of the apt building coming over lighting another cigarrette. "I'm Bart by the way. What's your name doll?" he smiles seeming friendly enough.

Vadania cants her head slightly as she watches him light up. Then blinks and shakes her head slightly. "Mmm, yes it was magical. Man was possessed by something. Not certain if it was related to the group that went out to the Haven or not." Her eyes flicking over Bart again as a grin teases at the corners of her lips. "Vadania."

Bartholemew takes in a long drag, exhaling up and over his head, "Nice to meet ya Vadania. What's the gossip on this group you mentioned? Whats the Haven?" he asks curiously looking her in the eye, a small smile on his lips.

Erica walks out of The Gunnery slowly while putting her coat on. She bundles herself up so that she doesn't freeze in the cold weather. Breathing out she watches her breath ice up in front of her. Pulling on her gloves she walks out of the shadow of the Gunnery to come out on the streets.

Vadania purses her lips at that and shakes her head slightly, "I was not among them. But I think they called is MadHaven or something like that. Most seem to have made it back. Someone muttered about one or two that might have ducked off for a honeymoon. But they weren't certain.”

Bartholemew nods with the gossip being told. "So what's with the bow and arrow doll? You the wilderness sort?" The steam from his breath making his exhales that much more with the cigarette smoke he blows overhead. "Been lookin for a woodsy type. My buddy an I could use a tracker or hunter."

Erica walks further out into the street and looks up and down it, looking for what who knows. She tilts her head back and looks at the low clouds, threatening snow. Shrugging her shoulders quickly she starts strolling around the cracked asphalt. After a moment she thinks she recognizes someone and peers over to where Bart and Vadania are chatting.

Vadania blinks at that. "It is what I use. It honors the Ancestors and tends to leave more to eat than a vapor trail." A slightly vulpine grin showing. "Have not been West much, have you? There are many folk such as I that way." Her arms crossing lightly as she quirks up a brow. "What sort of tracker or hunter do you seek? There is already a party forming to hunt the dragon that has been playing around the farms."

Bartholemew grins with a sharp nod and a wagging finger, "That's exactly what I'm talking about. I hadn't heard anyone was forming up a hunting party. I've been out on patrol in the area working for the farmers. Who's heading up this expedition? Do ya know?"

Vadania mmms softly, "The last person I spoke to was Cel-somthing. Woman who makes the magic people feel off. The illness got in the way of anyone setting off to do the job though."

Erica walks close to the small group. Her lips curve into a slight smile as she overhears about the dragon hunt. Her hand raises up in a quick wave of greeting as she gets closer. "You going to go on that hunt Vadania?"

Bartholemew looks over to Erica and gives a slight grin, "Hey Erica." he greets simply. With a smile back to Vadania, "Do you know how I can find her? I'd like to join the hunt. They'll need every gun they can get to deal with a dragon."

Vadania turns to glance at Erica as well and offers a small grin. "Let me guess, you want in as well, hmm?" She glances towards Bart again and sighs, "I do not. But I have seen her many times towards the gardens by the place of knowledges. I had hoped to find her there again. She did have some interesting swords."

Erica nods her head quickly to Bart as she stops at about arms length from both Bart and Vadania. "The hunt should be pretty interesting, and pretty dangerous. Well if I'm feeling well enough I should be able to come with. I am a pretty decent shot." She shrugs her shoulders quickly and lets out a sigh. "If I recover quickly enough, but so far so good."

Bartholemew looks to Erica, "Do you know this Cel she's talking about? Would be nice to get in on this fight. You caught this cold that was going round? How bad was it?" He kinda gives a chuckle, "At least there was one good thing about being in the boonies."

Vadania eyes Erica as she nibbles at her lower lip. Perhaps she's wondering how much she's going to fess up to about how ill she was. It always seems odd to her about the bravo the mercs put on for each other.

"Yah I know Cel. I went with her to rescue Alistair a little while back." Erica says with another shrug of her shoulders. "She was a pretty decent shot. Yah I got pretty sick. One of the first ones to get sick. It sucked pretty bad, but as soon as they got rid of that carrier guy I started feeling better. I am recovering pretty quick so at least there is that."

Bartholemew smiles with the glint of light that may get him able to join this dragon hunt. "Good that your getting better then. Think you'd be willing to get me in touch with her about the hunt...or maybe put in a good word. I take a bullet well some say." with a bit of a joking air at the end, flicking his dead butt out into the middle of the street using the wind to carry it.

Vadania tsks softly, "But is not the braves path to avoid taking rounds? But instead to put sa many into that which is attacking you?" She winks, "Works on rhino-buffalo as well."

Erica laughs softly and nods her head. "Yes do try to avoid the attacks. I'll tell her you want in next time I see her for sure. Although this one should be a lot more dangerous." She gnaws on her lower lip for a moment after she speaks.

Bartholemew chuckles, "For the most part, but sometimes you gotta be willing to take one for the team. Hopefully the one doesn't kill ya outright." he laughs. "Danger is my middle name." he jokes confidently, "Bartholemew 'Danger' Cubbins. Hell, you only live once, might as well live."

Vadania nods slightly, "That is a good view. Another being It is a good day to die. But that can be difficult as well." She turns adn wrinkles her nose at Erica. "You I think live towards the second one. More trouble I have seen since meeting you than I did in most of the West while I traveled there."

Erica turns to eye Vadania with a skeptical look. "I really don't know what you are talking about Vadania. All the combat I've been in I try to stay out of trouble not be in the middle of it." She shrugs her shoulders again before turning to Bart. "That is an odd middle name."

Bartholemew chuckles at Erica's comment, "Odd it be..Combat is what I do. Might make me a bit rough around the edges, but in this world you gotta be rough. Well, it's been nice meeting you doll. Hopefully I'll see ya round some more." he says to Vadania. "Thanks Erica, I'll be around town or out at the farms as usual. Appreciate the good word."

Bartholemew goes home. Bartholemew has left.

Vadania lifts a hand to wave after Bart and shrugs. "He works or just lives out at the farm? Isn;t that where the dragon has bene playing?"

Erica keeps gnawing on her lower lip and nods her head. "Yah well there are a lot of farms around. I know he is protecting some farms from thieves, but I don't think the dragon is the thief." She shrugs her shoulders again before speaking. "I don't know though. Could be the dragon stealing."

Vadania shrugs in return and sighs, "The bit I heard was thatit has stollen a whole herd. Then returned them either broken or partially eaten."

Erica nods her head slowly while thinking. "Then it might very well be the dragon that has been doing that. Then just one more reason to hunt it down. A predator like that will really impact the local eco system."

Vadania mms softly and nods. "It is also showing cunning of something more than an animal. Let us hope it is not tied into what we just had happen here."

"The sickness? I don't think it had much to do with that. Unless it summoned the entity somehow." Erica lets out a soft sigh as she shakes her head. "I just don't know enough about all the magic and what not to say. Maybe Sage knows?" Vadania shakes her head. "I poured both of them into bed after the tracking and battle. They are probably both still sleeping it off." Her expression pensive again as she mulls that over. "I think that Tirzah had the illness as well, but would not stop to care for herself."

"Well the first two days of the sickness we no more then a really bad cold. So depending on how far along she was she might not have been that sick." Erica licks her lips quickly as she lets out a soft sigh. "I get a little tired to. I haven't fully recovered yet."

Vadania ahhs softly at that and turns to look you over. "Then perhaps you should be resting instead of running all over town? And she was ill enough to need help getting home and into bed."

Erica laughs softly as she offers Vadania a warm smile. "Well I got a good nights rest, and the hospital released me. I've been resting most of the day just thought I would come in and get a little practice at the gun range. I'm not planning on doing anything too tough today."

Vadania hmms softly as she glances back towards the north, then back to you and quirks a brow up slightly. "I thought you lived north of here in the Happy Days Inn? You too the wrong corner to end up here if you were headed towards the range."

Erica looks confused for a moment before she understands. "Ah well the Gunnery lets me shoot a couple guns that I've been looking at there. So I thought I would just come down here."

Vadania ohhs as she tursn to look at the gun store. "I see. They laughed at me last time I was in there. Especially when I showed what my bow could do as well."

Erica giggles softly and nods her head. "Well they have some pretty strange weapons in there. Some that even you might like using. But I'm looking at some heavy weapons, well when I can afford them."

Vadania blinks at that and cants her head. "You think so? They only had the tech toys last time I poked my head in."

Kingsdale - The Gunnery

       This place is a gunfighter's wet dream. The showroom floor is easily the size of a city block and completely filled with every sort of weapon imaginable. From pistols, to rifles, to heavy weapons to the truly exotic it is all here and it can all be yours.... for a price! The many isles of weapons are spaced well apart from each other and are actually supprisingly thin. Not a single thing is removeable without special keys and other security measures either, as there are no shelves but only showcases. This means if you want to hold that NG-57 Long Pistol, you will need to find a salesman.
       Most of the stores display is made up of weapons, but one can find suits of armor here and even a power armor or two. Also along with each weapon, is a display of what kinds of munitions it can use in the case of slugthrowers, or a sheet of what kinds of E-clips it can use if it's an energy weapon rather than having e-clips present for every energy weapon. The weapons are devided up into various catagories, hold-outs, pistols, carbines, rifles, and various heavy weapons. These catagories are further devided into slug throwing (or anything that uses actual ammunition) and e-clip weapons. And then even further into MD class and SDC class weapons.
       With each one is a basic read out of the weapons capabilities, it's price and various modifications available for it. At the far back of the store a large counter streatches across the room, filled with other odds and ends and some of the more bizarre equipment available, laser sights, scopes and other tools of the mercenary trade.
       The place is incredibly well lit and decorated too, with guns of all sorts, shapes and sizes lining the walls. The only thing that is missing here are Naurini weapons and one gets a funny look if they are mentioned. Off to one side is a small cafe where one can get a cup of coffee before going back to browsing. Called 'The forty-five' it doesn't serve much more than said coffee and bagels, and the coffee is so strong you have to fight it before you can drink it.
       The Gunnery also boasts a shooting range where one can try out weapons they are considering purchasing for a small fee. Naturally, under heavy guard.

Erica has arrived.

Vadania slips in and looks around the room. A soft sigh escaping as she notes that the displays haven't changed all that much since last she was here. It's still all the cursed techno-based firepower. She starts down the left side displays looking for anything that even contains a blade or a sharp edge not requiring a trigger pull.

Erica follows Vadania into the store and after a brief smile starts looking around herself. She quickly walks over to a Northern Gun display of heavy weapons. Obviously having been to this display before she looks at the plasma ejectors before walking down further to look over the rail guns. Letting out a small sigh she finishes her walk next to the NG-IP& Ion Pulse Rifle. Letting out a small sigh she finishes her walk next to the NG-P7 Particle beam rifle.

Vadania glances back over her shoulder to where Erica is all but petting the pretty rifle throug hteh glass and just shakes her head sadly as she grins. "Perhaps if you ask them nicely they will let you take it out and make big bangs with it?"

Erica jumps a little bit in surprise at Vadania's interuption and turns around. She laughs softly and shrugs her shoulders again. "Oh I've paid to fire it before. It is a very powerful gun. I really have to be wearing my armor to fire it. Since it is so big. Maybe some day I'll buy it. I'm trying to find a good heavy weapon. I just don't have the damage output against all these crazy magic things."

Vadania ahhs softly and nods. "Perhaps it is not the output you should worry about. But how much damage you can take that you should worry about. The creature took several hit and even one of the flasks of flames that Tirzah makes to put it down."

Erica nods her head in agreement. "Well so far I've been lucky and haven't been hit much. My armor is fairly tough, and I can dodge fairly well in my jetpack or just in my armor. The problem is you magic people have ways of making yourself immune to lasers, so I need a different type of weapon other then my lasers."

Vadania flutters her lashes at Erica. "What people? And I do not know really how one would become inpenitrable. I am not a fortress after all. And even they often time had a weakness."

Erica rolls her eyes slightly at Vadania's fluttering eyelashes. "You know you magic people. You all have odd abilities. I'm just trying to not be completly useless in a fight."

Vadania tsks softly, "You lump people rather easily. Are other lumps of people like pale face, moster, speed-bump?" Her ams crossing slowly as she shifts her weight. "Last time I heard such lumpings the men in the skelington suits were around."

Erica rolls her eyes again and shakes her head slightly. "Well everyone I've met has special powers. Although some I'm not so sure about. So most of the people here rely on those powers to get by. I mean apparently didn't think you would get sick. You have your spirits to protect you. Tirzah has magic. Sage has psionic powers. But all I have is myself and the fact I can shoot. But lots of people can do that. I am nothing special, so I just have to work harder to get by. I don't know much about powers. I don't know how yours are different from Tirzah's. So I'm sorry if I don't know all the correct terms."

Vadania lifts her shoulder in a shrug. "Some folk to not take being lumped together well. From what I have bene learning there are lots of different forms of the folk who can use magic. Many are dire enemies of each other. Much as if you walked up to a large fighter and called him something demeaning, some will react by hurting you. Sometimes very badly."

"Like yourself apparently. I'm sorry if I offended, but I don't know how your different then another magic user." Erica says as she shrugs her shoulders again.

Vadania chuckles softly at that statement. "You did not offend greatly. But then again I am not your average magical type either. I am far less powerful than many of them in truth."

"If you say so. I haven't really seen what you can do yet. Maybe I'll get a chance to see that in the dragon hunt." Erica says with a slight smile.

Vadania chuckles softly and shakes her head. "My gifts are not at their best in the wintertide. I'm kind of a seasonal being, I'd guess."

Erica licks her lips quickly as she leans back against one of the weapon cases. "So what sort of things can you do in summer? Or spring?" Turning her head she looks at the entrance. "Well I'm guessing you don't want to stick around in here."

Vadania shrugs slightly, "It is a bit off putting. But not much more than being within the walls of the sity cut off from the majority of the spirits I work with."

"Well I imagine that must be a bit off putting. I like all the people though." Erica says as she taps on one of the cases with a finger. "And I like place like bars and what not. I mean I like the wilderness too, but I don't think I could live out there all the time. How are your people organized? I'm guessing they don't have any towns."

Vadania's lips just quirk a bit at that. "We are organized usually by nations. and there are a few forts around. But often it is following the game that we live. Most camps are portable. Much as my camp outside of town is mostly from the surronding area. I only really had to put up the outside covering of the teepee and that fit nicely into a bundles I could rest behind LightFeather's saddle."

Erica nods her head slightly at that and flashs Vadania a smile at the quirk of the other woman's lips. "So nomadic huh? I don't know if I could travel constantly like that. I'm guessing your people don't do any agriculture either? An interesting way to live."

Vadania shakes her head. "You would be suprised what we do. Some even make fine robot suits. I am just not one allowed for my blood is pure and untouched by the techno."

Erica's lips curl into a wide grin. "Well if you ever need someone to handle fine robotic suits. I'll be happy to help out." She giggles a little bit a gives Vadania a sly wink.

Vadania just arches up a brow in return. "I could put in a word for you. But they are many moons from here and have probably moved since I left them so long ago. There were tales of a woman with a tail who bought one from us when I was a youth. I never got to see her or her tail."

Erica looks at Vadania curiously. "A woman with a tail? Well I've seen creatures with tails like the dog boys. Maybe it was something like that?" She shrugs her shoulders quickly. "I'm sure they would charge me money I don't have anyhow. I just need to save up more."

Vadania nods, "They would charge. She got her's very cheap as she has helped safe an entire village and lost her armor in doing so. The wing was snapped off according to the tale."

Erica nods her own head as she keeps smiling. "Well that was very nice of her. And nice of them to give her a discount like that. But as for myself I'm going to have to keep saving my credits. Most of the heavy weapons are expensive. I only have 29k saved up or so. Hopefully I can make a little change from this dragon hunt. There are of course things I want to do besides just buy weapons."

Vadania hmms softly at that. "Ohh? Like what? Watching you itching to fondle that weapon is actually rather fun." A grin showing, "Did you know you get twitchy?" Erica rolls her eyes and sticks out her tongue at Vadania playfully. "I do not get twitchy. You are silly." She says after putting her tongue back in her mouth. "Well I would like to open up a soup kitchen for the refugees."

Vadania mmms and nods, "I think that would be much needed and welcomed. I feed those I can, but do not wish to over hunt the area around the city either. There are often many of them out there as it is, scrounging for food."

Erica's smile turns into a quirky smile. "Well that is the advantage of agriculture. You don't have to rely upon hunting. But seriously I don't know how much it would take to build and run a soup kitchen. So I figure if I invest in a heavy weapon I might increase my earning potential. I am a halfway decent cook by the way."

Vadania mms softly as she just watches you . One foot tapping silently as if she's thinking something over. "I wish you luck in your endevor to seek a heavier weapon. And good luck with the kitchen a well." She waves to one of hte clerks at the back before turning and heading towards the doors.

Erica watches as Vadania starts heading out of the store. She gnaws on her lower lip and takes a final look at the display of weapons before heading out the door herself.

Erica has left.