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You curse to yourself and raise your Bubble, feeling the Orphan's slimy appendages curl around you, scratching and stretching over your body to try and find a way inside. The horde of creatures that have hounded you for the better part of the day quickly close the distance, mouths opening in screaming howling cries and snarls.

You only hope they're weak enough for this to work.

You feel them collide with your body and with the Orphan and with your Bubble, the sludge pulling back slightly as they descend upon you. The energy struggles to hold itself together, but by sheer strength of will and luck, it maintains itself.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to do the same against getting slammed back against a building or tossed willy-nilly between a hsot of monsters and a giant goo-blob.

You try to keep your eyes open, but your vision swims and your body moves sluggishly. You want to hold on, but you feel something hit you in the chest and you fall back.

You hear a loud scream and then everything goes dark.

>>5275417
...When you finally come to, you find yourself in the shadow of an unfamiliar location. The ground beneath you is still slick and wet and feels somewhat uncomfortable to lay on, but you're still alive, which is a miracle in and of itself.

You blink your eyes and sit upright, trying to get your bearings as you look around the unfamiliar area. It looks like you were dragged into the shadow of an another alleyway or maybe a collapsed bridge, judging by the debris scattered around you. Was it the Orphan or was it something else entirely?

Nevertheless, you don't feel like anything is around you and looking down, outside of some burn marks on your clothing from where the Orphan caught you, you are surprisingly intact.

What do you do?
>Look around and try to figure out where you are.
>Scavenge the area for useful material.
>Check your Energy-Tracking Device.
>Try to find your way back to where you were.
>Write-in.

Shots remaining in Gun: 5. (Time until recharge: ??)

>>5275426
>Check your Energy-Tracking Device.

>>5275426
>Try to find your way back to where you were.

>>5275426
>Check your Energy-Tracking Device.

>>5275493
>>5275516
>>5275792
You raise your Energy-Tracking Device, watching as it beeps and multiple large signals ping across it in quick succession.

Where do you go?
>North: Highest energy readings, high chance of useful salvage. Extremely high likelihood of entity presence.
>West: Moderate energy readings, moderate chance of useful salvage. Low change of entity presence.
>South: Energy readings continuously fluctuating. Chances of useful salvage and entity presence are unknown.
>Write-in.

>>5276067
>Write-in.
>East: Low energy readings, Low chance of useful salvage. One entity presence detected

>>5276067
>West: Moderate energy readings, moderate chance of useful salvage. Low change of entity presence.

>>5276067
>>West: Moderate energy readings, moderate chance of useful salvage. Low change of entity presence.

>>5276067
>North: Highest energy readings, high chance of useful salvage. Extremely high likelihood of entity presence.

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>>5276581
>>5277334
>>5277355
>>5277376
After some time spent deliberating, you choose to go West. Low change of entity presence and a decent chance of finding something useful. Sounds like a good way to avoid something like...that again.

You creep slowly through fleshy mess of the Dead City, treading slowly to evade notice by anything that might be nearby on your way to your destination. You don't hear the Orphan or those other creatures anywhere nearby, but you don't want to take any chances.

Along the way, you manage to successfully acquire a bit more Scrap for yourself, however which you quickly stash away.

>Gain 3 Scrap

Finally, you make it towards the location that your Energy-tracking Device has led you to. Looking around, you see what appears to be an abandoned series of warehouses. Many of them are covered or sealed over with a meaty biomass, but at least one looks open and mostly intact.

If you want to chance it, you could check inside. Maybe even take shelter for a while.

>Check inside the warehouse.
>Scope out the area before anything else.
>No, this isn't worth it. Just go somewhere else.
>Investigate the strange biomass.
>Write-in.

>>5277449
>Investigate the strange biomass.

>>5277449

>Scope out the area before anything else.
Make sure there is an escape route before entering.

>>5277449
>No, this isn't worth it. Just go somewhere else.

>>5277449
>Scope out the area before anything else.

>>5277450
>>5277496
>>5277888
>>5278691
You search around the area. Most of the buildings are covered in this thin organic film. Touching it causes it to peel off in clumps and stick to your fingers, like cobwebs but more...'stringy'.

Looking between the buildings, several of the warehouses have large openings within and outside of them, so if you really needed to, you could probably duck and weave in and out of them as necessary.

The large open warehouse remains silent and waiting, as do all the others.

>Check inside the warehouse.
>No, this isn't worth it. Just go somewhere else.
>Investigate the strange biomass.
>Write-in.

Also, just noticed that I listed that the gun still has 5 shots in >>5275426, shit. Correction; you have 4.

>>5278793
>Check inside the warehouse.

>>5278793
>No, this isn't worth it. Just go somewhere else.

>>5278793

>Investigate the strange biomass.

>>5278793
>Check inside the warehouse.

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>>5278802
>>5279300
>>5279432
>>5280124
You decide, perhaps against your better judgement, to step through the opening into the warehouse. The small ribbons of weird biomaterial that had started to cling to the sides of the open frame fall as you pass through, sticky clinging strands dotting your clothing.

It's cool inside, despite the flesh that squelches beneath your feet in places. It is a wide open space, but you already see things like crates or boxes and even desks and adjoining rooms to the side.

Perhaps you might find something of use in this area after all.

>Search the crates and boxes.
>Check out whatever is on the desks at the sides.
>Investigate the adjoining rooms.
>Stop and survey the other portions of the warehouse first.
>Write-in.

>>5281798
>Stop and survey the other portions of the warehouse first.

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>>5282614
Surveying the other parts of the warehouse it is. Roll a 1d100.

Rolled 75 (1d100)

>>5283365
Got a more eldritch picture, huh?

Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>5283365

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>>5283408
>>5283740
>Got a more eldritch picture, huh?
You have no idea how many of these I have. Anyway, a 91. Off to a good start.

>>5283408
>>5283740
You look around, stopping to survey the warehouse and the way it's laid out. Several doors line the walls, leading into different sections of the old building albeit any labeling they might have once had have long since faded or gotten smudged out. Some of the doors have thing strands of that strange biomass you saw earlier clinging to them, like cobwebs.

At the sides, you see desks and tables with long stacks of books and other junk, scattered notes drifting across the ground here and there, unfinished research or construction projects, left behind material, etc. The meaty biomatter covering the floor stains some of the pages on the ground, but oddly doesn't seem to stretch to the far end of the building for some reason.

You see a couple prospective exits if you need to leave in a pinch, but you're hoping things won't come to that.

>Search the crates and boxes.
>Check out whatever is on the desks at the sides.
>Investigate the adjoining rooms.
>Collect samples of that weird 'webbing'.
>Search the far end of the building.
>Write-in.

>>5284937
>Check out whatever is on the desks at the sides

>>5284937
>Search the crates and boxes.

>>5284937
>Search the far end of the building.

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>>5284957
>>5285972
>>5286541
Three separate votes? More likely than you'd think. I'll extend the voting until morning to give it a bit more leeway to lean on one side or the other.

>>5286541
+1

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>>5284957
>>5285972
>>5286541
>>5287458
You move to the far end of the warehouse, passing by dusty shelves, worn-out construction material, and more of that odd fleshy biomass. Despite the disarray, you find that the place is surprisingly intact all the same.

Getting to the end of the building after a few minutes walk, you find a couple other doors and more scattered papers. Storage areas, maybe?

You consider going through one of the doors, but your attention gets drawn to another heavy metal door at the corner. Thick bolts and latches are attached to it, though some seem worn with rust and dust, and the entire thing seems out-of-place in the otherwise uniformly non-descript warehouse

Curious...

>Go towards the metal door.
>Check out the other doors first.
>Collect samples of the weird 'webbing'.
>Inspect the notes and documents scattered on the ground.
>Write-in.

>>5288774
>Go towards the metal door.

>>5288774
>Inspect the notes and documents scattered on the ground.

>>5288774

>Inspect the notes and documents scattered on the ground.

>>5288774
>Inspect the notes and documents scattered on the ground.

>>5288793
>>5288806
>>5288818
>>5289312
You kneel down, ignoring the quivering of the floor beneath your feet, and pick up one of the notes scattered along the ground. It's old, and covered in splotches of...something here and there that obscure some of the words. But itx surpriaingly legible.

>"...nitial analysis lends cre...nce to the idea that energetic properties are not shared between the Positive Energy and Ne...furthermore, we have confirmed that sufficient applications of positive energy can purge necrotic areas. Further testing is required before we can...

Where one note or document ends, you simply pick up another and start reading. The majority are just going over information you had already learnt from the Module, but it's in some of the notes that you start learning something of interest.

>...fools...they'll get us all killed. We never should have signed on with those...from the VELES Project-it was all bullshit. Now, IT is here and we can't get rid of it. It already killed all my colleagues here, spreading that damn web across half our facilities.
>We're going to start moving, try to lure it away. Director...thinks it will trap it. We'll lock it behind an alchemic seal then reinforce it with a steel door....comes to worst, at least I won't be alive long enough to see it.

You look back at the large metal door to the side and at the strange weblike biomass all around you. Now, you're not so sure you want to be here.

>Approach the metal door.
>Check out the other doors first.
>Collect samples of the weird 'webbing'.
>Leave the warehouse and check out another area.
>Write-in.

>>5292290
>Check out the other doors first.

>>5292290
>Check out the other doors first.

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>>5292821
>>5292896
Checking the other doors it is. Roll a 1d100.

Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>5294459

Rolled 68 (1d100)

>>5294459

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>>5294545
>>5295521
You step back from the metal door, the omnibus tingling going down your spine just looking at it telling you that it is Bad News all on its lonesome.

Instead, you decide to check out the other doors first. The ones further down to start with, then you'll work your way up.

Opening the first door at the farthest adjacent doorway, you are met with...an empty room. Typical.

You open the second. Inside, you are lucky enough to find two pieces of Scrap and some canned food. How lucky.

>Scrap x2
>Food x3

The third door is a little bit stuck and refuses to budge however. Almost as though there's something behind it. You could probably push it open with enough force if you wanted to, but there's no telling what might be on the other side and more than that, it might cause enough noise to draw nearby entities to your location.

Admittedly, you haven't SEEN any nearby entities-but the point still stands.

...Or, you could just move on to the fourth door.

>Push the door open.
>Go on to the next door.
>Maybe you should stop messing with the doors and go do something else.
>Write-in.

>>5295673
>Push the door open.

>>5295673
>Go on to the next door.

>>5295673

>Push the door open.
What could go wrong?

>>5295673
>Push the door open.

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>>5295714
>>5295924
>>5296052
>>5296639
Aaand we're back. Pushing the door open it is. Roll a 1d100.

>>5300905

>>5300905

Rolled 38 (1d100)

>>5300905

Rolled 100 (1d100)

>>5300905

Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>5300905
Let's beat 100.

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>>5300926
>>5300961
>>5300963
>>5301039
>>5301114
The first 100 of the quest, dedicated to pushing open a door. Can't say that I mind. Writing.

>>5300963
>>5301039
>>5301114
You press the door open with as much force as you can muster, the door seeming to almost be pushing back against you. Eventually though, slowly but surely, it yields to your superiority. Hah, take that door!

Quickly falling out of your enthusiasm over beating a door of all things, you take stock of the room itself. Immediately noticeable are all the thick mucus-like webs that coat the room, identical to the strange biomass you've seen outside. Furthermore, the hinges and doorframe itself are coated in the stuff. If you were a guessing man, you'd say that these were the likely reason why the door was so difficult to open.

Next to those however, you see several strung up sketch depictions of a strange figure. It has a basic humanoid body plan, but aside from the torso and legs, that's about it. No head nor arms or any other features but it was seemingly a figure that the person (or persons) who used this room were utterly obsessed with given hw much the shape repeats.

But the biggest draw to your attention are the documents scattered along the floor, with one folder in particular catching your attention.

"VELES Project Research on High Necrium Entities". ...That sounds like a decent find to you.

>Start going through the folder and learn more about the VELES Project.
>Take the folder, but don't read it yet and check out one of the other rooms.
>Take one of the sketch drawings then leave.
>Just leave the room and go to another one.
>Write-in.

>>5303175
>Take the folder, but don't read it yet and check out one of the other rooms.

>>5303175

>Write-in.
Take the folder, put it in the backpack, along with the sketches, and some biomatter.
Look around wery carefully, maybe there is something usefull, but if not, time to go home.

>>5303175
>Start going through the folder and learn more about the VELES Project.

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>>5303192
>>5303535
>>5303592
Split in the votes this time. Going to need a tiebreaker to decide things, it seems. Roll a 1d3. 1 for just taking the folder and leaving, 2 for the Write-In, and 3 for searching through the folder to learn more about the VELES Project.

Rolled 2 (1d3)

>>5305013

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>>5305472
You take the folder, hitching it up under your arm, grabbing several sketches by the handful and stuffing them in the folder as well, and finally yanking a clump a biomatter from the surrounding walls. It squelched between your fingers, and you can feel an odd thrum of power coursing through it and a strange cold feeling beyond that, right before you encase it in a tiny bubble of energy and cram it into your pocket.

It doesn't look like there's anything else of value here, and you're not going to open the metal door-so ultimately, you think it's time to go home.

You exit the ruined warehouse, stepping back out into the dim orange light of the day. Raising your Energy-Tracking Device, you start to plan your route and where to go next.

Ping!

Suddenly, a loud noise comes from behind you, and you have to turn your head. Not seeing anything around or outside the warehouse, you instead unwrap your gun and check that.

Feeling for its energy, you feel that it has finally recharged itself; you have 6 shots again. And judging by the time between your fight with the Gut Thing, your 'fight' with those pursuing monsters, that abrupt encounter with the Orphan, and now, you'd say it only took...hmm. The better portion of a day maybe?

Either way, with your gun at full capacity again and you having a bunch of stuff on-hand, you plan your route:

>East: Low energy readings, Lowest chance of encountering entities. Longest route.
>South: Moderate energy readings, moderate chances of encountering entities. Shorter route.
>North: Moderate readings. Unknown route or chance of entity encounters.

Shots remaining in Gun: 6. (Time until recharge: 1 Day)

>>5306546

>South: Moderate energy readings, moderate chances of encountering entities. Shorter route.

>>5306546
>South: Moderate energy readings, moderate chances of encountering entities. Shorter route.

>>5306546
>South: Moderate energy readings, moderate chances of encountering entities. Shorter route.

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>>5306601
>>5306602
>>5307484
You decide to go to the south. The route being shorter means that you have a better chance of making it back home before the worst entities come out, but it's also more treacherous with more potentially hostile phenomena or manifestations.

>"Food for me, food for me. Hehehahaha."

And speak of the devil...

You duck behind a piece of debris along your route, watching as something pushes itself along the meat-covered ground. Bits of it fall off, but it doesn't seem to care as it moves.

It giggles and snickers to itself slightly, as it drags a lumpy, boil-covered mass along behind it. The mass moves ever so slightly, but doesn't do much else as the thing dragging it wanders aimlessly.

>Just sneak around it.
>Reach out with your energy and see if you can drain its own power away.
>Distract it by tossing a piece of debris in the opposite direction.
>Shoot it with your gun.
>Write-in.

>>5308364
>Reach out with your energy and see if you can drain its own power away.

>>5308364
>Reach out with your energy and see if you can drain its own power away.
Live risky.

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>>5308368
>>5308380
Alright, draining its power it is.

Roll a 1d100. This is your first time attempting this, so expect a pretty high DC. Let's see if you can pull it off.

Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>5310564

>>5311268
You reach out with an arm, feeling the slight rushing feeling as your energetic abilities flow outwards. Pulling a little, you establish a thin tendril of Positive Energy to the twisted creature. You give it a tug.

Almsot immediately, you feel the slimy, greasy feeling of the Necrium making up the monstrosity-it oozes it's way down your tether and out of the monster and you have to establish your own personal cut-off point to keep it from coming all the way and making contact with your own body.

To an outsider, it would just be an invisible force. But you feel the waves and ripples of its corrupt pulsations more surely than you've felt anything else.

Almsot immediately, the monster gurgle and screeches. It halts in place and starts to swing it's head (or what you assume to be it's head) wildly, as though it knows someone or something is in the area.

>Sever the tether and duck your head down.
>Keep your head down and hope it doesn't spot you, but keep the tether up.
>Screw it, just start blasting.
>Try drawing out more of its energy whilst it's distracted.
>Write-in.

>>5312634
>Keep your head down and hope it doesn't spot you, but keep the tether up.

>>5312634

>Keep your head down and hope it doesn't spot you, but keep the tether up.
Get your pistol ready, just in case.

>>5312634
>>5312949 +1

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>>5312732
>>5312949
>>5313864
Alright, keeping the tether up it is. It's a risky gambit, but let's see if it pays off.

Roll a 2d100. One for keeping yourself from getting charged with Necrium, and the other for keeping up the tether up.

Rolled 37, 54 = 91 (2d100)

>>5314004
The fear of blood tends to create fear for the flesh.

Rolled 11, 94 = 105 (2d100)

>>5314004

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>>5314399
>>5315025
You decided to put it on the line, your life-and possibly even your immortal soul-for the sake of seeing how far you can drain this thing before it gives in.

Maintaining the tether, you can feel the Necrium slithering across it. A sickly spreading rot that starts to contaminate the link between yourself and the entity. You try not to fetch and give away your position, but despite your best efforts, you can feel the Negative Energy creeping up the connection between the two of you.

Despite this however, 5he tether holds strong and you can slowly but surely feel the entity growing weak. It giggles and moans in unintelligible tongues, flopping about the ground like a beached jellyfish. It still seems to be trying to pull itself along the ground even now, but with how much energy it's lost, it's basically a losing game.

You ignore the pain shooting through your body s the Necrium makes contact with your own energies at last, a burning oily sensation that is utterly unpleasant even from a slight touch. Now's your chance.

>Drop the tether and the corruptive Necrium attached to it, step from out of your hiding spot and put an end to it.
>Drop the tether, but continue to observe the weakened entity.
>Don't drop the tether and approach it from out of cover.
>Aim your gun at it and pull the trigger.
>Write-in.

>>5315733
>Drop the tether, but continue to observe the weakened entity.

>>5315733
>Aim your gun at it and pull the trigger.

>>5315733
>Drop the tether, but continue to observe the weakened entity.

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>>5316201
>>5316244
>>5316288
Dropping the tether it is. Will continue this in a new thread though, since this one is presently in the process of dying.

Thanks for participating so far!

New thread. Feel free to jump on over whenever:
>>5318272
>>5318272
>>5318272