Survival of the Fittest
Six people stir, reaching for their alarm clocks, or perhaps phones. Maybe even a computer, if they're the kind of person who opens one the moment they wake up. What they find is... nothing. Or more accurately, a concrete floor, give or take several layers of dirt and grime. Five others seem to be piled on of of them, in a similar state of grogginess and dishevelment.
The group seem to be in a parking garage, or at least the remains of one. The walls are barely visible under some sort of black fungus, and the whole place is covered in claw marks, somewhat similar to the gouges a bear might make in a tree. Of course, there is a bit of a difference in that that the animal- or, well, whatever it was- managed to produce hundreds of marks in solid concrete, but they hope that's irrelevant for the time being.
After properly waking up, their first thoughts are that they have no idea what is happening, or how they ended up here. In fact, there are numerous holes in their memory, mostly centered around the last twenty-four hours of their existence. However, poking at these gaps reveals a new memory. Something... different, somehow, a scene which is almost imperceptibly other. It is of a hissing, crackling voice, speaking from an empty throne.
"The six of you have aw͠aķen̴ed́ ͏f͘r̡om se͜ve͟ral years of dormancy, as per our terms. You may notice that m͏em͢o̴r͢ies c̴ont̴ai̴n̢ing͏ sensitive information have been extracted. We assure you ͜t̡ha̡t͞ th̨is is for the best."
"On to more practi̧c̕al m͝a͞t̀ters. You will likely notice that the surface has been changed drastically during your absence. As you may have inferred, this is due to the introduction of f̶lor͝a and fauna gat̴h̛ȩred͏ within the Deep. As such, th͜e̶ wildlife has become exţr͡emel҉y ̛danǵe̸r҉o͢u̢s, ̨and human society has largely collapsed."
"Of course, we have not left you helpless, or w͏įt́hou̶t as͘śi̶s̢ta͞nc̢e. Firstly, there is a human enclave to your immediate north. It should be quite safe, although you may encounter lesser monstrosities before you are ţa̛ken within th͜e̶ walls."
"Secondly, and far more importantly, you are no longer quite human. The physical laws involved are, naturally, far beyond y̛óur͝ un̵dersta͞n̕d̷ing̢, but put simply, you are c̷apabl̴e ͞o͡f͟ ̢a͘b͡soŗbin̨g dead flesh and converting it into ene͠rgy w͡e ͝c̶all ̸'v͠i͏ta̧l̨i͏t̢y̢.̀' It may be used to mutate yourself, altering your own flesh in any way you desire. Additionally, we have provided you with reserves of vitality with which to make your first alterations."
"We will contact y͡ou̸ wh̢en ̡thér͞e̛ ̴i̧s ̕need. Best of luck."
The results of actions will be determined via a D10, with modifiers where appropriate. That generally means general traits and attributes, including mutations, as well as injuries and the like.
Modifiers can't push a roll below two or above nine.
Vitality will be tracked as a percentage, and mutations will consume reasonable amounts on a case-by-case basis. Feel free to price-check things before you get them, if you're overly concerned about cost.
Name: Need I state the obvious?
Description: Pre-mutation physical appearance.
First Mutations: From a starting pool of 30% vitality. For reference, that's roughly enough to grow some basic bone armor or a few extra limbs.
Inventory: Limited to stuff that could feasibly be in your pockets. A swiss army knife is all right. A pistol is not.
The discord server is over here. (https://discord.gg/2xUK9wR) As the spoiler indicates, it's entirely optional, but real-time discussion is definitely a nice resource.
---------------------------
Name: Nix Johnson
Description: A 20-something, rail thin man, his mop-like black hair is tied back in a ponytail.
First Mutations: Extra powerful, greek statue like legs that are nearly impossible to break due to how solidly built they are.
Inventory: Watch, Scotch tape
Name: Raul Eduardo
Description: A young Hispanic of the age of 23, slightly under the average height. His brown hair is rather messy from his sleep, and he has evidently not taken any time to fix it. His eyes are blue and appear rather bright, hinting to some degree of intelligence.
First Mutations: Large claws present on the hands.
Inventory: A crappy Zibbo™ lighter and a pack of cigarettes.
I am not down with this "discord" thing. feel free to excommunicate me on that basis.
Name: Ferdinand Timothy Jones
Description: Both small and separately a child of about 10. Black hair, blue eyes, fair complexion, perhaps a bit mousey... There is also something a bit odd about their legs, as though they do not entire match their body perfectly. They are thoughtful, studious, shy, and for some reason have absolutely no sense of ever having been involved in a sport that involved something other than sitting down...
First Mutations: Enhanced communication. They start attempting telepathy(limited to intentional send/receive after deliberately establishing a link with an individual, possibly requiring prolonged exposure at close range and possibly with a limited number of simultaneous links), but failing that they will work on emitting distinctive odours of both "sticky" and rapidly deteriorating/dispersing varieties or perhaps directed light-signals of varied colours, patterns, and intensities.
Telepathy doesn't seem to be possible, but odors certainly are, to the point where they act a bit like communication pheromones, giving those in range a clear (if somewhat removed) perception of basic emotions and sensations. More vitality could easily be used to enhance or diversify the effect.
Inventory: A clear notebook with several sketches and commentaries of pre-disaster flora and fauna, several pencils, a knife with a very short blade(suitable for whittling or sharpening pencils), and a small grindstone(suitable for sharpening a small blade).
Name: Will Taylor
Description: Very lanky and tall, hates watching things die, very stubborn, slightly annoying with his wit. Dark, dark brown hair with green eyes that seem to glow (but don't obviously).
First Mutations: Superhuman hearing and smell
Inventory: Phone that's long since lost it's battery, swiss army knife
EDIT: Added some details including last name and a few more physical descriptions.
Name: Trevor Miller
Description: Definitely not an average boy. Looks shy and conceited, with blond hair, and blue eyes. Deep down, though, he just wants to see everything burn.
First Mutations: Two extra limbs at his sides.
Inventory: Some cash (although it's probably worthless now), a small penknife, and some matches.
Name: Rachel Maude
Description: Tall, athletic, and pretty. Light brown hair and green eyes. Has it goin' on, ahem ahem.
First Mutations: Her forearms and hands are thicker, covered in coarse hair, and she has bearlike claws on every finger. They're also much stronger than a normal human's arms.
Inventory: Journal (marked "PROPERTY OF R. MAUDE"), fancy pen
Name: Mace ((No last name given))
Description: A tall and thin boy of about 15 (give or take a year) with a bad complexion, dark brown eyes, blonde hair with red streaks, and several moles on his face, including one on his nose. His arms are long and spindly, ending in long bony fingers. Legs are similar.
First Mutations: Slimy ((Sweat glands are replaced with mucus glands, giving the appearance of being wet. Covers whole body, except for hands.)) Back Plate ((Plate of bone on the back the extends halfway around the body.))
Inventory: Gameboy, A Magnifying Glass, and a .308 bullet casing.
It's time I entered this world...
Name: Manny Phi
Description: Light tan cargo shorts, short sleeved blue shirt. Moderate length hair, dyed ocean blue for reasons he can't remember. About 18, male. Average height and weight, barely tanner skin tone.
First Mutations: Parts of his brain advanced as to allow sympathy and understanding of most, if not all, monsters and animals. Additionally, subtle aromas in his swear, tears, and similar secretions. This allows for enhanced social roles, and makes him capable of taming and befriending monsters. (AKA, monster trainer/social interaction manager)
Inventory: A hair brush, a snack bag of cheese crackers, and a small backpack( Here (https://img1.etsystatic.com/114/0/6868761/il_fullxfull.932504747_a6tt.jpg), it could crinkle well into a pocket).
Name: Mace ((No last name given))
Description: A tall and thin boy of about 15 (give or take a year) with a bad complexion, dark brown eyes, blonde hair with red streaks, and several moles on his face, including one on his nose. His arms are long and spindly, ending in long bony fingers. Legs are similar.
First Mutations: Slimy ((Sweat glands are replaced with mucus glands, giving the appearance of being wet. Covers whole body, except for hands.)) Back Plate ((Plate of bone on the back the extends halfway around the body.))
Inventory: Gameboy, A Magnifying Glass, and a .308 bullet casing.
Name: Raul Eduardo
Description: A young Hispanic of the age of 23, slightly under the average height. His brown hair is rather messy from his sleep, and he has evidently not taken any time to fix it. His eyes are blue and appear rather bright, hinting to some degree of intelligence.
First Mutations: Large claws present on the hands.
Inventory: A crappy Zibbo™ lighter and a pack of cigarettes.
For some reason, I really want this guy to become a doctor..
Currently imagining him trying to use a syringe on someone but can't prick the guy because his claws keep getting in the way.
"Woops! Sorry! Hey, you didn't need that arm anyways. Woops! Or that one."
At least he'd be good at amputations. Almost TOO good...then again, it'd be pretty effective on enemies.
"It appears you're wounded. No, it doesn't matter that you're the enemy. I think you need a syri-... you didn't need a neck anyways, did you?"
..And he wouldn't even get arrested for any of it; he has the cLAW on his side. Also, I thing i PINcerED down why I wanted this occupation.
(https://media.makeameme.org/created/Why-not-Zoidberg-vyotfu.jpg)
"...now I'm just confused. Do you even exist in this universe? I don't see a sheet."
"I am one of many who MAY be. I watch this thread of fate with nonexistent eyes, ever considering a potential position within this seed of a story.."
"And then all the characters went meta. Wait, did I say that out loud?"
Name: Mace ((No last name given))
Description: A tall and thin boy of about 15 (give or take a year) with a bad complexion, dark brown eyes, blonde hair with red streaks, and several moles on his face, including one on his nose. His arms are long and spindly, ending in long bony fingers. Legs are similar.
First Mutations: Slimy ((Sweat glands are replaced with mucus glands, giving the appearance of being wet. Covers whole body, except for hands.)) Back Plate ((Plate of bone on the back the extends halfway around the body.))
Inventory: Gameboy, A Magnifying Glass, and a .308 bullet casing.
It's time I entered this world...
Name: Manny Phi
Description: Light tan cargo shorts, short sleeved blue shirt. Moderate length hair, dyed ocean blue for reasons he can't remember. About 18, male. Average height and weight, barely tanner skin tone.
First Mutations: Parts of his brain advanced as to allow sympathy and understanding of most, if not all, monsters and animals. Additionally, subtle aromas in his swear, tears, and similar secretions. This allows for enhanced social roles, and makes him capable of taming and befriending monsters. (AKA, monster trainer/social interaction manager)
Inventory: A hair brush, a snack bag of cheese crackers, and a small backpack( Here (https://img1.etsystatic.com/114/0/6868761/il_fullxfull.932504747_a6tt.jpg), it could crinkle well into a pocket).
All right, two people hoping you guys encounter something really nasty.
Introduction:
The six close their eyes, mentally searching for the energy the voice described. As it turns out, “finding” it is relatively easy. It’s really just a matter of noticing the lively, pulsating sensation within their chest cavity. On the other hand, using their vitality is a bit trickier. It seems slippery at first, almost impossible to grab and manipulate, but each member of the group soon finds some way to control it.
First is Raul, who immediately grows a set of long, razor sharp claws on each hand. The amputating knives weapons don’t seem to use the entirety of his vitality, but there’s no harm in saving some for later.
Will, on the other hand, practically floods his nose and ears with vitality, intentionally using far more than is necessary to enhance them. This does make his improved senses a little overpowering, but it’s nothing he won’t get used to. In any case, the benefits are well worth it.
Rachel channels energy into her hands and forearms, carefully reshaping them until they resemble those of a bear. Her model’s continued existence is somewhat doubtful, given that the world is apparently filled with monsters, but there are certainly benefits to having a fourth of a bear glued to your body.
Nix, always a stickler for leg day, decides to reinforce the muscles and bones which make up the lower half of his body. The results are two armored, frightfully powerful limbs good for both mobility and brute force.
Trevor watches Nix, but seems to decide on redundancy rather than power. This is expressed by way of second pair of arms, mutated into existence directly below the first. They won’t be nearly as good at exerting force, but multitasking is a definite plus.
Ferdinand is the last to make a noticeable change, possibly because of his vain attempts at telepathy. Instead, he creates a number of glands beneath his skin, interconnected to form a network which can disperse nearly any scent he desires. As it turns out, some basic pheromones are also within reach, namely ones which can communicate simple emotions.
Having reshaped their bodies to their satisfaction, the six begins to wander around the garage, taking stock of their options.
The entrance ramp is largely traversable, although large shrubs and vines have begun to grow through the cracked pavement. It seems to point more or less due north, making it relatively easy to navigate to the human enclave, if the group chooses to do so.
Alternatively, they could choose to explore the ruined garage further, going deeper into the earth. There may be something interesting down there- possibly even one or two functioning cars, if they’re particularly lucky. That said, the claw marks are deeply unnerving, and patches of black fungus on the walls become increasingly large as one descends.
Name: Nix Johnson
Description: A 20-something, rail thin man, his mop-like black hair is tied back in a ponytail.
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Uber-legs.
Inventory: Watch, Scotch tape.
Status: Healthy.
Name: Raul Eduardo
Description: A young Hispanic of the age of 23, slightly under the average height. His brown hair is rather messy from his sleep, and he has evidently not taken any time to fix it. His eyes are blue and appear rather bright, hinting to some degree of intelligence.
Vitality: 19%
Mutations: Large claws.
Inventory: Zibbo™ lighter, pack of cigarettes.
Status: Healthy.
Name: Ferdinand Timothy Jones
Description: Both small and separately a child of about 10. Black hair, blue eyes, fair complexion, perhaps a bit mousey... There is also something a bit odd about their legs, as though they do not entire match their body perfectly. They are thoughtful, studious, shy, and for some reason have absolutely no sense of ever having been involved in a sport that involved something other than sitting down...
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Odor glands, basic communication pheromones (emotions).
Inventory: Notebook with sketches and commentaries of pre-disaster flora and fauna, pencils, short knife, small grindstone.
Status: Healthy.
Name: Will Taylor
Description: Very lanky and tall, hates watching things die, very stubborn, slightly annoying with his wit. Dark, dark brown hair with green eyes that seem to glow (but don't obviously).
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Superhuman hearing, Superhuman smell.
Inventory: Phone (0% battery), swiss army knife.
Status: Healthy.
Name: Trevor Miller
Description: Definitely not an average boy. Looks shy and conceited, with blond hair, and blue eyes. Deep down, though, he just wants to see everything burn.
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Extra arms.
Inventory: Cash, penknife, matches.
Status: Healthy.
Name: Rachel Maude
Description: Tall, athletic, and pretty. Light brown hair and green eyes. Has it goin' on, ahem ahem.
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Bear-like forearms and hands.
Inventory: Journal ("PROPERTY OF R. MAUDE"), fancy pen.
Status: Healthy.
Turn 1
Will tries to listen for nearby sounds that may indicate his location.
Will tunes into his newly-enhanced senses, searching for details invisible to more mundane sentences. This turns out to be quite effective, although he will need to analyze the new sensations a bit if he wants to learn anything new about his surroundings.
To Will’s sensitive nose, the black mold smells of both must and sulfur, a combination which is powerful enough to make him sneeze several times before adjusting. The scent already seems omnipresent, but vast trails of the stuff continue to rise from below. Either there is a truly massive amount of black slime down there, or something else is emitting a more concentrated version of its odor.
Additionally, he can hear rustling and scraping on the surface, the sound of numerous creatures dragging themselves across the forest floor. What exactly they are is up for debate, but the voice in Will’s memory didn’t describe rainbows and bunnies.
Nix Johnson lifted one leg up after another, balancing on each, testing the limits of their balance and flexibility.
"Holy shit, I cannot believe that actually worked."
Nix then proceeded to jump as high as he could, imagining himself finally making that slam dunk in high school.
{Got a bit carried away and ended up expanding this into a little scene. Hope you don’t mind.}
Nix recalls his years as a high school athlete, mentally reconstructing a particularly important game. There’s a key difference this time around- number thirty-two isn’t a poor jumper anymore. In fact, he has two of the most powerful legs on the planet.
Barely-remembered opponents are easy enough to outmaneuver, given his new physical prowess, and Nix is almost immediately in possession of the ball. Sprinting down the court is positively trivial, and from there he jumps.
He doesn’t just make the slam dunk. In fact, his legs carry his entire torso above the basket, and he actually needs to place the ball in the hoop on his way down. For a moment, Nix is a little concerned about landing, but reinforced bones and a good sense of balance seem to be enough to keep him from breaking something.
Ferdinand sits awkwardly and jots in their notebook "Telepathy failed. Not possible? Insufficient information?". looks around nervously, and then awkwardly stands again and slowly gravitates towards a wall nervously while trying to project "happy" and "calm". They back onto the wall and notice some some nearby scratches. They quickly forget what they were doing and start sketching a sample of the scratches, using their knife as a size key.
Ferdinand sits and stands, using the new odor glands to conceal his anxiety. It seems to be working well enough for the time being, given that only the man with oversized sensory organs seems to have noticed that Ferdinand exists.
The later soon begins to make a sketch of the claw marks, using his knife as a sort of improvised measuring stick. He finds that the marks are deeper than they appear, and most likely made as a result of brute force rather than sharpness. Aside from knowledge and the drawing, however, there seems to be little else to gain by studying them.
"
Anyways... Why don't we take a look further in? Nothing ventured, nothing gained?"
Trevor stared at the entrance for a while. It definitely looked interesting.
"Well, I'm all for a challenge, although no matter where we go, some of us are going to have to agree with the group."
He gestured towards Rachel, who was already making her way out of the garage.
He scoffed, and went to examine the rubble. With these extra arms, he could probably hold a few more weapons. Maybe a nice chunk of concrete or some poles. Or both, as long as it fills up these hands.
Trevor (luck): 3
Poles turn out to be rather elusive, as are metal objects of any other sort. Trevor does, however, manage to pry four sturdy chunks of concrete from the floor, which should be reasonably effective weapons when used in tandem.
{See below for group descent stuff.}
Rachel stares at him, completely silent. She raises her new bear paws, showing him the backs, then rotates them to display her palms. Her gaze moves between them and him, and she raises both eyebrows questioningly.
"You're actually going for it? I have literal bear hands right now. I could disembowel you if I wanted to. I mean, props for having the balls to do it at all, but you really need to work on... say... timing, execution, and your whole face. Better luck never."
With that, she turns away dismissively and starts for the garage's exit. "I'm out. Feel free to come along if you ask permission before you speak to me."
"... figured. Man, I suck at this.
Anyways... Why don't we take a look further in? Nothing ventured, nothing gained?"
"
Anyways... Why don't we take a look further in? Nothing ventured, nothing gained?"
Trevor stared at the entrance for a while. It definitely looked interesting.
"Well, I'm all for a challenge, although no matter where we go, some of us are going to have to agree with the group."
He gestured towards Rachel, who was already making her way out of the garage.
He scoffed, and went to examine the rubble. With these extra arms, he could probably hold a few more weapons. Maybe a nice chunk of concrete or some poles. Or both, as long as it fills up these hands.
"... figured. Man, I suck at this.
Anyways... Why don't we take a look further in? Nothing ventured, nothing gained?"
"Don't get me wrong, I admire your effort. You just really need to work on actually getting results."
"...Eh, whatever. If you guys aren't going outside, I'm not getting myself killed. Where to?"
"We could find anything down there. But- we need to travel a large distance, and we are in a parking garage. Two and two equals four."
Raul starts towards the downwards ramp, then stops and turns around.
"We haven't introduced ourselves. Hello. I'm Doctor Raul Eduardo. I used to teach a Physics course at the University of- well, I guess it doesn't really matter anymore."
(("Damnit, I'm a physicist, not a physician!"))
{A good chunk of this was written post-1AM. Hoping against hope that it actually makes sense.}
Although Rachel nearly walks out of the garage to avoid Raul’s flirting, she quickly returns after it becomes obvious that she would face the wilds alone. Instead, several people tentatively agree to begin their descent, keeping an eye out for anything particularly interesting or dangerous within the depths of the garage.
Patches of fungus on the walls become larger and more robust, eventually covering the entirety of the walls and some of the floor. The group quickly learns that touching it causes an extremely unpleasant itching sensation, but the stuff doesn’t actually seem to be doing any harm, so they hesitantly continue into the first lot.
The entire space is filled with stagnant, ankle-deep water, prevented from draining by a giant mound of fungus in the center of the room. At one time, an assortment of vehicles were parked here, but the water has turned each and every one into a rusted husk. Unless the group continues to the dry lots beyond, there is simply no chance of finding anything in working order.
Under ordinary circumstances, that would be a reasonably simple task. Unfortunately, the giant mass of bacteria and mold on the floor seems to house something significantly more dangerous.
A good quarter of the goop begins to twitch and thump against the ground, gradually working itself out of the miniature swamp. There’s no telling what the thing actually looks like until it escapes, but it is definitely large and angry. That might be enough to formulate some sort of strategy, or to declare a tactical retreat.
Name: Nix Johnson
Description: A 20-something, rail thin man, his mop-like black hair is tied back in a ponytail.
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Uber-legs.
Inventory: Watch, Scotch tape
Name: Raul Eduardo
Description: A young Hispanic of the age of 23, slightly under the average height. His brown hair is rather messy from his sleep, and he has evidently not taken any time to fix it. His eyes are blue and appear rather bright, hinting to some degree of intelligence.
Vitality: 19%
Mutations: Large claws.
Inventory: Zibbo™ lighter, pack of cigarettes.
Name: Ferdinand Timothy Jones
Description: Both small and separately a child of about 10. Black hair, blue eyes, fair complexion, perhaps a bit mousey... There is also something a bit odd about their legs, as though they do not entire match their body perfectly. They are thoughtful, studious, shy, and for some reason have absolutely no sense of ever having been involved in a sport that involved something other than sitting down...
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Odor glands, basic communication pheromones (emotions).
Inventory: Notebook with sketches and commentaries of pre-disaster flora and fauna, pencils, short knife, small grindstone.
Name: Will Taylor
Description: Very lanky and tall, hates watching things die, very stubborn, slightly annoying with his wit. Dark, dark brown hair with green eyes that seem to glow (but don't obviously).
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Superhuman hearing, Superhuman smell
Inventory: Phone (0% battery), swiss army knife.
Name: Trevor Miller
Description: Definitely not an average boy. Looks shy and conceited, with blond hair, and blue eyes. Deep down, though, he just wants to see everything burn.
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Extra arms.
Inventory: Cash, penknife, matches.
Name: Rachel Maude
Description: Tall, athletic, and pretty. Light brown hair and green eyes. Has it goin' on, ahem ahem.
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Bear-like forearms and hands.
Inventory: Journal ("PROPERTY OF R. MAUDE"), fancy pen.
Ferdinand tries to think of a smell that would be contrary to this place.
Ferdinand gets up, momentarily backing away from thumping noises which are now echoing from below. The thing which made these marks must be almost disturbingly strong- and the rest of the group is walking directly towards it.
Then they pause for a moment, trying to calm themselves down. He figures that countering the must of the garage might prove helpful, or at least soothe his nerves.
As it turns out, doing that is actually somewhat tricky. He could cover the existing scent up, of course, but that was really just a matter of overpowering it. Truly canceling it out would require something different. Something which removes traces of fungus from the air might work, or possibly a pheromone which forces olfactory nerves to ignore the stuff.
Will quickly tries to pinpoint the exact location of the blob while looking for something to throw.
Will follows Trevor’s example and pries two loose chunks of concrete from the floor. He holds one in each hand and begins to descend, using every sense in his repertoire to understand the location of the monster and its movement.
Unfortunately, enhanced senses aren’t actually all that relevant to aiming, but the effort and care he has put into aiming will help him pull off one or two particularly effective shots.
Trevor tightened his grip on his concrete chunks.
"Don't suppose you guys have an idea of what goop monsters do?"
He stood his ground, preparing to throw the rock directly into the thing's head, if it ever surfaced.
Trevor tries to get a better look at the monster, inching closer a couple of steps.
Raul seems to think a moment.
"It doesn't look very fast. If I distract its attention, will you be okay to pass? Oh, but if you do, please save me at some point."
"I won't promise you anything."
Assuming Raul distracts it, Rachel tries to skirt around the side.
Raul cautiously approaches the gloop creature, bladed arms out well ahead of him so that if the creature charges it will impale itself.
Gloop Thing (attack): 2, +1 [dexterity] =3
Raul (counterattack): 2
Trevor (speed): 1
Trevor (dodge): 2
Rachel (stealth): 9
The odds of four ones and twos is… something like one in six-hundred, given that I’m using a d10. At least the monster wasn’t exempt.
The monster tears eight legs from the muck, freeing itself from what appears to be some sort of fungal nest. The thing proceeds to shake itself off like a colossal dog, which splatters the entire room with droplets of itching, black mold.
When its opponents finally manage to clear their eyes, the beast has revealed itself completely. A thin layer of mold seems to be permanently attached to a long body, like that of a particularly bloated salamander or newt. Pustules are scattered haphazardly across the black “skin,” ready to burst.
Its head is largely taken up by jutting mandibles and an enormous mouth, which drips blood despite plates of bone which should protect it from harm.
As Raul and Trevor approach the beast, the reason for its bloody coughing becomes quite clear. Long tongues slip out of the monster’s cracked mouth, their surfaces covered in hundreds of tiny, pointed hooks. They slap and flail against the ground as the thing bellows in pain, but are forced outwards nonetheless.
Raul reaches to spear one, but is thrust several meters away by an erratic motion. The hooks never actually reach his flesh, although he does need to use an insignificant amount of vitality to repair the dents in his claws.
Trevor, on the other hand, isn’t so lucky. He trips over a loose stone while trying to run away, then is caught by the very edge of a tongue and forced to the ground. Once again, this doesn't result in anything more significant that bruises, but being flat on the ground means that he can’t do much in the way of dodging.
Rachel simply runs along the edges of the room, taking advantage of the creature’s distraction. The route is somewhat nasty in that she needs to step through a layer of slime that is several feet deep, but it does get her to much drier pastures.
Quite a few objects in the second and third lot seem to be intact, including rebar from a crumbling wall and miscellaneous items that could be used to create a makeshift barrier. Vehicles here are also in better shape than those in the room behind her, although being exposed to the elements for several years probably does make their useability a bit hit-or-miss.
Name: Nix Johnson
Description: A 20-something, rail thin man, his mop-like black hair is tied back in a ponytail.
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Uber-legs.
Inventory: Watch, Scotch tape
Name: Raul Eduardo
Description: A young Hispanic of the age of 23, slightly under the average height. His brown hair is rather messy from his sleep, and he has evidently not taken any time to fix it. His eyes are blue and appear rather bright, hinting to some degree of intelligence.
Vitality: 19%
Mutations: Large claws.
Inventory: Zibbo™ lighter, pack of cigarettes.
Name: Ferdinand Timothy Jones
Description: Both small and separately a child of about 10. Black hair, blue eyes, fair complexion, perhaps a bit mousey... There is also something a bit odd about their legs, as though they do not entire match their body perfectly. They are thoughtful, studious, shy, and for some reason have absolutely no sense of ever having been involved in a sport that involved something other than sitting down...
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Odor glands, basic communication pheromones (emotions).
Inventory: Notebook with sketches and commentaries of pre-disaster flora and fauna, pencils, short knife, small grindstone.
Name: Will Taylor
Description: Very lanky and tall, hates watching things die, very stubborn, slightly annoying with his wit. Dark, dark brown hair with green eyes that seem to glow (but don't obviously).
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Superhuman hearing, Superhuman smell
Inventory: Phone (0% battery), swiss army knife.
Name: Trevor Miller
Description: Definitely not an average boy. Looks shy and conceited, with blond hair, and blue eyes. Deep down, though, he just wants to see everything burn.
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Extra arms.
Inventory: Cash, penknife, matches.
Name: Rachel Maude
Description: Tall, athletic, and pretty. Light brown hair and green eyes. Has it goin' on, ahem ahem.
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Bear-like forearms and hands.
Inventory: Journal ("PROPERTY OF R. MAUDE"), fancy pen.
Turn 3
{Going to try something a little different in terms of formatting. Might make things look a bit nicer.}
Ferdinand
Ferdinand tries to make a drying agent, completely ignorant of the effects such a thing would have on the human body. Fortunately for his continued survival, the chemical merely jams a few scent glands before gradually being worked out. The smell of chlorine is little better, given that it is nothing but an odor.
Name: Ferdinand Timothy Jones
Description: Both small and separately a child of about 10. Black hair, blue eyes, fair complexion, perhaps a bit mousey... There is also something a bit odd about their legs, as though they do not entire match their body perfectly. They are thoughtful, studious, shy, and for some reason have absolutely no sense of ever having been involved in a sport that involved something other than sitting down...
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Odor glands, basic communication pheromones (emotions).
Inventory: Notebook with sketches and commentaries of pre-disaster flora and fauna, pencils, short knife, small grindstone.
Your mutation is great for communicating with animals and monsters, very basic mind manipulation, and as a base for some pretty interesting specializations. Not so great as a chemical weapon, although you could take it in that direction (among many others) when you get more vitality.
Everyone ElseSpeed: Nix (4) / Will (5) / Raul (9) / Rachel (5) / Trevor (9) / Monster (7-2=5)
Trevor (attack): 5
Will (attack): 8, +3 [aiming]->9
Rachel (attack): 8
Monster (counterattack): 10
Monster (take cover): 4, -5 [bulk, distracted]->2
Trevor (dodge): 7, -2 [close range]->5
Nix (attack): 2
Raul rushes over to Trevor, pulling on two randomly-chosen hands. As it turns out, extra limbs are heavier than they have any right to be, but the assistance is still a great help.
The mutant’s savior makes a few quick gestures, indicating that they should get to the far end of the room, but Trevor instead decides to break away and charge at the monster, trying to smash the thing’s skull with concrete chunks.
That doesn’t turn out so well for Trevor, given that he runs directly into the salamander-thing’s tongues. Most of his torso and arms are immediately flayed and gouged by their hooks, and he is left a bleeding wreck.
However, there is a silver lining. Projectiles rain on the creature from above, courtesy of Will and Rachel. A particularly sharp and jagged chunk of rebar is propelled through its neck by superhuman strength, and well-placed stones knock its head to the floor. Nix simply trips himself in the midst of the barrage, momentarily surprised by the strength of his legs, but his adversary is too stunned to mount a counterattack.
Name: Nix Johnson
Description: A 20-something, rail thin man, his mop-like black hair is tied back in a ponytail.
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Uber-legs.
Inventory: Watch, Scotch tape
Status: Healthy.
Name: Raul Eduardo
Description: A young Hispanic of the age of 23, slightly under the average height. His brown hair is rather messy from his sleep, and he has evidently not taken any time to fix it. His eyes are blue and appear rather bright, hinting to some degree of intelligence.
Vitality: 19%
Mutations: Large claws.
Inventory: Zibbo™ lighter, pack of cigarettes.
Status: Healthy.
Name: Will Taylor
Description: Very lanky and tall, hates watching things die, very stubborn, slightly annoying with his wit. Dark, dark brown hair with green eyes that seem to glow (but don't obviously).
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Superhuman hearing, Superhuman smell
Inventory: Phone (0% battery), swiss army knife.
Status: Healthy.
Name: Trevor Miller
Description: Definitely not an average boy. Looks shy and conceited, with blond hair, and blue eyes. Deep down, though, he just wants to see everything burn.
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Extra arms.
Inventory: Cash, penknife, matches.
Status: Torso and arms badly gouged and flayed.
Name: Rachel Maude
Description: Tall, athletic, and pretty. Light brown hair and green eyes. Has it goin' on, ahem ahem.
Vitality: 0%
Mutations: Bear-like forearms and hands.
Inventory: Journal ("PROPERTY OF R. MAUDE"), fancy pen.
Status: Healthy.
"A lot less dangerous than being eaten by it! Can you, or can't you?"
Yes, to a limited extent. That said, I certainly wouldn't vouch for anyone's safety.