Stalkers RPG General Chat Thread (Emissary Clubhouse)

[Neo Emolga]

So, I think I'm onto something. We might have seven Stalkers on our hands.

So let's take a look at what Orin told us:

"They say there are...six Stalkers," he begins, averting his eyes as he thinks. "First, there's Indulge. It stuffs its victims to the brim with food until they're so full that their sides split. Doesn't sound so threatening, but once the food bursts the stomach and spreads into your other organs, you'll think it is then. Apparently it keeps forcing food down the victim's throat until their body is incapable of containing it any longer, and their flesh starts to split. Or exoskeleton, or whatever.

"Repose, the fluid parasite. Yeah, gross, I know. Sucks the life out of its victims, or more specifically, the moisture. Captures them, probably...ties them down or something, then drains all moisture until they're dry, cracked husks of their former selves. Mummified afterwards just to top it all off. Bodies are just left in random locations.

"There's Payload, the Stalker obsessed with demolitions. Evidence of black powder and bomb shells have been found linked to Payload, whose victims are exploded into bits and pieces, then scooped up and places into little boxes, like sick gifts. They, uh...get delivered to their loved ones. Sick bastard, that one.

"You got Abatis, who seeks out sharp, pointy things and sticks them in its victims. I don't know how they get lured into places where a stabbing with a javelin is possible, but it's happened. First victim was found jammed onto, funny, the Keep's abatis. Goes right the way 'round. Abatis ain't one to show mercy, either--pidove a few days back was littered with needles. Death by a thousand cuts, or, uh, stabby things.

"Gravemeld. Ain't that a creepy name? This one...skins its victims while they still live. Keeps them until they're breathing their last breath, then releases them onto the streets. Can't help but die of pain, shock or infection. Mm, this is why you don't buy real fur.

"Last, Netherfall. I dunno, seems a little try-hard to me. But you won't catch me saying that around a Stalker. This one, well...kind of hard to tell. Victims been turning up with no brains. Surgically removed. I don't know if that's the extent of its efforts, but...seems pretty lackluster if you ask me. I wouldn't be surprised if this thing was testing something on its subjects. Maybe you'll be able to find out more if...more people get murdered. I know that's messed the hell up, but I don't know what else to tell ya.

Definitely very useful info, no doubt. But something seems to be missing from what Marisha told me earlier:

"Ah...right. Yeah, um..." She pauses and pulls back from you a little, moving a matted wad of wool out of her eyes. You can immediately see that this is not a conversation that she finds comfortable. "Weird and freaky... Well, that seems to be the norm these days." She pauses again, hesitant to continue. In a lowered voice, she asks, "Have you heard about the Stalkers? Well...they've moved into town lately. Since they've been here, folks'a been turnin' up...murdered. There's been some gruesome stuff. Folks turnin' up in boxes as...mush [Payload], folks bein' melted down into goo,[The Unknown!] stabbed to death with anything and everything pointy [Abatis]...hell, there's even been cases o' pokémon bein' stuffed full o' food till they explode![Indulge] Some'a been skinned alive and left to rot[Gravemeld], then there's the other one...mummified or some'm.[Repose] Ya know, it's all just so horrifyin'."

And then we have this puzzle that Lita found: Linky

In the corner, it says "I know who Epsilon is..."

In physics, Epsilon refers to the strain and physical constraints of a material. For a Stalker, this would connect with the whole being turned into goo kind of thing. Like a twisted experiment to see how much the victim could be constrained into.

Here's another thing.

Indulge
Repose
Payload
Abatis
Gravemeld
Netherfall

And let's toss Epsilon in for good measure. We'll pretend this little theory is right.

Playing around with the arrangement of the letters gets you...

Repose
Epsilon
Abatis
Payload
Indulge
Netherfall
Gravemeld

REAPING


Spicy.