Stalkers RPG Main Action and Team Status [SEASON 5]

[Neo Emolga]

Since I don't think I can do anything else for the side mission...

I will check Dret’s Brewery and Home.

You decide to head south to investigate Dret’s Brewery. Today there’s a bit of a wind storm and you find it helps to take a shawl with you, but it isn’t too bad where it feels like the dust and sand is to the point of being intolerable.

Upon arriving, you see Dret has a pretty sizable piece of land to his name and it seems the brewery does pretty well for itself. You decide to search around the exterior grounds, and in the process, you come across an abandoned Spelon Berry that looks like its very close to ripening. You decide to pick it up, not sure if someone lost it, or there’s a berry bush nearby and this fell off of the branches, but either way, you decide to take it with you, just in case another one of these Stalkers tries to unleash another grizzly mind assault on you.

[Spelon Berry] (Restores all Sanity) has been added to Lita’s Pack.

You then approach the brewery itself, and it seems like it’s open for business and Dret is busy handling drink orders. You can tell from the look on the Mightyena’s face that he’s trying to keep busy and still provide for himself and his son, but you can see the pain in the eyes from the very recent loss of his wife, Mika.

While other Pokémon around you order drinks, you take a look at the drink menu itself to see what’s available.

(6) Dret’s Brewery

Dret’s Brewery
Run by Dret the Mightyena

DRINK MENU

• $[Caffeine Delight] 200 Sochas$ (A special brew of caffeinated beverage that gives the one that ingests it enough energy to search two places the next turn.)
• $[Strong Oran Cider] 100 Sochas$ (An alcoholic beverage that grants +1 to Interview Rapport, but inflicts 2 Sanity damage. Effect lasts one turn, can only use one per turn.)
• $[The Vigor Monster] 150 Sochas$ (An empowering drink that adds a temporary +5 bonus Health points over your maximum amount. These bonus points cannot be healed.)
• $[The Lucid Dreamer] 150 Sochas$ (An enigmatic drink that adds a temporary +5 bonus Sanity points over your maximum amount. These bonus points cannot be healed.)
• $[The Wandering Star] 150 Sochas$ (A mysterious drink that adds a temporary +5 bonus Purity points over your maximum amount. These bonus points cannot be healed.)

Dret’s Brewery has been noted in the Team Records.

You decide maybe you’ll come back for something later. For now you check around the yard itself, and in the morning sun, you notice a slight glint of light shining in the dusty brown weed-like grass. You take a closer look at where the shine is coming from, and when you approach it, it seems to be the other half of the Talisman you got from Duante.

You pick it up and intend to see if it can be reunited with the other half.

[1st Half of the Talisman of the Stars] has been added to the Team Inventory.

After finding that, you decide to investigate Dret’s home. It’s a very somber situation inside. While Dret has been able to keep things in order and relatively clean for now, you can definitely see he hasn’t even come close to letting go of Mika. There are still pictures of her with the rest of the family, a place for her at the kitchen table, even her bed, personal belongings, and even pictures of her traveling adventures and her journal are all still there, ready and waiting as if she could be coming home any minute now…

You don’t find anything unusual or sense anything that feels like a Stalker’s taint while searching through Dret’s home, but nonetheless, while the Stalkers didn’t strike you in body, mind, or soul today… you couldn’t help but feel a sense of sorrow in your heart as you walked out of that house…

When you get back to the steel mill, you find the other half of the Talisman of the Stars, and even without adhesive or repair tools, the two halves reunite and once again, the Talisman is made whole once more.

The two halves of the Talisman have become [The Talisman of the Stars].

With that done, you decide to think over how you want to prepare for tonight.

Lita the Pikachu (S: Electric)

Health: 16/16 | Sanity: 20/20 | Purity: 24/24
Battle Stance: Tactical
Perk: Security | Abilities: Clairvoyance
EQUIPMENT:
Attack Weapon: [|AW| Steel Bow] (Adds 1d4 damage to successful attack rolls)
Defense Armor: [|DA| Bronze Guard] (Reduces incoming Health damage by 1 point each time Health damage is taken)
Jewelry: [|JY| Prismatic Amulet] (Bypass all Pokémon type-related barriers and obstacles upon encountering them)
Utopian Aspect: <Empty>
MERCENARIES:
#1: <Empty>
#2: <Empty>
PACK:

• $495 Sochas$
• [Starf Berry] (Restores all Purity)
• [Spelon Berry] (Restores all Sanity)
• [|AW| Combat Longbow] (Adds 1d6 damage to successful attack rolls)
• [|AW| Razor Composite Bow] (Adds 2 damage to successful attack rolls)

[Neo Emolga]

Nico was ready to riiiiiiiide~!

Nico Fury Road Caffeinated Combat Joyride of Madness and Mayhem

So I’ll be breaking this lovely and adorable heavy metal music joyride down into several posts, and here’s how that’s going to go:

POST 1 – NICO’S SHOPPING JAMBOREE ADVENTURE BECAUSE YOUR CASH DON’T MEAN A THING IF YOU DON’T SPEND IT YAY CAPITALISM
POST 2 – WHAT LIES UNDER WEST EXACTA RIVER BRIDGE OH YES LET’S FIND OUT WE’RE READY FOR ANYTHING BABY
POST 3 – NOTHING SCARES NICO OFF TO THE OMEN CRATER RIGHT NOW DANGER AHOY DON’T CARE IF THAT’S FINAL BOSS MUSIC WITH LATIN CHORUS I HEAR
POST 4 – COFFEE TIME AND LET’S CHECK OUT MORE OF THE CRATER BECAUSE YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE OR DO YOU NO NICO LIVES FOREVERRRRR
POST 5 – CAFFEINE EMPOWERS NICO AGAIN AND NOW LET’S CHECK OUT THE OTHER BRIDGE BECAUSE REASONS AND NICO COMBAT ALCREMIE WANTS TO SHOOT SOMETHING AND DOUBLE-TAP LIKE IT’S ZOMBIELAND

The following will also occur during this battle bonanza:

• Recommended listening for combat sequences (yes, I can already say in advance there WILL be combat) will have music selections from the Mad Max: Fury Road soundtrack, a masterpiece in cinematography that the whole family can enjoy.
• If Nico dies at any point, sadly, that ends the Bonanza. Aglome Oen is already taking a very fond curiosity to this. We have bets, I think you’ll live, so please live, I get to poke him in the belly with a fireplace poker while he dresses as a Torchic going “bok bok bok” if I win. But if you die and he wins… ehhhhh, just… please live, okay?
• For the folks playing along at home, feel free to cheer Nico on like this is Ninja Warrior: Stalkers Edition.

(I TOLD YOU I WOULD)

Because Nico doesn’t ask if violence is the answer. Nico asks how much.

[Neo Emolga]

Being only slightly let down that she actually managed to sleep last night, and almost entirely unbothered by the death of a random mercenary and Borsei, Nico was out at the break of dawn with a very similar plan in mind to the one she had last night.
Except... maybe with a little more backup. Maybe.

She checked her pockets, and finding 850, she added a few more from the team inventory to finish buying what she needed. 1000 Sochas more, to be exact. It WAS for the team, after all! She didn't feel guilty about not discussing it, since a lot of the emissaries were asleep or absent lately.


The shops would be open! Should be open! Are open!
OKAY TIME TO SPEND ALL THE MONEYS

First, it was time for a stopoff at the Soul Food diner, buying two caffiene delights, takeaway.
(($150 x 2 = $300))

The next stops were a little further away, but there was no other good choice for berries now that Borsei was dead anyway.
She bought three of each:
$[Sitrus Berry] 15 Sochas$ (Restores all Health)
$[Spelon Berry] 15 Sochas$ (Restores all Sanity)
$[Starf Berry] 15 Sochas$ (Restores all Purity)
(($15×9= $135))

A lot of the emissaries had been very quiet lately, and there were technical components still sitting around needing fixing.
It was time to hire a mechanic.
Hopefully the Whitestar Skyscraper would have a "Desperado" in need of cash. Weirdly, the price for 3 day contracts and 4 day contracts was the same. She put it down to a typo- Mercenaries weren't usually great at maths or reading. It didn't matter anyway, she only needed a 2 day.

$[2 Day/4 Cycle Mercenary Contract] 300 Sochas$ (Choose any Pokémon to have as a mercenary for 2 Days/4 Cycles)
**Mercenary has a Perk of your choosing** - +$100 Sochas$ per contract- TECHNICAL
($300 + $100 = $400)

She was hoping for a merc that was not chatty but was good with tools, possibly either a ghost or a psychic type- just in case emissaries turned up to do the Technical work instead she could take the merc out in the field and unlock some previously inaccessible areas. Apparently the only pokemon to be BOTH ghost and psychic were like, legendary or something, so they probably weren't hanging out in a dusty crumbling skyscraper looking for jobs. Although Hoopa might...
She shook her head. No, probably someone simple, like a Medicham or a Metang.
There were still three items in the team inventory requiring a technical outlook to fix, plus one technical needed at (17) Northern Heights Storage. She would ask the merc to go for the most important one first. Please repair the [Corrupted Ensign NV904 Broadcasting System: <Technical>]. We need it for Aurorawatch business.
And no, you can't have any of my coffee. I know I have two. This second one is also for me.

Next, it was the exciting spending, FINALLY! Warehouse upgrades!!
She very excitedly ordered two upgrades for the headquarters from Navins Constructing, before he squawks.
Before he's over the hill. Before he starts pinin' for the fjords, as some might say.
Gotta get some doors nailed before he's dead as a doornail, m'dear.

$[Build Garage] 500 Sochas$ -- built on 1a
$[Build Fitness and Recreational Center] 500 Sochas$ -- built on 1c
($500x 2 = $1000)

So there we go, the shopping spree ends on a solid $1835 Sochas. Nice job. Should only have 15 left in her pockets, which is just fine to lose.

Hopefully she got a lift back home with the construction pokemon, just to speed things along a little bit. There was certainly nothing in the description about these things taking any time, but she did wonder how they could construct everything so quickly. She was SO ready to jump into one of the two automatically provided vehicles right away. You know that kind of jeep that you see bouncing around through jungles and sand dunes? Thats what she was hoping for. Nice big open top to fire missiles out of.
Wind in your... hair? Well, Wind whipping at your cream...
REVV REVV OK BABY LETS GO

POST 1 – NICO’S SHOPPING JAMBOREE ADVENTURE BECAUSE YOUR CASH DON’T MEAN A THING IF YOU DON’T SPEND IT YAY CAPITALISM
(Yeah, the price of the 4-Day contract is supposed to be $800, my bad). :P

First, you decide to grab some extra money from the Team Inventory.

Nico withdraws $1000 Sochas from the Team Inventory ($1850 Sochas$ in Nico’s Pack).

You then quickly make your way to the Soul Food Diner, ready to go warp speed. You quickly toss the money in front of Seul the Brioonee and grab your caffeine fix.

Nico purchases two Caffeine Delights for $300 Sochas$ ($1550 Sochas$ in Nico’s Pack).

Your next stop is to head into Knave territory and get those berries. It means heading off into the Southern Reach, but in your excitement, you forget this is OMEN infected territory. Out from the shadows of the Southern Reach ruins, two ghouls spot you, a grizzly and decaying Scyther and a morbidly-decayed Unfezant.

HOSTILE ATTACK!
You have been intercepted by OMEN and must defend yourself!

Battle Track: Mad Max: Fury Road – Storm is Coming


Nico the Alcremie, Size: Small, Type: Fairy, HP: 16, Dodge Rate: 40%, Attack Roll: 1d8+4d8+10, Speed: 64, Battle Stance: Ferocious





Elcret the Ghoul Scyther, Size: Medium, Type: Bug/Flying, HP: 20, Dodge Rate: 30%, Attack Roll: 1d10, Speed: 105

Oxdeta the Ghoul Unfezant, Size: Medium, Type: Normal/Flying, HP: 20, Dodge Rate: 30%, Attack Roll: 1d10, Speed: 93

Attack Order:

#1 Elcret the Ghoul Scyther
#2 Oxdeta the Ghoul Unfezant
#3 Nico the Alcremie

Fight!

Elcret quickly flies toward you, swinging one of his massive blades, trying to take a swipe at your neck!

Elcret strikes at Nico! Rolls 60! Hit for 0! (Annulled: 3 damage – 4 Armor Resistance)
Nico: 16HP

You attempt to dodge, but the blade strikes your armor instead of your neck. But not even a scratch is left.
Aspect of the Fourth Seal: 51 (Needs 75 or above)

Oxdeta swoops in for an attack, attempting to drill her beak into your creamy head…

Oxdeta strikes at Nico! Rolls 13! Miss!
Nico: 16HP

You manage to swiftly dodge the incoming strike and Oxdeta pecks at nothing but air. You then turn to take aim at Elcret, and your Xalafu Armament locks onto the enemy target. You then press the trigger with your creamy finger and a rocket blasts out of the armament, blazing toward the ghoul Scyther.

Nico strikes at Elcret! Rolls [NOT NEEDED]! Hit for 29!
Elcret: -9HP

Elcret the Ghoul Scyther was killed!

The Scyther explodes into a macabre shower of burnt and warped body parts. However, though one of your targets is done for, Oxdeta attempts to strike at you again, shrieking as she attempts to ram her razor-sharp beak into your head!

Oxdeta strikes at Nico! Rolls 6! Miss!
Nico: 16HP

You deftly dodge the incoming strike, loading in another rocket for the Xalafu Armament.

Nico must reload!

Oxdeta swoops in yet again for another assault!

Oxdeta strikes at Nico! Rolls 19! Miss!
Nico: 16HP

You then raise up the Xalafu Armament and lock into the ghoul Unfezant. The targeting mechanism beeps to confirm target lock and you press the trigger with your creamy finger. A second rocket blasts out, heading right for the ghoulish bird.

Nico strikes at Oxdeta! Rolls [NOT NEEDED]! Hit for 33!
Oxdeta: -13HP

The rocket makes a furious impact, blasting the ghoul Unfezant into bloody bits and pieces.

Oxdeta the Ghoul Unfezant was killed!

All enemies defeated. Nico is victorious.

Loot Collected:

• $532 Sochas
• [|DA| Riot Bracers] (Reduces incoming Health damage by 1 point each time Health damage is taken)
• [|AW| Razor Machete] (Adds 1d6 damage to successful attack rolls)

It seems Shadowmarch armaments work pretty well!

You then head to the Underground Medical store in the Whitestar Skyscraper and put in your large volume order for 135 sochas.

Nico has spent $135 Sochas for:

• 3x [Sitrus Berry] (Restores all Health)
• 3x [Spelon Berry] (Restores all Sanity)
• 3x [Starf Berry] (Restores all Purity)

You then pack up your order and then head off to Desperados for Hire and you ignore a certain Emolga’s typo, hiring:

Caska the Medicham (Contract: 4 Cycles Remaining) (M: Psychic/Fighting) Health: 20/20 | Sanity: 20/20 | Purity: 20/20 Dodge Rate: 30%, 1d10 Attack die, Perk: Technical

Nico has spent $400 Sochas to hire Caska the Medicham for a 2-day (plus Technical perk) contract.

Agreeing to your proposal, she looks into reprogramming [Corrupted Ensign NV904 Broadcasting System: <Technical>]. She mentions she finds it pretty easy as it’s an older system and uses a relatively basic coding.

[Corrupted Ensign NV904 Broadcasting System: <Technical>] has become the [Ensign NV904 Broadcasting System].

You then head over to Navin’s Constructing and Repair Depot, and the Chatot greets you. You then mention you want him and his team to build the Garage and the Fitness and Recreational Center at the Steel Mill, handing over the $1000 sochas needed for the job. And you do it before he squawks, no less!

Nico has spent $500 Sochas to have the [Garage] built on (1a) Emissary Hideout – The Abandoned Steel Mill – Foundry Basement
Nico has spent $500 Sochas to have the [Fitness and Recreation Center] built on (1c) Emissary Hideout – The Abandoned Steel Mill – Foundry Floors 3-4

The Health, Sanity, and Purity stats of all Emissaries has increased by 10 (Maximum stat)

So far, off to a good start! You then head back to base and prepare to try out your new ride!

Nico the Alcremie (S: Fairy)

Health: 26/26 | Sanity: 30/30 | Purity: 34/34
Battle Stance: Ferocious
Perk: Diplomacy | Abilities:
EQUIPMENT:
Attack Weapon: [|AW| Shadowmarch Xalafu Armament] (Adds 4d8+10 damage to successful attack rolls, requires following turn to be used to reload after each attack. Never misses the target.)
Defense Armor: [|DA| Shadowmarch Nightlock Armor] (Reduces incoming Health, Sanity, and/or Purity damage by 4 points each time Health, Sanity, and/or Purity damage is taken)
Jewelry: [|JY| Armband of Retribution] (Attackers take one point of Health damage for each point of Health, Sanity, or Purity damage they inflict to the wearer. Destroys reoccurring traps and hazardous areas after triggered effect takes place.)
Utopian Aspect: [|UA| Aspect of the Fourth Seal] (25% chance of triggered effect taking place upon being struck by an attack during Hostile Attacks: Death arrives upon a pale Rapidash and instantly slays the attacker. All remaining opposing enemies lose their next turn.)
MERCENARIES:
#1: Caska the Medicham (Contract: 4 Cycles Remaining) (M: Psychic/Fighting) Health: 20/20 | Sanity: 20/20 | Purity: 20/20 Dodge Rate: 30%, 1d10 Attack die, Perk: Technical
#2: <Empty>
PACK:

• $547 Sochas$
• [OMEN Sample Collection Jar]
• [|AW| Assassin’s Blade] (Adds 3d8 damage to successful attack rolls)
• 2x [Caffeine Delight] (A special brew of caffeinated beverage that gives the one that ingests it enough energy to search two places the next turn.)
• [|DA| Riot Bracers] (Reduces incoming Health damage by 1 point each time Health damage is taken)
• [|AW| Razor Machete] (Adds 1d6 damage to successful attack rolls)
• 3x [Sitrus Berry] (Restores all Health)
• 3x [Spelon Berry] (Restores all Sanity)
• 3x [Starf Berry] (Restores all Purity)