[center][h3]Paved Wilderness - Eastern Road[/h3]
Lvl 15 Ms Fortune (59/150) and Chucho the Polterpup
Roland’s [@Archmage MC] Therion’s [@Yankee]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1702[/center]

As much as the prospect of a high-octane joyride through the Paved Wilderness made Nadia want to put the pedal to the metal and speed out of Hammerhead in style, tires screeching and engine roaring, a good thief knew when and when not to make a scene. Plus, she didn’t want to give that little guy the wrong impression; she’d be returning this dune buggy once her scavenger hunt was over, maybe with a made-up story about how she’d followed the actual culprit behind the theft and taken it back in hopes of a reward, maybe not. She wasn’t the type to steal willy-nilly from people who didn’t deserve it, after all. And she couldn’t exactly blame a guy for shooting his shot with a gal like Gemma, no matter how vertically challenged he might be.

But once Nadia put Hammerhead in her rear-view mirror and hit the open road, with nobody but her ghostly pooch in sight, the feral couldn’t help but go a little wild. “Let’s go, Chucho! Wooooooooooo!” She floored the gas, hollering in exultation as the wind on her face caught her hair and ears. Even her polterpup, incorporeal though he was, had to chomp onto part of the rollcage and hold on for dear life as his lower half flapped like a flag. It took a few moments to get used to the dune buggy’s handling and powerful suspension, but luckily the highways east of Hammerhead weren’t exactly congested, and what was life without a few heart-pounding near misses? Once Nadia got a feel for the vehicle, though, she was cruising along with ease, purring almost as loud as the motor. This whole region was like a massive sandbox, and with her shiny now toy Ms Fortune felt like a little kid on Christmas morning.

Her plan was simple. She figured that since the Ficsit carrier originally crashed against and went down around Highertower, that area would be the most hotly contested. And for now at least, Nadia didn’t feel like fighting anyone if she couldn’t help it. In fact, while actually finding anything from the wreck would be a sweet bonus, the feral mostly just wanted to have fun driving around until she found somewhere to chill. To that end, heading somewhere far from the crash zone but still vaguely in the hauler’s original flight path made sense, and the mention of unique wildlife around Scorched Gorge caught her interest, so that was her current destination. 

As it turned out, she wasn’t the only one headed in that direction, either. After a few minutes mostly spent focused on the road ahead and figuring out how to control her ride, Nadia noticed another car consistently occupying her rear-view mirror. After squinting for a better look, she realized that it was none other than Roland behind the wheel, with her fellow thief Therion along for the ride. “Oh, hey!” An idea popped into Nadia’s head, and she pulled over, waving out the window for Roland to do the same. “Hey! Wanna race?” she called to him over the rumble of their engines.

The well-dressed man waved back. [color=d7d7d7]"Oh sure. I'm headed to that Refinery, so we'd probably need to figure out a finish line before then. But it sounds fun."[/color]

“Alright, you’re on! Don’t come cryin’ to me when you lose, though. This kitty’s built for speed!” She put a hand on her polterpup’s head and rubbed it. “We’ll go on Chucho’s third bark, okay?”

Once the two were ready, Chucho bowed down, wagging his tail. “Woof! …Woof! …WOOF!”

Engines roared, tires spun, and the race was underway. Both vehicles launched forward with appreciable acceleration thanks to their Dragon engines, but since they both featured the same amount, their top speed turned out to be the same, so for a couple miles the racers were neck-and-neck. Ever the mischief-maker, Nadia bumped Roland’s car with her dune buggy a couple times, but she didn’t actually want to hurt him or Therion of course, so she never got too frisky. With the sun almost directly overhead Nadia couldn’t tell which direction she needed to go, so she stuck to the highway. Doing so made it easier to drive, but it also meant that, aside from the occasional vehicle that she and Roland needed to avoid, the race wasn’t actually that eventful. At the very least, the rocky red badlands that formed their race track were beautiful in their own way, with all kinds of cacti and vulture-picked skeletons resting beneath the monolithic spires and mesas.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/s9pNBhj.png[/img][/center]

After a while, the race naturally petered out as a result of taking too long over a somewhat monotonous track not designed with entertaining competition in mind. Nadia did spot what looked like actual racetracks here and there, including one with [url=https://i.imgur.com/7dEHhJO.png]bright blue tarps stretched out between megalithic fossils[/url], and one that [url=https://i.imgur.com/jIfiGXc.png]ringed a huge quarry[/url] complete with giant industrial excavators, but she didn’t feel like muscling in on the competition. Just past the quarry, her route took her through a series of [url=https://i.imgur.com/jZwBhUJ.png]canyons and archways lines with strange machines[/url], but after that it was nothing but straight road for a while as she drove between [url=https://i.imgur.com/4zJVb2x.png]a river and a large plateau[/url]. Getting bored, Nadia allowed Roland to pass her and her eyes to wander. After only a couple moments, she did spot something intriguing in the sky. What originally looked like a high-altitude fireworks display wound up being a dogfight between three old-fashioned airships, covered in rigging, plated in armor, and suspended from unusual balloons. [url=https://i.imgur.com/0fXFHKV.png]One[/url] seemed almost stationary, dangling like a castle tower beneath a balloon like a huge globe, outfitted with enough heavy weapon emplacements to cover every angle. It seemed to be holding off the other two, a light but speedy [url=https://i.imgur.com/3X0hTZB.png]Goldfish[/url] that was more of a distraction than a threat, and a heavier [url=https://i.imgur.com/3gQinlq.png]Galleon[/url] with three balloons and a bevy of cannons. The two ships seemed intent on outmaneuvering the formidable Spire and taking it down through hit-and-run tactics, but Nadia couldn’t tell if it was working.

As she gawked, the Galleon got too impatient and tried to take a shot from a risky position, opening it up to a broadside from the Spire. A huge chain-explosion went off in the sky, and the airship began to go down. Nadia was so intent on the battle that she forgot to keep her eyes on the road until Chucho gave an alarmed bark. Alarmed, she looked back in time just in time to see a strange green creature in the road, [url=https://i.imgur.com/8QHHdl2.png]something[/url] between a turtle and a penguin. It was ugly in a cute way, and it stared at its impending doom with big, round eyes. Time seemed to slow down for Nadia as her adrenaline spiked, a look of horror spreading across her face. Her first instinct was to cut the wheel as hard as she could, so the next second she swerved away from the critter and sailed right off the road.

Dust and pebbles went flying as she spun out, whirling down the roadside slope until her buggy splashed right into the water. With her head literally still spinning, Nadia was too dizzy and disoriented to do anything until Chucho grabbed one of her ears to stop it, by which point her vehicle had begun to float downriver. “Aw, damn it!” she groaned, trying the pedals and the wheel to no avail. Her engine only sputtered, already waterlogged. As the water rose above her ankles, she sighed, then climbed out of the window and on top of the car. She scanned the riverbanks, but couldn’t see Roland’s truck anywhere. Had the Fixer left her behind? Well, even if she’d forgotten about picking up Massachusetts’ rigging, she could get to safety pretty easily. If only that didn’t mean giving up her car…

While the feral wondered if either of her strikers could be used to save the dune buggy,  Nadia the loud sound of a truck horn broke her concentration. She looked back at the road to find a red-and-black [url=https://i.imgur.com/Y1hZrMD.png]semitruck[/url] with distinctive tusks. The window was rolled down, revealing a young but tired-looking [url=https://i.imgur.com/tMWcgbl.png]face[/url], as if the driver had just been asleep at the wheel. “Hey,” she called out, her barely-raised voice almost inaudible over the engine. “Ya need a hand?”

“I’m good!” Nadia crouched down, pressurizing the blood in her legs, then rocketed into the air. She used Charge to cover the rest of the distance, rematerializing on the shore with a sad backward glance at her dune buggy as it floated off. Chucho floated down next to her with a sympathetic whine, and Nadia sighed again. “Easy come, easy go…”

The truck driver scratched the side of her head as she peered at the blood trickling down Nadia’s legs. “You sure you’re fine…?”

“Uh-huh!” Nadia turned, her tail flicking behind her, and crossed her arms. That girl looked way too young to drive, but Nadia wasn’t exactly in a position to talk right now. “Uh, do you know the way to Scorched Gorge?”

“Mm-hm…” The truck driver yawned. “Just a couple miles from here. Hop in, I’ll take ya.” She pulled a lever, and the side of the truck began to lift up. Inside was a mobile saloon-style bar, complete with vinyl stools and all kinds of liquor, strapped tight to survive the highway.

Nadia didn’t need to be told twice. “Thanks!” With Chucho in tow she jumped aboard, then settled in for the rest of the trip. She was not looking forward to the look on Therion’s face when he found out what happened. [i]Maybe he doesn’t need to know.[/i]

[center][h3]Paved Wilderness - North-northeastern Road[/h3]
Edward’s [@DracoLunaris] Blazermate and Sectonia’s [@Archmage MC] Zenkichi’s [@MULTI_MEDIA_MAN] Juri’s [@Zoey Boey][/center]

Compared to the territories to the east and northwest, the terrain to the north of Hammerhead seemed pretty unremarkable at first blush. It featured a few sandstone bluffs and towering wind-carved pillars, but for the most part, the interior of the Paved Wilderness was wide open and flat, dominated by hardy yellow grasses and tall cacti, with only a few withered trees. Here and there one might spot a giant anthill, grassy crag, or herd of wild horses or buffalo, but the ecology here wasn’t as varied or interesting as the Windward Plains to the west, and this area didn’t seem as favored by racers as those to the east, either. This went on for miles and miles and miles, and judging by how far away Highertower had been from Hammerhead on the map, it would go on for many more.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/XLrxmkD.png[/img][/center]

There were a few elements that broke up the monotony, though. Scattered around the grasslands, especially closer to Hammerhead, were a number of little hovels and roadside attractions. Most seemed to be the result of continuous construction over time, cobbled together from different materials and styles as the original structure was expanded upon. Some, little more than shacks roofed by corrugated sheet metal, seemed to be abandoned, with threadbare, sun-faded garments dangling limply from old clotheslines. Others bore signs of habitation, like the inn known as [url=https://i.imgur.com/rFX1Knb.png]Dieter Restaurant[/url] and a three-tier cafe bolted to a white stone [url=https://i.imgur.com/BJLp2oj.png]villa[/url]. Nobody sprang out from these houses or hailed incoming travelers; the residents only watched in peaceful silence as drivers -or fliers- passed them by. The farther the Seekers got, though, the less frequent these structures became, until all that remained was the rumble of the road, the wind in the grass, and white clouds in the blue, blue sky. For a solitary driver, the experience might be meditative–or just really, really boring.

Eventually, though, that all changed. As the five approached the same latitude as Outback, the terrain suddenly got rockier, and the flora more alien in appearance. The lowlands took on an unhealthy greenish tinge, and sulphuric fumes arose from the bogs therein. Given the propensity of the region around Outback for bizarre wildlife, perhaps some of the adjacent biome’s strangeness was seeping through. Either way, things were about to get more interesting. As the travelers rounded a bend, they beheld an enormous, six-wheeled [url=https://i.imgur.com/yE4F4f4.png]ultra-heavy vehicle[/url]. At ninety feet tall and two hundred twenty five feet long, it was mammoth in size as well as name, and it even sported an enormous rotating cannon on its back. Unfortunately, that starship-buster was in fact too big to deal with its current problem.

A mechanical roar like no engine Juri had ever heard resounded from the ridge above her as she drove past, and the next second a [url=https://i.imgur.com/8l0KGkg.png]Chopper[/url] flew overhead. It resembled a bike, but dragged by two enormous, crushing wheels in front rather than propelled by one from behind. It soared overhead, then slammed down on the other side of the road and began to take potshots at the Mammoth with the cannons mounted on either side of the wheels. Brutally but clumsily designed, the Chopper could only shoot in the direction it was facing, so the [url=https://i.imgur.com/ZMPfE0k.png]ghastly pilot[/url] had to turn in order to aim. A moment later, another Chopper cruised in, followed by some kind of [url=https://i.imgur.com/TzozbmR.png]sled[/url] that cruised along with the aid of anti-gravity technology as the gunner on its mounted turret took aim. These reinforcements joined a band of [url=https://i.imgur.com/V52uSmJ.png]Bloodmounts[/url] and [url=https://i.imgur.com/X4tC7d6.png]Reavers[/url] already attacking the Mammoth, which was just now lowering its doors to deploy a green [url=https://i.imgur.com/AClzPKT.png]LAV[/url] equipped with four wheels, two treads, and a machine gun, followed by two four-wheel [url=https://i.imgur.com/9PW1xpU.png]Centaur[/url] tanks with cannons. A fierce battle quickly erupted within the boggy canyon, threatening everybody in the area whether involved in the skirmish or not.

Of course, all this was no surprise to Edward, whose drones had scouted out the area and the brewing conflict beforehand.

[center][h3]Paved Wilderness - Northern Road[/h3]
Pit’s [@Yankee][/center]

For a few minutes, it seemed like Pit’s optimism would lead him to disappointment. Most people around Hammerhead were very busy, either working on other people’s vehicles or preparing for their next trips across the wilderness. Given the ongoing event quest, most of the truckers, bikers, drifters, and hunters here were slow to trust, wary of any competition and sabotage that might interfere with their next payday. Local transport services were rather expensive today as well, with everyone eager to cash in on the big search. Fortunately, even if most of the Seekers had already driven, flown, or teleported away, Pit had one friend at Hammerhead that he could depend on. The screech of brakes caught his attention as a familiar-looking vehicle ground to a halt behind him, and when Pit turned he spotted none other than the Minotaurus, with Nico at the wheel and Nero riding shotgun, just like before. “Hey, kid,” the devil hunter hailed him with a wave. He knew that Pit wasn’t a kid, but couldn’t help using it as a term of endearment. “You up for another ride? No timefall this time, I hear.”

“Better haul your feathery butt in here then, if so!” Nico called with a grin. “‘Cause I’m fixin’ to peel outta here whether you’re buckled up or not!”

Within minutes, the gunsmith’s van had left Hammerhead in its dust. Given the northern highway’s proximity to the road chosen by Juri, the first leg of Pit’s journey was much the same as the martial artists: yellow prairie interspersed by ramshackle cottages and time-worn waypoints. With a variety of songs on the radio and good company, though, the drive was much less tedious than it would have been for a lone rider. And the farther the team traveled north, the more the land began to differentiate itself from the road to Hightower out west. For one, there were some race tracks. Pit could watch a handful of Excitebots tearing up [url=https://i.imgur.com/kbtbS8h.png]Wario’s Gold Mine[/url]. and after passing by [url=https://i.imgur.com/8oyoGyW.png]Dingo’s Diner[/url], they caught a glimpse of the [url=https://i.imgur.com/nc8m5WP.png]Dingo Canyon[/url] to the east, its water glittering in the afternoon sun. There were roving bands of treasure hunters as well, some of which also employed Excitebots to great effect. While none of them seemed overtly hostile, tensions continued to rise as the minutes ticked by, and eventually the reason became clear.

After a while, Nico brought the Minotaurus over a ridge and into a broad valley. Both she and Nero spotted something in the distance right away, but neither could quite tell what they were looking at. It looked like a giant circus tent with a large crane or something protruding from the top. The two friends exchanged a glance, then returned to their examination, wary but curious. After another thirty seconds, though, the unknown structure had gotten close enough that Nero could not only tell what it was, but that it was moving, too. It [i]was[/i] a giant circus tent, carried on top of unfathomably huge tank treads, much bigger than the crawler-transporters used to launch space shuttles, big enough that the Minotaur could fit underneath the chassis with room to spare. At the end of the crane’s arm there was an enormous clown head, perpetually on fire, and in its jaws it held a huge chunk of the Ficsit carrier, no doubt full of recovered loot. It was [url=https://i.imgur.com/7xaNYdq.png]Sweet Tooth’s Carnival of Carnage[/url], and a major step up from what the clown offered when the Seekers first visited the Paved Wilderness.

“Holy cow!” Nico swerved off the road, heading for an outcrop of rock to conceal the Minotaurus from whatever lookouts were aboard the CoC. She and Nero had encountered their fair share of huge foes, but this thing was leagues above, and could be carrying hundreds of men or deployable vehicles as well. There was plenty of cover in this valley, but getting around the CoC as it rumbled south would be quite the task.

Nero shook his head, an incredulous look on his face. “Sure, a vehicular stealth mission. Why not.” He raised his eyebrows at Pit. “You’ll make this up to us later, right kid?”

[center][h3]Paved Wilderness - Western Wilds[/h3]
Junior and Rika’s [@DracoLunaris] Geralt’s [@MULTI_MEDIA_MAN] Roxas’ [@Double][/center]

When not overtaken by a season of Fallow, the Windward Plains were a place of great natural beauty, as well as impressive biological diversity. As populous and visible as the pangolin-like Ceratonoth herds were, they were really just the tip of the iceberg when it came to the creatures that intrepid explorers could find in the region. From smaller forms of endemic life such as the birdlike [url=https://i.imgur.com/vnnyKIu.png]amstrigans[/url] and yellow-bellied [url=https://i.imgur.com/jUyOsKz.png]tracktail lizards[/url] all the way up to large predators like the colorful Brute Wyvern [url=https://i.imgur.com/iqjZEci.png]Quematrice[/url] with their loose scaly flaps and burrowing [url=https://i.imgur.com/gWhkEpr.png]Balahara[/url] leviathans, there were critters to suit almost any kind of fancy. There were even a few wild Pokemon, like Cranidos, Shieldon, Dunsparce, and even refugee Tropius from the Land of Adventure. For the Koopa Kids, however, this region’s charms proved unremarkably mundane, and it wasn’t long before they set their sights to the north.

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/fKU3q2S.png[/img][/center]

The arid region to the north represented an even greater level of geological and biological variety, practically to the point of abnormality. Its yellow sands lay atop relatively thin layers of rock visible in canyons and valleys, where their differently-colored strata created a rainbow of color amidst flat, circular mineral deposits arranged like sections of a terrace farm. Pearlescent spherical [url=https://i.imgur.com/i54ujRJ.png]formations[/url] could be found around the area at random, impossibly dense and heavy. What appeared to be bonelike corals revealed themselves as [url=https://i.imgur.com/rHckRpf.png]Articulated Angstoks[/url] when small prey animals like [url=https://i.imgur.com/dq8mHPS.png]Trebhum[/url] or [url=https://i.imgur.com/DSLMmG6.png]Tetracrabs[/url] drew too near, rapidly growing and branching their husks until fanged maws could protrude and snatch their food and slowly drag it back to the main organism underground. Angstoks weren’t the only dangers here, though, since hideous [url=https://i.imgur.com/zSP76tz.png]Tonglegrops[/url] could spray viscous, sticky acid, and . And of course, the freakish Great Gaaahrs towered over everything, and avocado-stalks loomed in the distance. 

The Outback’s surprises didn’t stop there, though. A number of [url=https://eternalcylinder.fandom.com/wiki/Desert#Mutation_Catalysts]debatably edible items[/url] could be discovered throughout the area, either readily available or hidden away. Only through trial and error would visitors learn that these foodstuffs could spark sudden mutations, each more or less useful in some way. Against all odds, the newcomers could also find a couple pokemon here, albeit atypical ones like Lickitung, Cradily, Rellor, Naclstack, Brambleghast, Revavroom, and Sandy Shocks. Finally, beyond all that, lay the [url=https://i.imgur.com/cZrDlOe.png]derelict outpost[/url] that had failed to outcompete Hammerhead as a truck stop, with even its name fading into obscurity in the wake of its owners’ ill-fated venture. Still, its water tower and windmill evoked some small sense of bygone majesty, as if still trying to measure up to the Great Gaaahrs and avocado trees.