Crimson Paladin

The Long Afternoon of the Mojave (A Fallout Roleplay)

Sentinel Derek Irving- Hidden Valley Bunker

The Sentinel walked at a rapid pace through the halls of the bunker, attired in a hastily put-on Brotherhood uniform. Ordinarily he would be sleeping and regaining his strength for the day to come, but a matter had come up, one important enough had come up that he had been called from his quarters to attend to.

It wasn't anything new to him- any member of the Brotherhood needed to be ready to rise from their slumber to carry out their duties at any time of the day. If anything, Irving was relieved that this interruption did not stem from being under attack. From what the initiate that awoke him had conveyed, the scribes had picked up some very crucial NCR radio chatter.

Despite the disaster that The Green represented, it was fortunate for the Brotherhood that the verdant menace had driven the Super Mutants from Black Mountain- and coupled with the radiation levels, kept anyone else from nosing around up there. The Super Mutants had used it as nothing more than a radio station, but the Brotherhood knew of the facility's far greater potential to intercept radio transmissions in the region. And as long as nobody braved the radiation and Green to examine the machinery too closely, the Brotherhood should be able to make use of it under the radar, so to speak. They didn't even need to be up there- the override device let them run it from the safety of their bunker. They would send a team up a few times a year to occasionally check how the equipment was holding up against the flora and humidity of The Green and make repairs if necessary, but other than that, they were able to mostly leave it unattended.

Presently, the Brotherhood had been paying close attention to two radio sources- the NCR and Robert House. While House had become more insular and withdrawn in the last few years, they had kept close tabs on any radio signals coming from the Lucky 38. Even if the scribes had no expectation of success in decrypting the pre-war genius' transmissions, merely keeping track of the signals could warn them if House was issuing new orders to his Securitrons. The NCR, by contrast, was a more serious and immediate threat, especially with the capture of the two undercover Brotherhood members. Monitoring their radio chatter could give them forewarning of an attack, or make them privy to a vulnerability that could be exploited.

Whatever they had discovered, it was important enough to warrant summoning him.

"I'm here," Irving spoke bluntly as he entered the communications room that the scribes had set up. Hardin was already present. "What is the situation?"

"There's a spike in NCR radio chatter in the southwest near the Mojave outpost," the scribe at the table answered. "We believe that a VIP of some nature has just arrived at the Mojave Outpost from the Long 15."

"Do you know who this VIP is?" Irving asked.

"Negative, their comms are protected by code words and phrases" the scribe replied. "We don't know who it is or how large his escort will be, all we know for sure is that he's someone important and that Delta Company has been tasked with escorting them to Vegas."

"With the northwest of Vegas overrun by the Green, the VIP will likely be escorted through Nipton and up Highway 95," Head Paladin Hardin weighed in. "Whatever the size of his security detail is, Rangers will likely be focused on keeping watch on that entire stretch. With Delta Company diverting manpower to escort the VIP to Vegas safely, this would be an excellent opportunity to strike at NCRCF and blow Abernathy's prison wide open."

"Yes, I can see the tactical merit in that," the Sentinel replied. "It'd make the Colonel look bad to the VIP, and free his political opponents in the process, consequently weakening his hold on Vegas and forcing him to divert troops to sweep up the prisoners and maintain order. However, Maxson did not task us with defeating the NCR. He tasked us with stopping The Green, and if we reopen hostilities with the NCR, there will be no going back."

"We're already beyond the point of no return," Hardin spoke, clearly displeased. "The Mojave will sooner have another nuclear winter before Abernathy agrees to anything short of our destruction, even with the threat of the Green looming over him."

"True," Irving conceded, "But can the same be said about the VIP? We need to know just who arrived in the Mojave, and how they may affect the Colonel's status quo. If it's a government representative come to rein in the Colonel's martial rule, we might be able to parlay with them for an armistice to focus on the common threat of The Green. If it's an officer come to relieve the Colonel's command, the changing over of command will make a perfect opportunity to strike at the NCR. Is that understood, Head Paladin?"

"Yes, Sentinel," Hardin begrudgingly replied, clearly holding some contempt at his mention at Irving's rank.

"Good," Sentinel Irving said. "My orders remain as they are. Keep our warriors prepared for combat. I promise you this, against one foe or the other, we will see battle soon."

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri had seen many interesting people in the tourneys, but he had never seen a group quite like the mercenaries that Alette had with her. The pale woman, the giant armored fighter, the well-dressed woman, they were not what he expected to see of a mercenary company. Fleuri glanced over at Gerard and Fionn- they were more what he anticipated when it came to soldiers-for-hire. Fionn knew Alette- did he know these folks as well?

Fleuri wasn't able to hear what Lein was suggesting, but Tyaethe's rebuke of him told him all he needed to know. Fleuri shook his head in disapproval at Lein's evident suggestion- the very notion was downright appalling, and hoped that Lein meant it as a joke. It might be prudent for the Roses to keep an eye on him, lest he try to drag Fionn and Gerard down to his low standards of behavior.

Tyaethe made a good point with the question she asked- if whatever the mercs were retrieving was the thing that caused this massacre, then it'd be prudent to know what it was, lest the knights unknowingly run afoul of it. If these men and women at the fort were unable to resist its power, most of the knights- barring Tyaethe- would likely fall under its power.

There wasn't much else to say- Fionn and Renar did a good enough job backing Tyaethe.

Fleuri stayed silent but kept a close eye on Alette and her mercenaries, in case they refused to acquiesce to Tyaethe's demands and things went south.

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

It was good that Lonan and Sorcha had finally joined the fight. This wyvern was a nimble one, with Ethelred having barely been able to scratch it so far. With those two, they'd have far more options. Lonan's water powers in particular synergized very well with Ethelred's power over ice.

"Be careful when touching it, Luana thinks its claws are venomous, and it can decay anything that touches it- even ice!" he warned them. His armor and lance could regrow, and Elias could seemingly regenerate any injury, but for the others, he was unsure how well their weapons or bodies would withstand contact with it.

The wyvern, however, had other plans. Seeing that it was outmatched, it decided to target the other knights, for seemingly no reason except to spite them!

"Leave them out of this, wyvern!" Ethelred shouted, no doubt in vain. "My queen, he's going to kill them!" The Frozen Knight moved forward towards the inside of the fort. The most he could do at this point would be to perhaps save one knight...

@Rune_Alchemist@Guy0fV4lor@BrokenPromise

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Roger Falkner

They finally began to make progress on the monstrous doll. Kayliss struck at its joints, giving Velvetica an opening to destroy one of its limbs. The fight wasn't over yet, though. The creature's tough exterior was still holding together, and it still had plenty of limbs with which to make trouble.

So far the Griffin Knight's spear hadn't done much damage, but his attacks had at least managed to disrupt its attempts to strike at Urden. It also looked like the joint he struck had sustained some damage- perhaps another blow would worsen the wound.

Seeing that the creature was momentarily momentary imbalance from losing one of its limbs, Roger swung his spear at the joint, hoping to take advantage of its staggered state and further disrupt its balance. Perhaps the impact from swinging it would have more effect than stabbing at the hard porcelain body.

The Long Afternoon of the Mojave (A Fallout Roleplay)

Sentinel Derek Irving- Hidden Valley Bunker

Irving stood at the McNamara's side, watching as the door to the elder's office opened and Head Paladin Hardin entered. The Head Paladin stood at attention next to Senior Knight Lorenzo and Head Scribe Taggart, dwarfing the two in his T-51b power armor. The Elder pressed a button on his desk, causing the door to close behind Hardin. This was not to be a conversation to be shared with the lower echelons of the Brotherhood, not yet.

"Not that we are all here," the Elder begun, "We can get down to business. There has been an incident that threatens our mission in the Mojave Wasteland. Sentinel?" he asked, gesturing at Irving. The Sentinel stepped forward, the servos in his power armor making a muffled whirring. It was clear from the Elder's voice that his health was declining. Whether it was from years of breathing bunker air, the stress of the position, or simply the ravages of age, McNamara clearly did not have quite the energy that he used to.

"Last night, two of our procurement specialists were arrested by the NCR," he began to explain. "While Abernathy's forces have earned a reputation for making arrests on flimsy pretenses, this was not one of their NCRCF workforce recruitment drives. Shortly after our specialists missed a rendezvous, a recon team operating out of the northeastern safehouse spotted NCR Rangers escorting two prisoners to Fort Golf. We must assume that the NCR has arrested them on suspicion of being Brotherhood of Steel, and intends to interrogate them as to our whereabouts."

The Sentinel paused to give the assembled subordinates an opportunity to process this information.

"While the NCR has laws regarding treatment of prisoners of war, they do not always follow these laws even when with the shadow of Shady Sands hanging over them. Colonel Abernathy, being largely free of NCR oversight, will almost certainly not heed these laws. They will try to break our brother and sister."

"It won't matter," Hardin spoke up. "Even if our brother and sister prove unbreakable, the NCR still has proof of our presence in the Mojave. Now that they know we are here, they will scour the Mojave until they find us. We must go on the offensive and strike while we still have the element of surprise."

"There is another problem that this presents," Lorenzo added. "We needed the food and supplies that they procured. It was difficult enough for Veronica keep this chapter fed when it was at under half strength. With our current numbers, our stockpile of provisions will not last if we remain hidden in the bunker."

"...I'm afraid you are both correct, we cannot remain hidden," Irving conceded. While the Brotherhood was no longer under a lockdown, they had made great efforts to avoid drawing the attention of the NCR. They only sent small patrols out at night, avoided roads and towns, and kept to the largely depopulated western regions of the Mojave. With the arrest of their agents, the façade was crumbling. They could no longer fly under the radar.

"There is no better time to strike than now," Hardin asserted. "Abernathy's forces are stretched thin, unsupported, and much of their strength is bogged down maintaining their occupation. Give me a few targets, and I will blind and cripple the NCR before they can make a move against us."

"Or you'll bring another ruinous battle to us," Taggart interjected. "Our reports state that even with most of their men tied up maintaining their grip, they will still outnumber our own forces at least ten to one, and many of them are hardened veterans. The VR scenarios based on these parameters paint a grim picture of our chances..."

"Your simulations tell us nothing, Taggart," Hardin shouted, angered. "The last time we took tactical advice from a scribe, we lost over half the chapter."

"Enough!" Irving rebuked them both. "While the NCR is a considerable obstacle that will assuredly need to be dealt with, defeating them is not the primary objective of our mission. If there is a way to sidestep them without weakening our ability to oppose The Green, I will take it. However, Hardin is right that we must act quickly and decisively, and all of us must do our part."

The Sentinel walked up to the three Brotherhood members. "Head Paladin, you will get our Knights and Paladins combat-ready. Send a few Eyebot teams out to give us eyes on the surface. Senior Knight, your orders are to ensure our warriors have the equipment that they need. Lastly," he paused, standing over Taggart, "Boot up Black Mountain's radio transmitter, and tell Scribe Santangelo to fetch two eyebots and meet me in the war room in an hour. You are all dismissed. Ad Victoriam!"

The three subordinates immediately headed out to carry out their tasks. After the last of them left, Irving turned around to face McNamara. The Sentinel's mask of stoic professionalism faded, making way for an expression of weariness.

"I knew this would happen eventually. Tell me, Elder, do you think that the NCR could be persuaded to a ceasefire for the sake of stopping the growing threat of The Green?"

"Not with Abernathy," the Elder answered. "Our ambitions and mission are not at a cross purpose to theirs, and there are some in the NCR that would agree to a truce, but the Colonel is not one of them."

"No, I guess not," Irving replied. "Perhaps, however, his subordinates and subjects will think differently..."

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri lowered his sword as he entered the fort and saw what was within. The inside the fort was a grisly sight to behold. The soldiers within the walls were dead, killed in a variety of violent, gruesome ways. This wasn't the first time Fleuri had seen the aftermath of a battle before- back when he was a squire, he and his mentor beheld the aftermath of several small battles and skirmishes of the War of the Red Flag They walked upon the ground where just days or even hours before, soldiers fought and killed one another, with bodies left to the scavengers.

While his past experiences had steeled Fleuri for this terrible sight, it didn't do anything for the bewilderment he felt when he looked at the scene. Unlike those battlefields, this fort didn't appear to have any corpses of an opposing force- the bodies all appeared to be Thaln soldiers. Furthermore, the position of the bodies was such that the soldiers had never managed to mount a defense against an attacking force. Lastly, there was no getting around the seriousness of this- an entire fort slaughtered within a day without having managed to put up any resistance against whoever or whatever did this, beyond a dying, maddened messenger. If Fanilly's band of Roses were to run into it, could they hope to fare any better?

When the door to the interior of the fort suddenly opened, Fleuri immediately readied his weapon, startled but ready for a fight. The newcomer to the scene (even if technically, she had no doubt been present at the fort longer than the knights) was a young woman of short stature, carrying a red spear. For a moment he thought that they'd have found another band of bandits, but the girl's words suggested she was just as confused at the fort's state as the Roses were. Still, Fleuri kept his guard up, ready to back up the captain as she demanded the spearwoman's surrender.

Fortunately, things did not escalate. The shark-toothed woman had no interest in fighting the Iron Roses, and perhaps more interestingly, some of the other knights recognized her. Sir Gerard called her by name- Alette the Shark- and identified her as part of a mercenary band that normally operated further north. Sir Fionn took it even further- he addressed her as an old associate or friend whom he knew personally.

It was definitely advantageous that they had with them a few knights with mercenary backgrounds.

If she's okay by their standards, she's okay with me, Fleuri thought as he complied with Fanilly's orders to search the bodies. A cursory examination yielded a rather disturbing find- the soldiers appeared to have killed each other. Many of them had wounds made by the weapons held by the corpses beside them. Other corpses gripped the weapons that fatally injured them, as if they had killed themselves. No wonder there were no outsider bodies here- the soldiers were the only combatants when this happened.

While examining the bodies generated as many questions as it had answered, some of the knights brought up was one other matter that still hadn't been explained- what was Alette's band doing here? Fleuri turned back towards the mercenary, curious as to what the answer would be. Alette probably wouldn't just give away her employer, but perhaps she could at least give some context as to why she was here.

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Captain Argus Fellborn

This thing was tough- this was the first time since his resurrection that Argus had sustained any real injury. The first time he felt real, physical pain. At least he had some idea as to what his physical limitations were now.

The human woman was quite courageous. Not a thrall, by the look of it, but willing to work with vampires. Not that she had much of a choice, when the alternative was annihilation. Meanwhile, the red-haired vampire was proving to be a decent ally, looking out for the well-being of the human, for whatever her reasons- enthrallment, blood, or something else- were.

The monster also seemed to have a particular interest in the human woman. It made a second attempt to attack, lunging at her with seeming intent to devour her, while striking at the cleric with its other claw. Argus couldn't be sure if it somehow recognized that the vampires were poorer eating or, like many predators did, it was just going for the weakest of the group, but there was one thing that was very clear.

In this brief moment, his foe had the gall to ignore him.

There was only one suitable punishment for this affront. He must make this thing recognized firsthand that disregarding the Red Tide was more than just insulting, it was also quite dangerous. Argus gripped his cutlass with both hands to compensate for the injured right arm, and thrust it at the beast's neck, where the jugular would approximately be on a human. He'd then try to rip the sword against the beast's incoming momentum, trying to open the wound as much as possible before his blade was withdrawn.

@Rune_Alchemist@Pyromania99

The Long Afternoon of the Mojave (A Fallout Roleplay)

Sentinel Irving

Name: Sentinel Derek Irving

Appearance: Irving is a fit Caucasian man of average height in his mid-40's, whose face and body shows signs of the hard life that he's lived. He has short, graying black hair and light stubble. His body harbors several scars, as well as several bullet fragments from at least one AP 5.56 round- and possibly more.

Affiliation: Brotherhood of Steel Mojave Chapter

Previous Affiliations: Brotherhood of Steel San Francisco Chapter

Gear/Equipment: Irving's personal combat attire includes T-51b Power Armor formerly owned by a now-fallen Mojave Chapter Paladin, and a suit Recon Armor when out of his power armor. Having gone up against the NCR's Rangers and snipers in the past, he has opted to not include any rank markings on his armor. His preferred weapons are a P94 Winchester Plasma Rifle, an AEP7 laser pistol for a sidearm, and a Ripper for a melee weapon.

Background:
Derek Irving was born to Brotherhood parents in Lost Hills in 2243. During his early life, he chose to pursue the path of a Paladin and upon attaining the rank, was assigned to the San Francisco Chapter. While Irving distinguished himself in the war with the NCR, even scoring two confirmed Ranger kills (and one unconfirmed), he harbored a number of outspoken views that strained his relations with his superiors. He claimed that the war with the NCR was a mistake, that they should have targeted the Shi and Van Graffs instead. Furthermore, he had a reputation of destroying technology that he deemed too dangerous to fall into the hands of the "unenlightened".

In one particularly controversial incident, Irving's team discovered a lost Robobrain maintenance and repair facility, he set its atomic reactor to melt down rather than risk anyone getting their hands on what he saw as a travesty of life and technology, despite his elder's wishes to use the facility against the NCR. Because of the increasingly dire situation that the Brotherhood was in, they couldn't afford to get rid of a seasoned veteran like him, so instead they had him "kicked upstairs", being promoted to Senior Paladin and tasked with training initiates inside of the bunker.

When word reached his ears of the young Arthur Maxson's successful ascension to Elder, Irving became an outspoken supporter of Maxson's policies and interpretation of the Codex. When the western elders received instructions from Maxson to deal with The Green, Irving was promoted to the formerly East Coast exclusive rank of Sentinel and sent with a group of other veteran Brotherhood members to the Mojave Wasteland under the cover of NCR refugee waves. He suspects that his promotion to this station is less due to the elders' confidence in him, and more a way to kick him even further upstairs and away from them.

While McNamara remains the Elder of the Mojave Chapter, his declining health has allowed Irving to serve as the de facto leader of the Brotherhood. Since arriving at Hidden Valley, Irving has worked to understand the situation in the Mojave, its major players, and the Brotherhood's own position here. He's had to deal with the logistics of the chapter's increased numbers and the harsh reality that even with the NCR gone, the holdouts still want them dead and have the numbers to make it happen. His time in San Francisco may have prepared him for weirdness, but the situation in the Mojave is nothing like anything he's seen before.

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

The wyvern had avoided the knights' attempt to swiftly kill it. Perhaps most alarming was seeing ice seemingly rot off of its face. What kind of monster could cause the gruesome impossibility of making water decay? It'd clearly be a good idea to not let the thing touch him- Ethelred's armor might not be able to withstand the wyvern's corruption.

At least they were able to get some more information out of it. The wyvern claimed to be the Herald of War, and that the big black one was the Herald of Perdition. This was just one of many signs that it was closely affiliated with their fallen foe. Come to think of it, the emblem on its head was similar to that on the so-called Herald of Perdition's chest.

As the wyvern curled into a ball and charged again, the Frozen Knight braced his lance against the ground, ready if it came after him. Instead, however, the wyvern turned to target Luana instead. As it descended upon Luana, Ethelred charged at the monster, swinging his lance at it like a bludgeon. Luana didn't have Elias' immortality or Ethelred's armor, so it would be wise to not let it hurt her.

@BrokenPromise@Rune_Alchemist@Guy0fV4lor

The Long Afternoon of the Mojave (A Fallout Roleplay)

Here's my faction submission. Character sheet submission will be coming soon. If numbers need to be changed, I'll make the necessary changes.

Brotherhood of Steel

Faction Name: Brotherhood of Steel Mojave Chapter

Description: Formerly led by Elijah, the Mojave Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel was forced to go into hiding following a disastrous battle against the NCR at HELIOS One. Having lost their elder and overhalf their knights and paladins, the chapter would have been wiped out had they not fled the battle and taken shelter inside a concealed pre-war military installation in Hidden Valley. Since that fateful day, the chapter has survived by remaining hidden from the NCR and stealthily procuring food and supplies from traders, biding their time and gathering data on the state of things in the Mojave to share with the rest of the Brotherhood.

Recently, however, the other Elders have finally sent aid, along with a new mission from Arthur Maxson himself- to find a way to stop the Green before it can become a threat to humanity's survival. With no allies and the the NCR still hunting for the chapter, however, they will need to seek out allies or uncover pre-war technologies if they want any hope in succeeding in their mission.

Territory: Hidden Valley Bunker

Sphere of influence: The Mojave Chapter has only survived this long by staying under the NCR's radar, and as a result has little influence outside of their bunker. However, they occasionally send research and recon teams into the Green-heavy regions west of New Vegas, and have a few undercover suppliers that work to keep the chapter fed and supplied.

Force Composition: With the reinforcements from the west, the Mojave Chapter currently has 34 paladins, 55 knights, 15 combat-capable initiates, and 34 scribes, with a total population of approximatly 250. Additionally, they possess approximately 20 operational Duraframe Eyebots.

History: The Mojave Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel first came to the Mojave under the direction of Elder Elijah, whose radical ideas put him at odds with the western elders. They occupied the Hidden Valley bunker and HELIOS One power plant, with the latter being of such great interest to Elijah that he made it their headquarters despite being poorly defensible. When the NCR arrived in the Mojave, conflict was inevitable, and in 2276, the NCR carried out Operation: Sunburst, laying siege to HELIOS One. The battle was a devastating blow to the chapter, and in the chaos, their elder disappeared without a trace. The chapter might have been wiped out if it were not for Head Paladin McNamara taking command and leading the remaining Brotherhood defenders in a retreat back to Hidden Valley, where they locked down and hid from the victorious NCR.

For the next few years, the Brotherhood remained hidden, occasionally sending teams of paladins or knights to the surface to perform reconnaissance or seek out technology. While some of these missions led to further losses of Knights and Paladins, they also bore fruit, including the recovery of a armored Enclave Eyebot prototype. It was during one of these expeditions, a failed effort to procure replacement HEPA filters for Hidden Valley's air filtration system, that the Brotherhood first came into contact with the phenomenon now popularly known as The Green, and the deadly effects of its spores.

While the Brotherhood did eventually obtain the needed filters elsewhere, the rapid emergence of this strange new plant life, and its considerable lethality, became a matter of far greater concern. The Brotherhood continued to send expeditions to gather data on The Green, modifying their power and recon armors with self-contained breathing apparatus- and implementing stringent decontamination procedures- to prevent any more fatalities from Greenlung. Meanwhile, the scribes shared whatever data they recovered with the western elders, not just of The Green, but of any technology they had recovered, including the prototype Eyebot.

In 2286, the Mojave Chapter received a contingent of reinforcement from the west, composed of Brotherhood veterans and duraframe eyebots disguised as NCR refugees and civilian-model eyebots. However, this aid did not come without conditions attached- the leader of the reinforcing Brotherhood members, Sentinel Irving, bore an encrypted message from Arthur Maxson himself. The message claimed that based on the data they had gathered, The Green was a threat to humanity and that the Mojave Chapter was to be tasked with stopping it spread by any means necessary, and at any cost. The message further explained that Irving was to be assigned to serve as the chapter's Sentinel to ensure compliance with Maxson's orders.

While some of the Brotherhood (particularly Hardin, who disliked the shakeup to their rank structure that left him third-in-command) were displeased at these changes, they could not deny that the assistance was sorely needed. Over the next two years, the new Sentinel familiarized himself with the region, the chapter he had been assigned to, and the threats that they faced. By 2288, the Brotherhood had identified a number of leads to be pursued, in hopes that at least one of them would allow them to defeat a foe that not even the NCR had been able to best...