You find yourself in E1M1

[metchsteekle]

>examine surrounding area

[Shadowswift]

>examine surrounding area

Ahead of you is a submerged passageway
Behind you is the waterway you came through.
To your left and right are some uninteresting walls.
Above you is an uninteresting ceiling.
Below you is an uninteresting floor.

This is a pretty obvious choice since you can't go back the way you came. You take out your Lightspark and fire a few shots down the passage in front of you to light the way. Hm...sure hope some enemy Shadows show up soon. You're gonna run low on Shadow Plasma cells if you keep lighting the base up like this. Anyway, you gather your courage and your 10ga, take a deep breath, and dive in the murk. Phoenix and Darkscythe follow close behind. The passage leads to a very dark, very cold room. You hear what sounds like the hum of electricity. Thats it! The breakers must be in here somewhere. You can't see a foot infront of your face! You dare not fire your weapon...you might hit the breakers. Who knows what that'd do. You feel a tug at your arm. Darkscythe is grumbling at you and pulling you in a certain direction. He must be able to see where the breakers are. You allow him to lead you to them. You follow his lead until he stops. You reach a hand out slowly infront of you until you feel the cold steel of a circuit breaker door. Success!! You fire a single Lightspark bolt at the floor directly under your feet. You search the panal listings for the main relay. When you find it, you throw the switch. All the breakers hum to life. You begin switching on the breakers one by one. The lights above you begin to shine.

Oh crap...if there are any Shadows here, which it would be stupid to assume otherwise, they are now not only aware of your presence here, but they also all know exactly where you are. You should probably get out of this small room with all haste. Lets see...you got down here by swimming through some passageways, before that you........shit. No way you can get back up through that hole. No way you can jump that high. Hm. Even if Darkscythe weren't crippled, he can't jump out of water like that. Goddamn, you wish you had a Grappling Hook. You order your team to head back toward the hole anyway. Maybe you'll figure something out on the way, and if you don't, you might be able to hold off your attackers as they come down.


>

[metchsteekle]

> check out submerged passageway, if it seems feasible to swim through and get to a different room/area without drowning doetmaun!

[Shadowswift]

> check out submerged passageway, if it seems feasible to swim through and get to a different room/area without drowning doetmaun!

You already did that!


>

[foq]

>any exits at the breaker room?

[Shadowswift]

>any exits at the breaker room?

Just the one you came in through and are currently leaving through. It's a linear path from the hole to the room you found Darkscythe in to the breaker room.


>

[foq]

>/inquire inv

[Shadowswift]

>/inquire inv

-Inventory-
Badly-Bloodied Hand Axe
10 Gauge Pump Shotgun
Nailgun
Lightspark Rifle
Grenade Rifle
(100) Shells (10ga)
(100) Nails
(100) Energy Cells
(74) Shadow Plasma Cells
(5) Grenades
(1) map of E1M1's Security Grid
(1) USB cable
(1) medikit
(2) stimpak

[foq]

>Give Darkscythe the medkit, and have him scale the wall through the hole.

[Shadowswift]

>Give Darkscythe the medkit, and have him scale the wall through the hole.

"I.....hm. Why didn't I think of that?" Phoenix grunts. You take out your last medikit and administer it to your pet.

Darkscythe now has 66 health.
Darkscythe is no longer crippled!

There. He should be strong enough to dig his claws and hooves into the aluminum sided walls. You finish the trek back to the water room below the hole. The enemy hasn't reached it yet. You order Darkscythe to climb the wall. He complies and begin gouging his claws into the wall and climbing to the top through the hole. His razor-sharp scythes leave divits in the wall, offering you and your companion a way to follow him upward. You take advantage of this opportunity and follow your pet to the surface. It's good to be on dry land again, but you have a feeling that in this base, that feeling won't last long. Welp, the power is back. That should open up a few passages that were previously sealed off.
grrrrraaawwrghh
You tremble a little. Here they come. You hand one of your remaining two stimpaks to Phoenix and tell him to get ready for combat. You tell Darkscythe to ready himself to pounce. You switch to your Lightspark and ready yourself for combat.
*shuffle shuffle*
You hear them coming. You and Phoenix aim your weapons at the two staircases that lead to the room you're currently in. Darkscythe raises his arms in anticipation. You see them. Dozens of them. Maybe hundreds.
Ho. Lee. Fuck.
They just keep coming. And they see you. They begin firing upon your location. You, having the strongest Soul Armor and most powerful weapon, step in front to take the brunt of the attack. A barrage of Shadow Plasma bounces off your Reaper's Shroud. Hm....ouch?

Ray loses 2 health and 1 armor

Wow. This shroud is amazing. So lightweight, barely existant, but nearly impervious to Shadow Plasma. Phoenix returns fire, aiming purly for headshots. You add to the fight, taking down as many as you can with your Lightspark. Shadows melt away one by one. Darkscythe nimbly dodges enemy fire while slashing away at their legs, slowing their ability to dodge your fire. You fancy you and your companions doing very well. Then you catch another glimps of the staircases....they keep coming. As many as you've destroyed, 10 more line up. This is insane! Their numbers seem limitless! Even with your armor, you won't last forever. And your companions are beginning to take damage, too!

Phoenix's health and armor are steadily falling.
Darkscythe's health is rapidly falling.
Darkscythe is now Partially Crippled

This may be it for you. You've conquered the dimension of Quake, though you don't even remember how or when. Now, you face the new rulers of Quake...and they're more powerful and numerous that you could have ever imagined. A veritable Army of Darkness now stands before you, blasting you with everything they have. Your companions are now ducking behind you, hiding behind your shroud. You try your best to blast the enemy the moment they come into view, but they're starting to charge your position full speed. It won't be long before you are overwhelmed.
"Sir!" Phoenix cries out. "Your grenade rifle! Blast em!!" You whip your grenade rifle out and start firing at the masses. Dozens fall with each blast. You fire all 5 grenades...but they keep coming en masse. Well....it was a valiant effort, boys. Looks like you might very well be done for.
"We have to get back to the slipgate! It's the only way we're gonna get out of this alive!!" You nod and tell your party to stay behind you. You concentrate your fire to clear out a path. You wrap your shroud around your companions, leaving your front partially exposed. Ack!

Ray's health is steadily falling.
Phoenix is now Partially Crippled.
Darkscythe is now Badly Crippled!

You charge toward the slipgate, blasting everything in your path while trying to keep your friends covered. The enemy is coming from the path that lead to the Silver Keycard Door. They must be coming from there, which means one or more of these monsters must have a silver keycard on them. Once you plow through them, its a clear shot to the slipgate. They begin chasing after you. You leap into the slipgate, making sure not to Telefrag your companions. You continue back through the Crypt of Decay and into Yogg-Shargoth's Pitt. You give Darkscythe your last 2 stimpaks to strengthen him up.

Darkscythe now has 62 health.
Darkscythe is no longer crippled!

You order him to climb the wall up to the portal looming above like a window to freedom. He does so with all haste. You follow him up, allowing your wounded friend to cling to you as you climb. Darkscythe jumps from the wall through the portal. You follow. You resume the lead as you enter The Heart of the Dimension. You make a mad dash back to your base with your friends in tow.

Dear God.....hopefully that will at least slow your enemies down. You have to get back to the entrance slipgate to pick up the healing items there sent by HQ. Speaking of which, you call them to report
"Sergeant! Why haven't we heard from you?" The angry, raspy voice of General Navejar is almost a relief. "I've got something for you as soon as you get back to your base to clear off the slipgate. What? You're back there already? Well, what happened at the Installation?"
You give him the low down.
"No shame in that, son. You did what you could with what you had, I commend you for that. I have more medical items for you that I can send as soon as the slipgate is clear, along with that surprised I mentioned before you went to the Installation. I'll also send over what I've come up with just now. You ready?"

[[Continued]]

[Shadowswift]

[[Continued]]

You stop at the entrance slipgate and clear it off.

Ray finds 5 medikits, 10 stimpaks and 3 medic's bags!

"Alright. Heres surprise number one..."

You got the Plasma Rifle Prototype!

"That's the gun I was telling you about a while back, the one R&D was perfecting. We were going to send it over to testing, but we figured you'd have more fun testing it for us. By the sound of it, this came at just the right time!"

This is a fantastic weapon. The projectiles it fires are a cross between the kind fired by the Blaster Rifle and your Lightspark Rifle. Stronger than a laser bolt, but not quite as luminous as the Lightspark. However, it fires them at an insane rate, 12 per second.

"If the tests you perform turn out well, I'll send another one over for Stockton. So...what else has happened? Did you find anything at your sister base?" You tell him about what you've found.
"You've restored power? Excellent. I might be able to probe into the mainframe there, but only if their network connection is still active. Chances are, it isn't. What else? .......what? Did you say...a pet fiend? You're joking. You're not.......don't do anything stupid, sergeant. You know first-hand how dangerous those things are. No, I understand. Just....keep your eye on it. Other than that, I must say that's a pretty impressive feat. What? Oh, right, your other surprise. Incoming..."
You fixate your eyes at the slipgate. A few seconds pass, then, before you materialize a pair of USMC Enforcers.
"Meet Corporal Drew and PFC Larson. They will act as sentinels for your base. They are the two most skilled Enforcers in our military. I've ordered them to destroy any Shadows that enter their field of vision. Unfortunately, this means that they are restricted to The Slipgate Complex and will not journey with you. This also means that powerflow to your slipgate has been fully restored. I have the entire military ready to charge through to your side on your mark."
You refuse
"What? Are you nuts? You can't do this by yourself."
You repeat your refusal.
"Goddamn it, son, don't be a martyr! You already won an entire war by yourself! You don't have to do it alone this time!"
You remind him you aren't alone.
"Jesus H. Christ...I can't send them without your go-ahead, even if I am your CO. Very well, sergeant. Don't fuckin make me regret this! If you fail, I'm sending them in anyway to finish what you started. *sigh* Contact me when you've cleared out the Installation. Out." The general sharply breaks contact.
"Sir? Why did you refuse the Army's help?" You hang your head. This is, and always has been, your fight. There's no need for dozens, scores, hundreds, maybe thousands of good soldiers, men and women, humans, to die.
"I see. Yet you allow me to aid you. Why?" You tell him you need his unique abilities. You can't do this without him. "I'm honored, sir. It is my pleasure to fight at your side." He salutes crisply. You extend a hand forward. Phoenix places his hand upon yours. Darkscythe purrs against your leg. He gently lays a claw upon your and Phoenix's extended hands.

We do this together. And we will win.

>Status

-Character-
You have 76 Health
You have 131 Soul Armor
You are equipped with your Plasma Rifle
Your communicator is ON
Your Console is ON

-Inventory-
Badly-Bloodied Hand Axe
10 Gauge Pump Shotgun
Nailgun
Lightspark Rifle
Plasma Rifle Prototype
Grenade Rifle
(100) Shells (10ga)
(100) Nails
(100) Energy Cells
(23) Shadow Plasma Cells
(1) map of E1M1's Security Grid
(1) USB cable
(5) medikit
(10) stimpak
(3) medic’s bags


-Companion-
Phoenix has 41 Health
Phoenix has 19 Soul Armor
Phoenix is Partially Crippled
Phoenix is equipped with the Blaster Rifle
Phoenix's Communicator is ON
Phoenix's Console is ON

-Companion's Inventory-
REALLY Super Shotgun
Enforcer's Blaster Rifle
(98 ) Shells(10ga)
(41) Energy Cells
(1) Fully-Stocked Toolbox
(1) Complex Networking for Dummies Manual


-Pet-
Darkscythe has 62 health
Darkscythe has 0 armor

Mkay, first order of business, get ourselves fixed up. You use one of your Medic's Bags on Darkscythe, give one to Phoenix, then use one on yourself.

Your party is fully healed

Righty-o. You hand your Lightspark Rifle to Phoenix as well as your remaining Shadow Plasma Cells. You then call up HQ.
"Lieutenant Hastings. Whats up, sergeant?"
You ask for some flashlights. Just in case...
"Um....sure, Ray."

You got the Maglite!
Phoenix got the Maglite!

"Anything else?"
Ammo. Lots of it.
"Lets see. I've got three large boxes of grenades here that the general scrounged up earlier. I also have another 100 cells you can use for your Plasma Rifle."

Your energy cells are now maxed at 200.
You receive 30 grenades.

"What else?"
"Any chance of getting us some Soul Armor?" Phoenix yells out.
"Soul Armor? No can do, buddy. If you want regular armor, we can get you some...but any kind of Shadow tech is gonna have to come from your end. That includes Shadow Plasma Cells. Sorry."
"How about a Rocket Launcher?" He asks.
"Negative. Next?"
Wait, why can't they get you a rocket launcher?
"'Cause we can't. Sorry. Next?"
Wtf....
"Alright, look...the Army we have standing by is outfitted with a great deal of our current resources. We *would* have sent them in to help you out...but, well....you know."
And they can't take one from them?
"No. If you die, we need everyone outfitted to their fullest. If you want an RL, you're gonna have to find one of your own."
Lame.
"Well, if there is nothing else..."

Hm. IS there anything else?


>

[foq]

>You speak with the General:
"Sir, we keep running into these damn underwater caves. You think you could spare us some rebreathers? And, uh... I know it's not quite standard military gear, but I could use something to help me calm my nerves..."

[Shadowswift]

>You speak with the General:
"Sir, we keep running into these damn underwater caves. You think you could spare us some rebreathers? And, uh... I know it's not quite standard military gear, but I could use something to help me calm my nerves..."

Its actually Lieutenant Hastings you're speaking with right now. General Navejar is a little pissed off at you and your decision, but he'll cool off eventually.
"Hm, don't have any rebreathers. We can get some Wetsuits from the Navy, though. I'll tell the Navy to teleport them over directly. Stand by..."

Ray and Phoenix receive Wetsuits!

"Sir?" Phoenix butts in. "What about Darkscythe?"
"Don't worry." The lieutenant replies. "Our studies show that the minions of Quake don't breathe. Your Fiend should be just fine underwater. That is...if it can swim."
Darkscythe looks at his claws and hooves.
"Its ok. I'll tow you along." Phoenix pats the Fiend on the head between his horns.
"Now then, about your other problem...give this a try. I think you'll like it."

Ray receives a fifth of 'Liquid Courage'

"That stuff'll strip the varnish off a footlocker, but it'll also stimulate your adrenal and testosterone glands. A shot of this stuff, and you'll be able to look Death right in the face and spit at him."
Good thing...you might actually have to do that if the Reaper is, infact, still alive.
"One thing, sergeant. Do you have any info about who or what the Shadows are yet? Perhaps who they serve? What their motives are? Where they came from?"
You tell him what you know.
"Chthon. You still don't remember fighting him, do you?"
You still don't remember any of your previous exploits in Quake. The Shadow's hold on your memory took full effect long ago. Everyone keeps telling you you're some big hero. Sucks that you have no idea what they're talking about. You brush it aside. Internal turmoil will have to wait. You have a dimension or two to save.
"We'll consult the scribes. If they can come up with any info on Chthon, we'll let you know. For now, we still need more intel about the enemy. If you can figure out exactly what they are and where they came from, you tell us immediately."
Alright. Well, lets gather ourselves before we charge back into that Army of Darkness. You order Phoenix to research Chthon. After a few minutes, he returns to you with news.
"Sir, what I've figured out may not be very helpful, but its all I've got. Do you remember anything about your fight with the Elder God?"
You shake your head.
"Well, turns out that conventional weapons were completely useless against him. Buckshot, Nails, Rockets, nothing could hurt him except the failsafe device built into his lair...which you eventually used to fell him. Supposedly, even the Reaper's scythe was completely ineffectual against him. Chthon also had no mind and no soul, so the Shadow's soul-rending Shadow Plasma couldn't harm him, either. This is why he was so effective at keeping the Shadows out of his dimension. He was the perfect weapon against them."
You nod along.
"It would seem to me that in order to gain any kind of momentum in this fight, we will need to-"
Your console starts beeping. You open it.
"Sergeant, this is Scribe Irish of the USMC Research Department. Lieutenant Hastings tasked me with looking up info about the Elder God Chthon and getting my findings to you. Here is what I've found."
The scribe tells you everything Phoenix just told you. You nod along. Phoenix fumes with anger behind you.
"It seems to me that in order to get a good foothold against the Shadows, we will need to-
ressurect Chthon."
"RESSURECT CHTHON!!!!" Phoenix screams. "I thought of it first!!!" He storms off, mumbling.
"...anyway, we're still working on how exactly to ressurect an Elder God. I'd suggest the Well of Wishes, but I'd be willing to bet that such a request would be unreasonable to the powers of the Well. I'll get back to you when I have something. Good day."
You stand in the courtyard, befuddled. So...now we have to reset the powers of Quake that you apparently worked so hard to destroy. Fucking. Great. You head over to the Mainframe to see if Phoenix has any input. You may have a bit of downtime while Research looks for a way to do this wretched act. Anything you want to get taken care of?


>

[foq]

>ask HQ for a quarter

[metchsteekle]

> make sure base is secure