You find yourself in E1M1

[foq]

>it's a trap!

[Mindf!3ldzX]

>unseen, you encounter a Vore and Shambler who appear to be in a break room, sitting eating lunch, having a cuppa, comparing lunchboxes and talking about Friday night.

>They spot you and offer a cigarette, "There's a ceasefire till Monday. Wanna play some cards?"

>it's a trap!

(ignore this DK/Shadowswift)

LOOOOL THATS FUCKING AWESOME.

[Adam]

>it's a trap!

>For they are actually notorious card sharks, renowned for there prowess in Texas Hold'Em.

>Fortunately, you now there "tells"








[Apologies, I think I might be bordering on narration here.]

[Shadowswift]

>take the shaft that leads towards the shadows that we are trying to sneak past.

You don't know where exactly that is. It was probably back on the first floor, though.

>invent time travel

You know that thinking of a place while porting with your scythe will take you to that place...You wonder what would happen if you think of a time while porting. Recalling events from precisely ten minutes ago, you attempt a portal slash with your scythe.

...nothing happens. Probably for the best, considering what you were doing ten minutes ago...


>


[[Adam, that is narrating. You're welcome to play, however.]]

[MadGypsy]

>Explore a little bit more but, if we don't find any goodies or a way past the shadows soon, go back to the first floor and find a way.

>Teach Adam the difference between "there" and "their"
[[I couldn't resist. You're too smart to be messing that up.]]

[Adam]

>Explore a little bit more but, if we don't find any goodies or a way past the shadows soon, go back to the first floor and find a way.

>Teach Adam the difference between "there" and "their"
[[I couldn't resist. You're too smart to be messing that up.]]

Sorry!
It's not just there, their & they're.
I do it with your & you're, were & where, I forget which light switch is for which light and call my children & animals the wrong names.
ALL THE TIME.

@Shadowswift:
>Perform a backpack/inventory check.

[Shadowswift]

>Perform a backpack/inventory check.

-Inventory-
-Ammo-
(100) 10ga. Shells
(100) 20ga. Shells
(200) Nails
(100) Lava Nails
(100) Energy Cells
(200) Shadow Plasma Cells
(79) 30-06 Rifle Rounds
(600) 5mm Rounds
(60) 9mm Rounds
(25) .45 Rounds
(10) Conflagration Rockets
(30) Rockets
(1) Super Cell
-Weapons-
Grappling Hook
Maglite
Riot Baton
Protos's Swordstaff
Reaper’s Scythe
Blaster Pistol
10 Gauge Pump Shotgun
Nailgun
Super Nailgun
Shadowpulse Rifle
Plasma Rifle Prototype
R700 (scoped)
Grenade Rifle
Firewall Missile Launcher
Minigun
Chromaspark Prismabolt Cannon
-Consumables-
(11) Stimpaks
(5) Medikits
(2) Medic's Bags
(2) Dream Water Stims
Unopened Bottle of Water
Abyssal Armor
-Misc-
USB cable
Protos's Orders
Dalton Kirk's Journal
Rune of Earth Magic
Mop Head
Wooden Staff
Bottle of Unknown Powder


-Phoenix's Inventory-
-Ammo-
(100) Shells
(200) Nails
(100) Energy Cells
(200) Shadow Plasma Cells
(10) 30-06 Rounds
Charge = 0/100
-Weapons-
Grappling Hook
Maglite
Badly-Bloodied Hand Axe
Fireman’s Axe
Plasma Pistol
REALLY Super Shotgun
Lightspark Rifle
Thunderbolt
-Consumables-
Biosuit
(1) Pristine Void Armor
(2) Stimpak
(4) Dream Water Stims
-Misc-
Burlap Sack*
*(11) Shadow Crystals
*(1) Empty Crystal
USB Flashdrive
Fully-Stocked Toolbox
Complex Networking for Dummies Manual
Rune of Fire Magic
Rune of Wind Magic
Rune of Water Magic
Davis's Laptop
Cobalt Lockbox

-Velen's Inventory-
-Ammo-
(100) Shells
(200) Nails
(100) Energy Cells
(200) Shadow Plasma Cells
-Weapons-
Grappling Hook
Commander’s Sword
Enforcer's Blaster Rifle
Lightspark Rifle
-Consumables-
empty
-Misc-
empty

-Strogg Flyer X's Inventory-
-Ammo-
(100) Shells
(200) Nails
(100) Energy Cells
(200) Shadow Plasma Cells
-Weapons-
empty
-Consumables-
empty
-Misc-
empty

>Explore a little bit more but, if we don't find any goodies or a way past the shadows soon, go back to the first floor and find a way.

You have three options to explore: up, left, or right. As mentioned earlier, you think the floor you're on is the barracks. Left or right will probably take you to the armory or the bunks. Either of those could merit benefits. You notice an odd, yet strangely tantalizing smell wafting down from the floor above you. If you didn't know any better, you'd say it was food. Food...? Who the hell would be cooking here? Taking the shaft below would be considered back-tracking. Considering that you have no idea where Darkscythe or the Libram of the Ancients are, there is no clear answer on where you should go at this point.

>

[ImperiusDamian]

> follow the food smell and find out who (or what) is cooking

[Shadowswift]

> follow the food smell and find out who (or what) is cooking

You climb up the ventilation shaft to the fourth and final floor of the building and find only one shaft large enough for you to climb through. You climb through it, following your nose until you come to a vent covering. You try to peek through it. You see light...looks like candle or torch light, definitely fire whatever it is. You think you see a large cauldron, black and iron. You reach for your blaster pistol....shit, Ted still has it, and Phoenix's plasma pistol. Hm. You reach out with your senses, the lingering darkness within you pulsates as you will it to the surface. Invisible ethereal shadow washes over the room below, acting like a radar. You don't sense anything of Shadow nature down there. You check your console. The RADAR function pings back at least half a dozen friendly pips down there. Survivors?? Hm...you think about this for a second. If you announce your presence, you give yourself away. If there is something hostile down there, it could shoot at you through the vent. You'd be a sitting duck. If you bust through the vent, even if there are nothing but friendlies down there, you might startle them, inciting a firefight. For all they know, you're still The Big Bad Captain here to finish them off. You contemplate the situation for a bit...
...duh, Scythe! There is a corner down there you could scythe to that should keep you well enough out of the way and shouldn't surprise anyone too badly. Also, if they get a little too trigger-happy before you can explain, that big cauldron should provide adequate cover. Let's do it! You wriggle your scythe forward and open a portal to the room. It's small, but it should work. You slide through and pop out the other side behind the cauldron. You take a look around. It's relatively well-lit in here thanks to torches and candles.
To your left is a wooden carver's bench. Underneath it is a cage. Darkscythe is locked within, unconscious. Looks like he's on tonight's menu. To your right is a computer terminal. Right in front of you is the black iron cauldron. Like something out of a witch's kitchen, however the only thing bubbling and troubling in this one is some delightful-smelling stew. There are some potatoes, carrots, celery and other various produce items bubbling within. Looks yummy! All it's missing is one small Fiend...better make sure it stays that way. Ahead are the survivors. One is preparing something for the stew. One is holding a plasma rifle, standing sentry by the only door. There are ten others huddled around a make-shift fire pit, most of them clutching various guns. Hm...diplomacy has never been your strong suit. You wonder how exactly you should best announce yourself without getting shot or added to the menu...


>

[MadGypsy]

>screw diplomacy scythe you and your buddy out of there ninja style. If you can't easily open the cage, teleport the entire thing somewhere safe and then worry about how to open it.

[ImperiusDamian]

> announce yourself as The Doctor and ask if they've seen your TARDIS

[Shadowswift]

>screw diplomacy scythe you and your buddy out of there ninja style. If you can't easily open the cage, teleport the entire thing somewhere safe and then worry about how to open it.

Really? No diplomacy? Hm. Shame...you could really use the help back at your base, and you kind of owe it to these people. I mean, well...it's not entirely your fault, but it was you (or at least a very convincing facsimile of you) that put them in the situation that they're in...holed up in a kitchen, praying they aren't found, living off of scraps and Fiend Stew. Alright, alright...how's this? We'll get Darkscythe out of here, then we'll come back in and get these guys out of here. You creep over to the cage, slide it out from under the table and over behind the boiling cauldron. You then slash a small portal to the Bailey and slide the cage through it. Phoenix awaits on the other side. He begins fretting over Darkscythe's condition.
"Is he gonna be ok??" You slash the cage to splinters with your scythe and pull Darkscythe out. He is ok, just some minor head trauma. He'll recover in no time, but for the moment, he's useless in a fight. You order Phoenix to watch over him and keep the Bailey secure. You return to the kitchen through your portal.
On the other side, you consider how to announce your presence without getting shot.

> announce yourself as The Doctor and ask if they've seen your TARDIS

You work up your best British accent and think of some outlandish story involving wibbley-wobbley something-or-another. Just as you stand to deliver your speech about how it's bigger on the inside, a shaded figure materialized at the door by the sentry. You squint your eyes, trying to see what it is. The sentry does not appear alarmed. He approached the shaded figure.
"You're back. Hey guys, Donovan's back! What did you bring us?" Donovan? So he's the one helping these survivors out?
"Just some fuel for your fires...and some news. The Captain has returned." They all jump to their feet.
"The Captain?? He's back to finish us off?!? Oh damn...everyone, get ready! Donovan, you'll help us fight him off, right??"
"No, that won't be necessary. He's no longer corrupted, at least not that I can tell. He's come back to flush the enemy out and retake the castle." You decide that now would be as good a time as any.
"He's right." You stand and reveal yourself. Every survivor with a gun is now aiming it straight at you. "I'm not here to harm any of you. In fact, I'd rather get you out of here if you'll let me." One of them steps forward and stops right in front of you. You think you recognize him. He places the barrel of his plasma rifle against your chest.
"And what makes you think we'd ever trust you, Captain? Hm? Think we're some kind of morons, that'd we'd fall for your bullshit twice?" You take a step back, he takes a step forward.
"No, you've got this all wrong. Please, I don't want to fight." He shoves his rifle into you further.
"Well...maybe I do. After what you did to the General and all the others, you deserve to die."
"Sergeant, stop. Lower your weapon. Ray speaks the truth. The man spins around.
"How can you trust him, Donovan, after what he did to you?? How can we be certain that he isn't still Protos's pet?"
"Because Protos is dead." you announce. "My team and I killed him ourselves." You show them his gun, sword-staff, and his journal. "These were all his, I'm sure all of you have seen at least one of these items before. I stole them off of his corpse after I blew his head off. I am not his puppet any longer. Lieutenant Phoenix Stockton made damn sure of that." One by one, the survivors begin to lower their weapons.
Believe him. He speaks the truth...and you should all go with him. Only the man standing in front of you remains with his weapon raised.
"You're proposing we abandon our HQ and just leave it to rot with the Shadows festering inside of it? You're all nuts if you think I'd do that!"
"No, friend. I'm going to push the Shadows out of our home and retake this facility for the Corps. Right now, I just want to get you all to safety." The talkative one lowers his rife and steps away from you briefly.
"Wait, wait wait...let me get this straight. You want us to leave and let you single-handedly take on the entire Marine Corps Headquarters? There are hundreds of Shadows creeping around here!" You nod your head.
"I know. But understand this: on my own, I have slain thousands upon thousands of Shadows in the Elder Dimension. A scant few hundred is nothing. Since my body was corrupted by Protos and with this cloak wrapped around me, I've become highly resistant to their Shadow plasma." The sergeant scoffs.
"You don't get it, do you, Captain? Most of these Shadows are our fallen comrades. They aren't using Shadow Plasma! They're using our own weapons! Bullets, shells, rockets! Things that will actually hurt you! I don't think your cloak and whatever weird shadow powers you've gained will protect you against that stuff, now will it?" You....shit. You didn't think of that.
"Don't worry about Ray, sergeant. He is far tougher than any of us can ever understand. There's nothing in this compound that he has any reason to fear. Now, do him and me a favor and get out of here. You'll only get in his way if you stick around." You nod your head.
"Listen to Donovan. Back at my base, we have food, running water, beds, and showers. You'll be taken good care of. Now please..." You slash a portal back to E1M1. "Go." You stow your scythe. The sergeant hesitantly nods.
"Alright, Ray...we'll go. But...just know, we're here if you need us. We're all battle-hardened and ready for a fight. Remember, there's a reason we all survived your onslaught when no one else did." He smirks at you. You open communication with your base and let them know that some refugees are en route. One by one, they leave through your portal. You look up to Donovan.
"Thanks. Your arrival was very timely. They were about to eat one of my followers."
"Oh. The Fiend. Sorry, that was my fault. I found him wandering around, ambushed him, knocked him out and brought him up here for them. They've been depending on me to bring them food and whatnot. I figured some fresh meat would do them good."
"So..." You look at him with inquiry in your eyes. "What are you gonna do now?" He looks down at the floor.
"Don't know, really. I suppose whenever you're done kicking everyone out, I'll stay behind and keep the place safe until the Marines can get it reestablished."
"That's kind of a lonely vigil isn't it? Wouldn't you rather fight?" He chuckles in his hollow, shadowy voice.
"I know what you're trying to do, Ray. You're trying to get me to join you."
"I could use your help, old friend. From what I remember about you and your renowned aim, you'd be really good in a fight." He sighs.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't considering it. The other Shadows are awfully boring company. Being able to talk with the survivors was the only thing keeping me sane...and keeping The Master's voice out of my head. I'd rather not hear his voice again. What the hell...I'll go with you for a bit. Let's get this party started."

Underlord Candor Novando has joined your party!

Candor
Companion
Candor has 250 Health
Candor has 100 Soul Armor
Candor is equipped with the Shadowpulse Rifle
Candor's Console is ON
Candor's Headset is ON

Inventory
Weapons
10 Gauge Pump Shotgun
Shadowpulse Rifle
.45
(2)Black Dagger
Ammo
(200) Shadow Plasma Cells
(100) .45 rounds
Consumables
Shadow Wrap
Misc.
none

This is a Companion character. As such, he cannot be in your party at the same time as Phoenix or Velen. Candor is a good soldier. In terms of power, his strength and toughness pale in comparison to yours. He's stronger than Phoenix, but only when Phoenix isn't using Kaio-Ken. He's a remarkably good shot, however, and is highly renowned for his marksmanship and sniping ability. Being a Shadow, he is naturally gifted at stealth. Ambushing, recon, and any missions requiring discreetness are his specialty. Melee fighting is not really his strongest area, but if he can get the drop on his enemy, he is lethal with his shadowy daggers. Since he does not have a body of flesh and blood, stimpaks and medical items have no effect on him. If he suffers any damage, his Shadow Wrap will repair and "heal" any damage he's endured. Using it, however, requires focus and complete attention, and is something that simply cannot be done while in battle. His console and headset still work, though his console likely needs some upgrades. Candor is his new name. He has accepted it, but will still respond to Donovan.


>

[MadGypsy]

Novan - do
Do - novan

lol... running out of names?

[Shadowswift]

Novan - do
Do - novan

lol... running out of names?

[[Tis an anagram. Lieutenant Conrad Donovan's life has been forever altered. However, due to a glitch in his design (or perhaps just a really strong unbreakable spirit) he's still himself even though he's a Shadow. To match his altered predicament, his name has been altered as well. ]]

[Shadowswift]

[[bump?]]