A Herbal Remedy [Closed] [Finshed]

Blazen wasn't surprised, just...ashamed of himself that Cross brought it up. He was completely silent along the way to the trip, him trying to stop taking any. He didn't bring anything up, didn't even talk, but kept walking. When they arrived at the small spring, he stayed the furthest away from Cross. He now knew he had it all wrong, this guy. Just because Shield was taking drugs, and trying to get off it, Cross was judging him poorly. When they opened the crate, he was away from them, although a moment of curiosity overcame him, causing him to see what was inside. He didn't touch anything, just looked around the crate and inside. There was lots of things that would benefit anyone here, but most of the people in this group would probably horde it all before its too late. Blazen walked away, and started grabbing all his stuff and putting it carefully into his saddlebags. His mint-als were right on the ground, the last item he didn't want to pick up. He lifted it, and threw it away in the distance. He didn't want anything to do with them ever again.

Sides', wasn't like this could get any worse anyhow.

Lightning stuck with the group and just like ordered, did a recon flight around the area every 30 minutes during the trip, switching off between him and Sky. Each and every time, he would return and just gave a simple, "It's clear," to Cross who ended up being the leader of the group. Still, he had to admit that Cross was doing a rather good job leading considering the conditions of the other members of the group. But it still burned a little within himself to be taking orders from a former enemy.

When they arrived at the steam, Lightning would take some water in his canteen and soon get back on their journey. During one of his recon flights, he caught sight of the crate from the sky and reported it back to the others. Once Scrap Parts opened it up, he peaked inside to see some of the items in it. 'Not bad...good break for us...' The pegasus would then walk away from the box and let the others take the items. He was already well armed and didn't need those weapons or ammo. This gave him the perfect chance to check his new rifle and make any adjustments to his scope. Pulling it out, Lightning used it to scan the horizon. Somepony had to watch out for enemies while the others were distracted.

Sky and Lightning had a good thing going, each taking turns to recon the path ahead. Haven't being attacked in a awhile was a good path they choose, just like Zestari said not really much out here. Sky sighed as there they paused at the spring, a really good place to rest up in the meantime. Scrap managed to open up the crate and reval the contents inside, a really good way to start off the day.

Sky stayed staring at the two objects she wanted to have, the grenades. "If anyone doesn't mind ill take the two grenades, unless someone disapproves of this."

Cross let out a sigh of relief when it became apparent that no pony was going to doubt him, they'd at least give him this chance. What he said to Blazen Shield was purhaps a bit on the harsh side but it was true, the group had a right to know a junkie would be fighting alongside them, other than that, Cross didn't care, he'd never seen someone escape addiction with their mind intact so to him it meant Blazen's mind was already lost.

When the group came upon a lockbox that Scrap managed to jiggy open, Cross managed to grab himself two fragmentation grenades, he was no 'pro' but he was still helluv effective with explosives.

"Sorry Sky, but I think its best if I take those, I have alot of experience with explosives" Then Cross used his magic to draw out the other things in the case, and he floated the 9 mm machine gun & reinforced leather over to Atriark

"Take this, and today you become a stallion" Cross then turned his attention to Winter, the syringe of Med-X floated over to her.

"I think we all know you can make best use of this WInter.

And lastly Cross drew out the 10mm and tossed it over to Blazen...he didn't like giving dregs guns, but he had no choice....still, what was the worst he can do?

Atriark looked at the contents he would have liked the 10mm. It was superior to a 9 mil, that was if it wasn't in poorer condition. Instead, he got the sub and the armor and a comment that was either a crude remark on his preceived sexuality or a friendly jab.

Personally, Atriark didn't like autos, they chewed through ammo like a starving man does to food. But he could get a pretty cap for them. The armor was probably better than his own Armored Stable Barding, but he had grown attached to it. It had been the zebra's favorite clothing before it was made into amor, and he had pretty much worn it all his life. He stuffed the gun and armor into his saddle bag.

He sighed and chose not to comment as there was nothing he wanted to say. He sat on his haunches and waited for the group to get moving again.

When Blazen was handed a 10mm, he grabbed it in his mouth, and threw it back. "Im not a dreg, nor am i your damn crony, so no." He said to him with a tone of defiance. "Side's, im not sure that Zebra's even going to even use that leather armor." He said, looking at the Zebra. He checked his saddle bags for anything missing, then closed them securely. "Im ready to go." He said, without looking back at the group. Soon the withdrawal of Mint-als will happen, and he will be weaker with each step.

The lockbox wasn't that hard to open once Scrap spotted it, just a bit of fiddling and it popped open. Sadly there wasn't anything that interested him in the box, so Scrap didn't really care when Cross started to distribute the contents.

Backing away from the box to wait till everything is distributed he watched the exchange between Cross and Blazen with great intrest, as it appeared they didn't seem to like each other. This could lead to problems later, a team that does't like each other is bad news.

The brown buck threw the 10mm in the dirt and Atriark stood up. it was obvious the drab earth pony would much rather have the armor than the gun.

"He's right, I'm just gonna sell it." Atriark said to Cross who had assumed the role of leader and loot destributor. "If you want it, I'll take the ten and you can have the armor." Atriark offered the brown stallion.

Sky was about to answer Cross till Blazen threw back the pistol, almost in a fit of rage. This cant be good, just left Stableton hours ago and now we start with this. "Blaze, don't be an idiot. Just take the dam gun, shut up, and lets keep on walking to the swamp. the faster we get this done the better you dont have to be stuck with Cross, Ok?" Sky said to the brown pony, lost all hope of even to start a day with out interruption.

Lightning listened to the argument behind him with a sigh. Lowering the rifle from his eye, he would look back to see Blazen refuse the pistol that Cross distributed. The blue pegasus knew of Blazen's addiction to the Mint-als and no doubt that this was retaliation for earlier. Calling out his problem in front of everypony.

He put the rifle back on his back as he began to walk back to the group. Before he arrived though, Lightning saw the discarded Mint-als laying on the earth. He paused for a moment before discreetly picking them up and throwing them into his bag. If the withdrawal symptoms get too serious, Lightning knew what he needed to do then.

Walking up to the group, the pegasus would say to Blazen, "Listen. I know you don't like Cross being in charge. But so far, he has done a good job and I insist that you don't put your pride over your common sense. Just take the gun. It's going to save your life one day." With that said, he would return to his old position away from the group, taking his rifle back out and scanning around for enemies again. He had his EFS activated so that if anything pops up, he'll catch it immediately.

Winter took the Med-X syringe and added it to her collection of medical materials. She smiled at Cross before replying. "Thanks" she said simply before She cringed as there seemed to be some heated tension between the brown buck named Blazen Shield, and Cross. She didn't like that there was arguments already and she had to wonder how this might effect their situation in the long run. More importantly it also made her question who could be trusted and who couldn't. Although she had these thoughts she knew she could at least trust Cross a little more then she could the other ponies. He had asked her on a date which had them both spending a night together at a carnival. He'd even got her flowers. No buck had treated her so nicely before and the thought made her smile to herself as she recalled the night. She pushed the thoughts aside however as she refocused on what was going on. It seemed one of the Pegasus's was talking to Blazen, probably trying to calm down the situation.

Cross shrugged and stared at Blazen. "Hey newbie, want some cheese with that wine? look.....I'm just trying to keep it fair, you can just as easily trade with each other if you want. You're getting pretty upset over what is just a 'suggestion', I'm not here to control you, you're free to listen or not but if you're going to do this at every milestone then maybe you aren't ready to work as part of a team". At this point in time, this idiot was starting to really get on Cross's nerves, normally he would've taken action, but it was already too blantant that Blazen was being selfish and only looking to argue, Flash was already trying to take action himself

Cross sighed, next he'd probably do something stupid like really actually challenge Cross....

Hoping to break up what seemed like what would soon become a fight Scrap interjected before Blazen could respond.

"Umm...guys, as much as I'd like to see somepony other then me get sent through the cloud layer, we should probably get a move on, infighting wont get us anywere."

"Alright." He said, listening to everyones suggestions and even Cross. He sighed, looking over his thoughts thoroughly before speaking. "I-im not going to bring this up again. I've already made a mess of things already, and a bad impression." He said, and went over to the Zebra. "Sorry for that whole gay thing...? Back at the tavern. I misjudged you." He said, and picked up the one 10mm and set it by the zebra's foot. These past few days have been..a little hard. Not to mention the whole tavern incident, that was really out of hand on his part. He looked in his saddlebags, and found one single 10mm mag he was given. He put it alongside the gun, and also put down ten caps. "I hope this is settled." To be honest, he needed to hide his internal emotions or this journey will be a hell of a lot harder for the rest of the people. He needed to keep his mouth shut and morale...not depressing. But then again, that was Cross's whole thing, so he wouldn't touch it.

Atriark looked at the caps, a little shocked. The earth pony certainly rude in the bar, but Atriark just chalked it up to him being drunk, really drunk.

"Sir, you can keep your caps. As I understand it, you were drunk and I did make it appear that I was a colt cuddler. I will give you the armor for the gun and we can put what happened at the bar behind us."

Atriark pulled out the reinforced leather armor and placed it at the drab pony's hooves. He then removed his own 9mm from the holster and placed it in his saddle bag, next to it's submachine brother. Grabbing the ten with his teeth, he holstered the pistol where it's weaker cousin once was. "There was a reason that I didn't fight you at the bar."

Though I don't quite know the extent myself.

"Im still really sorry about that, by the way." He said, and picked up the caps and stuck the barding in his saddlebags carefully. He'd need to go behind a tree or something in a few minutes. If only this had come with a helmet, then his life would basically be complete. The barding seemed cool enough, including the fact that it sort of had its own bling to it. He moved into the forest a little bit, 9MM at hand. He went near a tucked part of the forest, where trees were basically covering the place, and Blazen then took the saddlebags off, and opened the part where the suit was being kept. He then took off his own leather barding, then stuck it in there. He grabbed the barding with his mouth and slowly put it on, as to not break the fabric or special barding. They were made for stopping bullets, yes, but he sort of needed to be careful with this sort of thing. He moved around in his new boots for mountain climbing(spikes on the bottom), and put his 9MM in his holster. He grabbed his saddlebags and lifted it, carefully, back on him. They fit perfectly. He walked back to the group and this was about the time the depression kicked in. He seen something in the forest behind him, and a single person that kicked his memories.

It was his father. But no-one else could see it, no-one else could even see foot patterns. It was a hallucination. Something his mind did to try to cope with the drug addiction. He was left staring at something that truly wasn't there. He seen an eyeball torn out, he seen all of the gore that was there when his father was attacked. He looked so disturbing, so crazy, that you yourself would go crazy. Shield was scared, and he was frozen in place. This was his father in his last moments. This...was his father. But he was dead. Completely dead. He had set up a fire and burned his fathers corpse. This cant be right. This wasn't any symptom of Mint-al addiction. This was terrible. There was nothing that could tell anyone what he was seeing, aside from the expression on his face.

As Blazen put the armour on, the rest of the group packed up and got ready to move on, wanting to make the best of what remained of the day, and so they marched, drearily, for the horizon.

Their largely joyless journey through the devastated landscape was interrupted when their nostrils were assaulted by a horrible stench, the direction of which they were unable to determine. Continuing on, a large obtuse mound seemed to be the source of the horrid smell.

Slowing as they got nearer and the smell grew increasingly intense and nauseating, they were instantly halted when it appeared that the mound (a dead brahmin, on closer inspection) moved, jerking very slightly.

Before the group could react to this, there was a high pitched squeal to the group’s left and they could see a large, hairy radhog screaming in their direction.

A series of squeals erupted from the mound and several more radhogs emerged from behind it, charging towards the group churning dust under their hooves and snorting aggressively.

With their superior numbers, they decided they were going to fight ferociously for their fantastic feast of festering flesh.

---

The Intrepid Entourage:

Name:	HP:	DT	Cond:
Atriark	225	18
Blazen	285	18
Cross	210	24
Flash	240	11
Scrap	205	25
Sky	230	16
Winter	215	6

Baddies: Angry Radhogs

Name:	Health:	Cond:
Radhog 1	Healthy
Radhog 2	Healthy
Radhog 3	Healthy
Radhog 4	Healthy
Radhog 5	Healthy
Radhog 6	Healthy
Radhog 7	Healthy

---

See the combat system in all its glory!

USE THE DICE BAG AND JUST PUT YOUR ROLL AT THE END OF YOUR POST

((For this combat – and this combat only (for now) – roll two attacks per turn. The management is completely confident in the integrity of the combat system, but circumstances moderately within our control have caused some concern regarding possibly excessive duration of combat encounters.))

((Flash, can you send me info on what armour you have? I'll correct your value in the table when you do))

Lightning smiled slightly as he heard Blazen giving in and trying to make peace with Cross. Once the group was packed and ready, he put away his rifle and fell back in line with the others.

As they walked, the incredible smell that slowly got stronger the more they walked made Lightning cringe and he commented out loud, "Jeeze, I wonder what died around here..." Once the dead brahmin came in view, he muttered lowly, "Well, that explains it." Suddenly, a large group of radhogs emerged and the pegasus didn't waste his time in unfolding his wings and taking off to the sky, drawing his SMG in one fell swoop.

Yelling at the group below, he said, "Fall back! Pick them off one at a time!" Lightning hovered over the group and in an attempt to slow the hogs down, the pegasus unloaded his entire clip toward the herd, hoping to hit one or more.

(Shooting toward closest hog. Gun 65. Luck 4. Roll: 72 + 15 = 87)

Scrap fell towards the back off the group when they got moving again. As he was walking he started to daydream untill the strong scent of rotting flesh assaulted his nostrils jolted him out of his fantasy.

When the radhogs attached and Lightning took to the sky telling them to fall back, Scrap happily complied, drawing his lightning pistol and loosing a beam of electrical death towards the second radhog.

(Shooting at second radhog. Energy weapons 50, Luck 6 Roll: 54+13=64)

Trotting amongst the group, not doing much of anything. The party was large, larger than he felt was necessary for a relatively easy task. Atriark fell into his per usual 'Don't do anything to draw attention' mood. The group didn't seem to want to talk much anyways. Most seemed to ignore the zebra.

Then there was the sharp smell of death in the air the direction of which Atriark, and no other, could determine. Without much pause, the group continued along it's path. Steadily, the smell grew worse, they were certainly heading for, or near the kill.

Sure enough, there it was, off in the distance, a brahmin. Without much thought running through Atriark's head, upwards of seven Rad Hogs appeared, squealing and charging towards the party.

Atrairk had his ten out and his EFS up, but he was in the center of the group. Not wise to fire off a round there, might hit a friendly more often than a Radhog. Atriark side stepped until he was out of the way of the other members of his party. Taking aim, Atriark fired off three rounds into the radhog furthest right.

(Firing at furthest right radhog. Guns 45. Lucky 6. Roll 69 + 12 = 81)

Being in the in group as they wander the waste got boring real soon, until a stench over took the group. It was a dead Brahmin on the hill dead for days, a minute later they saw what had killed it, Radhogs.

Just like flash Sky took to the Sky, Taking out her ten milliliter pistol and fired off in to the group of hogs.

(Shooting the fourth hog. Guns 79. Luck 5. Roll 78+17=95)

Winter had remained quiet as the group ventured through the Equestrian Wasteland. Not because she was worried about anything but simply because she hadn't much to say on anything. That was of course until a foul strength invaded her nostrils. She put a hoof to her nose as she turned her nose away, making a disgusted expression as she looked for the noise. And that was when she saw them.. and heard them. Winter wasn't much of a fighter so she did as she was asked and stayed relatively close to Cross before she drew her nine millimetre. She had never used the gun before but she guessed there was a first time for everything. She aimed at the group of creatures and hesitated, only slightly, before firing the pistol.

(Shooting the hog on the left. Guns: 14. Luck: 5. Roll 75+2 = 77)

It stank. It stank more then buffalo crap mixed in with diarrhea from a dragon. Although that was just his imagination. He moved with the group, his gun in his mouth ready to fire. He was still a little scared from what had happened earlier, his dead father showing up. But nopony else had seen it, and it definitely wasn't a side effect from the withdrawal of Mint-als. He was already thinking of how many things that sucked in his life, counting it all out. He never thought in the short few minutes of peace about the good things. Not like he'd even experience them. This would get a lot worse, but he had to keep his mouth shut. Morale wouldn't be good. Suddenly, the party was attacked by Radhogs, and he attacked a radhog that was heading towards him.

(I attacked Radhog 5.)

Cross cranked his head when the radhogs began charging the group and the rest of the ponies behind him opened fire, they didn't need to kill them just injure and crush their spirits so they run off.

After all...they were just animals following their instincts. Perhaps angering them more than the group had wasn't the best idea.....something flashy could perhaps get to go back, too bad Cross didn't have any spells like that. He just dug in his hooves, clenched his teeth, and began his spell.

"Hold your fire guys!"

(Magic 100, Luck 9, putting up shield for hogs to ram into...)

Radhog actions.

The majority of the group of radhog are coming from the direction of the dead brahmin, except for radhog 1 which was acting as a spotter whilst the rest ate.

Radhog 1: will charge what appears to be the weakest link in the party. Winter.
Radhog 2: the fittest and out front is attacking Cross as he's closest and not flying.
Radhog 3: follows the actions of Radhog 2
Radhog 4: follows the actions of Radhog 2
Radhog 5: follows the actions of Radhog 2
Radhog 6: follows the actions of Radhog 2 (radhogs aren't super clever)
Radhog 7: Skirts around the group to the right somewhat, and charges Atriark


Turn order:

Cross
Blazen
Scrap
radhog 2
Ark
Radhog 3
Lightning
Radhog 4
Sky
Radhog 5
Radhog 7
radhog 1
Radhog 6


---------------

Cross sets up his shield

Success!

Shieled has a HP of 200 and or lasts three rounds



Blazen fires at radhog 5(X 2 attacks)

Roll 1:

1d100 14
16 14 = 30

Miss!

Roll 2:

1d100 14
54 14 = 68

Hit!

Blazen deals 12 damage to Hog 5


Scrap fires at radhog 2 (X 2 attacks, using the same roll twice))

Hit!

Scrap deals 61 twice for 122 damage to radhog 2. Radhog 2 dies


Ark fires at Radhog 7

Hit!

Ark deals 18 twice for 36 damage to radhog 7. Radhog 7 is badly wounded


Radhog 3 runs into Cross' shield.

Shieled HP = 160


Lightning fires at radhog 3. (SMG fires twice per round, and we're using double speed attacks so 4 attacks)

Hit!

Lightning deals 46 damage to Radhog 3. Radhog 3 is badly wounded


Radhog 4 also runs into Cross' shield.

Shield HP = 120


Sky fires at Radhog 3 along with Lightning. (X 2 attacks, using the same roll twice))

Hit!

Sky deals 42 damage to radhog 3. Radhog 3 dies.


Radhog 5 also runs into Cross' shield.

Shield HP = 80


Winter fires at Radhog 4 (X 2 attacks, using the same roll twice))

Hit!

Winter deals 24 damage to radhog 4. It is injured.


Radhog 7 charges Atriark

Hit!

Atriark is gored by the radhog and takes 9 damage.


Radhog 1 is attacking Winter.

Miss!

The Radhog sweeps it's tusks towards Winter who nimbly dances out of the way of the beast's way.

Radhog 6 also runs into Cross' shield.

Shield HP = 40 It is wavering badly.

---

The Intrepid Entourage:

Name:	HP:	DT	Cond:
Atriark	216	10
Blazen	285	18
Cross	210	24
Flash	240	11
Scrap	205	25
Sky	230	16
Winter	215	6

Baddies: Angry Radhogs

Name:	Health:	Cond:
Radhog 1	Healthy
Radhog 2	Dead
Radhog 3	Dead
Radhog 4	Injured
Radhog 5	Slightly scratched
Radhog 6	Healthy
Radhog 7	Badly wounded

---

And now we go through round 2!

Post away ponies!