Aberrant: 200X - [Gods of War] Intro: Jungle Demon

Evo · May 17, 2011

Continued from Chaos in Kinshasa

In the forests outside Bikoro, 2 PM, May 15th, 2011

Obfuscation and fear, and secrecy too, was Evo's main weapon in keeping attention on his region at a low point until he was ready to fight off serious trouble. As such, in the three days since setting up his shop in the forests and hidden areas, he'd gotten rid of his shirt, socks and shoes. At most, the dirty pants and underwear remained, largely because he wasn't going to go about naked.

Walking with toe claws extended helped to confuse the nature of the footprints... in a superstitious area, they'd attribute it to a spirit or supernatural being of some kind... until enough rationality set in to suggest that a nova was at work. Donald hoped that would last sufficiently.

And the claws helped in other ways than just a little bit of trickery. Evo set down his load while he moved over to move the foliage from his hidden spot, one of many he was making with speed. Once the piles of plant were extracted from the hole... a new pile was shown underneath...

There, an interhamwe member, one who had apparently migrated over from the east- or so Evo assumed from memories of being in the east of the Congo last time, it had been clear that he and his band had attacked at least one village- lay, his neck at an angle not normally possible. He was berthed on a regular bandit, who Evo had strangulated with a rope of body-produced silk. And such was the contents of the grave.

Better to keep hidden if no one knew there were bodies here in the first place. Evo dumped on top the other two bandits that he had to chase down. Both had fled but fallen over a drop high enough that when they landed badly, their necks broke.

So be the tactics... these people preyed on innocents and without remorse- they had what was coming to them. Evo arranged the foliage back over the dumping ground and then once satisfied, headed out to the northeast.

When one needed little rest, and no food or sleep, there was a lot of patrolling that could be done.

Evo · May 18, 2011

11 AM, May 18th, 2011

This was a more unconventional counter-attack against interhamwe. Evo had been too late, but he'd sensed the scents of smoke, fire and heard gunshots from the distant village. It was past the opportunity to stop the bastards, but he could exact revenge and keep this lot from repeating themselves.

So at the moment, he was following behind them, for if nothing else, his stealth abilities were quite reasonably good on the soldier level, and when adding in his nova stealth, there was no chance for the interhamwe baselines to sense their doom.

There were a dozen in the band, as Evo crept closer in, then he plucked a long, large tree from the ground carefully. The noise was going to draw their attention.. which it did, but Evo was already faster than they could every be and swung the tree out in an arc...

Click to reveal.. (For flavor purposes... Strafing with a tree on a dozen Interhamwe, Dex+Melee, defaulting to Dex, and -2 for double action, +10 for the strafing. +3 difficulty for square meters of extra area.)

It was a lucky seven home run, sending seven of the bandits flying out to the center field of the forest deeply away from prying eyes- and the faces of the remaining five came into utter focus, all young, frightened, and too scared to move. Donald too froze as he realized the remaining few who hit the dirt were... well...

There had been reports of child soldiery going on for a while, but Evo had never really noticed any sign of this before, and he had instinctively refused to think about the possibility of fighting boys younger than even he was- but not he faced them in the flesh.

It was a long paused period, the white Elite staring at the boys, who suddenly seeing what seemed to be the malign spirit that had plagued so many in the region, did the only thing they in their minds could decide on. Donald's heart shuddered in his his chest as they prostrated themselves before the kifo-roho, hoping to supplicate him to spare themselves.

They're just kids! Just kids... am I now a monster, for them to think I would do this- Hell, I might have killed any among the other seven... His breath grew ragged, before he growled out in French "Go... leave your weapons, but go!"

Feeling the words like the force of a supernatural order, the boys divested themselves of guns, knives and ammo before they fled off, feet pounding into the distance. Evo watched them go before the tears began to stream down his face. Yes, he was trying to make himself a 'real' Elite, but his role model was Einherjar, not Totentaz!

He stepped off into the distance, heading for where he imagined the flying bodies had landed, fearful that he might have left more children dead. Never once did the fact that he had broken a key part of his secrecy plan occur to him, and if it had- he would have mentally raged at that plan.

Eingar · May 23, 2011

Evo's fears were realised. Two of the corpses were clearly young teenagers, their limbs twisted and their bodies broken in the paramilitary webbing harness that they wore. Young bandits, lured into a life of rapine and murder by promises of wealth and glory, who would now never live to learn a better way of life, would never be able to outgrow the bloodsoaked land that had borne them. What made them different from how he had been five years ago? What was it that was so broken that they would murder people purely for being from a different ethnic tribe. As Donald stood over the second body, he noticed that the teen wore a necklace of five human ears, the last two of which were still bloody. And yet the child-man who wore this trophy of monstrosity seemed a pathetic broken innocent thing. More than the youth of his victim or the manner of his death, it was this one jarring note, that evidence of what real evil was that made Evo have to turn away and fight to stop his gorge rising as the flies began to gather...

Some hours later, elsewhere, not too far away as the crow flies...

"Boss? You best come out here."

Dawn was rising as Ubukta was awakened by the low, urgent call of one of his lieutenants. The interhamwe leader sat up, rolling aside one of the women who was atop him, and blinked owlishly at the small sea of female flesh on his bed. The young women of this town were remarkably pliant... of course, that stood to reason. Any woman would be glad to bear the seed of a god. So much better than having to struggle and hold them down whilst fucking the dumb bitches. Yes. Life was good. In the two months since he had ascended to novahood, his band had swelled in size. Whole towns paid them steady tribute in food, fuel and women. This corner of the Congo was his, just so long as he didn't cause so much strife that the government sent Elites after him.

Ubukta grunted and slid off the bed, enjoying the solid muscle of his new shape as opposed to the jelly-like fat rolls of his old, weak body. Let Asani have Kinshasa and his mines. Ubukta controlled this province in all but name, a figurehead for the four main interhamwe bands controlled by each of his four lieutenants. Pulling on his fatigue pants, he strode to the door and opened it.

"What is it?"

"These boys saw what it is that has been killing our men, boss." His lieutenant answered respectfully. Two ragged, dirty child-soldiers were standing just outside the porch, their eyes wide and fatigue etched on their faces. "They say it was a forest demon. But it sounds like an Elite to me. Very strong - picked up a tree and swatted men dead, bang."

"A nova? Shit. Why didn't our people tell us Asani was sending a nova here?" Ubukta demanded angrily. The lieutenant blanched.

"I don't know, boss. But I'll find out right quick."

"Do that. And give those children some food and sleep, then ask them all about the forest demon. How did they get away? What did he or she look like? Everything, Wukandi. Everything."

The large nova, his skin gleaming like jet, went back into his house and slammed the door hard enough that the windows broke...

Evo · May 24, 2011

May 19th

After a night of upset and concern, Evo was now pissed. Ultimately, though he might have to fight the kids after all, it wasn't their fault. Whatever local interhamwe bastard had rooked them into this life had it coming to him. Yes, he'd been taking on them here or there... but playing around as it was. Evo was through playing around.

It had taken time to consider, but a pattern had emerged. There were raiders, and there were other groups that took without force, at least overtly. By now Evo knew of a tribute-exacting group, and their activities over the past few days.

Finally, for the first time in a while, he broke out of the woods. The nearby village lay in a tangled clump of huts and a one road running through it to the outside world. Said road now hosted a few very much operational if not entirely arsenal of flatbed trucks with machine guns mounted up top and armed men in them.

Three guard trucks, he noted, pulling into the road with voices of upset and consternation and hurry in the village, along with one regular unarmed truck that looked to be an older Ford truck, though the green paint was tarnished and rusty. The cab was a two person, suggesting that this was more for transport of 'protection payments' than anything else. Somewhere around ten to a dozen at first glance, including the transport drivers.

Using what cover there was on the approach, Evo headed roughly perpendicular to the trucks entering the town. A hubbub and a crowd was gathering to meet them, and Evo could smell the stench of fear. Well, time to change that.

Time for a moment of patience and observation, though first.

Click to reveal..

Eingar · May 26, 2011

These bandits were equipped about as expected, the young nova noted. AK-47 knockoffs, RPGs, and bandoliers of ammunition like they were Pancho Villa. As he continued to watch, Evo became very glad he did, for as a crowd of frightened people came boiling out into the street herded by shouting youths with guns, the former elite revised his initial count of the enemies present to roughly thirty, all armed.

Other than the RPGs, the big threats were the 'technicals' - the trucks with their two mounted machineguns each. Old model Brownings, from the looks of them, and though worn and dating from World War 2 they shouldn't be discounted. Though not much of a threat to heavy elites, Evo knew that getting caught in the open by one or two of those .30 caliber weapons would hurt.

The interhamwe were firmly in control, that much was obvious. Once the village was assembled and a man with a weathered, creased face was talking to the bandit leader, the others goofed off a little. Some smoked, or drank, or chewed khat weed. The guys on the trucks leaned on their guns and chatted with their fellows. Some of the bandits were watchful, after all the army or a rival band may be nearby, and about ten or so ringed the gathered villagers with rifles ready to cut down any resistance, but on the whole the atmosphere was one of relaxed confidence.

The villagers were plainly cowed. They sat docile in the red mud of the square and waited for the invaders to leave, expressions of carefully-neutral patience on their faces. One or two of the younger men and women smiled nervously at the bandits standing watch around them. And why shouldn't they? Better to be a bandit, or the woman of a bandit, than to suffer their depredations. Better to hold the gun than to have it pointed at you.

A shadow in the grass nearby, Evo realised, studying both bandits and villagers, that the fundamental dynamic here was very alien to his native Canada. It was easy to have ideals of pacifism and to say "I would never be like that" in the First World countries. Seeing the resigned misery and fear on the faces of these farmers, who had no protection from their government - in fact probably feared them as much as the interhamwe - it was readily apparent that it wouldn't be difficult to persuade a 15 year old boy to pick up a gun and take some power for himself.

Click to reveal..

Evo · May 26, 2011

Click to reveal.. (Bodymorph roll)

It was this damn place all along, Evo reflected, as much as whoever tricked those boys into that life and death situation. Foreign powers and interests, the uncaring government, greedy interhamwe... the list could go on and on. All of whom made this place what it was, destitute, wracked by violence and hopeless. He wasn't going to fix a country by himself.

But frankly, if he could, he'd fix this little piece of Congo himself, starting with the bandits and their leaders. Still, he couldn't take on 30 armed bandits and their trucks by himself at once. And though someone who wasn't involved was going to die, he woefully suspected, he certainly wasn't going to get into the thick of the bystanders.

Then, he noticed the small crawling of a beetle... and the memory of a nature documentary came back in Eureka! style. There was a good way to start... with the trucks in an excellent fashion.

Focusing within his body, Evo began some very special changes, not the least the strengthening of his organs and special padding on his feet to make movements quieter. Then he began to work his way back towards the road to a position several meters behind the trucks.

Click to reveal.. (Dex+Stealth+ 3 dice for Foot Pads)

The lazy bastards were never going to notice him, and they certainly didn't. Evo allowed himself a fierce grin before he got to work. What he'd also modified to his body was bombardier-beetle style glands, holding inside some nasty secretions.

Raising his mouth and with some low inhuman hacking and pressurizing the glands... Evo let loose at the 4 trucks, aiming intentionally for the engines.

Click to reveal.. (Dex+Athletics for Noxious Bile gout #1)

Click to reveal.. (Dex+Athletics for Noxious Bile #2)

Click to reveal.. (Dex+Athletics for Noxious Bile #3)

Click to reveal.. (Dex+Athletics for Noxious Bile #4)

Now as the superheated fluids ate away at the metal and to the gas... Evo leaped backwards suddenly, flinging himself a score of meters away, to avoid the explosions he figured were going.

Fortunately, they still didn't notice. The distinct taste of khat was there, and they were chewing like it was manna from heaven. It was nonetheless long slow moments. Ticks between a clock that seemed to not end to Evo until the blessed smell of burning engine block reached him. And gas too.

With great orange-red whooshes, fire broke out to begin their hungry illumination of the trucks. Immediately, the dozen of them bailed, jumping and moving in an off-guard frantic behavior out of their vehicles. French curses redolent of "Ca me fait chier!" and "Merde!" roiled among the grouping.

It had been only about 10-15 seconds, Evo considered, and the people in the town had to be looking at some point... "The AMMO!" in French. There it was. One of them had caught on... and the drivers started running. It wouldn't help them- and Evo did another 20 meter backflip before flopping down, just do be safe...

BOOOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOOM!

Click to reveal.. (Status)

Eingar · May 29, 2011

The trucks exploded, burning gasoline and fragments of metal showering the area. Safely 40 metres away, Evo realised belatedly that 'safe' was a relative term as the ammunition in the trucks began to cook off. A glowing piece of thirty caliber metal whizzed past his head and the nova dropped prone as all of the rounds from the machine guns, plus the stored stored grenades and boxes of AK-47 rounds fired off in a cacophonous fusillade of sound and fury that tore the trucks apart... and all of the village within range.

Men, women and children, already running from the initial alarms as the crackle of igniting ammo accompanied the sparkling secondary explosions, screamed in a mixture of fear and pain as burning debris, bullets and the occasional rocket grenade cut down bandit and villager alike without discrimination. Machine gun rounds that could cut through brick walls found no resistance in the wood and grass dwellings or the flesh of those that hid within them. RPG rounds threw shrapnel in broad circular patterns, scything down running bodies in a hellstorm of fire, smoke, blood and metal.

In seconds, the center of the village around the red mud square was a smoking, screaming disaster zone, and the red mud was a lot redder...

Evo · June 4, 2011

Horror broke through Evo's face as he slowly rose from his prone position. He wasn't militarily-trained and had hardly considered the explosive force of all that ammunition packed into the trucks- or rather, looked at the question as one more of just pyrotechnics that would draw them out... Not create a mini-Victoria by his own hands.

As much as the thought of running from this crime of his appealed to him- he couldn't leave. Not this. Another shift, and he was heading for the village, hoping that the products of new glands of silk in his chest could be used to staunch wounds well- if anyone still lived in his catastrophe.

As it turned out, there were a few survivors who were not badly injured, and he was able to appear like a figure out of thin air to help pull them out of the wreckage. There were others more seriously injured but still alive. The dry silk worked to form tourniquets and staunch wounds, but they needed true medical attention.

That which Evo could not provide. At the moment, he doubted he could do little but hunt for them, or keep them alive for any length of time in this place. Something in him demanded to find the interhamwe leader and put an end to this before more people got hurt.

The people looked astonishingly like they were used to this, if not in extent. Pain and worry mixed with resignation, which frightened Evo quite a bit how they could simply be used to their lot as being this.

Eingar · June 8, 2011

Minutes passed, one after the other in rapid succession, as Evo tried desperately to save the lives he'd unwittingly made worse, if that was at all possible. Finally though he just had to stand and watch as the village burned, the fire having spread from hut to hut rapidly as the breeze fanned embers to the next dry-thatch roof.

All around the young nova, survivors he'd saved and guided from the wreckage of their lives moaned from pain and loss. In the hurried almost-panic of his rush to save lives, blinded by smoke and blood, he'd not paid much attention to who he was pulling free, but now he noticed that several of the saved were wearing paramilitary webbing and fatigues: interhamwe soldiers.

If he needed a solid lead to take him to their base, one of these groaning men should be able to supply it.

Evo · June 11, 2011

Perhaps more slaughter had to happen, at least of the interhamwe band's leader and the forces that he still commanded. With Donald's clear lack of experience dragging too many innocents down with them, time worked against his conscience. And who better than to spill the beans than a few soldiers.

Trying to adopt a stony demeanor that only seemed to crack a little the more he attempted to exert it, Evo spun more webs out, only this time, adhesive silk to truss up the bandits into one squirming, living package. A growl, both directed that them and himself roiled out of Evo's throat, and he took them easily into the jungle.

Deep in the creepers, he tossed them down, and hissed out in French, "Who's your leader and where is he?"

"Ubutka-" The first speaker seemed more afraid of Ubutka than Evo, but then a shift occurred with a set of popped claws. "He... in Arnaude! One hundred fifty miles to the southeast of here." The others were somehow looking askance at the blabbermouth, but he continued nonetheless. "He and nine others. Stay there all the time. He'll murder you, putain!"

"Doubt it," Evo mumbled quietly, before exhorting out more directions and travel information from the men. Then once he had gotten all he needed, he slashed them up. It shouldn't have felt cathartic, though in a small way it did.

Then, the unwillingness to face the villagers broke out, and he closed his eyes. Shifting the muscles in his legs, he raced off to the south, the sun blazing by his eyes and filling them with tears.

Finally, in the night time, even when he knew he was close, he stopped the effort. For once in a while, he slumped onto a great tree and sank into sleep. The dreams were not restful.

Evo · June 13, 2011

Early hours of May 20th, Arnaude

Evo awoke, the night air playing across his skin in a tingling fashion. The village lay beyond, as he sighed from the pain of a struggling fight with his lingering, accusatory dreams. He could see the dim outline of a distant fence, and decided not to delay his plans much longer. Ubutka would pay the price, and then his leading followers too, until the region was free from their pestilence.

Lightly padding his way down there, he opened his nose to take nasal insights more clearly- and found the scent of man and his best friends present. Well, if canines were here as a poor man's security system, there was a certain trick in his genomes for foiling that tactic.

Click to reveal.. (OOC)

Again, the war-form of the extra upper arm pair made its presence known, and Evo cut off all olfactory output from his body, save strange pheromones that carried the message of *not here*. Armed with this protection, he made his way crawling through the grass to the fence, midway between guard posts with drowsy men and bone-happy dogs. He'd also altered his vocal organs carefully- Evo wanted to lure the bastard out and then leap away with him far far away.

Clambering over and sneaking through the town afterward became much easier after he passed their positions. Soon, it wasn't hard to zero in on Ubutka's hut, with the clear lights... and as Evo closed in, the sounds of copulation, willing apparently.

There were a cluster of guards too, about 20 feet away on the left side of the thin domicile, which would complicate things- but not much. It also provided him with a ready voice that Ubutka would recognize.

He continued stealth moving his way over, to the opposite side of the hut, on the other side of the door and a corner. Time to make a surprise come, from Hell. Having listened to the banter carefully while in motion, Evo focused himself to mimic one of them, and he spoke as the copulation stopped, but cautiously worked the motion to make his voice carry more into the hut than across the open air.

"Boss, can you come out please?"

Eingar · June 16, 2011

There was an irritated grunt, then a squawk and thump as a woman was pushed roughly out of the bed.

"This had better be good, or I'll serve your balls to your mother." an irate and above all deep voice said in French as bedsprings *clinked* and a heavy tread approached the door. Evo tensed, expecting the door to be flung open and ready to make his move. But moments passed during which the hidden elite could hear the faint breathing from somewhere on the other side of the door, which remained ominously closed.

"So what's the problem?" the voice said from inside the room, but now the irritation was gone, replaced with a wariness that didn't bode well.

Click to reveal..

Evo · June 16, 2011

That wasn't good. The sudden change could indicate a paranoid burst of suspicion, or maybe some nova sense? Either way, Donald had to think fast, for apparently Ubutka was sniffing at a trap, and the wrong words or an undue pause would blow the disguise-

He needed to be brought out anyway, so why not let him spring it, if he couldn't defend against Evo's counter attack? He continued the mimicry, keeping the guard's voice with a clear edge of concern and a half-quaver at the boss' threat, "Well, it's... it's..."

At that point, Evo began to fake the vocalization of someone whose voice was being cut off in a swift and brutal way. But he stood ready for Ubutka to exit the hut.

Click to reveal.. (Man+Perform+Vocal Organs Bonus 6 (I forgot they gave a mimicry bonus))

Eingar · June 16, 2011

Click to reveal..

Ubutka did indeed exit the hut, but not through the door. The planking of the wall exploded outwards, showering splinters in a spray that narrowly missed Evo as a huge naked man, his dark skin gleaming in the dim light, plowed straight through the wall about a foot in front of where the young nova crouched in waiting. The wily bandit had obviously tried to tell where the sounds were coming from and take preemptive action, but fortunately had misjudged Evo's location.

Ubukta was massive, maybe six and half feet tall and almost four feet across the shoulders, his muscles massive granite-like slabs that flexed with every motion. He looked like a Mitoid, but the obvious healthy glow and the ease with which he brushed through the wall was pure nova.

Click to reveal..

Evo · June 17, 2011

It was only as Evo started moving that he began to reconsider the wisdom of his plan. Ah, hindsight. In any case, with Ubutka's back showing an opening, he went for it, springing onto the mountain of naked interhamwe boss like a Fury, spines popping from knees and arms to dig into the exposed flesh there.

Click to reveal.. (Dex+Martial Arts+Rear Attack 2 (Clinch))

But as Evo tensed his legs to jump up and bring the two skyward and out of the town, Ubutka planted his feet solidly into the ground, and went nowhere fast. Damn, damn, damn.

Click to reveal..

Eingar · June 17, 2011

Click to reveal..

Ubutka roared and tried to whirl and grab at the elite on his back but couldn't reach Evo, who dug in with his spines and hung on. Abruptly the large interhamwe boss shot a meaty fist the size of Donald's head over one shoulder - a clumsy blow at best, but fast enough to connect glancingly. That 'glancing' blow was sufficient to knock the redheaded young man off Ubukta (tearing his spines free of the bigger man's flesh as he did so, which looked like it hurt), THEN send him throw the thick wooden planking of the chief's hut wall, through the untidy bedchamber where a native girl shrieked and ducked as Evo sailed overhead, then into and through another wooden wall to emerge along with a shower of splinters to land heavily on the packed-dirt area beyond, momentum skidding him a few more feet through the dirt to end up right next to a campfire.

Men shouted and ran as, on the other side of the interhamwe chief's house, Ubutka bellowed and started to charge, limping from the the pain of his wounds as he came.

Click to reveal..

Evo · June 17, 2011

Well, it could have been worse. Ubutka, for all his strength, did not possess an equivalent resistance to Donald's attacks. That didn't stop the forces of physics from laying down the law on Evo as he flew through building to wall. Apparently, extra arms did not help the balancing act much. Still, he had space and a little time, which was good.

The rapidity of his thoughts said he needed it.

Click to reveal..

Eingar · June 18, 2011

Click to reveal..

The big man ran towards him, crushing hands clenching and unclenching as he closed with Evo.

"You foolish bitch! You do not know with whom you are fucking, cochon! I will crush you, then find your mother and fuck her on your corpse. You hear me!" he screamed as he picked up a little momentum in his shambling charge. "I'm Ubutka, THE Ubutka, bitch!"

Evo · June 18, 2011

Evo could see the slowness of Ubutka's pace, his shambling gait, and smiled. If he moved quickly, this would end soon enough. "The corpse of Ubutka, putain!" Evo snarled back and shot forward at rapid speed to meet the behemoth in turn. A flurry of clawing met at hard flesh, but flesh could only take so much mortification.

Click to reveal..

Eingar · June 18, 2011

Click to reveal..

Claws and spines dug deep into vital organs as behemoth and boy collided, the bone-snapping force of Ubutka's charge hurling Donald once more through the air, knocking him clean through the bonfire in the village square and into a building on the far side, groaning as his spinning head caught up with the rest of him. When he lifted his head up to peer through the hole in the wall he saw the massive body of his foe stretched out on the dirt, blood pooling around his torso as he lay unmoving. Ubutka was no more.

Evo gingerly rolled to his feet, aware of the multiple broken ribs in his chest that would have hospitalised a baseline and even some novas. One of his left arms felt dislocated at the shoulder also, though the pain wasn't crippling to the hardy youth. Of somewhat greater import was the shouting of men coming this way, many of whom weren't likely to be happy their boss was dead...

Evo · August 16, 2011

Nighttime of May 21th

Japhet smoked a cigarette as he stood on sentry duty with Christian. Neither man wanted to be out here, given what had happened the previous night. He still couldn't believe it anyway. Ubutka... dead? The boss was a nova, a fucking god- and a figure of inhumanity, a thing with spines sticking out, and in many of the wrong places, had brought him down. And vanished into the night.

Ubutka had said, loudly, derisively many times that it was just an Elite, they could beat him.... now Japhet was sure that this was a forest demon all right, set to kill them all. Not that he was going to go down without a fight, if it came to that. And perhaps, hope suggested, they might make it through somehow, or at least he could.

The cigarette had burned down to a stump, ashy and devoid of flame. He looked down for a moment and tossed the cigarette aside carelessly. Something clenched around his neck, crushing the windpipe with smooth precise application of lethal force. Japhet's neck crunched inward- and ignominiously enough, the last thing he did was unconsciously piss himself.

Their rifles were scooped up, and the killer vanished into the night.

Morning of May 22nd

The discovery of Christian and Japhet's corpses raised a great hue and cry among the interhamwe. Immediately on a state of high alert, they were spreading out about town as if an attack was imminent. Ironically, they were right. Thankfully the villagers were hiding out in their houses and thin stores- which put them reasonably out of sight and lines of fire.

Evo had resolved for no more foolishness in his tactics and strategies. No more going for broke. He leveled the first of two rifles he had taken, and aimed down for the head of a bandit at the outskirts. A report sounded, clearly and unmistakably audible to the men in the village. One of theirs was down, and even as they reacted, a second took one just above the eye.

The rules of the game had changed.

The remaining interhamwe knew enough to not send in everyone, but a desperate fair-sized portion chased after Evo- hoping to finish him off once and for all and end his rampage. Evo in turn, vanished into the jungle, luring the gunmen onward. No one who left the town returned, that was clear.

Nighttime of May 22nd

By now, there was only a scared handful left in the village of Arnaude. When a rattling sound was heard in the market, everyone charged in, rifles locked and loaded. They found Aristide hung by his own belt, and a message carved roughly into the nearby stall's surface, with a blood coated message. Leave tomorrow morning, or die here. It was basically the last straw.

Morning of May 23th

No one in the village could believe it, until they saw the few trucks of armed interhamwe bandits pulling out of Arnaude. Prayers to the gods for thanks- which seemed to include the forest demon killing the bandits to some people- could be easily heard throughout the celebrating populace. Then, they heard gunshots in the distance.

Their fears were allayed when a white skinned man carrying a number of rifles that seemed to resemble the ones previously held by the bandits came into the village. He spoke good French and announced they were free. They asked if he was the forest demon. "To them I am." Evo replied. Why did he kill the bandits after they left? "I never said I would spare them, and should I let them bring misfortune to other villages?" Evo said. They thanked and praised him, and wanted to fete him.

Evo graciously declined, telling them. "I do this because it is right. And your brethren in other towns need me soon." He took up the rifles and ammo and departed towards the north, running faster than any man could, they said.

Evo · August 16, 2011

Morning of June 15th

In a few weeks, Evo figured he had done much better now. Several villages had been cleared out, the last two evacuated of bandits when the word came that he was coming. Very few people hurt, and the interhamwe were just about destroyed. It occurred to him that the Army would not like word of this, since they were likely on the take or else content to limit the damage to rural areas. He certainly was a threat to their credibility.

They'd get word sooner or later and then the generals would order units in for him. He gave it another week still. In any case, there was another village up ahead to pull the bandits out of and into unmarked graves.

Afternoon of June 16th

Some things do not go as expected. Often because you never expected such a thing to happen, but on the battlefield, it sure can. A midnight raid leaving dead men in their cabins for fellow interhamwe to wake up to a definite effect, he had observed. Then, with the sniper rifle one very well armed interhamwe lieutenant possessed, he'd begun to potshot bandits from a visible hill.

This time, when the bandits came out to confront him, they all came at once. So Evo switched plans and leaped high into an arcing trajectory into the air. When he came down in the middle of them, his fists slammed into the ground, and the wave of force shook the earth, sending bandits flying away everywhere.

One seemed less effected than the stricken others, and Evo approached to incapacitate him. The youth had his hands to his forehead as if feeling pain- then screamed in fear. Pain lanced through Evo's mind, and talons seemed to tear through his nerves. He fell down to the ground in shock, as the newly erupted bandit's cry died away.

Not yet comprehending what had happened was what probably ensured the new nova's death. Unaware that he had mentally assaulted the demon, his first action was to go for his dropped sidearm. Evo recovered and outpaced him, claws cutting through the upper arm and the chest simultaneously.

That was one for close calls, but he would live, and the village of Reine had been liberated in record time. Hell of a thing, he would recall later.

Evo · August 16, 2011

Morning of June 16th

You were just going to know that at some point, Evo was going to give in to the locals of a village, Reine in this case, and be the object of celebration at a village feast. He didn't eat much, but his presence seemed to be enough for the villagers. Then, more suspiciously when dancing with the villagers, all the teenage girls seemed to be shuffled over to him at some point or other over the course of the celebration as dancing partners.

Evo obliged, of course, but the grins and amusement on the fathers' faces at seeing their daughters getting so close to him, a stranger, seemed... un-fatherly. It suggested they highly approved of this behavior. For some reason, he didn't connect the dots until upon waking up in the barrack-style building the bandits had.

His first and last dance partners respectively, Trizia and Mervielle were asleep in his arms, and the others of the dozen or so girls were laying about on beds and floors asleep with surprisingly pleased looks on their faces. The evidence Evo could have smelled from a mile away.

How the hell did this happen?

Evo · August 16, 2011

Midday of July 30th

It was still in his head, the memory and wondering why he felt like sleeping with the village girls was just wrong. On one hand, they'd been consensual acts, and he hadn't had sex in so long. Besides, he had managed to control himself in the right manner to not injure the banged out girls during coitus... so no sign of concern there. And it was just casual sex, in a way.

But Ubutka, Evo understood, had the same sort of willing favors from the local ladyfolk as well. The difference seemed that Evo had been a savior where Ubutka had been a reaver. Not just that, he realized. It was the similarity too. They both were practically considered gods- which formed the core of the desires writ upon the young women and their intentions.

One could get used to the treatment. And that now, was clearly the problem. I don't want to feel entitled. I am here to clear out the self-serving corrupt, and I could become them by a misstep.

The amazing part at the moment, was that he was thinking this while splashing through a river in the jungle, while trying to stay ahead of the FARC army units. Eventually of course, the 10th Brigade had come in to clear out the pesky do-gooder nova. Except things were in a sense, stalemated on both sides. By now, the elements of the Brigade directed focused at him were moving in roughly platoon-sized formations.

Smaller groups had simply disappeared. That was to say, Evo had wiped squads out one at a time and left behind the bodies and most- but not all- of the weapons and ammunition. At most, he now was limited to picking off the lead man on the platoon's six before pulling back. Given the limited size of the brigade in the first place, they couldn't sustain a war of attrition.

But there were enough of them to make this take time. And Evo had no doubt the countryside was being occupied. The reversal of his victory over the local interhamwe was about to be negated. He bared his teeth and growled audibly at the thought, and chose to climb a nearby tree. This time, he'd use the AK-47 and make make a pursuit into a peril zone.

Eingar · September 17, 2011

They were moving at company strength through the valley, wary now of sniping attacks and hit-and-run slashing of spines. The nova who had been plaguing this region was deadly, as any nova would be against mortal men, and the moral of the Congolese troops was low. It seemed that they had been hearing too much about novas active in the Congo recently, from the mysterious smoky nova in the far east, to Einherjar wiping out an entire army division, to one of the best diamond mines in the south being attacked by one or two elites - reports were still sketchy there. And now this Jungle Demon, damn him back to the hell he came from, making the Army look bad by fighting his own, more successful war against the interhamwe. They were to arrest him if possible, kill him if not - at least, those were their orders. Privately, even the officers wondered just how Kinshasa expected them to accomplish this miracle. "Help would be sent." they'd been told, but it had been weeks now and no novas had come to take their side.

Then the sergeant leading the point squad dropped, a split second before the rest of the company heard the crack of a rifle shot. Shouting orders and encouragements, the men spread out and took up firing positions. The Demon was out there - it had to be him. Hunkering down behind a rock, the commander got on the radio as his men began a steady crackle of covering fire, advancing by twos and threes in the hopes of actually seeing their assailant.

Evo · September 17, 2011

Evo could tell by now that they were completely wise to the normal drill. If only there was a way to shake things up on the government goons before pulling back! Then inspiration struck as he re-noticed the two frag grenades still on his belt. M67 grenades no doubt coming from CIA deliveries to conflict funded zones, and taken up by the soldiers whom Evo had obtained the grenades forcibly from.

The first covering pair of Squad 3 moved forward, letting their guns sweep the area to drive off the Jungle Demon, when one man caught the glimpse of a red-haired man in worn pants raising his rifle at them. Neither he nor his partner saw anything more, in moments thereafter. The remained of the squad, sensing the hated and feared Demon was close, redoubled their speed, and caught sight of him too, but also heard the words: "Au début des cadeaux de Noël!"

Only Private Mbaino was quick enough to see and run/dive from the object thrown at them. Given the frag could go hundreds of feet, as he learned, evading the blast zone was not enough. The cry rang out twice during that awful period of time for the Congolese soldiers. Squad 4 was similarly annihilated, but the net was just about to close by then, so Evo figured he had a job well done for the day and began his full speed run.

After several minutes, this section of the valley looked open terrain, but that meant it needed to be crossed- the hell? Evo slowed down a tad as he noticed the news copters, for they were helicopters and certainly not military- and he could swear he saw cameras from that distance.

Then his head snapped around and he stopped, seeing the reason for the copters plain as day.

"You make it! I Tank got fucking worried foe not arrive for duel." Yep, Evo thought as he tossed aside the AK-47 for all the good it would do. The spine-bones began to ripple out, through the pants kneecaps as well as open skin. So this was their plan, was it? "Why couldn't you have gotten home to Mongolia for once?"

Tank grinned through stained teeth, drawing out the railgun slung over his back. "I wish I did. Maybe you give up crusade, my job done, we go there and drink yak milk!" Well, ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer.

Translation

Early Christmas presents!

Initiative

Jeremy *rolls* 1d10: 5+11: 16

Eingar · October 4, 2011

"But right now I don't see you hand up, so time fuckin' die, hey?!" Tank laughed like a pirate as he swung the cannon he was carrying up and fired. There was a hypersonic boom as the solid metal slug left the barrel of the railgun, ionising the air behind it with it's velocity as it headed straight for Evo's chest.

The fight was on!

Tank's Force Field roll: [Einherjar] 1:11 am: Last 3 are megas
Einherjar *rolls* 10d10: 6+5+2+9+6+7+8+1+7+9: 60

7 succs x 2, plus quantum 3 = 17 bonus soak.

24 qp remaining

Initiative roll: Einherjar *rolls* 1d10: 9: 9

17 Initiative.

Railgun shot: using solid iron spheres: Acc +2, Dmg 11d10L

[Einherjar] 1:16 am: Last 2 are megas
Einherjar *rolls* 9d10: 2+7+8+4+4+4+10+8+10: 57
[Asarasa] 1:17 am: Damn!

8 succs to hit. Pssst, Evo. Duck!

Evo · October 4, 2011

Evo reacted, flipping backwards in the air, but he perhaps had misjudged Tank's speed with the railgun. The slug fired rippled across his chest, still the groove was barely nicking the quantum-hardened skin. But this time, Evo knew more combat and hand to hand skills. This time, he was faster.

Charging in as soon as he landed while Tank was still hands holding the railgun, Evo was a flurry of claws and snarls, moving fast and swiping dangerously from every angle.

OOC

3 Multiple actions, Dodge, Claw Strike, Parry (-3,-4,-5)

Dodge Roll

(Megas)

Jeremy *rolls* 3d10: 7+4+5: 16

(Regular Dice w/ Nimble Quality)

Jeremy *rolls* 6d10: 3+4+8+3+10+5: 33

Jeremy *rolls* 1d10: 7: 7

5 sux... Hit's but the +2 overage equals 13d10 L vs. 15L soak... Ping still.

Ping Roll

Einherjar *rolls* 1d10: 5: 5

No Damage.

Claw Strike Roll (w/1 QP for Rapid Strike)

(Megas)

Jeremy *rolls* 3d10: 9+6+9: 24

(Regular Dice)

Jeremy *rolls* 6d10: 9+8+9+8+9+4: 47

Wow... 9 sux.

Base Damage: [15] (Finesse) + Strength 4 + Claws Extra 1 + 1 Strike Dmg from Style + 3 from Rapid Strike = 24d10 L

Parry Roll

(Megas)

Jeremy *rolls* 3d10: 2+9+6: 17

(Regular Dice w/ Nimble Quality)

Jeremy *rolls* 5d10: 8+3+9+4+6: 30

4 sux.

HL: Unharmed

QP: 25/26

WP: 7/7

Aberrant: 200X - [Gods of War] Intro: Jungle Demon

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