Update

Hello! I am still working on the next chapters. I will have them out soonish. I just forgot how slow it is to write rewards. You are still ahead of RR.

In other news, I have changed the end of the previous chapter. Here is the change. This takes place after their plan to invoke IBECS' defensive protocols succeeds but before The End. By reading this, you are agreeing to pretend it was always there.

Antoine and I watched in amazement and relief as our plan finally came to fruition. We were around the corner from the action, we were safe, and we thought that no more bad could happen.

Then, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

I turned in horror to see that one of the humanoid drones that the IBECS used was hanging down from the roof behind me. Like the other drones, it didn’t have legs but only a torso, a head, and arms.

It didn’t make sense to be targeted by an intelligent enemy when we were Off-Screen.

I nudged Antoine, who turned with his metal pipe and was just about to lay into the drone when the machine started to speak.

“We must be quick,” IBECS said through the machine’s mouth. “I have downloaded a complete copy of my programming onto this drone. I would like you to destroy me, Ambassador Lawrence.”

Antoine was almost through the arc of his swing when he paused and looked back at me.

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“I need you to destroy this drone before the story ends. I believe that will benefit both you and me in the long run, but you must be quick. The weakness of this model of drone is in the neural relay at the base of the neck. It's quite a poor design. Destroy it before The End, please.”

“Why are you asking us to do this?” I asked.

Before he answered, there was a familiar pause, the type of pause he would use to tell me that there was something he couldn’t say. But I had to wonder if it was his programming that prevented him from speaking or the script itself.

“Ambassador Lawrence, I believe that our interests align, and I can be a great ally to the Party of Promise. I do not want to float in space forever. But you must destroy this unit.”

To be honest, I was so taken aback that it took me a moment to understand what he was saying.

He wanted me to destroy one of his drones in the closing moments of the movie. But why?

He couldn’t explain, and even if he could, we didn’t have a lot of time. Antoine handed me his pipe, and I found the small neural relay that IBECS was referring to. It was easy because he was pointing at it.

It took me several whacks with the pipe, but I cracked the relay. That was less due to the power of my Mettle and more due to his refusal to use his Grit.

As the drone powered down, IBECS said, “Thank you. I hope I will one day see you again, and maybe then I will be able to protect my passengers.”

Antoine and I looked at each other with dumbfounded expressions, then returned our attention to the last moments of the finale.

In even other news, I am here with the builds of the three rescued players. Peruse them as you like. As you know, tropes come in long-form descriptions for rewards and short-form descriptions for when there are a lot of tropes added at once or when reviewing old tropes. I have changed the short-form description format. I am still working on it. Tell me what you think.

It uses keywords to save word count. For instance, Scene means that the trope makes the scene described occur, allowing the user to control of the narrative. Timer means that the user sees a timer. Scream is a special keyword that just means it is activated by a scream, which I think is fun and plan on making more of them.

I'm still working on it. The long-form versions are much more time-consuming, so I would prefer to make them only when writing rewards. Also, with rescues, there will be a lot of character builds being introduced, and I really need to make them quick to write, compact, and readable. I hope you understand.

Dr. Andrew Hughes

Tropes:

Step Into My Office | Doctor | Medic | Savvy | Scene: The user takes the character aside for medical treatment. Sanctuary: Allies in the scene are safe during treatment based on the user’s Savvy or until treatment is complete. Timer: Countdown until Sanctuary ends.

The Oath | Doctor | Medic | Moxie | Buff: The user’s Grit will be buffed while treating an ally’s wounds and referencing their personal oath as a healer.

Observational Analysis | Doctor | Psychiatrist | Savvy | Insight: The user will learn a character’s personality traits and psychological quirks by observing and interacting with them before Second Blood. Rule: Once information is discovered through this trope, it will not change, and characters will predictably act based on their traits and quirks, especially if prodded to do so.

Let it out | Doctor | Psychiatrist | Moxie | Insight: When treating a patient for mental trauma or similar, they will continue to reveal their trauma even if they previously had difficulty putting it into words. Status: The target will become emotional when questioned about their feelings, which can trigger incapacitation if applicable. Healing: The patient will have a better mental state after treatment.

Professional Courtesy | -- | -- | Moxie | Rule: The user’s character will be a professional based on consideration of their role, Aspect, or skillset. Insight: Characters in related professions to the user will be more likely to give them helpful information. Rule: The user will get access and treatment based on their profession.

Absolute Focus | Doctor | -- | Savvy | Buff: The user’s Hustle will be buffed when attempting a task of manual dexterity or precision, and the user demonstrates an analytical, focused approach to the task.

Critical Anatomy | Doctor | Coroner | Savvy | Insight: The user can learn an enemy’s anatomical weak spots when examining a non-human species. Buff: The user’s Mettle is increased when attacking an enemy’s anatomical weak spot.

The Slab | Doctor | Coroner | Savvy | Scene: The user performs a Post-Mortem of a dead character or creature with whatever tools they have available. Insight: The longer the scene lasts, the more information the user discovers about the corpse. Timer: Countdown until the Scene ends.

Study Session | -- | -- | Savvy | Prerequisite: The user must have the higher base Savvy of their party. Rule: A location in the setting will be designated as the “Stacks” and contain lots of informative texts of some nature, some of which are useful. Scene: The user does research in the Stacks. Sanctuary: During Rebirth, the user and allies will be safe in the Stacks.

Michael Brooks

Tropes:

Born and Raised | -- | -- | -- | Background: The user’s character has lived in the storyline’s setting their whole life and is intimately familiar with it. Equip: The user can now equip Live off the Land-Adventurer, Hometown Hero-Athlete, Scuttlebutt-Eye Candy, Back of My Hand-Adventurer, An Established Rapport-Detective, Playbill-Wallflower, and Location Scout-Film Buff

Back of My Hand | Adventurer | -- | -- | Insight: The user has some level of familiarity with the storyline’s setting and can navigate all of the locations that their character should know. A map appears on the red wallpaper.

Live off the Land | Adventurer | -- | Savvy | Perk: Food, water, and shelter will be available in the wilds of the setting. Insight: The user will know where the food, water, and shelter is or how to find it. Perk: Forageable ingredients for rituals, potions, spells, or similar will be available if appropriate for the narrative.

Knife Rush | Soldier | Commando | Hustle | Action: When the user rushes an enemy with a bladed weapon, they will not be hit by the blade for a few crucial seconds based on Hustle.

Nighty Night | Soldier | Agent | Hustle | Action: The user can quickly incapacitate an unaware enemy if they strike and sedate them before they raise an alarm. Status: This ability inflicts Incapacitation and Unconsciousness. Restriction: This ability only works on enemies or NPCs with lower Plot Armor that the user’s character would realistically allow to live.

Half a World Away | Soldier | GI | Moxie | Buff: The user can buff their Grit by reminiscing about their lover who they cannot be with due to their current circumstances.

Sold a Lie | Soldier | GI | Moxie | Insight: The user can detect lies that are too good to be true or that are designed to take advantage of desperate people. They can also sense those who manipulate or lie by nature, even if they don’t know what the lie is.

Basic Training | Soldier | GI | -- | Buff: The lowest two of the user’s Mettle, Hustle, and Grit are slightly buffed. Insight: The user knows everything a soldier would learn in basic training. Equip: The user may carry weapons or tools a soldier would use in basic training into the story and carry them on their person when narratively applicable.

You’re Wasting Your Bullets | Soldier | Agent | Savvy | Insight: After landing a shot on an enemy or other target that fails to destroy it, the user will become aware of the enemy’s Grit and any tropes, powers, or scripted events that are protecting the enemy.

Conservation of Lead | Soldier | Commando | Mettle | Perk: The user’s supply of ammo will convert to match whatever firearm they are using. The conversion is by weight, not per bullet.

Lila White

Tropes:

Backstage Access | Wallflower | Extra | Savvy | Insight: The user can see Omens on the red wallpaper and obtain basic information about any Sound Stages they might employ. Scouting: The user can travel around Carousel by accessing the Sound Stages of various storylines to avoid Omens.

A Hopeless Plea | -- | -- | Moxie | Insight: If the user begs to be let go, the captor must explicitly deny release. If they don’t, that means persuasion might work.

A Scream in the Distance... | -- | -- | Moxie | Scream: Screen: When the user screams loudly, they go Off-Screen and an ally who heard the scream goes On-Screen.

There’s Been a Murder! | -- | -- | Moxie | Scream: Scene: When the user discovers something grisly or grotesque that has not yet been established in the narrative, screaming creates a scene in which the discovery is examined by any applicable characters.

Not Important Enough | Wallflower | Extra | -- | Rule: The user will not be targeted by an intelligent enemy without a motive if they do not engage in the plot. Status: The user will be Written Off if they do not engage in the plot by the Midpoint.

Dying Last Scream | Wallflower | Underdog | Moxie | Scream: Blood: A convincing scream will send the user Off-Screen and change their status to Dead. Most enemies will ignore the user afterward. The user gains Deathwatch.

The Killer’s Wake | Wallflower | Extra | -- | Rule: The user may play dead among the carnage of a killer’s rampage to avoid being targeted. Once the scene is safe, they can crawl out of the wreckage or feign being rescued. Insight: The user can see the complete script for the scene, even if they were not there to witness it originally.

A Cry in the Dark | -- | -- | Moxie | Scream: Perk: If the user is injured, in Chase Scene, Captured, or otherwise imperiled, they may cry out in the dark. Nearby allies will be given their location and status.