Fallout: Wild Horses (Open for Sheets)

[Soviet Heavy]

"War. War never changes. As the fires of Nuclear Armageddon finally settled, the great Vaults that safeguarded humanity's remnants opened, welcoming the survivors to the unforgiving landscape of the Wasteland. In this barren, hostile wilderness, they formed tribes and settlements, establishing new societies from the ashes of the old world. Those who are too weak, perish. Only the strong survive.

From one such Vault came the tribe known as the Khans, powerful, ambitious people, valuing strength and self reliance above all else. Following the wise words of an outsider, the Great Khans headed north from their homeland, into the untamed plains of eastern Wyoming. There, they formed the Great Khan Empire, bringing order and society to the plains. Their skills of survival and knowledge of ancient history allowed the Khans to finally settle in a land that was their own.

But no place in the Wasteland is without conflict. To the east lies the barren remains of the Dakotas, lawless, violent, and expanding. Raiders thick as water flood into the lands of the Khans, driven by some unseen force, some nightmare of the Eastern world. To the south, the remnants of the once mighty Legion strive to exact vengeance on those that wronged them, preying on the Caravans that form the lifeblood of the Empire.

The Wyoming Wasteland has become a time bomb, waiting to burst into a storm of violence. Because, in the end, war never changes."

[HEADING=1]Fallout: Wild Horses[/HEADING]​

Welcome to the world of Fallout: Wild Horses! This RP will take players into the heart of the Great Khans new Empire formed in the aftermath of Hoover Dam. It will follow the Independent ending of New Vegas, so Vegas is still an independent trading hub that buffers the NCR's eastward expansion. From the Eastern Rockies to the great plains, the Great Khans have rebuilt their strength, uniting the tribes of the land to become strong once again. The year is 2302, 20 years after the battle of Hoover Dam.

This RP will follow a nonlinear progression, as befitting the Fallout World's style of exploration and story. Players can team up if they want to, but if they wish to go their separate ways, and tell their own individual stories, they are free to do so. Of note in this RP are a new creature of the Wastelands, the Nightmare. (Thanks to FalloutJack for allowing me to use his idea!) The Nightmares are mutated Horses, midnight black in color and armed with split jaws and clawed hooves. The Great Khans have tamed these beasts to be their mounts, allowing their conquest of Wyoming to spread just as the Mongols of old stormed across Asia.

From the Great Khan capital at Fort Laramie, to the remains of a post volcanic eruption Yellowstone National Park, the Wyoming Wasteland is teeming with mobile settlements, nomadic tribals, and dangerous wildlife. The southeastern regions are most densely populated, with Cheyton (Post-war Cheyenne) being a major center of Commerce, featuring outfits from the Gun Runners to various Caravans.

Players can be any species they want, so long as it is sentient (organic or otherwise, robots are allowed). Be they human, Mariposa Super-Mutant, Ghoul or Robot, all must adapt to the mountains and plains of Wyoming if they are to survive.

You will need to fill out a character sheet and either PM it to me or post it in this thread to join. I don't plan on having a limit to the number of people in this RP, since I know there will be some droppers eventually. It will remain open, and it will be up to the new players to read up on the events in order to stay relevant. However, I would ask that any members looking to join after the RP begins please only PM me your sheets to cut down on clutter.

I cannot stress this enough, but I want this to be a nonlinear RP. Do whatever you want within the RP so long as you keep with the Fallout style. Create your own adventure essentially. I've found when I make more group story oriented RPs, things can grind to a halt if one or more players drops or does not keep up. So feel free to go at your own pace.

Character sheets can be submitted to myself either in this thread or via private messaging.

Spoiler: Character Sheet

Name:

Species:

Gender:

Age:

Appearance:

Items:

Perks (Personality oriented preferably):

Personality:

History:

Additionally, I am looking for a Co-Game Master to help run this, if anybody is interested. I am soon going to be stuck in exams, but I do not want people to stop posting just because I am not around. Having a second GM will help alleviate this problem. Same as before, just PM me if you are interested in the position.

EDIT: The position for Co-GM has been filled. Say hello to Emperor Zuma as your second GM.

I hope to see lots of participants come out. And remember, war never changes. But people can.

 

[mcpop9]

Expect a sheet from me tomorrow. looks good and interesting.

 

[TheDoctor455]

Looks cool. I'd like to volunteer to be a co-GM.

Spoiler: Vera

Name: Vera (originally an ED-E clone)

Species: Duraframe Eyebot

Gender: N/A, though, because of the name, most assume its meant to be seen as female.

Age: 15 (counting from when the current personality OS was programmed into it)

Appearance: She's an eyebot. Not a whole lot sticks out about her. Except, perhaps, for the white and dark red striped paintjob, and the green ribbon in 'her' upper antenna.

Items: Laser pistol-caliber front cannon, miniaturized arc-welder, multitool that allows for repairing and building equipment and other objects (so long as the materials are provided), a slightly upgraded hover unit that allows 'her' to fly a little faster and much quieter than most eyebots. She also has a primitive holographic emitter that allows her to project still images.

Perks:
Miss Fixit: Some of the original ED-E programming persists, and so Vera shows a 'natural' aptitude for Repair and Science.

Cult of Personality: For some reason, around her 10th 'birthday', Vera got a bit of a following. Mostly children and their parents, and though the group housed her and kept her company for three years... well, others were jealous. People traveling with her tend to take a liking to her (one way or another), especially those with a more scientific or at least educated bent. And those who aren't traveling tend to get jealous of those that are.

Terrifying Presence: Maybe the person she was based on was a psychopath in life, maybe Vera retains some of ED-E's memories from The Divide and has learned to channel them to her advantage. Maybe its just that, in the right light, from the right angle, her red stripes look like blood. Whatever the case, Vera can scare the piss out of people when pushed too far.

Personality: Despite her obvious difficulties in communicating with meatbags, Vera seems to be even more friendly than her predecessor. She's not always as loyal as he is though. She'll rarely outright betray someone, but she doesn't feel a need to follow someone around like a dog. Rather, she'll hang around with you as long as you seem to be pleasant enough company. She also has a quirky sense of humor, as well as her own set of recordings, sound files, and music clips to help her convey what she's feeling. (the music is mostly country/western lyrics)

History: Vera has no recollection of how she ended up in Wyoming, as most of her memories as ED-E were deleted when her last real 'owner' reprogrammed her 15 years ago. Her former owner, Blake, had been, presumably very lonely and had apparently decided to reprogram the damaged eyebot he'd found in a junkyard with a personality based on his dead daughter, who he never named in front of Vera. After four years of trial and error, Blake succeeded in replicating his daughter's personality, though he never found out. A deserting Legionarie killed Blake and took over his home before he had the chance to be sure he'd finally gotten it right. How does Vera know he got it right? He'd written a series of journals that he'd read out loud to her during various stages of her reprogramming. As far as 'she' can tell, their personalities are pretty damn close. Not that anyone is in a position to challenge this notion. Some time later, Vera ran into a large family whose children immediately took a liking to her. For her part, Vera enjoyed playing hide and seek with the kids and building weapons for the father and grandfather of the family. What Vera didn't know, and still doesn't, is that the 'family' she was with was the remnant of the Van Graffs that had fled NCR territory and New Vegas, and they were having her build and repair energy weapons for them to sell and use against their enemies. Which might've been fine, Vera certainly didn't have much reason to object, she was treated very well after all... until what was possibly the last squad of the Brotherhood of Steel showed up and killed the family off while Vera was in a nearby junkyard searching for parts. Vera returned to the house just as the Paladins were leaving. Angered for the first time in her memory banks, Vera fired on the BoS remnants and killed one of them, scaring the other two away as she played logs of her favorite times with the Van Graff children. Since then, Vera has been wandering on her own.

There. Let me know what you think.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Spoiler: Ollie Tempson

Name: Oliver "Ollie" Tempson

Species: Human

Gender: Male (Caucasian)

Age: 26

Appearance: Lean, sunburned skin. Wears a red bandana (plays a cool piana), and has a goatee. Ollie wears his hair short, and his face has picked up a number of scratches over the years. You don't become a Khan by keeping clean like a little mama's boy. He is 5'8, and despite his wiry appearance, is actually in very good shape for his small stature. He has brown eyes with a near constant squint.

Items: Bowie Knife, Hatchet, Smith and Wesson Governor revolver, Marlin Model 336 Trail carbine, Nightmare named Alegre (Playful in Spanish), trail mix, coyote meat, purified water, handful of assorted chems (med-x, radaway, fixer, etc.) Great Khan outfit, red bandana, homemade maps

Perks: Roughin' It, Walker Instinct, Hunter, Travel Light, Khan Trick

Personality: Generally a friendly person, Ollie is still a tough as nails fighter who respects strength, as all Great Khans do. As a runner and scout, he has a good relationship with many of the static communities whenever the Khans arrive to trade or recruit. He has a major fear of Yao Guai following an incident years earlier, and will avoid them at all costs. He is helpful to others, so long as they can help themselves or offer something in return. He generally dislikes people who beg for aid, but he will always lend a hand if a Follower of the Apocalypse asks.

History: Ollie was born in Dry Springs, a small settlement near the ruins of Rock Springs, Wyoming, to a small prospector family, hoping to hit it big in the rumored oil deposits of the nearby wells. As it turned out, the oil wells had dried up long ago during the Resource Wars, as Dry Springs lived up to its name. The Tempsons turned to fishing in the streams flowing from the Big Sandy tributary. Coming down from the Rockies, the rivers were shielded from the worst of the nuclear devastation, allowing aquatic life to survive extinction. Where the Tempsons had failed in the oil business, they became one of the first fishing families in southwest Wyoming. By the time of the Great Khans' arrival, Ollie's father had managed to turn the small family business into a self sufficient community along the banks of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, where the pre-war Dam trapped hundreds of edible fish.

With the arrival of the Great Khans came many changes to Ollie's early life. While not openly hostile to the people of Dry Sands, they were nonetheless a martial, aggressive people. The clan leader, known by his followers as Papa, made Dry Springs his first new settlement. In exchange for fair trade of the local's fish, the Great Khans would offer protection to the community, working together for mutual benefit. The Khans offered the people of Dry Sands the means to create their own Chems, and over time, many of them came to adopt the Khan's way of life, including Ollie. Their stories of great adventure and survival enamored the youth to the tribe, much to the concern of his father.

Things came to a head on Ollie's 15th birthday. The Great Khans, now well established across the southern half of Wyoming, had swelled to numbers unheard of in the Tribe's history. Ollie wished to join them, to live the lifestyle of a nomad, and carve out his own stories to be told around the campfires. His father would have none of it. To Elder Tempson, the Khans were the sort of neighbours that were nice to have, but not the kind you wanted your son to hang around. Too many people had moved on from Dry Springs, and Tempson was too set in his traditions to give his son over to the newcomers. Things ended badly between Ollie and his family, and the youth stormed off into the wilderness, in search of the Khans that had so inspired him in his childhood.

The Great Khans would soon prove to be far different than Ollie expected. Their harsh training and rigorous physical routine did not quite match the great stories and life of excitement that he yearned for. Even so, it was hard to earn the Khans' respect, this young upstart trying to run with the big boys. Bragging of their victories to awestruck nobles was one thing, but letting every fanboy into their culture was another. After a particularly savage beating to "toughen him up", as it were, Ollie had finally given up. Picking up his few remaining belongings, Ollie prepared to return home to Dry Springs, bitter after his brush with reality.

He would have continued too, had he not noticed something stalking the camp through the brush. Remaining hidden until the creature had passed, Ollie investigated, discovering a set of animal tracks. Large animal tracks. A Yao Guai. Despite their bullying, Ollie couldn't bring himself to let the mutant bear attack the Khans unawares. Tracking the beast back towards the camp, Ollie began shouting for the Khans to watch out, alerting the party to the Yao Guai's presence. This also took the Yuo-Guai's attention off the Khans and towards him. Running off into the night with the bear close behind, Oliver was saved by the Khans, who used his distraction to overwhelm the Yao Guai, killing the monster before it could land a killing blow on the youth.

The next day, Ollie awoke to find the Khans mending his wounds, applying their skills with Chems to get him on his feet. They had accepted him for his willingness to look out for others in the group, and for putting his life on the line to defend them. Though he still had much to learn, Olliver Tempson was finally a Khan.

Eleven years on, and the Great Khans are now the dominant society in the Wyoming Wastes. Ollie remains a prominent member from that first hunting party, acting as a scout and tracker ahead of the many roaming war parties as they travel across the Great Plains. Though his sense of wonder faded over time, Ollie's newfound family and friends gave him a new sense of purpose, and pride. With the brewing storm of the raider armies approaching, his skills and loyalties will be put to the test.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

[HEADING=1]The Wyoming Wasteland[/HEADING]​

Wyoming was almost completely ignored in the Great War. The oil fields had already run dry long before the bombs fell. However, the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base was a primary target by the Chinese, hoping to stifle its missile capabilities. Cheyenne and Warren Air Force Base took the brunt of the nuclear strikes against Wyoming, leveling both. Numerous local dangers still plague the Wyoming wastelands. Several government research bunkers dot the more isolated regions of the state, dangerous lairs for the unwary, or potential bases for raiders. To the west lie the Rocky Mountains, to the east, the beginning of the Great Plains. Teeming with wild creatures, the Wyoming Wasteland has enough dangers to more than make up for the lower radiation.

Creatures of the Plains:
While the ubiquitous Radscorpion of the American southwest is an uncommon sight in Wyoming, the local wildlife is still just as deadly, if not deadlier. Deathclaws still roam the land, either making nests in the Rockies, or prowling the plains like packs of lions.

Northern Yao Guai are the larger, meaner cousins of the traditional yao guai. Rather than being mutated from smaller Black Bears, these behemoths are the result of radiation infected Grizzlies. They are far larger than their cousins, and much more dangerous. However, they are also slower, and less common.

Nightmares are mutant horses. Their hair is midnight black, and their lower jaws split in two to reveal large, sharp teeth. Their hooves are clawed for self defense. While many of these Nightmares have been domesticated by the Great Khans and smaller tribes, whole herds of wild Nightmares still race across the plains.

White Tails are a mutated cross between a fox and a rabbit, creating a large, leaping predator that hides in the brush before ambushing its prey.

Diamondbacks are gigantic rattlesnakes that lurk in the rivers and along lakebeds, waiting to drag unwary travelers to their doom. If the snake's attack does not instantly kill the prey, it's extremely potent venom will. Some subspecies have even developed the ability to spit corrosive venom much like a cobra, blinding and burning their target before they strike.

Tauros are mutant bison, with oversized horns and shaggy fur covering their entire bodies. They are extremely aggressive, and a common raider tactic of stampeding these beasts through small towns can lead to highly destructive disasters. They are best left alone, as they will not hesitate to attack humans who venture too close to the herd.

In addition, Bighorners, Brahmin, Coyotes and Dogs are all common sights across the plains.

Towns:

Fort Laramie is the largest permanent settlement of the Great Khans. Following Papa Khan's death, Regis took the Khans to the remains of what looked like a pre-war fort or tourist attraction. With the abundance of Tauros herds in the area, the Khans re-established the ancient fur trades, making Laramie a strong economic partner to the town of Cheyton. Though nowhere near as populous as Cheyton, Fort Laramie's cultural significance for the Khans has made it their capital, a place any Khan can turn to in times of need.

Cheyton is the second capital of Wyoming, this one of the local population. Built over the ruins of Cheyenne, they enjoy a large trading deal with the surrounding villages and the Khan camps. A population of roughly three thousand people makes Cheyton the largest permanent town in Wyoming. The Followers of the Apocalypse have sent small groups of volunteers here to aide in the expansion of the settlement. Caravans and Gun Runners also make this their number one stop in the north, where the center of commerce makes Cheyton a highly lucrative business venture into the Northern Commonwealth.

Dry Springs is a fishing town along the banks of the Flaming Gorge Resevoir. It primarily deals with the fish that flow downstream from the Rockies into the resevoir, where they become trapped for the fishermen. Founded by the Tempson family, Dry Springs is a fairly populous town, easily recognized by its wooden buildings and numerous old oil wells in the surrounding area.

Yellowstone Crater is the volcanic remains of Yellowstone National Park. When the bombs fell, the immense seismic activity cause the supervolcano to erupt, completely obliterating the famous park. Some believe that this eruption was at least partially responsible for the nuclear winter of the Great War, as the huge plumes of ash that would have been thrown into the sky would have choked the surface of all life.

Devil's Tower is located in northeastern Wyoming. Some travelers swear that an ancient prize lies at the top of the rock, but none have ever made the climb successfully sine before the war.

Teton is a small mountain community in northwest Wyoming. Up in the mountains, they trade mostly in Bighorners, but are very isolated from the rest of the state.

There are several other, smaller communities across Wyoming, but I want to give you guys the chance to create some as well. These are just the big ones if you need a place to start.

 

[Rip Van Rabbit]

I am very interested in this.

Just give me some time and a character sheet will definitely be on its way.

 

[Rogue Trooper]

Looks good OP, give me some time and I'll start on a sheet.

 

[TheDoctor455]

I am very interested in this.

Just give me some time and a character sheet will definitely be on its way.

I know you're not the GM, but still...

since we're both already in one Fallout RP that seems to be taking its time...

what do you think of my Eyebot?

 

[FalloutJack]

I am very interested in this.

Just give me some time and a character sheet will definitely be on its way.

I know you're not the GM, but still...

since we're both already in one Fallout RP that seems to be taking its time...

what do you think of my Eyebot?

Sorry about that, Doc. You see, my campaign is partially handling itself and then I update when I feel enough has been done. And then, before I do that, I TRY to have it so that everyone does their thing first. (Not always successful.) It's a matter of fact that I update soon. Also, I'm putting a character into this.

 

[TheDoctor455]

I am very interested in this.

Just give me some time and a character sheet will definitely be on its way.

I know you're not the GM, but still...

since we're both already in one Fallout RP that seems to be taking its time...

what do you think of my Eyebot?

Sorry about that, Doc. You see, my campaign is partially handling itself and then I update when I feel enough has been done. And then, before I do that, I TRY to have it so that everyone does their thing first. (Not always successful.) It's a matter of fact that I update soon. Also, I'm putting a character into this.

No worries. And... cool.

 

[Rip Van Rabbit]

Spoiler: Tessa Rabbit

Name: Tessa (Last name unknown) "Rabbit"

Species: Human

Gender: Female (Caucasian)

Age: 22

Appearance: For a street-rat turned scavenger, Tessa had a surprisingly good complexion. If you squinted hard enough, she would be considered quite cute, yet her mousy features and small frame sought to undermine that fact. This was not a girl that was going to win any competitions when it came to physical height. Tessa wore her shoulder-length chocolate brown hair tied into a bun, which matched her equally brown eyes.

Tessa wore a thigh-length grey riding hood (think Little Red Riding Hood, but a shorter version) to blend in amongst crowds or to have her face concealed. Below that, she wore leather armour that had seen better days; the indication that it was roughly tweaked for her size was evidence enough and finally a pair of ragged boots.

For all intents and purposes, she usually went unnoticed...Which suited her purposes perfectly.

Items: Her two prized bowie knives she "acquired" were holstered on each leg and she kept a switchblade in her right boot. Numerous bobby-pins were placed inconspicuously along her body. She had also "stumbled upon" a slim schoolbag that rested on her thigh.

It wasn't large, yet inside was her remaining 350 caps, "recently acquired" combat knife, a few portions of dried brahmin meat, a single bottle of purified water, five stimpacks, numerous elastic bands, 3 different issues of Grognak the Barbarian and a few hits of med-x (She's not a chem user though, she has other uses for it).

Perks (Personality oriented preferably): Fortune Finder, Infiltrator, Finesse, Silent Running.

Traits Small Frame, Loose Cannon (Applies only to the use of throwing bladed weapons.)

Personality: It's no secret that Tessa is a thief, what started out as a means for survival has taken a more pathological turn, since she finds it exceptionally difficult not to take items of perceived value. She truly lives up to the "attracted to shiny things" stereotype, so she collects and plays with knives in order to satiate her shiny compulsion. Generally a surprisingly positive person with an upbeat attitude, she loves what she does and takes immense pride in her skills...just don't expect her to know a damn thing about using conventional firearms, energy weapons or anything to do with computers.

On the opposite end of the spectrum...living on the streets of Freeside New Vegas had made for a very wary approach to others. Tessa is not one to rely on others too easily, yet she is extremely loyal to those who do end up winning her trust. Friendship is not something she could steal; which makes it all the more valuable to her.

Tessa would rather use her agility and street-smarts to slip away since she is painfully aware of how physically weak she is. Yet when her back is against the wall and a fight was unavoidable, she wouldn't hesitate to use those blades she casually played with. With often superior agility and trained finesse from using her blades on a daily basis, she can wield deadly results...provided that she's facing a single opponent.

Finally, Tessa has rendered her skills as a "professional requisition agent" as a commodity to others and possesses the uncanny ability to remain undetected.

History: Tessa had gotten into some major trouble with the NCR.

Alright, alright, let's start from the beginning; well, when two people love each other, the -...no no no!

Truth be told, Tessa never knew her real parents. She was taken in by a crumbling foster system developed by the Followers of the Apocalypse; unfortunately it simply couldn't support her and like many, was let out onto the streets to fend for themselves.

Poverty in the Freeside was nothing new, but the battle of Hoover Dam had created a lot of broken families, destroyed numerous homes and decimated the lives and future plans of many. Tessa had moved in and out of petty gangs, losing friends to violence and drugs over time. It all became too much and she struck out on her own. She quickly realized that she had no support system. She would be damned if she would turn to chems, selling her body or becoming some kind of thug like many of her fellow street inhabitants.

So she turned to thievery in order to survive. Bits of food here, maybe a few caps there, patting down the bodies of passed out drunks, sneaking into bars and relieving valuables when individuals were distracted...it was surprisingly easy at some point and then she grew more ambitious. She would pay off kids to cause a distraction for the owners of a store while she got her hands on more valuable items, she'd fence these items to those seeking her services. She would even run cons where she would steal valuable's, hide them, return to the owner, inquire about the item (or pay someone else to inquire, then she just happens to overhear the conversation), she would come forward with "information" at a price and sometimes even track down the item for an even greater price. So she earned the name "Rabbit" due to her quick hands, quicker legs and a propensity for sheer luck.

------
Fast-forward just a little bit...

Tessa had spent a day in hiding before discerning it was safe when spotting a travelling caravan. She ran up and pleaded to be taken with, no questions asked and to keep this event ever happening a secret. The caravan master charged a steep price for such a long journey, constant feeding and a "forgetful mind". She surrendered most of her caps and was dropped off in a town called Cheyton.

She had no idea where the hell she was!

Fast-forward just a little bit more...

Tessa was the official owner of an abandoned flat in the more rundown parts of Cheyton, it was small, but at least it had hot water and a working toilet. Needless to say rent was not an issue. She needed a place to stay in order to get her bearings before venturing out and discovering more about Cheyton. Although Lady Luck herself seemed to smile down upon her, or more likely laugh at this sudden change of events, as her half-sister, Mercy had tracked her down.

Well, this was going to take some getting used to...

Here you go! Hope that's all okay.

Edited! Added Traits, a few more items in her inventory and included the recent addition to her newfound family, a sister of all things!.

 

[Rip Van Rabbit]

I am very interested in this.

Just give me some time and a character sheet will definitely be on its way.

I know you're not the GM, but still...

since we're both already in one Fallout RP that seems to be taking its time...

what do you think of my Eyebot?

I-I want to hug your Eyebot, give it a home and a blanket.

She's adorable!

Although an Eyebot is a pretty awesome idea. I liked your execution. You gave a floating metal ball depth, personality and motivation...well, colour me interested. Because I like Vera

As for our other RP, you know, quality over quantity and all that.
FalloutJack does an amazing job at what he does, always worth the wait if you're fully invested.

 

[TheDoctor455]

I am very interested in this.

Just give me some time and a character sheet will definitely be on its way.

I know you're not the GM, but still...

since we're both already in one Fallout RP that seems to be taking its time...

what do you think of my Eyebot?

I-I want to hug your Eyebot, give it a home and a blanket.

She's adorable!

Although an Eyebot is a pretty awesome idea. I liked your execution. You gave a floating metal ball depth, personality and motivation...well, colour me interested. Because I like Vera

As for our other RP, you know, quality over quantity and all that.
FalloutJack does an amazing job at what he does, always worth the wait if you're fully invested.

True. Not blaming FalloutJack for anything.

Just a bit impatient with the group Mr. Truant is with.

EDIT:

And thanks. I appreciate it.

Though... I'm pretty sure ED-E got a lot of depth added to him in Lonesome Road.

 

[PrinceOfShapeir]

Spoiler: Sarah Covington

Name: Sarah Covington, alias Sarah Stockwell

Species: Human

Gender: Female

Age: 24

Appearance: Short and petite, standing at 4'11 and looking to weigh perhaps 110 pounds. She wears her ashy blonde hair short, brushing her forehead in the front, her ears on the sides, and her neck in the back, a few locks going down to the level of her pale blue eyes. She looks soft, almost delicate, but there's a hardness to her eyes and the set of her jaw, compounded by the dust and scars on her body.

She wears a brown canvas duster, battered and often repaired, worn over equally well-patched jeans that used to be blue and a t-shirt that is mostly brown patches held together by the dirty, originally white fabric, and black combat boots, caked with dirt but still in good repair, 2077 U.S. Army issue. A shoulder belt goes from her right shoulder to her left hip.

Items: An old, battered, but still quite functional and well-cared for Pip-Boy 3000A. The device has been modified to be quickly and easily removable, and incorporates a compass, Geiger counter, holodisc player, flashlight, and two-way radio.

A vintage Colt M1911A1 pistol, chambered in .45 ACP. The weapon is kept in good repair and well cleaned. Printed on the grip is, "Property of George Covington, Crimson Caravan." A shoulder belt with two loaded magazines slotted through it, plus a third in the gun. The gun itself is holstered on her left hip, as she's a southpaw.

A large satchel on her back, loaded with .45 ACP ammo, water, food (consisting of smoked gecko, dried mutfruit, and hardtack biscuit), as well as various bits of scrap and salvage. The ammo, food, and salvage are kept in separate compartments of her pack to prevent cross-contamination. Threaded through a holder on the outside of the pack is a bottle of Olde Royale Whiskey, still corked and full.

A small pouch of bottle caps backed by the Crimson Caravan Company, a total of one hundred caps, the bag is kept in a pocket of her duster. A pair of Legion-issue Aureus coins stitched into her duster's left side.


Perks:

Educated: One of the benefits of being the child of a Crimson Caravan executive was access to the NCR's very respectable education system. She hasn't wholly squandered it, and is well educated and intelligent, especially for a Wastelander.

Scrounger: Living outside the NCR for a few years has taught her a few things, one being that digging around in the pile of garbage might just earn you enough caps to see tomorrow. She's become quite proficient at it.

Negotiator: Being the daughter of a Caravaner didn't just teach her good manners, she's got a keen way of understanding just what it is people want, and how to influence that, whether it be by nudging up the price of her scavenged goods a few caps or convincing people that causing her problems isn't worth the effort.

Gunslinger: Survival in the Wastes sometimes isn't possible with just clever words, sometimes gunplay is necessary. Sarah goes lightly armed with only her Colt, but she's more than proficient with it after years of practice on both stationary targets and moving, deadly enemies.

Black Widow: Sarah's not above using her feminine wiles to get what she needs or wants, and she has enough of them to take her a long way.

Spoiler: Traits

You didn't put these on the character sheet and if you want them removed, not a problem.

Small Frame: Sarah is small and slight of build. This helps her in some ways - she's agile and has a nonthreatening look - but it also has its detriments - she's fairly weak, and doesn't look at all threatening.

Good Natured: Sarah isn't particularly well suited to the Wastes. She's civilized by birth, wealthy by upbringing, and a trader by education. The savagery of the Wyoming Wastes is fairly unfamiliar to her compared to the comforts and safeties of the NCR heartlands. While she has superior knowledge when it comes to more civilized skills like medicine, science, and culture, she is ill prepared for combat.

Personality: Extremely layered. Sarah plays herself very close to the vest, and she's very good at bluffing, lying, and assorted other deceptive tactics. She doesn't let people very close, few people have ever seen the real Sarah Covington. She avoids drink and drugs and generally tries to avoid situations that could cause her to open up. Outwardly, she presents herself as a amicable but reserved vagabond and wanderer, a traveler on her way to parts unknown with some junk to trade before she continues on her way. She portrays herself as being calm, collected and confident, a consummate survivor.

At this point, the layering of her guises is so thick that not even Sarah is quite sure where they end.

History: Sarah's story goes all the way back to the old NCR and the city of Hub. Her father, George Covington, was an influential man in the Crimson Caravans company, and through her childhood Sarah was groomed to follow in his footsteps and carry the family's legacy. It all seemed to be going quite well until she turned sixteen and got her first real job - join a caravan hauling goods to New Vegas, and once there, assist them in any way necessary.

Sarah bungled it.

The Caravan got there just fine, that wasn't a problem. A dozen Crimson Caravan guards equipped with military-grade hardware was enough to dissuade any bandits along the route . The problem was New Vegas, and a young, impressionable teenager with access to a lot of cash and not quite enough common sense. The details are trivial and pointless, but by the end of her first night there, she'd blown through five thousand caps of company funds, violently offended the management of the Tops Casino, committed two assaults and one act of grand theft of a brahmin, and come morning woke up smelling like all nine layers of Hell in a gutter just outside of the Silver Rush.

And just like that, one night of drunken revelry gone too far, and her life was collapsing around her. Her future of a cushy employment with the Caravans was sunk beyond recognition, they'd be unlikely to trust her with sweeping up Brahmin shit, forget any job of real significance - or pay. It wasn't just the lost caps, the damage to the Caravans reputation from her behavior was effectively irreparable, and her father would take the brunt of it.


Unwilling to let her own screwup bring down her entire family, she made up her mind, gathering her meager possessions and fleeing New Vegas into the Wastes. It was a foolish decision, borne out of panic, guilt, and a crippling hangover, but her logic was sound - if the Tops brought their protestations of her behavior to the Caravans now after she vanished, the Tops would be prime suspects in her disappearance. The loss of the caps would be attributed ot who or whatever person or agency abducted - or, more likely, murdered her. The relatively minor crimes would be missed or swept under the rug in the confusion.

It was still a stupid move on her part, but it ended up well for her. Equipped only with her wits, her education, and her father's gun, she began to wander, putting old lessons to use, gathering scrap and salvage, wrangling a few caps, and using the caps to buy something that she could sell in the next town for a few caps of profit. By this way she traveled, mostly north and a little west for the next seven years. Life out in the wastes was hard, fearful, and exhausting. But there was also an exhiliration to it that she couldn't deny.

She passed through Utah, and met with the Mormon tribes there, doing some trading briefly before continuing her journey into Idaho, seeing their gemstones and vast supplies of potatoes, before crossing the border into Wyoming, where her path would eventually lead her to the far end of the state and the center of power of the Khans.

 

[EmperorZuma]

So, are we to PM you our sheet, post it here, or both? I did one, but not the other...now I feel like my archetype is gonna get unknowingly used.

 

[VuvuZelaMan]

I must say, the thread concept interests me. I'm not sure I'll be able to join, but I might be able to make a sheet in the next few days. Perhaps an explosives user, or a medic?

 

[Soviet Heavy]

DP

 

[Soviet Heavy]

So, are we to PM you our sheet, post it here, or both? I did one, but not the other...now I feel like my archetype is gonna get unknowingly used.

You can do it either way. Some people prefer to keep their characters private, but if you want, you can post it here as well. Like I said, I am going to keep this RP open, given the freeform style I want to try out. Once the RP starts, however, I will only take sheets by PM so that we don't clutter up the game thread.

Snip

Interesting. So Covington headed north into Montana before swinging back south to Wyoming?

 

[EmperorZuma]

Then I'll just put this in here too, for funsies.

Spoiler: Jacob Karl

Name: Jacob Karl

Race: Human

Gender: Male

Age: 38

Appearance: Motley brown hair drifts just on the top of his surprisingly well taken-care-of eyeglasses, which help his hazel eyes focus on his work. When he's relaxing, he prefers to where the simple dingy, brown rages of a wastlander. In his office, he sports unusually clean doctor's coat, an old Follower's outfit. In the field, he wears a more robust uniform, light leather armor with a more battle-torn lab coat over it. He always keeps a rucksack near with all his provisions, in case the unexpected should happen.

Perks: Chemist, Educated, Vigilant Recycler, Computer Whiz

Items: Laser Pistol, Energy Cells, Lab Coat, Lightweight Leather Armor, Eyeglasses, Some Stimpacks, Med-ex and assorted Chems.

Personality: Jacob is slow to anger and tries to work things out without violence if he can. However, his intelligence isn't dimmed by his optimism, and he won't leave himself exposed when a threat is presented. When not in danger, he's a caring individual, always willing and able to help where he can, even if all he can do is help someone die in peace. To anyone put in his charge, he is a great caretaker, with a good bedside manner and diligent observation. He is quite the gregarious person, when he has the energy. A hunger for people's stories brews in him.

History: Born inside the walls of New Vegas, Jacob found himself the unwanted result of a NCR soldier's trip to Gomorrah. And, after a little begging and a few favors, soon ended up outside the Strip, living the meager life of a farmer's son. Life was hard those first few years, pressed into work as soon as he learned to walk. However, whenever he wasn't working, and had the energy to stay awake, Jacob read. Lucky enough to be in a community where someone could teach him to, he read as many books he could find, which wasn't much. But, a Big Book of Science he managed to get his hands on seemed to start the chain of events that followed.

At the age of ten, Jacob was able to make a better fertilizer using Brahmin dung and some crushed flora. Why he did it, no one knew, but the resulting crop was enough for the farmers to sell and still have enough to eat until the next season. Not only did this bring joy to his "parents", an uncommon sight for Jacob, but it also got the attention of the Followers of the Apocalypse, working in a nearby outpost. They came to see who had come up with such a strange fertilizer, surprised to see it was only a child. The Followers must have seen potential with the boy, as they offered to take Jacob with them to the Old Mormon Fort, to further enhance his talents. Over the years, the Followers taught the boy what they knew, of the world, of medicine, and of the technology they worked to harness. During that time, Jacob sucked it all up like a sponge, and never seemed to be overwhelmed by the scope of it all.

In his mid-teens, he became a productive member of the Followers, helping them rehabilitate the people of Freeside addicted to the various ills that floated about New Vegas. At the same time, he helped distill chems for the Followers to use for a variety of things, from treating patients suffering from withdrawal to trading them to keep the Fort well-supplied.

However, these days did not last forever, as the NCR's struggle for the nearby Hoover Dam finally ended with the dwellers of the Mojave Wasteland becoming the masters of their own fate. Things got chaotic after the battle, as the Followers soon found themselves overwhelmed with the sick, and fighting off those who were desperate for their chemicals. Eventually, this reached a head, and the Followers decided to choose a somewhat-hypocritical option of increasing their chemical production to sell off for extra cash to pay for mercenaries. With the extra protection, the Followers were able to expand their operations into the neighborhoods the Fort bordered. Eventually, the fought-for prosperity allowed to Fort to become a haven of medicine and learning, as the Followers were able to teach and spread their philosophies under the protection of armed men. For Jacob, this was all well and good, but he also felt like he no longer had much purpose. He was now one of many doctors that worked in the Fort, and his duties shrank to taking care of those with minor physical injuries and chem distilling. Sometimes, if he was lucky, he would debug a computer.

So, while Jacob would never admit he did it out of boredom, he left the Fort on good terms with the Followers and headed to the rumored newly-founded homeland of the Great Khans. He figured a new frontier could use his skills as a healer, and the Khans would love what he had to bring to the table in the field of chem distilling. By the time he arrived, Cheyton was already showing signs of blossoming into a wasteland metropolis. So, after selling a few of his unused materials, Jacob founded a small clinic to take care of the many that would no doubt get hurt in their Wyoming Wasteland wanderings.

After a while, Jacob's clinic found the same kind of prosperity as the Followers Fort, albeit on a smaller scale. The man became a leader of a team of nurses and physicians, most of whom he trained himself. With their help, the clinic almost ran itself, which actually proved to be to Jacob's detriment, as he, yet again, felt sort of useless. Perhaps in a more reckless move, Jacob met up with a small caravan he knew went through Cheyton once every month. So, once a year, for the past couple of years, Jacob leaves his clinic to handle to mundane affairs of the Cheyton sick for a month while he bleeds off his wanderlust.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

[HEADING=1]The Factions and Groups of the Wyoming Wasteland[/HEADING]​

Several diverse groups populate the Wyoming Wasteland. These are some of the major players.

The Great Khans
The Great Khans came to Wyoming twenty years ago, and have been the dominant power in the region ever since. Their medical know how, and knowledge of history and warfare made them ideally suited to carve out a great Empire in the lawless plains of Wyoming and the American northwest. Roaming the plains in war bands and nomadic hunting parties, the Khans took to taming the local Nightmares as the Californians had the Brahmin. Conducting lightning fast raids and ambushes, the Great Khans are the bane of any raider or thug stupid enough to threaten them or their territory. However, the mounting threat of a huge Raider army pushing across the Great Plains could be more than the Khans can handle. Only time will tell if they will weather the storm, or be swallowed up in a sea of violence.

Great Khans are found all across Wyoming, traveling in mobile villages. Their largest permanent settlement, and capital, is Fort Laramie, in Southeast Wyoming, a short distance from the trading town of Cheyton.

The Raider Alliance
Racing across the plains, either on a quest of conquest, or fleeing from a greater threat, several organized raider groups from the American Midwest have begun probing the edges of Wyoming. They are testing the borders to see if the region will be an easy score or a hard fought campaign. Regardless of their intentions or motivations, these raiders form the greatest threat to the Great Khans claim on Wyoming territory. There are numerous smaller groups of note within the Alliance.

The Rattlers are a tribal raider party, making extensive use of venom extracted from dead Diamondbacks. Less modernized than other raiders, they rely on their roots as tribal hunters over firearms. They are notorious among Wyoming wastelanders for their destruction of the northern town of Sheridan, a flourishing community that was set aflame and left to rot. The Ratters are easily identified by their coiling red tattoos, actually burn marks from Diamondback Venom applied to their skin.

The Knuckleheads are another infamous group. Noted by their signature spiked knuckle weapons, they are a society of brawlers. Organized through a social hierarchy similar to the Khans (though much less civilized and intelligent), the Knuckleheads follow the biggest, strongest member of the gang, called Thumpers. Acting as a sort of sergeant or captain, A Thumper controls his men through brute force. You either punch the enemy, or try punching him and seeing how things turn out.

The Niners are a group of plasma flinging madmen, originating from Vault 9 in South Dakota. Vault 9 was one of Vault-Tec's numerous social experiment vaults. Vault 9 was stocked with energy based weaponry, and then filled with people exhibiting doomsday paranoia, particularly ones fearing death by nuclear weaponry or energy lasers. Those that survived the intense paranoia of the Vault were met with an even greater hell when the Vault door swung open. They had finally done it. They blew it up, damning the Niners all to hell.

The Last Legion are one of the newest, yet easily deadliest, additions to the Raider Alliance. With the death of Caesar and the shattering of the Legion's might at Hoover Dam, the Legion fragmented. Without strong leadership, the once organized and secure lands of Arizona fell into chaos as the marginalized and disposed peoples rose up to regain their lost heritage. With the Legion lands in chaos, and seeing little hope in regaining their territory, the remnants of the army headed northwards. There, they intended to exact their revenge on the Khans, who had abandoned them at the Dam to the well equipped NCR. Lacking the strength to attack the Khans directly, however, the Legion was forced to throw their lot in with the Alliance, grudgingly working alongside the profligates to punish those that had wronged them.

The Followers of the Apocalypse
The Followers have a small presence in Wyoming, primarily located around the town of Cheyton. As their influence spread following Hoover Dam, the Followers became more and more distant from their origins in the NCR. While still on good terms with the Californians, the Followers became more independent than ever before, plying their trade as medical doctors and educators across the wastes. Braving the dangerous territories of the 80s in Utah, a small group made it into Southern Wyoming, hearing rumors of a medical clinic operating there. They remain a helpful group, and well respected by the locals for their ties with the Great Khans.

Vault 73
vault 73 is an anachronism even among the bizarre occupants of the Wasteland. A small Japanese community built around Vault 73, they often trade with the Great Khans for their impressive metalwork. Vault 73 Swords are prized possessions among the Khans, as they are fine weapons in their own right. Using ancient metal folding techniques, their weapons are incredibly hardy, and easily able to cut through even armored targets.

Brotherhood of Steel, Wyoming Chapter
The Wyoming Brotherhood Chapter share their Western cousin's attitude towards technology and who should be allowed to possess it. Located in Oil City (Casper, Wyoming), the Wyoming Brotherhood operates out of a reinforced Oil refinery. When the Resource Wars erupted, the United States Government scrambled to stockpile whatever crude oil they had left. When the Brotherhood arrived, they discovered a large Oil stockpile left behind after the Great War. This massive resource gave the Wyoming Chapter a large advantage over people in their surroundings. They had better equipment, better training, and now, a massive resource to run their more advanced technology, such as heating systems, vital to survive the Wyoming Wasteland's harsh winters.

Local Federation
The Local Federation refers to the towns dotting Wyoming's landscape. They are not a faction in the traditional sense, but rather, a loose conglomeration of independent settlements that share trading ties and protection deals with the Great Khans. Despite this beneficial organization, ambitious town leaders often lead to friction whenever the Federation convenes to discuss policy changes. Periods of violent disagreement and trade sanctions are an all to common occurrence between the towns as they vie for economic dominance.