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NOTE: This RP is a continuation of one from the Bethesda.net forums. We are moving because the forums there are too clunky for dedicated writing. The story so far can be found here:

https://bethesda.net/community/topic/37830/in-from-the-fog-a-far-harbor-roleplay-ic-thread

New RP'ers are welcome if they'd like to jump into the story.



Prologue

The fog condensers of The Harbor gave off an eerie blue glow in the blackness of the night as several men and women patrolled the top of the hull. Their eyes constantly scanned the darkness beyond the protected border of the town watching for any signs of movement in the fog. Every errant twitch of movement or noise was enough to send them into a heightened state of alert. The hull was strong, but not impenetrable, and so their fears were more than justified. God help them if anything from the Deep Fog wandered up here.

Behind the safety of the hull, the tiny town of Far Harbor was huddled together on the dock. Its gnarled and crumbling ancient buildings seemed to be precariously perched on this outcropping of civilization on an otherwise otherworldly island. Lanterns of fish oil hung in the streets and from the windows of houses which were firmly locked and boarded against the encroaching night. Nobody liked to be out much after dark, aside from the few old obstinate fisherman who continued to ply their trade on the dark waters of the Harbor even the sun had long since gone down. Not that there was ever much sun to be had on the island, even during the height of the day.

There was one exception to this rule however, and that was The Last Plank. Even at night, the bar was often filled with patrons. Although rarely was the mood in anyway jovial. Most of the harbor men and women who sat down in its torn, bug eaten booths and rickety chairs and tables were only interested in one thing, having a drink in peace and trying to relax after a hard day on the water trying to earn their keep. More often than not they simply drank their choice of poison in silence while staring out across the sea through the dirty windows of the bar. Occasionally someone might start up an old story about how things used to be better, when the Fog wasn’t covering the island, or even when they could still get new condensers. And that might elicit a few clinks of glasses as they made a toast to the good times. But that was only fleeting nostalgia, and never lasted long.

On this particular night, Mitch was behind the counter of the bar, cleaning a few glasses and rearranging the mishmash supply of booze on the shelves behind him. The Last Plank was sparse tonight, and the few drinkers he had were not the talkative types. Choosing instead to brood while nursing their beers or glass of whiskey. He was also pretty sure Longfellow had fallen asleep in his favorite chair.

Suddenly the door to the bar creaked open, and someone stepped inside, closing it behind them. He was wearing some sort of ratty trench-coat with his collar up and and his hat down. Mitch wished he’d have lit a few more candles in the place because he couldn’t get a good look at the man’s face. At least, he assumed it was a man. He was more than a little suspicious of the newcomer. He knew everyone on the island, it was a small town after all and they all came to The Last Plank at least once a week and now more often than that with times being what they were. He knew for a fact nobody dressed like that. Most likely he was a mainlander who’d docked at the harbor for the night. Although why anybody would knowingly do so was beyond him.

Still, Mitch shrugged it off and gave a cheery smile as the man sat down, everyone was welcome in The Last Plank. Harborman or no.

“Welcome friend,” Mitch said warmly, “Can I getcha something? Whiskey? Ice-cold Beer? Or maybe a Vim? Only place you’ll find cold drinks on the entire island. I can guarantee that. Or are you looking for something to eat instead? Still got some tasty fried mirelurk chunks Debby made today I could warm up for ya. Ain’t gourmet but it’ll fill the belly.”

The stranger was silent for a few moments, and slowly reached for his pocket to pull out a cigarette and a lighter. Mitch’s blood turned to ice as he noticed that the fingers of the man weren’t flesh, but instead mechanical.

The stranger lifted the cigarette to his mouth and lit it up, illuminating his previously shadowed face in amber glow. And now Mitch could also see that it wasn’t just his hand that was inhuman.

“Well I don’t need food or drink, but you can still help me,” The stranger said in a gritted voice, with the cigarette now clenched in his mouth, “I’m looking for some information. I need to know what happened to a place called.....Acadia.”

RP Information:

Background: Acadia is gone, all there having mysteriously vanished one day without warning or notice, and without a trace of them remaining. The residents of Far Harbor are unsure of what to make of their sudden disappearance. Some are fearful that it means they might be next, others suspicious of DiMa and his kind are glad they’re gone, and some of the more forward thinking are worried about Far Harbor’s future. Without Acadia, the condenser technology is lost to them. And while they can maintain the ones they have, sooner or later, they’re going to stop working entirely. And then Far Harbor will finally be claimed by the Fog. The town is living on borrowed time.

To make things worse strange noises, well stranger than normal anyway, have been heard from the Fog, eerie chanting and drum beats, along with the odd lights and figures moving just on the edge of vision. Worse still, nobody has heard any word from any of the crazy old stubborn homesteaders that used to still live out in the fog, and anybody that goes out to try and figure out what's going on never comes back. So folks have stopped trying. Creatures that attack the hull appear to be getting more aggressive and, most terrifyingly, bigger. Even the very fog itself appears to be thicker, as if it's choking out everything in it.

The residents of Far Harbor have to face the terrible truth: The Fog is getting worse, and it's coming for them.

Characters

The plan for this is to mostly be a character driven settlement RP. With a little mix of horror, mystery, and survival thrown in. Multiple characters are possible (they can be affiliated, for example a family or a small gang, or be completely independent of one other).

Primarily your character will be either a native Harborman/Harbor woman, or someone just arriving there from The Commonwealth or elsewhere. No one will be living in the Fog or living anywhere else on the island (initially) however.

Far Harbor is a small town, so get cozy.

Name:
Age:
Race/Gender:
Brief physical description or picture:
Clothing/Armor/Weapons:
Brief Background:

Rules

General Rule: Common sense RP rules apply. Don’t control other people’s characters without their consent, don’t play a god character with no flaws etc.

Dice-Rolling/Chance Situations: Occasionally in the RP, there will be times where a "roll-check" is used to add a level of unpredictability and impartiality to the RP. This is simple system just to add a bit more fun for both myself and the RP'ers and so its not very complex in order to not impede the story. I will determine chances of success and try to be as consistent as I can about it. I will let RP'ers know the chances before an action is taken so they can decide whether or not they want to proceed. Again, it is a simple system and not intended to be a full DnD style RP.

I use Random.org to 'roll' a dice (shown under the 'Games' tab) and always take the first number I roll. The site has a good explanation of the method they use to ensure randomness if anyone is curious.

My intent is to make this a pretty casual RP. Nothing too intense. Write what you can and have fun with it.
Don Salvatore Borgio

Don Borgio examined the vast extravagant spread before him on the table. Every dish and wine the Ultra Luxe had to offer was laid out before him, thousands of caps worth of fine dining. The smell was simply delectable. The Don rubbed his hands together excitedly,

"Grazie!" The fat old Don told the White Glove waiter, and he offered a large bag of caps to him as a tip. Which the waiter graciously accepted with wide eyes. After which the Don immediately began digging into the food. He sampled each of the dishes slowly and with a discerning pallet. Likewise, he sipped on a glass for each of the various wines, deciding that he liked a particularly well aged vintage red wine imported from Southern California the best.

He paid no attention to the remaining delegates around him, and simply ate in peace. His two bodyguards standing behind him quietly watching for any suspicious activity. It was unlikely that any of the Don's enemies would travel so far as New Vegas to enact some kind of vengeance upon him, but then again there was bad blood with the other families brewing, and you could never be too careful.

After a time, the Don pushed aside the final plate, gave a satisfied sigh, and lit up a cigar with a flick of a match. He sat puffing on the cigar and digesting his food for a few minutes before he pulled aside one of the waiters,

"There's a large amount of food left here. I simply could not eat it all obviously, no do I wish to. I don't believe in letting anything go to waste however. I'd like you to wrap the remainder up and take it out to a those poor wretches outside the gates of the Strip. Freeside is it? Distribute it to the first people you find. Make sure they know it's a gift from Don Borgio. I trust you'll do this for me keeping in mind how many caps I just spent at your fine establishment."

The waiter nodded profusely and the Don sat up, slowly, from his chair and began walking out of the Gourmand and towards the Ultra Luxe suits. After his massive meal, he intended to get some shuteye before the next day. His regret at missing much of the first day of this great convention was tempered by the hope of another great opportunity in the second day.

"I imagine these Vegas people know how to run a proper hotel," He said offhand to one of his bodyguards, "Lets hope they have complimentary breakfast..."

Antony Borgio

The Securitron's screen fell blank again for a handful of seconds, and then its persona returned. "Yes. You will be able to meet with him. Request transmission via terminal and he shall decide if he has the time or motive to meet with you."

"Hmmm...request transmission via terminal..." Antony muttered thoughtfully, "Well I was hoping for a more personal face to face meeting. Oh who am I kidding. What reason would House even care about me or my family eh? I suppose I shouldn't press the matter. Come to think of it, does House have a Vice President of some sort? Who was the VP of RobCo back in the day....hmmmm..it was a Mr. Milburn right? Thomas Milburn? No, no that's not right..I'm not sure where I pulled that name from to be honest....Bradburton? No, of course not, he was the CEO of Nuka Cola wasn't he...ah oh well. Nevermind. My pre-war history is a bit shaky. I'll glad see tomorrow if Mr. House is available for a some sort of communication. I'd be greatly honored."

With that, Thomas let the Securitron behind, and turned back around. He figured he'd walk the strip a bit more before returning to the Ultra Luxe for bed.

Lucia Borgio- Tops Casino

Lucia had been having the time of her life for the past several hours. Gambling, drinking, dancing, and meeting people from all walks of life from all over the wasteland. Vegas was a unique sort of city that had become a mixing pot of all sorts of different peoples and nations, and with the Great Summit of nations having been called here, there were even more opportunities to rub shoulders with individuals from the four corners of the continent and perhaps even beyond.

And it was here that she found herself seated at a table in the Tops Restaurant hanging on to the arm of an NCR "Brahmin" Baron with a wide-brimmed hat and a rather fancy looking suit that reminded her of a cowboy in some pre-war western. She was surrounded by wealth and power, men and women both, and was absolutely adoring it.

"So you come from New York, is that right?" One of the women at their table asked her with an excited look, "What's it like? I've heard so much about the Big Apple from old holotapes. I'd love to go their some day. But...I've heard the east coast is a bad place to be right now."

"New York is wonderful, simply wonderful!" Lucia beamed, "Lights everywhere...skyscrapers taller than any building you've ever seen. Most of the city is still in ruins of course, but my father and the families have built up their own little slice of heaven. What they have is nothing compared to the size of Vegas, but...papa has still done well for himself."

"I'll say," One of the brahmin barons scoffed, "You've been burning through caps tonight like nothin' I've seen before little lady."

Lucia gave a mischievous grin and stirred her drink, "Hmmm maybe I've spent a little money here or there."

"Your father, what sort of business is he in anyway?" The brahmin baron continued.

"Oh you know. The odd trading here or there. Liqueur and gambling just like Vegas. That sort of thing."

"He makes all that dough off of booze and gambling..." The brahmin baron raised a suspicious eyebrow, "Well shit. I went into the wrong business it seems."

"Whats all happening on the east coast anyway?" Another one of the woman said, "I've heard some weird things on some of the news reports back home. Weird cults and religions, creepy science experiments...that sort of thing. I caught glimpse of those Children of Atom people and then there was those...well I don't know what the other ones were but I didn't like how either one of those groups looked. They gave me the chills. You look pretty normal though, so I'm glad there's at least some sane people in the east."

"Oh we're not all crazy back east," Lucia laughed, "I don't know a whole lot about those cults myself, but I have heard of a group down south. All I know about them is..."

Lucia's words died in her mouth. Her mind became clouded with strange thoughts and she suddenly lost her train of thought completely. What had she been talking about? Had she been talking at all?

"Umm...hello?" The woman asked, startled.

"Yes?" Lucia replied cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to the conversation.

"You...you were talking about the east? The cults and so-on?"

"Was I?" Lucia blinked several times, "Oh well...I don't know a whole lot about those cults myself." He eyes fell on a clock on the opposite wall, and she realized how late it was, "Oh! I should probably get going. Papa will be waiting for me. I've had a lovely evening however. I hope to see you all again soon!"

With that Lucia stood up from the table and swiftly left the restaurant. Leaving her guests rather bewildered and confused at her sudden departure and strange behavior, but they simply shook their heads and assumed it was just an eccentric quirk of an obviously quite spoiled young lady.
If this does end up getting started, I'd be interested in joining. Maybe tentatively as a Chaos cultist faction if that's a possibility.
Antony Borgio - On The Strip

"Securitrons have an array of armaments, but they do not resemble the Rob-Co Protectron. Each unit is equipped with a 9mm submachine gun, a rapid-fire G-28 25mm grenade launcher, M-235 missile launchers, and the X-25 Gatling laser system. Do you have any other questions?"

"Mother of God..." Antony replied aghast, "That's...that's quite impressive. I'm not sure I've heard of a pre-war robot armed with that kind of firepower. Sentry bots maybe...but even then.."

Antony realized he was starting to ramble again and immediately checked himself. The securitron was still waiting for him to ask a further question, and an awkward silence followed. Suddenly Antony had a thought, and he felt strangely compelled to blurt it out suddenly,

"Would it be possible to speak with President Robert House at some point? Perhaps tomorrow, when the summit reconvenes. Privately, of course. Is this something you could relay to him?"

He froze like a deer in headlights. Surprised at his own words.

Why did I just say that? He wondered to himself, What in the world am I thinking? Asking for a private meeting with the CEO of RobCo? Am I nuts? Why he even ever want to meet with the son of a jumped-up gangster from New York?

Antony Borgio

"I am a Mark-II PDQ 88-b Securitron, also known as a Rob-Co Security Model 2060-B. We have been tasked by our creator and president Robert Edwin House to protect the citizens of the Free Economic Zone of the Mojave and deliver Mr. House's vision. This particular unit is tasked with the defense of the Lucky 38 Hotel and Casino, the crown jewel of the city of Las Vegas. My programming obligates me to answer any further questions you might have."

"Eccellente!" Antony exclaimed, still fascinated by them, "We don't have any robots like you back east. Robert House...I know quite a bit about him. I'm a bit of a RobCo enthusiast. My father doesn't seem much point in me tinkering with terminals and old security bots, but he's very traditional. Doesn't appreciate the value of technology in a...."

Anytony realized that he was rambling on to a robot like it was a human and cut himself off. He rather doubted the robot understood or cared at all about anything he was saying whatsoever,

"Ahem..well, anyway," He said, clearing his throat, "You said you're a security model. However I don't see any form of armament visible on you. Are you armed similarly to the Protectron then?"

Lucius, Caesar of The Legion - Southwest Arizona

Mounted atop his horse on a nearby hillside, with a small contingent of horsemen, Lucius watched proudly as his men hit a section of the advancing NCR line. They were methodical and precise in their actions, striking quickly at vulnerable sections and then falling back just as Lucius had drilled them to do time and time again. This constant harassment, hit and run strikes, and sabotage would be plaguing the NCR army throughout their attempts to advance into Legion territory.

Suddenly, Lucius saw as a red mist descended on the NCR column, and horrific twisted figures emerged from the cloud and began striding in disjointed movements towards the NCR soldiers. Each time one of them appeared to be struck down, they rose again, and again, and again. It was a terrifying sight, and his Legionaries wisely held back, unsure of how to react to this sudden monstrous appearance.

Lucius however was not as superstitious. As one of the few Legion men to have visited the Sierra Madre, he knew better than most what the blood red cloud was, and what it signaled.

His suspicions were confirmed when of his Decani approached with a strange individual in tow, none other than The Burned Man himself.

"Joshua," Lucius greeted as he hoped down off his horse, "That was quite a display. I can imagine the stories spreading through the NCR's ranks even now. They must think they're fighting hell itself..."

Titus Crassus, Queastor of The Legion

“Anyway as much as I like to discuss the plagiarism of the ancient Rome I understand the Khan Representative is chatting with your boss, I’d like to speak to them and give them a letter..”

The Veteran Legionaries readied their weapons for a fight at the drunken Ranger's approach, but disciplined as they were, they did not fire. Not until Titus himself gave the order,

"So, not merely satisfied with sending a clown to represent him in his stead at a gathering of nations," Titus laughed, "Kimball now sends drunken ingrates on sensitive diplomatic missions? Tsk tsk. Let me make this clear to you: if you take one more step forward towards this encampment, I will take this as a sign of aggression and my legionaries WILL open fire. With the Khans as my witnesses, I will make my apologies to Mr. House later if I must. That is all I have to say to you."

Titus then turned to Cain, and spoke to him more quietly,

"Of course, I will not prevent you from retrieving the Ranger's letter if you wish to send one of your Khans out to take it from him. The man's apparent drunkenness is...suspect however. Be that as it may, if this is some kind of trick, I and my legionaries will assist you. I would not think Kimball capable of killing diplomats, but at this point I would put absolutely nothing beyond the man."

Don Salvatore Borgio, Anthony Borgio, and Lucia Borgio - New York Syndicate

After a time of waiting and listening to the ongoing conversations, it was clear that the summit had concluded for the day and that no further substantial discussion was going to take place at the Gourmand. The Don had been able to learn at least a brief summary of the contents of the day's rather events from one of the Ultra Luxe's staff. How a nation called "The NCR" had declared war against another nation called "The Legion". These names meant absolutely nothing to him, as did their conflict. The Don's thoughts turned to other...more pressing matters. He pulled aside one of the Gourmand's waiters,

"Scusi! I want to sample your dishes. To see if the best New Vegas has to offer is anything comparable to the best my city has to offer. Ha! One of everything from the menu if you don't mind. And a sampling of each of your wines."

"That's...going to be rather expensive papa'," Antony said sheepishly.

"What good is enormous wealth boy if I can't spend it? You people take bottle caps as currency am I correct?" The Don continued, "I've got more than enough to cover the bill. And as for you two..." The Don pointed to his children, "Go out and leave me in peace for a few hours. Take in the sights."

"Grazie papa'!" Lucia clapped her hands excitedly and gave her father a peck on the cheek, "Ta ta!" And she very nearly leapt out the door and onto the Strip. Her brother followed behind her, walking in a much more dignified and reserved fashion.

Lucia Borgio

"10,000 chips worth please...just to start off."

Lucia giggled as she took the heap of chips from the Tops cashier and immediately headed for the roulette wheel on the Casino floor. She excitedly put large bets on various numbers and then clapped her hands as she watched the ball spin around and around. A crowd of curious onlookers had gathered around her, enamored by the strangely dressed woman and the amount of money she was gambling away.

"Viva Las Vegas!" She shouted, to the cheers of Tops Casino patrons.

Antony Borgio

Antony stopped his leisurely stroll down the strip and paused at a stone bench along the street, where he carefully sat down after wiping it off with a handkerchief. He breathed in the evening air and was about to reach for a paper or magazine to purchase from one of the stands when a pair of Securitrons rolled up.

Fascinated by the robotic soldiers. Antony got up and followed them,

"Excuse me!" He yelled at the robots, "Err...robots! Do you mind if I ask you a few questions? What....what are you exactly?"
Titus Crassus - Queastor of The Legion

Titus readily accepted Cain's handshake and returned it firmly.

"Vegas is indeed a strange place," he replied, "And this meeting no less so. I will share with you what I know thus far."

Titus then led the Khan(s) out of the Gourmand, down the strip, and towards Freeside where their horses were waiting. Titus and Atius swiftly mounted up. Despite his bookish appearance, Titus was an excellent horseman, and after taking the reigns he set off down the streets of Freeside with the Khans in tow. As they trotted down the filthy thoroughfare lined with beggars, thugs, and would-be gamblers, Titus rode beside Cain and explained what had happened in the time since the meeting had begun,

"You did not miss much," Titus began, "Once we had all arrived and the proceedings begun, the NCR saw fit to immediately declare war and announce that their invasion was already underway. Caesar Lucius had suspected that such an attack was imminent, but I admit we had believed they would wait until after these proceedings had concluded. Then to add further insult, it was revealed that the NCR President whom we had been dealing with was not actually the President at all. Kimball, coward that he is, refused to even attend the meeting in person. Instead he sent a body double, no doubt for his own safety."

As they passed through the east gate of Freeside and out onto the windswept expanse of the darkening Mojave, Titus led the group of Khans towards the east. In the distance, beyond the ruins of outer vegas, a campfire could be seen glowing,

Titus sighed, before continuing, "In any case, Caesar left to see to the defense of Arizona. Kimball is a fool if he thinks his advance will be met unchecked, or that his army will not suffer terribly for treading through Legion soil. The NCR's second invasion has been what Caesar and his Legates have been planning ever since the first war concluded. The wastes of Arizona will be a deathtrap for the NCR soldiery. The President most likely wants to use this war to unify his people and distract them from the problems at home. I think the fool will find, however, that his people are going to be far less amicable to the devastation that this war will bring to them. Perhaps once they've gotten the chance to experience the horrors of war first-hand, they'll rid themselves of the corruption thats leading them."

As Titus finished, the horsemen rode up to the small Legion encampment they'd been traveling towards. A contuburnium of eight veteran legionaries and their Decanus stood watch over the camp, which consisted of several hide and leather tents dyed crimson red, all circling a large bonfire at the center where the butchered meat of a bighorner was roasting. At the forefront of the camp, a single tent larger and more ornately decorated than the others stood out prominently. Titus and Atius both rode up to this tent and as they dismounted one of the legionaries hitched the horses to a row of wooden posts. Titus invited the Khans to do likewise and then beckoned them towards the waiting bonfire.

The Queastor took his seat in a hide chair draped with furs and offered the similarly decorated chair next to him to Cain, while likewise offering other seats and sitting logs around fire to the rest of the Khans men. Atius stood guard next to the horses, while the the Legionaries kept a sharp eye on the surrounding Mojave landscape.

"First, before we talk I want to offer you food and drink. I'm sure you're hungry from your travels and I can't imagine you had enough time to truly enjoy anything that our hosts at the Ultra Luxe provided," Titus said, and he motioned to a pair of slave girls waiting off to the side. The two women immediately brought forth plates of food to the Khans, consisting of roasted brahmin, bread, and fruits. While also bringing cold water and several wine skins to quench their thirst.

"Take what you like," Titus grinned, "Nothing like one of those so called 'exquisite' meals from the gourmand perhaps, but the calf was killed only this evening and the produce nearly as fresh as that."

Once the Khans had sampled the food and had their fill, Titus broached the topic he'd been hoping to discuss with Cain,

"The reason I wished to meet with you and your people is simple," he started to say, "Caesar wishes to extend to the Khans an offer of goodwill, and hopes that any transgressions that we might have committed in the past towards one another might be forgiven. Your thoughts on the NCR as well, I would like to know. Especially now that Kimball Junior has shown himself to be just as misguided and overconfident as his father was."

OOC: I got Fish's approval to do something a bit different here. These wise guys don't have a sheet for now: more on that later.

The New York Syndicate, Arriving at McCarran

As the day turned to late evening, a lone jet airliner touched down at McCarran airport. Once the aircraft had taxied slowly to a stop, the gangplank was rolled up and five smartly dressed individuals stepped out and down onto the tarmac. Two men in suits, fedoras, and long overcoats came out first carrying tommy-guns locked firmly in their arms. The two men stepped aside, while keeping a careful watch on the surroundings as the other three disembarked. The next man down was exceptionally rotund man who wore a black and white pin-striped suit with an overcoat draped over his shoulders like a cape. His fingers bore several large jewel-encrusted rings, while a fine gold watch was tucked neatly into his jacket pocket, its chain partially visible. He walked carefully with an ebony cane down the gangplank.

Behind him, a younger, thinner, spitting image of the large man trailed closely behind, helping his revered father down the gangplank. The younger man was dressed more modestly than his sire, but his dark blue suit was well tailored and his shoes were finely shined.

"Attenzione!" The younger man said in a heavy Italian-american accent, "Be careful papa'."

The older man simply gave a huff as he finally stepped down over the gangplank. Both gentlemen turned as the final individual appeared out of the doorway and came down. A lovely dark-haired girl wearing an elegant, and slightly revealing, 20's 'flapper' style dress strolled down leisurely. A burning cigarette held in a slender ivory cigarette holder was clutched in her right hand. She took a single puff, and let the smoke waft out and into the Mojave evening air.

"We're late, Che peccato. It was that damn rad-storm." The young man gave an annoyed sigh, "But I suppose better late than never."

The young woman simply grinned, "Well Vegas doesn't sleep little brother. You can never be late."

"silenzioso!, Anthony, Lucia, both of you." The older gentlemen commander sternly, in a low thickly accented voice, "Lets not stand around gawking. I don't want to have any more delays."

"Yes papa."

-----------

After taking the monorail to the Strip, the individuals made their way down and into the neon lights of New Vegas. Lucia was star-struck at the sights and sounds of this gleaming city in the desert, which was more lively and bright than even her own home. Whoever had built this place certainly had style, and more than a fair amount of class. Her thoughts raced as to which Casino she should try first, and how much money she could talk her father into giving her to spend here.

Anthony was similarly impressed, but his thoughts were less concerned with gambling, and more with the logistics of it all. His interest lay in how such a feat of humanity had come to be. How had a city like this been carved out of such an inhospitable desert? He was similarly resolved to learn all this, and more, about this wondrous city.

When the small group finally made their way into the Ultra Luxe, they walked into the gourmand to find, to their relief, that their were plenty of delegates still milling about. Although it was clear that something important must have occurred.

"Don Salvatore Borgio, of the New York Syndicate, and his children, Anthony and Lucia," One of their bodyguards announced as they walked in.

The New Yorkers made their way to an open area at the table, partly to allow the aging Don a chance to rest, and partly to gauge the state of the room.

"Scusa," The Don began, his voice tired and breathing heavy from the walk from the Mono rail station, "We were delayed. A radiation storm prevented us from leaving in time to arrive here. Where we're from, they're quite frequent, and often deadly. I'm afraid I know little of the groups here and I can tell things are coming to an end for today. It would be my honor to speak with any who wish to, and perhaps I can understand what happened before our arrival."
Titus Crassus- Quaestor of The Legion/ Praetorian Atius

Titus and Atius watched in a mixture of amusement and disdain as the situation in the elegant restaurant had gone from tense, to downright hostile as The NCR representatives and another faction whom Titus did not immediately recognize had entered into an outright brawl. Someone had been stabbed, there was blood on the floor, and the fight had to be broken up. Things had, without a doubt, gotten off to an excellent start at a convention ostensibly created to encourage peace in the region.

Titus sighed deeply and drummed his fingers against the polished wood of the table, annoyed at the proceedings. While these profligates made fools of themselves attending a faux convention that had only served to become a platform for the NCR's grandstanding and political bungling, men of The Legion were fighting and dying in the wastes of Arizona even as they sat here. When the man known as 'The King' had called an end to the first day's talks, Titus was all too thankful for it. If Mars was merciful, and he wasn't, the second day might pass with more decorum.

"Thank Mars for that," Titus sighed, and stood up from his chair, "Perhaps now we might be able to actually get something done outside of this wretched restaurant."

"Indeed sir," Atius nodded grimly. The Praetorian wasn't much for talking, and even less for informal banter. However, it wasn't for his sharp wit that Caesar had appointed him to protect the Queastor.

Without a word, Titus singled out the representatives of the Great Khanate, their immediate neighbors to the north. Tensions between them had been...uneasy, since the Great Khans had broken their alliance with The Legion. But Caesar Lucius had been willing to ignore that detail in exchange for the hopeful rekindling of their previous kinship. Hopefully this time under more equitable terms for both parties.

Titus approached the man who he assumed was the leader of the Khan delegation, and gave a respectful bow,

"Titus Crassus," He said, introducing himself, "Quaestor of The Legion and the voice of Caesar here...following his departure. Do I have the honor of addressing the representatives of the Khan of Khans? I would ask that we speak privately somewhere, if you would hear me out. Somewhere, Mars willing, beyond these...opulent...walls. The Legion has setup a small camp just beyond the walls of Vegas. A contubernium of Legionaries wait there to act as my escort home...its difficult to quarter Legion soldiers in Vegas you see. I'd like to extend you an invitation for you and your men to join me there."
Titus Crassus, Queastor of The Legion

When the announcement came and the NCR 'President' having revealed himself to be a fake, Titus was quietly amused. After the supposed "real" President Kimball had given his speech via live TV to a press conference, Titus sat up in his seat and spoke up,

"So," He said, beginning with a light chuckle, "Just to set the record straight. The NCR has, in no uncertain terms, one, declared war not only at conference to discuss a renewal of the peace treaty which ended the blood shed of five years ago...but also began their invasion two hours before we even took our seats here...which clearly means they tried to use this conference as a distraction for their initial assault..."

"And two, the NCR President Kimball, who was introduced to us as such, is in fact not President Kimball and the man standing before us is what, a double? A pantomime? A look-alike? And so the NCR lied to all those present here because......why? By Mars....I doubt the man we just saw giving the speech is the President either. Why should we believe him to be? In all likelihood the "real" President Kimball is back in Shady Sands, smoking a cigar with his rich Brahmin Baron cronies, rubbing their fat hands together, and contemplating how they might split up the land they intend to seize."

"And yet still, despite the NCR's rapid expansion, their attempted annexation of the Mojave, and their undoubtable plans to expand their territory both north and south, they still try to justify their war by accusing the Legion of being more dangerous and war-mongering? I'm beginning to think President Kimball, whoever that may be, is far more inept that even his father was..."

"If that's the case," Titus finished, "Mars help us all."

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