Letter Bee

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

Raven Rivers

"I'm joining," Raven said. "I presume that if we succeed, we can get in good with either the Governor's holdouts or the Espian Free People's movement? If so, which of them would be the better ally, or do we have to choose just one of them?"

He then looked at Reya and Hilde, before saying, "I also propose that if we succeed, we assign diplomatic duties to our most diplomatic member, probably one of our nobles due to them commanding more prestige." Turning back towards his Colonel, Raven continued, "I know that planning for the possibility that we might succeed this is incredibly foolish, but your plan is sound - It's up to us to implement it and I have enough faith in everyone else to plan for a likely success."

Then the Pilot offered another idea, "Once or if we prove that we're not a spent force, we should open channels of communication with both the Governor's holdouts and the Espian Free People's Movement and ask which of them could offer us more of anything. I personally vote for the Espian Free People's Movement, but it would allow us more leeway if we're not fixed on a potential new client. This is, of course, assuming we win; on the very small possibility that we do lose, well, we lose and hope for a miracle."

He then looked at everyone else and said, "Speaking of miracles, never discount the possibility the enemy might have something good happen to them out of the blue; fate and luck are fickle. We need to keep some ammunition in reserve for the unexpected as well as be prepared to brawl with our mechs if need be..."

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

Andrew Rivers

THREE DAYS AGO

Why can't he get over it?! Why can't he recover from this damned emotional state quickly? Andrew Rivers was not like ordinary teenagers; he was smarter and wiser and was precocious and he was supposed to prove himself early! But instead, he was scared and afraid and sad and depressed! His friends and mother were dead or imprisoned but he can't save them! His father was probably worried about him and probably suffering from night terrors as well! And worst of all, he was still crying and shaking every few hours even when awake!

The door to the room he was confined in opened, and a voice said, "You okay, Merc Kid?"

Another boy, just like him, carrying a breakfast bowl of gruel and a spoon. Nothing much to look at, even if Andrew had the time to even think of other peoples' apperances.

Andrew clawed back his composure, sitting in front of his tear-stained pillow, before giving his response some thought and saying, "No. But you'll probably say that you've lost someone important to you and I should suck up my troubles because you've suffered worse and I've had a cushy life before ending up here, yes?"

The other boy put the bowl and spoon on a small nearby desk before scowling and saying, "Yes, suck it up, Merc Kid; I lost family when the Espian Guards killed them six months ago. You did nothing, though," the emphasis on the word 'nothing' was intended to mock. He then closed the door and continued, "You drove your motorcycle to the city instead of joining your father in running to the mountains. You could have drawn the enemy's eyes to us. And for what? Getting our help when you did nothing for us in the first place?"

Andrew tensed, trying to keep his mind clear, trying to prevent himself from lashing out or breaking down, before breathing in, out, and saying, "And yet they're alive; as you said, they're in the mountains. And most importantly, they still have Mechs; you never said they lost them."

He looked the other boy in the eye and said, "I'm still the best chance you guys have of an alliance between your partisans and the Green Knights. My father - Who is an old friend of The Captain - will give everything to have me back. With Mom either dead or in the enemy's prison, he shouldn't have to worry about me."

"So you say your family won't sell you out," the other boy said. "You say that your family of mercs are going to help us just for you." He then looked straight at Andrew and said, "I don't believe a word of it."

He then opened the door, locked it from the outside, and stormed out, but strangely enough, the revelation that the Green Knights were still alive gave Andrew new hope. The Rebels' trust needed to be gained, an alliance between them and the Green Knights needed to be forged. Then he can rescue his mother and the other civlians held by the enemy and begin the long process of taking this planet away from them and whoever provided their allies, the Crimson Fists, their own Mechs.

All he needed to do was to wait even longer...

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

The Mithril Paintbrush

A Relic made by Erisse Augusta Narrativia, the Mithril Paintbrush has the power to enhance, as well as replicate, the power known as The World is Your Canvas; the enhancement increases the potency of each use of the enchanted ink by a third of the base power's original strength. However, the Mithril Paintbrush can also change the ink to various 'colors', each with an Elemental Attribute.

Red and Orange - Fire.
Yellow and Green - Earth.
Blue and Indigo - Water.
Violet - Poison.
Grey - Air.
White - Healing Light.

This Relic can be used by anyone, but at reduced potency; they get a duplicate of 'The World is Your Canvas' at only one-third of the power's original strength (Moving ink is more sluggish, buffs are almost irrelevant, and creation takes a heavy toll on your energy), but can still access Elemental Attributes.

@supertinyking

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

Erisse Augusta Narrativia

So you have chosen... Death, Erisse thought in rage at Suzakrua, rage which she hid with a false smile. As the group of young people left to pursue their individual plots and agendas, the 'Fairy Godmother' decided to pay for her food and drink, before literally vanishing into the crowds and into her 'parallel dimension' - She was going to make Michael's 'Relic' now.

To create said Relic, Erisse needed to visualize Michael's hopes and dreams, and goals, tapping into the sincerity behind them. Then, she needed to picture the Relic itself and its planned attributes, and pour the energy of the God of Stories' blessing into it. If she did it right, the magical energies she poured into the image would make said image real in front of her, and it would transform into a Mithril Paintbrush, a powerful tool which would amplify Michael's Gift and add 'Elemental Attributes' to its colors... As well as duplicate said gift for anyone else who used it.

She then wrote a note giving precise instructions on how to use the Mithril Paintbrush, before conjuring up a pair of ordinary glasses as well and a basket of apples. Then Erisse 'plopped' herself back into the mundane world, before following Michael, Mina, and Vera and activating Narrative Role of Familiarity once more to make them more at ease. She then handed over the glasses, paintbrush, and note to Michael, saying, "A gift from your biggest fan."

Then she handed over the basket of apples to Mina, saying, "And here, from your 'Apple Teach', as thanks for fixing up Michael here..."

@Dezuel@Scarifar@AtomicNut@KillamriX88

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

Andrew Rivers

SIX DAYS AGO

The plan was simple: Once the Espian Guard declared their intentions, Andrew was going to get a bulletproof vest, comms unit, and a gun plus ammo from the armory, make his way to his motorcycle, and as the enemy focused on the Battlemechs, ride via devious routes and shortcuts to the nearest city, where for a few brief hours, anyone who was out in the streets was a friend by default due to being an enemy of the new regime. Then he was to go around, avoiding patrols and looking for would-be rebels until invited by the latter to join them.

Each stage of the plan just barely succeeded, luck and sheer audacity saving his life until he was gestured to get down from his motorcycle and get into an alleyway by some 'armed workers' in the Industrial District of the city he was in.

Then he was grabbed, blindfolded, and tied to a chair by the 'Partisans' after accepting their invitation to into their safehouse, his weapons and gear stowed away on a nearby desk. Guess the recent planetary garrison was hated that much, after all.

"Why did you come here, merc kid?" a woman's voice, wizened with age, echoed at him. "Haven't your people done enough? Why put us in more danger?"

Andrew answered, "What's important was what my people didn't do, miss. We didn't shoot at your protestors. We didn't burn any houses or damage any property. And above all, we're not on the side of the new regime, considering the fact that they're scapegoating us. And while it paints a target on your back to give me shelter, you're already fighting... Them anyway. Now, I'll be blunt; you'll need Mechs if you're to get your planet back from the 'New People's Democratic Republic' - Our group will have them if they survive but they're going to need everything else."

The old woman was curt, "So you're saying we need each other. How's a child like you going to make a deal?"

Andrew tilted his head slightly, only to find himself pulling on the ropes. Nevertheless, he said, "My father's a Mechwarrior and I have his number on my communicator. If you have an encryption specialist, bring them in - I can open a channel within the day."

He then said confidently, "If this fails, you can take me out back and shoot me behind the head."

Raven Rivers

FIVE DAYS AGO

Katrina, his wife, had been captured. Andrew was probably in the enemy hands as well. Raven cursed himself for not being able to get them out sooner, and had been addled by fear and uncertainty ever since. He could imagine the civilian contingent of the Green Knights being executed, including the children; maybe they'd even execute the kids first to 'send a message'. Andrew would probably spit at them till the end, and they'd shoot him first, or maybe they'd gas him and the smaller children as it'd be 'less painful' -

No, he couldn't allow it to happen, even if it meant betraying the team, even if it meant betraying his friend, the Colonel himself. He knew it was selfish; he knew that other people had their civilians captured as well, that to rescue Katrina and Andrew, he'd be throwing them to the dogs. But he could not allow his wife to die, and his son, his stupid, arrogant son, to end up as corpses. So Raven Rivers got up from where he had been sitting down on his bed and went to pick up his communications unit; if he could sneak into the comms suite, he could prepare to hand the others over to the enemy; sell their lives for his family's.

Thankfully for the Green Knights, the comms suite was guarded, and he had to return to his room to drown in dark thoughts...

Andrew Rivers

FIVE DAYS AGO

The adrenaline had lifted, and Andrew had been given new clothes before being locked up inside a room, his pitch apparently a failure. His gun, his bulletproof vest, his kevlar jacket, and his communicator had been taken away, leaving him alone with himself, a small bed, and time to process what had exactly happened.

He had not moved quickly enough to get to the armory, then the motorcycle, before the fighting started, not just outside the dropships but within them. The Espian Guard, the enemy, was deliberately targeting the Green Knights' civilian contingent and shooting to kill at those who ran, those who would not let themselves be captured, and those who did not surrender promptly enough.

Estrella and Cody were two of his childhood friends who had a similar idea to him but less luck; they had been shot in the head and left to rot on the way to the motorcycle bay. Luna and Adrien were luckier; he only had to see them led away in chains as he crouched behind the motorbikes to free its own from their restraints. And lastly, there was one of the technicians, a young woman only slightly older than him who sacrificed her secrecy to open the bay's doors so that he can escape - What had happened to her?

But the atrocities and the callous disregard for others' suffering didn't stop with his family. As he drove through the streets of the city, he could glimpse men and women being shot at just because they were out in the alleyways at night (children were merely bundled off to prison transports for now). As he continued on while witnessing the purge of the 'Espian Guards' opposition, it all became a blur of fear, threat, and the underlying shadow of brutality.

And now he was a prisoner of the very people the Green Knights needed to ally with; he knew enough to guess that the Colonel won't let all of them die so easily.

Mom, Dad, I need you, were his thoughts as he curled up on the bed, weeping into his pillow. Ziska, Reya, Tarak, Everyone Else, hang in there; I'll try and find a way to help you guys.

He had to do a thing most unnatural for teenagers - Be patient. He had to gain the rebels' trust, he had to get them in contact with the Green Knights, he had to... He had to... He had to grow up.

Wunderkind, my foot, he said to himself. I can't even keep my friends safe or make their death mean anything.

Then another thought, Why can't I hate the people who did this to them? To me? Well, I do hate them, but I just want to stop them, not kill them. Revenge won't bring my friends back... And I just want them back.

You never spent that much time with them, anyway, was one last thought. You wanted to be Ziska's 'student' and the best and the center of attention. So why want them back now, when you threw them away?

The boy sobbed harder in response to that, his bravado forgotten for the time being.

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

Character Name:
Andrew Rivers

Callsign:
"Hope-1"

Character Archetype:
Wannabe Guile Hero

Character’s Guiding Motto:
"I'm precocious!"

Character’s Fatal Flaw:
Arrogance - Andrew has always considered himself smarter, stronger, and better than most everybody else; he will defer to the adults in order to get closer to what he wants, but he considers himself 'exceptional' to dangerous levels, and bridles when called out on his flaws.

Character’s Expertise:
Military Brat - Andrew has picked up a lot from spending most of his life in a mercenary company, including intense physical training, knowledge of dozens of types of guns and vehicles, and even basic tactics and strategy. This has fed his arrogance.

Well-read - Like his father, Andrew loves reading, although his preference is epic fantasy, preferably with protagonists close to his age (16). This has given him a large pool of general knowledge, but even he knows that that isn't the same as understanding.

Sneaky - Andrew is good at sneaking around; helps that he grew up around the watchful eyes of various mercenaries. From stealing cookies and sweets to bugging Ziska to take him along with him whenever she went out to the city (and even trying to sneak himself in what vehicle she was using at one point), Andrew has the makings of a troublemaker.


Nationality/Allegiance:
Federated Suns/No Loyalty

Background:
Andrew was born just before the formation of the Gawain Green Knights, and was four years of age when it was founded. He was raised in a loving household and family, his life sarcosanct by the rules against harming civilians. Spoiled a little by his father, Andrew learned to push the boundaries of every rules he was given without quite crossing them. Regarding himself as of prodigious intelligence (whether he was or not), Andrew soon assumed a leadership position among the children of the Green Knights' civilian contingent, making sure his lead was followed. This would have led him to devolve into a bully, had not his father caught wind of it and gave Andrew a kind but stern talking-to and involved himself more in the boy's life.

The death of one of his closest friends, Frederica, during the campaign against the Marian Hegemony further reminded him of his limits; the civilian dropship had not been attacked directly, but supplies of vital medicine had been cut off by Hegemony just as his friend caught a waterborne disease due to a broken water purifier failing to filter out the bacteria. He associated with the other kids less after that, and instead sought out Emma Ziska, one of his father's teammates. His mother disapproved of him trying to associate with her, and this caused one or two arguments before his father made peace between the both of them.

To this day, he didn't know if Ziska had been annoyed by his' constant attempts to learn from her or be her friend, but he remembers that he liked her cat.

When the halcyon days ended with the Capellan Federation withdrawing from the Espian System and Epsia itself prepared to break away, Andrew began preparing for the worst; the civilian ship they were in was very vulnerable to seizure and he had noticed that. So when the new regime, the 'New (Un)Democratic People's Republic' declared itself, Andrew took a pistol and a motor scooter and snuck off the ship, leaving behind only a note saying, "Mom, sneaking off; going to try and join Dad".

This part was a lie. Andrew knew that there had been relatively peaceful student protests going on in the capital's 'Planetary College' and so snuck off there in order to find a protest leader, preferably one with links to a deeper underground movement, who can take him in. Alternatively, should the new enemy begin violent suppression of the protests, he could follow those who escaped as any burgeoning 'resistance movement' took them in.

The latter happened, and he was promptly inducted into the 'Free People's Army' as a partisan after making several admittedly extravagant promises of 'Green Knight' support for the FPA...

Battlemech or Vehicle:
N/A; Andrew is an infantry guerilla.

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

Character Name:
Raven Rivers

Callsign:
'Family Man'

Character Archetype:
Loving Father

Character’s Guiding Motto:
"For my Family... Everything."

Character’s Fatal Flaw:
His love for his wife and children can be used to sway him to actions which do not benefit the group.

Character’s Expertise:

Well-read - Raven loves reading, whether it be fiction, nonfiction, or even cookbooks. Even trashy romance novels get a read sometimes, even if only so that he can laugh at how bad they are.

Knife Enthusiast - Raven loves collecting knives, and using them for hunting, cooking, and the occassional combat scenario even more.

A Real Man can Cook - Raven can cook almost anything edible and make it delectable with the right techniques and seasonings, including bushmeat, despite the diseases it carries.

Nationality/Allegiance:
Federated Suns/Loyal

Background:

Raven was born in a well-to-do world in Federated Suns territory, to a 'High Church' Protestant pastor and his wife. Joining the nearest Military Academy in hopes of one day finding the chance to pilot a fabled Mech, Raven was barely able to pass the test to be trusted a basic Phoenix Hawk Mech, and even then only because a cache of several units of those were discovered around his class' graduation. Nevertheless, he managed to make it as an average Mech Pilot, although he did not have the experience needed to earn the title of 'Mechwarrior'. Marrying a civilian just before the battle of Mallory's World at 2013, he fought beside Gaius Wayne and ended up forming plans to be 'honorably discharged' from service so that he can join the latter's planned mercenary company.

He, his wife, and their son (who was four when the Gawain Green Knigts were formally founded), accompanied their leader on various campaigns, although one spotted certain 'problematic tendencies' when his family was threatened; he was angrier, followed orders only to the letter and didn't give any more effort, and basically made it clear that if they were not safe, he would regard it as the fault of those charged with keeping them such. Nevertheless, he fought well enough, and his family was safe most times, that these tendencies were passed over, espcially when the Gawain Green Knights settled down to 'garrison duty'.

Then disaster struck when the Capellan Confederation lost the Fourth Succession War and the planet they were garrisoning rebelled and promptly set up its own authoritarian regime, and siezed the Green Knights' Dropships, including the one containing his wife and son. This caused him to spiral down into despair, and he genuinely pondered sending a covert message to the new Espian regime offering to betray his comrades in exchange for the lives of his family. However, this plan was derailed by his son covertly sending a message saying that he'd managed to escape the Espians' ship just as it was siezed, and he was now with the Free People's Movement.

Relieved at this news, yet knowing that his wife was still in harms' way, Raven dedicated himself to the coming fight once more, the question of divided loyalties laid to rest... For now.

Battlemech or Vehicle:
Shadow Hawk

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

Character Name:
Andrew Rivers

Callsign:
"Hope-1"

Character Archetype:
Wannabe Guile Hero

Character’s Guiding Motto:
"I'm precocious!"

Character’s Fatal Flaw:
Arrogance - Andrew has always considered himself smarter, stronger, and better than most everybody else; he will defer to the adults in order to get closer to what he wants, but he considers himself 'exceptional' to dangerous levels, and bridles when called out on his flaws.

Character’s Expertise:
Military Brat - Andrew has picked up a lot from spending most of his life in a mercenary company, including intense physical training, knowledge of dozens of types of guns and vehicles, and even basic tactics and strategy. This has fed his arrogance.

Well-read - Like his father, Andrew loves reading, although his preference is epic fantasy, preferably with protagonists close to his age (16). This has given him a large pool of general knowledge, but even he knows that that isn't the same as understanding.

Sneaky - Andrew is good at sneaking around; helps that he grew up around the watchful eyes of various mercenaries. From stealing cookies and sweets to bugging Ziska to take him along with him whenever she went out to the city (and even trying to sneak himself in what vehicle she was using at one point), Andrew has the makings of a troublemaker.

Nationality/Allegiance:
Federated Suns/No Loyalty

Background:
Andrew was born just before the formation of the Gawain Green Knights, and was four years of age when it was founded. He was raised in a loving household and family, his life sarcosanct by the rules against harming civilians. Spoiled a little by his father, Andrew learned to push the boundaries of every rules he was given without quite crossing them. Regarding himself as of prodigious intelligence (whether he was or not), Andrew soon assumed a leadership position among the children of the Green Knights' civilian contingent, making sure his lead was followed. This would have led him to devolve into a bully, had not his father caught wind of it and gave Andrew a kind but stern talking-to and involved himself more in the boy's life.

The death of one of his closest friends, Frederica, during the campaign against the Marian Hegemony further reminded him of his limits; the civilian dropship had not been attacked directly, but supplies of vital medicine had been cut off by Hegemony just as his friend caught a waterborne disease due to a broken water purifier failing to filter out the bacteria. He associated with the other kids less after that, and instead sought out Emma Ziska, one of his father's teammates. His mother disapproved of him trying to associate with her, and this caused one or two arguments before his father made peace between the both of them.

To this day, he didn't know if Ziska had been annoyed by his' constant attempts to learn from her or be her friend, but he remembers that he liked her cat.

When the halcyon days ended with the Capellan Federation withdrawing from the Espian System and Epsia itself prepared to break away, Andrew began preparing for the worst; the civilian ship they were in was very vulnerable to seizure and he had noticed that. So when the new regime, the 'New (Un)Democratic People's Republic' declared itself, Andrew took a pistol and a motor scooter and snuck off the ship, leaving behind only a note saying, "Mom, sneaking off; going to try and join Dad".

This part was a lie. Andrew knew that there had been relatively peaceful student protests going on in the capital's 'Planetary College' and so snuck off there in order to find a protest leader, preferably one with links to a deeper underground movement, who can take him in. Alternatively, should the new enemy begin violent suppression of the protests, he could follow those who escaped as any burgeoning 'resistance movement' took them in.

The latter happened, and he was promptly inducted into the 'Free People's Army' as a partisan after making several admittedly extravagant promises of 'Green Knight' support for the FPA...

Battlemech or Vehicle:
N/A; Andrew is an infantry guerilla.

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

Character Name:
Raven Rivers

Callsign:
'Family Man'

Character Archetype:
Loving Father

Character’s Guiding Motto:
"For my Family... Everything."

Character’s Fatal Flaw:
His love for his wife and children can be used to sway him to actions which do not benefit the group.

Character’s Expertise:
Well-read - Raven loves reading, whether it be fiction, nonfiction, or even cookbooks. Even trashy romance novels get a read sometimes, even if only so that he can laugh at how bad they are.

Knife Enthusiast - Raven loves collecting knives, and using them for hunting, cooking, and the occassional combat scenario even more.

A Real Man can Cook - Raven can cook almost anything edible and make it delectable with the right techniques and seasonings, including bushmeat, despite the diseases it carries.

Nationality/Allegiance:
Federated Suns/Loyal

Background:
Raven was born in a well-to-do world in Federated Suns territory, to a 'High Church' Protestant pastor and his wife. Joining the nearest Military Academy in hopes of one day finding the chance to pilot a fabled Mech, Raven was barely able to pass the test to be trusted a basic Phoenix Hawk Mech, and even then only because a cache of several units of those were discovered around his class' graduation. Nevertheless, he managed to make it as an average Mech Pilot, although he did not have the experience needed to earn the title of 'Mechwarrior'. Marrying a civilian just before the battle of Mallory's World at 2013, he fought beside Gaius Wayne and ended up forming plans to be 'honorably discharged' from service so that he can join the latter's planned mercenary company.

He, his wife, and their son (who was four when the Gawain Green Knigts were formally founded), accompanied their leader on various campaigns, although one spotted certain 'problematic tendencies' when his family was threatened; he was angrier, followed orders only to the letter and didn't give any more effort, and basically made it clear that if they were not safe, he would regard it as the fault of those charged with keeping them such. Nevertheless, he fought well enough, and his family was safe most times, that these tendencies were passed over, espcially when the Gawain Green Knights settled down to 'garrison duty'.

Then disaster struck when the Capellan Confederation lost the Fourth Succession War and the planet they were garrisoning rebelled and promptly set up its own authoritarian regime, and siezed the Green Knights' Dropships, including the one containing his wife and son. This caused him to spiral down into despair, and he genuinely pondered sending a covert message to the new Espian regime offering to betray his comrades in exchange for the lives of his family. However, this plan was derailed by his son covertly sending a message saying that he'd managed to escape the Espians' ship just as it was siezed, and he was now with the Free People's Movement.

Relieved at this news, yet knowing that his wife was still in harms' way, Raven dedicated himself to the coming fight once more, the question of divided loyalties laid to rest... For now.

Battlemech or Vehicle:
Shadow Hawk

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

When will there be a character sheet template?

Also, when will the OOC Thread start?