There is much to be sceptical of in this world, so it no longer surprises me to learn how many people don’t really believe in anything. What’s the point? For many of us the road is a difficult one, but the path is always there for us to follow, no matter how many times we may fall. The good news is that we can help you find your way back. Naturally… some days are… harder than others. We all have doubts. The light of the mind alone cannot burn away all darkness. Think on it, and look in your heart. It will be for the best. When the walls come tumbling down, when you lose everything you have, you always have family. The fire that had kept me alive, was love. Their love. God’s love. Right. You’re not so certain. Fair enough, we all go to periods of darkness. Of course in a world filled with misery and uncertainty, it is a great comfort to know that in the end there is light in the darkness. In such times we can turn to the lord but it’s good to have friends, and the good lord knows there’s much to be done here. You’re a good neighbour to us. Thank you. Until then, god be with you. |
[PLAY THIS BEFORE PROCEEDING]
[Disclaimer: Some Voice notes are louder than others, use the volume sliders!]
@PeaceAndMagick89
Often absent, DEFENDER-FOUR has had little time to grow her flock, dooming her most loyal followers as they perish one-by-one without her guidance, while condemning others to disillusion, leaving the Order's presence in Garrison Three-Fourteen shaky at best and fleeting at worst.
Alma will return to her garrison on the backfoot, a time of trial where hope, in whatever twisted form she can conjure it, is needed most. With the declaration of Black Jihad, she seeks to bolster the ranks of her coterie once more, preying on those weak-willed enough to fall into Ultra Loyalism, casting again her plight against the fortified.
@maxi
Alma will return to her garrison on the backfoot, a time of trial where hope, in whatever twisted form she can conjure it, is needed most. With the declaration of Black Jihad, she seeks to bolster the ranks of her coterie once more, preying on those weak-willed enough to fall into Ultra Loyalism, casting again her plight against the fortified.
@maxi
Conscripted into the Security Council due to a skills shortage, Dupont catered for the briefly kicking Genevan economy. Her skill sets were underutilised, and she spent most of her days in the council deciding on local ration stipends - a crate of rations to one block, at the expense of another; thousands starving to death under her signature.
As the siege pressed on, and the rebellion established its city-based outpost, Dupont’s importance was scaled down by the command grid. Her significance is now moot. After demanding the crushing of the rebellion, she was forcefully conscripted into the Metropolice detachment by Dagger-Three, where she now remains, serving her sentence as a political conscript for her failures and work. She is not expected to survive a week.
@Blitz0012
Doctor Andrew Graves had entered City 24 on business as usual - his exit was anything but. He’d been called out to perform a high profile surgery and narrowly missed the uprising in City 17. Graves found himself ensnared by the siege and facing a torrent of patients and refugees before him.
Graves would make acquaintance with a number of citizens - some loyalists, others not. The good doctor would remain with the Combine so long as they’d keep enabling his work, for Graves had little interest in picking sides, opting simply to preserve human life - and that he did. He’d stuck by his oath to ‘do no harm’, he hadn’t fought - he’d hardly had a chance to, being knee deep in shrapnel and bullet wounds - at one point, even his own.
An explosion left the doctor burned and scarred, forced into hiding behind a wall of bandages and gauze. Though his wounds hurt deeply, he’d carry on his work, ‘just doing his bit’ he’d say. In the waning moments of the siege, he’d found himself evacuated, leaving the war-torn city behind for parts unknown.
@Dr Bright The Vortigaunt
Graves would make acquaintance with a number of citizens - some loyalists, others not. The good doctor would remain with the Combine so long as they’d keep enabling his work, for Graves had little interest in picking sides, opting simply to preserve human life - and that he did. He’d stuck by his oath to ‘do no harm’, he hadn’t fought - he’d hardly had a chance to, being knee deep in shrapnel and bullet wounds - at one point, even his own.
An explosion left the doctor burned and scarred, forced into hiding behind a wall of bandages and gauze. Though his wounds hurt deeply, he’d carry on his work, ‘just doing his bit’ he’d say. In the waning moments of the siege, he’d found himself evacuated, leaving the war-torn city behind for parts unknown.
@Dr Bright The Vortigaunt
Boris Joseph Ivanov was a simple hard working man, working as a cook in a Baltic café in city 93 till something horrible happened one day...,being relocated from City 93 to City 24, He had been living in the city for a few months before he began hearing rumours and whispers about the resistance rising up on the other side of the bridge... A sense of revenge began to rise up inside of him... The nightmares that had been torturing him in his dreams and the uncontrollable anger that was rising up for what the combine did to him, until he got up one day and snuck his way under the bridge sneaking past the patrols until he met a small group of resistance fighters and joined them. The training was rough like in the military but in his free time he used to stand and look at the shore, remembering how he and his beloved ones walked together on the beaches back home. But everything was... gone. As the years passed, war broke out in the city. Boris had been fighting tirelessly day and night, Getting sick of seeing his comrades being killed in the action and wanting to end this once and for all, The siege against the combine forces was long and gruelling. But Boris and his comrades never gave up being determined to take the city back and kick the combine out from the city. Finally once the rebels emerged victorious... everything felt different there was a sense of freedom just like the old days. The joy around the city was unforgettable. Boris watched this from the palace's balcony... But this is not the end for him. A new journey awaits for him in snowy mountains, hoping to see his old friends that he hasn't seen for many years in hopes of defeating any remaining combine forces he finds there.
@Toriwarior30055
After the liquidation of the City 24 City Administration following their failure to deal with the siege of Geneva, Albert Reed was dispatched alongside ten other council members to act as the City's security council. His logistical prowess was needed to organise the City’s defence and to ensure its people and forces would not be starved out. Albert Reed was ever the hothead, he had an explosive temperament that was barely contained by the other councillors.
Forced to work with the City 24 Security Council, Reed was involved in the creation of policies such as establishing an emergency stockpile of resources, he was involved in the background of the cease-fire negotiations, and the managing of several Overwatch spy assets that infiltrated the insurgency.
His story ended after he volunteered to join the fight on the ground. He was pinned inside of the Civil Protection barracks after an insurgent attack, forced to defend himself. He, alongside three other officers, tried to hold off the insurgents until reinforcements arrived to relieve them - Albert Reed hoped to live to fight another day. But their relief force never made it in time, Albert Reed suffered an unceremonious death at the hands of Lavrenti Fedor after he ran out of ammunition and was promptly gunned down by the Rebel.
@contained postal dude
Forced to work with the City 24 Security Council, Reed was involved in the creation of policies such as establishing an emergency stockpile of resources, he was involved in the background of the cease-fire negotiations, and the managing of several Overwatch spy assets that infiltrated the insurgency.
His story ended after he volunteered to join the fight on the ground. He was pinned inside of the Civil Protection barracks after an insurgent attack, forced to defend himself. He, alongside three other officers, tried to hold off the insurgents until reinforcements arrived to relieve them - Albert Reed hoped to live to fight another day. But their relief force never made it in time, Albert Reed suffered an unceremonious death at the hands of Lavrenti Fedor after he ran out of ammunition and was promptly gunned down by the Rebel.
@contained postal dude
After his arrival in Odessa, Deacon quickly made friends with many members of the local populace. Not long after he joined the ranks of a Lambda-backed cell, Orsted, and began to make a name for himself over the course of his alignment.
In the metro of City Seventeen, Deacon and his fellow compatriots struck out against their oppressors, damaging a number of combine facilities and infrastructure with relative success, despite their quick reconstruction. During their stay in the tunnels, he also did a number of odd jobs for an Ex-Civil Protection, now Resistance member named YELLOW. It was on one of these missions that his eye was severely damaged and rendered non-functional. He struggled with his newfound disability for a time, but ultimately overcame this hurdle, adjusting to his partial blindness.
Finally, he found himself alongside his comrades in City Twenty Four, already engaged in a month-long siege to overthrow the remnants of the regime within. Orsted and the other cells within the outskirts waged constant, seemingly endless battles day in, and day out, slowly whittling away the enemies numbers with each passing engagement. It was during this time that he had proved himself a worthy soldier, and was promoted to the rank of Captain. Shortly before the final, bloody battle, he volunteered for a ‘suicide mission’, along with a small group of others, to raid the palace from within via teleportation. Although their mission was a success, it was not without casualties. Deacon barely escaped with his life, and in the process lost his left forearm in the line of duty, leaving him incapable of assisting in the final, bloody push to force their enemies out. In spite of his grievous injuries, he still made the trek to the palace after all was said and done, standing alongside his fellow freedom fighters in the now freed city of Geneva, hopeful for what lies ahead.
@FieldersNL
After two decades living the life as a ‘Cowboy’, Firebug left the group as a result of the downfall of the gang and sought his way to a new adventure outside the borders of America. And thus he arrived on the dried seas of Azov, meeting a large group of resistance fighters of different cultures. Eventually, Firebug joined the Brookes’ Family Ranch, a similar folk he grew up with and running a code that is similar to his prior gang. Firebug began building and ranching a farm, hoping to find peace in life. Not long after, he was captured and detained by the combine. His lonesome escape came within a short time. But a crucial element of the vortessence was taken away, leaving him vulnerable.
After four weeks of feeling empty, his suffering came to an end when his vortessence was recovered through an uninviting way, but a necessary evil to return himself into the ‘All-in-One’. Firebug returned and fought in the battle of City 24. But only coming to realise what he has become, not the kind of warrior he wished to be. Fighting against his will. And thus, he helped and advised other folks to make a choice for themselves, a choice to be better. He began to have thoughts of whether he should retire after the war. Something he has yet not decided.
@Verräterpackaging
Frank was a paratrooper before and during the war. Serving in the NATO VJTF when the war started, his unit was unable to respond in time. Overrun and outnumbered, the paratroopers fought a guerilla war for two years, before they alongside the rest of the remnants were captured or killed. Frank was conscripted, serving in the PMA afterwards.
Meeting John in these years, they grew to be not only comrades, but friends.
Even before the Uprising, Frank and John had been forced to act - and when 17 fell, they quickly dispatched their CO, leading those who were willing to fight with their former enemies. Unlike John, Frank never was able to proceed so flawlessly into their new life, a lot has stuck with him to this day. No matter if he served with First Platoon, Orsted or ARC afterwards, some things he wasn’t able to forget.
Now, he looks forward to follow the last orders he was issued, although it will be a long and difficult road. But during his time in Odessa, 17 or Geneva, new friendships were forged. Some unusual, some from a long standing since Azov. He may have lost John, but he will not be alone in this war. Willing to carry the dream that was forged two decades ago, Frank will fight.
@Provingmedusa
The story so far to Grungus is a short but eventful one nonetheless. Living out his days as a simple Houndeye, killing other creatures and humans alike to stay alive, Grungus is no stranger to conflict or danger.
Wandering City 24 and eventually establishing a Den within the ruins, Grungus strived for a neutral life, an opportunist if you will. He’s convinced himself he’s “taking advantage” of those who offer him food and water and not just being spoiled.
He’s killed Humans who’ve attacked him, Antlions who dare come his way, a Panthereye who thought it was tough shit and even aided Humans in killing a Guard. Grungus is living the good life, a real baller in this new world. Who knows what Grungus will get up to next in this wild, wild wasteland with not a single female in sight. Fuck.
@DIGGA NOB
Wandering City 24 and eventually establishing a Den within the ruins, Grungus strived for a neutral life, an opportunist if you will. He’s convinced himself he’s “taking advantage” of those who offer him food and water and not just being spoiled.
He’s killed Humans who’ve attacked him, Antlions who dare come his way, a Panthereye who thought it was tough shit and even aided Humans in killing a Guard. Grungus is living the good life, a real baller in this new world. Who knows what Grungus will get up to next in this wild, wild wasteland with not a single female in sight. Fuck.
@DIGGA NOB
I’d been living in Geneva, or, City 24, for about four years when the siege began. I had a good life, didn’t get outside too much, so.. I wasn’t really worried about things like suppression quotas or making sure to hide what I was all the time. But.. When it started, things changed pretty quickly for me. I remember the Thumpers being deployed all over the city, but, more than that, I remember when the mortar fire started. I don’t think it stopped until that last fight at the palace for even a single instant.
When the Antlions and infestation started breaking out everywhere, my apartment complex was one of the ones hit. We tried to hold on there, figured the Combine would save us, but… I woke up one night to screaming and roaring from inside. I ran away, and I ran until I couldn’t hear the Thumpers anymore. And where I ran, I met the Resistance. I was always told they’d be cruel but I found quite the opposite. To the Resistance, I think, I owe my life.
When I’d started to settle in, I did everything in my power to help. I learned about Station 14, and worked to support those who could see and fight on the front as much as possible, spending long hours nestled into the hum of radio chatter, spying on the Combine. I let myself go into my work completely, especially after L.A. died. I was hiding, during the last fight, watching over everything with a distant sort of gaze through the many ears of the radios. But when the silence came again, I could hear the wind. It was perfect.
@Anti-tankspy
Hyun was born shortly before the Seven Hour War; his memories of the world that once was next to non-existent. Having been raised in Korea in a labour camp, Hyun’s upbringing shaped him with fierce loyalty to the Combine, seeing them as unifiers and liberators; fanaticism only rivalled by those in the Extinctionist cult. Hyun’s ultra-loyalism eventually brought him to the safe haven of it all: Mega City One, and Platinum citizen status.
Despite this, Hyun’s consciousness always gnawed at him; something did not sit right with this new world he’s plunged into, his mind filled with unanswered questions; questions that he spent countless days and nights seeking the answers for. Eventually, an unnamed contact from the underground sent him a letter with one of the answers: The coordinates to an unmarked park in the Manhattan district. An encounter with an unknown man that not only answered his questions, but opened his eyes to the truth. The ‘Incident’, the ‘Seven Hour War’, the jest of it all, information he’s been totally oblivious to beforehand. Upon seeing a mass grave filled with the decayed corpses of former United States Marine Corps troops, he did not feel fear, he did not feel anxiety; only guilt and anger.
Hyun already made his decision, using his benefits to act as a covert agent for the local underground resistance movements, supplying the cells with information they are otherwise unable to access, which eventually culminated in more daring raids on the resistance’s end. As the news of the destruction of City 17’s citadel began to spread like wildfire, chaos ensued, and became more common in an otherwise orderly city. Eventually, his true affiliation was discovered, and he had no choice but to flee to Eastern Europe, where the Uprising was in full swing, arriving in the Metro where he was told to seek a symbol, resulting in his recruitment, and, eventually, promotion to a local resistance lieutenant.
@DIGGA NOB
Despite this, Hyun’s consciousness always gnawed at him; something did not sit right with this new world he’s plunged into, his mind filled with unanswered questions; questions that he spent countless days and nights seeking the answers for. Eventually, an unnamed contact from the underground sent him a letter with one of the answers: The coordinates to an unmarked park in the Manhattan district. An encounter with an unknown man that not only answered his questions, but opened his eyes to the truth. The ‘Incident’, the ‘Seven Hour War’, the jest of it all, information he’s been totally oblivious to beforehand. Upon seeing a mass grave filled with the decayed corpses of former United States Marine Corps troops, he did not feel fear, he did not feel anxiety; only guilt and anger.
Hyun already made his decision, using his benefits to act as a covert agent for the local underground resistance movements, supplying the cells with information they are otherwise unable to access, which eventually culminated in more daring raids on the resistance’s end. As the news of the destruction of City 17’s citadel began to spread like wildfire, chaos ensued, and became more common in an otherwise orderly city. Eventually, his true affiliation was discovered, and he had no choice but to flee to Eastern Europe, where the Uprising was in full swing, arriving in the Metro where he was told to seek a symbol, resulting in his recruitment, and, eventually, promotion to a local resistance lieutenant.
@DIGGA NOB
Jaana came with the rest of the rebellion by raft. Her arrival was unremarkable, the actions thereafter somewhat noteworthy. Her early days of the war were spent acting as a medic and scientist, re-establishing her lab in secret, and learning what exactly life in a Combine city was like, albeit one under siege. As time passed, she found herself more and more to the front lines. Her sheer mass and capacity for strength ensured she was never far from the thick of the violence, earning several new injuries in the process.
The war raged on, ceasefire coming and going with several new allies made. And, in its wake, the catastrophic injuries of Sarah ‘Two’ Foster. That event, more than any other, jump started a burst of scientific investment and labour like never before. She redoubled her work effort, ‘aided’ by a forced at-home stint thanks to a lucky shot from a Strider that she only narrowly survived. But, thanks to the efforts of the local medical community, and the timely intervention of the Vortigaunt, she was saved, and lessons were learned.
At the end of the siege, Jaana spent almost every waking moment, and many sleeping ones, within Fort Knapp. Working as a medical officer and soldier alike, she was present for the final push into the Palace. She was there, the first one into Mearsheimer’s personal realm, her torch opening barred passages and locked gates all around the region as they took him away. It was her hand that touched the monster behind City 24 first, and hers that led him away to be ferried off for trial.
@mattnmad
James, having entered the metro system a loner and without purpose, now left the rubble of the palace with friends and a newfound purpose. Over the course of the fight against the Combine within the city’s walls, James had grown fond of his new allies and worked hard to fight for those around him.
James, with the aid of PMKO and the rest of the resistance, drove the Combine from their palace, securing the resistance’s freedom from both the Security Council and Combine forces stationed within. With Mearsheimer out of the picture, part of the Lambda forces was diverted to the city to keep order. Any remaining loyalist resistance was ended quickly.
And so James’ time in the city came to an end, he began to move north with the majority of the rebels onto new adventures. In the new world after the Combine, fighting continued, blood was spilled, and many lived and died - just as they had during Combine rule. Because war… war never changes…
@Oswald
Before the combine even came to Earth, John Smith was a soldier. Fighting in the gulf alongside his fellow marines he saw the collapse of the planet first hand. After the combine had set up on Earth he was drafted to fight as a conscript due to his knowledge and ability to lead, mostly handling the reclamation of Urban Districts lost to Xen fauna. He fulfilled his duties for years before becoming disillusioned with the Combine regime.James, with the aid of PMKO and the rest of the resistance, drove the Combine from their palace, securing the resistance’s freedom from both the Security Council and Combine forces stationed within. With Mearsheimer out of the picture, part of the Lambda forces was diverted to the city to keep order. Any remaining loyalist resistance was ended quickly.
And so James’ time in the city came to an end, he began to move north with the majority of the rebels onto new adventures. In the new world after the Combine, fighting continued, blood was spilled, and many lived and died - just as they had during Combine rule. Because war… war never changes…
@Oswald
Abandoning his post after killing his Commanding Officer with the aid of his best friend “Frankfurt” he took a detachment of AWOL soldiers and reformed them into a rebel cell named 1st Platoon, spending his time both as a warrior and a poet, preaching for the future and how the Resistance's duty is to ensure the freedom and prosperity of all mankind, he'd merge his forces after leaving 1st Platoon to his adopted son 'Cody' joining Harland and Orsted as a ever loyal Captain.
He'd die fighting a large force of transhumans in an attempt to ease the burden on the main fighting force, his legacy hopefully imprinted in enough minds to secure a future for the next generations.
@Provingmedusa
Kian Connors, a simple Blue Collar worker from England seeking a better life than the dead-end he was well-accustomed to, and to be better than his uncaring, pathetic parents.
Enlisting into the CP in City 10, St. Petersburg, Kian lived out his days in a more stable society where he could make all the difference. Out of the blue he was transferred into Garrison 314 and got an express train to the Azov Prison. Despite the various trauma’s, losses and trials Kian faced in the Outlands, he thoroughly enjoyed it all. He discovered an obsession with Antlions and learned lots about them.
His journey, however, came to an ultimate end during the Siege of City 24 in which he attempted to desert the CP in favour of joining the Resistance and the many friends he made on the other side. Dying to a Gunship when his escort group made a break for safety he met a simple and quick death in a matter of moments. Who knows what he would’ve gotten up to if he had survived. The stories he’d create and be a part of, the friendships he’d create and solidify. The people he could’ve helped…
At least he died how he wanted. On his own terms.
@maxi
Enlisting into the CP in City 10, St. Petersburg, Kian lived out his days in a more stable society where he could make all the difference. Out of the blue he was transferred into Garrison 314 and got an express train to the Azov Prison. Despite the various trauma’s, losses and trials Kian faced in the Outlands, he thoroughly enjoyed it all. He discovered an obsession with Antlions and learned lots about them.
His journey, however, came to an ultimate end during the Siege of City 24 in which he attempted to desert the CP in favour of joining the Resistance and the many friends he made on the other side. Dying to a Gunship when his escort group made a break for safety he met a simple and quick death in a matter of moments. Who knows what he would’ve gotten up to if he had survived. The stories he’d create and be a part of, the friendships he’d create and solidify. The people he could’ve helped…
At least he died how he wanted. On his own terms.
@maxi
Local cultist. Consigned to detachment 314 from the Sea of Azov. The First King gained notoriety for his extremism. His service record was awful, fluctuating between the ranks of 25 and 50, as well as a stint as a zero-zero.
King-One spread the word of the Bleeding Clamp throughout his detachment, spurred on by the fear of defeat, and the desire to survive. He was instrumental in grooming Defender-1 into the Order’s ranks, coming closer to O.B. via the synth oils.
During the siege of Geneva, King-One’s sanity broke. After years of fighting, he finally snapped and began to question the regime and the Order as a whole, manifesting in an attempted “coup” against Defender-1, plotting to arrest them - ultimately in an effort to cleanse themselves of their sins in the war when captured. King-One’s life came to a quick end in the catacombs of the nexus, with their closest ally, Defender-1, putting them to death in a moment of rage. They will be forgotten.
@Wolfaye™
In the final days of the siege on the City 24 Combine palace, I found myself in the middle of a war zone as a photographer and a member of the Orsted Lead Resistance. As a seasoned photojournalist, I had documented some of the most brutal conflicts in history since the beginning of the seven-hour war, but the fight against the Overwatch Security Council was different. The stakes were higher, and the fate of an entire city hung in the balance, marking the beginning of an end..
Despite the danger, I remained determined to capture the truth of the conflict. I worked tirelessly to document the Resistance's efforts to overthrow the Council, risking my life to capture images of the brutal battles that raged throughout the city. With each click of my camera, I captured not only the destruction wrought by the Council's forces but also the bravery and sacrifice of the Resistance fighters who stood against them.
As the conflict reached its final stages, my photos became a crucial tool in the Resistance's propaganda efforts. My images were used to inspire the people of the city to rise up against their oppressors, and to expose the Council's atrocities to the wider world. Through my lens, I had not only captured the truth of the conflict but had helped to shape its outcome, playing a vital role in the eventual overthrow of the Overwatch Security Council and the liberation of the city.
@Syntax
Despite the danger, I remained determined to capture the truth of the conflict. I worked tirelessly to document the Resistance's efforts to overthrow the Council, risking my life to capture images of the brutal battles that raged throughout the city. With each click of my camera, I captured not only the destruction wrought by the Council's forces but also the bravery and sacrifice of the Resistance fighters who stood against them.
As the conflict reached its final stages, my photos became a crucial tool in the Resistance's propaganda efforts. My images were used to inspire the people of the city to rise up against their oppressors, and to expose the Council's atrocities to the wider world. Through my lens, I had not only captured the truth of the conflict but had helped to shape its outcome, playing a vital role in the eventual overthrow of the Overwatch Security Council and the liberation of the city.
@Syntax
The cocky Frenchman has been through quite the hefty amount of scenarios within his journey, solo he has been and with his future looking brighter with each evasive slip he has managed to pull against the resistance.
Bixxons time flips from his unlucky beginnings, denial prominently thrown at him as he attempted to strike a deal and provide his loyalty soon turned to his informant status frolicking. This is before Geneva of course, tired from the old position he attempts to go for a higher point. Ranking to foreman, till winding up as a custodian of the council. This deranking was not deterring as however it was, Bixxon remained loyal.
Eventually in his concluding chapter the Geneva building was overthrown, Bixxon barely managing his way past the resistance as he now manages his escape. Plans in mind for regrouping with his Combine allies and his new ones made all the same.
@Dr Bright The Vortigaunt
Miniri'Minx has been one of the many Vortigaunt that was born in Xen, while Nihilanth was still in control. They were forced to work straight away as they were getting shackled. Miniri'Minx was forced with other Vortigaunts to move the dead bodies of Vortigaunt. The Alien Grunts, referred to in their tongue as The Hulkabin, soon began to kill Minx's kind for disobeying their orders. Miniri'Minx has worked as a slave while secretly trying to figure a way to get those shackles off themselves, they even try to steal various items from under Hulkabins' nose.
When the Black Mesa Incident happens, the portal storm happens Miniri Minx saw other Vortigaunts being controlled by what would be called as "controllers' ' also known as "Xen masters' '. They looked like miniature versions of Nihilanth in appearance. Other Vortigaunts went to a specific portal while Miniri Minx refused to go that way and went to a different one. Due to many storm portals, Miniri'Minx has ended up on Earth. There were woods surrounding the area and green. Something that Miniri Minx hasn't seen before. Wandering around for what felt like hours and hours.
After 7 hours of war, Minir’Minx has stayed hidden and travelled stealthily to get away from the combine. They have spotted some humans, followed cautiously within distance. Arriving upon the Resistance Base, they noticed some humans which they weren't sure if they were friendly or not. However, seeing their own kind around, unchained and free. Made them relax because those humans here are not going to harm them. After days, Miniri’Minx gotten use to this amount of humans. Even helped them whenever they got injured or helped in attacking the combine despite their Vortessence being not strong enough like others of their kind. This act has earned them to be part of the Orsted group.
@Kafe
When the Black Mesa Incident happens, the portal storm happens Miniri Minx saw other Vortigaunts being controlled by what would be called as "controllers' ' also known as "Xen masters' '. They looked like miniature versions of Nihilanth in appearance. Other Vortigaunts went to a specific portal while Miniri Minx refused to go that way and went to a different one. Due to many storm portals, Miniri'Minx has ended up on Earth. There were woods surrounding the area and green. Something that Miniri Minx hasn't seen before. Wandering around for what felt like hours and hours.
After 7 hours of war, Minir’Minx has stayed hidden and travelled stealthily to get away from the combine. They have spotted some humans, followed cautiously within distance. Arriving upon the Resistance Base, they noticed some humans which they weren't sure if they were friendly or not. However, seeing their own kind around, unchained and free. Made them relax because those humans here are not going to harm them. After days, Miniri’Minx gotten use to this amount of humans. Even helped them whenever they got injured or helped in attacking the combine despite their Vortessence being not strong enough like others of their kind. This act has earned them to be part of the Orsted group.
@Kafe
JUDGE-7, humanely known as ‘Octavia Vargas’, had only returned to the Combine force against her will, made to reassume her tagline and accept mandatory transhumanization, or face summary execution alongside the rest of her fabricated family for crimes resulting from the many riots following the collapse of seventeen.
Judge-7 Followed through on her responsibilities as what would be expected, shaking off a lot of rust and needing to overcome a newfound disillusionment for the position she was in, and yet a legitimate effort was made. And during the Siege of City 24, distinguished herself after becoming severely wounded assisting phase-1 soldiers in a counter-attack against a resistance offensive.
She would ultimately survive the Siege, and be extracted alongside the rest of the force from the Palace, although when She landed in a new safe location, Vargas was taken aside to a monitoring room, where she was made to watch two members of her family be stalkerized. Despite it all, Vargas’ mistake was that she didn’t die trying.
@Kafe
Having been a roaming doctor and xenian researcher for decades, Soko eventually crossed paths with a new resistance caravan during investigations into an incredibly rare ‘Gonarch’ Sighting in the wastelands, intent on investigating, working and moving on. As they had done so many times before.
The circumstances with the conflict against the Combine steadily forced Soko to begin confronting their strength, rather than dismissing them for more wild xenian life. Only driven further with the disappearances or deaths of Markus, ‘Ropot’, and ‘Los Angeles’, alongside many others.
Once the siege on City 24 was complete, Soko was quick to leave the city behind. Now armed and experienced in a fight, she returned west for a short time, intent on correcting one of her oldest mistakes, before re-joining their newfound companions into their next journey.
@rob
The circumstances with the conflict against the Combine steadily forced Soko to begin confronting their strength, rather than dismissing them for more wild xenian life. Only driven further with the disappearances or deaths of Markus, ‘Ropot’, and ‘Los Angeles’, alongside many others.
Once the siege on City 24 was complete, Soko was quick to leave the city behind. Now armed and experienced in a fight, she returned west for a short time, intent on correcting one of her oldest mistakes, before re-joining their newfound companions into their next journey.
@rob
Upon recovering from my injuries and assisting the Human resistance, I emerged from the sewers into City 24, or Geneva. I joined a local rebel cell, Orsted, as we shared a common goal in fighting the Combine.
During my time in City 24, I supported the rebels in various endeavours. I enabled a Thumper, fought alongside the resistance, and used my healing abilities to aid my comrades. I played a pivotal role in destroying the underground Overwatch facility, saved a bunker station, and defeated an Antlion Guard, keeping its pheropod as a memento. In a final act of defiance, I, along with fellow kinsmen, helped infiltrate the Palace, where we destroyed the suppression device and signalled a Lambda bombardment.
As City 24 fell under siege, I felt an… inexplicable pull towards the distant snowy mountain… The whispers of the Vortessence, they hint at secrets… waiting to be unveiled.
@Pyromaniac
After the fall of City 17, Agna Meyers, known as JURY-1, was sent to a repurposed prison facility in the midst of the dried out Azov Sea. Here she would spend time getting to know her comrades as she sought answers regarding her place in the world. Her ideas and perception of the combine through a more religious perspective were soon solidified through her interactions with DEFENDER-4 and the OBC, though these relations wouldn’t last as the inward brutality to other officers drove her away from the group to try and maintain order a different way by focusing the collective fight on the common enemy.
Following this, she was deployed to a region near Odessa, at the time an apocalyptic wasteland. The Garrison was tasked with re-establishing combine control in the area by repairing and activating the local facilities. Her efforts to spearhead these expeditions with limited supply got her efforts recognised as she began to undergo the transhumanization procedure. In-between the so-called cycles of the procedure she found herself standing against an rebel assault on the main base all by herself until hunter support arrived. Though she and the hunters repelled the attack, it’d cost her her eye.
Concluding the transhumanization procedure she was assigned the tagline SWORD-1. The backfoot of the combine became apparent however as proper stasis facilities were hard to come by. Additionally being haunted by a past of war, bloodshed and loss her mind began to splinter. The brutal methods of the combine were able to maintain control on her psyche as she valiantly aided various deployments further into Odessa, the outskirts of City 17, Sofia and eventually City 24 during the final weeks of the siege.
@STUCK IN A CAKE
Following this, she was deployed to a region near Odessa, at the time an apocalyptic wasteland. The Garrison was tasked with re-establishing combine control in the area by repairing and activating the local facilities. Her efforts to spearhead these expeditions with limited supply got her efforts recognised as she began to undergo the transhumanization procedure. In-between the so-called cycles of the procedure she found herself standing against an rebel assault on the main base all by herself until hunter support arrived. Though she and the hunters repelled the attack, it’d cost her her eye.
Concluding the transhumanization procedure she was assigned the tagline SWORD-1. The backfoot of the combine became apparent however as proper stasis facilities were hard to come by. Additionally being haunted by a past of war, bloodshed and loss her mind began to splinter. The brutal methods of the combine were able to maintain control on her psyche as she valiantly aided various deployments further into Odessa, the outskirts of City 17, Sofia and eventually City 24 during the final weeks of the siege.
@STUCK IN A CAKE
Deep within City 22, a broken man’s hope was fleeting. Being a worker wasn’t going to keep himself nor his lost wife safe. So the only option was to turn on Humanity itself. A selfish goal was on Petrovski’s mind, raise the ranks and retire a Loyalist. However the road was littered with thorns, the corruption ran deep and the task seemed impossible, at least in this city.
But what if there was a shortcut? Outland Deployments are risky, but it could be the break needed to fast track up to Rank Leader. And so, JUDGE-4 became stationed at Azov Prison, a deployment which would change the trajectory of his own history. It only took one Month, and there sat in the endless Odessa Rain, JUDGE-4 at Rank 75.
But as quickly as the rain fell, so too did events change. An unmarked dropship came - Elites’ demanded a select handful of Civil Officers and departed. JUDGE-4 was among those chosen. The Officer the garrison once knew died in the Outskirts of that city, but was reborn as SWORD-5. Dreams of a Retired Loyalist Life shattered, with only endless bloodshed waiting for him now. And so, Death was Cruel, as it demanded that he’d stay alive in this waking nightmare.
@Merlinsclaw
UNION-3 – The Death Prophet. This meek, stuttering, cultist from Warsaw embarked upon the insane mission of Dr. Paul Gachet long before his tenure at the Nova Azov Prison Complex. Upon his reassignment to Garrison 314, the Gachetite found himself short on allies and shunned by the general garrison. While an arms-length alliance with the Order of the Bleeding Clamp proved to provide some solidarity, UNION-3 has bared the torch of Extinctionism alone.
Throughout his five deployments, the Extinctionist has proven antagonistic, short tempered, and fragile to both the general citizen population and members of the Garrison. For now, it only seems like a matter of time before death finally catches up with this suicidal monkey.
@WstStranger
Throughout his five deployments, the Extinctionist has proven antagonistic, short tempered, and fragile to both the general citizen population and members of the Garrison. For now, it only seems like a matter of time before death finally catches up with this suicidal monkey.
@WstStranger
It has been long since I had to recapitulate my own memories, or what remains of them. I do know I had taken many, many years of shooting and surviving in City 07, along with hard steps onto privileges, and what happened? Back to step zero, and trying to understand why brings… Pain on my own soul, yet, I must seek the answers.
As the canvas of 17 fell, many units from 07 got assigned to another garrison of many misfits, myself included. We travelled along the once fields of Odessa and Sofia, passing on several close calls, as well as my own fluctuation in ranks… Then, we got assigned to City 24. It was brutal, thrown around many subsectors, watching some units I knew along fall like dominoes, one by one… However, I still remain, just as lowly as when I started.
Normally, I would leave this behind cryptic poetry, but it would be best not this time. I still have yet to consider my own story one of futility, a Sisyphean life, if you will, as it has yet to end. As long as I have nothing to lose and as the old world never let me a chance to shine, I regret nothing and will not regret this path that a cruel God, if it exists, wants to throw at me.
Do not forget the Jack of Hearts.
@Komchan
Living it up during the reign of the Combine, he lived secure in a relatively high up position in the then Engineering Core, with numerous deals with both the resistance and the combine itself, he was set up for an extremely early retirement in the weeks leading up towards the collapse of City 17.
When the fall came, he was forced into Azov, once more leveraging a role as Work shift Leader, soon fleeing as he found himself thrust headfirst into the resistance. His efforts afterwards let him to 1st Platoon, later becoming D52 as they traversed into the wastelands of Odessa, then Odessa itself. The metro, then City 24, in which he once more leveraged himself into the position of worker, then Foreman, before renaming the role to Executive, slowly growing disillusioned with his former belief of an inevitable Combine victory.
As the city came close to falling, he ensured the safe evacuation of any remaining engineer that hadn't defected, along with all accompanying refugees, at great personal risk. The arrival of further Combine forces has only revived his previous opinions of their inevitable victory, though his willingness to rely on their competence has long since dissipated.
Geneva, too, took a toll on its warden, the old John Mearsheimer. Countless weeks of disappointments and failures brought the Night Watchman to his breaking point. In the end, Mearsheimer emerged unscathed all but mentally, his sanity the last casualty of the siege.
Mearsheimer was confined to a Lambda cell, left alone with his thoughts, a brutal punishment for a fragile man. He would stand trial twice in the legal purges targeted towards high-ranking CMB collaborators, once for his tenure in the East Coast, another for his administration in Geneva.
Deemed incapable of rehabilitation, Mearsheimer was shortly executed thereafter, the only condemned to have said nothing when asked for a final statement.
And so the Resistance who had cheated death in City 24 in the districts and surrounding areas outside of the palace, cheated death once again, and the Genevan Landscape was forever changed, The Resistance would find themselves with this small Victory in the face of a bolder challenge that lay ahead in the Genevan Alps. Although, the ever watchful Combine Citadel loomed overhead, a towering monolith, a bleak and existential reminder that War... War never changes... |
Last edited:
Reactions:
List
