#please have mercy i already have too many specialists to see and conditions to treat and meds to take

[itshomobirb]

ohhhh ok. these mightve been "symptoms" and not "normal human experiences" <- said with disbelief

[nutslovesdolts]

The start of something new

Part 1 of the pirate!au

On solem seas the winds a blow under our sails asunder, and through these tails of pirates woe and admirals they plunder, the wicked eye of yonder storm shant tear them from there sea-ward home, and Ruby rose and crescent sails beyond. A secret tail of lovers scar and beauty in the dark, respect the deep blue sea they must or drown in it there hearts will under, A Schnee it seems an even match for captain of the crescent rose, and one ship sank yet romance blossom through the heat of battle..

Ruby: so what do you think…? Were from different worlds Weiss-

Weiss: Captain Schnee to you, and once my sister finds you have me… she will show no mercy

Ruby: Your sister doesn't scare me, nor any who seek to block our quest, we seek only the most noble outcome for human and Faunus kind, your people of the kingdom Atlas do not see it as such… but I do not wish for us to be enemies, as I have proposed, as penance for a noble fight and surprise partnership, and as you lost your ship in our valiant battle, I have grown to respect you….  we shall adopt your crew as part of ours, and work towards a common goal *holds out hand to shake* you would become my first officer, a sign of unity and trust for both our peoples

Weiss: *looks at the outstretched hand, surprised by the kindness and trust she was shown by her fiercest enemy, this all had to be a joke, a ruse… there was no way this smiling bubbly… PIRATE could be the foe she had set out to slay… after a moment she noticed the concerned look on Ruby's face, she had been staring at her hand for almost a minute* I… I just don’t believe you would put so much trust in someone who was trying to kill you meer moments ago… this feels… surreal…

Ruby: look *sighs and leans back* were not like normal pirates, we don’t speak out fights, and my fleet is only here to protect the people, and to prevent organizations like Admiral Khan’s fleet from over running and murdering entire villages… we've lost too much already… *a sad look came into her eye as she stared out over the water through the window in the cabin* Captain Taurus has been plaguing my sister and her partner for ages, they had to separate because of Adams bloodlust… now I know not the fate of my own family… and with the navy that is of the darker worlds… the fleet of magic and evil, the creatures and armies of grimm *she said with a wince* … why would I hold any grudges towards you? Or your crew… you may come from a nation of bigots, and from a family of evil… but I do not see that in you, so please… just join me? For the sake of the world? Our forces combined… our knowledge…. We may actually have a chance for once, not to mention how nice it would be to have such a stunning lady aboard *she said breaking the solemn mood with a wink*

Weiss: *blushing ever so slightly* well… i'll give you this captain, you know all the right things to say, but let me get one thing straight, I will not attack Atlas ships, nor will I save you if my sister finds us *she reaches out to Ruby’s outstretched hand* but for now… you are our best shot at surviving out here… as much as it pains me to say it, me and my crew are at your disposal… but one thing?

Ruby: hmm? Of course, I never said anything about conditions, fire away

Weiss: we don’t have to change uniforms, we can keep our colors and fly them high, you may have taken our ship… well not YOU but you know… but we are still proud of who we are

Ruby: *nodding* of course,  and i am deeply sorry about your ship, I wouldn’t have done so much damage had I know about the creature.. But it is of no matter now, snowflake is unfortunately gone and we are victorious, shall we go on deck to make our announcement of our partnership?

Weiss: *smirking* when you say it like that it sounds like we're getting married

Ruby: *losing composure for a moment* I… well… aaaaaaaaoooon deck we go hehe *gestures with both hands to the door*

Weiss: rolling her eyes* you are such a dolt

*as they left the cabin Weiss was greeted by the breathtaking quadruple masted ship, long and with a consistent curve hidden under water, the blood red wood base contrasted with the black trim which had ornate patterns of gold within them, similar to her captain's outfit, it had 2 gun decks of varying lengths, and doors in both bow and stern for added cannon fire during a chance, never before has such a fast ship sailed in these waters, especially not one with a battering ram at the helm, her bow held a beautifully carved bouquet of roses in place of the normal figure head, and smaller roses ran along the sides colored in the aforementioned golden paint, the tall triple sailed masts held two Qrows nests at the top in which were sitting the lookouts ever vigilant, the ship felt… warm, almost like there was a glow about it, Weiss had seen it during their battle but especially now with the mingling crews of both ships only moments ago who had been at each others throats, patching each others wounds and sharing tails… Weiss’ crew seemed hesitant, as if they also saw this all as a type of joke… how were these people so kind…?*

Ruby: ATTENTION CREWS OF THE CRESCENT ROSE AND THE SNOWFLAKE, me and your captain have come to an accord, we shall combine our crews into equal parts, no man or woman, nor anyone in between is to be discriminated against. To the crew of the snowflake, many of our crew such as Ilia are faunus, they are to be treated no differently from your own friends, understand?

*there was some quiet murmuring*

Weiss: Anyone who disobeys that order shall answer DIRECTLY to me *she said confidently putting a hand on her sword*

Ruby:*looking proud already* Aye, and all those who wish to try their luck at the seas mercy shall be given a row boat and 4 weeks rations, the choice is yours

*a few members of the snowflake raised their hands to take that option, but not before being stared down by Weiss*

Weiss: cowards, bigoted cowards… begone from this sturdy vessel and may the sea be kind to you on your long journey!, excuse us, as me and your captain have much to discuss about our moving forward

Ruby: Here Here to our new order

*the two went back inside the cabin, before a knock on the door came*

Ruby: Ilia! How are you?

Ilia: hey captain, I just have a question, now that Weiss is first officer, what does that make me?

Ruby: sorry for the demotion, you deserve the best, but I just need to set an example

Ilia: I understand captain, I'm actually glad to be out of the spotlight for once haha, and Ms. Weiss, pleasure to meet you

Weiss: likewise Ilia, I hope we have more time together in the future.

*the door closes behind her*

Weiss: so what now, what's our plan, should we follow the trail of our attackers?

Ruby: I have my best man on it, Sun is up in the Qrows nest right now keeping tabs on their location, our current heading keeps us at a parallel course while out of sight due to the sun’s location, perfect cover

Weiss: then what is it that is left to discuss?

Ruby: *blushing* well, I actually hoped to get to know you better… we’ve kinda always been at each others throats and now… well, were free of all that

Weiss: I… am actually quite interested to get to know the infamous pirate Ruby Rose, the pirate that fights with a scythe… quite a unique story I believe  

Ruby: of that well see, I feel as though our journey's just begun

Weiss: then here's to see where our pearls shall take us next

Ruby: I would like that

________________________________________________

Crew manifest:

Crescent Rose: Ruby Rose: captain of the Crescent Rose, fastest fighter on the seas

Ilia: stealth assassin and intel operative, former first mate to Ruby

Sun: lookout and tracker, knows his ways around the ropes of the ship

Neptune: cook, he hates water se he stays where he won't have to look at it

Scarlet: one heck of a fighter, partner of sage and close confident to sun and neptune, former diplomat tuned pirate due to an incident with pudding at the headmasters wedding

Sage: tank and heavy lifter, uses a massive sword to shatter other ships, hes big and band and fears mice, we love him

Reese: tech specialist, found adrift on a device of her own design, her ship and crew were destroyed in an attack, so pledged her loyalty to our cause

Taiyang: father of Ruby, helps below deck and in training crew members

may: best sniper in remnant, now at least

Snowflake (former):

Weiss Schnee: captain of the most advanced dust technology imbued ships currently available to new captains, a battle ship that was no match for captain rose

Klein Seaburn: Weiss personal assistant, has the strength of 7 men, skilled in different forms of combat, a true force to be reckoned with

Atlassian guards: those who weren't killed in the attack but let's face it are cannon fodder

Pilot boy: no one knows his real name, but he can steer a ship like no one's business

Bumblebee

Yang Xio-Long: captain

Crew: tbd

Shroud, sister ship to the bee, stolen from Fang

Blake Belladonna: captain, former member of the fleet the white fang

Crew: tbd

Power cruiser: tech ship with straightened hard sails for unimaginable speed and flexability

Penny Polendina: captain, free spirited and not afraid to break the rules to win, always cheery, used to date Ruby, decided they were better as the best of friends for the time being

Crew: Ciel: personal assistant to Penny, time keeper, expert at star maps and fishing

Personal detail: special guards posted to keep Penny safe, she usually protects THEM

[theonyxpath]

Are you reading me?

Good, it’s Matthew Dawkins here. The last time we spoke about the Contagion Chronicle crossover extravaganza for the Chronicles of Darkness, I posted up the Cryptocracy faction. The faction is just one of the Sworn, the groups of playable creatures in this upcoming game.

Today, we’re doing something a little different. Today, we’re going to look at the False.

The False are everything the Sworn hope not to become. Where the Sworn (by and large) wish to contain or destroy the Contagion riddling the Earth, its people, and the God-Machine, the False choose to weaponize it, take their destructive aims too far and commit acts of genocide against innocents, or fully embrace the coming end of the world (as we know it).

This faction is the Crucible Initiative. You can probably see how they were once Sworn, but they’ve fallen to the ranks of False. Here they are, in their full glory, as written by “Marvelous” Meghan Fitzgerald.

Enjoy!

The Crucible Initiative

Contagion as Plague

Yes, I know you’re not infected. Yet. But given half a chance, you would be — please stop screaming, it’s distracting.

I picked through the ruins, listless. We were so close. We could have ended it. All we needed was another day, maybe two. A few more tests, a few tweaks, and this outbreak — this nightmare — would have been over. But all that work was gone now, nothing but ashes. Even the word “ruins” was generous.

“Who did this?” the changeling asked me, voice shaking like a leaf.

“I don’t know,” I said, but even as I did, I brushed ash and dust from a hunk of broken yellow plastic. It revealed a stylized flame inside a triangle, painted in black and red. A warning? Or a calling card? “But whoever it was left evidence behind. So we’re not done yet.”

What Is the Contagion?

What does it sound like? The Fire-Bearers think all the others — False and Sworn alike — are finding excuses not to call it like it is, so they can go about doing whatever they want, blatantly ignoring the obvious solution in front of their eyes. The Crucible Initiative treats the Contagion like exactly that: an epidemic, an incurable plague that only stops when they eradicate every last scrap of infection from the face of the Earth. They believe no hope exists of finding some mystical panacea that will cleanse the Machine once and for all, or any kind of treatment that could mitigate the blatant threat of annihilation. They warn their fellows not to take pity or show compassion; that way lies doom. Treating the symptoms — or pretending they’re not symptoms at all — without addressing the root of the problem gets no one anywhere. The only way to stop a supernatural cancer from reducing everything to wrack and ruin is to cut it out now, before it’s too late.

What they stand to lose: Everything. It will be a complete breakdown of reality. Some of them remember the Black Death because they were there in person. They have seen exactly what happens when a plague is allowed to spread freely, and they don’t intend to let the same happen to them, regardless of whatever justifications the others come up with to be anything less than merciless.

What they stand to gain: What, survival isn’t good enough? They get to live another day (or exist another night, anyway), and that’s plenty for them. They’re not interested in continuing their petty enmities or pursuing other goals while an outbreak endangers their livelihoods and the continuation of their kind. They sure as hell aren’t interested in mercy, lenience, or “finding another way.”

Where They Came From

In the 1330s and 1340s, famine and pestilence in Asia created the perfect conditions for the spread of the bubonic plague, so deadly it came to be known as the Black Death. Millions upon millions perished, hacking up blood from infected lungs. Though monsters escaped this fate on the whole, the epidemic didn’t end when humans stopped dropping dead in the streets. It just mutated. After the Black Death petered out (the first time, anyway), the Contagion struck directly on its heels, and across Europe and Asia the reaction was immediate and brutal. No more, they said, and began the purge.

The formal Crucible Initiative came out of China in the 1860s, when the mortal plague returned. No sign of the Contagion showed itself then, but in anticipation of its inevitable outbreak, a pack of Chinese Pure made contact with an angel and proposed a coalition that would soon blossom into an international operation. The God-Machine’s agents gathered select night-dwellers throughout the world, inviting those with the will and the means to join forces in vigilance against the illness that would certainly return. They called it the Crucible Initiative, for they would burn the impurities out of the world until only the strong and unsullied remained.

Once, the willing specimens of Genome studied the Contagion’s nature directly, infecting themselves on purpose to examine how it ran its course and develop individualized immunities. These Sworn delved too deeply into the Contagion’s secrets and became something else, something awful. Many of the Sworn tried to reclaim these grotesque things, hoping to restore them to their previous states. So the Crucible Initiative stepped in and exterminated them. Unfortunately, records show they might not have managed to quite get them all. Almost no one knows those records exist.

What They Do

The Initiative employs a scorched earth policy when it comes to the Contagion. Raze it all to the ground, burn the fields, salt the earth. They destroy all Contagious on sight, as well as anything or anyone that’s infected, possibly infected, or even potentially a vector. Anything that might give the plague a foothold is a target. “Them” and “us” don’t matter anymore; they abandon all but the direst enmities and most primal urges in favor of their mission. Likewise, pursuits they otherwise treasure fall by the wayside. Prometheans who join the Fire-Bearers inevitably become Centimani if they weren’t already. The Bound round up infected ghosts and dispose of them, abandoning their krewes or twisting them to new purpose. Changelings leave their freeholds to swear Huntsmen and hobgoblins to the cause, borrowing Bridge-Burner philosophies to justify it to themselves. No group draws more of the God-Machine’s own angels than the Crucible Initiative; they claim it’s pure practicality, but some take it as evidence that even the Machine knows fear.

The surgeons also act to preserve what’s not yet infected, by any means necessary. They call it “quarantine” when they kidnap those suspected to be vectors or infected, and they call it “preventative care” when they kidnap those in high-risk demographics or deemed too valuable to the recovery of a post-purge world to leave at large. They lock up their prisoners somewhere sterile and isolated, then poke and prod them until the diagnosis is certain. Once it is, they either immunize their captives through unpleasant occult means to be absolutely certain they’re clean, or set them ablaze and dispose of the ashes. Those who turn out clean might end up locked in quarantine indefinitely anyway; if released, they might go back to their risky behaviors and end up infected anyway, so what would be the point?

The Initiative performs research and experiments to find ever-more efficient and effective ways of holding powerful beings in quarantine, destroying them more thoroughly or in larger numbers, and getting more accurate diagnoses. Such experiments occasionally invite the Gentry into the world to take infected humans away to Faerie, or prompt angels to Fall, or lead to generative acts that create Prometheans (and Pandorans), and other such outcomes. They also, incidentally or purposefully, often lead to bolstering the Fire-Bearers’ lower ranks with loyal clones, spirit-ridden, stigmatics, slashers, and others.

How they organize: They structure themselves like an international government program with local divisions or branches, a bloated hierarchy, and many specialists. They offer benefits to their members, which vary in form depending on the nature of the creature in question. Letting an Insatiable live in the basement lab and feeding it Beasts once in a while until they loose it on a bunch of unsuspecting Contagion victims might not count as “employing” the Lamashtu, but it’s on the books regardless.

When they commit to wiping out the Contagion, surgeons hearken back to their origins among the Uratha and hunter angels, embarking on a hunt to destroy a living threat and bring proof back to show they’re willing to do the job.

Against the Sworn: The Initiative considers the Sworn a bunch of naïve fools whose work actively contributes to the Contagion’s threat. It raids Sworn headquarters whenever it finds them, taking what’s useful and torching the rest. It doesn’t care about hiding its actions; what difference does it make who takes the blame? It’ll turn into credit later, anyway, when anyone who might have complained is either dead or the beneficiary of the Fire-Bearers’ gift of survival.

Who They Are

   An alchemist who collects samples of infected Prometheans and other beings, working to perfect a formula that will unleash a true killer virus — one that only targets creatures who carry the Contagion

   A Devoted Chimeric created from werewolf DNA, whom the Initiative coerced into joining as the perfect Contagion-hunting weapon. They let her off her leash just long enough to sniff out the epidemic’s taint

   An Insatiable of the Void who creates quarantine chambers from stolen Lairs, emptying them out completely and stashing victims there to scream soundlessly until the Initiative determines they should burn

   An angelic project manager who oversees the construction of mobile Elimination Infrastructure platforms and personally leads the clean-up crew after they’re deployed, delivering the remains back to the God-Machine for inscrutable purposes

   A vampire of the Ordo Dracul who rounds up Kindred Contagion vectors and performs experiments on them before sending them to see the sun, hoping to discover a new Coil that will make her immune to the infection

Nicknames: Fire-Bearers, surgeons