A call had been put out to the people residing in The Kingdom to try their mettle at competing in a One-Time In-Game Event entitled "War Against Doubt". Meeting atop the Neo Hong Kong Megaplex in Vector city, Vector Squad would be decided. Each group to try and take on the task of defeating Doubt would be comprised of a party of five from five different cities in a single region. The first wave would be decided, and as people died or whole squads were wiped out, new teammates or teams would be choosen.
Vector City, Grom, Bastion, Old Westwood, and Greenville were the five cities or townships from the region of Amarnia that were picked to choose a single warrior in their own way to be put into a special group of five tentatively titled "Vector Squad". Adventures from all over The Kingdom had headed out to their respective five cities to compete for a chance to join their own teams. Grom, Bastion, and Greenville had already decided their best. Old Westwood hadn't needed to, as its underground maze of a community was run by a single tyrant played by Darrell Jackson's Minotaur character Traygor.
The event had begun two weeks after The Kingdom came back online and was now well underway. Only Vector City, of which Charles was a competitor, had yet to decide it's best warrior. He had high hopes for himself and Warren Charleson (his character) for being able to join up in the team of five to fight for the Future of The Kingdom… even if that fight would mean that he and Darrell were on a team together. Friend or no, Darrell spent more time chasing or raping woman Players and NPC's than he did doing anything good for The Kingdom or otherwise. It was sure to be a point of ire for whoever it was who ended up as teammates with him.
Charleson stood atop the answer to everything in the universe… Floor Forty-Two. His spotted red freckles over his face began to hook together in an arcane pattern as they traveled down his neckline and behind the rim of his bright white plate armour. His eyes were green and glowed with just a hit of magical presence to them. The beard on his face was a fiery red as was the long braided ponytail that traveled down the back of his armour. He had a white shield that reached down to his feet and was held out in front of him. With a small sword on his right side and a giant bastard sword in a sheath on his back, he had both his usual weapons in easy reach. Along his backside and in the three pouches tied to it were various herbs and medicines as well as a few potions. He stood six foot two and definitely had the strength in his frame to carry such equipment. Much of his money had been emptied out of his backpack and into the auction house and stores in the building below to be prepared for whatever test lay ahead of him. Win or loose, he was going to give it his all. The Kingdom needed all the help it could get.
"These may be the last days of The Kingdom," a demanding voice bellowed from the centaur that walked back and forth in front of the group. "But we shall not give it up so easily. Doubt now closes in on this land, it's fiery eye burning brightly in the day or night. What we need now are warriors… champions, heroes, and adventurers to step forward and be tried to see who is worthy enough to take the battle to the enemy… to find us a way to break that burning rock from the sky once and for all!"
Mike, the centaur at the front of the group, was male from the waist up. His human torso had a pale complexion to it, covered in a school uniform and a white undershirt. His form looked strong and powerful, but all was not well with his form. From the waist down he was a Clydesdale horse, but his manhood had been stolen from him just after getting his character back with everyone else those two weeks ago. Now, instead of his oversized stallion shaft and balls he had a mare's vulva between his hind legs.
This fact had not been lost on the group, some of which had become decidedly distracted by the situation. Charleson, for his part, had noted it but never broken his gaze from Mike's eyes afterwards. He stood, his head tall, ready for whatever his quest might be. He was surrounded on all sides by a crowd of competition, easily fifty Players in all. Many were around his level, a few higher, but most somewhere far below… likely to be left behind as the event proceeded.
Mike turned his horse body as he began to trot slowly back across the group in the other direction like a drill sergeant. Out behind him was the cityscape of Vector City, its lights and sounds traveling up from the streets below. Pacing, but then coming to a stop in the middle of the roof, Mike turned to face the group. He had a look of determination on his face as he began to rattle off the terms of the quest.
"Tonight your quest—your mission&151; will be to bring a powerful Player to justice. Their actions have transformed the inhabitants of this City quite literally. She has flaunted her prowess and powers in the face of those who would set right her wrongs in the past, and it is time that she see the light of day," Mike smirked, looking around at the group of Players before him.
"I myself do no have the skills and abilities, nor even the levels, of many of you who are present. But, being one of her victims myself, I have been asked to pass this judgement off onto all of you. The perpetrator, though originally female, may appear as anyone, even one of you," he said, looking left and right. "But she originally appeared as a female, anthropomorphic cheetah woman who some of you may know as the famous Nala from New Genes far below us. She has crossed a line one too many times and a bounty has been set upon her head."
"Your mission, should you choose to accept it," Mike smirked, "Is to track down and find Nala and bring her here to the top of the Nuk'em (NHKM) and have her face the rising sun at dawn. This means you have all night, but less than thirteen hours to complete your task," Mike said as he motioned out at the setting sun along the horizon. "Be aware that she is armed with many genetically manipulative serums, bombs, and other traps. She knows she is being hunted," Mike said, and then added, "The Moderators assure me her Player has agreed to stay on all night and has agreed to avoid all 'Safe Zones'," he said with a nod.
"She has friends, though, a Guild… They control much of the Megaplex's Black Market District, so know that she may be protected by them and their abilities… cybernetic creations, black magics, and otherwise. Her favored method of dispatching her foes is transformation… she likes to humiliate foes or give them bodies that cannot be used to track her down… but understand that she may 'borrow' abilities from her guildmates, black magic among the possibilities, to transform you in ways other than her normal skillset."
"Either way, your target has been set. Nala must be caught and brought to the top of the Megaplex to view the rising sun by whatever means necessary," Mike explained, standing and looking along the group one last time. "Also," he said after a moment, "I personally will grant a special bonus to anyone who can return my cock and balls to their rightful place between my legs," he laughed weakly, suddenly feeling exposed. A few people laughed, but many shifted in place, uncomfortable with the premise of being transformed like Mike had been.
Charles looked around the group, wondering how many of them would be wearing different skin when the sun came up over the horizon this next morning. He himself checked his shield, and tapped his amulet around his neck to open his In-Character Guildspeak, "We're just about ready to rock and roll. You guys on the look-out?" he asked.
The reply of two growling female voices on the other end of the magic came back into Charleson's ears at once: "Our Trial isn't until Tomorrow night, so Tome and I are at your disposal," Daniel Cook spoke as his character Tracy. "Lorna stepped away to get something to eat, but she will be back too," the female voice noted. Charles merely nodded to himself, looking back up and over at Mike from deep in the crowd.
"You may use Teamspeak, Guildspeak, Friendspeak, Twinspeak, and the like… but know that the apprehension of Nala herself must be done by you and you alone. The Moderators will be watching. Failure on this point will grant her freedom and the hunt will begin again," Mike said simply. He then struck his fist into the air and called out, "Your quest begins now! Bring this woman to justice and you will have proven yourself worthy to claim your spot in Vector Squad, the team who will destroy Doubt and bring piece to The Kingdom!"
As the crowd began to disperse, Charleson looked around at all those who attended and even out at Vector itself. He nodded to himself, wondering where to begin his task.