Naked Snake

This is shaping up to be my most complete fic ever.

What isn't on my WIP page is most of Chapter 5, Chapter 6 (I just started it), edited BEFORE THE BEGINING and chapter 1 and various other stuffage, like my updated notes.

Keeping track of the main character's inventory is sometimes a pain in the ass, even with the aid of an additional text file. Still, it does help me keep track of major stuff.

This fic will deviate from Strife a lot (Chapter 6 does right from the start, Jarek enters the prison with a pass with a stamp-mark on it that lists him as a surgeon. The encounter with him and the Warden is veeery different.) and will introduce new elements and characters.

Here's a teaser of the edited BTB and Chapter 1

BEFORE THE BEGINING

The comet struck the planet without warning on a peaceful, lazy summer day. A relative peace had fallen over the land until it shattered into the ground and sent forth a terrible plauge. For months, you were racked in immense pain, yet somehow even without food and water the virus made you live and you suffered the entire time, without sleep. You constantly screamed for death but your screams spread so much plauage nobody would dare go close enough to kill you, let alone hear your screams. Some lived, somehow, and they were changed, much more attuned to life and living. The plauge's symptoms got weaker and weaker. It lasted generations and still continues to this day, though in a much much milder form....

During this generation some people afflicted with the illness merely suffered a day or so and died but some didn't. Some lived. Most that did swore allegiance to The Order, hearing the voice of the One God of the Sigil. Those that were not able to hear this voice suffer horribly.

Town to town they roamed and corrupted, as soon as their might was established they would begin their insane commands.

All children not originally hidden by well-meaning parents were taken out into the streets and killed brutally and effeciently. The women that came outside to grieve were detained, thrown into massive closed carts and hauled away. Some brave souls decided to strike back but were crushed with the force of a lightning bolt against a slug. Some still remained resistant. Some towns had yet to experience the destructive force of The Order. However, not all these towns were deaf to the Second Plauge, Plauge of the Sigil....

Chapter One - The Stonecrusher Inn
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The man walked into the tavern and lodging, the rough and marked wooden door creaked as he pressed it open. He noticed it was quite dark, a few gruff looking men and seedy-looking ladies were either perched at the high wooden bar or sat at a table that was lit by a cluster of candles (unless they were extinguished by a drunkard's breath or drink). The foul smell of urine seeped from the Trough Room, mixed with alcohol and the gaseous releases from both ends by the bar's patrons. The Soundletter played an upbeat song off the music scroll. The sign advertised that you could pick a scroll for a mere 3 bronze coins.

The man eyed the patrons warily, some glanced at him and noticed his long dagger, his Hythom Pistol and leather-and-chain mail and thought better of annoying the man or attempting to roll him if he got too heavy on the brew. A few of the girls blinked wide-eyed at him but he kept his eyes moving. He approached the bar and sat down on a stool that was ripped, scarred and stained with blood. The barkeep came over and smiled politely at the customer, nodding and adressing him in a smooth, level voice.
"What's your word, man?" he said, placing his arm on the bar and leaning towards the stranger.
"I need a place to sleep and food to eat." the man said slowly in a low tone.
"You can get yer own food but you can have a room for 15 gold coins a night." the Barkeeper replied, slightly cross.
The man put his arms on the bar and crossed them.
Punch daggers had never seemed so bright to the bartender before...
"Actually...for uh, 25 gold I'll have a meal delivered from the local Food-Chef. I believe today is a large chicken, with or without head, soup, 2 slices of peezuh and warm bread with Kola or Quencher."
He nodded, tossed the payment down, plus 9 silver coins.
"Gimme a bottle of at least 60fold booze" he demanded, the barkeep promptly responding. Calmly trying to make small-talk, the barkeep questioned his patron.
"So, where you from, stranger? Got a name to go on the bill?" he asked politely, a grin on his aging face. The man leaned back in his stool slightly, a scowl on his face.
"Jarek. I do not know where I am from, where I care about is where the gold takes me and I make plenty of it." he growled in a menacing tone, standing up from his stool, snatching up his bottle of Elemesh.
"Are you a bounty hunter 'er somethin'?" one of the barfools inquired, Jarek didn't catch which one.
"I'm no hunter...I prefer to be in the thick of it, I have on occasion hunted..." he responded, looking for the man who asked.

The man stood up, he was quite tall, at least 7 headtoe and 3 palms tall, his chest looked stolen from an angry Woods Bear it was so massive, he had very long and curly black hair and an almost equally long mustache and beard. He had sharp yellow eyes that narrowed as they glanced over Jarek. His chest-armor was made of metal with a chain-mail layer and a layer of leather sewn into the steel armor for additional protection. The titan had black gauntlets on and brown, worn gloves. "Is that a fact?" he questioned, a slight grin forming on his pale lips. "You know, in the near-way town of Kraven Rook they are lookin' for fellows like you...they pay well but you've got to live long enough to collect." he informed Jarek, crossing his arms as he looked down at the imposing warrior.
"That a fact?" he casually responded.
Within moments, he was planning his route to Kraven Rook.

Jarek stood outside of the tavern and glanced at the battered landscape. The comet, nicknamed "The Bastard Rock", had ravaged the planet. Yet, some places weren't impacted as bad and the damage done to the other areas had seemed to be recovering. The people were often sick, though most had some immunity as the sickness was there for a few generations. He saw an old man pushing a large cart of the freshest, most viable fruit he had been able to find and shouting prices at people who walked past. He noticed a group of prostitutes hanging out near the nearest corner, winking at all the men that passed by, a few stopping and then walking off with a lady. One looked at Jarek and made a lewd gesture with her mouth. Jarek looked away. A man came up holding a very nasty looking dog, he held the beast out, practically shoving it in Jarek's face.
"Nice doggy for 50 gold, mister?" the creepy man asked with a nearly toothless grin.
"No," Jarek replied "now get out of here!"
He obliged rather quickly.
Jarek walked towards the gates of the town, noting the guards snoozing at their posts, some playing cards and others chatting it up with arrested prostitutes.
They paid him no attention as he exited the gates.
He noted a few beggars outside the town wall searching through the mounds of trash the townsfolk tossed over the wall. One hooted with joy as he pulled out a partially eaten piece of chicken. He was quickly assaulted by fellows hungrier than he was. Jarek considered for a brief moment helping the man but figured why bother? He was just a bum anyway.