Territorial Disputes

>be me
>still LARPing post-apocalypse
>still wearing flecktarn gear
>all my friends are still dead
>still got G3 and bayonet
>full mags (thanks rhodie, RIP)
>trapped innawoods by TPTB
>something about breaking 'rules'
>hard to remember past the hunger
>less starving, more craving
>practice stalking and stabbing with newfound spare time
>getting breddy good at stabbing things
>not hungry enough to hunt
>inner jew keeps me from shooting
>not sure if/when I can get reloads

>one day, hear new sounds on western forest edge
>can't leave the woods, barely see what it is
>people, building an outpost
>giddy feelings, people mean friends, friends mean food
>probably wanna scavange old world bunkers innawoods too
>feeling less giddy
>more people means less loot
>what if they cut down forest?
>thisisMYswamp.png
>start lurking around that part of forest
>leave claw marks on trees to mark territory
>don't remenber when I got the claws, too angry (and hungry) to think about it

>outpost looks close to done
>scouts start poking through woods
>they find my claw marks
>still coming and going like they own the place
>need to get more serious

>itsa stalkin' time
>marking didn't work
>Plan A: scare em away
>follow the next scout when it innawoods
>some rando guy in a strange tropical pattern
>also glowing for some reason, not very stealthy
>keep focusing on rando's camo
>why the hell would you wear tropical patterns in a woodland forest?!
>time to share the gospel of flecktarn
>get close enough to touch him
>show off how hard it is to see me in it by getting closer and closer
>breathing on his neck when he finally sees me
>rando's counterargument consists of screaming and pissing himself while trying to flee
>first conversation in months (years? lost track of time) and he argues like he's on a mongolian throat singing forum
>such fond memories
>rando's running back to camp
>probably saw the glory of flecktarn and going to spread the word to his friends
>follow him to the forest edge, not sure why he's running so fast
>warm fuzzy feeling fades as i remember the plan
>technically, i still scared him away so i count it as a win

>scout rando came back
>with friends
>two other scouts, judging by loadout
>new scout 1 has an axe: codename axe-guy
>new scout 2 has an old hunting rifle: codename fudd
>never was good with making up names
>need to get serious
>rando in front, leading way
>fudd trailing behind, providing cover
>axe-guy in between, carrying largest pack
>looks like a camping trip

>start stalking
>planning to fuck with them at night
>small problem, they notice something off
>what gave it away? what did I do?
>being quiet, hiding good, wtf?
>hear one of them say how quiet animal and bugs are
>woods aren't normally quiet?
>well shit...
>backtrack to hideout
>need stalk em from further away
>no binoculars in inventory
>DMR parts next best thing
>parts back at hideout
>fugg

>hideout is swanky cave I found
>leave all the extra stuff there
>including empty FAL mags, stuff off dead witches, and loot from forest
>also DMR stuff: scope, bipod, cheekweld, etc
> don't usually carry it, not sure if/when I can replace or fix it
>G3A3 DMR Mode: Activate!

>start tracking scouts again
>catch up near nightfall
>t-totally planned that!
>keep my distance this time
>long range snoping their camp
>rando and fudd asleep, axe-guy on watch
>current plan: wait for rando to take watch, then start messing with em
>other bump-in-the-night assholes try to ruin the plan
>including curious bear, big cat, pack of hogs
>chase away bear and cat, collect hog bodies for idea
>night nearly done when rando takes watch
>just my luck he's last
>commence operation sneaky sneak around camp
>surround camp with recently acquired hog corpses
>rando must be a total noob, doesn't notice
>finish setying bodies and fall back
>axe-guy waking as I leave
>can hear him complain about strange blood smell
>back at my lookout spot when they find the bodies
>zoom just barely enough to enjoy reactions
>fudd nearly panicking, first to notice all hogs stabbed to death
>axe-guy pales when told
>rando pissed himself, almost feel bad
>scouts pack up and flee
>follow behind this time, want them freaked out by quiet
>hope they got the message


>long forest exile boring as hell
>bayonet stopped talking after several moons of nothing to stab
>until outpost, hobbies included counting trees, catching cats, and eating new things to sate hunger
>kept losing count around 200-300, hard to concentrate
>stopped harassing local bobcats after one clawed up sleeves on parka
>they also found where I sleep and harassed me back, eventually settled a NAP
>gave up on hunting; big animals smell (sense?) me and flee, tried all the little animals
>stopped trying plants after incident with poison ivy
>currently trying to fish, but something isn't right
>maybe i shouldn't be in the water?

>new sound in the forest
>familiar sound that brings back fear: Dogs
>[insert flashback of nam and bundy getting chew toy treatments]
>no explosives for hellhounds, this could go bad
>need something heavier than bayonet, cheaper than .308
>maybe next time
>reluctantly head towards new sounds
>it's those damn kids, i mean scouts, again
>they brought dogs
>Good News, Bad News
>Good News: these aren't like the witch's dogs, they 3 small normal dogs
>Bad News: counting 5 warm bodies with them, armed
>looks like they're hunting something
>now what would they need a group of armed people to hunt
>oh right

>Enemy Count: 5 armed scouts, 3 hunting dogs
>Scout Rando - leading way with a scattergat and new pants
>Scout Axe-Guy - axe now on his back, also has a shotgun
>Scout Fudd - still got that hunting rifle
>New Scout 1: Dog-Guy - commanding the dogs, why does he have a spear?
>New Scout 2: Pack-Guy - carrying the largest pack instead of axe-guy, also armed with spear
>bad feeling about spears
>still suck at naming things
>Dogs 1-3: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
>on second thought, just 1, 2, and 3

>scouts arrive at the last camp-site
>watching from far away as to not spook them early
>scouts setting up camp
>patrolling in pairs with dogs, three stay at camp
>working plan ready
>Goals: neutralize/distact dogs, pick hunters off, bonus points for loot
>also thinking of new fuck fuck games
>what they get for bothering me

>FFG1
>snuck into camp to steal a rucksack
>noticed the silence, didn't notice me
>track down a cat
>violates NAP, but this is important
>cat doesn't want to cooperate
>cat meet buttstock
>stuff now sleeping cat into rucksack, just barely fits
>wait for another patrol to go, then return the rucksack
>now we wait

>FFG2
>bit harder
>catch small woodland critters for bait
>big ones run, little ones freeze
>use bait to lure out curious bear
>lure bear into patrol's path
>bear vs dogs, FIGHT
>scouts try to help dogs
>help myself to the scout in the back
>Pack-guy almost managed to scream
>Pack-guy meet buttstock
>dragging away a now sleeping Pack-Guy
>back at lookout in time for the cat to wake up
>in their tent

>now waiting for nightfall for real games to start
>distract myself with looting Pack-guy's stuff
>bout to cut Pack-Guy's throat when something stops me
>look back to stab interloper
>nam glaring at me, holding my wrist
>looks like hell
>body torn up, wrapped in vines
>scratch that, he IS made of vines
>looks me in the eye and says "No Killing."
>that's like 70% of what i do now, wtf?
>"Killing feeds your curse."
>curse? what curse?
>"Why do you think you are trapped here?"
>because TPTB are jerks?
>finally got nam to chuckle, "They are, but it was to contain the curse. Killing sapiants will feed the curse. No Killing."
>is that an order
>nam glares again "Yes."
>fugg

>no killing, i can do this
>bayonet says "kill him, KILL HIM"
>first time it talked in months
>nam did look pretty badass with all the vines and stuff
>would it be so bad?
>raifu reminds me that I already have enough trouble holding her with claws
>if it gets worse, i wouldn't be able to shoot, if I find ammo
>if i can't shoot, what's the point in all this?
>shit
>can't kill pack-guy, but can't leave him untouched
>nam didn't say anything about looting
>and who says I can't leave a message?

[Scout's Log #18]
Our group went out in force. Hound-Master Louise, his pack, and Recruit Stan returned to the camp with the intent to hunt down this creature. Scout Dan, Recruit Stan, and myself took turns going out with Hound-master Louise on search patrols through possible paths it may have taken. There were signs the creature was watching our camp, so we kept three at the camp at all times. We weren’t watching carefully enough.

The creature took the shape of a bear and attacked our patrol. We fought it off, but on our way back it took Recruit Stan. Then, it took the form of a bobcat and attacked our camp. It teleported itself into a rucksack, ate or destroyed our supplies, and destroyed the tent. It also left droppings in Scout Dan’s sleeping bag.

With our supplies compromised and a member missing, we decided to fall back to the outpost for reinforcements, Magister Zell’s arrival, or both. On our way back, we found Recruit Stan unconscious and tied to a tree. He was also naked. When we untied him, we found the beast had left runes painted across Recruit Stan’s stomach. We copied the runes as best as we could, took a sample of the blood, and sent it all to Magister Zell via a courier when we returned to the outpost. We currently await the Magister’s findings.

[Return Message from Magister Zell]
Did you copy the runes exactly? As far as I can tell they aren't magical. They aren't even runes, it's just really bad English. The message reads "Fuk off, were full"

>scouts never came back
>think they got the message
>back to my old games
>not bored out of my mind
>managed to reach 400s in tree counting before losing count
>cat isn't even mad about being catnapped, no need to renegotiate NAP
>still no fish caught
>NOT BORED
>new presence in the forest
>very familiar feel: witches
>mixed with people
>when could I sense stuff?
>nvm, decide to investigate
>not because I'm bored

>follow the feeling
>leads to some twink with box
>well this sucks
>debating how to debase when twink makes a circle
>with blood
>WTFing when the twink talks
>"We want to negotiate"
>don't negotiate with terrorists
>don't want to touch the AIDs circle either
>about to try throwing stuff when I notice the box
>wouldn't hurt to look, right?

>food: can't
>bottled drinks: got a river
>glowing drinks: fuck no
>an axe: mmm maybe
>nothing really interesting
>wait, wuzzdat on the bottom?
>is that? could it be?
>a single round of .308
>upend entire box to get to it
>hold it in front of the twink
>try and say "Bring me more!"
>words come out garbled
>twink gives me weird look "P-pardon?"
>too much teeth, cant talk right
>try more slowy "BRING MORE. TALK"
>do i really sound like that?

>who's got two thumbs and new friends?
>not this guy
>hard time counting appendages
>also, they're not friends
>twink came back with the box
>had to bring rando and axe-guy to carry it
>heavy crate of 308, fuck yeah
>hiding behind an AIDs circle
>approach, but stay out of sight
>they know I'm here
>quiet must not be normal in the forest

>twink keeping a straight face
>rando looks nervous
>axe-guy scowls at me, ready to attack
>only really care about the box
>twink starts "We've come to negotiate"
>just nod, learned last visit talking awkward
>"We want the forest, the river and the ruins. We want your allegiance, or your departure"
>big brass balls to ask all that
>respond with mocking laughter
>laughter echoes around woods, nice
>respond loud and slow "LEAVE BOX. LEAVE WITH LIVES."
>twink hasn't changed, rando about to piss himself again, axe-guy looks losses
>twink waves to the box "This is a witch's box. We need more than that. The river ans the ruins."
>box sounds neat
>STALKER challenge isn't fun without challenge
>'YOUR LIVES. THE RUINS."
>twink starting to sweat "and the river?"
>"DRINK. NO TAKE. BRING AMMO EACH VISIT."
>axe-guy speaks up "and what guarantee do we have?"
>twink and axe-guy have whispering argument
>didn't really listen
>twink talks again "What sign of good faith can you offer?"
>sounds like they dont trust me
>must've been the bobcat
>don't really need extra teeth
>pull out as many as I can
>step out of the shadows and pour teeth in front of them
>"MY MARK."
>twink and rando look like they gonna hurl
>axe-guy turning green
>"WEAR AND YOU LIVE."
>rando finally talks "A-and you'll l-leave us a-alone?"
>"NO KILLING. ONLY FUN."
>"We accept your terms." twink says
>ammo, a new game, and a STALKER challenge, jackpot
>what could possibly go wrong