ND Cragsand S3E12: Black Hole Carnival

:Return to character article: Sten Berglund
==Season 3: Neon Divide==
===Episode 12: Black Hole Carnival===
====Top of the morning====
Opening up the shop Willie remarks on it being a strangely more warm day today. Toolbox drops off some manufactured parts and Sten offers to pay for it, but he declines saying he can't accept payment. 
Willie considers getting an assault rifle and Sten offers to help him make it. Resuming work on the receiver order for "Lizana" Sten completes it but remarks to Willie and Fee-Bee that they're unable to make an actual Valkyrie Rifle due to the lack of corporate class facilities with a clean room and sterile environment. Running into her later she is satisfied with getting the parts made as long as her launcher is also completed. Using work jargon Sten asks if she has some skill with smithing. Confirming the guess Sten recommends her to have a chat with Maxie about collaborating. Maybe the can learn something from each-other. Sten recommends hiring Bub to pick it up for her if she's busy and the dependable delivery bot does later in the day. 
:-1 Titanium
:-1 Steel
:+50,000 credits
Sten reads a message on the shops terminal to the employees, and reads out a message explaining Reeza's resignation from leading the scrapping crew. Getting someone new appointed will have to be taken up with the council. 
Peaches has gathered some nitrolium and Sten pays him for the trouble.
:+3 Nitrolium
:-3000 
Mercury hands over a Shometsu pistol to be disassembled. Sten offers him to keep the parts but he opts to have them delivered to Mr Prowler instead. Since it's for the town security Sten offers it free of charge. Gathering one Titanium Sten delivers it to Prowler. Prowler has a package of 4 more grenades to sell.
:+4 Shock grenades
Maxie has completed Shura's reforged sword using titanium and he retrieves it. 
Some pillbugs are trading stuff in town and Sten helps Maya crack open a salvage part. Inside is a medium tech part for her. Speaking to Shiloh they both mention a synth graveyard which puts her instantly into a bad mood.
Hank comes to collect his tail. Having oiled up the joints Sten helps him pop it on. Curious Sten asks him what good his tail actually does for him. Hank explains that it contains his bank account and patient credentials. Offering to pay now that he has his funds back Sten gives him a small sum since he insists. 
:+2000 for cleaning Hank's cybernetic tail
Herk put in an order for a copy of his other revolver and paid up front. Speaking with Willie he seems to intend to dual-wield both of them. 
:+25,000 credits for a revolver to herk
Joining Willie to grab some food and drink from the restaurant Sten asks him if he's ever been to the cold side on Hellion, but no, he's only ever seen pictures. Any settlement there would be in constant shade and need an alternative energy source other than solar, probably nuclear.
At the restaurant Hadwyn asks if Sten has any known supply lines to the city as he's trying to find ammunition for his special corporate rifle. Not so, Sten tells him that is difficult without corporate facilities and instead offers to disassemble it for him for parts. Sten mentions strangers purchasing things every now and then but that he usually charges them double the usual price. Queuing in line Stellar has a strange eye thing hovering and following him around which he explains is nicknamed a "scrap star". It doesn't cause any danger but is curious. Ordering food Sten gets an extra jug of water in case there's a trip out into the desert. 
:-350 credits water and food
Phineas daily trade is scrap and later some more scrap. Demand increasing Sten offers him more for the compensation than usual. 
:+6 Scrap Metal 
:-6,000 credits
Toolbox gives a long talk about him leaving. Something about his presence being required elsewhere as the union only sees his position in the wasteland as a humanitarian effort. Going to miss him, Sten asks if he could possibly be available to purchase free from the union but it doesn't sound like it. Being available on request Sten asks him to add some way to contact him in the terminal in the shop. He adds a voice recognition system for writing emails that should suffice. 
Sten finishing Maxies Machine Pistol he tries it out at the shooting range. The mercenaries and council have changed the code to the door but luckily Savire walks by and shows them. A new customer named Anuki Agnar asks about making goggles and some shooting practice. Sten gives her some shooting basics to tense the muscles and prepare so it from the recoil so it doesn't hit you in the head. She gathers some sand and places an order with Maxie and purchases some ammunition. 
:-2 Scrap for Goggles 
Bernard is looking for some upgrades because of the recant troubles in the city. Since he already has kevlar armor, titanium would be the next step but its pricey. Any upgrade would have to be a rifle but that is the wrong option if he's looking to be inconspicuous in the city. It's likely any corpo's may confiscate it.
====Clown Crash====
Sounds of a drop-ship and loud music consisting of honk horns fill the air. Speaking to Savire at the gate, some of his clown kin have been around. Sten tells her that if they are the ones from Torok's "circus" which he talks about, and assuming what he says is true about them, having them around is really bad. People with no concern for human life, not hesitating to glass entire planets. Savire's concern is if he ends up sober, there's no telling what he might do. She asks Sten if he's ever seen him sober. Only just once when he got really depressed. Guessing it can swing either way, either depression or extreme violence. She can make "drugs" to keep him calm, but it's extremely painful. Henderson is not here today, she's having to chain him up in his home as he's having one of those moment where his split personalities "Hendersson" and "McCuldger" don't get along.
Speaking of Torok he arrives with Zes in tow. They've returned from visiting a friend, which turned into that friends funeral. That friend supplying his drugs, Savire can fill those shoes instead. Sten asks Torok if he needs any help and mentions the incident Willie spoke about with him eating some people. Denying that to be true the gathering is interrupted by the bang of a drop pod, landing in the salt flats. Calling on the radio whoever they are requests Torok's presence. Zes asks if they have face paint but too late. One is already running up to the gate. Zes exclaims "Oh, this is happening" explaining that it IS the clown cult and offers to handle them. 
Approaching carefully Sten greets 3 humanoid figures wearing clown face paint near their drop pod. One toad-like and two ogre-like. Being as friendly as possible their names are Ry-Bit The Cruncher "Crunch", Squeeks and Twist. Telling them the basic rules of not killing anyone in town they are invited to Scrap Town. Ignoring a short scare of it being rigged with explosives the three help carry and push their drop pod to park it by the town. 
Inside are some strangers from the city, a pair or hooded folk and a man in expensive looking armor with a package looking for Sheila. Sten welcomes them and advertises the gunshop but they don't seem interested in firearms. 
Sheila and the armless man nicknamed "Worm" are back. The man thinking to go out into the wastes on his own Sten talks him down and somehow gets Sheila to give him company. They're looking for some "shrines" out there that can bring his arms back magically.
Fee-Bee and Willie return from a successful scrapping run in her Astral truck. Dropping off a bunch of weapons from raiders they killed, with Henderson locked up, nobody is complaining about unsanctioned scrapping runs. Sten updates them both on the Torok drugs and carnival situation. Peaches also brings back quite the haul. During the expedition with Charles they found what looked like a new bandit camp. Thanks to being a mining synth he dug through a canyon filled with rubble an they reached a whole new area. The place was filled lakes of glowing green liquid. Shura and Phineas also have materials to sell.
:+15 Scrap metal from 8 disassembled scrap guns from Fee-Bee and Willie
:-3,000 credits for Charles 2 scrap rifles
:-32,000 credits for Peaches haul
:-1,000 credits Shura for iron
:-4,000 credits for scrap
:+4 Scrap metal from Phineas
:+3 Carbon
:+1 Titanium
:+3 Iron 
====Brain-Science-Ish Things====
Savire finally got her taser completed by Prowler and asks Sten to join her in some research dissecting sandworms. Having fought in the arena the two are now very much dead. Strapping down the carcasses using barbed wire to prevent trashing Savire goes to work. It's squeamish work and not much is learned. She's going to need more samples to figure out. 
Knocks at the door to the shop, outside is the whole carnival clown crew with Torok imposing their presence. In the back is a very weird being named "Iron" who they found. At first teased to touch him Torok stops Sten, and the being explains that although his name is Iron, he is made out of pure mercury and apologizes for his presence. Not sure what to say about that other than mercury dissipates a lot of toxic fumes in this heat so it's best for all organics to keep a good distance. Telling them that Torok's friends are his friends, Sten invites the clown crew inside to have a look at where Torok used to work. Crunch tells that for his vacations he enjoys hunting his own food and so Sten recommends the sand fleas of the wastes and joining in the scrapping runs. In the chaos the clowns, Zes and Silas catches some critter sneaking into the shop and puts it in a box.
Iron, the "metal born" tells that he feels unsure about seeing molten metal like that in the smithy forge, considering it inhumane. After some talks of non sentient beings unable to feel pain he goes in about his species and their pacifistic mentality and preservation towards other living beings. There is something very eerie about him being courteous, calm and polite at the same time as lethal if you accidentally touch him. Sten puts on his gas mask to have a closer inspection of him, curious but careful. He has been looking for work since arriving at the planet but for obvious reasons he has difficulty getting any so Sten gives him some recommendations. Having said all he intended to say, Iron and the clowns leave.
Willie returns yelling that he's gonna lose it. Sten tells him to not just yet, since there's customers coming in. Verren returns again with some undercity folk on hoverbikes. They're looking to restock on weapons and ammunition before going out hunting. Rumor around town is they are desperate for food because of politics with the corporations so their only option is the wasteland. One of them, a worn looking wolf-man looks familiar and after purchasing a shotun he reveals reveals his name is Fenris, but used to go by as "Gamir" last year. Sten knows he heard something about this one but can't recall. Sten tells them it's a bit late to go out hunting, thinking of the sandstorm coming in soon. He gives the hunters radio channel 25 to call him on to be let back in.
:+50,000 credits shotgun and harpoon gun to Fenris
:+4000 ammunition to Verren
:-1 Shotgun
:-1 Harpoon gun
====The mysterious spirits====
Catching Reeza at the gate while letting the hunters out, Sten asks why she's retiring from scrapping. She explains that she intending to focus more on magic and communing with the spirits with the wanderers. She will still join scrapping runs, just not organize them. Silas has been testing out a bug repellent invention by Prowler they might hook up to the radio tower. In their testing it managed to scare off some local bugs in town but it also caused headaches to some locals. Could possibly also be using in emergencies when out on expeditions if it works on crabs. Reeza is curious about it and speculates replicating a magical version that produces sound waves. Magic and technology working together eh? Wouldn't that be something.
Asking about the mention of magical "shrines" Reeza explains to Sten that it is to appease the elements. Since the elementals from last year perished during the volcano incident its important to make the new baby ones happy and try to befriend them by feeding them mana. Various elementals have different things that appease them, fire like things to burn while air elementals seem to like iron. 
Mentioning she went to the upper city ones meeting a corpo named "Rikky" Sten recalls and mentions repairing his heirloom guns. According to Reeza they were some kind of spirit weapons and while he doesn't know magic, the spirits loved him for some reason. The weapons were inhabited by powerful spirits. Remarking on this Sten jokes that if Norbert ever gets to speak to them, he might actually get a response this time.
The carnival crew drags in the drop pod and inform that they're gifting it to the town. Sten thanks them, dismantling it for parts could prove very valuable. Going to have to check with the council tomorrow what they want to do. Two of the clowns are heading back to the city, leaving the toad looking one named "Crunch" behind to stay with Torok. Once they leave Reeza, tell of them looking for someone with a blue armor with a scar over his eye. They wanted him turned in alive to "turn him into smiley", whatever that means.
Calling on the hunting at first there is no response on the radio and the gate is timely attacked by raiders on a vehicle. Shooting wildly one of them hits Maya, hurting her and Sten, in the luckily in the armor. Running low on ammo Sten gathers a crate with ammunition from the shop. Protecting the town takes priority. 
:-30,000 credits worth of ammunition shared for town defenses
The ambulance calls in on the radio, returning. Might have to risk opening the gate just for them to ensure they get inside before the sandstorm hits. Worrying about ramming it doesn't come to that and the ambulance zooms in. On the gate Maya is overjoyed at having hit a raider with her rifle, seeing blood drawn in her scope. Stellar gave his magical healing so she feels right as rain again. Sandstorm rolling and the raiders giving up the defenders take cover.
Chester places an order for a kevlar vest and a machine pistol, supplying the required titanium himself and paying up front. He's helping gear up a friend.
:+2 Titanium
:+25,000c kevlar
:+50,000c machine pistol
:Next Episode: S3E13: Wasteland Cook Off
==Inventory==
Sten personal inventory tracker after episode...
==Store inventory==
Store inventory tracker after episode... This is shared with employees, credits are stored in the smithing registry.
==Links==
*Twitch VOD: Neon Divide Season 3 Episode 12: Black Hole Carnival 
*YouTube VOD: Neon Divide S3 E12: Black Hole Carnival
===Twitch Clips===
*Rikky's spirit guns and Norbert
*Meeting "Iron"
*Unarmed and with no arms
*Hat physics
==Gallery==
ND Crag S3E12 01 Willie and Fee-Bee.png
ND Crag S3E12 04 Mercury.png
ND Crag S3E12 06 Maya.png
ND Crag S3E12 07 Shiloh Maya.png
ND Crag S3E12 08 Fee-Bee.png
ND Crag S3E12 09 Hadwyn.png
ND Crag S3E12 10 Lizana.png
ND Crag S3E12 11 Sten Stellar Odd Restaurant.png
ND Crag S3E12 12 Stellar and his soul thing.png
ND Crag S3E12 13 Stellar and his soul thing.png
ND Crag S3E12 14 Sten Stellar.png
ND Crag S3E12 15 Sten Stellar.png
ND Crag S3E12 16 Lizana Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 17 Anuki.png
ND Crag S3E12 19 Anuki Bub.png
ND Crag S3E12 20 Anuki.png
ND Crag S3E12 21 Anuki shooting practice.png
ND Crag S3E12 22 Bernard.png
ND Crag S3E12 23 Anuki sand to Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 24 Savire.png
ND Crag S3E12 25 Torok Zes Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 26 Zes.png
ND Crag S3E12 27 Torok and Squeeks.png
ND Crag S3E12 30 Torok Squeek Crunch Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 31 Black Hole Carnival Torok Squeeks Crunch Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 31 Black Hole Carnival Torok Squeeks Crunch Twist.png
ND Crag S3E12 34 Black Hole Carnival Torok Squeeks Crunch Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 35 Torok Squeeks Crunch.png
ND Crag S3E12 36 Herk Crunch Twist circus Escape Pod.png
ND Crag S3E12 37 Herk Crunch Twist circus Escape Pod.png
ND Crag S3E12 38 Circus escape pod Torok Crunch Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 39 Circus escape pod Torok Squeeks Crunch.png
ND Crag S3E12 40 Gerry.png
ND Crag S3E12 41 Black Hole Carnival in Scrap Town Zes Torok Crunch Mercury Squeeks Twist.png
ND Crag S3E12 42 Fee-Bee truck willie.png
ND Crag S3E12 44 Fee-Bee Willie.png
ND Crag S3E12 45 Willie.png
ND Crag S3E12 46 Pillbug trader.png
ND Crag S3E12 47 Fee-Bee.png
ND Crag S3E12 48 Fee-Bee.png
ND Crag S3E12 50 Worm (Wrench).png
ND Crag S3E12 51 Savire.png
ND Crag S3E12 52 Savire dissecting sandworm GM.png
ND Crag S3E12 53 Scrap weapons haul.png
ND Crag S3E12 54 Peaches Maxie.png
ND Crag S3E12 55 Peaches.png
ND Crag S3E12 56 Squeeks Crunch Phineas.png
ND Crag S3E12 58 Squeeks peek Crunch Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 59 Black Hole Carnival Squeeks Iron Twist Torok Crunch Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 62 Squeeks Twist.png
ND Crag S3E12 64 Crunch.png
ND Crag S3E12 66 Torok Crunch Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 68 Torok Crunch Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 69 Torok Crunch Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 70 Torok Crunch.png
ND Crag S3E12 71 Iron Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 72 Iron Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 73 Iron.png
ND Crag S3E12 74 Iron.png
ND Crag S3E12 75 Silas catching critter.png
ND Crag S3E12 77 Iron Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 78 Fenris Willie Telle Verren Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 80 Willie Fendris Telle Verren Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 81 Circe Fenris hoverbike.png
ND Crag S3E12 82 Circe Fenris hoverbike.png
ND Crag S3E12 83 Circe Fenris Sten hoverbike.png
ND Crag S3E12 84 Hoverbikes Theris Telle Verren.png
ND Crag S3E12 85 Silas invention.png
ND Crag S3E12 86 Reeza Silas.png
ND Crag S3E12 87 Black hole carnival Squeeks Twist Torok Crunch.png
ND Crag S3E12 88 Black hole carnival Squeeks Twist Torok Crunch Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 89 Willie Sten.png
ND Crag S3E12 90 Hank.png
NeonDivideCreditsInfographicThingy.png|Neon Divide RP approximate prices infographic (outdated)
Category:Neon Divide Cragsand Episodes