Reloading the game, I buck up my spirit and roll out into the western wastes of Vegas. The walk ahead is quite a long one so I sip my coffee and watch as the scenery plays out around me.

I come across a location or two, but one location in particular makes me stop, and think. The Poseidon gas station. An ordinary, run down, boarded up building, a little radioactive but otherwise very ordinary. Its northern perimeter edged by mountains and its south western facing looks over a makeshift fort... The locale is littered with fiends, I've already snuck my way past one group, killed a lone straggler, but this fort is home to Violet and her dogs.

Dogs aren't a problem as long as there isn't too many of them in the pack. Fiends aren't a problem, just punch them a few times and they die. Violet combined with dogs is a big problem. I begin by sneaking as far away from the encampment as I can feasibly do so. I guess the dogs 'see' me because all too quickly there are 3 of them running right at me. One of them being Violetta. A named dog character that could be an issue.

I break from sneaking to running and head to cover, I can hear Violet shooting at me from distance. I back up and prepare to face the dogs, the 1st dog dies quickly, while I knock Violetta around using 'Ranger takedown'. at this stage I note I'm taking serious damage from the shots that Violet is landing on me. I pump med-x and stims, I take a hit from Violetta and my health plummets, I frantically ram super-stims and other meds into my character.

I continue to tangle with Violetta, but the high damage from Violets shots are really, really hurting... Violetta gets back up from a punch I'd landed... leaps at me and decimates the last third of my hit points.

Another death, and so soon after the previous! I can't help but feel the game is getting back at me.

"I intend to live forever, or die trying."
- Groucho Marx

Violent vengeance on Violet

I reload the game, in full knowledge that in just moments I will be 'spotted' by the dogs (really bad place to save a game if you ask me...) so, this time I pre-emptively ram every available med and performance enhancer into my character and run right toward where Violet will come out of her encampment.

The dogs spot me... I keep running.
 - - Violet comes out... Still running.
 - - - The dogs are attacking me.. hit the VATs key and pound Violets face.

The flurry of action sees me repeatedly using the pip-boy for meds, but the assault is quick enough that I end Violet even before she gets of a third shot. With her removed from the equation Violetta gets my full attention, and I batter that pooch more than a piece of haddock on fish-night. The other sundry dogs are of no concern. and I breath once more as I settle into my triumph.

I finish what I'd started and head to Red Rock to discover the Great Khans, I'm treated to my Level 15 advancement for my troubles and then I quick-travel back to Novac to fill up on meds, sell up my loot and prepare for the next session, Let's hope it starts to get better.

Character Details:
Level 15
Unarmed Skill 70
Combat Armour Mk2, Boones Beret