Your group approaches the guards outside the main tent to seek an audience with the elders.
Rose approaches the guards and nods to them. "I seek an audience with the elders."
One of the guards looks Rose over and at his sword and then the rest of the group.
"For what reason?"
"Business concerning an alliance they will wish to discuss with us privately. Will you let us see them?"
The 2 guards look to each other and nod letting you in. As you enter the main tent, you notice the entirety of this dark and cool place is made from patchwork hides stretched over a temporary framework of animal bones. Little more than a great big tent, you imagine the whole of this place could be packed up in a few hours’ time. These people are surely nomads.
The Trademasters you seek are gathered around a planning table in the central chamber, sectioned off from storage spaces and sleeping alcoves by thick blankets and furs. As you enter, the five or so elders look you over a few times with hard-boiled stares, before they break off their talk of business to hear what you have to say.
Rose waits a moment and then steps forward putting on a brave face despite the nervousness of knowing they would not be able to fight their way through this encounter if things went sour.
"Greetings honored elders of Ebb. We are allies from The Bazaar to the east come to speak to you of the alliance you once sought against the wastelords. Do you still seek this and if so why did you not attend the meeting?"
Xoknus keeps his mouth shut playing the part of the brute.
One of the elders replies back.
"Because no representative was sent. We do not want to risk our lives supporting the “foolish” idea of rebelling against the Wastelords! Instead of getting our people killed, we have decided to appease the raiders…as usual."
Rose internally tenses at this news and becomes greatly aware of his sword on his hip as he stares at the elder who spoke.
"That is your choice. When did you appease the raiders and do you know where they currently are?"
"Not long ago. Payment in ‘furniture’ (women), as well as water and gasoline. This is the standard arrangement. It it is a high price to pay, but it is better than dying! And no we do not know where they are."
"Did Sandyville also choose to appease the raiders? How did you deliver the payment to the raiders?"
"They agree with the wisdom (and caution) of us here at Ebb, and have also refused to send representatives to the rebel council."
"Don't waste your time going there you will just waste your time and only squander your water pursuing a fool's errand."
"Take this message back to Trademaster Gorgel of Bazaar. Your actions will bring death to the tribes of your alliance, and hard times to everyone else in the Trade Lands. Reconsider what you are about to do before damning us all!"
"I see. If you choose to bleed yourselves here to the Wastelords drop by drop until you are too weak to even ask for help I will not stop you. Furniture are not endless nor is gas or water. We will leave now with your message as you are unable to even look the trademaster in the eye and tell him yourself."
Your group moves out from the tent without another word from the elders.
Sudden an average-sized man in hides standing on the edge of the crowds starts yelling in your direction.
"You – yes you! The tiny one hiding among his friends! Yes you! What’s the matter – don’t like being called tiny? Why, I overheard that from one of the furniture who lay with you last night! Said you were the smallest one she’d ever had to work with! And speaking of working – she said yours didn’t!!!"
Though his voice is at first lost in all the cheering coming from the gladiatorial pits, his continued slurs against one of your number draws attention. In moments the crowd is snickering and laughing at the butt of his jibes.
Blinking a bit at the unexpected flurry of abuse Tomas fires back without thinking. "Since we've just arrived it was more likely what she said to you when you were slobbering on top of her! She was most likely dreaming of having someone better then the local eunuch blaming her for his shrivelled, flacid dick!"
He looks around to see if this is a common thing here, or part of a setup?
The crowd erupts with laughter at the back and forth.
"Oh come now! Quit hiding behind your big friend there (pointing to Xoknus) and place your luck in the pits!"
The crowd goes wild cheering your group on.
"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"
The little man waves his hands.
"100 Corium to the one of you who can best my man Skag!"
The crowd goes even wilder at the promise of a good fight with Skag in it!
Skag is a big man thick with muscle standing behind the little man. He almost looks like a caveman and has the scars of a lot of battles on him.
Rose sighs and quaffs his Juju potion as things look like there might be a fight.
Feeling his pain flee his body he looks at the man taunting them. "Big mouth. Little manhood. What are the rules of this pit? Weapons? To the death?"
The little man grins big at Rose.
"No holds barred stranger! Fight continues until one of you die, get knocked out or surrender!"
The crowd explodes with cheers at the prospect of seeing a good fight!
"Now now now trying to get sneaky. You gotta stay in the pit my friend!" he says pointing to the bug looking mutant with the crossbow.
"It looks like your friend with the sword already wants a piece of my man!"
"When your ready step into the pit!"
(Def 16)
Rose places his hand on his sword hilt and slowly walks into the pit looking the 'Skag' up and down. He saw the question from Navarre and appreciated the cleverness but to win the crowd and the money then needed to earn it at a risk. He adopted a fighters crouch and prepared to attack.
Without missing a beat Rose drew his sword in a fluid motion as he stepped into Skag's reach and sliced upward in a clean stroke.
Rose's sword cuts deep into Skag and he growls in pain and the crowd goes wild at the sight of first blood! Spinning his big heavy flail over head Skag is about to swing down to crush the Cutter when the horizon suddenly echoes with a strange, unexpected thunder. The audience becomes distracted – the noise is getting louder. One by one the hard-faced, shouting spectators turn from the fight and – as one – begin running towards the flimsy palisade encompassing the town.
The small man jumps in. "FIGHTS OVER!"
Rose steps to the small man and raises his Katana to block his path. "Then you best pay what is owed. Especially if you wish to find cover before the source of that thunder arrives."
Skag see's Rose attempt to block his masters path and slams down his heavy flail toward Rose. (continuing the round as Skags turn).
"You best get going swordsman before Skag rips you to shreds. We don't got time for this now."
Rose grunts at the surprise attack and then slices a blinding cut at Skag's midsection to try end the threat he poses.
Assuming Skag goes down he returns his blade to the other man. "A man who can not keep his word is not worth the life he takes."
The big man grunts but does not go down. Most of the crowd have moved away from the fight by now and headed to the palisades.
"You must have a death wish." the little man spits and runs out of the pit area with Skag blocking the path.
"Go with your friends little man." the big pit fight says to Rose.
###########
Outside
The roar has gotten louder; those among you familiar with them recognize the growl of nearly a dozen vehicle engines, getting closer and closer.
Peering over the edge of the wall, you see the bleak horizon stretching as far as the eye can see, but now broken by a towering smudge of dust rising into the sky. Only a few hundred yards away, a loose collection of ironclad motorcycles and dune buggies are making a beeline for the town!
Suddenly a nearby local – a vendor – screams a single phrase: “THE WASTELORDS!”
More shouts echo amongst the locals. A small number of “guardsmen” rush to the entranceway to the temporary village and hastily begin closing the barricades. A few more gather outside a nearby tent, and dispatch muskets and spears to those waiting. In moments, the camp has turned to utter chaos – the town is under attack!
Rose grits his teeth at Skag and backs away as the shady man makes his escape. "Tell your master there will be a reckoning."
He focused on his comrades as he moved to their side. "It seems raiders come to us, the elders weakness clearly did not buy them off. Let us do as we were hired and kill them here."
He looks for a defensible position nearby.
Tomas has no great desire to be in the front line, he looks around for a position that will give him cover. Checking his pistol is ready but using his crossbow for now.
Rose gratefully took and quaffed the Juju potion before looking the way that Navarre pointed and nodded heading that way while pulling his bow out.
"Cover is good, we will have to pick and choose our targets carefully to bring them down."
The thunder continues, but the vehicles have come to a stop – just out of range of muskets and bows. They continue to rev and roar their engines, sending impressive columns of churning black smoke – tainted with the smell of overpowering exhaust - into the sky.
From this distance, their faces can be seen. Dust-covered. Sun tanned and hardened. Grotesque tattoos emblazoned across their skin wherever their hodgepodge of leather and chains lets up look like a motley canvas of faded colors.
The engines finally die down as a solitary figure rises from the back of one of the vehicles. He lifts an ancient bullhorn, and speaks into it.
“Townsfolk of Ebb...” he seems amused at using the word ‘town’ when speaking of this tiny settlement. Beneath his voice can be detected an underlying ruthlessness.
“You have disappointed us! Did you think you could really get away with trickery? The fools at Sandyville denied having the device, just like you!”
For a moment it is quiet. Then the speaker raises the horn to his lips and continues.
“We laid waste to Sandyville. Now they are all dead. Wild dogs pick at their bones as we speak.”
Again he lets his words sink in, before continuing.
“I am a reasonable man. My men, they are reasonable warriors. And we have come such a long way at the behest of our leader. You know him. You know he is not a patient man. Let the games end here and now. Surrender the device. Surrender it now, and there will be no more death. No more suffering! No more cruelty! Surrender it now, and I may be able to prevent our leader from crushing you in his anger.
“Surrender it. Surrender it to us!”
"No idea but its clear there is more at work here then just raids for rations and gas. I doubt those weak elders have any 'device' but let us listen to their no doubt pleading response for mercy and prepare for the inevitable attack."
Rose stays in cover behind the bus his bow ready to shoot if any raiders come at them, his target focus on the drivers.
Xoknus watches the fight with interest as Rose is certainly a skillful fighter, he does not step in as it is clear that honor means much to him and Xoknus will not get in the way of a fight to the death in such a manner.
As the Wastelords come Xoknus finally turns to his allies and speaks, "Let us sneak out and around attack these bastards from behind unaware. Then we'll have a vehicle at least and if we need to flee be on even ground".
The town is prepping to fight as you notice the elders leave the main tent talking frantically to each other as the guards watch over them but don't seem like they are going to try to negotiate with the wastelords from what you can tell.
Rose continues to wait content to remain in cover and focus his ranged weapon on the wastelords as the elders stew in their consequences.
"I'm gonna head over ta' the Elders tent and see what they're all about, stay here with heads down till I get back".
Xok heads over to the Elders camp moving quickly with his long thick legs. He steps into their tent, "Looks like these Wastelords don't play by the rules eh? Strength is indeed in numbers. What're you all intending to do and how can my friends and I help you?"
One of the elders yells out "We are under siege by raiders! Though the force outside is relatively small, it is just a scouting party. With their vehicles and weapons, they could easily destroy all of Ebb!"
One of the other elders tries to calm him down looking to Xoknus and the others as they approach.
"Perhaps you could help us else we are all probably doomed..."
"Now you want help huh?
What's that get us?"
The traders look to each other pensively when they read Navarre's note about the device before explaining what little they know. Recently an unidentified scav, a true wasteland wanderer, visited Ebb with a strange item of technology in his possession – a bizarre device encompassing a computerized unit and a bundle of wiring. The traders are at a loss to explain what it was meant to do, or even if it was still functional. To them it was just a piece of rusted junk.
Since they had no use for such a strange device, the traders of Ebb declined to buy it from the man. The mysterious scav left soon afterwards; he said he was heading for Sandyville, to perhaps sell it there. He did not leave a name. That was the last the traders heard of him.