.
Roland wanders around aimlessly, just waiting for the caravan to depart...
It is time. the Elder Freya Edrich says, gesturing for Vulture to rise. You will go on your Vision walk. Take these herbs and drink them, they will give you a vision of the future. the old woman, nearly 90 years old now, hands Vulture a satchel filled with strong smelling greenery. The Elder gestures for another warrior, and Brand stands You will accompany the young one on his Vision walk. Watch over him, and let no harm come to him.
Vulture smiles, excited to finally get his chance to go on his vision quest. He had been worried that they would never give him his chance, but here it came. He looked around at all of those present, and when his brother is chosen to accompany him, he looks immediately crestfallen. It's not that he didn't care for Fenrir, but couldn't Vulture do one thing without living in his brother's shadow or his protection?
"Thank you Elder."
He pours the herbs into the hot water before him, and stirs it up. Oh, by the Logger's Axe, this smells like something died! Well, down the hatch... Clenching his eyes tight, he chugs it, trying his best not to taste it.
Two Headed Vulture downs the tincture and nothing happens at first...and then he begins seeing strange colors. Then a burst of fire from the campfire nearby, and a giant Eagle rises from the flames screaming. It rushes over the campfire....something odd in its Talons.
The Flaming Eagle flies over the camp swooping and screaming for what feels like hours. It is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen... and then it crashes into the ground exploding like a million suns.
Now only an egg remains...and the frost is clutching at it, trying to destroy the tiny life that remains inside.
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Jack looks back at Darlene, a fire of determination burning in his eyes. "Yes!" he hisses back. "Gladly will I be gone of this place! I promise to find those that have left, but I can not promise to ever return!"
Jack is already running down a mental list of things to pack. Perhaps a quick duty roster to make sure the reactor doesn't melt in his absence.
Brand stands by, trying to smile too widely as Vulture takes up the herbal drink. The ceremony is supposed to be a somber, serious event, after all. But the big warrior can't help but be glad to see his younger brother finally going on his vision quest.
And Brand himself getting to tag along and watch over him the whole way? Well, that's just a sweet tinge to the smoke.
"Of course, Elder. I'll take good care of him." Brand pulls his axe from its thong and brings it around in front of him, haft down on the floor like a cane. "One man may leave today, but two will return."
Brand watches his brother drink the Vision juice and walk off into the woods dazed.
The Egg sits there...frost nipping at its edges, the firelight fading away. It calls to you. But no words are said...and then.
Fire. Blood. Acrid Smoke. And chains....chains everywhere. A Green Monster hurls chains around the Axe Tribe. You feel like the air has become gel and you struggle for breath.
Suddenly, the Egg appears again, and it hatches! You see!
You see your brother in front of you with a bemused look on his face.
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Jack turns and starts making out a revised duty-calendar, one that doesn't include him. It will serve as well as any farewell note. He doesn't need to look at the roster, he's long since memorized all the names.
Vulture snaps out of it and looks in shock at his brother. "The tribe...we have to warn them! The bombs...The chains! By Bunyan, it's all...horrible!"
He stops. It feels drafty.
"...where are my pants? And why do I taste mint... and goat liver?" He pulls his duster tight around him. "Nevermind that, we have to tell the elder. There is a great danger coming!"
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Darlene Reynolds, wife of esteemed Councilor Jack Reynolds, looks slightly offended but holds her tongue. Meet Jack at the exit doors at 3AM. Bring everything you think you will need.
Jack Reynolds plugs his RobCo Pipboy into the Vault door controls, only Councilors are given such a prized piece of Pre-War Tech. Two youngish looking Sheltered are with him. Jack introduces them Here are... They'll be helping you get our people back. They original Excursion was to walk due South for a day before checking in, and then they would begin sweeping the nearby area for survivors. Jack points to one of the Sheltered She has a compass, and she knows how to use it. I think. Good Luck the Vault Door opens just a crack and Jack Reynolds shoos you towards the door. Hurry, I can't risk getting caught!
The three Sheltered immediately look to you Jack Powers for guidance.
Sheltered
Race: Human
Attributes: Agilityd6, Smartsd8, Spiritd6, Strength d4, Vigor d6
Skills1: Guns d4, Fighting d4, Knowledge (Agriculture)
d8, Knowledge (Computers) d6, Knowledge (Pre-War History) d8, Notice d6, Persuasion d6
Skills2: Climbing d4, Fighting d4, Knowledge (Agriculture)
d8, Survival d6, Knowledge (Pre-War History) d8, Notice d6, Healing d6
Charisma: —; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 5
Gear: Combat Knife, 10mm Pistol with 20 bullets, Compass, Baton, Clothing(Both) and Food (enough for a week) All gear listed is for ALL sheltered extras combined.
"Whoa!" Brand reaches out and grabs his younger brother by the shoulders, giving him a smile that's only a little patronizing. "It's just the vision, kid. It's important, it has meaning, but it isn't real. As for your pants, that's a question you'll have to find the answer to on your own, I ain't telling!" He laughs and shakes his head. "Let's go talk to the elders. But on the way, let me know this vision of yours?"
Vulture tells his brother all about the vision as they head back to tell the elder of what he saw.
As Roland is waiting for his assigned Caravan to move out for Agate. He hears a commotion from nearby, a horse is galloping in from outside the gate. open the Gate, Open the gate! you hear, and then Holy mother Jesus its Cal. Cal Wright! He's got a damn gunshot! Someone call the Doctor! Roland knows that Cal was leading a caravan towards a small community known as Rapid Town, an acquaintance of Roland, one Crayon "Cray" Levy. He is a porter on the caravan trail, and likes to play cards with Roland.
"S#%@!" Roland swears, and spurs his horse on. He whips around and matches speed with Cal, trying to get a good look at Cal and slow his horse down.
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((The young boy is Ian Wilson. He's a few years older than Jack, but remarkably immature. However, his oldest brother was with the original group, and his disappearance has kindled within him a kind of strength. Ian always was smart, but refused to apply himself, since he never really saw the point, since he didn't really want anything that the enclaved society had to offer him, regardless of performance. Now that he has a chance to save his brother -and- make a legend of himself, he's ready to take the world by the throat.))
((The one with the compass is Jessica Branch. Only a few months younger than Jack, they grew up together. Although they've been good friends for some time, she's always resented that he was the smartest one in the class, and she was always second best, no matter how hard she applied herself. Of course, this resentment is mostly used to hide her unrequited love for Jack, as this results in the conflicting emotion of being smarter than almost everyone, yet still not good enough to get what she wants. In truth, she'd been waffling about leaving the security of the shelter, but when she'd heard that Jack was going, her exact thought was 'this is my chance!' Whether her feelings, or she herself, will survive the tumult of the Outside is yet to be seen.))
Jack zips the last pocket on his machinist's overalls and shakes Mr. Reynolds' hand. "Keep the radio manned. If we can find a radio, any radio, I've memorized the frequency, and we'll send a message. Also...at dawn on the fifth day, look to the East!"
He leads the small party outside, chuckling. He always wanted to say that.
The dark is little concern for Jack, his eyes long-adjusted to the dark of narrow service-tunnels and poorly-lit machine-bays, but it might be a problem for the others. "Hold a tick," he said as they got out the door. He rooted around in his pack and threw his leather jacket and flashlight at Ian. "Put that on, and keep that knife in your hands at all times. Jes, keep that hogleg loose in your holster and make sure the clip is full."
But why do I gotta have the knife?" whined Ian as he shrugged into the jacket.
"Because you're a big strong man and you hafta protect us," answered Jack, a bit sardonically. The barb was lost on Ian and instead he beamed with a little pride.
Um, what's the clipp-y, thing?" asked Jes, her eyes big with feigned ignorance.
Jack signed. He took put her hands around the gun and showed her how to use the eject. "This thing. Here, okay, it's full. Just make sure it stays that way." Jack turned and scanned the horizon, so he didn't see her smile, just like he didn't know that she was assistant-captain of the residential shooting club. 'He touched me!' she thought. 'Excellent! The Plan is coming together!'
Ian just blanched at the unfolding melodrama. Everyone knew that Jes had been trying to pull Jack's overalls off for yearsssss, but he was too wrapped up in gears and cogs to notice. Too bad, because it ruined her for everyone else.
The three wanderers went off in to the night, into...the future.
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Eventually, the Doctors show up and haul Cal off to the infirmary. Some time later Sally Wright, sister of Jed and Jack Wright and the person responsible for organizing and overseeing all caravan operations, comes to Roland. I'm organizing a group to go investigate the Caravan attack. We want you to go out on the road with a posse. If its Tribals, kill em all and hide the bodies. If its Raiders, kill most of em and string em up. Bring a few here for a "trial". Sally tells you to go round up your posse and come back to meet her at the gate in one hour
Wright Town Caravan Guards
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8,
Vigor d8
Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidate d6, Notice d8, Guns d8,
Survival d6, Riding d6
Charisma: —; Pace: 6; Parry 6; Toughness 8 (2)
Hindrances: Loyal
Edges: Brawny
Gear (Each Caravan Guard has their own Gear): Leather Armor (+1), Machete (Str+d6), hunting rifle (24/48/96, Damage 2d8+1 ) 20 .32 Bullets.
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6,
Vigor d6
Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6, Survival d6
Charisma: —; Pace: 6; Parry 5; Toughness 5 (1)
Hindrances: —
Edges: Brawny
Gear: Spear (Str+d6), .32 Pistol with 10 bullets
Jack leaves the Vault and hears the doors closing behind him. He heads off in what he "thinks" is a Southerly direction.
If you only succeed in Survival, you head due South for the next few hours without incident.
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= 8
Jack scans the horizon and proudly proclaims, "We are in the Outland, and when we are in the Outland, -I- am in charge! And since I am in charge, -I- say we go that way!"
Ian looks at his compass and says, "The way South is that way. In fact, I think I see some tracks. That's probably our guys."
Jack looks in the direction that Ian is pointing and says, "That way!"
"I'll take the Savage twins and their crew. That should be enough to hunt these bastards down. We'll make them pay."
"Cal's lucky. It looked like the bullet missed everything vital. He'll be all right, Sally."
"So, let me get this straight." Brand pauses to hack a branch out of their path, and hold the stringy tree aside for his brother to move through. "An eagle from the Day of Fire, an egg with frost on it, and a green monster that chained our tribe?"
The big man blows a long whistle into the afternoon air. "Sounds like trouble, alright. No idea myself what it means, of course. That's what smarter folks like you an' the elders are for. I'm no mookoosh, but I'm better with an axe than big thoughts like that, yeah?" He grins and keeps moving.
"Anyway. Think it has to do with the old places? Like you visit?"
"Well, they don't make bombs like that anymore. That was definitely a nuke. Those are what took down the before people, caused the Day of Fire. We definitely don't want that. They had...shelters..and things to live. We live in cabins. It would not be good."
"Well, duh. I get that." Brand thummps his brother's arm with a fist and shakes his head. "I meant more like what it actually means. Did somebody find a bomb? Are they shooting it? Is the eagle one of the steel birds?"
Jack, Ian and Jess head south until they spot the faintest of trails leading down what looks to be a dried up creek. Soon Jess spots something out of place, a piece of glass. Only twenty yards away you find blood, alot of it.
You follow the trail for nearly the rest of the day and dusk is nearing...you smell smoke. Ahead you spot a thin thread of smoke rising into the darkening sky.
Sally replies Yeah, Doc's say he'll live the lucky boy. He only regained consciousness for a moment, enough to say the caravan was bushwhacked a day or so North of here. On the A Loop, they were heading towards the Tribal Camp, Santlose and then on to Rapid Town.
The two of you walk for a few more hours, enjoying the crisp spring day. Something isn't right though, you haven't spotted anyone from your Band and you should be getting near the encampment. You hear voices.
"Good. I'll round up the boys and we'll meet you at the gate."
True to his word, Roland does so in record time. The Savages never need much convincing when there's killing to be done. They like to live up to their name.
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= 11
Stopping to pick up something, Ian says, "Hold it, guys. Look, a piece of glass."
Jack is unimpressed. "Brilliant. Mystery solved! We can return as conquering heroes. Ian found a piece of glass."
Ian continues as though Jack didn't say anything. "And look, there, some clothing is next to the mud. No, wait, that's not mud, it's blood, but dried. More than someone would leave after just a small cut. And look, there are drag-marks and foot prints. It looks like there was a fight, and the winners drug the losers off. Um, I don't think our guys were the winners."
Jess starts to tear up, but does a good job holding back. "So, um, you're saying everyone was just, um, k-k-killed?"
"It's possible," says Ian. "If our guys would've won, they would have turned returned, probably with wounded, but it's hard to tell. Let's keep following the trail."
The trio continues on, each person silent, wrapped in their own thoughts, until they detect the unmistakable tang of smoke.
At mutual assent, they all get down and find cover. They all advance at a crouch until they can see the source of the smoke, at which point they get prone and observe it a moment.
Upon getting closer to town and noticing nobody around, Vulture was concerned, but it is upon hearing the other voices that he stops and raised a hand up to his brother, the universal sign of "stop", and puts one finger to his lip. He points to his ear and nods his head in the direction of the voices, and then pulls both of his guns out of his belt and slips into the underbrush, moving to the sounds of the voices.
I may not be the best tracker or hunter in the tribe, but I can sneak up on the prey like nobody's business...
=Total 8
I just hope Fenrir actually follows his namesake and properly sneaks up for once. Should have taken the name Yauo Guai the way he fights.
Brand pulls up as his brother motions for him to do so, but after a few moments he can't keep waiting. "Dammit, Vulture, gonna get us both in trouble..." He does his best to move like his younger brother did, but his namesake comes from his own quest vision of a great wolf, not from any personal predilection for stealthy hunting tactics.
Sure enough, his bulk crunches on several twigs and rustles the brush, and his jaunty hat sways back and forth on his head high over any cover. He does have his axe in hand, though, ready for trouble.
The big warrior is able to make up for his lack of finesse with keen eyes and ears, though. Little happens in the tribal lands that he doesn't notice. And right now, something isn't right at all...
Once Sally has said what she wants to say, Roland whirls his horse around and heads out the gate.
"Let's go, c'mon! Need to catch up with 'em before the trail goes cold!"
Roland keeps a sharp eye out for tracks and signs of who it was attacked the caravan as he heads down the trail.
Jack, Ian and Jess manage to get closer to the scene and it is nothing life in the Vault has prepared them for. At least a dozen bodies lay scattered on the ground. One person in sight moves feebly around, if aid is not rendered they will die very shortly.
Jess says I can help them! I have a Medical Kit AND a Stimpack I stole them before we left!
The rest of the small encampment is in disarray. At least two of the small huts are smouldering (that's where the smoke came from).
Vulture sneaks quietly towards the voices he heard
He makes out the end stole them before we left!
Vulture spots three figures watching the camp. From his position he cannot see the camp just yet, but its much too quiet, and there is a fire going. It's bigger than a campfire.
Brand catches up and sees the same thing, but he's much less quiet about it.
Roland rounds up the Savage Brothers and three more Wright Townsmen. They grab some mounts and are at the gate in about half an hour. Sally Wright is there and repeats the same message from before If its Tribals, find em and kill em all. Then hide the bodies, no need to rile em all up over this. If its Raiders, kill some but save a few for a trial here in Wright Town. Good Luck.
Roland and his five man posse head North along the Old Highway 169, otherwise known as the A Loop to Wright Towners. After few hours they spot some signs that the caravan had passed, a tossed can of Tobacco Chew here, a horse manure pile there.
"We're getting close. Weapons ready, go quiet."
Roland continues following the trail.
Vulture raises an eyebrow. This doesn't seem right. ...and that fire is way too big to be a campfire. Brand isn't going to take this well. Better safe than sorry. They don't see me. Don't shoot first. But still...I know he's going to be spotted before me, he always is. Better to give him support.
Looking in his brother's direction, he gives him a silent nod, and a smile, and points his guns at the targets.
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= 11
"That is some important information that would've been best shared earlier!" Jack said to Jess' timely revelation.
"Well, it...it didn't seem rel--" stammered Jess before being cut off.
"Sh! What was that?" asked Jack.
"That was you going 'Sh! What was that," replied Ian, still watching the smoldering encampment.
"I thought I heard the sound of several twigs crunching, and the brush rustling. I think someone is trying to sneak up on us! Everyone get down!"
Unthinking, Ian and Jess follow Jack's example and drop down prone, facing East. They all draw their weapons, Jess and Jack their guns, Ian his knife.
"Pssst. Jack, you should say sumpin'," suggested Ian in a whisper.
"Like what? 'Hey you what was sneakin' up, don't be so noisy?'"
"Well, yeah," replied Ian. "Maybe they's our sheltered?"
"Ya, an' they might be some surfacer tribal come to kill us ya broken."
"Don't be broken, Jack. You ain't gonna hear no tribal sneakin' up on you! They're born bein' taught how t' walk on the tips of grass, and hide in the shadow of a leaf. Everyone knows."
Jack mulls it over. "Well, yeah. Ya got a fair point. Alright. Just...just be ready."
Jack pops his head up from the dirt just a touch more, to make sure he can be heard. "HEY! YOU! I CAN SEE YOU! JUST STOP RIGHT THERE AN' TELL ME WHERE Y'ALL ARE FROM!"
"That was kell, Jack," snarked Ian. "That was real iron."
"Ah, Rack or Rack-It. It were either that or 'yo mamma' jokes, an' they wouldn't have gone over so good. Just halt yer mouth an' see if they do something."
Jess just rolled her eyes, and returned her gaze to her iron sights.
Brand pulls up short as he catches sight of the ruined encampment, and the other onlookers across the way. His eyes flicker to Vulture, although his head doesn't move--a reflex learned from patrols and hunts with others stealthier than he. At his brother's nod, Brand steps forward again, bringing his axe down in front of him. It's held in both hands, but loosely, and not threatening. He hopes.
When one of the outsers speaks up, though, he holds up a hand. "Hey, there, outser. Hope you didn't do this. Me, I'm a local. Out hunting, yeah? What about you, you vultures? Got some nice stuff there. Nicer than I got. No need to shoot or anything, yeah?" He reaches up and cocks his hat back, looking at the three of them. "What's going on here?"
Meanwhile, while you all talk, Jess says Jack! They are DYING! I should go help them!
Brand points at Jess. "The pretty lady's right. We should help. Talk while we work, yeah?" With that, the tribal moves to the nearest of the bodies and begins looking it over, trying to see any clues he can (including cause of death).
"Now, now, sweetheart, nobody is going anywhere until we get some answers. You're in our land, fire is burning, our people are missing, and I've got two Browning 45s aimed at your friends' chests that say nobody is going anywhere. Now those people dying, how do I know they aren't doing so because they attacked us? And if you think 'oh the stupid tribal couldn't shoot the broad side of a wagon', you ask yourself if that's really worth risking right now. Now my brother is a lot nicer than me, because people like him, so you anseer his questions...but I'm not heartless. You all put your weapons on the ground and step away and the girl can patch up your people. I think that's more than fair."
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Jack replies to Jess quickly, "Prioritize, girl! Think with yer head. If'n you run out there and the sneaky-man is a cannibal-tribal and he runs out down and scalps you, what help are you gonna be to anyone? We gotta make sure them's either not cannibal-tribal, or we gotta gun 'em down real quick, then we can help them."
Just then both tribal reply, one talking about 'no need to shoot' and 'talk while work' and the other saying they're gonna gun 'em down with 'Brownings'. Jack shakes his head. These tribal are a very disorganize people. He remmebers giving a lecture to the Mechanicum on this called "Unity of Purpose." He wishes he had time to paint a clearly defined picture, with proper footnotes--but time they do not have.
"Now you listen here," he yells to the tribals. "It don't do no good to tell us to lay down our weapons when we've got no word from you that you won't just shoot us an' scalp us an' eat us soon as we do that. How's-a-bout we BOTH put our weapons away and then go and investigate together, 'cause we just got here, which, if'n this was your land, you should know already. We're from the Vault just up North a bit and we got people missing too.
Now we can just stay here, pointing weapons at each other like Mehican-standaround, or you can listen to th' big feller right there and we can go help those people."
Ian whispers to Jack, "What's a 'mehican-standaround?"
"Idunno. Read about in a book that was talking about an old movie. 'Water-dam Cats' or some such. Talking about a bunch of guys standing around points guns at each other."
"So what happened?" asked Jess.
"What?"
"In the movie. What happened in the standaround?"
"Well...everyone dies. Book said it was 'Tarantino's crowning moment of addition by subtraction.'"
"Well, that's not good," said Ian. "Let's hope that doesn't happen."
So while the Vault Dwellers and the Tribals banter, you hear a grunting noise, like someone is taking their last breaths.
Brand sees his Band decimated, there are at least a dozen bodies laying about. Most of the injuries seem to be slashing, but there are a few gunshots....Brand thinks they are all dead but some of them might still be alive. They are all in desperate need of medical attention or they might not survive another minute out here.
Roland takes the time to try and prevent any unwanted incidents while they ride.
"Remember now, hold off until we've confirmed who we're shooting at before we start slingin' lead. Don't want to shoot anybody we don't have to. Got it? Loh? Duke?"
The Savages look sour, but eventually speak up.
"Yeah boss, we got it. Wait for the order to shoot."
"But then we can do whatever we want, right?"
Roland nods his head in affirmation, and the twins smile.
"Vulture, stop." Brand looks to his brother and shakes his head, sadness in his eyes. "This isn't the time for that. And it isn't the time for worrying about scalping." He turns back to Jack and frowns. "I don't know what you've heard about us, outser, but we aren't cannibals. That's the burned people. We always-folks are just fine. Maybe you're the one we should worry about, yeah?"
Nevertheless, he throws down his axe and raises his hands, stepping forward. "But right now, these are my people, our people. And they need help. Lady, you know how to heal, you get to it. I'll talk you 'bout what I know, outsers, but first we gotta help my family."