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01:25, 29th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Game Thread 2.

Posted by JRFor group 0
JR
GM, 1008 posts
Wed 18 Mar 2020
at 13:44
  • msg #934

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Dawn

Louis unpacks her bedroll, and places it on a relatively level patch of ground. "I won't turn down a chance to rest," she says with a tired smile.

After settling down, Louis thinks for a moment. "You know, most of the items they're smuggling are just humanitarian aid, not weapons. It's too bad that the weapons smugglers are taking advantage of good peoples' charity."
Robert
player, 1007 posts
Thu 19 Mar 2020
at 03:06
  • msg #935

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Dawn

Robert sits down where he can watch the caravan route as well as their flanks where someone might move up on them.  He's careful to avoid any glinting which might warn any watchers.

"Aye, it is always the poor and innocent that suffer the most in wars of this type.  Yet we have to do what we can to cut off the weapons which will only make things worse in the end."
JR
GM, 1009 posts
Thu 19 Mar 2020
at 04:54
  • msg #936

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Dawn

"You're right," Louis replies quietly. She leans her head back on her pack, which she's arranged as a pillow, and, in a moment, she is asleep.

The sun lifts slowly into the pale blue sky. A few high clouds far to the west greet the sun, and the wind warms slightly. Nothing stirs for about an hour, and then Robert spies the leading rank of the caravan. He recognizes the lead wagons and Martian draft animals as they come into sight from the east.
Robert
player, 1008 posts
Fri 20 Mar 2020
at 02:12
  • msg #937

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Dawn

Robert wraps his rifle in a shirt to keep it from gleaming as the sun rises.  As he notices the caravan approaching he kneels by Louis and prods her gently.  "The caravan are just in sight."
JR
GM, 1010 posts
Fri 20 Mar 2020
at 03:47
  • msg #938

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Dawn

Louis stirs and then sits up. "Do we follow them, or move to stay ahead of them?"
Robert
player, 1009 posts
Fri 20 Mar 2020
at 04:55
  • msg #939

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Dawn

Robert starts packing.  "We know basically where they are headed.  Let's stay ahead."
JR
GM, 1011 posts
Fri 20 Mar 2020
at 13:56
  • msg #940

Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

The pair packs up their bedroll, and move on. The morning wears on, with the only thing of interest being a steppe tiger stalking a herd of ruumet breehr. At Louis' suggestion, they give the vignette a wide berth, diverting to the south to avoid them.

By noon, they have turned back to the northwest, where they once again cut the caravan's trail. The sign is faint on the rocky ground, but Louis spots it readily. She stands beside a tall rock, looking out over a broad, shallow valley. There is no sign of man or beast, only the constant Martian wind.
Robert
player, 1012 posts
Sat 28 Mar 2020
at 01:24
  • msg #941

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

Robert marches stoically as the trek has strengthened his legs and feet that were more used to pacing the deck of a ship than tracking miles through the wastelands.  When they reached the valley he looked about. "Are we still ahead of them Louis?  Do you see a fresh trail?  If we are head then lets take shelter here and observe them before cutting ahead of them again."
JR
GM, 1013 posts
Sat 28 Mar 2020
at 02:44
  • msg #942

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

"I believe we are still ahead of the caravan," Louis replies. "I think we have also found who we seek." She points to the northwest.

Robert moves to where he can see, and spies a group of men, Martians, wagons, and draft animals, waiting along the north side of the trail. They are about two hundred yards away; Robert sees four Martians posted out as sentries, while another group of men and Martians gather around a portable table where food and drink have been laid.

A moment later, a clatter comes from somewhere to their left as if someone has kicked a small rock.
Robert
player, 1013 posts
Sun 29 Mar 2020
at 03:13
  • msg #943

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

Robert sighs as the caravan came into sight.  Somewhat out of his element in the landbound wastes of Mars it was good to know that they were still on track.  Robert trusted Louis' abilities implicitly but his own personal doubts still colored his thoughts.  He watches for a moment and then started as a pebble skittered off to the left.  He drew his pistol and nodded to Louis and pointed to the left.
JR
GM, 1014 posts
Sun 29 Mar 2020
at 04:54
  • msg #944

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

Louis places her finger on her lips, and then draws her knife instead of producing her pistol.

To their left is an outcropping about yards long. To their right, a matching outcropping defines a low area about five yards wide. The area opens out to their front, onto the open ground where the party awaiting the caravan's arrival is camped. A jumble of several large rocks partially blocks the exit, among which Robert and Louis are standing.

The sound they heard is coming from the top of the outcropping on their left, which is about ten feet above their heads.
Robert
player, 1014 posts
Mon 30 Mar 2020
at 00:40
  • msg #945

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

Robert nods and seeing Louis draw her knife holsters his pistol and pulls out his blade as well.  He starts to head through the cleft between the two outcroppings where they can come around behind the one on the left.
JR
GM, 1015 posts
Mon 30 Mar 2020
at 02:30
  • msg #946

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

Louis follows her husband as he works his way to a dry wash in the outcropping. There seems to be a clear way up the wash, even though there is a good amount of scree covering the slope. While he is considering his next move, another clatter sounds on top of the outcropping, and this sound is closer.
Robert
player, 1016 posts
Mon 6 Apr 2020
at 05:31
  • msg #947

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

"There is definitely someone up there.  With all the loose rock let's circle around a bit more and avoid making noise ourselves."
JR
GM, 1016 posts
Mon 6 Apr 2020
at 13:59
  • msg #948

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

Louis nods in reply, and she follows Robert as they make their way along. Robert is quiet, but Louis shows her competence in moving silently, even on rocky ground.

A few minutes later, Robert comes upon a small ledge that allows him an unobstructed view to the west and northwest. Another narrower valley joins the larger one here, and a pair of Martians are walking away from them and back toward the rest of the group awaiting the caravan. They are about thirty yards away, and they are carrying modern rifles slung over their shoulders.
Robert
player, 1017 posts
Sat 11 Apr 2020
at 00:52
  • msg #949

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

Robert lets Louis lead given her familiarity and skill with this type of work.  When the reach the ledge he looks about and freezes at the sight of the two Martians.  That they are armed with modern rifles is not at all a good sign and likely means they are part of the opposing forces.  Crouching down he whispers.  "Scouts I would guess.  They must have missed us."

He looks toward the waiting group to size up their numbers.
JR
GM, 1017 posts
Sat 11 Apr 2020
at 00:57
  • msg #950

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

"I think so," Louis replies quietly.

The pair walks back toward the group; Robert counts fourteen people in total. He then notices that several people, including the pair they almost encountered, are wearing red vests.
Robert
player, 1018 posts
Sun 12 Apr 2020
at 01:10
  • msg #951

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

Robert looks closely at the group.  "Red vests... would those be one of the Martian rebel groups?" He examines the group for any further clues as to how they reached the rendezvous.
JR
GM, 1018 posts
Sun 12 Apr 2020
at 03:11
  • msg #952

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

"Should we call in the Navy?" Louis asks. "Even if they are not the rebels, they should be identified."
Robert
player, 1019 posts
Sun 12 Apr 2020
at 05:40
  • msg #953

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

Robert glanced down at the heavy flare gun he carried.  "Yes, soon.  Let us watch for a bit more and let the caravan fully incriminate themselves."
JR
GM, 1019 posts
Sun 12 Apr 2020
at 14:24
  • msg #954

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

Louis nods and settles down to wait. "When we launch the flare, everyone will see it," she reminds him.
Robert
player, 1020 posts
Mon 13 Apr 2020
at 02:43
  • msg #955

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

Robert looked about for other vantage points. "We have my telescope.  Let's move to a bit more distant point."
JR
GM, 1020 posts
Mon 13 Apr 2020
at 13:57
  • msg #956

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

After some searching, the pair finds a low ridge some three hundred yards to the southeast. It provides an overlooking view of the shallow valley where the caravan and the presumed rebel delegation will meet.

Louis settles down more gingerly than usual into her firing position. "I know the child is safe," she comments wryly, "but I feel more tender all the same." She lays behind her rifle, peering through her peep sight from time to time.
Robert
player, 1021 posts
Tue 14 Apr 2020
at 00:12
  • msg #957

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

Robert smiled and kissed Louis on the cheek.  "I love you and our child that you are carrying darling.  It is a miracle." 

As things progressed he brought the telescope up to monitor progress while being careful not to give off a betraying glint.
JR
GM, 1021 posts
Tue 14 Apr 2020
at 01:59
  • msg #958

Re: Scouting the Caravan - Day Eight, Noon

Forty minutes later by Robert's watch, the caravan arrived at the meeting area. The men greeted each other, laid out rugs, and sat down to share a meal. Food and drink were brought out, and the leaders began to eat.

"We should have time for the authorities to arrive," Louis observes.

OOG: Copied to the new thread :-)
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:02, Tue 14 Apr 2020.
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