This is a cut-away scene. It happens simultaneously with the actions that take place in Scene 13. This is also a wall of text, so sorry about that. I will attempt to fill in several holes regarding what the new player-characters know and their current situation.

A ship, a rusting Golden Age vessel, sits in the dirt. Two or three days walk inland from the Gulf of Mexico and almost as far from the Rio Grande River, it has no business being there. The ship, a vessel from the second World War, had been discovered many times since the Great Cataclysm. It sheltered families who were escaping into the wilderness after cities fell to monsters. Then, it sheltered refugees from the rifts, debees trapped in a land which was hostile and alien to them. Then it sheltered humans again who fled from the encroaching territory of the Vampire Kingdoms. Most recently, it was claimed as a home for monsters, a pack of crafty and in particular deadly vampires.

Called the Hole in the Neck Gang by Reed's Rangers and the people of Fort Apache, the gang was a posse lead by a secondary vampire. Severance had in life been an orc, a renowned gun fighter, and a member of the Pecos Bandits. In unlife, he had been tasked with hunting and transforming those mortals who would be of most use to the Vampire Kingdoms due to their skill sets. The results were varied. They had even turned a kindly and wise druid (although a troll) into one of their own, but the result was a savage wild vampire lacking most of the knowledge and all of the restraint that the druid possessed in life. The distinctive trait of this vampire posse is that they all carried the random mutation of Severance, fangs on both their upper and lower jaws.

These vampires liked to use their claws and fangs, but they also collected useful bits of technology and other treasures. Among them were a set of fake rune weapons which carried syphon entities inside. Their greatest prize, however, had been the capture of a particular Atlantean.

The Atlantean was a tattoo master and ancient even by the standards of the nearly immortal race. He had traveled through the region several times throughout the Dark Ages, and had come to be known as a saint to the local populations. They called him Saint Angelo, patron saint against supernatural predators. The saint, known to True Atlanteans as Master Raja, had vanished years ago. At some point, the enlightened being became the treasure of Severance and his gang.

The Undead Slayer, Jason Damien, came seeking the fate of Master Raja. He traveled with an odd pair of adventurers he met at Fort Apache, Lucas Rowland and Na-Wa. Each came with their own motivations. Na-Wa carried a talking sword, named Bruce, and Bruce had taken a particular interest in Jason's story of Master Raja. Bruce believed the master to be the same entity who forged the sword long ago, so Bruce pressed Na-Wa to accompany the Atlantean undead slayer into the borderlands of the Vampire Kingdoms. Lucas, who had been a companion of Na-Wa and Bruce since the Tolkein Campaign, was a former member of the Tundra Rangers with a secret of his own. The young mountain man had spent considerable time with the Apache tribes. He had been asked to track a particular Apache woman who had gone missing and was suspected to have been abducted by vampires. At Fort Apache, he learned about the Hole in the Neck Gang, and he realized that the missing woman, a wilderness scout, met the profile of targets for this gang. Whether she was a prisoner for feeding or had been transformed into a vampire herself, he was determined to find the find the woman on behalf of the tribe which had done so much for him. The three realized that they were all searching the same region, so they agreed to work together at least until their paths diverged, but they held a dark suspicion that they were all tracking the same culprits.

This suspicion had been confirmed in the worst way imaginable. They managed to track the migrating pack of vampires to one of their favorite lairs. Na-Wa confirmed that a powerful magic entity was inside the old ship with the vampires. Jason had developed the strategy of hiding half their equipment nearby and purposefully becoming captured in order to find Master Raja inside. It sort of worked.

The master had been inside but not well. The vampires had kept the master alive for years and were slowly prying secrets out of him. They did not feed on his blood, but they did many times carve his tattoos away and watch them regrow. The vampire's body fixer had performed many experiments in grafting tattooed flesh or copying it in order to gift this same magic to vampiric soldiers. Flayed flesh covered the walls of the ship's old medical bay.

The vampires were more wary than expected of their new prisoners. The magic energy of the prisoners was continually kept sucked dry by unsleeping syphon entities. Na-Wa and Jason was frequently bleed as a source of nurishment, and he was separated from his oldest and closest companion, Bruce. Lucas was used as an experimental subject as they vampires made multiple failed attempts at installing magic tattoos into his flesh. Jason bided his time, waiting for a chance to escape his shackles. The ancient Atlantean, Master Raja, had been carried away with Bruce somewhere else as nervous about approaching strangers.

Deep in hull of a rusting Golden Age, three prisoners listened to the sounds of battle outside. The vampires had left them unattended for the first time in days. They even took their cursed weapons with them. Finding his first opportunity, Jason set about contorting his body to free himself from his shackles. As he worked, a strange fog began to creep into the room.

Not an actual contortionist, Jason struggles to fold his thumbs and his palms enough to slip his bonds.  He grimaces in pain as he wriggles his hands.
Finally, after attempting to escape his bonds awhile, he finally slips them.  Ha-ha!  He then looks about the room to determine the best way to get free and free his two companions.

07:38, Today: Jason Damien rolled 21 using 1d100.  Escape Artist @ 44%.
07:38, Today: Jason Damien rolled 45 using 1d100.  Escape Artist @ 44%.
07:27, Today: Jason Damien rolled 46 using 1d100.  Escape Artist @ 44%.
Whatband who else is in the room?
 Does he have enough PPE to use any of his tattoos
This message was last edited by the player at 14:15, Wed 21 Feb 2018.

When Na-Wa saw his friend Jason trying to get out of his metal bands Na-Wa decided to do the same. Once free Na-Wa looked around to see if there was a way out of the room.


07:35, Today: Secret Roll: Na-Wa rolled 11 using 1d100.  Escape artist 55%.

OOC: posting from iPhone been away from home past few days.

The first attempt by Jason to break himself out didn't work so well for him. His thumbs are just not folding enough slip through these cuffs. He'll need to think of a different method before he makes his second attempt.

How is Na-Wa attempting to get free?

The in which they are held is an old naval brig with steel cots and iron bars. The door for the bars is rusted frozen in an open position though. Old blood stains cover the floor, left by previous occupants. The only obstacle that the prisoners can see between themselves and freedom are the steel chains and shackles which have been welded directly to the steel walls. Wooden buckets have been provided. A gurney sits nearby which has been used to carry prisoners back and forth between the medical bay and the prisoner cells. Some tools including a Wilk's laser scalpel lay on the gurney.

While he was being brought to the medical bay the last time, Lucus spotted some of his gear in a nearby room. It was in the room where that had been converted into a workshop by the vampires' Operator.

As the fog continues to roll into the brig, the sounds of firearms outside slow.

Personal condition: Each prisoner has 1 point of P.P.E. right now. It's been a rough time, so your hit points are at half also. I'll give you your full personal S.D.C. and a loin cloth or a pair of tidy-whities.

Lucas examines his shackles closely, looking at the chains, welds, and where they lock in place. Once satisfied, he whacks the lock a few times on the nearest wall before grabbing and pulling the chain, attempting to pop it apart. When finished, he reaches for the gurney and laser scalpel.

I think each of the prisoners has his own plan now, and posts are coming quickly. I think I will wait until I get all the declarations before these actions are resolved.

Na-Wa grabs his left thumb with his right hand and yanks real hard. He knew it would hurt but he did this before when the skull face soilders kept him chained up. If he could get his thumb to ‘pop out’ then he could probably get his hand free.

Looking closely at the chains, Jason gives a look of resignation.  Ah, to Hell with it.  He flexes his muscles, pulling with his arms to see if he can break the chains free from their moorings.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:17, Thu 22 Feb 2018.

Going by Jason's second and Na-Wa's first Escape Artist skill rolls
the prisoners work with gusto to find way to liberate themselves.

Lucus gives his shackles and chains a closer careful inspection. The steel chains are old and seemingly of mediocre quality, likely scavenged from somewhere in the ship. They include handcuffs which are tightened around each of his wrists by a screw out of his reach. The cuffs are connected by one long chain. The chain is fed through a couple of loops on the wall which to hold his arms apart. The loops are welded onto the wall. The welding looks like skillful work, but the quality of the material is suspect.

With a sickening crack, Na-Wa self-injures his hand. The tactic works and he is able to slip his left hand out its steel cuff. Getting the right free should now just be a matter of twisting a screw to loosen the clamp.

While he is freeing his second hand, a loud metallic band resonates through the room. Jason simultaneously breaks free. This confirm's Lucas' evaluation of the metal strength being questionable. A weak link shatterd, leaving him with a long loose steel chain around attached to each arm.

Everyone's arms ache, but the limbs are functional.

Now, the mist has grown thick enough that you may no longer see down the hallway from your cell.

With his arms free, Kason stretches and flexes to remove the ache.  He watches the fog rolling in, knowing it to be the work of their vampire captors.  He looks to his companions.
Lucus, Na-Wa.  Are you two okay?  Are you able to fight?
His bare feet pad quietly as he walks over to Lucus, knowing the Canadian had born the brunt of the torture.  He looks the scarred man over.  As soon as I have enough energy, and we are safe, I will heal you both, my friends.  But, now, we are going to have to fight.  We need as much of our gear as we can find.  His voice is clear and strong when he speaks.
As he stands wearing only a loincloth, the others can see the whole of the series of tattoos patchworked across his muscular and lithe body, each individual piece of ink surrounded and connected by a forest of leafy vines, even up and onto the cheeks of his face, and his forehead. Each tattoo appears to be three dimensional and capable of independent movement, if one stares too long.
He teast the weight of the chains attached to his wrists, checking to see if they may be usable as weapons.  They are old, falling apart, but made of wood, and suseptibel

The chains are steel and suitable for use as whips or garotes maybe. With arms free, they may be unfastened and removed at any time, or they may be kept. All three prisoners are free now.

Stepping out of the cell confirms the worst fears about other prisoners. Desicated bodies are piled in the other cells. The hall out of the brig leads only one way, but the hall is guarded. A coyote sits in the mist silently staring at the prisoners and showing its teeth.

Lucas stretches. The short time stuck in the cruiser would likely bring all new nightmares to add to the ever growing list, but for now they needed to escape. Joining the others at the door, he glances in both directions. "Note to self: getting captured on purpose by inhuman monsters, bad idea." Shaking off the bad thoughts still lingering with a sigh, he continues after his look. "At least there's only the one? Doesn't seem like much of a guard. So, probably just trained to go get its master should a prisoner escape."

He pulls back into the room to discuss what they would do next. "When they were bringing me back that last time, I noticed a side room on the way back. Looked like it had some of my gear in it. Easily could have had all our stuff there, and sounds like someone else is here after the vampires. If that's true, it's the best time to go for it. How do we want to play this?"

private message to Lucas

Then there is probably more to that one animal than we know.  He frees himself from his shackles, but keeps the chains as his weapons for now.  While not versed in their use, he thinks he may have an idea or two on some maneuvers he could try.
I am pretty certain they have destroyed our silver, so we will have to improvise.  He looks to the psi-stalker.  If you can not convince the animal to let us go, I will face him.  You two go after our weapons.  Be careful.  I am certain I sense a vampire nearby.
He steps into the hallway.

Once freed Na-Wa pushes his thumb back into place, hurting himself again. He then looks around for something that can be used as a weapon, like maybe a bone he could break and use as a crude stabbing object.

Na-Wa thinks how he could make the animal to let them go and doesn't come up with anything other then killing it with whatever he can find as a weapon. He answers the tattoo man's (i.e. Jason) question "You want Na-Wa to go kill pet coyote of bloodsuckers?"

Lucas' head cocks to one side as he considers Jason's words. The monsters he's used to are not the same as are found in Mexico. So, it's certainly a possibility. "Could be. I've heard vampires can turn into bats, not coyotes. Though I have heard of some supernatural creatures having familiars and such. Perhaps this is some sort of hell hound familiar? Looks simple enough until it's not? Anyway, I would say we could try the other direction, but the gear is in a room on the other side of the coyote. So unless we want to run into the vampires," he looks down at his own body, "more or less naked, we need to make it past this thing. Best to just get to it. Shall we just rush it? The two of us will continue past while you engage?"

He follows Jason into the hallway. Hearing Na-Wa's question, he looks back to the Psi-stalker. "I think he meant see if you can get friendly with it. Maybe it will like you? Jason and I probably smell too much like technology and magic. You might be able to get close to it peacefully." Lucas blinks, looking toward the sounds of conflict in the distance. "Of course, with the vampires under attack, are we sure this is a guard at all? It could be connected with the attackers, here looking for survivors or other vampires. It's not unheard of for some spellcasters to use animals as scouts. Until we know what's going on for certain, I think it best we not make any assumptions. Either of you remember seeing the coyote when you were brought in?"