Episode Three: The Spectral Faults
The Badger hums along the road, with Shiaran behind the wheel. Several times the armored car has gone off the road entirely to avoid massive craters. The craters themselves were old enough to have plant life springing up on the edges, and had collected deep pools of rain water. Darius presumed the group was getting close to the trenches of the eastern front of Fildegarne. Darius explained that at one point in time the PCA had pulled a bold maneuver, driving a wedge of troops between Langon and the Argonette. This had effectively cut off supply trading and most forms of communication for months. Along the way, the group notices large patches of grass that are blackened, as if burnt. "PCA resurrection sigils", he explains. "The land carries the taint of the foul magic still, even though the sites haven't been used in around 3 years now".
"If I'm recalling the road correctly, we should only be a few miles from Midway Garrison, where we can get information and stretch our legs for a bit. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm ready to get out of this steel can".
The party left their "camp site" just before dawn, and by Rebort's reckoning of his internal chronometer, it is nearing 15:00 (3PM). The trek has taken far longer than the four hours Kallium had estimated. Recent rains have made the roads slick and muddy, and in several areas the dirt has washed away enough that navigating around it took members of the party getting outside of the Badger and spotting for Shiaran.
Rebort also discovered that by a simple manipulation of the hinges that held the side entry hatches, they could be removed entirely and stored on the small flatbed areas on back of the vehicle. While this left the driver and front passenger exposed, it's done wonders to alleviate the heat that builds up inside the car's cabin. Fildegarne being on the cusp of Autumn, was still experiencing quite a bit of warmth in its day, despite chilled nights and evenings.
The next few miles go as smooth as one could hope, and soon the garrison looms on the horizon. Concrete walls, shorter than the Langdon Navy Yard by half the height, line the perimeter. A guard shack sits next to the gate with a black and yellow striped boom bar sticks out from the shack, drooping all the way to the ground.
As you get closer, you see the walls are heavily pock marked from ordinance and small arms fire. The walls have gun slits in them every 5 foot or so, and many have been blasted nearly open.
As you near the gate, it becomes apparent that the gate is unmanned. The smell of death fills the passenger compartment of the Badger as the car comes to a halt just shy of the guard shack. Carrion eating birds shuffle away from the gate post, and more are spiraling overhead.
"This isn't good. This isn't good at all".
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:53, Tue 11 July 2017.