Brother Edgar and Arthur Dayne set out to help to rescue a deserving band of Chosen, as Brother Edgar called them, or mutants to everyone else.  The heretic Doomsayer was ready to stand alone when suddenly a the hidden Templar came to his aid.


* * *


Fallout from the last war had slowly irradiated a small town which survived the initial bombs.  The people there had survived by putting differences aside and working together.  That was unique by itself, but what was more incredible was that the radiation had given most, if not all, of the people mutations, and yet somehow they still persevered.  For many years things were just fine, but slowly the radiation took its toll to the point they couldn't grow food any more.  Their only connection to the world as it now was was forged with a man called Brother Edgar, a strange priest who brought them miracles and support as well as news.

Having no choice, they decided they'd move on to settle Chance City, an abandoned but still intact ghost town they could repopulate.  They told their plans to Brother Edgar, who realized he should go with them, because their path would lead them across an often traveled stretch of the old interstate on which set the new waste town of Pantano Station, a haphazard community of non mutated humans who would see the traveling mutants as a possible threat, even though they had no ill intent.

Unknown to any of them however, Arthur Dayne, on special assignment from Boise itself, had been staking out Pantano Station for weeks already undercover.  Dayne had not liked what he had seen.  The residents of Pantano Station were fearful and greedy, and seemed to prey on passersby more than try to make an honest living for themselves.  Really they were little more than a road gang, and when someone particularly rich came around the most prominent townspeople would disguise themselves with neckerchiefs and rob them at gunpoint.  Dayne was considering whether he should simply destroy the lot of them or report back to Boise when a series of catastrophic events ruined but the Templar and the Doomsayer's plans.

The mutants, under Brother Edgar's supervision, had chosen one of their number to serve as the advance scout to see if it was safe to follow the old interstate for part of their trip, which would make things easier.  Edgar knew it was risky as he wasn't sure how people would react, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

The mutant they sent, who was ignorant of the ways of mankind outside his small community, happened upon one lone wandering man, a strange man who carried little but a guitar and a gun.  Dakota Jack was, truthfully, fresh out of Truth or Consequences after that unfortunate misunderstanding in the saloon.  The mutant had tried to venture across the four lanes, but a speeding Postal delivery came out of nowhere and nearly ran him over.  Dakota Jack, with his quick reflexes, was able to tackle the mutant and knock both of them out of the way of the oncoming truck.  Jack thought it was a little weird to see a mutant but didn't really react to it that strongly, and didn't think anything of it.

The mutant scout went back to tell Brother Edgar that the people on the interstate were nice, and Dakota Jack just brushed himself off and wandered into Pantano Station, unaware that the truck had brought in a fresh batch of wanted posters.

In the meantime, Arthur Dayne had decided he'd mop up the worst of the bandits on his own and then leave the wicked town to rot like it deserved, and had infiltrated the gang by getting on as one of their deputies.  He couldn't be discovered just yet so he got a post in the town jail, where he could hide his sword until it was time.  The town didn't have a proper Law Dog, they just sort of policed themselves, although a traveling officer would come by once every three weeks or so.

Dakota Jack Cardinal walked into a town where he was, unknown to him, a wanted man.  But the locals sure knew about it.  Pretty quickly, Dakota Jack was behind bars, completely unaware that his jailer was an undercover Templar.  Arthur Dayne heard Jack's explanation that what he was wanted for was a big misunderstanding, but the truth is his captors didn't care, they just wanted to collect the bounty when the Law Dog came back through next.  They didn't care about justice, just money.

The poor mutant scout had been spotted returning to brother Edgar and the others, and the Pantano Station gang soon became aware of it.  The gang leaders met that night in the jail, not realizing Arthur Dayne had overheard every word of their meeting.  They decided the mutants were dangerous, and needed to be killed before they could attack first.  Dakota Jack, in his cell, protested that the one he'd met was harmless.  They ordered Dayne to shut the prisoner up, and the Templar carried out his orders, leaving Dakota Jack with a black eye, to keep up appearances.

Wily and clever, Dayne saw his opportunity and convinced the gang to go on and strike now.  As soon as they were gone, he retrieved his sword, unlocked the cell door, and told Dakota Jack it was either help or stay in the cell and await God knows what fate.  Jack wisely chose to help.

Just as the mutants made it to the interstate, they were beset by the Pantano Station gang, but the thugs had not been expecting to see a Doomsayer, a little detail their scout either forgot or never realized.  This surprised the gang and kept them from attacking, but as their leader stared Brother Edgar down, he began to feel more and more confident about his odds due to sheer numbers.

The time Brother Edgar bought proselytizing to the road gang was vital however, as unknown to him Arthur Dayne was creeping up behind the rearmost thug when...

...a well-aimed shot from long range knocked the gang-leader's noggin' right off his neck. The Colonel had seen enough.

He'd been in the area for some time now, looking for survivors. Though he'd sworn an oath, that didn't mean he had to rush blindly into any settlement he saw; instead he took his time to watch and observe.

At first sight, Pantano station had seemed like the kind of place that you'd expect after a devastating war. Hard-working people trying to survive and keeping a semblance of civilization. Two weeks of intense observation had shown them to be no more than buzzards, feasting on the meat of those who were weaker and the Colonel had always seen himself at the top of the food-chain.

He understood that life was harsh and that sometimes you had to do despicable things to survive. He didn't really care for mutants, but he cared for two-legged hyenas posing as humans even less.

Thus when he had watched the situation unfold below his perch, he decided that he'd seen enough. The Colonel got his rifle, settled into a comfortable position and took aim. It was time for a little varmint hunting.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:18, Sat 19 June 2010.

Brother Edgar was quite surprised when the man's head exploded.  Turning around quickly, he shouts for the mutants to remain calm and lower weapons.  Fearing that some well-meaning member fired the shot; setting light to this powder keg.

The road gang panicked, and one of their lieutenants, who was only vaguely aware of what Brother Edgar might be capable of, pointed a finger at the purple robed Doomsayer.  "He did it!"

They scattered, some in their vehicles or motorcycles, some on foot, with some charging straight into the mutants, some seeking cover against the unseen shooter, and some just flat out running away.

As they begin their rush, the Doomsayer returns his attention to the gang.  With a heavy heart, he rallies his band to their own defense.  A hand is lifted, a sickly green glow brightens aound the priest as he begins to invoke the power of the Atom.

Laying on the ground, taking cover in his natural surroundings, the Templar waited to make his move.  His head barely crested a ridge, letting him see the events unfolding before him.  Arthur Dayne, a legend in martial prowess even among his fellow Templars, remained undaunted despite the overwhelming number against him.  He reached into what appeared to be a bundle of rags, his hand gripping tight upon the hilt of the legendary sword passed down to him from one of his bretheren that had fallen before his own time.  Slowly, he slid the blade out, careful that its sharp edge would not rip the rags to shreds, lest he lose the disguise he had created for the blade.

As he was about to rise and make his presence known, he saw the bullet rip through the man he was about to slice open, and while he felt a touch of righteous indignation that his own kill had been taken from him, he knew that a good thing had been done.  The gunshot, however, had roused the attention of the leader's men, and now his efforts would become even more cumbersome.  In one hand, he held steady his blade, holding in his other hand the piece of metal that had come to pass a shield for him.  It was light-weight and would not burden him overmuch, but at the same time, neither would it guard him from the most deadly of fire.  It would buy him time, and hopefully save him from taking wounds he might have otherwise avoided.

The Templar turned to his erstwhile companion, a man he had met some time before that had been wronged by the gang that had taken advantage of people in this area for some time now.  Arthur Dayne was not one that would fight for someone else's cause unless they came along to help.  Self help was the best help, and while the Templar would willingly sacrifice his own life for the cause of righteousness, the people that would benefit from that sacrifice better damn well be willing to stand on their own two feet.  In fact, the man that was beside him at the moment was not the only one there.  A whole passel of his crackshot kids and relatives lined the periphery of the area, waiting for the moment they received the sigal.

"I trust that you will guard my back, good sir," said Dayne to his companion, at which the man only nodded weakly and muttered something.  Sighing with resignation, Dayne waited for the time to strike.

Watching the men before him look about in confusion, searching for the gunman that had laid one of them down, the Templar did not waste a moment squandering the little remaining advantage he had.  As he rose, his first act was to bring his blade to bear, ending the miserable life of one scumbag that stood in his way.  Before he had a chance to be killed, he determinedly carved up the area around him, his blade coated with crimson and the sound tainted with screams of surprise and dying moans of agony.  Intermittent gunshot fire peppered the area with more corpses that were better off planted six feet deep than walkiing the earth.

Arthur Dayne sliced his way towards the Doomsayer that had been speaking earlier.  These mutants had done no wrong, and neither had some of the people exploited by this gang of wrongdoers.  His shield began to catch bullets, though.  All he could do was hope that he made it in time, and that the people who had enlisted his help came through to back him up.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:00, Sun 20 June 2010.

The story so far...

Brother Edgar was escorting a band of mutie refugees to settle in Chance City, New Mexico. They planned on traveling through the normie town of Pantano Station, also in New Mexico. Pantano Station was a large town, but dangerous. The good citizens cowered in their houses, hiding from the gang of criminals that had moved in and set up shop, killing the local Law Dog and driving off the mayor.

Dakota Jack shook the dust of Truth or Consequences from his heels after a misunderstanding that led to a short-lived and explosively ended incarceration, but quickly wound up back in jail after arriving at Pantano Station. The greedy cabal that ran Pantano Station made plans to rob and murder the unsuspecting muties, as they did to many other unsuspecting travelers. They were unaware that their town Marshall (chosen for his seemingly inoffensive nature) was an Templar who was undercover by the name of Arthur Dayne. Arthur was accompanied by his Squire, Michaela Kukushima, who was working as a waitress. Michaela was being pressured into prostitution by the sleazy saloonkeeper but wouldn't give in, causing some friction.

Intending to disrupt the gang's plan, Arthur freed the Gunslinger from the jail. They followed the gang to where they intended to ambush the muties. As the Pantano Station gang launched their attack, all Hell broke loose. As Brother Edgar challenged them, their leader was killed by a well-placed head shot. (Placed there by Colonel Kurt Schaeffer.) The situation dissolved into a confused melee, with the small band of muties badly outnumbered by the Pantano Station marauders, who in turn were more than matched in ferocity and fighting ability by their protectors, both known and heretofore unsuspected.

Still, the Pantano gang and their allies had over a hundred members and it was lookin' mighty grim for the band of heroes, who looked to be goin' down swingin'.


*  *  *


Meanwhile, a "courier" rig of the Convoy driven by Roadkill, and Peter Firecrow with a chase vehicle (armed technical) was running deadhead (empty) to St. Louis to RV with the Convoy. They ran smack-dab into the rear of the Pantano Station gang's ranks. Riding with Roadkill as his mechanic was Smoker Nix. Peter's Ma-Deuce gunner was a former Black Hat named Jane Guin. With the firepower of the courier rig and chase vehicle, the remnants of the Pantano gang broke and ran into the wastes, vowing revenge.

The remaining citizens of Pantano Station were thankful, but ultimately because of their cowardice in the face of the gang that ran their town they were not really deserving of the Templar's future help. They weren't completely abandoned as a share of the salvage from the battle was given to them to help rebuild. Instead, it was decided to give the muties a lift to Chance City to well, give them a chance. There was enough left over to make the trip worth the while, as the truck was travelling deadhead at that point to St. Louis, and Chance City wasn't out of the way.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:10, Thu 08 July 2010.

Some Deeper History:

Months ago in Vancouver, Washington, Michaela met Arthur. Once she knew that he was a Templar, she decided to join him in his travels. Along the way, he's been teaching her about being a Templar and what they stand for.

In Tucson, the band of Chosen under Brother Jack had another traveler: Rowan Dawson, a former medic and tale-teller from back east. She made the decision to join them, although it wasn't clear she was a mutie herself. As she traveled with the muties, she taught them what she knew about surviving in the desert, helped heal their minor medical problems and told stories by the campfire to keep up their spirits.


* * *


Since delivering the mutants to Chance City, the travelers have learned that some Doomsayers of the Cult O' Doom are looking for Smoker Nix and something they think he carries, the "Eye of Hiroshima". He remembers the item but swears he no longer has it in his possession.