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13:34, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio.

Posted by GM ZaboemFor group 0
GM Zaboem
GM, 238 posts
Master Gamemaster
Fri 17 Mar 2017
at 18:46
  • msg #1

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

The next two hundred miles of travel are uneventful. The fog grows thinner as the day wears long, but it never entirely disappears. A few farms and fishing shacks are spread out along the Pecos side of the river, but on the Mexican side where the Lumberjacks are traveling, the banks are desolate wilderness. A few fisherman are working in the river, but they keep close to the Pecos banks.

The largest animal seen is a jaguar (the natural kind) lazing on a tree limb which hangs over the river. The animal is brave enough -- or dumb enough -- to remain still even as the lumbering Behemoth stomps past it. The glimmermount, however, does seem to curiously pick up its pace when moving past the cat.

Eventually, the caravan does reach a sign of civilization. A small village on the riverbanks is surrounded by tall wooden walls. Foot prints in the river mud around the village reveal both human and animal feet of a variety of types. A small and rickety-looking dock does extend into the river, but there are no boats visible.

A voice in Spanish shouts to the party as is approaches. "Go away, strangers! We have nothing to trade and nothing to steal! You were not invited!"

It's not yet night time, but the sunset is scant because of the hazy fog which never completely lifted. Sundown is less than an hour from now.
Polkitain
PC, 333 posts
dragon hatchling
forest runner
Fri 17 Mar 2017
at 18:51
  • msg #2

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

"Why would you tell us to go away ? Would you turn us out so close to night ? That is as bad as serving us to the night demons."
Kalista
PC, 155 posts
sea titan
cyberknight
Fri 17 Mar 2017
at 18:53
  • msg #3

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

Kalista held up her hand for the others to stop. She used full volume on her armor projecting her voice to it might be heard. "Ho good villagers, I am Kalista Nugendare Hawthorne, Knight of the Order of Lord Coke. I come in peace with my comrades, The Lumberjacks. We seek neither to trade nor loot, but to help by providing medical care, justice, and we wish to camp within your borders. Please send out your elders to negotiate with us!"

She gave Polktiain a look and whispered,
This message was last edited by the player at 00:11, Sat 18 Mar 2017.
Polkitain
PC, 334 posts
dragon hatchling
forest runner
Fri 17 Mar 2017
at 18:54
  • msg #4

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

"Oh sorry." Polk nodded it probably was a good idea and Lady Kalista looked like she knew what she was doing.
Ethan
PC, 152 posts
human
mutant
Fri 17 Mar 2017
at 21:37
  • msg #5

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

From the observation deck of the lumbering Behemoth, Ethan watched as first the villagers, Polk and his wife shouted back and forth. He knew the villagers were speaking Spanish but he had never learned the language. “The next time I get the chance I should pick up one of those universal translators,” he thought. However, he didn’t need to know exactly what they said to get the message, which was apparently ‘Go away!’.

He heard Kalista offer them medical assistance in exchange for being allowed to stay the night and he smiled. “I guess that is my cue,” he thought and headed for the sickbay of the giant robot. He grabbed his field medic backpack and headed for the exit of the Behemoth. “Besides, they might decide to do something violent if they think we are pressing the issue. It’s not like a dragon or a cyber-knight need my protection but what the hell but I would feel better if I were out there just in case.”

Ethan exits the Behemoth and at a unhurried pace walks over to Kalista and Polk. His body has the white circle with red cross on each shoulder; the standard symbol of medical personnel for hundreds of years. On his left breast is the Caduceus, the winged staff with twin serpents that had been insignia of the Medical Corp for the military he had served in. “I realize its been a few hundred years but hopefully these people managed to hold on to the knowledge of what these symbols are. Seeing someone dressed like a medic might help put them at ease.”

He stops next to Kalista and waits on the response of the villagers. The only weapon he has is the pistol holstered on his right thigh.
Doc
PC, 162 posts
elf
gunslinger
Sat 18 Mar 2017
at 03:47
  • msg #6

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

Doc noted the fog, and paid it more attention than he probably should, since Kalista had started dialog with the villagers, he let her continue. "Brother, you sense anything bad comin' our way?"
Seniora Anna (NPC)
NPC, 1 post
human
vagabond
Sat 18 Mar 2017
at 04:18
  • msg #7

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

The voice from within instructs you to wait there for the elders.

After about ten minutes, a small hidden door opens at the base of a timber wall. Three figures emerge, dressed head to toe in slick leather outfits with masks that feature long beaks. Any character with the History: Pre-Rifts skill will recognize these outfits as being something worn by plague doctors in Europe from the Dark Ages through the Reformation. To anyone else, it probably just looks like they are dressing like birds.

The lead figure speaks with the voice of an old woman in thickly accented Spanish. "Hola, I am called Maria Anna, and I speak for village. You were sent away for your own protection as much as for our protection. This village has been infected by a plague from out of the Rifts, and we have no cure for it." She nods to the figure to her left, a bent older woman in a plague doctor outfit. "This is our Body Fixer, Maria Lucia." She nods to a tall and skinny figure to her right. "And this is Father Roberto, our Priest."

"The wild dead will be out tonight. They come every month on the same night, but if you hide within your robot, they will leave you alone. You would be too much trouble while the village is the easier target, especially with our strongest villages weak and sick. We have our plans for the walking dead when they come for us."

"I suggest going in one of two directions to be safe for the night. You may cross the river here. The water is shallow enough, and the walking dead will not follow you to the northern side of the Rio Grande. You may travel due west and you will reach another village in some Golden Age ruins within half a hour on horse. The people there are much less friendly than even us, but they will accept you, lumberjacks."


Maria Anna is a Vagabond who is eyeballing the group. She has decided that you are an okay enough bunch. She adds, "Congratulations on your recent wedding."
Sir Arulas
PC, 199 posts
Sir Arulas Sakarian
Elven Cyber-Knight
Sat 18 Mar 2017
at 17:23
  • msg #8

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

  "Maria Anna is it? The wild dead as you call them really don't stand much chance against us. As for leaving we would be remiss in our knightly oaths to walk away. Now one problem I can help you with. I believe Ethan can attempt to help with the plague." he says in  response to the spiel. When the comment about the wedding is said he says quite honestly "Lady I think you got your mask on to tight. Nobody got married."
Polkitain
PC, 335 posts
dragon hatchling
forest runner
Sat 18 Mar 2017
at 17:26
  • msg #9

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

"Why are people dressed like birds ?" Polk whispers to Ethan.
Ethan
PC, 153 posts
human
mutant
Sat 18 Mar 2017
at 18:11
  • msg #10

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

Ethan considers how best to answer the young dragon, ignoring the impossibly insightful comment of Maria for the moment. He decides upon an straight forward if overly simple explanation. "They think dressing like that will keep them safe from disease," he whispers back. He hoped that answer would satisfy the dragon's curiosity for at least a little while.

When he heard Sir Arulas say his name, his attention returned to Maria and the other two in front of them. "Thank you Ma'am," he said as a way of acknowledging her congratulations, not sure of her proper title but figured that couldn't hurt. "I'm Ethan and I'm a trained doctor with some experience in treating diseases from the rifts." As he says this, memories of his past try to claw their way forward but he forces those demons back into the recesses of his mind. "My friends have good reason to be confident in their ability to handle the 'wild dead' so please don't worry about us. I'm sure you're doing all you can against this alien illness but maybe I could help. I'm fine with entering your town to examine people but if that's not acceptable, perhaps you could bring one of the sick out here? If they can be moved that is."

Ethan wasn't putting up a brave front nor was he being foolhardy or arrogant. He had good reason to be not overly concerned about the possibility of becoming infected. First, he was in full environmental armor, complete with air filtration and even a backup air supply. Second, since being transported to this strange Earth, he had yet to become sick, no matter what the conditions were.

He was also ignoring her comment about his recent marriage for the moment. He would rather concentrate on curing the sick. Perhaps while he was doing that he would discover how she knew.
Polkitain
PC, 336 posts
dragon hatchling
forest runner
Sat 18 Mar 2017
at 18:17
  • msg #11

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

Polkitain looks at the costumes and beaks with renewed interest.

"Perhaps some kind of talisman or fetish." He says more to himself then anyone else.

He looks to Kalista wondering if he should still stay quiet.

He does whisper "Thank you." to Ethan.
Doc
PC, 163 posts
elf
gunslinger
Sun 19 Mar 2017
at 02:51
  • msg #12

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

Doc's hands sit close to his pistols when the woman makes her sudden appearance, "Reckon Arulas is right, we gotta help these folks if we can."
Nyx
PC, 139 posts
Elf
Psi-slinger
Sun 19 Mar 2017
at 21:30
  • msg #13

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

Shaking his head at his brother's earlier question, Nyx watched as the bird-masked townsfolk came out and warned them off. His smile was thin-lipped as he watched Ethan and Kalista offer the Lumberjack's help, sure that whilst it was from the heart it would also provide an opportunity for him to test his mettle against the undead.

And so he nods in support of Doc, "Least we can do, keep the wild ones off them whilst they fight this plague"
Kalista
PC, 156 posts
sea titan
cyberknight
Mon 20 Mar 2017
at 12:23
  • msg #14

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

Kalista nodded to the woman, "Thank you, it was," she looked at Ethan with a smile, "kind of spur of the moment, but I do not regret it."
Nyx
PC, 140 posts
Elf
Psi-slinger
Tue 21 Mar 2017
at 13:17
  • msg #15

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

At the confirmation from Kalista, Nyx's earlier dismissal of the rings as pure adornment clicked into meaning. His eyes narrowed and he glanced at his brother with one delicate eyebrow raised. Now was not the time to raise it, but something was clearly in play between their normally bombastic cyber-knight and the disarming looking medic
Doc
PC, 164 posts
elf
gunslinger
Tue 21 Mar 2017
at 17:32
  • msg #16

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

Doc grinned and rolled his eyes at his brother, "Yeah, weird stuff goin' on around here... wild vamps and stranger, to be sure."
Seniora Anna (NPC)
NPC, 2 posts
human
vagabond
Wed 22 Mar 2017
at 08:21
  • msg #17

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

The elder shakes her head and sighs heavily. "I did not wish to burden you with details, but if you will not leave, then you must know. We have no intention of fighting the wild dead this night. These monsters have raided our village for years, and no matter how high we build our walls, some are taken each month. We have managed to kill a few, but they recover their loses quickly at our expense. The Wild Dead take the youngest and strongest among us first. Now, only the old are left. When the plague arrived, we decided it was time to perform a different act of defiance. We will allow the Wild Dead in tonight, putting up only a token fight for show. When they come inside our walls as they have always done, we intend to destroy the town and ourselves with it. These walls are now a bomb which will fill the countryside with wooden shrapnel. We do not require a cure, merely the strength left to light a fuse."
Nyx
PC, 141 posts
Elf
Psi-slinger
Wed 22 Mar 2017
at 08:55
  • msg #18

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

"You make the choice I might make", observed Nyx, moved and impressed by their fatalism, "Were I long into my time. But death is ... mostly irreversible. We are the Lumberjacks, our trade felling the wild dead and the monstrous like a glade ripe for harvesting. Let us take them this night and keep your strength for tomorrow, when Ethan can help with the plague if we still stand and, if not, you may still have strength to enact your plan"
Polkitain
PC, 337 posts
dragon hatchling
forest runner
Wed 22 Mar 2017
at 12:33
  • msg #19

Scene 9: La Ciudad po el Rio

Polkitain wants to say something but since he was told to keep quiet he just claws the ground a bit to give him something to occupy him.
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