Now she squinted her eyes at Magnus.

"Guys, you want to help me fuck this man up?" There are a lot of assenting murmurs as they cock their weapons.

One of them chimes in. "T-Bone, are we taking him for a joyride?"

"Hell yeah. After the tunnels, I am in the mood for a joyride." All of them put their weapons up and pull chains from the sides of their bikes, ones with hooks at the tops. "You don't fuck with one chopper, asshole. You fuck with all of us."

"Hey, T?" A deep voice came out from the tank.

"WHAT?" T-Bone was clearly eager to get to what her gang wanted to do.

"We have this guy standing in a land we just got done terraforming, and he clearly doesn't give a shit about anything you are doing or nor is he slackjawed at the suddenly transformed land he is in. Maybe we should let the others do the talking."

"Or, you could shoot him with those gods' damn cannons of yours."

The voice in the tank got defensive. "I might fuck up our new home shelling him!"

"He will feel it more! And if he is a fucking demon, we need to kill him right now!"

"Mister? Hi, name's Marilyn, cause I'm a wizard with a car. My friend asked you what you were doing here, and you responded with...kind of a not answer? How about you tell me? We have a do-over!"

There was a collective sound of disappointment from the other bikers, with T-Bone's "engine's sake" clearly sounding over the rest. "What? Poor stupid bastard's about to die, might as well hear him out!"

"Sorry. I couldn't hear her at first Because of a Loud Engine That apparently most of you can't hear. I Just got here and witnessed the transformation firsthand. Where you the ones that cast that nuke spell?"

"Nope. We were in the tunnels at the time. Wasn't told anything about a nuke going off. Maybe that was just the Geck you felt?"

T-Bone yelled to Marilyn. "Is this guy another fucking Quarantine? He's just as annoying as he is."

"I...maybe? Say, you don't happen to know where your pods are, do you? There's usually some pretty good stuff in those."

A large, covered flatbed truck with way too many people on its back was driving up behind Marilyn's tank, and T-Bone groaned, making her thoughts known. "Oh, great. Now the fucking savvyhead tells us exactly what we can see for ourselves. One bar says she tells us to kill the motherfucker."

Marilyn, muffled in the tank though his voice (her voice?) is, sounds cheerful. "I'll take that bet. I like rations."

"Geck? Quarantine? Savvyhead?... I'm pretty sure that I don't have any diseases. Especially ones that would need quarantined. And I don't have any pods now."

T-Bone looked to the tank incredulously. "He is another quarantine! Fucker probably woke up when we fired up the Geck and doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground."

A woman wearing a tech suit with a hunchback and squinting eyes came out from the passenger seat of the flatbed holding some kind of oversized walkie in her hands. She waved to the flatbed, which had similar men to those riding the chopper on it.

The woman spoke. "T-Bone, this one's open to the engine. They hear it as clear as a child does. Had to use this to close his brain for a moment. Was he acting deaf or something?"

T-Bone got defensive. "Naw! He answered my questions and everything. Said he was going to kick my ass and take my pack, and I told him to get fucked and prepared to send him out of this life."

The new woman just looked at T-Bone, an expression that proclaimed 'really?'

"You tell her that's what happened Marilyn!"

"Umm...so, Leah, that freaky thing you are holding do anything else?"

The woman with squinting eyes, apparently Leah, looked up to Magnus. "You are different from the other one who joined us. We will be building a modular town here, and we have no intention of leaving. Quarantine is good at warfare, motivation, and being annoying with his inquisitiveness."

Leah smiled, accentuating a kind face, and continuing as T-Bone added "glad I'm not the only one who's noticed".

"You are likely skilled in personal warfare. Where do you feel you are useful?"

"Yeah. I couldn't hear a things at first because of this loud engine. I had to guess what she was saying."
I gesture to T-Bone.

"I would be really surprised if any of you where better than me in personal warfare. I'm also decent at leading people in battle.

You mentioned Demons before. Are there Demons or other monsters around? I Would be excellent at killing them."

"Cocky fucker, for a man who was seconds from a joyride."

"Violence is how you define yourself?" Leah chuckled. "I suspect you are more than that, but a man of your talents will never find themselves wanting. You will probably want to give...either Frog or Green Andes, your talents. Frog is the fat man with the face-concealing battle helmet and the shotgun, while Green Andes is a half-dressed, scarred, wiry man who always looks like he's about to break into tears at any moment. Frog doesn't say a lot beyond commands, while Green Andes is fairly preachy."

"You have to earn your bars around here, but I think you'll do fine at it. Let me know who sounds more interesting to you, and Marilyn here will get you there."

"I have a reason to be cocky T-Bone.

I am also decent at building things. But I would prefer eliminating major dangers to your town before I go into that.

She Mention demons. Is there Magic here as well?

I Guess I'll talk to Green Andes."

"Oh, fu-" T-Bone is cut off into irrelevancy as Leah directs you to the side of Marilyn's tank. She knocks on the side door twice as she answers you. "There is no magic. It is only the rumbles of the engine, and each of us hears and touches it differently. You will learn to make the engine work, in your own way. I can feel it in my bones."

"Hold on a second. It's hard to open for a good reason." Magnus hears a handle slowly turn, and then the door pops open. He sees that the interior of the tank has been reduced to a borderline crawlspace with lots of padding. "How are you, big guy? Climb on in, I'll take you to one of the holy folk we got."

The sun has truly guided your decisions. We shall learn their faith.

T-Bone snorts. "Holy. Hah! Fucking crazy bastard, more like it. You'll see when you meet him, Q2 Badass."

T-Bone yells to her gang. "Let's ride! Clear the perimeter of anyone not us!"

All vehicles start up, and as you enter the tank, Leah hands Magnus the walkie she was holding. Once he gets in, he cannot hear anything over the sounds of the actual, real tank engine. Marilyn is apparently a very effeminate man, build like a solid rail, almost a reverse of T-Bone. He can can barely hear her as she yells to you, "Hey, I gotta let Lang know what we are doing."

She grabs a shortwave radio receiver, and starts yelling into it. "YO, LANG! PICKED UP A NEW GUY! TAKING HIM TO 5TH UNIT! LEAH'S ADVICE! OVER!"

Magnus can barely make out the reply. "Gods damn Leah. She does not outrank me. I'll talk with her and her new guy later, the one that seems to have delayed Cavalry. 5th is rearguard. Drive around us. Over."

He arrives, gets out of that rattling tank that seems to have been driven by a mad person who only understands accelerate, power slides, and sudden stop, and a paramilitary unit in inferior armor is setting up at the base of the mountain, where the water comes down. They are already setting up the edges of what will become an impressive white building.

A wiry man only wearing pants and boots, who shows signs of a savage beating with a hot brand, greets Magnus. "Welcome, welcome good sir. You are the first outsider to witness the creation of our new home, K'mek. This is the resting place of a god that answered to no god. I am Green Andes, bearer of the sacred water that quenches any thirst. You have yet to cross the threshold, nameless sir, so the laws of the water do not apply yet to you. Ask what you wish, and I will answer, and ask, in kind."

Despite his demeanor, he seems to be sizing you up, his watery eyes bearing into the soul.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:09, Tue 14 Jan 2020.

I'll follow her to the tank and reply to Marilyn.

"I am fine."


I actually enjoy my ride. It reminds me of Riding with Laura Karnstein.

"I am called Magnus. What is this God that answered to no god you are talking about? What are the Laws of water?"

This message was last edited by the GM at 06:00, Sun 24 May 2020.

Green Andes looked quizzically at Magnus. "K'mek was. City and guardian both. He is dead now, but he is not forgotten."

He seems to be warming up a bit as he considers the laws of water. "There are four laws you need to know. I didn't make them, and I didn't choose the punishments. But they are absolute, and either the one who breaks them is punished, or I am. The alternative is the return of thirst, and one man is not worth that."

"First rule - keep your agreements. Any deal you make by the waters of the gods is binding. So do not agree to anything carelessly. It is better to be silent. The punishment is forced labor to one of the other councilors here."

"Second rule - everything belongs to everyone else, so give freely. Your possessions are not your own while you are here. Do not get attached to them. Bear in mind, this rule comes full circle, so try not to abuse it. Also, it only applies while here - once they leave, and you leave, anyone you took property from might have an issue with that, or you might have an issue with them. The punishment for hoarding by the waters of the gods is disfigurement." His smile became wry. "That one made me into the man I am today."

"Third rule - do no violence and no intentional harm. This one is pretty clear. The waters demand peace. The punishment is forced labor, again, to another councilor."

"Fourth rule - a slave who crosses the threshold is free. They have to find their own way out, but neither I nor anyone else can make demands no more of them than any other freeman. The punishment for collecting a freed slave is public humiliation. It is worse than it sounds - the former slave gets to have a say in how that goes down."

Green Andes exhaled in frustration. "That is a lot to recall for a few people. I repeat myself a lot or others do, because a lot of people cannot read what I post. I have to put a threshold in front of my threshold so that people have the time to learn what is expected of them."

City and Guardian?... that sounds interesting.  I would like to hear his story later if you don'tmind.

I listen to the laws he lays out.

"I see. You have made a neutral zone where people can come to talk and make agreements. I would imagine that you have trouble enforcing that 2nd law... oh I see. You only enforce that while they are here.


Well. The others said that you have work that I could help with. What kind of work is it?"

Green Andes gave Magnus a long look. "Well, I only enforce the law of the gods in regards to their water. I will later be asked to help with the law of the council in regards to this town, once we make it. My law is separate from theirs, and theirs from mine. Lang and I have an understanding, and the council honors it."

"Don't know why you were sent my way, but if the gods will it, I will work you. I will offer you bars for work, because you are no mule. You carry yourself like a warrior, but not like my...well..."

He gestured to a small group of men, one of whom was thrusting the air with his groin while the others laughed, undoubtedly entertaining them with some bawdy tale. "They are at least a resourceful bunch. I will say that in their defense. Rearguard, and battlefield salvage. Last to enter, but last to leave. If they actually die, then all is truly lost."

"You, on the other hand, are made of sterner stuff. Closer to Frog, Ruby or Doom." He caught a look in Magnus's eye, one that betrayed unfamiliarity with the names. "Our officers, such as they are, commanders of the 4th, 1st, and 2nd Units, respectively. I command the 5th. Formidable, and a grand cut over men like my...'soldiers.' Frog's a taskmaster, Doom Rex is a damn tyrant, and Ruby Tavi is an introverted duelist who was offered and accepted a position she honestly cares little for."

"ok. I should warn you. I have some strange abilities. Such as the ability to store things in a space outside of out space. And pull them out.


I pull out a Stone Dragon scroll and let Andes see it before putting it back.

"Therefore, You can't enforce your 2nd law on me or even know what I have unless I allow it. Even then, it would be incredibly easy for me to cheat.

If you are willing to deal with me, then I can work with you. Indeed,  I can fight. But I can also build things."

"Brother." Green Andes squinted his eyes at Magnus incredulously. "This is not about enforcement. I do not make these rules. They are the gods' rules regarding the water. Do you seriously want to game those who are the providers of the Source?"

"Nothing you possess is worth that." Green Andes gave a wry smile. "It's interesting that you can charge into battle or offer to throw up a wall, heedless of your life and danger, and that you refuse to risk losing a bauble to a stranger."

I shrug
"I didn't consciously develop this. What I have Isn't that valuable to you. But it Valuable and has meaning for me. If I saw a need that one of the things I got could be used for, I would probably give it to them or let them borrow it. But I'm going to keep them in that other space until they are needed.

I Didn't have tell you about my inventory. And If I didn't tell you about it there would have been no way for you to know about it. I told you to prevent a potential violation of your laws. Since I don't want ether of us hurt over this.
"

Green Andes shook his head. "I'm glad you informed me of this, and felt a need to be honest. It speaks well of you. But what is in there that has no value to another and yet value to you? These are the wastes of the north. Anything that does not quench your thirst, whatever form that takes, is weighing you down. Besides, maybe you will quench the thirst of another through your gift."

He puts a hand on Magnus's shoulder, looking up at him with those eyes. "It's scary at first. Most would try to hide it from me and eventually fail. You have some scandal about you that will boil up, but you are not a danger to us - as long as you don't try to game the gods. You can choose to not bring it here, by putting it in your own place, or just not reveal you have it, but you will know what you are doing, and you will know what you are doing, and what the price is. These others who do that risk everyone. Be better. Do not fear the laws of the gods."

"Ok. Now that critical information is out of the way. What kind of work do you have?"

Green Andes frowned and sighed. "Well, you can go from person to person, make sure the laws are being followed, and otherwise be a good example."

He pointed to a group. "Take those guys. They gave their word that they were going to help set up this place, but they are just in a circle smoking some local dope."

"We just got here, too. They work fast."

"They think I broke my word to them. I promised them rest after the waters were secure, but they seem convinced that has happened right now. Some of them are going to start taking their chances in the desert. They are tired, and their faith is on the edge of a knife, right at the moment when we are almost truly done. And I need your help at pushing them to make that extra effort to get this place built, because they really don't want to talk to me right now."

"You do that, and you've earned yourself a bar." Green Andes slapped Magnus's shoulder. "I have work to do. I've got to make sure the instruments of the gods are attuned to this place."

I walk around the compound, looking at the materials and figuring out how they are put together.
Is it set up so that you have to have multiple people working together to put it up? Or could I theoretically put it up by myself?

After I examine how the building is put together, I will go and talk to the Men smoking the drugs.

"That water doesn't look very secure to me. Aren't you the guys that are supposed to be setting up this building?

The walls are modular in nature, and the hardest part about them seems to be getting them into position. Occasionally, one breaks down, and at that point welding torches get broken out, or failing that more scrap metal to just pound a solution into place. It is the walls going up first, and you realize that this place is, to a point, already planned out as scrap metal-wearing men with berets on their heads yell out orders to the soldiers in this area.

Putting a slab of wall up would be extremely difficult and slow for one, mostly due to the balancing act required. They are doing by hand a job best done with heavy equipment. Trucks and cars are being conscripted for the job, but they are limited in what they can do without actual heavy equipment - barring Marilyn's tank, which is in a different part of this town-to-be.

The circle of men look to you. "So Green got you working for him, doing the job he won't."

The one who is speaking is wearing blue and white dirty robes, with multiple patches in them. "Tell Green that we have done our part. The soldiers are here, the water is here. We have finished our role as we promised. We want the labors of the road and the tunnels to be over, as he promised."

The speaker smiles smugly. "We are here at the site of the waters, so we are not slaves. He cannot use violence on us. We have honored the exact words we made."

"It is Green Andes who demands too much!" There was murmuring of agreement behind him from the others.

"Green Andes seems to think that you are breaking your word. But since you are insistent on the use of exact words. What where the exact words of your agreement with him?"

The speaker walks up to Magnus and glares up at him. "How about he comes over here so that he can tell us himself, and then we can tell him to shove it up his ass! We listened to him ramble on about his damn gods for half a year! We want our due, or the gods can get a new bearer of water!"

At that point, one of the others chimes in. "Hey, whoa. I didn't sign up for this interfighting crap. Me and Dean are hitting the road."

The speaker spins from Magnus to the one talking. "To the Sun with you and Dean! Faithless bastards! The gods want a replacement for Andes, and we will be their hands in making it happen!"

The sun's representative is standing before him. This man should show respect.

The others were nodding their heads in agreement at the words of the fiery orator, although one of them gave Dean's friend a sympathetic look.

indeed I grow tired of them taking me lightly. I'll show...
A flash of insight hits me. They used Sun like I would used Hell. They are a Culture inhabiting a desert. Therefore the sun isn't seen in the same light here.
...The Sun here is not like Pelor. They use it's name like a curse.
but... I can Invoke his authority without lying.

I radiate the commanding presence that I used on my troops before. The Mark of a Master of White Raven.
"I AM a representative of a god. And I am holding judgment on this situation until I have more inforemation. You will stay here and Answer My Questions."

At that point, a whole bunch of people start standing up and looking at Magnus, several of whom he had not seen until this point. Even the guards stop cracking jokes at that point and look to him. The one who had been yelling seemed taken quite by surprise.

"S-ss..." He recaught his footing. "So what? There are five others just like you, here, and we are pretty sure they all just worship themselves!"

"Hey. Magnus." Green Andes chimes in, having stopped his work to approach, having noticed the mood changing among his followers. "Which thirst does your god quench?"