In the town square of Port Thornwood, a Brotherhood of Steel knight awaits... Knight Taylor.

He's wearing his full armor, except he's got his helmet off-- it's hooked to his hip by a sturdy leather strap that's there for that purpose.

"...Where are they...? I hope they show up soon..." he mutters to himself.

He has asked five individuals to meet him here at about this time (he's a tiny bit early)... five individuals whom he hopes can help rebuild the world, one step at a time...

(Knight Taylor has asked each of you to meet him here at this time. Please show up when you're ready...)
This message was last edited by the player at 15:22, Thu 18 Nov 2021.

A young woman was the first to approach the knight. Cautiously, she made her way to the man step-by-step, breathing nice and slowly. Today was not a good day so far, her mind filling with sermons and less-than-helpful medical advice, threatening to push everything else out. Someone whispered under her breath that a glass of cool water and some bedrest could help to soothe her aching head, but a terse shake of her skull was enough to ward him off for the time being.

Stopping in front of the man, she spoke. "Mr. Taylor? I am J-no, sorry. Renata." She pressed out the word like a stern teacher. "Renata Medb. You called for Xan and me, correct?" Renata looked like hell, very much seeming like a terrible choice for whatever Knight Taylor had in mind. Still, with the sickle holstered to her back, the crossbow at her waist, and the armor set over an already filthy Vault jumpsuit, she would have to do.

Clunk clunk clunk the small protectron walked along behind Renata her large expressive eyes taking things in and the Featherlike Extensions around her small human seeming ears folded and unfolded as she stopped. When Renata spoke to the armored figure Xan walked up beside Renata.

She looked up at the figure and tilted her head slightly.

She then suddenly waved enthusiastically at the brotherhood member. Before standing very still.

Tor walked up to the slowly growing group gathering by the Brotherhood of Steel Knight. He looked at the Brotherhood Knight with a stern look, "Knight Taylor, don't talk to me like I'm one of your lackeys. I'm not Brotherhood anymore, it'd be good of you to remember that."

He turned to the woman standing there and coldly looked her up and down and then glanced at the protectron. He turned back to the knight, "You must be getting desperate. Brotherhood numbers getting low?" He turned back to Renata and stiffly held out his hand to her, "Tor. Nice to meet you." His cold, emotionless tone seemed to say it was anything but.

The Squeaking of old and likely overburdened wagon wheels is the first thing that can be heard from the largest of paths leading into the square, even moments before the wagon making that sound can be seen traveling alone at a slow plodding pace.  That illusion doesn't hold very long as it becomes clear the wagon is moving in reverse, being pushed rather than pulled, and by a person instead of an animal.

Head down and powerful shoulders bunched up under a furry bear skin cloak it is impossible to make out anything except the enormous bulk, and general male humanoid outline, of the man pushing the wagon down the road.  Inside the wagon is all manner of junk, some of it still covered in dirt, even a few oddly square stones have managed to make the cut for this very low value load.

Renata leveled her gaze at the slightly taller and more-than-slightly older man. Straightening her back and forcing her posture into position, she took the offered hand. Brusquely shaking it once, she intoned, "Charmed, Tor. Don't forget to say hey to the little cutie," before letting go and gesturing to Xan. She didn't want to hold on much longer, lest the other one push to do something drastic.

Turning to figure out what was making that squeaking noise, Renata relaxed. It was something real this time. She wondered if the big guy pushing that cart was one of the Knight's guests as well?
This message was last edited by the player at 03:59, Thu 18 Nov 2021.

Xan hearing her name stood up even straighter and extended her hand up to Tor as well.

Beep Bop Boop - "Hello, pleasure to meet you, Sir."

"That's right, I-- just a moment, please..."




Knight Taylor blinked. "...I didn't. ...Is this just a warning for the future...?"



"I haven't forgotten."




"The problem I'm having right now is people I can count on who aren't Brotherhood... which is why I've asked you all here... But I'll get to that in just a moment..."




"A... pleasure to... speak with you." This was... not what Knight Taylor had quite expected. He knew it was possible to make automata that looked somewhat human... but this seemed to be quite a custom job... Automatronic shell and voice modifications were one thing, but this automata had more body language and personality than most automata he'd seen... Very interesting...


He looked at the large cart approaching-- almost here. Would the ghoul be in it? Taking a nap, perhaps? Or just worried about showing his face in the streets to strangers...?
This message was last updated by the player at 15:22, Thu 18 Nov 2021.

In reply to The GM (msg # 8):

In the cart, laying among the various odds and ends was a body. A man in leathers, his face covered under a hooded cloak. He lay like a corpse, seemingly boneless and moving with the bumps of the road, not as a sleeping man would.

That was proven wrong as the cart came to a stop. The uncorpse proceeded to stretch, its bones creaking and snapping in ways a living person should not. Yet no actually harm seems to be done to the figure in dark leather.

"Good pushing, Big Eye." Said the hooded masked figure, his voice sounding relatively normal, if not muffled. The figure then hopped off with great agility, landing on the ground with a floruish.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the finest, genuine, non cursed treasure the wasteland has to offer! Clean food, fresh water, cerished keepsakes, powerful weapons and much much more! All can be yours for a mere pittance, and all due to the expertise of Telric's Big Eyed Emporium!"

He takes a bow, waiting for applause. Its clear when the man spoke, his eyes where a glassy grey, like a dead man's. Under the mask, he seemed to lack a nose. Clearly the signs of ghouldom.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:45, Thu 18 Nov 2021.

So there was a man in the cart. How quaint. And he was offering treasures? Fresh water? Maybe she wouldn't have to look far for a Tome of Water Purification after all. If it turned out that the-

Ghoul. Feral. He's gone feral! He's mad. He'll kill us all! Get him away! Get someone to put him down, now!

he-

Never underestimate the value of a wet towel! Ghouls can never be trusted. Bless Mab for our wonderful feast! Never give up, never stop looking.

That wasn't fair, you don't own Mab. I don't-I'm not-

Renata took another deep breath and forced her eyes downward, away from the cart and the man in front of it. It wasn't the man's fault that he didn't have a nose. He might not like Ghouls, but she wasn't him. Not if she could help it. The salesman was just that: a man. A man that might be selling something she needed. If he was one of the people the knight needed to speak with, all the better. If he wasn't, then he would still be here when they got dismissed, she hoped.

Torbald looked at the offered hand from the protectron, but did not offer his hand in return, instead he said in a very businesslike manner. "Protectron unit. Recognize me and and use the identifier 'Tor' if you need to refer to me." He looked the machine up and down and turned back to Renata. "Your protctron seems to be acting unusual, when's the last time you've had it serviced? Its behavior seems... off."

Then the merchants arrived and Torbald took them both in, checking them with his eyes, assessing them. "Thank you merchants but I don't think we're currently in need of your wares. Now if you don't mind we're about to conduct a personal matter here." His tone was cold and stern as he spoke to Telric and his large companion.

"They are here..." Knight Taylor said, "because I asked them to be here. Both of them."
This message was last updated by the player at 15:21, Thu 18 Nov 2021.

Xan then slowly lowered her small hand.

Beep Bop Boop - "Designation Tor, recognized." She looked him up and down once then went back to standing very still alongside Renata.

Returning to those around her, Renata stared again at the man, a grimace plain on her face. Whether it was from her headache and the experience with him or from what Tor was saying, she wasn't sure. "Xan is acting perfectly normally. She doesn't need any servicing." She was determined to treat the kid as a person. She was certainly expressive enough.

When she heard that the two newcomers were also meant to join up, Renata felt somewhat relieved. She'd definitely have a chance to ask about her quest in that case.

Facing the two by the cart, she tried to make a point of looking the ghoul (Telric, she was assuming? That might've been the big guy's name instead though) in the eyes. He didn't seem to like it and as long as she could keep a handle on his outbursts, it would keep him from stabilizing. "Non-cursed treasure, you reckon? You wouldn't happen to have any spare Tomes of Water Purification, now would you?" They were supposed to be fairly rare, but if she could get even one so easily...

The corner of Xan's lips curved up slightly in a smile at Renata's defense of her. He expressive eyes looked at her friend appreciatively.

Noting the appreciative look on her friend's face, Renata tried to twist her grimace into a reassuring smile, but it wound up looking more like a slasher's grin. She stopped trying for that and settled on offering Xan a gentle pat on the head.

"Indeed, our presence has been requested! Allow me to introduce my business partner Big Eye." He gestures to the nine foot tall cyclops behind the cart.

"I am but a humble merchant, Telric Televenter! While we know of Knight Taylor, we have not met any of you before."


When Renata asks her question, he excitiedly moves over her. She can tell right away he is indeed a ghoul. He may not smell like the other mobile corpses she has run into before, but those milky eyes and lack of nose was impossible to overlook even with the mask. Being closer to him now drove the point home.

"Books you say? A book specifically on water filtration? Hmmm...I will have to search the inventory. We did hit a library recently. While I enjoy reading fun stories to Big Eye on the road, I am going to have to teach him to read at some point. He's more into romance novels, and I and find them to be mushy and dull!"

He glanced back at Big Eye. "You heard me! Lady Jackie collins is a hack! And not a good hack! It's the same stories over and over! I'm sick of it!"

OOC-Telric may be lying, Big Eye. He's just trying to humanize you to the customer. And he often uses you as a straight man in the comedy duo he tries to sell customers on. Unless you do like him reading romance novels, or can read on your own.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:01, Thu 18 Nov 2021.

With him even closer, he seemed to get louder. Telric's milky white eyes seemed to seep into her as he began inching her hand towards her side, reaching for her crossbow.

Now, now! Kill him now! He's already gotten them, you need to protect the rest of the flock!

No, no. He was just a man. A probably-not-living, definitely-not-breathing man. He was complaining about books, for Mab's sake. And she would be the one in control. Her arm stilled, two forces pulling on it in disparate directions. It wasn't enough, he was getting erratic.

"'m sorry, please get away, just a little, I can't..."

In reply to Renata Medb (msg # 18):

Telric peered into her eyes, and noticed her hand hovering over the weapon. "You know, if you shoot me, I may not be able to find your book. Big inventory, hard to look through with a crossbow bolt in one's head." He whisperd mostly so Big Eye did not overhear.

"Well, let's take a look, shall we?" He says in his normal loud voice. He then moves away, springs back onto the cart almost like some sort of acrobatic move. He proceeds to start searching through the various odds and ends.

OOC-is there something I should roll to check the inventory?

After bringing the wagon to an almost, but not quite, gentle stop Big Eye takes a moment to let it settle before he releases the yoke frame that he was using as a handle and steps back one long step.  Standing straight up after having been hunched over to reach down to the wagon for so long causes several popping sounds from his back that sound more like something breaking than anything healthy, a quick roll of his shoulders and he settles back into a stooped position that makes him seem to be only slightly more than seven feet tall.  At no point does he let the hood of the bearskin cloak fall away from his head or reveal his face.

With Telric moving away from her, a weight removed itself from Renata's chest as his voice grew quieter. She threw her hand away from her side, wringing and twisting it in her other hand. Guilt pooled in her boots as she shook her head. She would need to apologize later, maybe explain her situation. But not now, not today. Getting close again on a bad day would just rile him up.

In place of that, she would just say, "Thanks, Telric." It was nowhere near enough to pay back what had amounted to a threat against his life, but she hoped the vague thanks would tell him that she hadn't meant it.

Sarcastically, she mused that this was going to be a lovely quest.

(OOC: You do not have the kind of book Renata needs.

I was (unpleasantly) surprised that you suddenly had a cart of goods in the first place.)

In reply to The GM (msg # 22):

OOC-sorry, but when the cart came into play it just seemed  like it would make sense Big Eye and T would be coming back from the wasteland loaded up. We can say its largely useless junk.

(Good idea.

In any event... it's y'all's turn, I think...?)
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:33, Sat 20 Nov 2021.

Torbald looked over those gathered there and sighed. He then looked back to Knight Taylor. "So, why is the Brotherhood looking for a group outside the Brotherhood? Is this job off the books, and if so, would your superiors be happy to know what you're doing here? And what is this job exactly, that requires a retired service member, a vault dweller, and a couple of junk merchants?" He asked sounding annoyed as he wondered if this was some sort of strange joke.

"This job is official... but it's also clandestine. Paladin Ferrar knows exactly what I'm here for. So... shall I take it that you're all ready to be briefed...?"

In reply to Torbald Vorath (msg # 25):

"Ahem...not junk! Recovered ancient treasures, thank you very much!" Telric said with mock offense.

"In any case, I assume the good paladin plans to make it worth our while? Big Eye and myself are not running a charity here..."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:38, Sat 20 Nov 2021.

Xan just looked up at Sir Taylor and occasionally her eyes shifted to Renata to make sure her friend was ok. She seemed happy.

"Ready over here, Mr. Taylor. Though I suppose I would also appreciate something in return, much like our mercantile friends here." Renata nodded at the knight. Whatever moved them along would be good for her. And whether that 'something' was a Tome of Water Purification or information on his killer, this job would be worth it.

Her gaze shifted down to Xan, sympathy bleeding in. The others hadn't said much to her, but Tor seemed keen on treating her as little more than Renata's tool, and she did not appreciate that. Xan seemed to be looking back at her, but she wasn't sure if the kid was looking for support or trying to see if she herself was doing alright. Renata had been moderately okay with people in the Vault, but the Wasteland was strange and his paranoia over every other person made it difficult to get other people.

Either way, Renata tried to brighten her eyes and quirk her lips into another smile in an effort to reassure Xan. Adding to that, she asked, "What about you, Xan? Are you ready?" It was only right to include the kid in the proceedings.

The featherlike spread around Xan's ears folded then expanded and she nodded up to Renata.
"I will happily go where you go." Xan's smile brightened.

In reply to Xan (msg # 30):

Telric looked at Xan, and shook his head. "I have seen a lot of rogue automata out there. None that where designed like her. Here, I have something miss Xan might like..."

He digs through the cart, and presents the child sized construct with a ratty old small book. On the cover it has a young girl in royal garb with the title 'I am a magic princess, vol XV' series.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:47, Sat 20 Nov 2021.

"A perfectly reasonable request. The Brotherhood of Steel is ready to repay you well in gold coin... or in other trade, if you prefer.

The purpose of this mission-- as with almost everything the Brotherhood does-- involves reclaiming military magic from before Cursefall. But this time it's very... tactical as well. There were portals that could teleport people and supplies from city to city... they now no longer work. But our Scribes are certain that they can again. There's one hidden here in Port Thornwood... It was a prototype, for emergency evacuation from the coast in case of hurricanes or other dangers. It was never used for that purpose, though, so we think it's been forgotten. But we have a key-- a crystal that will unlock the portals in other cities.

The Brotherhood of Steel has many enemy factions in the Wasteland right now that would love to see us destroyed. But the gift of fast travel from one place to another without having to take the time or risk to cross the miles in-between would give us a huge tactical advantage-- muster in one place, and then appear in another, ready to attack-- and to send wounded back to be taken care of, or retreat if need be, without the enemy able to follow? It could allow us to finally ensure the safety of all who live in the Wasteland.

However, there are new automata that have been appearing lately... they're powered by air elementals like the 'Handy' or 'Gutsy' models, but these are smaller... just little round orbs with one eye in front, and a few sort of antennae... They're spies, that are watching for any sort of Brotherhood of Steel movement. They've even got our faces and names recorded for that purpose."

Knight Taylor pauses. "None of you, however, are Brotherhood of Steel, at least not for some years. You will be seen as just another group of scavengers... until it's too late."

"The mission is to go to one of the four major cities, find that city's fast-travel portal, and use the key to activate the portal and allow you to return here instantly. Then the Brotherhood of Steel can establish a presence at the site at the other end, and protect it."

"In addition to payment from us... you will each be allowed to use the fast-travel portal whenever you want in the future-- as a group, or as individuals."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:15, Sat 20 Nov 2021.

Xan looks to Telric then the offered book looking at it. She blinks and her expressive eyes look up at him again.

Beep Bop Boop - "Thank you, very much, it is most kind of you." She tilts her head back and forth there is a slight whirring sound from it. As long as Renata seems ok with it she accepts the offered book.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:29, Sat 20 Nov 2021.

Clearly not a talker Big Eye lets his little ghoul buddy do almost all the talking, but as the briefing concludes he proves that he was at least able to follow the basic theme of the plan and speaks in very low rumbling voice, clearly intended to be quiet and failing miserably.

”Big Eye like Travel.”

While not particularly detailed the positive tone and nodding of his head speak strongly to his intent to follow through with the requested actions.

A painless fast travel system? Even if the Brotherhood didn't have any spare Tomes of Water Purification, the ability to get across this strange landscape so quickly would be invaluable on her quest! Still, she had a question.

"Would we be able to, say, lead another group of people through the portal later? If, for instance, others from Vault 365 wanted to move a great distance. Or is that privilege limited to us and us alone?"

Noting the approaching Telric and his exchange with Xan, it took some shuffling away from the ghoul and a good bit of straining, but Renata was able to choke out a "Thank you for giving her such a kind gift, Telric." He'd managed to slip through briefly there, forcing her voice down to a low growl for that one word, but it was easier to push the dead man away again as Telric was only really interacting with Xan. And Renata was not going to get in the way of anyone treating her right, no matter what he thought of them.

"Hm. A very good question. I would say that the odds would be good that you would be allowed to lead such a group through... especially if not moving involved the group's safety... You and your group would need to have a talk with a Brotherhood member of high rank at the departure location... but I think it would probably be allowed, if they seemed like stable, peaceable people..."

Torbald listened quietly, taking in the information, then he spoke up, "hmm, I see now why you're requesting individuals outside the Brotherhood for this task, but it does bring up several questions. How did these 'eye-automata' acquire the information on the Brotherhood? And then how was that information disseminated? Do these 'eye-automata' hold meetings or do they have handlers that spread information and assign them tasks? Are you sure their information that they've gathered on the Brotherhood didn't include information on retired Brotherhood members, myself included?

"I assume outsiders are being chosen because as of yet these 'eye-automata' have not yet shown aggression to just any passersby and only Brotherhood members? And speaking of aggression, what methods have you noticed them employing when they have shown aggression? While they might not prioritize us as targets because we're not current members of the Brotherhood, they might attack should anyone venture to far into areas that they're scouting or protecting so it would be good for us to know of their offensive capabilities.

"Have you uncovered any weaknesses or vulnerabilities of these things? And along the same lines, have you noticed any limitations they might have? For example, have you noticed any of them submerging themselves to pursue a target? If not, water might be an avenue we could utilize if things get froggy for us, not that water doesn't present its own hazards, but if push comes to shove its good to know our options." Torbald seemed to think for a moment, then nodded his head once as if to say 'yes, that's it'.

"Well, alright. I don't know if I'm the best person to speak on behalf of the Vault, but we're good farmers for the most part." Gesturing to her hand crossbow, she continued, "This is actually only one of ten crossbows in the Vault. I've got it on account of my quest's import. Beyond all that, the Mab festivals can get a little hectic, but when has that ever gone wrong for Mab and her followers?"

(Roll Charming to get an answer to this one, please...)



"Just miniature lightning bolts. They hurt, but even an average combatant with a sword can deactivate the 'mata before they become lethal..."



"Not really, just damage them until they stop trying to zap you."




"Not really... They float about six feet above the ground, and they seem to be willing to do that over water hazards..."

"That, I'm afraid, is classified information, citizen Vorath..." A pause. "But yes, we're sure you're not on their list."

Telric nodded at Xan and Renata's thanks, but then heard something he did not expect.



Telric shrugged. "Well that settles it for the merchants then. We are in. We still want a fair price for our work. Not to mention a token of passage showing we are favored by the Brotherhood of course. I dont want us getting shot due to a...misunderstanding because of appearance, yes?"

The Brotherhood of Steel where known to treat Ghouls and Ogres a bit on the hostile side. Telric always wanted soemthing he could flash at one of their patrols and go on by. Not to mention the potential trades that could be had...
This message was last edited by the player at 04:57, Mon 22 Nov 2021.

"Ah. Yes. I can accept that. You shall have your token of passage that you're working for us. But... since there are some who are spying around with eyes and ears looking for those associated with the Brotherhood, please keep it hidden unless those that you feel are threatening you are actually bearing the Brotherhood of Steel symbol, specifically. Even raiders can find Power Armor, sometimes... Which reminds me, if you find any Power Armor on your way, you're allowed to use it-- but if it bears the Brotherhood symbol, cover it up to fool the eyemata, as we're calling them."

---

https://www.pinclipart.com/pic...d-of-brotherhood.png

"The gears of justice grind slowly, but they grind exceeding fine" --Brotherhood of Steel

In reply to Knight Taylor (msg # 42):

"Excellent! I know just where to put it. The token I mean. I have yet to meet a human who likes to search ghouls for hidden things." He seemed like he was about to elaborate, but then decided against it when he saw the humans around him trying to keep the visceral nature of Ghoul hygiene out of their minds.

However, it always gave Telric a chuckle to see their faces when they tired to avoid the mental image. 'Once seen, it cannot be...unseen.' Telric thought to himself. He then laughed out loud, unable to help it.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:28, Mon 22 Nov 2021.

Xan looks to Renata then Sir Taylor and back.

Beep Bop Boop - "Why are the automata being mean?" She tilts her head slightly.

"They're working for enemies of the Brotherhood," Knight Taylor says. "I can't tell you who, but the biggest danger is them spying on you and hearing that you're working with us. If that happens, they'll report where you are, and then you'll be in da-- well, more danger than even travelling in the Wasteland usually offers. So don't talk to each other about being on this mission for us except in whispers, or unless you can see that there are no eyemata nearby that could be listening. The eyemata won't attack unless you get close to them, and make them think that you're about to attack them."

Xan nods.

Beep Bop Boop - "Understood."

Eyes narrowing, Renata spoke up. "You say you 'can't' tell us who they're working for. Out of pure curiosity, is that out of lack of knowledge on your end or lack of clearance on our end?"

In the end, Renata supposed it shouldn't make too much of a difference, but an enemy that was even a mystery to this odd knight organization was somewhat more intimidating than a group that the Brotherhood knew about, but didn't want to speak of.

"The second thing you said."

"Good to know. Thank you, Mr. Taylor."

"Knight Taylor," he corrects.

Even though he doesn't literally have the word JERK written on his forehead, Knight Taylor is still Brotherhood of Steel...

"Whatever you say, Mr. Knight Taylor."

Clearly, Renata either doesn't seem to understand the importance of the title or is now deliberately messing with the knight.

"Well, if there are no other questions... which of the four big cities do you think you might head for? Each has advantages... And the Brotherhood of Steel would be very pleased to have an instant way to move between here and any of the four..."

In reply to Knight Taylor (msg # 52):

"Sounds like the Brotherhood would like a easy way to get to Trevisi from Fort Viglance." Telric recommended.

"Once the route is established, we can try to forge a connection to the Capital. Assuming the Capital still stands that is..."

"As much as it pains me to say, I suppose heading to Anchorest likely wouldn't be the most useful to your Brotherhood, as close as it is to Port Thornwood, at least compared to the others. Beyond that presumption, I don't know much of anything about our geography, so I think I'll bow out of that decision."

Xan remains silently at Renata's side. She let's her large expressive eyes look around to the others knowing she will go where her friend goes.

"Actually, Anchorest is seen as equally as valuable a target as Trevisi. We want Trevisi a bit more, it's true, but there's also a school of thought among the higher-ups that maybe we could hold Anchorest better once we got it, and then expand from there. So don't count your own interests out, Ms. Medb."

In reply to Knight Taylor (msg # 56):

"Sounds like Trevisi works for everybody then. So...how precisely do we go about doing that? I am not sure about the others, but Big Eye and I are not mechanical experts. I assume you have some means for us to find these...ah...gates?" Telric pointed out.

Knight Taylor blinked at the ghoul. "Does it?" he asked. Had the ghoul just not been paying attention to the conversation between himself and Ms. Medb?




"There are people who can help you with that at each location. And I'll tell you who and where they are... Once I'm certain that you're all decided where you're going..."

Renata took in the Knight's words before offering her response. She wouldn't really mind going to this Trevisi, but if this could be over sooner... "Well, with that in mind, my 'own interests,' as they were, would be for our journey to be as quick and safe as possible. My Vault still has time before our Tome runs out of power and we run out of useable water, but every day saved means less pressure on the Tome we have now. I do not wish to force a consensus, but Anchorest would be my preference."

Xan nods with a firm looking face to Renata's words.

Torbald watched and listened as everyone spoke, then turned to Knight Taylor, "I have no care as to where we start, if you say Anchorest is valuable as a starting point," he then turned to Renata, "and you have some vested interest in the location already, then it seems a good enough place for us to start to me." He then turned to the merchants to see if they would change their opinion on going to Trevisi or stick with their choice.

In reply to Torbald Vorath (msg # 61):

Telric shrugged. "Well, assuming Xan votes along with Renata, Anchorest has the majority. I would point out the Brotherhood Fort is closer to Trevisi, buuuut...I am not going to prattle on about that." He paused. "Until we need to run for our lives. Then I will point it out endlessly." He grinned.

Xan raises one arm and then raises one thumb on her hand.

Beep Bop Boop - "I vote with Renata, I didn't know I got a vote."

In reply to Xan (msg # 63):

"Why not? You are taking the same risks as the rest of us." Telric pointed out to the human seeming bot.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:47, Wed 24 Nov 2021.

Xan shook her head and raised her hands.

Beep Bop Boop - "I have never gotten a vote before."

In reply to Xan (msg # 65):

"Welcome to democracy! You will find in large groups it is UTTERLY useless! As almost everyone's opinion is uninformed and dumb-and they rely on that rather than facts. Almost everyone that is..." He winked at Xan.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 20:46, Wed 24 Nov 2021.

Xan studied the wink and tried it herself it took her a few tries.

Despite herself, Renata let out a bark of a laugh at Telric's depiction of democracy. "He's absolutely right, Xan. I'll freely admit that my own vote is based on very limited knowledge. If you think one of the other locations is better, please vote for one of them. No one can take away your voice here."

Xan raised her hands up and shook her head.

Beep Bop Boop, "I don't know too much of the world, other then you my friend, wants to go to Anchorest. I want you to be happy." Xan smiled.

"Sounds... like you're going to Anchorest. Well then.

--The first group you'll want to look for is called The Friendly Ghoul Caravan Company. They're a non-feral-ghoul-run-and-operating company of scavengers and traders. They'll be the main people you want to talk to about trying to find what you're looking for.

--There's also a barbarian tribe in the woods around Anchorest, the Wolf tribe. They're most often to the north of the city, but if you see barbarians with wolves, don't get too alarmed-- the Wolf Tribe doesn't attack first and ask questions later if you don't act hostile, and they're usually willing to parley."

Then Knight Taylor looks at Renata. "And then, since we're talking about Anchorest, there's your situation, Ms. Medb. The Brotherhood of Steel has no objection to you dealing with your own issues before dealing with your mission-- because it's to be hoped that resolving them might, in the best-case scenario, result in a source of help and/or shelter, maybe a base of operations for all of you as you try to complete the larger mission. Do you want to explain to your colleagues here about Vault 365...?"

Renata's face softened. "Thank you, friend. I'd like you to be happy too, so don't hesitate if anything comes up that you'd like to do."



"Right. Well," Renata turned to the group. She'd explained her situation in part to the Brotherhood when they'd first made contact and to Xan as well, but it was good for everyone to be on the same page. "I'm from th- from Vault 365. We're just a little south of Anchorest, so not too far from here either. We're mostly just a normal farming community, I guess? We've got several magical set-ups that let us grow crops indoors and we've been rather self-sufficient for the past 20 years. We mostly grow potatoes, maize, dill, cucumbers, and borage, alongside a couple of other flowers. We've actually been trying to start growing broc, prickly pears, and crabapples! Our supervisor brought some back on one of her trips and we've been trying to grow more, but I'm getting ahead of myself. One very important part of the process is water, and for that, we use a Tome of Water Purification to, well, purify nearby and produced water. However, our Tome is starting to fall apart, and without a new one, or two, we won't be able to grow anything. Or drink water. That is also important. And now I'm on a mission to gather one or more of these Tomes."

In reply to Renata Medb (msg # 71):

"Really? Curse free vegetables? It sounds like your vault needs a trade system with the locals! Just think, the villages and cities nearby need clean food, and you bunch will need  outside stuff to replace your vault goodies when they break. It sounds like a certain duo who specializes in trades could really be a boon for the future of your people..." Telric says, tapping his fingertips togeather.

"Er, well, we don't currently have a surplus of anything beyond our emergency supply. I know it sounds like that's a lot, but that's pretty much all we have to eat, beyond whatever the overseer brings after her trips. And as of the moment, any and all trade goes through the overseer. Securing several Tomes of Water Purification, as well as other supplies, workers, and land," she lists, counting her fingers as she goes over the items, "could help in making enough to supply other locations. And again, you'd need the overseer's approval. It's a good idea, don't get me wrong, but it'd take years of planning, setup, and litigation before anything comes of it. And our survival comes first."

Xan looks up at Renata.

Beep Bop Boop - "So, not a democracy ?" She tilts her head just so.

After a while of just following along, nodding when Telric seems enthusiastic, and generally waiting for something important to happen Big Eye latches on to some aspect of the conversation at least, and after getting Telric's attention with a sapping of his fingers that sounds more like the pounding of a small drum than anything else he points at the wagon.

”Need food, not rocks, to travel.”

Renata nodded in confirmation. "Got it in one, lil' buddy. Overseer Faliero's the boss and what she says, goes, at least for the most part. When she's not sure on something, she'll ask for advice and has even put it to a vote a few times. And if something's not really in the Overseer's area of expertise, she'll appoint someone else to manage the situation. Overseer Faliero's more interested in fighting and diplomacy and less interested in crops, so she appointed Boss Nash to oversee growth." Remembering the exhausting woman, Renata scratched the back of her head. "Uh, the Boss is kinda casual and keeps telling me and the other trainees to call her Saoirse, but I'm still not used to it. I'll save you the rest of our mini-government, but I'll say this: We've only got just under a hundred people in the Vault, so it's close-knit enough that the Overseer's control doesn't really chafe? Everyone really trusts her and she tends to do right by us. From what I hear, things were worse before the coup? But I was too young to remember that." Too late, Renata noticed that her hand had drifted to scratching her ears instead. She'd never remembered doing that before, but there was a hazy feeling that it had been a habit at some point. Had to be him. She forced the hand down to her side.

In reply to Big Eye (msg # 75):

Telric listens with great interest to the stories about the vault. He had only been inside a wrecked one with ghouls, the feral kind. He was surprised any of them had made it work. However, his attension was drawn away at once.



"Excellent point, my friend. Big Eye will need some food for the journey, as will our two human companions." He pointed out to the knight.

"The Brotherhood can give you provisions as far as food and water for days... but after a certain point you'll have to provide for yourselves..."

Beep Bop Boop - "We can have a pic nic."

Xan says tilting her head and looking at her new companions.

"A picnic doesn't sound too bad. Even if we only wind up with bland-tasting provisions, that could be a nice way to spice things up. Good idea, Xan." Renata nodded. "Beyond that, I assume there's got to be food at our destination. More if we find any notable stops on the way over."

In reply to Renata Medb (msg # 80):

"Big Eye can have my share of food. I do believe we are ready to go. That is, assuming the Brotherhood would like to part with some handy equipment to insure our successes..." Telric glanced at the knight meaningfully.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:59, Tue 30 Nov 2021.

"As I promised, I can help with rations, but I don't have any extra equipment nor weapons to give you, sorry. You'll have to find those on the road..."

Xan smiled at Renata and then looked to Sir Taylor.

Beep Bop Boop - "Maybe we can make something on the way."

She then looked back to everyone.

And so, the team sets off north, on the old road to Anchorest...

(...Unless anyone (Xan? Televenter? Anyone?) wishes to suggest an alternate route, or detour for safety, as opposed to just following the road all the way...?

If anyone wishes to do so, roll on your Insightful modifier. 

There will be no special penalty for failing.)

In reply to The GM (msg # 84):

Telric begins telling a very long, boring story about how this section of land looked 20 years ago. It involves something about bees printed on money, while he wore an onion on his belt. Which was the style at the time...

ooc-16:01, Today: Telric Televenter rolled 2 using 2d6 ((1,1)).

As always Big Eye finds himself drawn in to Telric's stories, paying attention to the area they travel, but not thinking about anything beyond that.  Content that the food they swapped out for their latest junk haul will get them far enough and that there will be ways to find more as there almost always are.

Renata listened to the man's story with interest. This felt almost familiar, not entirely unlike the stories told in her Vault. in a way, even though it was 20 years old, it made the Wasteland feel more like that before-time. Still mysterious, but less dangerous somehow. Though it couldn't have been all that safe. It led to the Wasteland, after all.

Xan clunked happily alongside Renata listening to the tale but her head started to list to the side after a bit and the feather like decorations around her ears folded. When she hit a rock in the road she stumbled a bit and her eyes snapped open and the decorations flared out again.

She took a moment to just take in her surroundings her head bopping about as she looked.

Noticing her friend's encounter with a rock, Renata hovered over her with concern. "Hey, are you alright, Xan?"

Xan looked up with her large expressive eyes.

Beep Bop Boop - "I'm ok. I just almost tripped." She looks down embarrassed for a second.

She then looked back to Renata, Beep Bop Boop - "I need to pay more attention."

Settling back into a standing position, Renata let out a sigh of relief. "You don't need to worry about that, Xan. We can't always see every rock in the road. And hey, you caught yourself before falling, right? That's plenty skillful."

Beep Bop Boop - "I guess so. It is nice to be out walking around. It's so beautiful though it is different then I remember it. It's a lot less green, though there is so much to see. I am glad to have a friend again." Xan smiled up at Renata.

Xan walked along happily. Clunk clunk clunk.

Beep Bop Boop - "I will look for a nice place for our pic nic."

Working together something resembling a smile back down to Xan, Renata replied, "I'm glad to have you as a friend too, Xan. I'd be lost without you." Moving right along, she listened to her smaller friend. It was nice to hear all of this, both from her and from Telric. Though she couldn't help but feel that some things, like the crook in the road or the whistle in the wind felt somehow familiar, in that way that his memories seemed to. Like a ghost in the back of her head.

Pointedly ignoring the feeling for the umpteenth time, she nodded at Xan's statement. If there was a good spot for a picnic, she certainly would not mind having one.

Pausing the wagon as it catches up to the place where the rock sticks out of the road Big Eye reaches down to grab the rock, and haul it out of the ground with an almost unimaginable amount of effort, any smaller creature surely would have failed.  The rock itself obviously being several times as large as the part protruding from the road, but still just a rock, he tosses it off the side of the road and continues on as if nothing strange had happened.

In the first several minutes, the party walks down the road...

...their number the same as before, but with one substitution--

--Torbald announced, at the north gate of the town, that he was leaving the mission-- that he just didn't feel right about working with the Brotherhood again.

He was replaced at the last minute by another adventurer who happened to be in town, a nimble young born-and-raised (non-vault) Wasteland survivor.

(Big Eye: The way you remember it, the road is no worse than any other route to get to Anchorest, and better than most, except that you remember one spot on the road that you feel it would be best for you and your party (or your party, anyway) to detour around-- just for the distance of a couple of miles.

What is that problematic spot? Why is it too dangerous?)

Nipper had been more than a bit surprised when he had received the message from Knight Tyler, or was it Taylor, asking him to join a small group heading to Anchorest. He was even more surprised when he found out it was a Human, an Automata, a Ghoul and a Ogre. Sounded almost like the beginning of a really bad joke.

But he had accepted and was currently tagging along watching and listening. As well as avoiding the Ghoul and Ogre for the moment, he was fairly certain the knight wouldn't have hired them unless they were okay. But you could never be to sure when a ghouls could go feral or an ogre might need a snack.

Greeting the new member of their little group, Renata said, "Hey there, I'm Renata. Happy to have you with us...Nipper, was it?" She assumed that she was one of the few members of the group that didn't have a good grasp on the geography of the Wasteland, but she still felt better to have another person that had been living out here. Particularly one that he wouldn't throw a fit over if she got to within five feet of him.

Xan turned and waved at Nipper as Renata took a moment to speak with him.
Smiling up at the stranger.

Nipper returned the automata's wave. He had seen other automata wandering the wastes and a few at various settlements, though he had never seen one similar to the model that accompanied Renata,

Moving a bit closer to the lady, "Aye, at least that what most call me."

He looked around a bit as they walked. They were still relatively close to Thornwood, so chances of trouble were slim but still best to keep a watchful eye. "It's good to met you. Could I ask ya a couple questions?"

"Well sure. I'd be happy to field your questions. Though I do have to warn you, I'm not exactly the most knowledgeable about these parts. This is only my first time outside of the Vault. And if I'm being honest, I'm only still around because of Xan here," Renata explained, gesturing towards her small friend as they walked.

Xan lowers her head and looks down at her feet her head moving back and forth a bit.

She remained silent but smiled a little bit.

After traveling for a while Big Eye takes a turn off the main road, down what looks like it could be an occasionally used side path, but nothing big enough to notice on its own, more likely just a flatter spot that the wagon he is pulling can manage more easily.

The environment the party has just left involved a lot of bushes and shrubs and grass, perhaps because of sand blowing inland from the nearby beaches.

The closer one gets to Anchorest, however, the more pine trees start showing up-- small and well-spaced at first, but of increasing density. This is just barely starting to happen, but it's happening more once Big Eye leads the party on the detour from the no-longer-maintained-at-all main road.

This path is flatter, though, and more easy-going, and Big Eye knows, from the last time he came this way, that it'll lead back to the main road in a mile or two.

...But then you hear a noise... like something's moving out there in the bushes and foliage and tall grass...

(Anyone may feel free to roll Insightful to try to localize and/or identify the noise. There might be consequences for anyone who blows their roll, though.)

In reply to The GM (msg # 103):

Telric had talked nearly non stop. About anything. From a combination of 20 years of historical facts of the area...much of it doubtful in its accuracy. For a while he does not even notice Nipper's presence. Finally he breaks from his endless chatter to discover the difference.

"Oh! I did not see you there! Telric, Telric Televentor. I assume you have met the others? I..." whatever he was going to say is suddenly silent as he seems to hear something.

ooc-18:55, Today: Telric Televenter rolled 9 using 2d6.  Insightful.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:40, Wed 08 Dec 2021.

Xan quirked her head when Big Eye took them off the road finding it odd. She kept looking back towards the road wondering why they needed to leave it.

She was so focused on the road she barely registered noise at all.



17:03, Today: Xan rolled 6 using 2d6-1.  Insightful.

Renata chuckled under her breath at Telric's antics. The man did a good job at endearing himself to strangers, even if only as a source of annoyance or humor. She could respect that. But with that startling sound, it seemed like Nipper wouldn't be the only fresh face today.

Renata Medb rolled 9 using 2d6+2.  There's a rustling in these parts... Insightful.

Telric and Renata each stop and listen. They hear a sort of crunching sound on the left... but they also hear movement on the right. The movement on the right sounds like the movement of one or more humans rustling around back there behind the bushes who don't want to be heard (but who aren't amazingly great at being quiet).

The nature of what's causing the movement on the left is revealed when an aquamind automata charges out from behind the bushes. "HOSTILE INTRUDERS DETECTED. COMMENCING ATTACK," it says, and it fires an icicle-bolt at Xan, hitting her.

(Her naturally tough exterior protects her some, but Xan still takes 1 damage.)

Xan winces.

Beep Bop Boop - "I will not allow you to harm my friend."

She raises her fists and turns to the aquamind. Making sure to keep herself between the Aquamind and Renata. She throws a series of punches towards the aquamind.





09:39, Today: Xan rolled 9 using 2d6+1.  Punchy Time.

(Roll 1d6 to see how much damage you do, Xan. Then I'll see about the aquamind's possible counterattack...)

In reply to The GM (msg # 107):

"Oh bloody hells!" Telric cries out, drawing a slingshot that had been hidden up his sleeve. He fires a rather accurate shot towards the bot's center mass. Shooting right over Xan's small frame.

"Big Eye! Your assistance would be most useful right now!" He says, backing up and reloading.

ooc-11:47, Today: Telric Televenter rolled 5 using 1d6.  Damage.

11:46, Today: Telric Televenter rolled 9 using 2d6+2.  Slingshot.

Telric will use up one ammo.

This message was last edited by the player at 16:51, Wed 08 Dec 2021.

(The aquamind, like Xan, is naturally tough, but Telric still hits it for 4 damage.

GM rolls dice...)

The aquamind fires a strong burst of water at Telric, but it doesn't hit him straight on, so it doesn't hurt him nor knock him down-- it just soaks him.

In reply to The GM (msg # 111):

OOC-can Telric sense if the water is curse-tainted?

Damage from Xan's Punching.



09:59, Today: Xan rolled 6 using 1d6 with rolls of 6.  Damage.

Wow! Xan's punchy assault does even more damage than did Telric's attack, and his had been a good shot (his last try, anyway). The aquamind is just about deactivated. ...But not quite yet.




(The water is not curse-tainted, because automata and their magicks are not a creation of the Cursefall, but simply "normal" military magic applied to lightly-armored metal shells. The water is simply summoned, to use a term of art, from the Elemental Plane of Water.

So to answer your question: can Telric tell that the water is safe? Yeah. Heck, wring out your clothes into a cup later and the odds are that it'll probably be slightly safer to drink than most water sources one finds in the Wasteland.)

A little bit slow on the draw, but decisive in effect Big Eye sets down the wagon almost gently and walks in the direction of the attacking Aquamind Automata.  Freeing the huge club from his back as he nears it he takes one overhand swing at the thing and crumples it like the giant can it is.

Nipper's questions would have to wait for another time. As was the norm the wasteland suddenly erupted into chaos. Moving back he brought up his crossbow ready to shoot if necessary. Though it was likely the ogre would easily finish off the automata.


OOC: Crossbow volley if needed.
12:40, Today: Nipper rolled 6 using 1d6 with rolls of 6.  Damage.
12:39, Today: Nipper rolled 13 using 2d6+3 with rolls of 4,6.  Crossbow volley.

Nipper's crossbow shot is absurdly unnecessary, as Big Eye destroys the aquamind beyond any hope of repair, let alone functionality.

At that moment, though, a human voice can be heard from (what is now) behind you (since you all turned to the aquamind): "Now! Attack!"

Five raiders come running out of the bushes to attack you, but since they (kind of dumbly) announced their intentions, you've got the opportunity to hit them before they hit you...
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:25, Wed 08 Dec 2021.

Having held back from fighting the automata because it seemed unnecessary with Big Eye crushing it, Renata was able to respond to the new attackers in kind. Like a light switch, she quickly cut in between their new assailants and Xan, similar to how her little friend had done for her. With little fanfare, she slashed her sickle across one of the raider's chests.

Renata Medb rolled 11 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 4,6.  Hacking and a Slashing. Forceful.

Renata Medb rolled 1 using 1d6 with rolls of 1.  I hope you don't get sick(le) of these damage rolls.

Well that was a letdown.

Small though the warning might be, it is more than enough for Big Eye to maintain his aggressive posture and follow through with the destruction of the first enemy by charging into the face of the new ones, club first.

In reply to The GM (msg # 117):

Telric shot another stone towards the foe. This time just clipping one of them. He then heads for cover as soon as he is able.

ooc-14:08, Today: Telric Televenter rolled 1 using 1d6 with rolls of 1.  Damage.

14:08, Today: Telric Televenter rolled 7 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 2,3.  Slingshot.

Using up another ammo. Heading for cover.

Shooting at foe with melee weapon.

This message was last edited by the player at 19:12, Wed 08 Dec 2021.

Turning quickly as the bandit shouts Nipper fires at the closest one as he instinctively backs away.

OOC:
14:11, Today: Nipper rolled 6 using 1d6 with rolls of 6.  Crossbow Damage.
14:11, Today: Nipper rolled 11 using 2d6+3 with rolls of 5,3.  Crossbow shot.

Xan hops a bit and turns startled by the ambush and feeling slightly sad at the destruction of the other automata. Still she had her friend to protect and so she turned again and rushed to help Renata.

Her feather like decorations spiralled and she hopped firing flachettes trying to keep people away from Renata.

The flachetes miss though.



12:28, Today: Xan rolled 6 using 2d6 with rolls of 3,3.  Agility.

--Renata's attack is shallow, doing very little damage (but at least she doesn't leave herself open to counterattack).

--Big Eye's opponent, for example, successfully counter-attacks.

(Big Eye takes 2 damage.)

--Telric barely clips his target, doing very little damage.

--Nipper's attack happens to be the most effective this time, not only wounding the man who'd been rushing toward him, but badly rattling the man-- the guy looks down at the crossbow sticking out of his chest like oh no...

Turning his attention fully on the unfortunate human who managed to score a hit, however minor, on him Big Eye slams his club down on the man's head like he is trying to split a log.

The man tries to jump backward, but he isn't in time. Big Eye's hit just makes the man fall backwards a few feet to the ground. He doesn't get up right away... He's probably seeing stars and hearing that shrill whine that one hears when one gets an instant concussion...

The other men sort of hesitate for an instant... This isn't going the way they'd hoped...
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:11, Thu 09 Dec 2021.

Good. They were starting to get scared. Losing someone tended to do that to a group. Would they try to cut their losses and leave? Renata wouldn't really mind letting them run with their theoretically mutated tails between their legs, but the adrenaline rushed through her, the blood pumped in her ear, and she wasn't the one with the sickle anymore. He whirled her body around to cut back into the raider's body, but his control was all too brief and she stalled in her attack towards the end. Distracted by her momentary loss of control, she left herself open.

Renata Medb rolled 8 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 2,5.  More Slashing, More Hacking. Forceful.

Renata Medb rolled 2 using 1d6 with rolls of 2.  Let's hope it's more than one point of damage this time!

Well I got what I wished for, I guess?

(20:35, Today: The GM rolled 4 using 2d6 with rolls of 2,2.)

Renata gets away with it. The man, sensing that this is it, no really, he could really die here, on what was supposed to be a pretty easy ambush, he's gonna--

He attacks, but is too cautious, and his sword-swing falls short of Renata by a good four inches...

Xan fought the man currently facing Renata to help her friend out.

Once again moving in to throw some punches his way. Sadly, coming up short.




19:38, Today: Xan rolled 6 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 1,4.  Punchy Time Again.

The man stumbles away out of fear-- but when he strikes back against Xan, he gets lucky. Not near as lucky as if he'd been attacking out of bravery instead of blind panic, but still.

(Xan takes 3 new damage (already adjusted for armor and other factors).)

Watching as the raider struck Xan, Renata's sympathy for the man ran out. Grey eyes turned cold as she maneuvered around her friend to reach the raider once more. Sinking her sickle into the man's shoulder with a sickening slice, she and he finally agreed on something. The man would die today.

Renata Medb rolled 9 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 3,5.  Doubt we'll get a good roll three times in a row, but whatever. Forceful.

Renata Medb rolled 2 using 1d6 with rolls of 2.  Well hey, would ya look at that. Damage.

With his first opponent lying on the ground in the timeless classic defeated pose Big Eye steps over it with one long stride and slams his club into the chest of one of the other heavily engaged opponents, not unlike the kind of lunge one would expect a human to be able to do with a light fast sword.

Sprinting back from the oncoming bandits, Telric moves with all due speed. He was running out of space and they kept coming. However, his next stone struck home with a meaty sound of a solid hit.

ooc-22:36, Today: Telric Televenter rolled 4 using 1d6 with rolls of 4.  Damage.

22:36, Today: Telric Televenter rolled 7 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 1,4.  Sling at most wounded.

Takes -1 stress.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:36, Thu 09 Dec 2021.

The chaos of combat was something Nipper had grown up with, anyone who grew up in the wastes had seen it at one time or another. With a calm emotionless expression reloads and shoots the raider again.

OOC:
07:59, Today: Nipper rolled 6 using 1d6 with rolls of 6.  Crossbow damage.
07:58, Today: Nipper rolled 12 using 2d6+3 with rolls of 4,5.  Crossbow shot.

Xan continued to help out winding up in an almost cartoonlike fashion and swinging and throwing a haymaker at one of the remaining attackers.

Beep Bop Boop - "Stop being bullies."



07:04, Today: Xan rolled 9 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 2,6.  Pummeling time.

07:05, Today: Xan rolled 6 using 1d6 with rolls of 6.  Damage from punches.

--Renata hurts her opponent a little more, and again his counterattack fails.

--Big Eye smashes the raider nearest to Nipper, and Telric finishes the same opponent.

--Nipper then hits Renata's opponent... they go down.

--Xan attacks a raider, and messes 'em up badly.

That did it. Raider morale was already shaken, but now... Xan's raider doesn't even try to counterattack... he just runs-- and advises his comrades to do the same. "Runnnnn!"

One does.

One starts trying to get up so he can run.

The other two just lie there.

Do you pursue?

Attempt to make sure the raider attempting to get up doesn't get away? Neither? Both?

With another one down Big Eye once again turns his attention to the wider battle, just in time to see one of them fleeing, and without a moment's hesitation charges after the soon to be unfortunate man, walloping him with the club once before tripping over some kind of hole in the ground the more agile runner easily avoided.

Renata was on the rising man in a moment, sickle pressed against his neck. "Speak. You don't have to die today."

Big Eye knocks out one fleeing raider, but the other gets away.




"What... what do you want me to say...?" the raider says groggily. "Uh... don't kill me? Please?" A little more thought. "And uh... also don't feed me to your ogre? Or the ghoul? Please?"

"Was this your whole group? One of you got away. Where are they going? And do you have any good reason why I shouldn't rip open your throat and wet the land with your blood? You could be a fine offering for Mab." Her voice sank into a growl, sounding wrong and somehow disconnected from her body.

Pulling himself free of the mud Big Eye first retrieves his club and puts it back in the sling holder on his back in what probably looks like a combination of strength and agility, but is really just a lot of practice, then picks up the fallen body that was a running person and carries it and all its stuff back over to where the majority of the others lay and tosses it down like the ragdoll it now is.

Xan seeing the situation handled moved over to the crushed Aquamind and she picked up some pieces looking sadly at the smashed automata.

Taking off her back pack she put spare parts and pieces into it.

She then found a spot on the cart to sit, dangling her legs swinging them slightly while the others spoke. Her hand moved to where she had been damaged.

Continuing with his salvage and collection efforts Big Eye picks up the whole, or most whole parts, of the crumpled aquamind's metal body and tosses it into the wagon, from the softer bodies he takes everything, every scrap of cloth, every piece of metal, or food, leaving them discarded and nearly naked husks for the animals to sort out later without so much as a nod in the direction of any kind of concern.

"There's a few guys back at our camp that didn't come here because they're already wounded and working on healing up. The other guys--" Big Eye brings back the now-unconcious runner he caught. "...The other guy is probably just running for his life, but I imagine he'll go back to camp when he calms down, if he doesn't run into more trouble. Please don't sacrifice me to your goddess." Ah, so he's heard of Mab! Renata (and a quieter voice inside of her) is/are pleased.

Big Eye finds:
--1 healing potion
--1 medical kit
--a few swords
--a few other odds and ends that don't matter to him, but which might have some resale value (a good pair of boots, for example. Too small for Big Eye, but who doesn't need a good pair of boots, as long as they fit?)

He chuckled in her voice. "Good to know you're not a total heathen. Who knows, maybe she'll like someone who knows her. One more question. Do you have anything of value at your camp? A Tome of Water Purification, perhaps?"

Renata's head felt cloudy and she fought the urge to blink in confusion. She'd wanted to be threatening, but when trying to go over what she'd said so far, she'd been almost bloodthirsty. Something wasn't right, but her body refused to calm down. Was it him?
This message was last edited by the player at 16:26, Thu 09 Dec 2021.

Nipper quietly reloaded his crossbow and moved off to the side to keep an eye out for any other possible dangers. He had little care for what happened to the raiders. Much like him they had made their choices and would have to live and die with them.

Telric proceeds to looks for the ammo he used up during the fight, and then he assits Big Eye in looting the corpses. Obviously searching the pockets of dead people waa something Telric had done a lot of in the last 20 years.

He also moves the recently dead away from the group, knowing recent death would attract predators. Not to mention Big Eye needed more food than most. If his friend needed to eat a dead foe in order to survive, Telric would not object. However, the two humans now travelling with them may have some squeamishness, and he did not need such silly morality getting on the way of Big Eye's survival.

Not generally interested in the fate of the corpses themselves Big Eye strips the last one down of all its stuff, leaving the pile in the wagon noticeably larger than before but likely nowhere near full, and extracts some of the food supplies to munch on while waiting for the others to finish their various post battle tasks.

"Uhhh... not really...?"



"What of th' what-what? ...What's a 'tome?'"

Renata waved her free hand dismissively. "Nevermind that, then. The Tome's just something I- It's not important. I guess though, if you don't have anything else to say... There's no point in keeping you...keeping you..." Renata trailed off, that bad feeling getting even worse. A cloudy weight sat upon her head and began to expand to her throat. She felt sick, like she needed to move over and throw up all over the earth. What was she saying? "Keeping you..." she repeated, not sure she could say anything else. 'Alive?' Was that it? She'd wanted the other raider dead, yes, but that was in battle. There wasn't any reason to kill this one, was there?

No. That was what he wanted, right? She was not going to give in. Steeling herself, she concluded, "Here. Keeping you here. No point in that. You're free to go." With a not insignificant amount of effort, she pulled back her sickle, unholstering and raising her hand crossbow at the same time. "Get out of here, and don't try that with us again."

The raider, weakly, stands up... gathers his strength to run off... but pauses to make sure this isn't just a cruel jest, that someone'll put a crossbow bolt or toss a club into his back as soon as he turns around to run...

...From the pile of dead, there comes a weak groan. Well what'd'you know, they weren't all dead after all...
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:59, Thu 09 Dec 2021.

Xan scootches over when Big Eye comes to place things in the cart.

She hops down.

Beep Bop Boop - "Renata are you ok ?" She moves over to check on her friend wide expressive eyes looking at her.

Satisfied with how far away the raider had gotten, Renata lowered her crossbow and slipped down onto the group. When Xan approached, bleary grey eyes drifted to her smaller friend's face. "No, Xan. I'm not," Renata answered honestly, "But I will be, don't worry. I just need-" She winced. "Need a moment to get myself together. I almost did something that I didn't want to do again. But it'll pass." Pushing herself into a seated position, she offered Xan a hand. "Thank you for checking on me, little buddy."

For a moment, she wanted to get up off the ground and go to the groaning raider. But she wasn't interested in letting him get her to almost kill another person in their custody.

Xan took Renata's hand.

Beep Bop Boop - "I am here for you."

She stood sturdy to help Renata up when she needed it.

Telric, now done with seaching corpses, moves over to the suddenly groaning and living body. He sees a very alive bandit run off. He looms ready to pull his sling and nail before he gets out of sight, but then sees Renata had let the man go.

"I should point out he could be part of larger tribe which raids this area. And he might come back with larger numbers."

"He could've been lying, but he said that their camp mostly had their wounded, trying to heal up. If they come back around, it'll be a while with any luck. Besides, another one already got away, so raider revenge was already on the table. And who knows? Maybe letting two or three live will let them know we're not to be messed with, but merciful enough to not seek revenge from."

This was good. Talking was good. Her head felt less foggy with every moment. As long as she didn't try to get close to Telric, she should be fine after a bit, if disoriented.

Accepting Xan's help in getting up, she offered a "Thank you, Xan," before continuing. "What I do know, if you think we need to take care of this larger tribe, is that now we have two sets of tracks to follow. For now, at least," she concluded, eyeing the horizon. She didn't know much about the Wasteland, and that extended to the weather. Would there be a strong enough wind or rain soon that would erase the tracks? She had no clue.

Watching Telric begin to ready his sling Big Eye turns around to see what he is looking at, only then does he notice that one of the attackers is running away, and still wearing at least most of his stuff.

”Follow, more salvage?”

In reply to Big Eye (msg # 156):

"Maybe, but if there are more I doubt they will give up without a fight-wounded or not. It might be best to leave them to their fate and let the Wasteland decide what happens to them. That way at least it won't be our hands that sheds their blood. Plus, looking at the gear we got I am fairly sure we have the best of what they could offer." Telric suggests to his friend, and then he looks over at the others. "Besides, don't we have someplace to be?"

"Couldn't agree more, Telric. But we should still figure out mister shoeless over there before we leave." Renata gestured at the not-so-dead raider with her sickle as she holstered her weapons.

Xan after making sure Renata was ok looked to the others.

She then walked over near the groaning raider.

Beep Bop Boop - "What should we do ?" She inquired looking to Renata and the others.

Big Eye seems to accept Telric's preference, if perhaps not quite understand his reasoning, well enough and returns to the wagon where he promptly starts pushing it along the road again, more like a giant hand cart than the way any horse would be willing to operate the thing.

Nipper had watched the questioning of the raider without comment. It was apparent that Renata was not completely in charge of her wits at all time. It almost seemed that she may be somewhat possessed?

As the question of the remaining raider came up he shrugged, "Leave him. Either he survives or he doesn't. Let the wastes decide his fate."

Telric moves to walk alongside Big Eye. His sling at the ready and his eyes looking for more potential ambushes. He seems somewhat deflated now that he can't go on...and on...and on with his endless stories. Too much of a chance his voice could carry across the Wasteland and draw more raiders to them. Still, he could save it for camp tonight.

Xan seems curious about the way people are applying sentience to the wasteland. She looks at Renata curiously. Tilting her head in questioning fashion.

Off to the west, the land gently rises.

After 30 or 40 minutes, in one of the increasingly-brief spots where the view in that direction is unobstructed by trees, the group sees, in the distance, a giant scorpion fighting a dire bear.

One one hand, they're over 100 yards away, and so if the team just keeps walking north, they should have no problems with the savage combatants, nor, presumably, the winner of the conflict (if any).

On the other hand, Telric and Nipper know well how valuable dire bear meat and hide can be... as well as how valuable a giant scorpion's stinger is...

There is, therefore, a temptation to surreptitiously move closer, and attack the winner of the battle...

In reply to The GM (msg # 164):

"I am betting on the scorption! That thing's posion is so nasty it could take down a whole pack of dire bears!" Telric whispered excitedly. He seems eager to find the results. "With any luck, the two will kill each other letting us harvest both!"

”Yeah. That would be my bet too. Maybe we should stick around, with any luck the bear will make the kill and then die from poison.”

He watched for a second as the two fought. ”We could sneak closer and be ready to take out the winner. Just have to keep an eye out for any other dangers the fight may have attracted.”

Setting the wagon down so they can remain at least somewhat quiet Big Eye settles in next to Telric to wait.

”I take winner.”

Xan stands near Renata quietly.

Scuffed and a bit beat up from the last combat. She looks to the others then out towards the combat between the beasts with interest. Her eyes wide.

Renata cocked her head. "Are these fights where both creatures go down common in the Wasteland? I've got to admit, I'd have thought that the winner would still be able to fight afterward." Noting the curious look in Xan's eyes as it shifted towards interest, she spoke up again, "Did you have a question too, Xan?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:37, Sat 11 Dec 2021.

Beep Bop Boop - "I am just surprised how big they are. They look scary."

Then after a little while, "Don't worry I'll protect you."

Renata's lips quirked up. "Thanks, Xan. I really appreciate it. You're pretty good at punching people. Just try to keep yourself safe too, alright? For me, please? The Wasteland would be a worse place without you in it."

Xan looked up at Renata with big soulful eyes.

Beep Bop Boop - "Thank you for caring about me too. I do need to self repair sometime soon. I really am glad you found me." She smiled warmly.

In reply to Xan (msg # 172):

Telric over heard the conversation between the two. However, the advanced magical gear that kept the little girl running was far beyond anything he could do. "By the way, Xan, I dont suppose you can self repair if we find you raw materials?"

Xan smiled looking over to Telric. Her head bobbled in his direction.

Beep Bop Boop - "I gathered some spare parts from the Aquamind. I should be able to self repair during a rest period."

(You're a little over 100 yards away... how close // how much closer do you try to get..?)

Big Eye doesn't seem to be worried to much about the distance, even if one of these things escapes the other is still valuable enough. He just gets behind a big enough rock to hide his considerable bulk, and waits for the first stage of the fight to conclude.

Telric stays close to Big Eye. He readies the sling, possibly taking aim at one of the creatures if they get too close. However, he has no intention of firing unless one of them kills the other.

(Hmmmmm, Telric, roll Insightful please)

In reply to The GM (msg # 178):

ooc-12:48, Today: Telric Televenter rolled 7 using 2d6 with rolls of 6,1.  Insightful.

...Wow, the bear won.

...The more important news, though, is that as soon as it wins... it sniffs the air... turns...

Maybe the wind changed or something, but it knows you're there. It starts loping toward you... not amazingly fast, though, because it's already somewhat injured...

Still concealed behind the big rock Big Eye waits for some kind of signal that the ambush is ready and the bear in position.

In reply to The GM (msg # 180):

"Dammit! Now I lost the bet..." Telric mutters, doing a perfect shot with his sling and nail the bear between the eyes. If this bothers the animal, its barley noticable...

OOC-natural 12, utterly crap damage. is there anything I get for rolling so high? other than not being attacked and not losing ammo. Maybe I could stun the bear for a bit?

14:21, Today: Telric Televenter rolled 1 using 1d6 with rolls of 1.  Damage.

14:21, Today: Telric Televenter rolled 14 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 6,6.  Sling at the bear!

Not the most auspicious start to an ambush but it is a start of sorts.  Rather than catch the bear head on Big Eye doesn't begin his attack until after the first stone is thrown and ends up taking what opportunity is available to swipe at the creature's flank with his club as it brushes past him.

(GM rolls dice)

The dire bear, enraged, turns and swipes at Big Eye, but, already in problematic shape from its scorpion fight, it misses.

Of course, if we hadn't expected the bear to be wounded in the first place, we wouldn't be doing this, so I guess everything's sort of going according to the plan so far...?

Xan's eyes widen.

She draws a line with one little foot. She stands before Renata.

Beep Bop Boop - "Oh no, it's headed this way. Should I engage ?"

"If you think you'll be alright, go for it. I'll be right there with you," Renata offered, raising her sickle once more. Normally, she'd be readying her crossbow, not wanting to get in close with a bear of all things. But if Xan was going to get in close, then she should too. If she held back with her crossbow, there was a chance her poor aim could be catastrophic for her smaller friend.

Beep Bop Boop - "I have my flachettes."

Xan's feathers spun and aimed at the bear.


09:29, Today: Xan rolled 8 using 2d6 with rolls of 3,5.  Feather Barrage.

09:30, Today: Xan rolled 1 using 1d6 with rolls of 1.  Damage.

(Since you are an Automata, and cannot run out of ammo, you must choose of the remaining two options...)

I am placed in danger.

Xan has to move closer to the bear to hit it, and she only barely does. (Get it? Barely? Bear-ly? Get it? Eh? Eh? Wakka-wakka!)

(GM rolls dice...)

The bear swipes at Xan, and technically hit her... but it's barely a scratch and doesn't hurt her, since she's already sort of technically wearing metallic armor...

(Barely a scratch! Ah? Ah? Wakka-wakka!!)

^_^ Wakka wakka

Following in behind Xan, Renata waited for her moment before slipping around her friend to slice the bear up.

Renata Medb rolled 8 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 5,2.  Hack and Slash. Forceful.

Renata Medb rolled 3 using 1d6 with rolls of 3.  Bearly scratching the surface. Damage, Wacka Wacka. Figures that the unbearable puns have given me the most damage I've dealt so far. I suppose there are wurs(a) things that could happen.

Eh, Wakka Wakka.

With the majority of the group engaging the bear up close and personal Nipper was a bit hesitant to use his crossbow, only a small bit though. Taking aim he fired at the critter scoring a reasonably good hit.

OOC:
12:18, Today: Nipper rolled 4 using 1d6 with rolls of 4.  Damage.
12:18, Today: Nipper rolled 10 using 2d6+3 with rolls of 1,6.  Crossbow.

Big Eye keeps hammering at the bear with his giant club, the next swing connects squarely with its tail as it turns away to fight someone else, a solid hit against an insubstantial target that likely does little to the bear's overall combat capability.

(GM rolls dice...)

The dire bear roars and stands up on its hind legs to sort of lunge at Renata... but doing so uses too much energy. When it flops back down, it misses her (barely).

This poor dire bear is just about done... but it's too, well, dire to try to run for it... It's clearly going to do its best to go out fighting... but it's really slow...

In reply to The GM (msg # 195):

From a safe distance, Telric utterly fails to strike the gaint thing with his sling stone...

ooc-12:50, Today: Telric Televenter rolled 5 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 2,1.  Sling at bear. Ammo lost?

Xan tries to bop the bear in the snout. Letting her fists fly.

Beep Bop Boop - "Why can't you be a Teddy Bear ?"




10:53, Today: Xan rolled 11 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 5,5.  Flying Fist.

10:54, Today: Xan rolled 6 using 1d6 with rolls of 6.  Damage from punches.

(GM rolls dice)

The bear attacks Telric... but Xan's punches stop it in its tracks.

Her autonomous assault is too much for the dire bear... it expires.

Already swinging the club again Big Eye lets it bounce off the things backbone even as it dying, no doubt adding more insult than injury to the situation again.

Once it is clear to him that the beast is truly dead he turns his attention to the scorpion that while not fighting may not be quite as dead.  Regardless of the condition he finds it in Big Eye hits the thing's head at least once with the heavy club to make sure.

Xan pats the bears head.

Beep Bop Boop, "I am sorry but you were going to hurt my friends."

She backs up to stand at Renata's side again.

Well that had all happened rather quickly. Taking a moment Nipper surveyed the area as the ogre made sure the scorpion was not a possible threat.

"Hopefully all the chaos has not attracted any other critters or worse. If someone would stand watch I will help with the bear and the scorpion."

Always best to have someone on watch when in the wastes.

"Thank you Xan. That looked like it might be painful." Telric says, chucking a rock at the bear corpse to make sure it's really dead. "In any case, Nipper is correct. We need to keep an eye out....no offense Big Eye...while we gather said animal parts. Not to mention I could use some help gathering stones for my slingshot." He glances over at Renata. "You seem to have excellent perception and quick wits. Maybe I can call on you for my quest for ammo?"

Renata let out a long, sharp whistle, taking a gander at the bear corpse. "Can't say this was how I was expecting my first time seeing a bear to go. But hey, glad nobody got mauled. And I know I've said it before, Xan, but those are some impressive punches!



Trying to hide a guilty grimace while she kept a bit of distance, Renata faced the man. "Can't say anyone's ever called my wits 'quick' before, Telric. But sure, I don't mind helping out. You've got a sling there, right? You using rocks for it, or is there some other ammo we should be looking for?"

In reply to Renata Medb (msg # 203):

"Anything round, aerodynamic, and hard will do, thank you. The more balanced the better, but I have learned not to be picky about such things." Telric replied.

Bobbles her head and smiles at Renata and Telric.

Beep Bop Boop - "Happy to help."

She looks down at her little hands for a moment then moves off to help picking up random rocks to show the others.

With the scorpion quite dead Big Eye starts pulling off exoskeletal plates, starting with the biggest undamaged ones, and sets them with the inside up to dry in the hot wasteland heat and sun.

(4 and 5 = 9. Partial success.)

Looking together, Telric and Renata find enough rocks to mostly refill Telric's ammo bag... but not completely.

(Telric, refill your sling ammo to 2/3.

Y'all have found all the good rocks you're gonna find in this area.)

Soon the party has
--1 adult giant scorpion stinger
--1 bear hide (or will once it's been properly tanned and stuff)
--3 units of dire bear meat (raw, at the moment, of course. Not that that's necessarily a problem for Big Eye, if he's really hungry, or, if we're pushing it, for Telric)

In reply to The GM (msg # 207):

Seeing how his ammo pouch was not full, he gathered anything he could use sling wise, even if it was less than perfect.

OOC-getting a second bag of crap stones.

Returning with the stinger, and a few plates that might serve as cooking or dishware even if they don't sell, Big Eye picks up some of the scraps of bear that don't cut into pieces suitable to be packaged for travel, and promptly stuffs them in his mouth still warm from the living beast.

(So:

----Weights:
--1 adult giant scorpion stinger: 1 weight
--1 bear hide (or will once it's been properly tanned and stuff): 2 weight, will be 1 weight when properly tanned
--3 units of dire bear meat (raw, at the moment, of course. Not that that's necessarily a problem for Big Eye, if he's really hungry, or, if we're pushing it, for Telric): 1 weight each
--1 bag of poorly-aerodynamic stones: 1 weight total, 3/3, give -1 penalty to hit

Of course, I realize that if we put things in the cart, the weight doesn't matter so much right now... but you may not have that cart forever...)

Xan wipes her hands off on the bears fur to clean them some.

She lowers her head feeling bad that she didn't find the right type of rocks the group needed.

Checking over her equipment for a moment, Renata stood over the group's spoils. Pointing at the varried goods in turn, she seemed to be counting. "I've got enough room in my pack to take the rest of the meat or the hide and one other thing. I know we could just toss it all on the cart, but it could be good to distribute the merchandise between us so as to avoid the cart becoming a target."

Big Eye wraps up the bear meat in the bear hide, not entirely unlike where it came from, and sets the whole thing in the cart, along with the stinger.  Once loaded he starts pushing the cart along again, trusting that everyone else is fast enough to keep up.

Walks over to Renata.
Beep Bop Boop "We did good right ?" Tilting her head a little.

Exhaling, Renata began trudging along behind the cart. She felt a bit silly to watch everything get placed in the cart after she'd offered room in her sack, but she supposed it made sense to use the cart while they had it.

Nodding at her friend when she approached, Renata confirmed her statement. "Yes we did, Xan. The Wasteland should be ever-so-slightly safer for travellers now and we have some nice things to sell or use on top of that."

Telric went over the new goods, barley containing his glee. "This is an amazing haul! We are going to be rolling in it! We need to make sure we sell off tiny chunks of bear meat to maximize profits!" He quite nearly breaks into a dance of joy.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:45, Sat 01 Jan 2022.

Never one to waste words Big Eye keeps the wagon moving as the others try to sort out the details, only bothering to give the Ghoul the same reminder he has many times to keep their priorities on track with not only money but also the concerns of the living in order to use it.

”Eat first, sell later.”

Nipper moved along not far from Renata and Xan. "You were right about spreading out the spoils. Though I suppose not many are going to risk confronting an ogre."

"At least this way we are less impeded should we need to run."

After the attempted ambush and then the scorpion and bear, Nipper was keeping a close eye on their surroundings.

(Okay, I have no plans to have you run into any more trouble before night falls.

Someone-- anyone-- roll Insightful to find a good spot to camp for the night.

First person to roll for it, that's what I'm going with)

"Less impeded should we need to run, you say? I suppose there's some truth to that, but needing to run is what I'm worried about. With the goods in the cart, I'm hoping we won't have to abandon it at some point."

Renata Medb rolled 11 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 5,4.  Finding a safe place to hunker down for the night. Insightful.

Everyone's keeping an eye out for a good place to make camp, but it's especially Renata who keeps saying "let's just go a little further... just a little further..."

And indeed after the third time she says it, it turns out to have been, indeed, a good idea. You suddenly find a spot that is so good, it seems that the Brotherhood of Steel must use it now and then when they take this road.

(Renata, describe the new campsite and explain what makes it particularly ideal.)

Not long after her third repeated assurance that there was something just up ahead, the group came upon a...large rock in the road. As if by instinct, Renata approached the rock and began turning her head back and forth between the left and right sides of the rock before spying...something. A patch of decaying plant life, left holding out beside a small, innocuous hill. Grabbing a significantly smaller rock from the road, she approached the hill. With a drooping finger held behind her, she cautioned the rest of the group away.

Upon reaching the plant life, Renata gently brushed dead plant after dead plant beside her before she was face-to-face with an underground cavern. Leaning against one side of the cave's mouth, she hefted the rock in her hand and tossed it inside with the precision of one that had done this before many times. The rock clicked against the rock inside of the cavern, but no other sounds rang out. Confident that there were no untoward visitors, Renata pulled back to gesture the rest of the group over.

As they all made their way inside, Renata's eyes slowly adjusted adjusted from the twilight view outside to the darkness of the cave. Within, there was a large, circular area with what appeared to be a raised platform of wood in the center and several benches (pews) surrounding it, though few remained in one piece. There seemed to be a few haphazard holes at the top of the makeshift room that could theoretically allow some light in come morning, though it was now too dark to tell.

Renata ascended to the raised platform, (no, that is for the preacher) before immediately stepping off and turning to face the group, her grey eyes cold and devoid of youth and her mouth wearing a wide smile that did not fit her face.

"This hidden cavern should keep us safe for the night. Our church has seen better days, but it welcomes you all the same."

...was this still Renata?

I hope it's not too much, but this place is nice mostly because it's hidden and provides shelter from the elements. I'm assuming that plenty of travelers have found it, including the Brotherhood of Steel, but I'm also assuming that most people aren't gonna say anything about it because that's just make the place less safe. Also, He definitely thinks that His old group was the only one that knew about it. There's also places to sit that aren't the ground! I mean, it's wood, but that's still nice. Being able to tell when daylight happens would be nice too, but if that's too much, we can just not do that.

Sure is great that Renata's feeling better now.

Xan looked around the cavern walking this way and that as if pacing it out.

After a while she came back to Renata standing at her side with a smile.

Letting the others go in first Big Eye slowly and carefully pushes the wagon up the hill so as not to risk it slipping or breaking, then turns it around and walks backwards into the entrance to use the wagon as a half effective barricade.

By the time he turns around his one big eye seems to be much bigger and might even reflect a bit of the dim light at the right angle, but in any case it is clear he adjusts to the darkness unusually well.

(It's not too much.

As a reward for good description, I think I'll make there be no risk of anyone coming and messing with y'all tonight in here.

Feel free to use the Rest move at this time (but just once, even if you rest for 8 hours).

--REST:
When you rest for a few hours (at least 4), you may roll 2d6 plus your Forceful modifier.
--10 or better: You get 2d4+1 HP back.
--7-9: You get 1d4+1 HP back.
--6 or lower: you get 1 HP back.)

Telric congratulates Renata on her excellent work at finding the rest spot. "I am gonna put this one on the map!" He said, taking off his travel pack and pulling out a map he has made over the past few years. It had come in handy throughout his wanderings.

Xan starts taking out parts to help repair herself during the rest period.
She remains in good spirits.
Humming to herself as she worked.


10:18, Today: Xan rolled 9 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 6,2.  Healing Repair.

10:19, Today: Xan rolled 5 using 1d4+1 with rolls of 4.  Healed Damage.

Having almost avoided being injured in not one but two fights, Big Eye settles in to take the first watch.  Sitting on the floor near the entrance rather than risk breaking one of the wooden benches he leans against the wall and relaxes his muscles in the typical rest position of those accustomed to unexpected immediate conflict.

Renata(?) pointedly looked away from the ghoul, a refusal of his existence without a hint of her earlier shame towards the subject. However, the human made no effort to halt him from making his record of the place. As far as He knew, His church wasn't around to benefit from the cavern as they used to. Judging from the disrepair, either there hadn't been any survivors or the remaining members simply hadn't made their way through the area in a while. What would be the point in preserving the space now? Posterity? "Bah!" the being that might or might not have been Renata barked at the wall, where once their preacher had scratched out plans for a sermon, the wall worn down day after day, forming a dent as though a bull had charged headfirst into it. It was good to be back in control of the body that was HIS, by Mab's will, even though that cursed Renata had gotten Him into such a...sticky situation.

Caught on a road trip with an ogre and a ghoul of all things. Sure, He could whip out the girl's little farming tool and chop him to bits. It would be so easy without that pesky girl around to stay His hand. But no, that would undoubtedly incur the wrath of that ever-watchful Eye. No, He had to be smart and stick with the group until He could find that fool preacher and kill him right back. He would just stay up and about with the overbearing ogre to show He only meant goodwill. But first...why not thank the little robot for keeping His new body from ending prematurely?

Quirking her head down to look at Renata's little friend, He crouched down to her level before crooking Renata's head back up to face her. The smile He stretched across her face moved nary an inch, and yet the voice behind still seemed to be...stumbling somehow. Grasping onto the wrong words. "You seem well, little Xan. I just wished to extend my gratitude for your assistance in maintaining this body here. It has not gone unnoticed."

Nipper slowly circled the room, taking in the details. He was a bit on edge, the place seemed to only have the one entrance aside from the small holes allowing light in through the ceiling. And that was now blocked by the cart and the ogre, partially anyway.

And aside from that Renata had now taken on what seemed to be a totally different attitude. He was beginning to wonder if he should have taken his chances outside.

Finding himself a spot on the far side of the room he settled down attempting to rest. “So Renata, how is it you know of this place? Seems a bit secluded.”

"Shush! Shush!" Renata(?) shook her finger. "Do not say her name now. I might be able to respect how that stubborn cuss has been holding out on me, but here? In our old churchgrounds? Where we hid night after night when the Wasteland got cold and monsters roamed? She has no power here. Tonight will be as Mab intended. I can only hope it is I, Josiah Jordan, the most humble and loyal healer of Mab, that wakes up tomorrow."

In reply to Renata Medb (msg # 231):

Telric stares at the odd comment coming out of Renata. Granted he had heard the others ask her strange questions, but he had been paying more attention to the various trying to kill them. Now it sounded like she was putting on a play...or something was very off. He had seen ghouls lose themselves as the brain rot set in over the years.

"Is...everything alright, Renata?" He asked.

Xan tilts her head regarding her friend.

After settling in with the wagon Big Eye opens up the bear skin on top of it, fuzzy side down, and begins the grizzly task of cleaning off what bits of the animal are still stuck to it.  Unlike the methods used by most humans he just picks off the bits with his fingers and sticks them in his mouth.

Unconcerned by the rantings of those same humans and with only one point of focus he doesn't bother engaging in whatever noise making they are up to now.

"Gah! What did I just say, ghoul?!" Renata(Josiah?) snapped at Telric, "That girl needs to give up on my new body so I may use it in full! I grow tired of needing to worm my way to the surface and I will not have some monster wake her back up!" Exasperated, he slunk her body back up to a standing position. "But, to answer your ignorant question, yes. Everything is alright now. Finally."

In reply to Renata Medb (msg # 235):

Telric raised a barley there eyebrow. "Did anyone notice Renata getting hit in the head or something?" He asked the others.

Beep Bop Boop - "I did not notice that during our battles." She looked to Renata concerned. Realizing she hadn't protected her friend as well as she thought.

Nose turned upwards in what seemed to be disgust and frustration, Josiah(Renata?) said, "The robot is correct. For all her faults, I have to admit that my stubborn host has done a good job avoiding damage to my body thus far."

When Telric suggests, intentionally or otherwise, hitting Renata in the head Big Eye at last takes notice, and turns away from the bear skin he had been snacking on.

Blood and a few strands of flesh stick to his fingers and leak from the corner of his mouth as he rises to his full height and begins a slow, more casual than cautious, approach from behind the Ghoul, stopping just behind and off to his left in position to either loom or lash out at anything that decides to turn the conversation into something else, his single eye focused on Renata.

Nipper looked at Renata a bit bemused. Either she was attempting a very weird joke or something was seriously wrong. A second personality or possibly some sort of possession.

Leaning back against the wall he decided to follow along in the direction of the current conversation. "So Josiah. If you don't mind a couple questions. How is it that you are stuck in the ladies body and not your own? Sounds a bit troublesome to me."

Completely ignoring the looming ogre, Josiah (possessed Renata?) casually spun around to face Nipper. "Thank you for using my name. So hard to find common niceties in the Wasteland these days. As for my...current condition...you see, my old body is, shall we say, indisposed. I don't remember it all clearly, but there was a ghoul attack and our joyous leader took the opportunity to strike me down in the confusion. I cursed his name as I passed on to the next life, only to find myself not in that paradise with Mab. Instead, in her gorgeous wisdom, Mab had deigned me worthy of another chance! Another life! Reincarnation! An opportunity to find that dastardly fool and wrench his head from his shoulders! But it seems my vessel didn't get the memo and she stuck around past her expiration date."

Xan was confused by this talk was Renata playing make believe.
She tilted her head this way and that.

Beep Bop Boop - "Don't worry Josiah, well get them."

Josiah clapped Renata's hands. "Thank you too, little robot! I appreciate the sentiment."

Telric raised an eyebrow. "So...what you are telling me is your wormed your way into Renata's body. Like an illness? Gotta say, it sounds very...ghoul-like to me." He says, readying a sling and dagger behind his back, just in case. He makes sure One Eye sees him do it.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:51, Fri 14 Jan 2022.

Big Eye notices Telric's glance and asks him for clarification about what to do in such an odd situation.

”Which one good?”

Nipper remained seated with his back against the wall, using his throwing knife to pick stuff out from under his nails.

Looking up at Josiah, "So how is it you ended up in this body? Was there some sort of ritual or just a random happening?" He was trying to understand the situation and if possible the reasons behind it. But being from the wasteland and with no formal education it was a bit confusing. "And though I think I may have heard Mab spoke of at some point. I'm afraid I know nothing of the religion. Could you possibly give us some info on her?"

Xan tilted her head this way and that.

She looked around at the others.

Beep Bop Boop - "Should I be someone new, too ?"

"If you feel someone from the other side coming back and trying to use you as a vessel, yes, of course! I don't know enough about other situations to say. Though I wouldn't appreciate the additional competition!"



All pretences of a smile faded instantly from Renata's face. Josiah growled at the bottom of his host's register, an ill-fitting glove that wavered between pitiful and almost-intimidating. "How dare you? I am no ghoul! This exchange of souls was sanctioned by the most brilliant of all gods! I have a higher purpose! Accepted by Mab! I do not cling to life beyond what is necessary."



Recomposing himself, Josiah pointedly turned away from the ghoul in an attempt to spurn him. Returning Nipper's gaze, he replied, "I must admit that I do not recall the specific happenings of my rebirth. It was a traumatizing experience, dying, you see. But the gods work in mysterious ways, you see, and Mab is the most mysterious of them all. She is the one of things most ancient and wild! Of madness and wisdom! Berserking and elders' tales! I cannot speak for all sects, but our most humble church took care to live among the land and pass down as many stories as can be. We had cracked the code, you see, and figured out that what Mab wanted was for a beauteous intersection of madness and wisdom! For it is only when we can explore the inner depths of our minds that we can explore the great truths. And it is only through exploring those great truths and filtering their wisdom through to our lives that we can make ourselves understood by the masses! This way, we can pursue both without getting lost in either!"

He coughed.

"This is where I used to say that we met on Thursdays in the old park at 7, but I don't think Thursdays exist anymore. Or the old park, for that matter."

"'Cling to life beyond what is necessary?' That sounds like every Ghoul I have ever spoken to, including the one I see in reflective surfaces. The difference is...you died. I never did. Not all the way like you. I also did not steal someone else's life to keep going."

He thought about something the man had said earlier.

quote:

"That girl needs to give up on my new body so I may use it in full! I grow tired of needing to worm my way to the surface and I will not have some monster wake her back up!"

"Renata, come back to us. We can help you against him. We can get you to Cleric, or whatever else you need. Don't let this...thing take control. It's your life-don't give it to someone long gone."

He whispered to Big Eye. "We need to take her alive."

Beep Bop Boop - "You are all really good at make believe."

She tilts her head back and forth and then makes sure to pack up her bag for when they are all ready to head out again. She wondered who she should be now was Renata pretending to be a ghoul ?

"Nnnnno, no I have told you to stop saying her name! I have had to be awake and fighting for this all day and I will not allow this golden opportunity to go to waste! Do you how little she sleeps?! She slips under, now, here, of all places! How could this be anything but divine? I have divine right to this body and so I know, no matter how long it takes, good will out! I will get my chance to make it right and crush that man's head in the palm of my hand!"

And what was that robot saying? Make-believe? The gall. To treat this like some pompous acting troup-hold on there. Acting. Maybe he could...then they might let him be?

"Oh thank you, dear, uh, Zan? Xon? Xan! I'm quite glad you've enjoyed my performance so fa-a-ar-" A cough and a wheeze and he could hold her voice no longer. "Curse it." He just couldn't hack it. It didn't sound right and it hurt too much to speak in her voice. So much for that plan.

In reply to Renata Medb (msg # 251):

"Renata, come back. I won't let him steal your body from you, RENATA. Even if I have to tie you up and gag you, RENATA. Which means he won't be killing anyone, understand...RENATA?" He kept saying, with extra emphasis on each use of the woman's name.

While clearly more than a little confused, Big Eye doesn't loose his club from the harness that holds it on his back, and makes a point of staying between Renata and the only exit.

In reply to Telric Televenter (msg # 252):

"Stopitstopitstopitstopitstopit! Enough! She's not here! Not here, I say! I'm supposed to be here! I don't want this! Stop, leave me alone! This is my body!" Josiah (Renata?) spilled over onto the ground, cradiling his (her?) head. Groaning, he (she?) continued, "Oh great, now you've done it. I'm not going to just leave! She's awake again...I'm not going to leave! this is my divine right! I'm supposed to be...here...I'm here..."

Renata fell out flat onto the ground, unmoving. Slow breaths came in and out.

Xan clunks over to check on Renata.

Beep Bop Boop - "Oh ! Does anyone have aspirin ?"

In reply to Renata Medb (msg # 254):

Telric heads over to her, making sure her hands where not on any weapons. Assuming she does not stop him, he disarms her, attempts to bind her, and moves her to the cart. After grunting a bit, he calls over to Big Eye. "I could use some help, please..."


Assuming he gets said help, he plans to makes space to lay her on the back of the cart. Still making sure she is disarmed.

Xan jumps and stops Telric from tying up her friend.

Angry Beep Bop Boop - "Why are you pretending so mean ?" She will lift Renata.

Beep Bop Boop - "I will carry her."

In reply to Xan (msg # 257):

Telric stops, and bends down on one knee, so he can look Xan in the eyes. His odd miky whites met her crystal constructed orbs. "This is not playing. Renata is sick. If you keep watch over her, you need to make sure she wont hurt herself or anyone else. Can I trust you to be her friend and make sure she is safe...even from herself?"

Beep Bop Boop - "Sick ?" She looks at Renata and her face somehow emotes sadness. She then nods.

Beep Bop Boop - "I will protect my friend !"

In reply to Xan (msg # 259):

Telric makes room on the cart, and gestures to Xan to place her upon it. He makes sure to disarm Renata. "You need to tie her to the cart, and not untie her unless you tell us frist. Can you do that?"

Beep Bop Boop - "I don't understand, why do we need to tie up a sick friend ?" Looks to Renata. Her bobble head lowers a bit.

In reply to Xan (msg # 261):

"Because that man that was using her mouth to talk may hurt us or hurt her. I trust you, and I trust Renata. I dont trust him." He said.

Her eyes get wide then she ties Renata up.

Beep Bop Boop - "Like a corrupted elemental in a construct. I didn't think that happened to people." She placed her small hands on her face and shook her head in a bit of stress but then sat on the cart next to Renata.

Letting the construct carry its friend Big Eye removes the bear skin from the cart along with the meat and anything else needed to make space.  When that is done he helps maneuver the unconscious body in, then sits down to watch for any more suspicious behavior.

Renata's sleeping frame made no moves as she was disarmed and moved about. It did not appear she or he would stir again in the night.

Telric checks on Renata again, and then turns back to the others. "I will take the first shift, and then someone else can take over. We need to keep an eye out there and on her. Tomorrow we can let her go if she shows signs of improvement. We still need to get her to one of the local villages."

Xan keeps her eye on her friend Renata as they move along.

A concerned look on her face.

After resting sufficiently himself Big Eye wakes and settles himself into a place where he can see the wagon and the entrance at the same time, even with just one eye, until morning when he wakes anyone else still asleep by pushing the wagon out the door into the dawn's light to begin their travels again.

It's a dark morning, as mornings go, with the sun hidden behind heavy clouds. Still, it doesn't feel like it's likely to rain... maybe tomorrow, though...

(Let me know when you're ready to proceed trav'lin' down the road to Anchorest...)

In reply to The GM (msg # 269):

Checking on Renata after he wakes, he tries to find the balance between restraints that work vs restraints that are too tight. Then he prepares to leave with the others.

Blinking awake from the movement of the cart, Renata(?) yawned and moved to stretch her arm...only to find that her arm wasn't doing a great job of moving. A few more attempts at struggling around told her she was trapped, tied up. Looking around, she found herself...in a cart? A cart that was currently rolling along at a steady pace.

"Crap."

She was being kidnapped. Frantically, she looked around for the others. Her captors might not have noticed that she was awake, which could lend her the element of surprise. But she knew nothing of their forces and had no idea whether her allies were also captured, left behind, or...left behind. Renata found that she did not want to imagine how these bandits might have mangled Xan. She hoped that her friend was still safe and around in some form. She knew the Wasteland was dangerous, but Xan was so small and kind. She was probably far older than Renata and definitely more experienced, but she couldn't help but feel responsible for her friend.

Not more than a few moments after the bear skin begins to stir Big Eye sets the cart down and peals back the part over Renata's face and looks down at her with his one central eye for a little bit longer than seems strictly comfortable.  Then he looks away and speaks to the others he is still traveling with.

”Awake.”

Xan notices and hops excitedly, Beep Bop Boop"Your ok."
She clunks over.

She looks for Telric, "She's ok." She looks to her friend her eyes wide.

Telric nodded at Big Eye, and then patted Xan on the shoulder. He did not want to jump to conclusions. He had been roaming the wastelands for 20 years, and had seen plently of madness. Those had always been...explainable. More natural.

This? This was something else. Foul magics that involved the dead. That is, other the the normal foul magics he dealt with on a daily basis for being a ghoul.

He gestures for Big Eye to keep he cart going, but he walked around behind the vehicle. Looking at Renata with concern, he looked at her face, studying it. Waiting for her to say something. It might be the only way he would know who was behind those eyes...

Renata sputtered when the skin was removed from her face. That was...Big? So he was fine! The rest of them were...just...walking along? And looking at her?

"Xan! You're alright! When I woke up, I was worried! I thought maybe bandits but...But you're fine! And...I'm okay? What do you mean, I'm okay? Did something happen? Were we attacked?! And why-why am I tied up?!" She tried to gesture towards herself, an action made difficult by her inability to move her arms. Looking between Telric and Xan, who both seemed to be staring at her, she continued, "I'm sorry if I nodded off early or something last night, but that's no reason to tie me up!"

Xan hugs her friend.

Beep Bop Boop, "You were make believing as someone scary."

In reply to Renata Medb (msg # 275):

"Is it you? Can we trust you?" Telric says, his eyes hard. He stares at her, trying to decide one way or the other. Then, something occurred to him. "Can you say your name, Renata?" He asked.

Renata tried her best to hug Xan back, but mostly only succeeded at shuffling her shoulders and craning her neck. "Make-believing?" She whispered, trying to piece something together.



"Telric? What do you mean? My name? Of course I can say my name!" she huffed, "I'm Renata Medb and I'm gonna kick you in the face if you don't untie me! Well, if you got a little closer, I mean. I think I can move my ankles a bit, so it won't be much of a kick, but I swear I'll make it count! You can trust me on that, at least."

Her eyes drifted downward. "I know you probably can't trust me much more than that, after our little incident yesterday in town. It's not much of an excuse, but I have a...problem. Yesterday was particularly hard for me, but I feel better now. Current threats of my boot caving in your face aside, I don't want to hurt you. And if nothing else, I'd never hurt Xan. You have to trust that."

Beep Bop Boop, "Please let me untie her. She is not pretending anymore."

In reply to Renata Medb (msg # 278):

Telric smirked. "It's her. I am going to release you know, and give you back your weapons. Please don't kick me in the face." He moves slowly over to Renata, and assuming she does not attack he proceeds to untie her. Then after a few moments checking weather or not she kicks him, he proceeds to hand back her items. "What is the last thing you remember?"

Helps untie her.

Renata valiantly made several attempts at taking her boot to Telric's head, but tied down, her efforts were fruitless. Eventually, she gave up in order to be untied. Accepting her odds and ends, she reholstered her weapons and stored everything else away. Finally free, she moved over to give Xan a proper hug. She was glad to have found a friend as good as her out here.

Leveling a glare at Telric, Renata stared for a moment...before letting out a sigh. Her face softened into something between a cheeky grin and a half-hearted sneer. With a barking laugh, she said, "Oh, don't count me out just yet, Telric. I'll smack your face with my shoe eventually. I'll swear that on Mab. Thanks for giving me back my things. And untying me." With a groan, she began to stretch her arms. "Ahhh, that feels better. Now, the last thing I remember? That was last night, of course. We were walking around after that scorpion and bear situation and I think we were trying to find a place to lay down for the night. Did we find anything nice after I conked out? And...what's the problem? Why are you looking at me like that? What's all this talk about 'make-believe' and 'pretending,' Xan?"

Renata stopped for a moment and swallowed.

"Did I do something? Wake up in the night?" The humor was gone from her voice.

In reply to Renata Medb (msg # 282):

Telric's face got a bit grim. Well, it was always grim, but that is why he wore the mask. No one wanted to see the lower half of his face. Especially him.

"You said your name was Josiah. You said you wanted to kill someone. You said you wanted to erase Renata as a person, because Josiah had died and taken your body for his...its...use. Only by saying your name, your real name, caused you pass out. Even Josiah would not say your real name."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:18, Mon 24 Jan 2022.

Beep Bop Boop, "You were this odd fellow, the wrong elemental in your chassis is the way Telric kind of explained it."

Nipper had kept his distance, both thru the night and during the morning as the walked. When Renata began to stir he found himself a spot nearby but out of sight. With the conversation that followed it seemed that Renata had no memory of Josiah taking control.

“Even a wastelander like me can tell you have a serious problem Renata. Question is what do we do about it, can’t say I’ve ever met anyone who could deal with your problem.”

"Josiah. Oh Mab, no, Josiah?! He was here?! Crap! Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap..." In an instant, Renata seemed to lose her cool. She paced around back and forth. "A-and he told you his name? I...You need to tell me what happened. Did we go anywhere? Did that man say anything? Anything specific?"