Session 15 summary

Things in the wasteland are about to change, as war breaks out between the two most powerful factions in New California... which role will our heroes play in the conflict to come?

Featuring:

- Dexx: Young thief, trying to leave behind his former life in the street gangs of the Boneyard to make a living scavenging out in the wasteland;

- Rhiannon: Vault 21 outcast, skilled engineer and adventurous spirit adjusting to life on the outside, with a mission to retake her vault;

Our heroes left behind the biosphere and began the journey home, making their way down the mountains and back south towards the Hub. Among the possessions retrieved from the Keepers they found a mysterious note from a man named Siggurd and something called the New Order.

After four days of travel the group reached Junktown, where they discovered that in their absence some major events had began to take form. As they learned from a paperboy pushing special edition copies on a street corner, some days earlier a baggage train of the NCR army was raided, leaving no survivors. Evidence seemed to indicate that the Brotherhood of Steel was involved somehow. Before continuing further south the next day, Dexx paid a visit to the local doctor to have his nasty wound looked after.

Three days of uneventful hiking later, they entered the sprawling trade town that is the Hub once more. Drinks were had to celebrate their safe return, and a preliminary division of the spoils made in respect to their helpful guides. The five of them would meet again the next day at the Far Go Traders headquarters, to present their evidence and claim the promised reward.

The Traders’ foreman Butch, wasn’t unambiguously convinced by the personal belongings and crate they had dragged all the way back to the Hub, but decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. Half the reward money was paid out, and at Butch’s request they went down to the central police station and made their statements. As soon as the official investigation would yield conclusive results, Butch promised to make good on the other half.

Whatever hopes they had of enjoying a few days of quiet, were dashed quite suddenly as a crowd began to gather in the town square. From passers-by rushing toward the center they learned what had happened; the president had declared war on the Brotherhood of Steel. Rhiannon, Dexx and Craig slunk away from the disquieted mass of people as small groups broke out in nationalistic songs and spirited flag waving. As patriotic citizens began to march through the streets on their way to enlist, the three of them settled for a quiet bar, planning to take it easy for a couple of days, and already starting to think up plans how they could make a profit on this war.

Session 14 summary

Where our heroes escape from the dangerous Shining Temple...

Featuring:

- Dexx: Young thief, trying to leave behind his former life in the street gangs of the Boneyard to make a living scavenging out in the wasteland;

- Craig: Pacifist Super Mutant, seeking peace in a life of spirituality out in the desolate wastes; formidable hunter and medicinal healer;

While his friends returned to the biosphere in search of fresh water and medicinal plants, the seriously injured Dexx, met up with their two guides Al and Frank, who had stayed behind to cover the approach from the village. Having learned a little first aid on the dusty trails, Frank cleaned the wounds to the best of his abilities and bandaged up the nasty wound one of the giant insects had inflicted on their unfortunate companion. In the meantime Al had spotted a second group of villagers making their way up the mountain, and the three of them had to come up with a course of action soon or risked being overwhelmed. When the villagers had almost reached the summit, they noticed to their dismay that some of them came bearing rifles and pistols. Dexx tried talking their leader, the robed man called Asarum, out of storming up the mountain, but his threats were received with scorn and derision. Dexx then noticed some figures creeping nearer, sprinting from the cover of one solar panel to the next. The three of them realized they wouldn’t stand a chance against the Keepers’ superior numbers, and prepared to fall back to the temple. Just at that moment Craig and Rhiannon, their newfound robot companion Mr. Floaty and Iris, the captured woman from the village, came out of the greenhouse. Al, Frank and Dexx ran as fast as they could, the villagers hot on their heels. They all ran into the small vestibule, feverishly trying to find a way to block the doors. While they instructed Mr. Floaty to go cut some wood in the jungle, Iris made use of the general confusion to try and slip out the doors. Craig tried to stop her, reaching for her leg, but all he was left with was a dirty moccasin as the woman ran out to freedom. Barring the outer and inner doors as well as possible, they gathered in the small clearing in the jungle beyond the vestibule. Realizing the Keepers might break through at any moment, they decided to put as much distance between them as possible and head deeper into the jungle. Hoping to find another way out or force an exit somewhere if need be, they ran in the direction of what Iris had called the abode of the Old Ones.

Traversing the narrow jungle paths, keeping an eye out for carnivorous plants and other things lurking in the brush, eventually they reached a small doorway set in the metal walls they had observed from outside the building. Past the entrance lay darkness, only the emergency lighting providing small pockets of bright red light. Going in, they found themselves in a set of living quarters, everything covered in a thick layer of grime and rotting leaves. From the looks of it, no one had been using them for many years. They took a few moments to explore the different rooms, hoping to find anything useful to help them in their escape, with some degree of success. In the neglected infirmary they found a few remaining healing and radiation chems. Meanwhile Rhiannon, looking through the storage room for useful parts, found a curious laser pistol, forgotten in an equipment locker. Appraising it, she came to the conclusion that in all likelihood the unconventional weapon was solar powered, which would make it an extremely rare and lucrative find indeed. They also gathered some potentially useful spare parts and a heavy machine part, planning to break through the glass walls of the temple, putting it in the capable robot arms of Mr. Floaty. In a corner of the boiler room they found a half filled fuel barrel, which they decided to use for refueling the robot’s empty flamethrower tank. In the meantime Dexx, having looking through the remainder of the rooms, had found a working computer terminal in the systems control room. Eager Rhiannon set to work, trying to restore the terminal’s functionality. Unfortunately the memory decay and corruption seemed to have progressed too far even for Rhiannon’s computer savvy, and she only managed to retrieve some ancient logs from the biosphere’s original research staff. As there was no other way out from the quarters, they made for the central clearing again, trying to find a way into the temple’s Inner Sanctum.

Heading back, they happened upon two villagers going the other way. Our heroes managed to hide out of sight, but the hapless Mr. Floaty hovered on, drawing the attention of the two men. They began examining it, trying to remove the junk our heroes had loaded on it, when Craig gave the robot the command to attack. The robot sprung to life again and hit one of them over the head, leaving one of the terrified villagers with a nasty bump. As the two seemed quite harmless after all, the party left their cover and walked up to them. The men turned out to be afflicted with some form of genetic disorder and only of childlike intelligence. After hearing their story of being attacked in the jungle by carnivorous plants, the party decided to let the two go their way again.

As the group pushed deeper into the jungle, following the path they hoped would lead them to the Inner Sanctum, they suddenly were beset themselves by four of these mutated plants. With their lethal thorn attacks they managed to seriously injure Frank and Rhiannon, while the rest of the party took them down one by one. Rhiannon’s wounds were so grave that she could not continue, the others decided their best hope was to turn back and hope to reach the entrance. It fell to the brawny Craig to carry his unconscious friend over his shoulder. Retracing their steps, they returned to the central clearing, only to find a small group of Keepers there, searching for them. Tough two of them were armed with rifles, their unfamiliarity with the weapons made them less of a threat than our heroes had feared, and after dealing with two of them, the other villagers fled. Not wasting time, the party made for the entrance, only to find more Keepers waiting for them there. With the recovered rifles from the villagers and the help of the imposing Mr. Floaty however, our heroes quickly managed to cut a path through them, leaving the survivors to run away into the thicket.

Craig, Dexx, the unconscious Rhiannon and their guides left the biosphere and descended down the mountain, hoping to retrieve their belongings and escape the demented Keepers. A short way down the path Mr. Floaty refused to go any further and returned to his station; with their engineer out of action and no time to spare, the party had little alternative but to let their robot companion go. Without encountering another soul, they made it to the village, to find the square equally devoid of life. They burst into the common house where a few of the village women had remained behind. The distraught women quickly complied with our none too happy heroes, returning them their belongings which the Keepers had taken from them. Still in need of the evidence they had come looking for in the first place, Craig and Dexx also grabbed the bag holding all different sorts of personal knickknacks and an empty crated branded with the Far Go Traders logo.

With this the five of them left the village, leaving behind the Keepers, their unique temple and its mysterious god, preparing for the long way home…

Session 13 summary

Where our heroes escape and explore the mysterious Shining Temple...

Featuring:

- Dexx: Young thief, trying to leave behind his former life in the street gangs of the Boneyard to make a living scavenging out in the wasteland;

- Rhiannon: Vault 21 outcast, skilled engineer and adventurous spirit adjusting to life on the outside, with a mission to find her lost mother and retake her vault;

- Craig: Pacifist Super Mutant, seeking peace in a life of spirituality out in the desolate wastes; formidable hunter and medicinal healer;

Rhiannon found herself in a most unenviable situation. Dexx had just inexplicably collapsed to the ground, impossible to wake up from his deep slumber, and she alone remained to face the ever-growing throng of villagers that poured into the building. Quickly she grabbed Dexx’ pistol that had fallen at her feet and cautioned the approaching men, each of them brandishing a spear, to stay back. She was caught with her back against the wall: the only possible way out was the trapdoor in the corner of the wattle and daub building, though this could equally be a dead end. Asarum, the robed man who seemed to be the leader of the Keepers, checked the other villagers and promised Rhiannon that no harm would befall her and explained that they had not poisoned her friends, but merely sedated them as a precaution. He assured her that her friends would have the highest honor visited upon them: the blessing of the one they call the Resplendent One. Rhiannon put little stock in Asarum’s words, but was in no position to bargain. She demanded to keep her gun and never have her friends leave her sight while they were in the village. The hooded man agreed to these conditions, and two of the villagers started to drag the unconscious Dexx out of the building. As Rhiannon followed them out, one of the men clad in a long, brown robe suddenly stepped in front of her and barred the doorway, while four of the villagers came at her from all sides. Struggling to break free from their grip, Rhiannon was hit on the back of the head, and everything went black before her eyes…

Drifting in and out of consciousness for what seemed like days to their clouded minds, Dexx and Craig found themselves lying belly-down, bound hand and foot, in the center of the village. At one moment two of the Keepers came and searched them for any possession, taking everything they found, though they missed one of the knives Dexx had cleverly hidden away in one of the many pockets of his outfit. Dexx could hear the Keepers talking amongst themselves and learned they were to be taken up the mountain, to the temple, before a deep, dreamless sleep took hold of him again. Some time later, Craig briefly woke up as one of the robed men came to feed them a white paste he scooped up from a small wooden bowl, forcing it down both their throats. Too weak to resist, Craig too succumbed to sleep again.

The next morning they were rudely awakened by two of the robed men, striking them with the butt of their spears, ordering them to get up and start walking up the mountain. Three of the villagers stood ready to accompany them as well. The Keepers left the ties on Dexx and Craig, making it impossible for them to go any faster than a slow trot. The villagers took them by the arms and, half dragging them along, began to escort their captives up the mountain path, toward their temple, the large, pre-War structure shining in the early sunlight.

Meanwhile Rhiannon awoke in total darkness on a hard, rocky floor. Slowly she started to feel her way around the place, using the light from her PipBoy, and discovered she was in a small, natural cave. Along the walls of the cave she found a storage space containing baskets of dried fruits, some bags which held a sizeable amount of money and various knickknacks. More importantly however she came across some sturdy wooden crates branded with the Far Go Traders logo. The crates contained various mechanical parts and equipment, which might prove useful. Trying to come up with a plan, she explored the rest of the cave, now armed with a spanner. In the far corner she made quite an unappetizing discovery. A few heaps of moldy organic mass were spread across the cave floor. Prodding one of them with the spanner it immediately crumbled. Worryingly the thought came to her that the piles seemed to be vaguely humanoid in shape. At the other end of the cave she found some rough-hewn steps leading up, with a trapdoor at the top. By now a plan had fully formed, and she set to work creating a contraption from a small pneumatic pump and some power cells, in the hopes of blasting the trapdoor of its hinges.

By now Dexx and Craig were halfway up the mountain, the summit steadily approaching. Desperately trying to think of a plan, their minds were still too hazy to think straight, and they felt very feeble from the substance the Keepers had made them eat. Craig briefly considered jumping over the edge and taking two of their captors with them, but thought better of it. Deliverance came about rather unexpectedly, as suddenly they heard the reports of rifles firing from far above, up the side of the mountain, and one of the robed men holding Craig dropped to the ground, bleeding profusely. Craig took advantage of the confusion that followed to hit the deck, taking the villager holding him from the other side down with him. Dexx hunched over and threw himself to the side, where the path met the mountain wall. More shots were fired and the second Keeper took a hit as well and, dropping his spear and stumbling back, tumbled down over the edge. At the same time Craig had rolled over, using his weight to keep one of the remaining villagers pinned down. One of the other villagers, a young, rather dirty and ugly looking woman had followed Dexx’ example and hugged the cliffs, cowering as another barrage was unleashed and the third villager was shot down. The last of the men still alive managed to extricate himself from under Craig and made use of a lull in the firing to start running down the path, back toward the village. A final salvo followed, but missed the fleeing villager. When the shooting came to a halt, Craig and Dexx made use of the spears dropped by the Keepers to cut their bounds. The young woman meanwhile had remained in her hiding place, not daring to move a muscle, and begun to cry. Dexx used some of the rope to tie her up in turn. The woman, Iris, begged them to let her go, but they would have none of it and planned to drag her along up to the temple, as going back down to the village didn’t seem an option to them and they hoped to find Rhiannon there. Turning their attention to their mysterious saviors perched up high on the mountain side near the summit, they now recognized the shooters as their guides Al and Frank, who had stayed behind when the three of them had gone up to the village. The two young lads shouted down for the others to meet up with them at the end of the mountain path, near the spot where it came closest to the Keepers’ temple.

Having finished her jury-rigged device, Rhiannon decided to try and break out of the cave. She placed the contraption right underneath the trapdoor, quickly ran down the steps again in case the whole thing went terribly awry. But sure enough, the improvised pneumatic hammer blew the trapdoor wide open, sending it flying of its hinges. Her spanner at the ready, Rhiannon waited a few moments in case any guards came running down, but only one of the local women came, saw what had happened and ran off, shouting for help. Time being of the essence, Rhiannon ran up the steps and through the house, upon exiting which she noticed the woman had already caught the attention of a few of the village men. Rhiannon decided to make a run for it, across the open space of the center of the village, toward the wooden gate where the path leading up the mountain began. Quickly she dashed across, while three villagers ran to intercept her. Intimidating she pointed her PipBoy at them, warning them to back off or get shot by her laser. Her bluff worked masterfully on the technologically unadept men, causing to stop dead in their tracks. This bought Rhiannon enough time to make for the gate, while the villagers started following her again after some angry upbraiding from their leader. Rhiannon ran as fast as her legs could carry her up the path, but slowly the hardy villagers caught up with her. She decided her only option was to make a stand, even though she was only armed with a spanner; it would prove more than sufficient. The first of the men to catch up with her made a wild swing, missed and left Rhiannon the perfect opportunity to retaliate. Bringing the spanner down with all her might she shattered the villager’s collar bone and sent him staggering back, right into the gaping chasm next to the path. By now the second villager was harassing her, throwing a few good punches but unable to get her to lower her defense long enough to get a punishing blow in. Dodging his blows she was alert enough to notice the third villager approaching, stepping out of the way of his running tackle in the nick of time. With an underhand swing she swung the spanner in the villager’s unmentionables, making him drop to his knees gasping in pain. Trying to keep the third one of her, he managed to recover his senses and tried attacking Rhiannon in the back, but she swung around and cracked the man’s skull with a sickening crunch. Seeing both his friends fallen, the last villager tried to overcome her in his rage, but his wild, sloppy attacks only hastened the inevitable. Having dispatched the last of them, Rhiannon quickly continued her way up, hearing more villagers approaching in the distance.

Dexx and Craig had reunited with Al and Frank at the top of the mountain, along with their unwilling hostage Iris. The woman adamantly insisted they meant the outsiders no harm and that the Keepers were a peaceful community. After what had happened down in the village her words sounded hollow to them and Dexx, putting a knife to her throat, forced her to show them the way into the temple, as both of them now desired to have a few words with this Resplendent One. Al and Frank, the only ones with firearms, would remain outside, covering the approach to the summit from their advantageous vantage point. Iris led Dexx and Craig past rows of solar panels, some of which had been lowered and decorated as altars with bright paint and wreaths of flowers, toward the well-maintained greenhouse, in which they could now see a verdant jungle, almost reaching up to the roof of the enormous glass structure. She led them around the building and through two sets of double doors, and they emerged into a small clearing. The inside of the temple felt unbearably hot and humid and the air was alive with the sounds of untold insects and creatures. Past the small clearing the foliage became extremely thick, making the jungle nearly impossible to cross without the proper equipment. In the distance they could spy a giant tree close by, a hill and a cliff with a waterfall further down. Toward the edge of the jungle stood a defunct Mr. Handy, colorfully decorated like much of the place by the Keepers, which treated the Metal Wardens, as they called the robots, with a certain degree of reverence. Dexx decided it would be wise to check if there were any other entrances into the greenhouse first. Exiting the building, they were greeted to some good news as Al and Frank had spotted Rhiannon coming up the mountain, but their good cheer was quickly tempered as further down they could see a small group of villagers moving up the path as well. Dexx quickly ran around the temple, to his contentment finding no obvious alternate entrances. Rhiannon had meanwhile made her way up and met up with this rest of the group. They decided to wait there until the villagers had almost reached the summit, at which time Dexx shouted a warning to them to stay put or they would open fire. The small group of villagers, led by the Keeper Asarum, obeyed readily. The Keeper in return admonished them, forbidding them to enter the temple without having received the proper blessing first, and urged them to lay down their arms. Our heroes had little interest in Asarum’s words, and threatened to bring down the temple if the Keepers tried interfering or coming up the mountain. Grudgingly Asarum saw Dexx, Craig and Rhiannon leave, as the guides stayed behind to cover the approach.

As Craig and Dexx both felt the fatigue of their drug-induced unconsciousness and a gnawing hunger catching up with them, they made Iris show them the way toward the orchard where the Keepers got their food from. Rhiannon meanwhile, having given the disabled Mr. Handy unit a quick inspection, decided she could most likely get it going again with a little work and stayed behind to make the necessary repairs. Iris, seeing no alternative to obliging them, turned into one of the existing narrow paths leading through the trees, followed by Dexx and Craig. The trees and plants here occasionally blocked out the sunlight coming from above entirely, and Dexx and Craig had the unpleasant sensation that something or some one was moving in the trees around them. The fact that the Super Mutant discerned recent footsteps on the path did little to put their minds at ease. Iris deftly led them, and after following the twisting path for a while they reached a small grove, where a great many fruit trees grew at the edge of the forest. Craig picked up one of the baskets lying and started gathering the juicy green fruit, which Dexx first made Iris taste one of, just to be sure. As the sound of rushing water got stronger the farther they had gone into the jungle, they decided to continue down the path and draw some water from the river as well. By now they’d understood that the Keepers were entirely dependent on the temple for their basic needs, and as long as they kept them at bay, they could easily outlast them. So Iris guided them deeper into the jungle, down paths even she had not been allowed to travel by the initiated Keepers. On their way to the river they passed through another small clearing nestled between the trees, where some of the most succulent fruit they’d ever seen was growing on the branches. Dexx experienced an almost overpowering urge to grab some of it, but a wary Craig put a stop to it and dragged him along. The Super Mutant was ill at ease: despite being knowledgeable of most species of plants and wildlife in the wastes, everything he observed here was foreign to him, exotic marvels the likes of which he had never seen. What was more, the constant feeling of being watched by things in the trees only got worse. His suspicion turned out to be warranted, as while they were making their way through the dense jungle, all of a sudden a small group of giant mantises swooped down out of the trees. Dexx was caught off guard by the attack, as one of the mantises came out of the foliage on his left, and the creature mauled him fiercely as it jumped down on top of him.  Craig was ready for them however, dodging out of the way as they leapt on the path and with one fell sweeping blow crushed three of them. A fourth went for Iris, by the woman stood her ground as Craig rushed over to gore that one as well. The fight ended as suddenly as it had started, but Dexx had been gravely injured by the giant insects. As his pouch of healing herbs had been taken from him, Craig could do little more than bandage up the wounds as well as he could. Abandoning their quest for fresh water, they turned back to get Dexx out of the temple.

During this time Rhiannon had finished her repairs on the Mr. Handy unit, bypassing melted circuit plates with the expertise she had accumulated in her vault-dwelling days. Unfortunately the fuel tank had turned out to be empty, making its flamethrower unusable until they could find a source of fuel. She reprogrammed the robot, rechristened Mr. Floaty, to follow her along as she hurried to catch up with the others. On her own, she tried her best to make her way through the jungle, but along the path she took a wrong turn, leading her away from the direction the others had gone. Eventually she emerged on the southern edge of the greenhouse, where an array of power converters stood, connected to the rows of solar panels on the outside. She made a mental note of it as she made her way back and, as luck would have it, ran into the others as they were moving back to the entrance.

Dexx sat down to rest with Al and Frank, who remained vigilant at their post. While the others had been inside the temple, they had observed some of the villagers going down toward the village again, so now only three of them remained waiting on the mountain path. Concerned for the wellbeing of his friend, Craig decided they’d better try to find some clean water and if possible, some herbs or plants with medicinal use. With Iris as his guide and Rhiannon and her robot in tow, they entered the temple again and headed in the direction of a small creek Iris knew the location of. Again making their way through the tropical forest they passed along a great baobab tree, towering majestically above the other trees in the vicinity. Craig made sure to check if any of the villagers were near this Father Tree, as Iris called it, but to his satisfaction the surrounding area was empty.

As they continued eastward they passed a small patch of land where various strange, colorful plants and beautiful flowers were being cultivated in neat little rows, but none of them had healing properties according to Iris. Craig grabbed a bucket lying around and they carried on toward the water side. As they approached the mangrove swamp, they could see big flies the size of a man’s head lazily buzzing around, though the creatures seemed to have little interest in the travelers. The group reached the edge of the water without difficulty, where great gnarled mangrove trees stretched out their roots above the water, a quiet offshoot of the river that they could hear further ahead. Craig filled up the bucket and they returned to the second clearing, when the Super Mutant asked Iris to show them where the plants grow that the villagers use for their healing draughts. She said she only knew the general direction, but the woman took them down yet another path cleared through the jungle. After many more twists and turns the path rounded a small slope, covered in thick vegetation. From out of the brush there suddenly flew a couple of viciously sharp seed spikes the size of a hand. Craig, alert as ever, noticed the danger in time and dodged the spikes flung in his direction. To his surprise they came from a couple of tall plants that seemed to move entirely on their own, though rooted to the ground. He ran up the slope and with his mighty strength managed to break one of the plants’ stalk, causing the thing to stop twisting. Rhiannon followed his example and began wailing at another one of the strange plants with her spanner, while Mr. Floaty used his chainsaw arm to great effect on a third. The plant snapped under the barrage of blows from Rhiannon, but not before it wrapped two great leaves, both of which ended in long, nasty looking needles around her arm, injecting some irritating poison.

They continued along the path, passing by a small trail which according to Iris led to the abode of the "Old Ones", the temple's original inhabitants, before they reached a small vale at the foot of the hill they had spied from the entrance. Here some very large, squat red plants grew, the succulent leaves covered with a film of greenish moist. Craig cut off a handful of it, in hopes of using it to emulate the villagers draughts.

Session 12 summary

Session 12, where our heroes land themselves in a dire predicament...

Featuring:

- Dexx: Young but experienced thief, hoping to start a new, prosperous life as a scavenger after having recently left behind the street gangs of the Angel’s Boneyard;

- Rhiannon: Vault 21 outcast, skilled engineer and adventurous spirit adjusting to life out in the wasteland;

Not ones to remain idle for too long, soon enough the party planned to leave the modern comforts of the Hub behind and set out on the road once again, though which undertaking that would be exactly remained unresolved for the moment. In the meantime Dexx took advantage of the opportunity to stock up on new scavenging supplies and made a visit to one of the local clinics with Rhiannon to receive some overdue treatment for the radiation poisoning that still afflicted them. While there they listened in on a radio broadcast announcing the upcoming celebrations in NCR Capitol in honor of New Reno joining the republic.

It was a notice of a different sort that caught their attention however. While making their way back through downtown they came across a board, advertising various odd jobs of the local trading companies. One of them called for any able-bodied adventurers to visit the Far Go Traders headquarters concerning a caravan that had gone missing some weeks ago. Dexx was intrigued and after a little convincing, persuaded Rhiannon and Craig to go and have a look before they left town. They made their way over to the spacious offices of the Far Go Traders, one of the major players in the caravaning business, and were shown to a man named Butch, who explained to them the situation. About five weeks ago one of their smaller caravans, a dozen men and women and a few heads of Brahmin, had left to conduct some trade with a tiny, reclusive community high up in the mountains, called the Keepers. The caravan had been expected back two weeks ago, but it had not yet returned and there was no sign of it to be found anywhere. The Traders offered a sizeable reward to anyone who could provide them with some conclusive, material evidence of what fate had befallen their caravaneers. Butch sketched them a rough map of the seldom traveled route and sent them on their way again.

The group considered a little search-and-rescue to be right up their alley and decided not to waste any time, which would play into the hand of competing teams, and set out the next morning. Dexx used the rest of the afternoon to gather some more information on the Keepers Butch mentioned. After some probing he learned another minor caravan company had done some business with them in the past, and was pointed in the direction of the Desert Trail Trading Group. The Group kept their small office in the Merchant district as well, so Dexx, Rhiannon and Craig decided to pay them a visit in the hopes of finding out more.

The kindly old man in charge was more than happy to help, though he couldn’t provide them with much more information either. He had heard the Keepers lived near an old, most likely pre-War building, few in numbers and generally friendly enough to outsiders, based on the Groups admittedly limited dealings with them. As Dexx proved interested, he’d arrange for two of his employees who had actually met with the Keepers to come by later that day. A few hours later our heroes thus returned to the Desert Trail office and had another chat with Al and Frank, the two young caravaneers. According to them the Keepers were some sort of cult, interested in trading technology and parts for rare pre-War items they most likely salvaged from the large complex up in the mountains. Additionally they always seemed to have exotic fresh produce on hand, much more than their small community needed. After Dexx told them about the missing caravan, the two did admit that the last time they had traded with the Keepers their reception had been a lot less amicable than the time before. As the lads seemed a decent sort, Dexx took them up on their offer to travel along with the party as guides, in return for a modest fee.

So the next morning Dexx, Craig and Rhiannon - Paul presumably sleeping off a hangover in one of the local bars - together with their two guides set off northwards. Traveling lightly they made good time, reaching Junktown in a matter of four day. Stopping only briefly, Dexx made use of their time there to question the local traders about the missing caravan. He found out that the caravan had indeed been seen passing through the town on the way north, but had not been seen afterwards. Confirmed in their suspicions that the caravan must have met their end somewhere in the mountains, they quickly got on the road again, continuing along the caravan route between the Hub and NCR. After another day of travel they left the trail however, as instead of passing around the mountains they had to start making their way up. With the path soon becoming more dangerous to navigate before disappearing altogether, they praised themselves lucky they had hired the experienced guides. They could now catch the first glimpses of a large construction of steel and glass, nestled in the mountainside, where according to Al and Frank the Keepers had made their home. Two more days were spent carefully making their way along narrow, precipitous ledges, avoiding treacherous drops and pitfalls toward the snowcapped peaks and the building in the distance, basking in the bright sunlight. The mountains up to this point had seemed wholly devoid of natural vegetation and wildlife, but nevertheless they took their precautions. Setting up camp that night, they posted watches to make sure no unpleasant surprises would befall them, as they hadn’t yet discounted possibility of the caravan having been attacked by raiders holed up in the mountains. The night passed peacefully however, and at dawn they began the final leg of the journey to the Keepers’ village.

The group had to make their way up the flank of the mountain even further, following barely distinguishable paths which their guides knew to find, making the ascent much faster than if the party had been left to their own devices, though still not without danger. They spent half a day in this fashion, until they reached a bend in the path snaking up, around which the Keepers’ settlement waited. Reaching their destination had proved easy enough, but now came to light their uncertainty on how to proceed. Dexx discerned that some further reconnaissance might be in order, as their guides couldn’t provide much useful information on the settlement itself, and proved unwilling to go any further. Securing himself to some length of rope, Dexx began to scale the cliffs. Though the dizzying drop did give him a moment’s pause, the side of the mountain was easy enough to climb for a man experienced in making his way through the crumbling skyscrapers of the Boneyard. Eventually he reached a narrow ledge which he could haul himself onto and get an unobstructed view of the settlement below. The village was little more than a collection of tents and hovels, built on a small plateau along the way up the mountain. One larger building could be seen, close to the fire pit at the center of the settlement. A wooden gate at the edge of the plateau barred the way sloping down. Dexx spied very little activity in the village, guessing that at most two score people lived there. He made his way down again, relaying what he had seen. The group considered their different options: infiltration, subterfuge or simply going up to the village and try talking to these people. Rhiannon, never one for endless debating, eventually took the decision to go up to the village gates and see what happened. Dexx and Craig would stay behind, out of sight, as well as the two guides, which offered to remain a while longer in case the party wanted to head back toward civilization afterwards.

As Rhiannon walked up to the village by herself, her approach must have been seen as the gates suddenly opened and three men walked out to meet her, a man clad in a long brown robe, and two men carrying spear, following a bit behind him. Rhiannon was slightly repulsed by the man who started addressing her. Red spots covered his face, his nose swollen and his eyes puffy and bloodshot. After gruffly demanding to know who she was and if she was alone, the hooded man was willing to answer Rhiannon’s questions. He claimed the caravan had indeed arrived some three weeks ago and had left again after they had traded, and that was the last they had seen of them. During the conversation Rhiannon mentioned she was a skilled engineer, which seemed to hit the right note. The robed man immediately became friendlier disposed, asking her and her friends up to their village, so she could check on some malfunctioning technology for them. Rhiannon agreed, went to get Dexx and Craig and the three of them were ushered in.

One of the men then showed Rhiannon to the large building, where her skills where needed. Craig and Dexx remained outside, talking to the man in the brown robe. He told them about the village while he searched through some baskets, containing plenty of exotic fruits neither of them had ever seen. The man offered each of them a red-yellowish fruit, which they gladly accepted and began to eat. Still wary however, Dexx had begun to edge toward the large building to check up on Rhiannon, when he could suddenly hear sounds coming from within. As he began to run over to the door, he began to notice his jaw becoming stiff, and a feeling of paralysis slowly spreading through his body. As he glanced backward he saw Craig had fallen to one knee, losing his balance and keeling over, while from all sides the villagers slowly started to flock toward them. As the adrenaline kicked in, Dexx ran over to the door, just in time to see Rhiannon being dragged off by three of the Keepers. One of them, brandishing a spear, let go of Rhiannon’s legs and charged back toward Dexx, who nimbly dodged the jab and shot the man at point blank range. Rhiannon managed to free an arm and grab her dagger, almost immediately planting in the chest of the woman trying to twist her arm. Meanwhile Dexx had drawn one of his knives and put an end to the third villager. As more villagers came pouring through the door, Dexx and Rhiannon ran toward the back of the dark rooms. The walls didn’t seem particularly sturdy, giving rise to the hope they could try and break through them, when they spied a trap door in the corner. At least five villagers had now followed them into the building, with more gathering outside. After the rush of battle the narcotic effect of the fruit suddenly took its full toll; as Dexx tried pointing his gun at them in warning, it fell out of his limp hand, before he too collapsed, leaving Rhiannon alone, dismayed… to be continued!

Session 11 summary

Featuring:

- Craig: Pacifist Super Mutant, seeking his life purpose in tribal religious beliefs, undertaking a vision quest in the wasteland at the behest of his spirit guide;

- Dexx: Young but experienced thief, hoping to start a new, prosperous life as a scavenger after having recently left behind the street gangs of the Angel’s Boneyard;

- Rhiannon: Vault 21 outcast, thrust into the harsh, unknown wasteland, planning to retake her Vault and end the oppressive Overseer’s tyranny;

After a rough night out in the wilds, the party started once more early in the morning, continuing their way west along the deserted highway. Before long they encountered various other travelers, some of which were headed in the opposite direction. Dexx especially wanted to put as much distance between them and Landfill as possible, but Xena, the mercenary the group had met in Landfill, saw little of interest in their plan to head for the Hub. Thus she decided to tag along with a small convoy going east which they had met along the road. After a short goodbye they went their separate ways, perhaps to meet again before too long.

Down to four, Craig, Dexx, Rhiannon and Paul pressed on, and making good time, reached the NCR border before noon. A small border post, built along the ruined interstate, lay ahead of them, the Bear flag flying proudly above it. Dexx debated for a while whether it would be wiser to try and avoid official inspection, but in the end the group joined the short queue lined up near one of the manned windows. The bored-looking border guard halfheartedly welcomed them to the NCR and let them pass; to Dexx’ relief they managed to cross the border without being burdened with paperwork or taxed. Further ahead in the rest area they found without much trouble a caravan going in the direction of the Hub, which they were happy to join up with for the rest of the distance.

During the rather leisurely journey Dexx made use of the opportunity to have Rhiannon look over his ill-gotten gains, without however revealing their true origins. Immediately the odd, palm-sized metallic sphere drew her attention. Entirely smooth on the outside save for some illegible markings and a button, the device’s function was a mystery even for someone with her level of technical expertise. Though Dexx wisely cautioned her against pressing the button without knowing what the thing did, she went ahead anyhow. The sphere started flashing with a bright red light, fading in and out in intervals of approximately a minute. After the initial consternation, they decided it was probably not a bomb after all, and Dexx pocketed the object once more, hoping to learn more about it once they reached the Hub.

After three days the caravan pulled into the Hub, one of the largest cities of the known wasteland and the commercial center of the NCR. The group took full advantage of the fact, planning to browse the many weapon shops in the downtown district and sell off their excess weaponry and other finds. Rhiannon had the superior sales pitch, getting a good deal on selling everything as one package. Everyone was given their agreed on share, more than enough money for a comfortable few weeks. Paul immediately took off to invest his newfound wealth in the nearest bar, while the others decided to look for the man referred to as “Mad Pete” in one of the notes they found on the Ghoul’s PipBoy. Tracking Pete down turned out to be a fairly easy affair, as he was indeed to be found in the Falcon, a rather classy bar and hotel right there in downtown. Craig, Dexx and Rhiannon, now three, went over to the establishment and celebrated their success with a fine pre-War whiskey courtesy of Dexx.

Keeping an eye out for Mad Pete, they soon noticed a scraggy looking prospector of advanced years, already in high spirits even though it was just early afternoon, looking fairly out of place in the bar. The three of them took a seat at the table next to the man, and after a short introduction the old-timer was indeed the Mad Pete they were looking for. The prospector was quite the jovial and seemingly clearheaded fellow, not quite sure himself why the moniker “mad” had been bestowed on him. The years of digging around ancient ruins had left him with a sizeable amount of money, enough to comfortably retire. It took little prompting for him to start spinning tales about his former life as a scavenger. Some of the places Pete had visited, located far out east, weren’t familiar to them, and his description of a place called Dog Town especially caught Dexx’ attention. He gladly gave out advice and answered their questions, mentioning good places to visit and more exotic locales, said to be treasure chests for the enterprising scavenger. Despite his undeniable expertise, he couldn’t tell more about the mysterious object which had come into Dexx’ possession, though he thought he recognized the markings as Chinese script and suggested they’d take it to the Shi in San Francisco. Inquiring about the note from the Ghoul, Pete told them about his last scavenging mission to an abandoned military base north of New Vegas called Area 5, where all the others of the group had been killed and he himself barely made it out alive. After some more words of warning he drew them a rough map and wished them well on their further journeys.

Session 10 summary

Featuring:

- Craig: Pacifist Super Mutant, adhering to tribal religious beliefs, undertaking a vision quest in the wasteland at the behest of his spirit guide;

- Dexx: Young but experienced thief, hoping to start a new, prosperous life as a scavenger after having recently left behind the street gangs of the Angel’s Boneyard;

As the evening progressed, Dexx became more and more determined to make an attempt to break into Harlan Clint’s private office and steal some of the valuable items on display there, before leaving Landfill the next morning with the caravan from Two Sun. Dexx joined the group of traders, a few of which were having a few drinks at The Hill as well, at their table. Planning to leave the town as quickly as possible after the heist, he informed the dwarf Sébastian, the only one of the easterners to speak English, that he and his friends would meet the traders outside of town on the ruined I-10 highway. Together they’d then continue west along the interstate, heading for the Boneyard. The traders all seemed in good cheer, enjoying their beers after having been on the road for weeks and were more than happy to accommodate their new traveling companions. Having his retreat covered, Dexx began looking for some additional help to pull off the risky caper. Figuring he could trust Paul, Dexx provided him the details of the plan. Luckily for him, Paul proved a more than willing accomplice. The need to alleviate his boredom and especially Dexx’ promise to share the loot fifty-fifty was a powerful motivation, especially as Paul still owed him quite a few caps. Paul agreed to stand guard and if need be, create a distraction for the guards, or in the worst case, secure Dexx’ flight from the scene with violence. Dexx decided to ask Craig as additional backup as well, though not entirely sure if the Mutant would agree of his illegal activities. Craig was busy keeping the peace in The Hill as a bouncer, a job his robust physique was perfect for. To Dexx’ surprise the Mutant took very little convincing, assuring Dexx he could count on him. The three of them agreed to meet outside the bar in a few hours, Craig’s duties calling him as a few men were about to start a fight over a card game gone sour. Dexx opted not to tell Rhiannon or Xena about their nightly undertaking, instead just telling them to meet them at the highway the next day. The two women decided to call it a night, while Dexx and Paul then left the bar and waited in town for Craig to join them. Craig meanwhile had managed to break up the fight, which earned him some spiteful remarks from a couple of the locals who seemed none too pleased with having a Super Mutant around. The three men had left the bar after that, but around closing time suddenly appeared again to confront Craig. Unfazed the Mutant met their gaze and almost casually made an intimidating display of brandishing his sledgehammer. Two of them wavered immediately and made for the door, while the third, clearly jacked on chems, reached for a knife and lunged at the Mutant. Craig easily dodged the stab, grabbed the lout’s arm and twisted it behind his back, disarming him and making him fall to his knees in pain. He then picked the man up, carried him through the bar and threw him out onto the streets, with some satisfaction watching him fall face first and scurry off shortly after. After taking his leave of Donaldson, Craig went out and joined his waiting friends.

Under the veil of night the threesome walked through the deserted streets of Landfill, making their way over to the compound. As per the plan, Craig and Paul stayed behind on the outskirts of town, ready to create a distraction in case of Dexx were to be discovered by the patrolling guards. Just to be sure, Dexx strapped on the Stealth Boy they unearthed earlier, and started moving across expanse, about a hundred yards wide, which separated the compound from the rest of town. The dark, cloudy night provided the perfect cover and all seemed quiet ahead, with only a single guard positioned at the gates. As he drew closer however he noticed a light burning in a nearby building and, in the nick of time, a guard passing by a few yards in front of him. Narrowly avoiding the guard, Dexx continued along until he reached the buildings and sneaking from cover to cover, reached Clint’s office. Observing the patrol routes for a while, he timed a quiet dash around the corner to the front door of the office, his lock picking tools at the ready. The door was secured with a simple padlock, which due to the darkness probably took him a bit longer than it usually would have, but all in all it didn’t stand a chance against the thief’s years of practice. The latch bolt proved more troublesome however. Ill-maintained, the bolt jammed when Dexx tried to open the door, making it impossible to open it entirely quietly. Cursing under his breath for not bringing any oil, he had to risk pulling back the bolt in one go: to his relief the resulting noise didn’t draw the attention of any of the guards. Entering the office, his eyes has difficulty adjusting to the pitch black interior, which made him realize he didn’t bring a lamp or lighter either. Carefully shuffling through the room, he eventually reached what he thought was the display shelf. Feeling around he gathered the objects that had a heavy or metallic feel to them, put them in his duffel bag and started to move out again. Pausing for an instant, he took advantage of a few rays of moonlight piercing through the clouds to take a look at his plunder. Apart from the desired laser pistol there were: a large, damaged circuit board, a small tin box and a metallic egg-shaped object, with strange markings and a button on it. Suddenly approaching footsteps could be heard. Dexx gathered his stuff and snuck out the door and made a break for the cover of the buildings, leaving the office door unlocked. Moving back as quickly as possible toward the town and his waiting friends, he thought he could hear shouting coming from behind him. Paying it no heed, he met up with Craig and Paul, and the three of them left the scene of the crime, heading south for the highway.

Meanwhile back in The Hill, Rhiannon and Xena were fast asleep in their room, unaware of what their friends were up to at this late hour, and even more oblivious of what was going to happen to them. Rhiannon awoke with a shock as a man roughly put his hand over her mouth and grabbed her by the arm. In the dark of the room she could see another man approaching the bed from the other side, while a third clambered onto the bed toward her. As she got a good look at the face of the third, who turned out to be a Ghoul, she remembered seeing and talking to them some days before down in the bar, naively telling these scavengers about her Vault. The Ghoul started to connect a small handheld device to her own PipBoy. Trying to break free of her captors, she started trashing around and making as much noise as possible, biting down hard in the big man’s hand and screaming out for help. Fortunately this woke up Xena, who as an experienced merc always kept her gun in arm’s reach. Assessing the situation, she grabbed her submachine gun from under her pillow and, half-naked, leapt out of the bed, running toward the Ghoul who had his back turned toward her and pulling him away from Rhiannon. A frenzied fight ensued. Noticing the third man to have a shotgun in his hands, Xena shoved the Ghoul in his direction. At the same time, the brawny man tried to hit Rhiannon, cursing all the while. She managed to roll out of harm’s way, started climbing out of the bed and ran towards the door screaming bloody murder, dragging the Ghoul’s device, still attached by a cable, behind her. The Ghoul and the big man ran after, but she managed to dodge their rushed, desperate grabs. In the meantime the other man had recovered, unloading his shotgun at Xena hidden in the dark of the room, who retaliated by emptying half a clip in him. Ridden with bullets, the man slumped back in the corner, bleeding profusely. This bought Rhiannon enough time to make it out of the door, running towards the guard room, crying for help. The Ghoul and the big man thought better of it, leaving their friend behind and ran down the stairs, trying to escape. Alarmed by the gunfire, one of the guards was already out on the mezzanine and fired a few rounds after the retreating men, but to no effect. Another guard checked the room the men had been lodging in, while Xena went through the belongings of the scav she killed, but neither had any luck finding out more about their identity or purpose. Rhiannon however took a closer look at the device the Ghoul had hooked up; it turned out to be a battered old PipBoy 2000, chockfull of data.

After the rush of the fight the two women couldn’t get back to sleep, so they started packing and prepared to leave early and meet with their friends on the road. As they were sitting down for a quick breakfast one of Donaldson’s men hurried into the bar, informing his boss of a robbery at Clint’s compound. The culprits had already been caught and were to be hanged summarily. Intrigued Xena and Rhiannon decided to take a look before leaving the town, following the townsfolk massing towards the compound for the spectacle.

Once there they came upon the grisly sight of wasteland justice. A couple of gallows were already erected, with Clint’s men busy putting up a few more. Four corpses lay on the ground next to them, while the guards had rounded up two men alive, who seemed utterly confused and frightened. Three men were already dangling from the noose, judging from the bullet wounds already dead before they were hanged. To their shock the women immediately recognized one of them as the dwarf Sébastian whom they had met only the night before. They now understood that the other bodies were the remaining Two Sun traders. Other spectators in the crowd filled them in on the details; how these untrustworthy foreigners tried to steal from Harlan Clint’s office before trying to sneak away in the night. Clint himself paced around, shouting to the people of Landfill that crime in their town would not go unpunished. Rhiannon was appalled at this mockery of justice, but it was clear they could do little to help these unfortunate men. Disconcerted, the women left Landfill behind.

Around noon the group managed to find each other along the highway and though no one knew the surroundings that much, decided to set off on their own anyway, following the road west, hoping to get to Palm Springs. Rhiannon used the leisurely hours of walking to peruse the logs on the Ghoul’s PipBoy, which included quite a few interesting leads on sites the scavengers considered for prospecting. Glad to be back in the open, Craig used the opportunity to wander off on his own for a bit of hunting, quite successfully. After hiking for the rest of the day, empty desert around them as far as the eye could see and not meeting another soul, they set up camp for the night. Once more Craig was visited by an apparition from his spirit guide, a talking, ethereal coyote, who chided him for not following his councils. The words of the coyote were unclear and left the Super Mutant with more questions than they answered…

Session 9 summary

New horizons await and a daring heist is conceived...

Featuring:

- Craig: Good natured Super Mutant, seasoned wanderer of the wastes, walking the path of spirituality and non-violence;

- Dexx: Young but experienced thief from the streets of the Boneyard, aspiring scavenger who likes to drive a hard bargain;

- Xena: Well-armed, leather-clad mercenary with an attitude and eagerness to get in a fight if the caps are right;

After their discussion with Harlan Clint our heroes took to the streets once more, still unsure whether it would be in their interest to help the antipathetic strongman of Landfill strengthen his hold over the settlement by sabotaging his rival, bar proprietor and general shady dealer Shane Donaldson. More inclined towards the latter, they made up their mind to try and coax some more information out of Donaldson. Making their way back towards the town they noticed a tough looking woman, engaged in an argument with one of the waste yard guards, which ended in her angrily walking away. The strange group evidently must have caught her attention as she suddenly veered toward them. The robust middle-aged woman, sporting a heavy suit of leather armor, a submachine gun at her side and a challenging look in her eyes, introduced herself only as a mercenary by the name of Xena. Stuck in Landfill without employment and little cash, she asked if the group knew of any opportunities for a woman of her talents. As they all found themselves in the same situation, Xena decided to tag along with them on the next caravan out of town, perhaps sticking with them some longer if any lucrative opportunity was to present itself. The five of them headed back to The Hill, planning to spend the rest of their time in Landfill in an agreeable alcohol buzz. The bar was almost empty this early in the afternoon. A tall man in a long brown trench coat was standing at the bar, discussing something with an obviously uninterested Donaldson. The party joined them at the bar and ordered some beers. After a while Dexx' curiosity got the better of him and he turned to address the stranger. The man introduced himself as a Desert Ranger, having traveled down from the Mojave in pursuit of an outlaw from Boulder, who killed a few men in a bar fight some weeks earlier. The trail had grown cold around Landfill however. The Ranger gave them a general description of the gunslinger and some words of warning, before hitting the road again.

The group spent the rest of the day in The Hill, having drinks at the bar while Craig worked his shift as imposing doorman. The crowd slowly trickled in and before long the bar was abustle with the usual patrons and their raucous laughter and drunken shouting. Dexx took notice of one of the tables where games of chance were being played; at one of them a couple of men were seated, betting on dice. The rules of this particular game weren't entirely familiar to him, but seemed close enough to a game he picked up during his time in the Boneyard for him to fancy having a go at it, and he pulled up a chair. The gamblers seemed very friendly and only too eager to introduce him to their game. After a few rounds it became clear luck had abandoned Dexx that evening, losing most of his stakes and quitting the game with a net loss. His new acquaintance Xena proved more fortunate, joining the game a bit later and leaving it a fistful of caps richer. Once the lively ambiance began to die down the four of them took up a room for the night and headed upstairs.

The next morning Xena woke well before the others and quickly took to the streets, planning to ask around and see if any of the locals had a job that needed doing. Her companions instead slept in and went down for a leisurely breakfast of rather unappetizing white-yellowish slop, which could possibly have been porridge at one time. The idle days putting a strain on their finances, Dexx was mulling over possibilities of making some extra money, if need be illicitly. Business at the bar the evening before had been too slow to try and flex his thieving muscles comfortably without running the risk of detection, so his mind turned to a potentially much more lucrative endeavor. He remembered the valuable finds from the waste yard tunnels that Harlan Clint kept on display in his office, among them a fine pre-War laser pistol. While the rest of the group finished breakfast he left The Hill, walking over to the compound near the waste yard gate to do some reconnaissance. Acting nonchalantly he staked out the terrain, taking mental notes of the number of guards and patrol routes, when he noticed a group of travelers approaching the outskirts of town. Twelve suntanned, coarse looking men and a dwarf led two scrawny, heavily packed Brahmin toward the compound. The largest of the men and the dwarf proceeded to the company store and Clint's office, while the rest waited outside. Hoping the band of men to be the long awaited caravan, Dexx strolled over to strike up a conversation, meanwhile observing them to be rather well armed. His words of greeting however were met in a language he couldn't make heads or tails of. Fortunately the man and dwarf appeared again shortly after, and the dwarf, Sebastián, proved capable of speaking English. He introduced his companions as a group of traders all the way east out of Two Sun, heading for the Boneyard to trade ore and precious stones for weapons, making a stop in Landfill for supplies. As they seemed quite amicable despite their rough appearance, Dexx inquired after the possibility of joining them for part of the way, with Sebastián translating for the others. The group's leader, Carlos, gave his approval, stating they could travel with them as far as Palm Springs and head north to The Hub from there, while their group would continue west for the final leg of their journey. In good cheer they agreed to meet later that night at The Hill to meet the others, and would set out together at the break of dawn the next morning.

Dexx rejoined his friends for what looked like a busy night at The Hill. In addition to the locals some of the Two Sun traders came later in the evening. The men were initially unsettled by the sight of the Super Mutant, clearly not familiar to them, but good natured Craig managed to put them at ease quickly enough. After some more drinks the traders took their leave, in preparation for their early departure the next day. The prospect of leaving town before the break of dawn seemed to Dexx the perfect opportunity to make an attempt at liberating some valuables from Harlan Clint's office... to be continued!

Session 8 summary

Where our heroes take some time off after a long day’s scavenging, Craig introduces the local population to Radroach cuisine and both Craig (accepts) and Rhiannon (declines) get offered jobs.

Featuring:

- Craig: Good natured Super Mutant, skilled hunter and surprisingly adequate improvisational cook;

- Rhiannon: Vault 21 outcast, inquisitive young woman still unspoiled by her time in the wastes;

For the second time that day the party emerged from the entrance to the waste yard tunnels, leaving them with some additional loot and a sack of freshly killed Radroaches to find that the sun was about to set over the town of Landfill and the gates to the yard would soon be locked. However Hannibal, the strange physician they had encountered in the belly of the mountain, decided to turn back and go down the tunnels once more, saying he had still had some work to do. Though his medical skills had proven invaluable earlier after their disturbance of a nest of Radroaches had taken a nasty turn, the remainder of the group was slightly relieved to see the man with the unnerving grin go his separate way.

Trailing after the other prospectors, the group passed by the company store and, being in dire financial straits, decided to try and sell some of the items they found. The old, battered field radio proved to beyond any hope of repair even for a technician of Rhiannon’s skill and was salvaged for spare parts. They instead settled on selling the grenades and flares, getting a reasonable price for them from the shrewd company clerk behind the counter. A few hundred caps the richer they returned to town, the darkness settling in around them. The fires of the few food stalls at the northern edge of town caught their attention. Rhiannon decided to treat herself to a nicely roasted haunch of Pigrat, while Craig sensed a good opportunity to try and unload his stock of roaches. He managed to persuade the vendor to let him use his stall to prepare and sell roasted Radroach, promising him half of the profits. Craig’s exotic cooking turned out to be moderately successful with the locals and the Mutant peddled most of the bugs. The hour growing late, the group called it a night and made for The Hill, the town’s watering hole. They could hear from the street the lively bustle inside, in sharp contrast to the rest of Landfill. Having surrendered their guns to one of the doormen, who remained unfazed even by the Mutant in his tribal dress, they made their way through the groups of drunks and gamblers over to the bar. To their surprise Shane Donaldson, barman and proprietor of The Hill, presented them with a bottle of rotgut, which turned out to be a parting gift from their former road companion Jacob, who had left earlier that day. Congratulatory drinking and leisurely conversation after the successful day of scavenging ensued. Noticing the attention the Super Mutant drew from the crowd and sensing an opportunity to cash in on it, Donaldson offered Craig a job as a bouncer in the bar for the duration of his stay, which the Mutant happily accepted. To Rhiannon he also extended an offer of employment, but the innocent girl from the Vault only took offence to his assurances that as a redhead she’d do well as one of the ladies of pleasure of his establishment. After some more talk about the latest news from around the wasteland the party got a room and headed upstairs for some much needed rest.

Planning to head back north to Rhiannon’s former home Vault 21, the group had three days to kill while waiting for the next caravan heading in that direction to pass by. As on waking up Dexx, Paul and Rhiannon were still troubled by the uneasy feelings in their stomachs, they decided to try and see if a doctor could be found around Landfill. Donaldson pointed them in the direction of Nicholas Dane, a young Followers doctor who took care of the poor and addicts in his makeshift infirmary on the other side of town, whom he paid to give The Hill’s girls a regular check-up. So the group went over to Dr. Dane, in the hopes he might have something to alleviate their condition. The infirmary they found was nothing more than a large shack out of sheets of plastic and corrugated iron like so many in town, with a small tent next to it bearing the emblem of the Followers of the Apocalypse. They were greeting by the very young, slightly nervous though polite Dr. Dane, who ushered them in to run a few tests. There was little in the way of medical equipment or furnishings in the shack. Most of the space was taken up by two rows of cots, accommodating pale, shivering chem and alcohol addicts. After some examination Dr. Dane concluded they were suffering from the first effects of a mild radiation poisoning, which would diminish over the next few days, though the radiation would remain stored in the body, posing a real health risk. The group’s story about finding the toxic dump down below the waste yard confirmed his earlier observations that the people of Landfill in general seemed to have elevated radiation levels, compared to similar towns in the wasteland. Having no access to the proper equipment for treatment however, all he could offer were two doses of RadAway to flush out the rad particles. Having only limited medical supplies himself to try and treat all the destitute locals, he had to demand they’d pay full price or trade an equal amount of other healing chems in return for the expensive radiation drugs. He assured them their money would go to the good cause of the free medical treatment of those unable to pay for it, as paying according to how much one can afford is one of the core principles of the Followers. As there was not enough RadAway to treat all three of them anyway and reassured that it didn’t pose an immediate health risk, they decided to sit it out some longer and go to a clinic once they reached The Hub. They said their goodbyes and returned to the bar, where Craig took up his first shift as doorman. Rhiannon hung around for a rather quiet, uneventful night in The Hill, while Paul and Dexx took to the streets and explored the town some more.

The next morning the group went over to Harlan Clint’s compound, as Clint mentioned in their conversation some days before that he might have need for their services. They found the strong man of Landfill as usual in his office in the well guarded compound next to the waste yard gates. Clint didn’t immediately have any work for them, but told them he’d make it worth their while if they ran into any useful information. He made mention of his plans to have Landfill admitted to the NCR, but even for a frontier town the rampant gambling, drugs and prostitution would pose a considerable hindrance to have its entry approved. Controlling most of the trade going in and out of the town, Clint showed himself very interested in finding out more about who Donaldson’s surreptitious chem and alcohol suppliers are, to try and put an end to Donaldson’s den of vice and debauchery. The group said they would consider finding out more and took their leave, meanwhile thinking over which of these two influential men it would be in their own best interest to see succeed…

Session 7 summary

This session we welcomed a new player and the group thought of a brand new get-rich-quick scheme, this time involving the bounty of roach eggs and corpses they procured once they emerged from a long, messy fight, where it was proven that sometimes your allies can be your worst enemies! Also one of the longest fights so far, taking up most of the session, against Radroaches at that!

Featuring:

- Craig: Good natured Super Mutant shaman and skilled hunter, self-proclaimed seer of spirits;

- Hannibal: Big and menacing wasteland doctor, with a slightly disturbing smile and eagerness with the scalpel;

- Paul: Rough-and-tumble wastelander, muscle-for-hire by trade and protector of the weak at heart;

- Rhiannon: Vault 21 outcast, expert in all things mechanical and technological, planning to liberate her Vault;

After having discovered and explored the subterranean caves underneath the mountain of refuse earlier that day, the party emerged from the waste yard tunnels in the warm sunlight of late afternoon, a welcome reprieve after the cold and darkness of the caverns. Around this time Dexx, Paul and Rhiannon started to experience an unpleasant, gut-clenching nausea, an aftereffect of the elevated doses of radiation they had ran up; Craig however didn't seem to be affected in the slightest. Seeing that they still had a few hours before sundown and despite these first signs of radiation poisoning, the party made up their mind to retrace their steps and further explore some of the tunnels they had navigated earlier. Down to a single torch, Craig used the opportunity to demonstrate his survival skills once again. He managed to fabricate a makeshift torch out of some rags and fat from a Pig Rat, showing that in the wasteland you really can't let any part of an animal go to waste.

The group turned around and went back down the tunnel, opting to stay on the upper levels of the tunnels in case a quick withdrawal would become necessary. Further east they went, exploring several side tunnels they passed by before, until they came to a narrow passageway, where they had to continue in single file. Dexx, holding the torch, took point, while Paul brought up the rear. After following the tunnel for a few minutes, it eventually gave out on a large dug out room, continuing beyond the range of the torchlight. Immediately the group noticed similar piles of refuse as they had found in the previous Radroach nest, and here also they saw some creatures scurrying about, hiding from the light. Curious if the roaches perhaps had gathered something valuable in their nest, they decided to rummage through the trash, well knowing it was likely to anger the bugs. At that same moment Paul, still at the back in the tunnel, heard the sound of footsteps, approaching in their direction. Readying his knife he waited in the dark, and soon enough saw the light of a lamp coming down the tunnel. Though a brawny, hardened wastelander himself, the figure steadily drawing nearer gave him pause: a large, broad hulk of a man, a wicked grin on his face and also clutching a knife in his hand - not the sort of person one would want to run into in a dark tunnel. The man, seemingly friendly enough, introduced himself as Hannibal, a travelling physician of sorts and expressed his interest in obtaining a few specimens of the local wildlife. Always interested in a helping hand (and the opportunity to take his possessions should this stranger get killed by the Radroaches), the heroes welcomed the admittedly odd fellow to the group.

Craig then entered the room proper, using his spear to poke around in the nests the roaches had made and lure them to him, which they did soon enough after noticing the intruders disturbing their brood. Four of them skittered towards, but Craig was prepared, taking most of the little pests out in one powerful attack. The noise of the roaches attracted more of their kind however, and a small intrusion descended on them from the dark corners of the room. A frantic battle ensued, the bugs making for difficult targets to hit due to their small size and with their numerical superiority often proved dangerous. Soon enough a few of them got the jump on Dexx, who was knocked out cold as he hit the floor with these creatures on top of him. Rhiannon made use of the torch to try and scare the creatures off. Meanwhile Paul, armed for the task with the sledgehammer they found earlier, and Hannibal fought of some stragglers, while Craig was being threatened to get swarmed by half a dozen of the roaches. The heroes managed to dispatch most of them quickly, but then in an instant their luck seemed to change. Hannibal, frantically trying to stab one of the roaches, lost his footing and missed the creature completely, instead giving Rhiannon, who was standing next to him, a nasty cut with his knife. At the same time the ever unlucky Paul, trying to crush one of the roaches with a blow from the sledgehammer, swung way too high and hit Craig square in the jaw instead. Caught off guard, the Super Mutant was dazed and before he could react, another wild swing from Paul hit him with a sickening crunch in the gut, breaking a few ribs and knocking the wind out of the Mutant, who fell unconscious to the ground. Fortunately at this time only a few roaches remained or the tide of the battle might have turned unfavorably for the group. Tired and battered, eventually the ones left standing killed the last of the roaches and set to helping their fallen comrades. Their new ally, the only one to emerge from the fight unscathed, immediately proved to be a godsend, having on him an ample quantity of medical supplies and showing himself to be an expert physician. Dexx’ wounds turned out to be mostly superficial and he soon enough regained consciousness; some painkillers and skillful bandaging helped Craig back on his feet as well.

Rummaging through the refuse they found only meagre rewards, a small sum of caps and some parts which still looked usable. At the far side of the room however they discovered a narrow tunnel leading off into the dark, just large enough for a person to crawl through. Being the thinnest and most agile of the group, Dexx got the dubious honor of being sent in. After a few minutes he returned, stating he found a shaft leading straight down into another room. Tying a rope around him, Craig lowered Dexx down into this room. The space seemed to be a large hollow in the trash mountain and in it he found the wreck of several ancient cars and even a school bus. Reporting his discovery, all the others except Craig joined him to do a thorough search of the wreckage, in the hopes of finding some intact valuables. Rhiannon, being a skilled mechanic, noticed that part of the bus’ car battery was still in working order and salvageable, while Paul found a well stocked First Aid Kit, complete with some healing chems, in one of the car’s glove compartment. With their spoils the group decided to head back, before the hour grew too late.

Session 6 summary

Glad to say we managed to get enough people together this week to get a game going! The heroes decided to venture into the waste yard tunnels of Landfill, making for their first actual scavenging adventure, which proved quite successful in the end!


PS: I won't be updating for a while as I'm leaving on a trip, see you in two weeks!

Session 6:

Featuring:

- Craig the spirit hunter: Good natured Super Mutant shaman, wanderer of the desert and gambler with spirits of the underworld;

- Dexx: Young but experienced thief from the streets of the Boneyard, aspiring scavenger who likes to drive a hard bargain;

- Paul: Rough-and-tumble wastelander, muscle-for-hire by trade and ever eager to get in a good fight;


Earlier that morning the party had paid a visit to the office of Harlan Clint, proprietor of the waste yard and strongman of Landfill, and had learned from him that, in all likelihood, it would be another week before the next caravan headed west would pass by the shantytown. Not very keen on the idea of trekking through the desert on their own, our heroes found themselves stranded in Landfill with little money for atleast a week. Looking for a way to raise some additional funds quickly, Dexx, Paul and Rhiannon [whose player was not present this session] decided to try their luck and head out into the network of tunnels that lie beneath the trash mountains of the sprawling waste yard. Their fellow traveller Florian, moved by the plight of the destitute denizens of Landfill, forwent their invitiation, deciding instead to make the most of his medical education and help the poor in the streets.
As they parted ways, the party suddenly heard quite a hubbub, with several guards and some townsfolk running toward the outskirts of the town, soon followed by the sound of gunshots. Curious themselves what all the commotion was about, they inquired with one of the guards what was happening and were told that a lone mutant had showed up near the town. They then followed the other onlookers and once there saw, perhaps not entirely to their surprise, a familiar figure standing in the distance. Though well out of range of the pot shots the guards were taking with their rifles, Dexx and Rhiannon unmistakably recognized by his tall stature and long flowing cloak of furs, their friend and erstwhile companion, the Super Mutant Craig. Dexx immediately intervened, telling the guards to hold their fire. As vouching for the Mutant's good behavior alone didn't seem to convince the guards, he proceeded to walk up to the Mutant, together with Rhiannon, who was very pleased to see Craig again. A brief reunion took place. Dexx was still a bit vexed by Craig's sudden disappearance days before, which left the group to its own devices, which in turn may have led to the death of the tribesman Pyal. Craig's story about his vision quest in the desert, dealing with the spirits of the underworld in a dangerous gamble to safeguard the souls of his friends, did little to sway Dexx. Though Rhiannon partially shared his disapproval, she was first and foremost relieved to see the Mutant again.

Together the three of them walked back towards the town and Paul who had cautiously waited with the guards as he was not yet acquainted with the Craig,. Due to the lack of spectacle the crowd had meanwhile already dispersed. After a quick breakfast Craig was brought up to speed on the plans the party had made, and as some extra muscle could always come in handy, the Mutant agreed to join them in their exploration of the waste yard tunnels. Before heading out they first made a stop at the supply store near the entrance to the yard, a small run-down shack, unimaginatively named Joe's Supplies. Joe, a grizzled old man and the eponymous owner of the store, gave the group some free advice with their purchases, telling them to heed the lower levels as all manner of nasty creatures made their home there, and to be sure to return to the surface before nightfall. In the shop the party's penury became once again painfully obvious, as Paul hadn't managed to put any money aside from his previous ranching job, and Craig's hermitic lifestyle did little in the way of bringing in caps either. Realizing with just the tiniest amount of alarm that scavenging the tunnels might actually require physical labor, Dexx bought some prospecting supplies, in the hopes that they'd pay off. After finishing up their business with Joe, the group returned to the compound, where the main entrance gate to the trash mountains was located. A small queue of prospectors had formed in the meantime. They were passed by several times by some shabbily dressed men, who were admitted to the yard without paying the entrance fee. When it was their turn Dexx learned from the guard at the entrance, who was busy writing down the names of those entering the yard in a leather bound ledger, that many of the prospectors worked on a contract for Harlan Clint, getting free admission but having to surrender all their findings in return for a small finder's fee.
Once past the gate, the group followed the prospectors ahead of them, along a pathway cleared through the more recent garbage which the inhabitants of Landfill dumped there. Continuing down the path they came to the first of the three mountains of refuse, easily several hundred yards high. Most of the prospectors could be seen going straight ahead in what looked like the main entrance tunnel. The party however followed a few other men, which went round the side of the mountain until they reached an entrance located in the back. Yet a third entrance, in the western flank, could now be seen, which the party after some deliberation eventually went into.

A pungent smell wafted out of the entrance, overpowering Paul to the point of retching, his churning stomach a constant distraction while they descended deeper down into the tunnel. The party held tightly to the principle of always taking the same direction as to not get lost, which, despite the warnings of Joe and several prospectors, meant always taking the most downward route. After rooting in vain through some piles of trash, littered about a recently excavated room, and running into some other prospectors, the group came across a small oblong room, which had become a nesting ground for an intrusion of Radroaches. The creatures initially skittered away, disturbed by the harsh light of Paul's lamp and he kept them at bay, the bugs lingering at the edge of the light. When Paul subsequently disturbed one of the trash piles, the roaches became enraged and in an effort to protect their spawn, braved the light to jump the trespassers. Some of them managed to catch the party off guard, latching on to a leg or grabbing on to their chest, but were quickly thrown off before they could inflict any real damage. Craig combined killing and culinary prowess, impaling a grand total of four roaches on his spear, making for a nutritious wasteland shish kebab. The roaches managed to dodge quite a few of the swings and thrusts directed at them, but one by one Dexx, Paul and Rhiannon managed to plant their knives in the creatures. After the remainder of the bugs had been dispatched, rummaging through the piles of refused netted them a handful of caps, some spare parts and various egg cases, a few of which Craig took along.
The party kept following the tunnel, always choosing an offshoot if it sloped down even more. Coming to a large, oddly shaped room, their way was barred by various rusted, but razorsharp, torn sheets of metal and girders, jutting out of the walls and ceiling and sticking out of the floor, making traversing the enclosed area quite risky. Limber Dexx and even the bulky Craig managed quite well, but Paul and Rhiannon took a few missteps while navigating around the obstacles, fortunately only getting some minor cuts to show for it. Our heroes proceeded further east and down, eventually reaching a corridor which showed signs of recent excavation. At the end of the tunnel they found some tools lying around and what looked like a smooth, metal box lodged in the wall, only partially dug out. Craig used the newly acquired pickaxe to try and break open the box, which, despite his superhuman strength, didn't prove as easy as he had hoped. Just when the group managed to perforate the metal casing,  approaching voices could be heard. Two scavengers came down the tunnel and were quite surprised to find the party prospecting their claim, as well as using their tools. A discussion ensued. Ultimately the party resolved matters peacefully, returning the equipment and taking their leave, being pointed towards the lower tunnels by the prospectors. They followed the men's directions until they reached a steeply sloping tunnel, descending into darkness.

They climbed down and found themselves in a series of low, narrow tunnels, partially caved in at places. Unlike the wider tunnels above, which were propped up with girders or wooden beams, these tunnels didn't seem to have any supports at all, the compacted trash the only thing keeping the tunnels from collapsing. Continuing down the tunnel they eventually came to a junction, where a single Radroach scurried about. When Paul, carrying the lamp, stepped closer to the scare the bug away, in a sudden flash it disappeared; caught and dragged down into the ground by some unknown creature. The group tried to lure the creature out of its hole again, using one of the dead roaches Craig packed, but as the unseen menace didn't put in a new appearance, the group moved on, down another tunnel. Even further downward they went, Paul taking point and paying close attention to the ground, to avoid any other holes these creatures might have left behind. Too late he noticed the danger came not from below but from the side, as another of these creatures suddenly burst through the wall of the tunnel and latched itself onto Paul, throwing him back against the other side. Luckily Dexx had stayed alert, and he quickly managed to bury his knive between the Pig Rat's shoulder blades before it could inflict more damage. One dinner richer, the group cautiously proceeded. After following the path even further as it twisted deeper and deeper down the bowels of the mountain, they reached in the end what seemed to be the mouth of a limestone cave, lying forgotten below the mountain of trash. In crevices and niches on either side of the cavernous walls they noticed well preserved barrels bearing nuclear hazmat signs, which registered on Rhiannon's PipBoy as well above safe radiation levels. Despite this the party pressed on, emerging into a much larger cave, where they found many more of these barrels, stacked in great heaps almost reaching the ceiling.
Slowly they explored the cave, sticking to the walls whenever possible, the other side of the cavern beyond the small reach of the light of their lamp. At one point a broken barrel had spilled a faintly luminescent green sludge all over the floor of the cave, which posed an obstacle for all but Craig, who played Super Mutant ferryman and carried the others over the spill. Safely across, the group was about to go deeper into a cavern branching off to the east, when suddenly they heard a shuffling, dragging sound, slowly but steadily approaching. Exercising maximum caution, they backed away till they had their backs to the wall. The sound drew nearer, suddenly picked up pace and in the flickering lamplight they could see for an instant a horrible, mutant creature, dragging itself forward on legs resembling human arms, its body covered with tumorous growths from which two heads protruded, one beastly, snarling, the other almost humanlike, but no sign of intelligence could be seen in its dead eyes. Craig remained unfazed by the creature; Dexx and Rhiannon mustered up the courage to stand their ground, but the sight of the ghastly monster proved too much for Paul, who ran as fast as his legs could carry him. The creature lunged forward, savagely attacking Dexx and Rhiannon, but the threesome managed to fight off the Centaur even without their companion. There was no time to feel complacent however, as the cries of more of the creatures could be heard. They braced themselves as two more of the creatures appeared, one attacking Paul, who -having regained his composure- jumped in front of Dexx and Rhiannon, the other going for Craig. Out of the Centaur's mouth slimy tendrils extruded, and with a gurgling sound it started spitting acid globules at Craig. A frenzied fight ensued. Dexx managed to distract one of the creatures, which bought Craig some time to sneak up on it, driving his spear deep down in the creature's twisted torso, killing it with one fierce strike. After further attacks back and forth our heroes emerged victoriously, a third Centaur who tried to sneak up on them suffering the same fate as its predecessors. Having made sure no more of the mutants were around, they proceeded to explore the rest of the cave, coming across more of the hazardous toxic spills and more winding tunnels. After an unexpected, but futile, attack by a particularly stealthy mutant the group found the remains of a small camp site in one of the cavelets branching off from the larger cavern. Around an improvised fire pit the bodies of two long dead Super Mutants were slumped, which the party eagerly looted for a fine selection of military-grade hardware and a holotape, which detailed the journey of the Mutants.
Running low on lamp oil and nightfall drawing closer, they decided to head for the surface again, concealing the valuables they found, lest they draw any unwanted attention.