We are about a third of the way through my planned 20+ session run for this campaign. The world is getting more developed but major questions remain about the psychic maelstrom, the 'gods', the Militia and other forces working towards remaking this world.
As in my earlier actual play reports, small green text indicates out of character talk, mechanics and other game aspects outside of the fiction.
Our main characters are:
- Gator (the Gunlugger) is an assassin and part-time bodyguard who wears customized scrounged armor made from Kevlar and ceramic inserts. Camouflaged for the jungle, his face was ruined in a fight with an alligator. His eyes are always sizing things up and his brutal life has left his body a hard sheet of muscle.
- Jarhead (the Savvyhead) is a thing African-American man with a short goatee, long dreads, and clothes covered in pockets and gear. Travelling around in an old news van, he repairs items for a living. Recently obtained a strange device from a man named Dustwich, it can bend time and space. He is intrigued to say the least. He has also obtained employees in the form of a young woman Allison and her brother Waters.
- November Orleans (the Skinner) is descended from a family which left New Orleans before it sank. She is a beautiful woman of mixed heritage with dark eyes and skin, a sweet face and lush body. She dresses herself in a mix of scavenged clothing that somehow works together and wears a necklace made from rows of antique coins which jingle and shine as she moves. Her main profession is as a dancer, especially belly dancing, but she has a sideline business in cooking and animal training.
- Violet Jefferson (the Touchstone) is descended by survivalists and her clothing and gear reflects her origins. Plain looking but fit, she carries a pocket copy of the Federalist papers and founding documents of the United States of America, an idea she hopes to revive. Her followers are demanding her help putting on a mission to liberate Miami from a tyrant.
Previously...
Violet's followers are happy. Everyone has healed on the long car ride. Jarhead has an augury.The highlighting is:
- November: Hot, Weird.
- Gator: Cool, Sharp.
- Jarhead: Sharp, Weird.
- Violet: Hard, Hot.
Road to Miami, Part II
Violet takes point with November, Shadow and Gator following. A procession emerges from the darkness ringing chimes and bearing an elderly man on a stretcher.Gator notes ten of them, six playing music on chimes, two bearers, the old man and a procession leader bearing a bluish light. None of them armed worth a damn.
November steps forward and begins to belly dance. Her necklace of coins shimmers and jingles in rhythm to their chimes, entrancing all.
November rolls Artful & gracious. She earns an experience and rolls an 11. She gains an advancement and takes An arresting skinner. She decides that one of them wishes to meet her, another seeks her services, and the last wants to give her a gift.
The woman in white lowers her electric lantern. November recognizes her as Pandora, a mid-ranked priestess within the order.
“Greetings travelers,” Pandora says.
“Greetings,” November says curtsying. “Pandora don’t you recognize me?”
November spends one of her hold.
“It is good to see you again November,” she says with a smile, “and at the auspicious time of the year.”
“I often hoped to pass this way at the time of the festival.”
Note we still no idea what time of year it is. Welcome to the tropics.
“Yes, you should return with us after we’ve completed our mission. My fellow priests at the Music Bowl would happy for you to perform with us.”
“What a kind invitation.” November looks past Pandora. “It seems you might also be on your way to the Autodoc.”
Pandora looks to the bedridden man. “We are taking our venerable high priest Heron to Autodoc in the hopes he might continue the melody with us.”
“I hope so. We have one travelling with us whose wounds are not closing. But let me introduce you to my compatriots first.” She turns and gestures to each of her comrades. “This is Violet, a visionary of the North; Shadow, a warrior of Willowtree; and Gator of the sharp eye and quick hand.”
“This is an impressive company you travel with, but I expect no less,” she laughs.
As the porters rest, November leans in. “I haven’t been to Autodoc before. What can we expect?”
Pandora fingers an amulet. “It is a strange place, they say it has fallen farther and less than the rest of the world. The devices there still work and the halls are of the purest white. I’m also told that the machines are not to be trusted. But we hope to talk to the leaders of that holding. We have brought gifts to grease the wheels.”
“What gifts are deemed appropriate?”
“We bring some herbs from the wilds as well as some of the last goods we retrieved from the Big Ship before White closed off our access to the market.”
“The whole market’s been closed?” November asks.
“If you want to enter the market, you must pay a toll,” Pandora explains.
“A small exchange?”
“It depends on who you are. We've decided to close ourselves off from such thuggery.”
“I understand. Will you follow us to our vehicles, we are having some repair issues.”
“If it is not far.”
November leads the way back. As they walk a young woman approaches her. Her raven hair stands out against her white robe.
“You dance wonderfully,” she says to November.
”It is a pleasure,” the dancer tells her.
“I’m called Amber. I’m glad we encountered travelers out here that were not of the dangerous persuasion." She blushes. "Your display of art brings a bit of hope to me.”
Up ahead Violet turns to Pandora. “We can help each other out since we are traveling in the same direction.”
The priestess nods. “It would be better to travel in a group. Numbers would dissuade any looters or raiders.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
Jarhead says, “no disagreement here.”
Amber stammers on. She stows her chime and pulls out a dark box. “I don’t have much, I would like to thank you for that performance.”
A quiet crackling comes from the device and yellowed gauge reads something called ‘millrads’.
“Is this what I think it is?” November asks.
“Yes," she beams. "I would hate for you to ingest any of the toxins that infest the harbor.”
“I thank you for your care.”
Back in the parking structure, Jarhead lies under the SUV making the final repairs. Allison hands him a wrench while Waters works on tightening the bolts on the new wheel. The boy finishes and goes to grab the hubcap. He doesn't make it.
The child tumbles to the ground, spasming and weeping.
“Oh damn it,” the tinkerer says pulling himself out from under the vehicle. He leans over the boy while Allison stands over him clenching her hands together.
“Waters wake up, get up!” he says, slapping the boy.
November quips, ”stop goofing around.”
”So compassionate,” Violet says.
Waters doesn't react and Allison tugs on Jarhead’s sleeve. “What are we going to do?”
Jarhead’s mind races. Without any better ideas, he stretches out the child beside the van away from any his gear. Allison weeps quietly.
After few minutes later, the boy stops twitching and slips into unconsciousness.
“If it’s not one thing it's another,” Jarhead says.
Waters mumbles in his sleep. Jarhead leans in. Faintly he hears, “clouds...bodies...”
Jarhead heads into his van to get a better idea of what the child is talking about. He turns on the receiver he’s rigged up to Dustwich's sphere, tuning it to Waters’s mental frequency.
Jarhead uses Augury to reach through psychic maelstrom to Waters. He rolls weird and gets experience. With the 8, he chooses to open a window to Waters and to reach deeply. There will be some bleeding.
A digital readout lights up and a string of characters scroll across it: “12 people infested with Ophiocordyceps americanis...12 hosts cases under the effects of Tetrodotoxin, Bufotoxin, and human ash...nearby the Gemignani Institute of Health...”
“Jarhead come quick!” Allison shouts.
The dark-skinned man comes back out to see Waters trembling with blood pouring from his nose.
“That’s not good.” Then as the blood spreads he shouts, “Ah! Ah, nosebleed!”
Jarhead snatches away the last of his equipment from the boy.
November spots him first, lying prone with Jarhead trying to keep the child from bleeding out. As Violet rushes over to help, Gator calls out, “You've got to raise the head, or he’ll drown in his own blood.”
November Opens her brain to see if he is empty like Shadow said. She gets a 10 and marks experience.
The sounds of her allies disappear into the scents and sensations of the city around her. November hears the chimes, the wind in the trees, the sounds of animal life, and the electric hiss from some device in Jarhead’s van. The deeper noises of the city come to the forefront: the lapping of far off waves, the crumbling of cement and wood, and the pops of distant gunfire. The scents of rotten wood mixes with that of leaves and life. Slowly a pattern merges as the waves of sound intermix. Where Waters sits the noise and other sensations cancel out. The boy is null spot in the grand pattern. But not quite. Within the quiet, she can sense tiny ripples, faint traces of some deeper pattern, something obscured by the general hubbub of the waking world.
”He’s not empty,” November concludes.
”He’s empty and not empty,” I say.
”He’s not empty.”
”However you choose to interpret that.”
Someone comments on using leeches.
”He obviously needs a good bleeding,” November says.
Violet eventually gets the bleeding under control. Jarhead then turns back to his work and finishes the repairs. As things calm down and Boo tests the SUV, Violet offers to place both Waters and Heron in the van. Pandora graciously accepts Violet’s offer with the stipulation that she accompany their aged leader.
Then the convoy rolls out, driving slowly so that the disciples can follow on foot. Violet joins them on the road.
The lights of the Autodoc greet them a few hours later. The 8-story structure remains seemingly untouched by the apocalypse in the darkness.
Gator raises a hand. “It’s too quiet. I've been here before.”
Gator rolls Read a sitch. November chooses to help him and succeeds at her Hx roll. With the +1 he gets a 7. He also marks experience.
”It would be suck to start off a Read a sitch with ‘Zombie Attack!’” I tell him.
He asks, "who is in control here?"
In the headlights they make out that someone barricaded the front door with desks and hospital beds. November points out blood spray on the cracked cement outside.
Normally control is debatable, falling with the either the Central Computer or the head nurse. Neither is in charge at the moment.
“Looks like they are battling for control,” Gator says. “Usually the head nurse has things under control but this isn't normal.“
“You think White could be moving on this place too?” November asks.
“Perhaps,” Pandora says stepping forward. “He’s been making forays on all of the small groups around here. I suppose he might be moving on one of the main holdings now.”
Violet rolls Read a sitch with Gator’s help. He gets an 8 and Violet gets a total of 9. Jarhead joins the crowd and get a 7 on his roll. He also mark experience.
What’s the biggest threat? Violet asks.
Jarhead asks, What enemy is most vulnerable?
Violet draws her rifle as a dozen armed men and women shamble out of the shadows. Scrapes and cuts give evidence to the recent conflict as does the blood on their machetes. Jarhead however transfixes on the syringe still sticking out of the eye of one of them. The green tinge to the remaining eyes reveal these people are heavily infected with the climbers.
"He’s got a blind spot," I point out.
November decides to act. “They are still people right?” she asks.
”Yes.”
November quickly steps in front of the headlights and starts to dance. With a single graceful motion she removes a scarf. Dumbfounded most of crowd simply stares at her, including the drugged victims of the climbers.
Using An arresting skinner, she paralyzes the crowd. She exempts people with weapons on her side.
“Is this normal?” Jarhead stammers as she removes another piece of clothing.
“What is normal?” Gator says bringing his sub-machine gun to bear on one of the knots of zombies.
“Oh yes, the smg.” I say.
”I take out my little gun,” Gator explains.
“Oh yes.” Then I make a long-delayed hard move.
He fires but only two rounds cut through the frozen warriors before his gun jams, a damp bullet from his dip in the swamp misfiring. “God damn it,” he says.
Boo readies his shotgun and Violet takes aim at the infected attackers, aiming for the head. She fires. Again. And again.
I debate making a roll here and settle on exchanging harm for harm (which with the zombies frozen makes this rather one-sided). Basically November ‘won’ the encounter via stripping.
In the end I have Violet roll Acting under fire to kill them without triggering any spores. She gets a 10 and all is well.
There’s a lot of laughter about An arresting skinner.
November points out that she could strip someone else to freeze them. “I think this is a seriously underrated move. I will work hard not to abuse it but I did just take it.”
Twelve corpses litter the ground as November quickly dresses. Gator unjams his gun while the others prepare a bonfire.
There is some discussion of advancements. Violet gets +1 hard and Jarhead ultimately goes with Wasteland Survival from the Tribal.
I comment to November, “the one that wants to meet you now really wants to meet you.”
As the flames lick at the dead, the sound of shifting wood and metal emerges from the Autodoc’s doors. A few minutes later a man in bloodstained hospital scrubs emerges.
He warily approaches the assembled crowd. “Who are you with?”
“Ourselves at the moment.” Gator says.
“What do you want? Why are you here?” the man says keeping his distance.
Gator decides to use his hold.
“Krin, don’t you remember me?” the assassin asks.
Gator explains Krin is a mechanic at the Autodoc who helps keep things going. Gator has visited before with the occasional horrible gunshot wound.
The man comes closer. “Oh Gator! I guess we can trust you.”
“Looks like you are having some trouble here,” the mercenary says.
Krin looks to the bonfire. “White sent these infected individuals to force us to join up with him.“
“What are they infected with?”
“What do you think? It’s good that you shot them in the forehead otherwise we’d have spores everywhere.”
“That’s fucked up,” he says, shaking his head.
“Yeah, well that’s how he took the ship,” Krin explains.
“Good to know. Is the head nurse around?”
“Yes, follow me,” Krin says heading for the front door. “Oh, you can take your vehicles around back.”
“Good, we've got a couple people here who need attention,” Gator points out.
Krin nods. He waves to the door and several people busy themselves removing the barricades.
“Also we just did you a service,” Gator adds. “It would be good to remember.”
“I’ll point that out to Barnum,” Krin says leading them inside. “It will up to him to make any arrangements.”
“Understandable.”
The vehicles pull around the side of the building and enter through a large sliding metal door. Both the lobby and loading dock are a gleaming white. An antiseptic smell hangs in the air.
As they pass through the entryway, they hear a buzz and momentarily feel warmer. Jarhead’s eye flick to the dark purple bulbs arranged above the entrance.
“What’s that?” the tinkerer asks.
A technician looks up. “It kills ambient bacteria.”
November checks her new Geiger counter but it doesn't register anything.
“How’s that work?” Jarhead asks.
“I don’t know, it just does,” Gator says joining them.
“I’m not asking you, of course you don’t know. I’m asking him.”
“I’m not really sure,” the technician says. “It has something to do these bulbs.”
“Do they do anything to people or just bacteria?” he asks.
“I don’t think they do.”
“Have you tried to make them do something?” Jarhead asks.
“Have you tried to weaponize your hospital?” November jokes.
”No we have not tried to weaponize our hospital,” Krin says forcefully. “You can talk to the head nurse about it if you want.”
“I will and see if he needs my services,” the tinkerer says.
“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” Gator admonishes.
“You are absolutely no fun at all Gator.”
“This place is useful, I don’t want it broken,” he says.
The crowd enters the main lobby, a huge open area filled with greenery and people in hospital gowns. Some are clearly recovering while others tend the small gardens scattered about the space.
Jarhead looks up through the glass ceiling to the ruined letters decorating the front of the hospital: _e_ig__ni In__itut_ o_ He_lth.
Pandora turns to Violet. “If you may, I prefer to deal with the head nurse myself first.”
Violet agrees and the most of the procession from the Music Bowl go to meet with the leader of the Autodoc.
While Gator and Violet attempt to dissuade Jarhead from his ‘frying light idea’, November finds herself approached by one of the acolytes.
“I’m awed by your impressive display of art,” the dark-haired man says. “I’m Wisher.”
“Thank you,” she says. “I’m just glad I was effective against those things. It is good to know some humanity persists.”
He smiles. “I can’t imagine any who would not be moved by that.”
November blushes prettily.
“Where are you are intending to go after this, after you companion is healed or otherwise?” Wisher asks.
“I’m not exactly sure. I've put my fortunes in with Violet’s mission but I’m not sure how she will pursue it.”
“What is her mission? If I may ask,” he says.
“You should hear her speak about the glories of the old republic,” she tells him. “I could not do it justice. I am no great orator.”
“Well I’m sure if you were to come back with us to the Music Bowl, it would be a great striking out point for anything that your companion was interested in.” He adds, “I’d be interested in your company.”
“I thank you for your invitation. I’ll certainly let the others know.”
As she says that the head nurse’s secretary comes out. “Next!”
“That’s us,” Gator says.
The man behind the desk shuffles some papers. Gator looks down on his balding head from his seat.
“Nurse Barnum?” the mercenary says.
“Gator? Yes, I recall you,” the man says absently brushing his lingering blond hair.
“Yes, this time it’s not for me.”
Barnum perks up. “Oh I thought you might be interested in a bit of reconstructive surgery?”
“No I keep that to remember,” he says grinning horribly.
“Our rates are reasonable and I think we've worked out the kinks,” Barnum says.
“No thanks, my face still works so I’ll leave that alone. If ain't broke then don’t fix it. We've got another issue with our travelling companion Waters. He’s pretty messed up and he’s having some weird seizures. We are hoping to get that looked at before his brain explodes or he drowns in his own blood.”
Barnum steeples his fingers. “We can do a diagnosis and depending on the result present reasonable treatment options.”
”Do we want to discuss terms before or after?” the gunlugger asks.
“I believe it’s always best to discuss these things beforehand.”
“Excellent. I want to start off by stating we did have to clear out twelve angry guys out front for you.”
I have Gator roll Manipulate a person (via Easy to trust) with a further +1 due to Krin vouching for him. He earns experience and rolls a 13.
“Okay,” the head nurse says. “We won’t know the full cost until we get the diagnosis but I believe your services rendered will take care of that bit of it. Shall we meet in an hour once the diagnosis machine has done its work?”
“Alright,” Gator says, getting up.
“Can I watch?” Jarhead asks.
“If you wish. What’s relation to the patient?”
“Employer?” he says uncertainly.
“Ah, okay.”
Jarhead stands up excitedly.
An hour later, Barnum pours over the reams of paper the diagnosis machine printed out. Jarhead replays the examination in his head: Waters within the giant tube, the holographic displays of internal organs, the precise scans and digital readouts.
He giggles to himself.
”That’s not at all creepy I swear,” he says.
“This child’s condition is quite severe,” Barnum says.
“I see,” Jarhead says sobering up.
“The physical wounds are well within our capabilities to repair,” the nurse says. “His mental wounds however are beyond our surgeon’s capabilities. We can put him the care of the Hospital. I can’t say for certain that he will emerge the same.”
“That may be Allison’s call,” Gator says.
”No it’s not, I’m his employer, it’s my call,” Jarhead says.
Barnum gives him a puzzled glanced. “Most people would just simply call him a slave.”
“No I’m his employer, he is in indentured servitude,” the tinkerer clarifies. “He gets paid in knowledge. They used to call that an internship.”
“I believe I stand with my statement.”
Jarhead ignores the comment. “So yes, go ahead with the operation.”
“This will still require compensation,” Barnum says.
“Allison should get a say,” Violet says.
Jarhead waves his hands. “Okay you can ask her, fine, whatever.”
As Violet leaves to fetch the girl, Gator leans in. “If you fix his body will he still have these fits?”
“Yes. He has deep neurological damage,” Barnum clarifies, “and the fits could still kill him.”
Jarhead questions why they can’t do the surgery themselves.
Barnum sighs. “We have lost much of the knowledge of the old world. I could list the procedures the diagnosis machine has given us but unless you are possess medical skills we do not, I don’t see it would be any help.”
“Show me anyway.”
Barnum reads out what sounds like gibberish.
“You may be a machine doctor but you are not a doctor doctor,” Gator tells Jarhead.
Violet returns with Allison. Barnum outlines her brother’s condition.
Allison sits on the edge of her chair. “Well if it’s going to kill him either way...he can’t go on like this. This is horrible. What could the hospital do to him?”
“There have been some deaths and others that we've had to relieve of their suffering after the hospital’s ministrations,” the nurse says coldly.
“What’s the best that can happen?” Gator asks.
“It has cured people in the past of severe ailments such as late stage cases of the climbers,” Barnum says hopefully.
Allison stares into her hands. “I guess then we don’t really have a choice I guess.”
Barnum nods and smiles. “Alright then there is only the small matter of our fee.”
“Okay then,” Violet says.
Jarhead interjects, “well I do have an idea for the light at the front entrance.”
Gator interrupts him. “No! People want to come here. I don’t want to be burned next time I come here.”
”You just need to set it properly,” the tinkerer explains.
“Can you get it to just burn zombies?”
“I think so.”
“That’s not very convincing.”
Jarhead rolls Manipulate a person to get a better price. He rolls a 7.
“I would rather that you didn't mess with any of the lower level technologies,” Barnum says. “There is however the East Wing. If you would bring that area back under control I will knock down the fee to a mere two barter.”
Jarhead becomes agitated. “I bring a huge portion of your hospital under control,” he rants, “wait what do you mean under control? What’s in there?”
“It’s gone quiet,” Barnum explains. “I don’t know that there is anything dangerous in there.”
“When was the last time anyone has been in this wing?”
“Five years. The East Wing doesn't have any windows and the lights have gone out.”
Violet mentions it might be psych ward.
Jarhead looks to the others.
“If you can bring the lights on,” Barnum repeats, “I can lower the price to two barter. I suppose you really want a bargain we can put him entirely in the care of Hospital for one barter.”
”Alright,” Jarhead says.
As Violet frowns, the tinkerer turns to the others, “I don’t actually have any barter at the moment.”
“I can pay,” Violet says. “Two barter.”
”And hey it is acting with hope,” Violet says.
End of Session
Hx improvements:- November gives +1 Hx to Jarhead. “He is a little less confused by her after her display.”
- Jarhead gives +1 Hx to Gator. Everyone was exposed to a new level of crazy from Jarhead.
- Gator gives +1 Hx to Violet.
- Violet gives +1 Hx to Jarhead. “Apparently you care more about his employee than he does,” I comment.
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