Robotech Rifts Crossover Campaign

[bobharly]

Wilk’s Laser Technologies

The Manufacturer, Wilk’s Laser Technologies based out of New Salt Lake City is the principle reason for the economic success of this reclaimed community. Their manufacturing site is considered a secret, but rumors persist that they have an underground militarized plant west of the Salt Lake.

While Wilk’s famed for its Laser Armaments, they also have a variety of other Laser based products to diversify their portfolio and technology research, making Wilk’s a household name in most of the Rocky Mountain and Texan Communities where they distribute.

Wilk’s…
Laser Welding and Cutting Tools
Oven Masters Laser Grills & Ovens
Lighting & Illuminations
Medical Laser Technologies
Barcode Inventory Solutions
Laser Communications
Optics & Range Finders (includes civilian use like surveying and office laser pointers)
Laser Holography and Projection
Data Storage and Readers (Computers, DVD/CD’s)
Intruder Motion Detectors
Laser Photography and Printing
Avionics (Gyroscopes, Navigation and LIDAR)
Laser & Hydrogen Fusion Reactors
Paser (Particle Accelerator Laser) Research

[Marcethus]

Good old Wilk's the Absolute Master's of Laser Tech.

[taalismn]

Good old Wilk's the Absolute Master's of Laser Tech.

How much of it is re-made/rehashed pre-Rifts technology and how much original innovation, though? Even the beehive grenades could be based on pre-Rifts design work.

[Marcethus]

Good old Wilk's the Absolute Master's of Laser Tech.

How much of it is re-made/rehashed pre-Rifts technology and how much original innovation, though? Even the beehive grenades could be based on pre-Rifts design work.

Does it really matter? Wilk's does sell to everybody.

[bobharly]

Good old Wilk's the Absolute Master's of Laser Tech.

How much of it is re-made/rehashed pre-Rifts technology and how much original innovation, though? Even the beehive grenades could be based on pre-Rifts design work.

Well, I have to think about that... The Year is 2086, but the Invid invaded in 2061 and destroyed most of any remaining civilization. Humanity has had 25 years to quietly rebuild in remote regions like the Rocky Mountains, Area 51, The subways of New York, the underground Lone Star Facility and the A.B.I.S.S (Atlantic Base-International Submarine Station, an underwater UEEF base off the coast of Georgia). I'm leaning towards Pre-Rifts because there are still survivors who have a living memory of life before the invasion and can still share their knowledge and education. The biggest issue is that North America has fractured into multiple nations that at times fight with each other more than the Invid do. The Invid view human squabbles the same way we would see wolves fighting for territory. They (wolves or humans, pick) are dangerous animals, but we (Invid) don't need that land right now and we can take it anytime we want to.

So yes, Pre-Rifts.

The game is a Robotech/Mospeda campaign that remixes the Rifts Nations and Technologies to add a much wider diversity than any prior Robotech campaign I ever ran (the last one was 20 years ago, so I have lots of ideas, but my actual DMing I'm still trying to dial in).

While I was writing the Corporate Portfolio for Wilk's, I was imagining that the original Mr. Wilks (Anyone know if he has a first name or if they have published a family history in Rifts?) was kind of like Thomas Edison. He really wasn't anything special as an inventor, but he had a knack for corporate espionage and marketing other peoples ideas as his own. As he became wealthier and more experienced it became easier to monopolize his industry, and with no government he has become the Robber Baron of Utah. He actually owns more businesses than the ones listed, but for marketing reasons he only puts his name on products the use "Lasers!" His other products are sold under alternative names. Infact, even some of his laser products he will license the rights to manufacture his products or key components (Like Disney royalties for example) in another region. For Example, Lone Star Facilities manufactures and distributes Remi Arms in my campaign, "The Energy Weapon for the Common Cowboy!"

I was especially proud of "Oven Master's Laser Grills & Ovens". I want to have an NPC proudly declare, "I BBQ with Laser Beams!" I wanted to strike home the idea that Wilk's is a mega-corporation in the apocalyptic world. And I wanted to go a bit Japanese in the sense that they do business in many different areas, like Mitsubishi. A friend of mine growing up, his dad worked for Mitsubishi Concrete. I was like, "Don't they make cars?" I want my world to be more than just a catalog of weapons and armor. On the topic of weapons, Wilk's also suffers from low compatibility between their products. Each of their laser pistols and rifles uses a "new & innovative" e-clip. So their clips are more expensive to buy and charge. I got this idea from HP, because every time I buy a new printer they have a new ink cartridge. Engineered Obsolescence exists in my future.

When they make it to the East coast, after experience all the above with Wilk's products, they will appreciate the CS (Confederate States) and Northern Gun (New England) products that are more rugged, cross compatible and pricing is based more on government contracts than, "What does this guy look like he can afford?"

Thanks for the focus question!

[bobharly]

The Death Nomads

The Death Nomads is a reference to the Desert Nomads that live in Southern California, Death Valley, Southern Nevada and Arizona. They are actually many different Tribes and Clans, with the two largest Tribes being located in Las Vegas (They pronounce it as Lost Veghost--illiteracy is 99.9%) and Phoenixt. Their dialect likes to add "t" to the end of words that end in a consonant.

Lost Veghost is alleged to have gladiatorial bloodsport games for entertainment, amongst other barbarity. Phoenixt is alleged to be growing into a permanent settlement and is the home to the Largest of all the tribes, The Fire Eaters.

When times are tough, they resort to banditry and venture into the edges of (Central) California, Northern Nevada (Mostly uninhabited, but a major highway is still maintained to economically connect California to Utah), Southern Utah, New Mexico, Western Texas and Northern Mexico. Their primary goal is to raid for food and slaves. Their economy is largely a barter/trade system, so currency is to abstract to them. They might prefer your shiny canteen over a fist full of gold coins, for example. The leaders of a tribe may have more use for gold if they trade with the "Outlanderts" (Their word for those who live outside their Nomadic Boundaries), but most nomads just see it as a soft, heavy worthless metal like lead. They also love weapons and ammunition, but they only like rugged weapons that are easily maintained. AK-47's, Lever Action Rifles, Revolvers, Breach Open Shotguns & Grenade Launchers and Bolt Action Rifles are all popular (ESPECIALLY BANDITO ARMS BIG BORE SERIES). Although they are relatively low tech, with either an Agriculture at 1750's levels or Nomadic Hunter & Gatherers, they do know how to make steel body armor (Non-Environmental Version of Gladiator or Crusader-Clan Leader and a few select Beta Leaders only) and gunpowder. As such, even the empty casings of 7.62x39 and 9mmx21 are still highly valued. Bullets and empty casings are the closest thing they have to coins/currency and can be traded as such if you understand how each tribe values/needs such things. Another commodity that is highly valued is Guzzeline (gasoline). Most villagers have no use for gas, but the tribal leaders need it to fuel their vehicles (if they have any). And finally, water is the most respected of all commodities. When a nomad really wants something, he will offer water to force the other party to continue negotiations. To refuse water, is to refuse life. So it implies that you'd rather LITERALLY die than associate with the other party.

Their culture is slavery. Either you are a slave or an owner (Tribal Leader). Runaways are rare, due both to the culture they are born into and harsh terrain. Only Outsiders are seen shackled or monitored. Most walk around freely and live their lives, but they know that the Chief isn' just a leader, he is their owner. Tribal leaders may have riding animals like horses or camels or small vehicles like motorcycles or a few pickup trucks for their warriors to use. The culture of slavery was born out of tribal and clan wars amongst each other. Each tribe wanted to be known for their bravery and fearlessness, but fighting to the death in every battle could easily deprive an entire tribe of a generation of young men, effectively ending the future of that tribe. A wise clan leader, Chief DeFang, saw his tribe was going to die against overwhelming odds. He called his men to put down their arms and surrendered, "We have fought bravely and can not win. Take our lives or we will take our own." And so began the custom of surrendering into slavery. Often the entire tribe was taken into slavery, but at least the families did not have to suffer the loss of all of their men. And in the service as slaves, the surrendered warriors joined the ranks of the warriors in tribe that now owned them. This allowed clans to grow into tribes, and as tribes became larger there was less fighting between tribes because of either the size of the tribe or geographic isolation from the next populated area. HOWEVER, if the conquerors refuse to take the surrendering tribe warriors into slavery, it is an insult and implies that they were to cowardly in battle and not worthy of being slaves to that tribe. This is the origin of the name, "DEATH Nomads," because they were expected to commit suicide to retain their tribe's honor. If a warrior returns to his tribe alive after defeat it brings dishonor to the tribe. His own tribe will kill him, rather than show weakness to the other neighboring tribes. A weak/dishonored tribe will likely be attacked and destroyed by it's neighbors, so it is taken seriously. In fact, the Fire Eaters have been known to either issue death bounties on a tribe that has not restored it's honor or even personally send Death Riders to end that tribe if appears to be so weak that it is a threat to their culture of harshness.

Outsiders, especially those who don't take slaves, are often traumatized when they set a defeated Death Nomad free and he then commits suicide in front of them. Death Nomads who are imprisoned have been known to entered a frenzied state and kill each other rather than be imprisoned. The last one standing is considered the weakest and will then attempt to bait a guard into to killing him. This makes combat with the Death Nomads morally challenging, unless you are ok with taking slaves or letting them kill themselves.

And my players who are all of Good Alignments just captured 18 of these guys and plan to render medical aid to them as well. I wonder what they will do?

[Marcethus]

That's going to turn out real well LMAO.

[bobharly]

Utah & Colorado: The Promised Land

The Promised Land includes modern day Utah and Colorado territories. Residing here are roughly 240k humans, with 97k living in the Utah area close to New Salt Lake City, built near the ruins of the original. Most folks just say “New Salt” as it’s a bit of a mouthful. The city of New Salt has a population of 49k people, with another 5k people living in few small towns to the south and east. The rest of the population works family owned farms that operate at a Steam Age or Oil Age technology level (Depending on whether they can afford gasoline/oil or wood).

Colorado is a frontier that offers more farmland for free to settlers. Settlers are cautious not to go too far east into the plains as to avoid contact with Invid Sympathizer communities. They fear that they will be kidnapped and taken away to Invid Labor Camps. What they really should be concerned about is the Bandit Gangs of New Mexico that periodically raid the area and have become more frequent as more settlers have come the area. The most populous city is Denver Crater, a city of 25k people built in the one the craters left behind by the Zentradi Rain of Death. No one really knows if the crater is the same location of the original Denver or one of its old suburbs? The crater is actually two over lapping craters that creates an area roughly 1.5 miles wide and 0.8 miles wide. Another 47k people live in a dozen or so small towns or cities between New Salt and Denver Crater.

Mormon’s are the principle populations of this area (80+%). Being a Mormon is both an ethnicity and religion. Two practices they are well known for is send their young men on peaceful missions to find the faithful, although in this era up to 30% never return, while others bring back new faithful. Overall, this practice has created population growth of 3.5% annually which is why New Salt has annexed Colorado for population expansion. They are also known for Polygamy, however amongst most common men this is highly exaggerated. A man may only take as many wives as he can afford and the church has taken on a very strong governmental influence, including a annual tax audit on each of its members. Church and State are the same in the Promise Land.

Catholics and Atheists form the remainder of the population and are the political minority. They are only discriminated against in subversive manners, such as denied employment or discouraged courtships, but in open public the Mormons maintain they are “Open and Civil towards all people.” It’s a convert them with kindness/rudeness approach. Most of those who are discriminated against put up with it, because the outside world has even less opportunities and the Promise Land is pretty darn safe with their geographic location.

Their army is small, but most of the male population serves at least one year and there is an “open carry” law that allows citizens to carry any arm openly in the countryside or public streets—although individual businesses can ask the arms to be checked at the sheriff’s office before entry to their establishment as a common practice.

New Salt is the happening place to be. This town is where the wealthiest live and high western fashion is a daily event. Everyone (including the poorer working class) wears their Sunday best daily, whether they are a common worker or the elite. For the elite, their clothes are their way of showing their success. Embroidered shirts and vests, fancy boots, rhinestones, silver bolos, gold rings and ruffled ladies’ dresses all done in 1870’s inspiration is all the rage, along with the accompanying country and blue-grass music. Some wealthy ladies never wear the same hat twice! Even the local businesses use old western style as their influence. A bar is called a Saloon and “General Stores” can sell anything from hard candy to a Wilk’s Laser Rifle. The city itself is a disparity of wealth and poverty. Although the city is clean, with more street sweepers than law enforcement officers, the common man (95% of the population) has horse and buggy for transportation, while the wealthy have automobiles, hover vehicles or robotic horses with polished chrome trim! Their homes are the same, with the common man living in a wooden home with candle light and using a simple mechanical pump to get water from his well, while the wealthy have fully automated mansions, servants, flat screen tv’s with video archives and antennas that can reach broadcasts from Sub York to San Francisco. Often these elites even have their own private security armed with Wilk’s firearms and modern body armor.

Mr. Wilk’s himself is the most famous of these elite, with his holographic billboards located through the city advertising his many different “Laser” businesses. Mr. Wilk’s and his family are deeply involved with the city politics of New Salt, so “No land or business is bought or sold without him knowing.” He is a beloved Entrepreneur and Philanthropist of the community. But no one outside his inner circle really know how he really is….

[taalismn]

[I was especially proud of "Oven Master's Laser Grills & Ovens". I want to have an NPC proudly declare, "I BBQ with Laser Beams!" !

I'm good with this...I can also see a line of accessory mirror-foil cooking aprons and facemasks(actually a welder's mask) stylized for cooking, with chef's hat attached to the top. 'Light-ly toasted' indeed. Or would that be 'photon-fried'?
I'm also good with the variety of products...My own munchkin firm, Paladin Steel, has the PS Plate division, which is known for making armor plating and stock metal, but also has a kitchenware sub-division turning out some of the toughest washer-safe ceramic dining plates and mugs you'll find on the open market.

[bobharly]

[I was especially proud of "Oven Master's Laser Grills & Ovens". I want to have an NPC proudly declare, "I BBQ with Laser Beams!" !

I'm good with this...I can also see a line of accessory mirror-foil cooking aprons and facemasks(actually a welder's mask) stylized for cooking, with chef's hat attached to the top. 'Light-ly toasted' indeed. Or would that be 'photon-fried'?
I'm also good with the variety of products...My own munchkin firm, Paladin Steel, has the PS Plate division, which is known for making armor plating and stock metal, but also has a kitchenware sub-division turning out some of the toughest washer-safe ceramic dining plates and mugs you'll find on the open market.

The PS thread is HUGE. I got about 5 pages into and had to take a break. Very impressive.

"We Laser cut EVERYTHING! Dinnerwares? Got it. Granite Table Tops? Got it. Lumber mills? Cut so precise there is no burning! We got it!"

[taalismn]

"We Laser cut EVERYTHING! Dinnerwares? Got it. Granite Table Tops? Got it. Lumber mills? Cut so precise there is no burning! We got it!"

That would be the Wilks Laser Table Saw. For the home improver who likes PRECISION MEGADAMAGE cutting and placement(you can readily identify the amateurs by the various prosthetic appendages they're sporting).

And let's not forget about the recreational laser lighting....goes from 'sparkly front lawn display' to 'zone of death intruder waster' in the tripping of a motion sensor. More garden gnomes and moths get accidentally vaporized with improper setting of the trigger thresholds than Wilks likes to talk about.

[bobharly]

New England the Last Continental States

Population: 1.3 Million

New England: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, East New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Jersey. 10 Democratic States, from portions of the old USA and old Canada on the North Eastern Coastline.

Disputed Territory and DMZ: West Maryland and Delaware in a three-way political tug-of-war between Quebec, New England and the Confederate States. There are no towns or cities, but some folks do live in this area and refuse to leave. They are mostly self-sufficient clans that make their own law.

Culture Northern. Small democratic city states dominated by local politics.

Civilian Tech is High Mixed: Civilian: The general technology in the countryside and the typical urban dweller is 1970’s Nuclear Age. People have cars (electric, short range 40 to 80 miles), TV & Radio, refrigeration, relatively advanced agriculture and trade of consumer goods, lan line telephones within their communities and airplanes with avionics. Gasoline is hard to come by since Texas has entered into a trade agreement with the Confederate States (CS). This makes gas and oil expensive and generally reserved for commercial and military needs.

Military Technology: Originally the militias were armed with refurbished Zentradi battle pods, that were modified for a 5 human crew. Although lightly armored, they hit hard and work well in hit & run tactics. From this innovation rose the Corporation Northern Gun. In the beginning they were a group of engineers and operators that were retrofitting old alien technology to arm their militia’s against incursions by the CS and Quebec, while hiding from the overwhelming Invid forces. Many bases have taken home in old subways or constructed underground in remote forests that blanket the North East. Gradually, Northern Gun began developing original arms, body armor and battaloids. Their greatest innovation was the micronization of Solid Oxide Rechargeable Batteries for their battaloids and power armor, born from the lack of protoculture reserves. Although the batteries only last a few months compared years of the nuclear power plants used by the CS and by Triax in Europe, they are far less toxic if breached and far less costly to produce.

New York City is hollowed out ruins on top, crawling with scavengers and black markets in old rotted out skyscrapers. Sub York is a new city that lives beneath. The underground the subways have become a thriving subterranean city the continues to be dug deeper and deeper. It is rumored to be more than 30 levels deep in some places. It is a Labyrinth to those who don’t live there, and even too many who do, but don’t venture outside their level.

Alliances: Following the Battle of Reflex Point, the UEEF survivors began sending out emissaries to find nations that would be interested in reforming the UEG (United Earth Government). That was the Year 2074. Although most nations were thankful for the UEEF’s brave sacrifices to liberate the earth, most had their own agenda. The CS claimed that they were the rightful heirs of the world government and claimed they were the surviving descendants of the Army of the Southern Cross (ASC). The CS asserted that the UEEF was obligated to join their military and assist in “Unifying Earth under their Emperor.” Quebec offered safe haven to all UEEF survivors, but insisted that the UEEF disband as they did not want to host two armies. New England was enthusiastically thankful, but with each state having their own interests at heart and many different points of view, negotiations stalled when the Invid Returned a few months later in late 2075. Other nations were contacted in North America, but most were either to politically disorganized or afraid to host a powerful military force in their own territory. The UEEF, not wanting to wait for the Invid to respond entered secret negotiations directly with Sub York and Northern Gun. A private treaty has been worked out where the State of New York has offer sanctuary to UEEF members in exchange for technology R&D and military support. After that the UEEF has not been seen in open daylight in full uniform or mecha, but rumors persist of clandestine operations of transformable motorcycles and jets or that up to 50k UEEF survivors have blended into the New York and New Jersey (???) militias. Nearly a decade later, in the year 2086, the legendary army of the UEEF is more legend than something anyone has seen. But if the rumors are true, New York has an ACE up their sleeve that has only fueled a Cold War both to the North with Quebec and to the South with the CS. But many believe the UEEF is still operational in some form, as Northern Gun’s innovations in all Mecha and Power Armor continues to advance while the CS continues to use the same gear from a decade before. Furthermore, the militias of New York and New Jersey have begun to resemble professional armies, paid and trained year-round, forming the backbone and bulk of the Continental Army.

Government and the People: Democracy in action (You scratch my back...). Each state has its own Democratically elected government (with its own unique rules) and raises its own militia. The states freely trade with each other, with very little regulation. Black Markets are looked down upon, but unless it is disruptive or dangerous to a community, they are often overlooked, “Eh? What’s the harm buddy?” The people here are stoic and resilient and have a strong work ethic, where it is not uncommon to work long hours and vacations are called, “Snow Days.” There is no central Federal unifying government that has the power to bind the states together. Each state is an individual Republic. Rather, they stay together because of the external threats of the Invid, Quebec and the CS. Every 6 years, 4 (min) to 7 (max) delegates (up to 3 appointed and 4 elected) from each state are sent to elect a general for the Continental Army. The Continental Army is a non-political military that can borrow and/or organize each state’s militia for up to 12 months at a time. Each state pays for their militia activities and after 10 months may vote to withdraw their financial support of the Continental Army. The Continental Army is the one unifying force that all 10 states have pledged to support to ensure their collective survival. The idea is to have one Commander and Chief in the face of a war or conflict who can quickly organize and mobilize all their resources efficiently. While the idea is rather simple and in the past having a unified army has saved them from incursions from the CS, the actual political process is rather complicated. Electing a General can involve states lobbying (under the table deals) each other for support of a candidate, challenges of patriotism, political favors and appointments, being reviewed by the Secret Service and an Oath that includes acknowledging that using their office for political “reshaping” (a coup) is treason. Although the army is a non-political entity, being the General is a VERY political job.

Notable Figures: General Jorge Washington: At 46 years old, he is the youngest general ever elected to the Continental Army of New England. He deeply fears an attack from both Quebec and/or the Confederate States as imminent in the next 10 years. His claim to fame is that he was the Hero of Harrisburg, back in 2069, when he led a platoon of battle pods to victory over an entire company of Confederate Death Walkers, saving the Pennsylvania 35th Militia from certain doom. Jorge's pod was destroyed in the fight, with his crew killed, but he stayed on the radio and acted as a spotter for the rest of the platoon despite being injured and in an exposed position. He is an Unprincipled/Opportunistic individual who does not care for politics, but fights fiercely and pragmatically to insure his militia army is prepared for its known enemies. “We need not win, we just can’t afford to lose.” He never wanted to be a hero, he just wanted everyone to come home alive. He is a humble man who in another life might have just been something ordinary. But this world has made him a fighting general that the common soldier can relate too.

[Marcethus]

Interesting stuff Boss.

[bobharly]

Interesting stuff Boss.

Thanks. I'm on a writing binge. I about a month I return to work, so I have to get my ideas down while I have luxury. I like to work a lot of History or popular Fiction into my Major NPC's.

Mr. Wilks is based on Thomas Edison. An opportunist who use corporate espionage and a knack for marketing other's ideas as his own to stay ahead of the competition.

General Jorge Washington. This is a hybrid of George Washington and Han Solo. A Rogue turned hero by the fate of his life events. He'd like to walk away, but hates himself for caring too much for the innocent. A natural tactician with the good sense to know when to run away and when to stand and fight.

President Jim Buchannan of Texas. Based on President Buchannan of 1856-1860 just before the Civil War. Trying so hard to appease everyone, he instead alienates all of his allies and is oblivious to his own fault.

Mr. Vargas. Based on Andrew Carnegie. A man who worked his way from the bottom to the top pursuing his ambitions aggressively. Monopoly is not a bad work, it the way to get things done! (This is the middle age Carnegie, before he became a philanthropist).

Emperor Masek. Based on Julius Cesar, a bold and calculating individual with no limit to his power cravings. Eventually he will be assassinated by one of his own. His son will later return for a counter coup and change the family name to Prosek!!! Like Alexander the Great, his son will be even more ambitious!

One of my players recently commented that my NPC's are so well detailed, both in their description and mannerisms, that he get's the feeling that they are based on real people. Could be true...

[bobharly]

New Mexico, a rogue's paradise.

New Mexico is an area of desperate homesteaders and bandits. The farming technology is primitive, with the Mechanical sophistication of 1840’s on a good day. Steam tech is not unheard of, but finding enough lumber to fuel the engines makes it too much effort for the average farmer. Of the 60k people who live in this territory, 39k are homesteaders and small farming communities that struggle each year against drought and pestilence to survive. Along the old highways that are used for travel between Texas and Utah, small trading posts and towns have popped up. Unfortunately, these rest stop locations have also attracted many bandits who are looking for easy pickings. Some gangs are roaming nomads that go town to town looking for an easy score, venturing as far north as Colorado and as far south/east as Texas. Most avoid the Death Nomad territories to the west, as the stories of savagery keep even the most ruthless bandits awake at night. Other bandits are from clans or ranches that already strong arm their current community and periodically go to outside communities if they need more. Bandits as a general rule try not to kill their cash cows (The folks they raid), but have no problem picking off “trouble makers and law men”.

The largest city in New Mexico is Ole’ Santa Fe, with 14k residents and another 2k “tourists” on an average day. There is no real tourism here, but the term is a derogatory word for those who pass through town for whatever reason. The Texas Rangers have a small base of operations here to bring some law and order to the area, since Texas annexed the territory 4 years ago, but they are often over worked and stretched thin to say the least. While the Ranger’s station can support up to 24 men, normally no more than 2 to 4 Rangers are actually available to the public of Santa Fe. Santa Fe is a rugged old western town with plenty of Saloons, Casinos, Brothels and Gun Shops. This is quite possibly the best place to go if you want to buy any of Bandito Arms Big Bore series weapons as they are very popular in this area with both the gangs and the homesteaders. The city also has a Wells Fargo Bank and Transport Office, a court house with a permanent judge and a Southern Baptist Church were services are held each day at 10 AM and 3 PM. Although bandits do pass through Santa Fe, few stay long. The Casino owner, Mr. Malone, keeps a tight reign over the cities Black Market and Gang activities. Like a mafia boss, nothing happens without his permission. The relationship between the Rangers and Mr. Malone is a love/hate affair. Mr. Malone does bring a sense of order and security to the city, but he does so with his own gang and his own rules which don’t always mesh with Texan law.

[Marcethus]

Interesting stuff Boss.

Thanks. I'm on a writing binge. I about a month I return to work, so I have to get my ideas down while I have luxury. I like to work a lot of History or popular Fiction into my Major NPC's.

Mr. Wilks is based on Thomas Edison. An opportunist who use corporate espionage and a knack for marketing other's ideas as his own to stay ahead of the competition.

General Jorge Washington. This is a hybrid of George Washington and Han Solo. A Rogue turned hero by the fate of his life events. He'd like to walk away, but hates himself for caring too much for the innocent. A natural tactician with the good sense to know when to run away and when to stand and fight.

President Jim Buchannan of Texas. Based on President Buchannan of 1856-1860 just before the Civil War. Trying so hard to appease everyone, he instead alienates all of his allies and is oblivious to his own fault.

Mr. Vargas. Based on Andrew Carnegie. A man who worked his way from the bottom to the top pursuing his ambitions aggressively. Monopoly is not a bad work, it the way to get things done! (This is the middle age Carnegie, before he became a philanthropist).

Emperor Masek. Based on Julius Cesar, a bold and calculating individual with no limit to his power cravings. Eventually he will be assassinated by one of his own. His son will later return for a counter coup and change the family name to Prosek!!! Like Alexander the Great, his son will be even more ambitious!

One of my players recently commented that my NPC's are so well detailed, both in their description and mannerisms, that he get's the feeling that they are based on real people. Could be true...

Nice work Bro. I wish I could write so well.

[bobharly]

Texas, a state of conflict:

UPDATE 8/29/2016: This post was deleted and reposted below as a complete story. Please reread as some minor changes were made.

To be continued (I need sleep) …

[bobharly]

Nice work Bro. I wish I could write so well.

Thanks. We desperately need a "Like" button for complimenting posts and responses.

[Marcethus]

[bobharly]

Adventure: Jucy Joe's Road Trip continued...

Inside the church, Jackson breaks free of the crucifix and lands on his feet. A 4x4 still tied to his arm is quickly rotated around to make an awkward club as three Nomads begin to rush towards him. One arrives early armed with a knife. Jackson takes a step back, baiting the nomad into the corner of the church, and then strikes hitting the guy in the head senseless. Meanwhile, the squad leader demands Jackson's surrender and orders another nomad to circle around from behind. Jackson takes the fight to the leader, leaving the other nomad going the long way around all the church benches. The fight is a match of swings, dodges and parries where no ground is lost or gained for either side. Then a stranger (Wade) appears in the door in full ASC body armor, who politely demands that all weapons be put down. Jackson retreats backwards to cover his band mate Anton. The lead nomad draws his 9mm pistol and the nomad circling around sees the stranger, drops his knife and runs to a window in the corner. Wade not wanting the injured Jackson to be caught in a cross fire rushes up to subdue the nomad with his bare hands. The nomad fires his pistol point blank into Wade's head, the bullets ricocheting off his helmet. Wade throws a punch and the leader (Nat. 1 on Parry) who loses his balance, takes a solid black eye as he goes down stunned. Wade then rushes up to assist Jackson and assess the situation. Quietly in the corner, the last remaining nomad gets the window open, crawls out and flees into the desert.


Inside the church Joe, Hayden and Doc begin setting up a triage rendering medical aid to the injured nomads, while rounding up the others and having them disarm and sit down on the church benches as captives. While Joe, Hayden and the Doc take care of the nomad prisoners, Wade and Jackson investigate the kitchen and find Maria of Maria's Tacos, and her husband chained to the tables and forced to prepare tacos for the gang. Maria falls to her knees, with prayers of thanks to Jesus! Plus, dinner is almost ready. In tears the elderly couple is relieved to be rescued and explain that the Chieftain Xanatos is a mad man whose gang took over their outpost a month ago and have been kidnapping people from the highway and trafficking the captives back to Las Vegas.


At this point they realize that Xanatos is unaccounted for among the prisoners. Furthermore, Caja, the one female member of the band, is also missing. They go outside and find Mr. Zanotti still tied up and shouting for help. Jackson has some bad blood with Mr. Zanotti over the mismanagement of the band's money, but all agree that now is not the time to have that argument, as Mr. Zanotti is especially gifted at covering his butt and talking in circles. Mr. Zanotti is cut down and sent inside the church and Jackson picks through the weapons surrendered by nomads. He grabs a shotgun, two fistfuls of shells and a M35 Wolverine Assault rifle. He then puts on a Tire Armor Vest of the nomads for some minimal protection before going after Xanatos. Most concerning is that Xanatos now has Jackson's body armor and energy rifle. From Maria, they learn that Xanatos is staying is Suite #1, which is an old RV up on blocks.


After some deliberation they decide to activate the droids, Hadely (An assistant technical bot) and Talos (a heavy duty labor droid). Hadely is then instructed to go to Suite #1 and offer Tacos for dinner menu as a distraction. Wade and Jackson go ahead and sneak under the RV to listen in and be ready to spring into action. Hadely arrives and knocks, verbally offering Tacos through the door. No response. Jackson then advises that the occupants must need medical attention immediately! "Sir, shall I enter the premises then?" Hadely then activates her laser cutter and cuts the lock off the door and enters the old RV. Inside she finds a poorly maintained habitat and no life forms. According to her thermal indications and a presumed cooking temperature of 350 Fahrenheit, she estimates that the stove was turned off 25 minutes ago (roughly when the fight ended at the church). Jackson and Wade search further and find Caja's shoes and jacket, but nothing more. They go outside to search for vehicle tracks, but since neither is a tracker, all they find is motorcycle tracks all over the area with no idea which ones are what?


What will our heroes doe next???

[Marcethus]

Sounds like a hectic day for the band.

[bobharly]

Speaking of the Band...


Mr. Zanotti often reminds you all [the band members] that if it wasn't for him, you'd all still be playing in the slums of Sub York, but since you asked about the contract here is what you signed...




Key points to the Band's Contract

•Manager manages the band's overhead, which may include roadies, equipment (excluding instruments and wardrobe), transportation and venue fees.


•Manager to receive standard 20% fee of revenue collected on Events and Record deals and 50% on merchandise.


•Band is responsible for the purchase of their own musical equipment and travel/living expenses.


•Band receives remaining revenue after Overhead and Manager Fees are collected.


•Band divides remaining revenue 20% each (5 signed members).


•Band Retains rights to their music/songs.


•Band must produce 1 album a year and sell at least 10000 copies to receive a contract renewal of $100,000 and radio play.


•Band Retains all rights Royalties, valued at $0.15 each time a song is played on the radio in Quebec.





DM to Player Notes




•Mr. Zanotti is a cheap skate and buys a lot of used equipment, including the bus 23yrs old, the power loader 16 years old and leaks hydraulic fluid all the time, Talos 18 years old and has trouble taking orders, and Hadely 5 years old. Furthermore, droids are not cheap. New Droids go for 2 to 4 million credits each. You have no idea what he paid for all this equipment, but he claims, "It was a bargain! I almost felt bad for the guy. [Chuckles]"


•Mr. Zanotti says each band member has earned about $450k in the last year. Jackson estimates, even without access to Mr. Zanotti's books, the band has taken in over $4 million before expenses are calculated. Most of it is in the Bank of Quebec (80%) or Wells Fargo (20%). He insists on managing the bank accounts for each of you, like the way a parent won't let a child open their piggy bank without a good reason. Everyone is fed up with this and tired of receiving an allowance from their own accounts.


•Jackson had to threaten that he was thinking about going Solo to intimidate Mr. Zanotti to get the money he needed to buy his armor and rifle. Jackson has been overly patient with him up until now, because the band has given him an excellent cover... but he is still a person too.


•Most of the Band seems to fear that without Jackson or Mr. Zanotti they could not be as successful as they are. They played for 7 years across Germancy, France and New York and lived on noodles and shared rent until they meet Mr. Zanotti and a month later Jackson joined. Most of them complain, but when push comes to shove they back down from Mr. Zanotti.

[bobharly]

The Band and the Contract:

Mr. Zanotti IS slimy, but he is ambitious also. It's a balancing act. A normal manager would still have you in Sub York working small clubs for rent and food. Zanotti, could be exploiting a loop hole in the contract--but you'll probably need a lawyer or industry expert to find it? But moving from Sub York to Quebec, the band's income jumped X10! And he is hoping this Continental tour will make you guys even bigger! So it's a horrible trade off. The guy is slimy, but he does earn his pay...




Spynetworks for the CS.




Every significant city is likely to have a sleeper agent embedded. The agent has an everyday job and may have been a member of the community for over 20 years. These are not agents like you who take risks and do the dirty work. They are the eyes and ears that quietly pass info back and forth. They will try to avoid direct contact with you to protect the cells within the net works. So if the bartender gives you a drink with a message on the napkin underneath, he will "have no idea how that got there or what it means..." Maybe he wrote it or maybe it was someone else in the room? They prefer to be anonymous and will only blow their cover under the most dire circumstances (which likely will require their extraction afterwards). Because of your High Profile Cover, you are easy to find for the network once you are in a city and staying at one location. But this also means the bad guys can find you too if they are aware of who you are. The most popular method of communication is "The Drop". You might an anonymous note or phone call, "Your Dry Cleaning is ready for pick up at 1201 1st ave., at The Shiny Suit." When you arrive at the address there is no Dry Cleaner, but in the alley next to it you see a large cardboard box labeled "The Shiney Suit." What could it be???




Contacting the network: #1 Radio or #2 Mail Courier or #3 Distress Signal




1A: Radio is either Shortwave with Encryption codes or Scramblers depending on your training. Your training indicates the preferred method. You may need to acquire a radio to send and receive messages. This method can cross continents and even reach other continents, however it requires patience to dial in the antennae length to reach the receiving station, which is further complicated by the time of day (good clarity at night, poor during the day). Furthermore, having a radio can be suspicious to the local authorities. Best to disguise it like something else, like "that old broken amp you can't part with..."




1B: Or Radio can be Public radio. This involves having a way to manipulate the playlist to send messages and an Encryption code. Furthermore, someone at the other end must listen to hours of the show, the same time and same show everyday just to receive a short message. This method requires having control of the radio station and lots of man power to monitor. Works best for when messages are sent daily and at scheduled times. Not so good on the go.




2: Mail Courier can take a message or item to a predetermined location that is considered secured. This is tricky because the parcel could be lost in transit or intercepted. Best used only when keeping the item on yourself is known to be risky. Messages sent this way are best when there is no radio option or network contact. Secure Locations: Lone Star Corp in Texas, Geno's Philly Cheese Steak in the Philidelphia Ruins (Actually rebuilt, but the name Ruins just stuck), The Buck Owens Country Music Academy in Bakersfield California. Quebec has a very effective secret police force, so currently no secure drop in that area. Furthermore, in the Invid Protectorates, no secure drops have been established.




3: Distress Signal: The network can send a distress signal (Bat Signal anyone?) or the individual may use a distress signal. The problem is the other party may not receive it or if they are not up to date they may not recognize it. This will be detailed later.

[taalismn]

3: Distress Signal: The network can send a distress signal (Bat Signal anyone?) or the individual may use a distress signal. The problem is the other party may not receive it or if they are not up to date they may not recognize it. This will be detailed later.

Considering the CS Lone Star has Mutant Bats, this could be literal....

[bobharly]

Juicy Joe's Road Trip (preview)...

We play tomorrow. While the players plan their next moves, I have already outlined how Chieftain Xanatos plans to respond to having his tribal warriors and camp taken from him. He has to travel 90 miles to Battle Mountain to join the other half of his war party, who are waiting in ambush for some easy prey.

o Xanatos Arrives: At 40 mph it takes him 30 minutes to cross 20 miles of dirt roads, along with Larry, Barry and Enu. Once they reach the highway, they will take off at 80 MPH, with Old Man Enu bringing up the rear to harass anyone who tries to pass him. It should take Xanatos about 55 minutes to arrive at Battle Mountain. Total Travel time of 85 minutes from 3:35. Time is now 5 PM.

o Old Man Enu will arrive at 5:30 PM. Players should arrive a little before or after this time?

o Sunset at 5:35PM!!! This will likely be a night battle.

o New Plan. Xanatos anticipates that his men at Unionville will surrender and join the group, so the old plan won’t work. He doesn’t want to return to Lost Veghast missing 2/3rds his warriors and only one prisoner, plus he is just vengeful and a risk taker. But he knows he’s outgunned.
 Inventory: 4 Motorcycles, 1 Vespa, 1 Armored Monster Pick Up, 1 Dune Buggy and 1 Passenger Car.
 Explosives: 2 Explosive Javelins, 3 Mal-Cocktails, 4 Cobalt Grenades
 Energy Weapons: NG L5 and FAL 2.
 Man Power: Xanatos and 14 Nomads.
 Hostage: Caja.

 Dramatic Scene. Caja is standing in the middle of the highway barefoot in a torn dress. A Nomad in Gladiator armor holds her in a neck lock with a .357 to her head. An oil camping lantern next to them is the only dim light. He will demand their surrender or the girl dies.

 Ambush. The remaining Nomads are prepped for an ambush, Fury Road Style. They are located 1000’ away behind an old man-made elevation, 8 to 10’ tall, that once served to keep the rail road tracks safe from desert flash floods.

• 8 men on 4 motorcycles (and Old Man Enu on his Vespa), armed with explosives (2 per bike roughly) with the plan to use the explosives to either disable the Jeep by going for the tires, or if the .50 cal is manned, taking out the MG. The passengers do the attacking and the driver does the dodging. 1 of the Betas with the FAL 2 is one of the attackers on the back of a bike. The other 3 are armed with 2 Shot guns and 1 has an AR15.

• Xanatos and 2 men are in the Armored Monster Pick Up. They will try to ram the side or rear with the heavy spiked bumper to disable the Jeep. Roof Mounted is a .223 MG belt fed, 4 belts left of 100. Xanatos is the driver. The other two are Gunner and Grappling Hooker. The Grappling Hooker is another Beta, armed with a .308 AR. Grappling hook is attached to a tow cable wench mounted to the rear of the vehicle.

• 2 Nomads are in the Dune Buggy. The Buggy is also assigned to harass by getting in front of the Jeep and slowing it down. It has a roof mounted Harpoon Gun. They will aim for targets like open windows, the grill, or tires. If they miss it takes a couple rounds to wind it back in. The 3rd Beta leader is the passenger and is armed with a .308.

• The Passenger car is held in reserve behind the old rail road burm in the event Xanatos needs to flee…

[Marcethus]

Nice, my Grandma use to live just east and south of Battle Mountain.

[bobharly]

Jucy Joe's Road Trip Continued...

The doctor had just finished stitching up Enok's knife wounds and Hayden had all the Nomad warriors who could walk on their own sitting on the church benches. Maria was passing out cups of water and tacos, feeding all (the band, nomads and players). As the players came together to discuss their next plan of action to rescue Caja one of the Sub-Chief Warriors raises his hand into the air.

Hayden, "Put yer damn hand down. This ain't no kindergarten class." But the Nomad just held his hand high.

Jackson and Wade approached and asked what he wanted, "Who is your Leader? Your Chieftain?"

Jackson and Wade glance at each other and without words agree that Jackson will do the talking, "I am the leader of my group, the band..."

"Not you coward! You and your band surrendered to Xanatos. I mean him [points to Wade]. The ones who conquered us!"

Wade caught off guard by this waves the Doc over and the Doc decides to do the talking. "I have some questions for you. How many are there of you...?"

Nomad interrupts, "You are the Chieftain? The leader?"

The doctor is annoyed by this, "Umm yes, now you will tell me what I want to kn..."

The Nomad Warrior ignores him and motions to the other able bodied warriors, 10 in total to kneel. Each warrior raises a cup of water above their head as they look down and chant in unison, "We have fought bravely and can not win. Take our lives or we will take our own." The sub-chief then offers his water directly to the Doc. The Doc and Wade look at each other, with the Doc gesturing, "I'm not gonna drink that." The two are confused by this. The sub-chief becomes annoyed and directs the men to repeat the chant. Wade reaches out to drink the water. As his hand touches the cup, the sub-chief looks up and upon seeing Wade he jerks the cup back!

"What insult is this?! Only the Chief [motions to the Doc] may drink the sacred water of our people!"

The Doc, annoyed himself begins to argue he doesn't need the water, but then changes his mind and just drinks the water to get this "overwith". The sub-chief then asks, "Oh great chief, what is your name?"

"My name is Herbert G. Bloodbane."

The sub-chief and the 9 warriors all stand, "All hail Chieftain BLOODBANE!!!" and in unison the warriors repeat, "ALL AHAIL CHIEFTAIN BLOODBANE!!!"

"My master, how may we serve you? You may call me Ruger. I am now your humble servant."

The doctor was both surprised and smuggishly over joyed by this development, even if he did not fully trust these nomads. "They seem to have a strange code of honor?"

After much discussion and debate amongst Wade, Doc, Jackson and Hayden it was concluded that Hayden would take the Nomads and Injured to back to the Fortress City of Reno NV. Anything that was unneccesary would be taken off the bus. The Doc person instructed Ruger that Hayden was one of his sub-chiefs and was in absolute command until he rejoined the "tribe", "You will follow Hayden to San Francisco."

"Where is this San Francisco? And where are you going my Chief?"

"San Francisco is land far to the west. I am taking my other sub-chiefs to rescue the woman named Caja."

Ruger then began offering information on the standard ambush that is used at Battle Mountain and where it was, but warned that Xanatos is both wiley and will be expecting them to come for the girl. One of the warriors, Newt, was then assigned to go with the Doc as a guide who was familiar with the lands around Battle Mountain.

The group left the church at Unionville at 4:30 to go to Battle Mountain. At 5:35 the sun set. At 6 PM Newt signaled to stop. "The look outs, usually two, will be about 2 miles down, at an elevated position on the old rail road tracks that run a 1000' north of the highway. Beyond that the ambush point is another 2 miles down, with the camp in the ruins of Battle Mountain another mile beyond that."

The players drove up another mile, dismounted and went on foot, north of the tracks. Eventually the spotted the sentries, who appeared to be watching the road and not behind themselves, so the players broke into three small teams and surrounded the sentries. Jackson then belly crawled 240 of the 280' from a rock outcropping to the sentries' position. One sentry kept looking, but without any optics available could not see Jackson in the dark, eventually giving up. At 40 feet out the sentry finally became paranoid he was hearing things and was annoying his partner insisting that there was something behind them. Jackson decided he couldn't safely get closer and used his M35 to triple burst each nomad. Both nomads went down before they could respond. The group crossed their fingers and hoped the gun fire did not give away the element of surprise...

At this point they sent Joe (a Juicer) down the road to Recon and return. 8 minutes later the players could hear gunfire and jumped in the Jeep to move up. 4 minutes later Joe running down the rail tracks waved them down, "Hey guess what? There's a whole bunch of them just like Ruger told us!"

"Ya' don't say...[annoyed]" Doc

The players moved in from the north side of the rail tracks again and eventually found the nomads on the main highway lined up in formation. Out in front of the formation, a Nomad in Gladiator armor with a .357 to the head of a young woman. But at a 1000' no one is sure if the woman is Caja or a decoy from the Nomad tribe? Jackson believes in his heart that it is her and considers taking a long range shot....

To be continued....

As a side note, upon emerging from the mountains that surround Unionville and returning the main highway there is a radio broadcast, "The Highway from Fortress Carlin to New Salt on 48 hour lock down. The Fortress is on Red Alert and we have combat patrols in that area. Please turn back to Reno or New Salt. Please identify yourself by radio if you approach Fortress Carlin from the West to avoid Friendly Fire. This is not a drill. [Message Repeats]"

[Marcethus]

Interesting stuff going on.

[bobharly]

As a DM I write my stories and think like the bad guys and as a result I'm usually in character all the time. Players are real people though who show and sometimes play their characters well and sometimes, as one of my players eloquently put it, "I just wanted to see stuff go BOOM!" While kicking in the front door and slugging it out toe to toe is can be great fun, the currently encounter in "Jucy Joe's Road Trip" is a hostage situation. Going in the front door as an opening strategy will likely get the woman, Caja, killed. So rather than punish my players for being normal people who have had a long week at work and just want to make stuff go "BOOM!" I sent out an email this week to bring them back into focus.

"Each of your characters bring something awesome to the table, so I am giving character insights. The information is player shared, just like if we were announcing this in the game, but the hints are character specific based on their backgrounds.




1. Dr. Bloodbane: The Scholar -- The Nomads have a unique code of honor that is not understood yet. Perhaps learning more about their culture could reveal another way to save Caja?




2. Wade: The Rogue -- Master Sheev often uses misdirection to get what he wants. Like a magician, while the crowd watches the waving left hand, no one sees the right which is doing the real work.




3. Jackson: The Soldier -- Taking a hostage is a sign of weakness. It implies that can not win in a stand of fight and are afraid and desperate. Maybe bording on suicidal if they are committed. Killing the Nomad who is holding the girl will likely provoke an all out response to recover Caja. Without her they lose their leverage over you.

The DM"

It will be interesting to see how this affects their planning....

[Marcethus]

Yeah, I am very interested in seeing what happens next.

[bobharly]

Texas, a state of conflict:

Before we can ask, why is the Lone Star Corp. manufacturing weapons, armor and Dog Boys for the CS?...

Before we can ask, why has the Pecos Empire, the southwestern portion of Texas, turned into area of clan run gangs and bandits with no regard for the law?...

Before we can ask, why is northern Texas, where 2/3rds the population lives, threatening succession to the Invid Protectorate?...

Before we can ask, why are settlers in Louisiana and East Texas making wild claims about dinosaurs?!...

We have to understand who President Jim Buchannan of Texas is. No wait, we have to go a few years back before even that. The year 2061 the Invid Invasion occurred is a good place to start. Some nations like the CS, New England, Quebec and California rose from the ashes of the invasion and found a way to rebuild and reclaim the humanity that was taken from them. Even if they must hide their military underground or submit to Invid overlords, they brought back a sense of law, order and civility to everyday life. But Texas was another story. The territory shattered by the specter of invasion, never found its great leaders to do anything other than survive day to day. The region broke down into smaller communities that would trade with each other, but no central government until 2072.

An ambitious businessman, Andrew Vargas the owner and CEO of Lone Star Corp., had carved out his own private kingdom from the ruins of San Antonio to the Gulf Coast. With his ability to manufacture his own weapons and breed and train an army of Dog Boys it was easy for him to dominate the area and run out the bandit gangs and clan mentality that had become common in the decade following the Alien Occupation. Furthermore, he made his initial fortune in this new economy selling Dog Boys and weapons to all who could afford them. He even sub-contracted for Wilk’s to produce the new line of Remi Arms, “The affordable and stylish laser gun for the common man.” With his small kingdom secured he entered into a trade agreement with the CS to produce arms, armor and dog boys for the CS military machine as well as consult and contract R&D for the fledgling Empire to the East. By the end of 2070 Mr. Vargas began to envision Texas as the next state of the CS, but Texas as a nation was a chaotic mess.

A couple hurdles had to be crossed first. The northern portion of the state where 2/3rds of the population lives were Free Soilers, which meant they were deeply opposed to the use of Dog Boys as farm hands and laborers, as it took jobs away from common men. The Free Soilers were not sympathetic to the Dog Boys, but rather just wanted them to be turned loose or even be put down as abominations! Nearly 3/4ths of the northern population opposed the mutant animals, with some attempting to liberate the animals and others harming the animals to drive them off. Owners filed suites of property damage, but even if a dog boy was killed, it was just property damage and not a murder. In the Southern portion of Texas where the use of Dog Boys was more accepted by the locals, the economy was much more seasonal and slow. Idle hands in the Southwestern region began to become known as the Pecos Bandits from their seasonal raids of the farmlands and cities to the north. Originally the gangs came from the region of Pecos, but later the whole southwest of Texas became known as the Pecos Empire (A derogatory reference to any bandit by a northerner, indicating all bandits are the same regardless of where they come from). So in essence, the northern homesteaders were at conflict with Lone Star Corp manufacturing of mutant slave labor and the banditry from the southern clans.


In 2071 Texas Rangers had brought sufficient stability through their brave efforts as volunteer militia to restore a sense of law and order. The Commander of the Rangers, General Johnathan Wayneson sensing his elderly legacy coming to an end (when diagnosed with cancer) released the Texas Territory from Martial Law in 2071 and in November of 2071 the first ballots were cast in public elections for a new President of the Republic of Texas. In December 2071 Gen. Wayneson passed away and in January 2072 a new President was announced for the first time in over a decade. The Election was marred however by allegations of bribery, tampering with the polls and other dirty tactics. But given that Gen. Wayneson had just passed and Texas needed a new leader, the general population let the election stand.

The First president,2072 to 73, was Zuck Taylor. An Lt. General Ranger who had served under Wayneson during the Pecos Uprisings, he was respected enough to go unchallenged despite a questionable election. Taylor made three strong promises upon entering office; He insisted on election reform going forward, the unification Texas even if it meant raising an army to finally put down the Bandit gangs and limiting the use of Dog Boys to military use only to preserve the Homesteader economy in the northern farmlands. With the northern population his popularity soared and many believed that despite all odds a great leader had arrived for the people. 16 months later he died of stomach pain. Doctors claim it was an infection, but conspiracies maintain it was an assassination.

The Second President, 2073 to 76, was Milton Filmore. Filmore was Taylor’s Vice President, chosen mostly for his “Yes Man,” politics and background as a Territorial Judge. Filmore was not a particularly imaginative man, but felt pressured to make good on at least some of Taylor’s promises to the public. Of the three key issues, election reform, funding an army and limiting the use of Dog Boys, Filmore decided that there would be too much opposition (under the table) to election reform or funding a professional army. The Rangers would have to deal with those issues as they had for over a decade. So he decided to tackle the issue of Dog Boys and formed a committee to find a solution.

The solution came in the form of the THE COMPROMISE OF 2075. The law in effect prohibited Lone Star Corp, or any other commercial breeder, from the sale of Dog Boys to private citizens, limiting breeders to military contracts only. All future Dog Boys sold needed be neutered or spayed, only retain enough breeding stock for monitored “production.” Furthermore, it limited how many Dog Boys could sold in private sales in the civilian market to “1 litter per year,” defined as no more than 8 annually regardless of age or health. Furthermore, each animal had to be spayed or neutered before transaction. Pres. Filmore lauded the bill as reform to satisfy all, claiming that existing owners of dog boys could keep their animals, but the market growth would be capped long term by the sales and breeding limits. Unfortunately, Pres. Filmore expended all of his political capital (bribes and favors, wink-wink…) to get this bill approved. But immediately after it was passed, both sides raged instead. North Texans claimed that there were no provisions for enforcing the breeding limits and that a black market for the beasts would continue to breed and sell at an even faster pace than before (which was true). Southern Texans weren’t overly impacted, but Mr. Vargas of Lone Star Corp was outraged and proclaimed that, “Passing a law is one thing. Enforcing it is another matter entirely!” Mr. Vargas took it rather personally…

Political spending from “anonymous donors” surged and the political campaign to destroy Filmore’s chances at reelection started in late 2075. His own political party wanting to distance themselves from “The Foley of Compromise,” as the bill was later referred to, nominated a new candidate and Filmore’s career in politics came to a quiet end when he left office.

The election of 2077 was alleged to be even more scandalous. Despite the election scandals, banditry was down during the election and Mr. Francis Pierce claimed that it due to his ability to negotiate peaceable terms with the “Pecos Empire”. Pierce, a northern Texan, felt that the Free Soilers were short sighted and were making the Dog Boy issue much bigger than it really was. He argued that if Dog Boys performed menial labor tasks, the general population could be urbanized and education advanced. He was popular and charismatic, the type of man who could walk into a room and be the center of attention effortlessly. He held office from 2077 to 2085, and during that time he really did nothing significant. His personal life was a series of unfortunate events as each of his three sons died while he was in office and his wife was plague with chronic depression. It is still debated whether he accomplished so little in office was due to his desire to be popular and not “rock the boat” or his concealed depression from family tragedy. As on scholar later noted, banditry was worst during non-election years and questioned Pierce’s commitment to support the Rangers and his total avoidance on the issue raising a national army. Many in North did not trust the mercenary militias that were periodically raised to guard borders, because many of these same mercenaries were also from the Pecos Empire. It seemed to some that the bandits had found employment during election years.

President Pierce opted not to run a third term, claiming his health had taken a toll during his years of service. However, by the end of his 2nd term his popularity in the north was quite eroded. The next election was a bit exciting. Although once again tainted by polling taxes, community intimidation and lots of under table deals that were leaked by the media, it involved a three way race between former President Filmore (seeking political redeemtion?), a southerner Mr. Freemont from Pecos, and a northerner Jim Buchannan. Filmore’s desperate attempt to “Make it Right,” only made it easier for his opponents to put a virtual unknown into office, as Filmore took votes away from Mr. Freemont, a Ranger who had battled banditry for his whole life and openly supported funding for a professional army. The next president, Jim Buchannan had been an emissary to Quebec under that last presidency and returned unaware of how divided the North and South was on the issues of Black Market Dog Boy trading and the public belief that the bandits of the Pecos Empire had owned the last two presidents. Buchannan was a former trial lawyer and believed that the nation did not need new laws, but rather they need to look to the laws they already had to solve their problems. His famous quote, “I acknowledge no master but the law,” was regarded as his way of avoiding these issues and he would often put the blame back on the Texas Rangers for the situation. He argued that the Rangers had begun to act more like vigilantes and had taken the law into their own hands, making them no better than the bandits they were allegedly pursuing. These violations of ethics prevented the judicial courts from convicting the alleged “Warlords of Pecos,” and had further sowed mistrust between southern and northern citizens by how they were treated differently by the Rangers. The Free Soilers however saw it very differently and came to call Buchannan, “President Doughface,” in reference to the fact that even though he was northerner, he was clearly soft on southern interests, especially the Pecos’s Empire.

Buchannan only having been in office since January 1st 2086, is now being confronted with rumors of town hall meeting throughout the north contemplating the refusal of southern mercenaries in their communities and succession if the gov’t refuses to acknowledge this request. Nothing formally has crossed the President’s desk yet, but only two months into office and he is already embroiled in a political struggle with his own Rangers and the citizens of the North. He simply doesn’t understand why the Northerners would want to leave Texas. That having been said it is also rumored that while he disagrees with succession, he does not believe the law allows him to send an army in to force the North to stay. If this rumor is true, Texas is on the verge of tearing itself apart…

And Mr. Vargas seems rather happy about it.

[bobharly]

Jucy Joe's Road Trip cont....

[This was a game where everyone was tired after a long week of work. They needed a plan to rescue a hostage and instead it was a never ending chain of really good one-liners and inside jokes about making stuff go "Boom!" and "who?" was going to challenge the barbarian leader to "Motocycle Jousting." It was another good game, as are most of them, but in my game summaries I can't capture all of the little things that really make the game fun or players greate. And sometimes when players or myself aren't focused, the parts where the game bogs down don't really find their way into the description either. I just felt like sharing that before I begin tonight.]

The group took inventory of the situation. They had a fair idea of the challenge ahead. A gang of desert nomads had kidnapped Caja and where holding her hostage in the middle of Highway I-80 at the ruins of Battle Mountain. Most of the gang was mounted up on their motorcycles, a dune buggy or a Monster Armored Pick Up truck. The estimated that there could be as many as 18 nomads out there and Caja was being held by one of them with a gun to her head. Each player took turns interviewing Newt, the nomad who had joined them as a guide and warrior under the command of Dr. Bloodbane. Newt explained that the warriors cannot surrender unless they have fought bravely first. It must be apparent they can not win, often revealed by the loss of a leader, massive casualties or the chieftain ordering them to put down their arms. They also learned that the tribe has the custom of the "Right to Might," which covered the right of veteran warriors within the clan or a clan leader with his own tribe to challenge the leader to a dual to the death in one on one battle. Duels often are bare handed, primitive weapons, tools (like the chainsaw) or motorcycle jousting and sabre fighting.

Jackson came up with a plan to plug his guitar into the loud speakers on the Jeep and stand on the roof and give the nomads a concert as a distraction, so the rest of the team could sneak up from behind and be ready to ambush and extract Caja in case negotiations failed. Wade joined Jackson as the driver of the Jeep, plus Wade planned to challenge Xanatos to a duel for control of the tribe. (No one was really sure if the challenge would be accepted, since Wade did not have a tribe with him. Newt simply said he had never seen such a thing tried before.) Jackson rolled in playing his song, "Lust is a Battlefied" and then followed up with, "I left my Heart in Battle Mountain." [Natural 20 for skill check]. The barbarians were enthralled by the performance and began to leave their battle positions to get a better look. Xanatos was outraged by this and ordered them back to their bikes. Wade came on the live speaker and challenged Xanatos to a duel. Xanatos responded, "You and what tribe?"

"My tribe? The tribe of the strong! The tribe of the brave! The tribe of Sheev!" Wade proclaimed proudly. A proper nod to Master Sheev who was back home in San Francisco.

Xanatos proceeded to hurl insults calling Jackson a coward who had lost his ownership of the woman and that Wade was pretender with no tribe. Wade promptly challenged back, "If we are the cowards, why are you the one hiding behind a woman?!" The nomads rubbernecked at that, looking to Xanatos. It would seem that even the Nomads knew they were using the woman as a leverage and this was not well aligned to their sense of honor. Xanatos accepted the challenge and Wade meet him in the middle of the I-80, surrounded by the head lights of motorcycles and cars to illuminate the fight. Xanatos removed his armor (Actually Jackson's armor that he had taken) and so did Wade. Xanatos' left side of his body was completely shaven and tattooed to look like a skeleton. Newt whispered to the Doc, "They call him the Desert Monkey. He fights like a wild animal!"

The men squared off and the fight ensued. Xanatos took the initiative and both began to spar. The men were well matched despite different fighting styles. Wade technique, though agile, is simply fast and efficient--no fuss. Xanatos on the other hand moved around like a circling animal and would attack with hands one moment and do a somersaulting double kick the next. Despite the theatrics, Wade was not intimidated and as the fight wore one noticed he had a slight advantage both in skill in and strength. Both men traded blows, with Xanatos kicking nearly as hard as Wade punches. Hits that would break normal men, but each of them took the strikes like seasoned fighters. Wade grew tired of the sparing after a minute of fighting and went for a grappling technique. For whatever reason, Xanatos was not prepared for this and soon found himself in a head lock being choked out. Xanatos struggled to escape and then just tried to strike Wade, but couldn't get a solid hit in. Gradually he blacked out.

A few minutes later Xanatos regained consciousness and motioned to one of the nomads. The nomad began move towards Xanatos drawing a knife. Wade called out, "NO! No, don't do it!"

Xanatos embittered, "I will not serve you. I choose to take my life. It is my tribal right!"

"No one's committing suicide on my watch." Wade promptly intervened and ordered the nomad to put his knife away. Xanatos was furious...

To be continued....

[bobharly]

Jucy Joe's Road Trip Cont...

As the situation settled downed and Xanatos was restrained (Tied to the front of the Monster Truck bumper), the nomads began to gather and presented their canteens, offering their service to their new chieftain Wade. All but the old Nomad on the Vespa scooter. Wade accepted and began to confer with the Doc as to what to do next, when the old man motored up to them. He looked like he was 80's years old, with weathered skin, missing teeth and scars of many injuries (including a missing leg). He used his AK-47 as a cane, with a cane like attachment where the bayonet would normally go. The Doc declared, "He's got an A-Kane-47!" to everyone's amusement. He introduced himself as a Old Man Emu, the Ancient One. The Doc quietly whispered, "I bet he's only 50, living like this..." Old Man Emu explained he was once chieftain of the tribe and had passed control onto his son. When Xanatos came to the tribe he challenged his son, just as Wade had challenged Xanatos, and killed his son in the "Right of Might." Although he hated Xanatos, tribal law required him to obey. Xanatos then began to take the tribe down a different path of kidnapping outlanders and slave trading them in Lost Veghost. OM Emu offered to take control of the tribe from Wade and the Doc, making them "Spirit Drifters of the Havasu River Tribe," especially since he feared that Wade and the Doc were not prepared to lead the tribe properly. The old man feared for the future of his people in the control of Outlanders. Wade had no problem with this, but felt that the "Right of Might" ritual was an unfair fight against an old disabled man. OM Emu reminded them he was an Ancient One, who lived before the invasions and tribes, and knew the tribal laws because he was one of those who helped create the traditions. He went on to explain that alternatively, by offering a great gift he trade control of the tribe without battle and that they would become honorary tribal members, esteemed as highly as the chieftain himself, called "Spirit Drifters." The Doc and Wade looked at each other and responded, "Ok?"

OM Emu and two tribal warriors took the monster truck and returned an hour later. In the back of the pick up was an old Cyclone VR-52 and a Suit of CVR-3. The cyclone had apparently been repainted with a custom Red and Yellow Flame Paint job and had taken many hits from small arms fire. Despite the superficial damage, the armor was actually in good condition. The CVR-3 was in similar condition, minus one leg. The boot was still availble for the missing leg and he assured them that it had been washed out. Everyone cringed a bit at the thought of what had happend to the old man, but no one asked for specifics. OM Emu explained he had found it and used it as a might Battle Bike to secure the saftey and position of his tribe in the Nomad Clans. Infact, all the ammo and missiles had been used, all 5 proto-cells were drained to 1% or dead, and what had finally retired the bike was when the gasoline motor had finally broken down. The Doc recognizing it as a UEEF Cyclone gladly accepted the gift and in a brief ceremony of gift giving Wade and the Doc transfered power to Chieftain Emu. They then returned to Unionville to reunite the Nomads with their new old chieftain and Caja with her band. Wade expressed concern that another tribe member could challenge Emu and kill him. Emu assured Wade not to worry, "I am an Ancient One. I am highly respected among my people and even if that happens, I have lived a good life. Furthermore, as long as I live we will no longer raid for slaves. I will return my people to their old way of life, mining."

Wade, "What do you mine?"
Emu, "Well since you are a tribal member now... gold. It's hard dirty work, but I believe it is more honorable than selling outlanders. If you ever pass through our lands, remind the nomads you are a Spirit Drift of the Havasu River People and they should let you pass unharmed... usually. You are welcome to come and visit." The following morning Emu lead his people south into the desert. Hayden took the band members, except Jackson, and the elderly couple who had run the taco restaurant in the bus to Reno.

The remaining team was now composed of Joe, Wade, the Doc and Jackson. As they set out they were reminded of a radio warning being broadcast. The warning advised travelers to return west to Reno or East to New Salt. Fort Carlin is on 48 hour lockdown and the area East of the Fort is considered highly dangerous and off limits. The group fearing they would be delayed if they went to the Fort, opted to drive an extra 30 miles cross country to go around and ignore the warning. 70 miles east of Fort Carlin, or 340 miles east of Reno, the came across the sight of highway wreckage. At 2 miles out, over a relatively flat desert plane they could make out the remains 2 Well Fargo Escort Armored Vehicles and 4 big rigs. Looking around, there was hills and bluffs about 5 miles south and dry flood plains to the north. Wade noticed (nat. 20) a glint of light along the ridge of a hill at about 5 miles out and the Doc soon saw the same thing. They could not make out what they were looking at, but by this point they had realized their radio had gone static and with further testing of other equipment concluded they were being electronically jammed. The debate that ensued argued over whether to go south and investigate or go north and go around this mess. They were split down the middle, but in the end Wade switched his vote to go north. Even then, they feared an ambush, but to their amazement after 2 miles they regained radio contact and nothing had happened. Joe called in to Fort Carlin that they had seen something 5 miles south of the wreakage and gossiped the dispatcher into finding out that yesterday mornings convoy to New Salt had been ambushed with Artillery. Of the 24 truck convoy, 20 trucks and drivers were missing. The escort team was KIA and the first responders were MIA. Currently, there is a Mecha team scouring the area for the ambushers. Relieved that they had not confronted whatever was out there, they arrived in New Salt in the early afternoon.

Upon approaching the city, they were barraged by over a dozen holographic billboards advertising various Wilk's product lines. They concluded that whoever Wilk's is, he must be important here. Surrounding the city is over 100 hemispheric metal objects, the size of a small car. Joe pointed out that those are the Wilk's Urban Laser Defense Grid, and that it is not safe to enter the city by any means other than the main roads. The first place they went was to the Manor of Master Phineas, the father of Joe's fiance--Shelia. The situation was a bit perplexing as they met Shelia a petite, near anorexic and pale young woman to whom Joe is engaged and her father, Master Phineas, a fat and balding banker of Wells Fargo. They went out for dinner and Joe told the story of how he had lived a life of sin and crime until he meet Sheila, and then found love and religion. Joe then went on to lament the misfortune of his soon-to-be father-in-law, as he was swindeled by a partner for a couple million credits. Wishing to find the dishonest partner and impress Sheila's father, Joe volunteered for the Pinkerton Investigations Super Soldier Security Program to gain the ability to hunt down this person and get the money back. Jackson began to ask Master Phineas a lot of questions, mostly evaded with vague responses or changing the topic. Nonetheless, Jackson, Wade and the Doc all agreed that something is not right about the father or the daughter, especially since Joe has been engaged for 9 months and hasn't seen her in the last 6 since becoming a Juicer! Theories abound, all implying that this must be some kind of a scam, that at the very least gives them access to Joe's generosity, which includes 250k credits a year, plus a million credit life insurance policy that Mr. Phineas had talked Joe into signing up for. Despite Joe's poor judgement, he is an endearing person and the other three are now trying to decide if they want to investigate the father and daughter or just try to get Joe to break up with her...

They next day, intrigued by all the Wilk's advertisements, and the need to get their Cyclone repaired, they made their way to the Wilk's Armaments Bazaare, a solid black polished three story building with "laser" red trim. Inside they encountered Mr. Hinny, the head salesman who provided several demonstrations of the superiority of Wilk's firearms over their current gear, "outdated ASC," or "clunky NG gear." Jackson was very impressed, despite his initial doubt and is currently negotiating with Mr. Hinny to upgrade his gear, even suggesting that he could adverstise Wilk's products on his concert tour. Mr. Hinny finds the idea intriguing, but would have to contact Mr. Wilk's himself first. The Doc, who is very interested in getting the Cyclone repaired, took the e-clips and p-cells to the shop in the back. Despite three attempts, the p-cells would not take a charge. The technician, confused by this, thinks the e-clips and p-cell canisters are not compatible with his charging equipment, but mentions that there are a couple of brothers who call themselves, "The Techno Wizards," in Idaho who might know how to charge them, as they have a reputation for being knowledgeable in just about EVERYTHING. Infact, Mr. Wilk's has tried unsuccessfully for years to try and recruit them, but they have refused all offers preferring the art and freedom of running their own business, albeit a rather small one.

The players are now faced with multiple options. 1) Continue on, searching for the missing painting? 2) Investigating Joe's fiance and her father for a potential scam on Joe and Wells Fargo? 3) Going to Idaho to get the Cyclone repaired, maybe? 4) And for Jackson, becoming the celebrity spokesman for Wilk's Laser Industries? Obviously, options 2-4 will potentially delay #1, but could be important later on...

___________________________________

This will be our last game session for the next few months. I plan to resume this campaign in April, as I literally have ideas coming out of my head faster than I can write them down.

[bobharly]

March 6th, 2086, 6 AM: After a late night of drinking with Joe and his future family, the group wakes up the next day and discusses their plans. Jackson has been invited to meet Mr. Wilks for the purpose of negotiating sponsorship of Wilks Laser Industries, since he has decided to fire his previous manager. Dr. Bloodbane needs to meet with local church leaders over some private business that concerns Master Sheev. Joe wants to spend some time with his fiancé. Which leads Wade alone and without anything to do...

Well someone has to find a mechanic for the cyclone, and they don't have time to travel to Idaho to find some mysterious Techno Brothers or Wizards or whoever. So, he gets dressed and an hour later finds himself at the local mechanic McCragers Mechanics. Wade enters the shop, which seems to have many employees working on all kinds of stuff from hover ponies to cars to household appliances. The receptionist, a friendly red headed woman begins to flirt awkwardly with Wade before becoming self-conscious and then calls up the store manager, simply known as "Manny". Wade has only brought in the P-cells for the cyclone, as he is cautious about showing off the whole mecha, and just want to see if the batteries can be charged to test the skill of the shop. Manny looks at the cells and has no idea what they are, declaring, “Well, I can tell you that these aren’t manufactured by Mr. Wilks! But if you don’t mind waiting, I’ll take a look at them in 30 minutes.” So Wade waits…
…
Abhiram Meheander, the son of two Buddhist Indians who had immigrated to Salt Lake City 30 years ago, before the Invid Invasion, was the last surviving member of his family trying make a living in New Salt. His education and prior work experience qualified him as a talented engineer, but he had quit for ethical reasons, believing that Mr. Wilks is not the philanthropist people believe him to be. Most folks in New Salt are deeply in love with a fashion and lifestyle called New West. Living a city full of wannabe cowboys, it’s tough being an Indian. Especially, since your heritage is from India. Most folks are polite to him, but subversively he is always passed up on job opportunities and asked to sit at the back of the restaurant. As a result, he has since only been able to find work as sub-contracted mechanic, currently employed by McCragers.
And this morning he was delivering a hover pony he had just finished. Manny was rather fond of “Honest Abe” as the guys called him, because he often was able to fix stuff the rest of the shop couldn’t make heads or tails of. And today he had a new puzzle for his best, underpaid, mechanic. A mysterious P-cell of unknown manufacture…
…
With Abe’s arrival, Manny immediately introduced him to Wade and assigned him to figure out how to charge the cells. Cell charging is easy money once you know how to set up the equipment. Abe took one look at the cells and had his breathe taken away. It was the P-cell from Veritech Rider Cyclone from the UEEF Expeditionary Forces. He had only seen this equipment once before 5 years ago when we was in Idaho and invited into the Brotherhood of Techno Wizardry. In a whispered voice to Wade, “So where is the Cyclone?...” The two men quietly left the shop and drove two miles down the road to Abe’s garage where the unloaded the Cyclone and assess the repairs it needed.
10 AM:
Diagnosis: The gas motor, which is needed for the hybrid drive to recharge the P-cells, has been shot through-and-through by a 30mm AP round. Chassis damage is minimal and mostly cosmetic, but a lucky shot had destroyed the generator motor. Beyond that, the bike needed to be put in a sanding booth to remove all the paint, décor and… ewe… human hair? Not really sure what the Desert Nomads did with this thing?
Estimate: 36 hours of labor, including multiple parts custom made. The two players negoatiated the price to 38000 credits.
Although Wade had no mechanical ability, he had no intention of leaving the Cyclone unattended, so stayed at Abe’s side as the assistant.
1 PM: Custom tools made to work on the Cyclone.
6 PM: Motor is removed from the chassis and disassembled in parts bins.
Midnight: 4 of the six parts needed are completed. The 5th one is done, but not satisfactorily. During the construction of the 6th and final piece the Laser CNC machine breaks down.
March 7th, 3 AM: Give up on trying to repair the CNC machine. Need new parts. Go to sleep, wake up at 7 AM, order parts for a noon delivery and go back to sleep.
Noon: “Knock-knock” at the door reveals a very large man in a black uniform. Outside they can see the Black delivery truck from Wilks Emporium and the driver was a 6’ tall 300 lbs muscled man named Kronos. “Delivery or Installation? The work order was not clear, sir.”
“Umm. Delivery please.” Abe said nervously.
“Are you sure?”
“The man said we’ve go it.” Wade interjected. Wade didn’t like Kronos, observant of the Cromagnum facial features of the delivery man. ‘This guy has got to be an enhanced human. No way he’s coming in here.’
OK, sign the pad. Kronos then took his dolly with him back to the truck and sat down in the front seat. But didn’t leave. And just stayed there. And Wade just sat down behind the window curtains and watch him, for the two hours that it took finish repairing the CNC machine.
2:15 PM: The black delivery truck starts up and he drives off. Maybe he was in no rush to get back to the office, claiming he had installed the parts? Who knows, but Wade was certain he’d see Kronos again.
With the machine working, Abe remade one piece and started on the last part. It took 3 tries before he got it right. By then over 4 hours had passed and it was time for diner and some rest.
March 8th: Reassemble the Cyclone from 5 AM to 7 PM. Turn the key, but won’t start! Keep working on it will 3 AM. Give up and go to sleep.
March 9th: Tear the whole motor down again and rebuild it again. This time it starts! Done by 7:30 PM. They install one of the 4 good cells and begin recharging. With 6 hours per cell, in 24 hours they should have 4 fully charged batteries by this time tomorrow.
March 10th: Kronos is out delievering parcels for Wilks, when his Invid senses detect a protoculture source…
4:30 PM, charging the last cell.
“Knock-Knock.” Abe answers the door. It’s Kronos. “Excuse me sirs, but it seems I delievered the wrong parts. You see we track all the serial numbers and while they were the correct parts, I somehow gave you the wrong serial numbers and I need those parts back. I have the correct parts in the truck and will do it myself…”
The conversation goes back and forth for a bit, as Abe is intimidated by Kronos’ flexing muscles and Wade realizes the Kronos is looking for the Cyclone. Wade finally asks Kronos to wait outside before they invite him in. Abe quickly suits up in the Cyclone in Battler mode and Wade gets in the Humvee and cycles the .50 cal machine gun. “OK KRONOS! You can come in!” Shouts Wade. But instead they hear the delivery truck start up and drive away. As they look at each other thinking they got lucky, Wade hears a vehicle approaching rapidly—the delivery truck. He points the .50 cal a the wall and blindly begins shooting, scoring multiple hits despite all penalties. The delivery truck crashes outside, knocking down a tree into the side of the garage.
Abe runs outside confirming that it is Kronos and using Wilk’s Back Up pistol takes a shot. But Kronos has a force field protecting him! Kronos then exits the rear of the truck in heavy body armor and with a heavy energy rifle. Wade goes outside and when he sees that his opponent is geared up, he opts to return to the safety of the Humvee. He knows their energy pistols will struggle to penetrate the Invid body armor and the Cyclone’s weapon systems are still off-line. But they realize the Cyclone can hold and fire the .50 cal without penalty, so Abe runs back inside to get it. Kronos sets his rifle from pulse to Laser Slice/Cutter and begins to cut the wall in half to bring the garage down. Wade and Abe both realize that the flimsy garage won’t last long and don’t want to be trapped inside. Wade punches the gas and begins trying to ram his way through the front garage door, while Abe exits the rear the garage, just barely escaping before it collapses right behind him!
Abe and Kronos then begin a show down taking shots at each other. Abe lands the first hit, with nice tight grouping of five .50 cal rounds to Kronos’ chest. Despite a force field and heavy armor, the 5th round penetrates and ricochets around the inside of his chest. Kronos staggers and falls flat on his face. Then Abe rushes back in to find a fire extinguisher to put out the flaming truck and tree, before the whole garage goes up in flames. It takes about 5 minutes to put the fire out and catch their breathe. The garage is wrecked, both the Humvee and the Tow Truck have superficial damage from the fight. A dead Invid warrior is laying face first in the lawn. A smoldering truck full of unknown packages is waiting to be explored. And to their amazement they’ve heard no alarms or police sirens…
But then again, it’s been a total of 5 or 6 minutes in real time… We will see it the local authorities come to investigate at the next game.

[Mack]

Locked for thread necromancy.